The Honda PCX / Forza / ADV150 / SH Forums

I got the XMAX 300 2017, if anyone is interested I can give you my opinions after the first ~1300km.

By all means, please do give us a feedback.

Or better yet, make us jealous..

alx123 wrote:By all means, please do give us a feedback.

Or better yet, make us jealous..

X2

Hehe! Jealous shouldn't be the case. If you really want a single vehicle for crowded city driving, commuting but also long journeys, this XMAX 300 is a very good investment. You can sell your other scooter and motorcycle The price is high for a scooter, but think of it as both scooter and touring bike and you will see the point.
I will not point out specs and things that you can see in the brochure. I will try to focus just on my subjective opinion and experience.

Before I bought mine I tested another unit. Just from the first twist of the wrist I could see it is smoother than the PCX 150, even if the power was much bigger (30hp vs 13hp). The engagement of the belt is very linear and sooner than the PCX, so you can take off gently with very few rpms. The top speed with the test unit was 142km/h and the average fuel consumption was 3.5 l/100km (being a test unit it was ridden hard by everyone).

Almost 1 month ago I bought mine. I wanted the brown/bronze one but would not wait 2-3 months for the delivery since the demand is so high, so I settled for the matte grey, which came in 5 days.
As with any new scooter, you have to be gentle during the break-in period. The manual says not over 4500rpm the first 1000 km, and 5500rpm until 1500km. Average fuel economy for the first 1000km was 2.6l/100km, with an average speed of 44km/h. The speed was max 60km/h for the first 500km and then 80-90 until now. I have passed the indicated 4500rpm, but gently only sometimes, to avoid continuous driving at the same speed. Average fuel economy raised to 2.8 l/100km globally after starting going to work everyday in busy city traffic. City only is more like 3 l/100km. Steady riding at 90km/h indicates 2.5-2.6 l/100km.
I have not tested max speed or pushing mine hard yet, I am at 1340km now.
Ride confort is way better than the PCX. I set my rear shocks to most soft position, I think 1/7 and it is very comfortable. From the factory it came with 3/7 and it was a bit harsh on small bumps.
The XMAX 300 is very heavy compared to the PCX150 on paper (179kg), but you really don't feel it. The weight is very low and you only feel it when you try to move it around on foot. The wheels are bigger and wider so it drives more like a touring bike than a scooter. The weight is a plus on the open road when it's windy and trucks come towards you at speed. The wind gust hits you but the scooter does not move (the PCX did move a bit).
The storage on the XMAX is amazing compared to the PCX150, not considering possible top cases. It's 50l under the seat and it really fits 2 medium full helmets plus a small bag. There is even an LED in the trunk. The front 2 spaces are about the same as the PCX, but the locking one has also 12v outlet. I chose this vs Forza 300 for this main reason, the Forza has way less space, you can only fit one small full helmet.
Seat comfort with the stock seat is better than the 2103 PCX150, but it's not amazing. You are fine for 1 hour of riding, after that you should take a small break or you butt will begin to hurt a bit. There is an option for comfort seat that should remedy this.
The wind protection is more than adequate for a scooter, it is comparable with a touring motorcycle. The windscreen is tall and has 2 positions, and the small plastic things that hand out at the bottom of the screen are not for design, they actually deflect some wind of the handlebars. I did not believe this but I tested at 90km/h, moving your hand 5cm above or below the handlebars and you will feel the wind force.
There is no heated grips option, but there is an OEM package available. Also the is a very nice Akra exhaus, but this is 500+ euros.
Another thing to note are the lights. It's almost full LED, and the light is amazing at night. No comparison to the PCX. You are also seen very well from all angles. Even during the day I get more cars to move over and let me split lanes that I even got with the PCX.
At 1000km I also did the first inspection and the dealer changed the engine oil, transmission oil, checked all filters and fluids, breaks, shocks, tires etc, and everything was about 30 euros. Next one is at 4000, and then every 5000.

As a conclusion I am happy with my purchase, no remorse. It's expensive but there is a good reason for this and I think it is worth it.
Pictures with test unit (bronze) and mine (grey).

Let me know if you have any specific questions.

Hyadum wrote:...It's 50l under the seat and it really fits 2 medium full helmets plus a small bag. There is even an LED in the trunk. The front 2 spaces are about the same as the PCX, but the locking one has also 12v outlet. I chose this vs Forza 300 for this main reason, the Forza has way less space, you can only fit one small full helmet.
...

Umm, Honda claims 62 litres under seat storage . I can fit 2 large modular helmets, 2 pair o gloves, 2 candy bars, a wallet and a cell phone.

I have to admit, I'm now a "little" jealous of your new ride Hyadum..

The thing about the storage space for the Forza 300 is strange...they claim something, but it doesn't seem to be true. I haven't seen one in person, as there are not available in Romania, but test magazines suggests otherwise:

2014 Honda Forza ABS storage space
That’s not an unreasonable amount for a scooter as versatile as this, but when I first started riding the Forza, I thought for not much more money I’d way rather have one of the most functional motorcycles Honda’s produced in years—the NC700X—which has almost as much storage as the Forza, gets about the same mpg in spite of having way more power and performance, and is capable of taking you pretty much anywhere.

The Honda’s is quite cavernous, able to hold two helmets, though only one can be a full face, and it mustn’t have oddly-shaped vents or spoilers.

Sources: motorcycle.com, cycleworld.com

Perhaps it depends very much on the style, size and model of the helmets.
Anyway this was not the only reason why I haven't ordered a Forza 300. It's about the engine and weight also. The Forza is 279cc but only 25hp, and 194 kg. My XMAX is 292cc woth 30hp at 179kg. And it gets better fuel economy and larger tank.

Forza: FUEL ECONOMY: As tested 3.6L/100km
XMAX: test unit (thrashed) 3.5 / my own average 2.8

Max range would go like this: 322km for the Forza, 371km XMAX (test unit) and 480km mine. I'm not sure you can beat this with anything on 2 wheels (except very large adventure touring bikes like R1200GSA that has 32 liters tank).

Kawasaki Z300 17 litre tank.
Ridden carefully on a long trip it can go 480 kilometres between fill ups.

Flip helmets and helmets with aerodynamic extensions are usually the ones that don't fit under the seats of scooters.
The Forza 300 can accomodate either of my XL full face helmets in either front or rear section.

I have been looking at the XMAX 300 as still toying with the idea of selling my Shadow 1100. Would need to test ride it first. Love the look.

yes it does look pretty wicked... I like it!

Update:


As of this time, Iv'e already seen a few XMAX 300 here in Bangkok. I also asked some dealers and they said that they can accept reservation for units that will arrive this coming December. What few units they brought in here is apparently sold out, according to them.

Current price for XMAX 300 according to dealers is at $5080 USD.

Forza 300 is currently being sold here for $4800.

I think Honda needs to upgrade the Forza or lost the market to Yamaha. Maybe give it a new sporty look, just like the Forza 125 with a 300cc engine?

Just like what happened to PCX 150 ($2570) here, since NMAX 155 ($2270) is cheaper and offers better specs (both disc brakes and abs), it is taking over Honda's market for the 150 too.

Nice looking machine indeed. The seat looks comfortable. . ..

Saw one closely in the flesh yesterday at the parking and Im inlove. The pcx is quite jealous I can tell.

It's a yellow one. I haven't taken a photo of it though so I looked in the net.

Top speed on this would probably exceed the PCX by about 20 MPH. Seems like a well thought out scooter. No 2018 Forza available so the field of what's available out there is narrowing. The Burg 200 is cheaper but has smaller wheels and engine. The Vespa 300 is in a class all it's own and pricey. It will be interesting to see how well this XMax does in the U.S. market.

The XMAX 300 is very heavy compared to the PCX150 on paper (179kg), but you really don't feel it. The weight is very low and you only feel it when you try to move it around on foot. The wheels are bigger and wider so it drives more like a touring bike than a scooter. The weight is a plus on the open road when it's windy and trucks come towards you at speed. The wind gust hits you but the scooter does not move (the PCX did move a bit).
The storage on the XMAX is amazing compared to the PCX150, not considering possible top cases. It's 50l under the seat and it really fits 2 medium full helmets plus a small bag. There is even an LED in the trunk. The front 2 spaces are about the same as the PCX, but the locking one has also 12v outlet. I chose this vs Forza 300 for this main reason, the Forza has way less space, you can only fit one small full helmet.

What is the load carrying capacity for the XMax 300? How much combined rider and passenger weight is it rated for?

Forza much larger dash suitable for accessories/gadgetry and more user friendly.

@easyrider

No offense, I know Forza is perfect for you but as a small Asian guy I look like sitting on a dinghy on a Forza. They gave the Forza a bigger dash. which is functional, but doesn't look nice (to me). To balance it, they also made its rear wider.

But looks depends on one's preference so to each his own. I do hope the Forza gets an update for 2018 too for it to compete. More choices for us..