If you’re shopping around for a new scooter then chances are you’ve seen that Japanese brands have lots to offer. In my opinion, the best scooter manufacturer is Honda, and in 2014 the best of the bunch is the Honda Forza. Why? Well the Forza has everything you will ever need.
Let’s start with power. The Honda Forza has a liquid-cooled, fuel-injected 279cc engine, which is good for over 80 mph if you push it. It benefits from a CVT automatic transmission which selects its gears well and is sharp. You can take this on the motorway, as it’s a 300cc class machine – so, if you’re a commuter, you’re not going to be limited to B-roads.
The engine revs to 9000 rpm and it’s pretty sweet, with a good sound and a linear power delivery.
Here’s a few engine specifications:
• Engine Type: 279.2cc liquid-cooled single-cylinder four-stroke
• Bore and Stroke: 72.0mm x 68.6mm
• Compression ratio: 10.5:1
• Valve Train: SOHC; four-valve
• Induction: PGM-FI with automatic enrichment
The ride is also excellent. The seat is well padded and the handle bars are perfectly spaced. You sit upright, as you do with all scooters, but the Forza is surprisingly low, and as such you feel connected to the road. Underneath the seat is a decent sized storage compartment. The Forza has you sit with your feet facing forward, so taller riders may take a while to get comfortable.
This scooter has a fairly long wheelbase at 61-inches, which means it’s not the most agile of scooters for filtering. It does however benefit from a respectable 27-degree rake and the front tyre is 14-inches, and so town riding is fairly relaxing. During my testing darting in and out of traffic was easy. This scooter does weigh 400 pounds though, so you’re fairly limited in what you can do.
This Forza features Honda’s combined braking system (CBS), and it can take a while to trust the left brake handle primarily. The system works well, though, providing plenty of stopping power should you run into a little trouble.
Overall
The Honda Forza looks to be a fantastic scooter for commuters. It has it all – plenty of power, a CVT automatic transmission, a comfortable ride, under seat storage, but most of all, it’s inexpensive to buy and run. If there was a scooter you should buy in 2014 this is it, although, buyers should beware that the weight of the scooter limits the fun potential it would otherwise have.
You will be able to purchase the Honda Forza scooter as well as Honda motorcycles from Grantham Honda Bikes. Prices for the Honda Forza will start from $5,999 in the US. If you’re in the UK or Europe contact Honda for pricing and availability.
