Honda Forza 300 - occasional long distance?

Hello all,

After a long time scooterless I am back into it, getting my full bike licence (CBT, theory and mod 1 done, mod 2 left to do). After I've got my licence I think I will probably stick with scooters, I'm thinking something mid-sized and at the moment I can't see past a Honda Forza 300.
Most of the time it will be for my 20 mile commute (town and A-roads) and I'm sure the Forza will be fine for that.

I'm just wondering though, if I ever want to go on a much longer ride, like 400 miles to Scotland, would the Forza be up to it? Anyone got experience of long journeys on a Forza or similar size scooter?
Cheers

 

Cheers
Yes I had no problems with my previous pcx, very reliable, which is why I want to stick with Honda's now. Thanks for the link that's a new forum to me.

 

People have been all over the world on smaller things than a 300.
I've been up there quite a few times and have done the most Northern coastal route up to John O'Groats then along the coast to Durness and back down to Ullapool.
I don't know where you are setting off from but the Honda will cope well on main roads/motorways and once past the Edinburgh/Glasgow central belt the roads are much quieter.
My advice would be use the trip up as part of the holiday. Depending on how far you are going possibly plan a B&B about halfway.
Sure you can tank up there but it's no fun. Take regular stops and stretch your legs and refuel yourself and the scooter.
If you want any advice about where to go and see just ask as I have been just about in all areas up there(still some to see though) lol
Biggest thing is your endurance and the weather. Be well prepared for wet weather but if you get dry/sunny days it's difficult to beat.
Deserted beaches and quiet roads with scenery.

 

Cheers
I would be starting in Bedfordshire on the A1, it's only hypothetical I've been to Scotland a lot, love the place. I'm thinking of times I go to visit friends up there for the weekend and whether scooting would be a viable alternative to the train (or car).
So yea, would be starting in Bedfordshire and finishing roughly round Edinburgh so about 350 miles.
So you think in 1 day it would be a bit of an ordeal? But not because it would be a 300cc scooter? I.e. would it be any more doable on a 400cc scooter or a bigger motorbike?
Thanks

 

Not far from me (Kettering) lol
I used to get to Newcastle in 4 1/4 hrs in my truck at a steady 55 mph without stopping.
I was assuming you might be going further north (on holiday) but Edinburgh is easily doable in say 8hrs or less with a break or two.
Everyone is different but 300 Forza is capable of 90 mph so should easily cruise at 60/70 mph and if you are only using it as a means to an end and not a touring holiday then you can go as fast as you personally feel comfortable limited only by weather and fuel stops.
Numb bum might set in so fuel stops are a good way of stretching your legs.
You'll probably travel further in a car before needing a break.
Also if setting off on a Friday the A1 will be busy so take that in to account.
It will certainly be cheaper than any other transport but the colder weather and relatively short time up there might make you wish you had taken the train and arrived there in just over 4 hrs in relative comfort lol
You could always try some longish trips of 2 hrs or more over to the coast to get a feel for it and see how you get on.
Get some good riding kit or even a scooter apron and see how you feel.
Just done a route planner and from Sandy to Edinburgh is 5h 46m but that is generally calculated at 70 mph with no stops so add in delays and a couple of breaks and you are probably nearer 7+ hrs.

 

Going back to the original post it has to be remembered he hasn't passed the test yet.
The trip to Edinburgh is not a holiday and would be a weekend trip.
So basically 1 day up and 1 day back doesn't leave much out of a weekend.
If it was a holiday over a longer period I would have no hesitation in saying go for it.
I would say it would be a gruelling trip for a new rider especially if limited time is a factor.
Just trying to be realistic lol

 

Thanks for all the replies guys, it's good to see the thoughts of more experienced scooter riders on the idea. Maybe I will save scooting up there for longer trips - or when I am able to make a long weekend of it so I can scoot up on Friday and back on Monday, because yes trying to get it all into a regular weekend is probably not doable.

And yes, it's all hypothetical until I pass my mod2 hopefully. This coming Friday!

 

My Honda Forza 300 will be 2 years old next month. I purposely bought it assuming I will be doing many miles. In fact, I did first 9000 miles in less than one month. Longest 1-day trip was 512 miles - I drove from Swindon to Edinburgh and then to Newcastle.

Love riding long distances on Forza, it is very comfortable as I can easily change position of my legs

I made a few updates to Honda - I used to have tall touring windscreen and replaced it with Givi Airflow to reduce wind noise (it reduced, but later I changed my helmet to accommodate noise cancelling earphones and this made the real difference), added Givi Trekker 52N Top Case and added connection to the battery for a charger and heated gear

The only time when I decided not to drive Forza was during Beast from the East - temperature was not an issue, but ice on small roads and police preventing usage of bikes/scooters, I had to stay extra night in Liverpool. On the next day, I hit the road and quickly arrived to Swindon. So many surprised faces when I was driving home . Well, I had to get back home and there no longer was ice on motorways

 

Another update

It was less than 2 years old and Honda refused to replace worn out exhaust under factory warranty. I think it is more or less fair because I did 25k. Bought Arrow exhaust for £400 in Italy, hope it will last longer

The bearing on the rear wheel got damaged. Honda swallowed £1.6k fixing fee. Some oil was found leaking from engine, so Honda will swallow another £0.5k worth of work under the warranty. And the exhaust will be installed for free as part of engine work

Worn off break pads and damaged the actual disks. That was another £150 from my pocket

Worn off two rear tyres, front one is still ok-ish for the next 2-3k

Still, surprised so many worn off parts on the scooter only after 25k miles

 

Not been on the forum for some time but great to see you are getting some miles in especially with all the sun we have had.
Yeah motorcycling/scootering is an expensive hobby these days.
I assume you were caught out with the brake pads wearing down sooner than you thought and causing damage to the discs.
Things like tyres don't last long in terms of wear. They are generally made for excellent grip so the compounds are soft but the trade off is higher wear.
If ,as you appear to be, a very high mileage rider then really you need to be checking your brake pads/tyres much more than the average rider does.
Yes 25000 miles is a high mileage compared with cars.
A bit of research into tyres may yield a better compromise between grip and wear. Maybe something all weather or city tyres?
If planning a long journey you should really be servicing it before you go and asking yourself will the tyres/brakes last the trip or should I change them now.
Compared with a car scooter pads are quite thin and tyres don't last.
For most riders that would be once a year at app 5000mls as most scooters are used for local commuting or just pleasure.
As you said you did 9000mls in the first month which is a lot of miles in a year let alone a month lol
Keep servicing it according to the schedule and do it yourself if you can.
You'll be needing the cvt/belt looking at soon I would think?

 

Thanks

I still find tyres mileage is very good - my motorbike used to go through the rear tyre each 8k and my previous Aprillia scooter was similar, so I find 12-13k is very good for me. Unless you know a good brand that will do even better in mileage and grip in any weather conditions? I use the tyre brand and model the scooter came with originally

And thanks for reminding about the belt - I was wondering when it would be time to replace it. It should be a servicing item, isn’t it?

I keep the scooter under manufacturer’s warranty (paid about £480-490 for 2 years, for me it is well worth it as I intend keeping the scooter until it falls to pieces), so now I have to keep it serviced by a competent mechanic. On a positive side, I don’t spend hours trying to figure out hot to disassemble something and then days how to put it back

 

Yes the belt is a service item. Your manual should tell you when it is due. I was just thinking of your high mileage as belts last a long time normally so the average user will probably measure belt wear in years rather than miles lol
You can usually tell on the smaller scooters as speed accelaration drops off as the gearing alters with wear. Don't think you will feel that on a 300 though.
Maybe you'll upgrade to the Honda X-adv when/if you can afford it lol

 

745cc - it’s a monster! I still don’t see the point for such a huge engine. Yes, I feel Forza 300 does not accelerate as fast as 500cc bikes, but I suspect parts are way cheaper, so the maintenance costs are lower. And purchase is lower too
In fact, I would love to know what’s the point of buying larger engine scooter or bike - when I was on the market, I chose Forza, but was considering HD Sportster and Moto Guzzi V7 Racer bikes too, but chose Forza because V7 was not right for me and Harley felt less practical to transport staff. A chain drive would immediately disqualify any bike - I had CB500 that I killed after I made 80k on it, looking after the chain was a pain I won’t forget, even after I installed Touring Scottoiler

 

According to the service schedule the belt is 8k intervals at 8000 it's an inspection at 16000 it's a replacement, at 24000 inspection and another belt at 32000.Check your own manual as I may have been looking at an older one and it may have changed.