Which 300cc scooter to buy?

I am planning to upgrade my 6 year old Honda PCX 125 in a couple of months time when I retire. No special reason other than I fancy a bigger scooter to potter around on!

I have three scooters in mind and would appreciate opinions on which you would choose and why:
- Honda Forza 300
- Kawasaki J300
- Yamaha XMAX

Thanks in anticipation of your thoughts.

 

Welcome! So to keep it brief, I would suggest the Honda for comfort, the XMAX for sportiness, and the Kawasaki, well I believe that is essentially a Chinese clone made by Kymco. So that would be my choice if I was on a tight budget (Kymco, not Kawasaki. Why pay extra for the name?). Personally I'd take the XMAX.

 

XMAX without a doubt.

 

Thanks for your comments. Although a Kymco clone I have read that there are a few minor differences with the Kawasaki version. I think brakes are better? My problem with the Kawasaki is that my nearest dealer is over 20 miles away and has no demonstrator. The next dealership is 65 miles away, and also has no demo bike.
My nearest Yamaha dealer is 30 miles away. Although a relatively nippy bike it’s also the most expensive. Bhp on the Kawasaki is slightly better, actually.
Nearest Honda dealer is 2 miles away, hence a Forza 300 being the obvious choice from a practical point of view although it’s bhp is the poor relation of the three. So for now I am trying to keep an open mind...

 

Thanks for your suggestion. Certainly the XMAX has great reviews, and a price tag to match.

 

The quality of Yamaha is just on another level, they are pretty fast too, with tuning even faster

 

Honda sh 300 ? Road tested against a Vespa gts and it does everything better !

 

Lots of support for the XMAX so I guess it would be stupid not to test drive one. Thanks for your comments.

 

I have read great reviews about this bike but to be honest, I just don’t like the way it looks at all, so for me it’s a non- starter.

 

Test rides are essential. Test ride the yam and the honda and see how you get on. I would forget about Kawasaki; they should stick to what they do best which is making great motorbikes.

 

The new Forza 300, and the X max are almost identical. Feature for feature they are almost the same. The Forza has a motorized adjustable windshield, that is very nice. I Xmax makes more power and is a more nimble sporty machine. I would take the X max all day long, and I did. Traded in a PCX 150 that I really liked but needed more interstate power. 2800 miles....rectifier change at 600. Scorpion pipe, YSS shocks, OEM comfort seat, LED turn signals, front running lights and 16g techpulley sliders added

 

Is there something in particular that puts you off the J300? Reviews are good, as they are with the Forza and XMAX, and it represents good value. The big downer is no demo bike to try (at the moment anyway) so without that opportunity it’s dead in the water.

 

Thanks for your input, Glen. Looks a lovely bike. We get sun in the UK, too, sometimes and that always helps. I have very good options for the Forza 300 with a dealer just 2 mikes down the road, rather than XMAX 30 odd miles away. So from a convenience point of view, that choice is obvious. That said, the lower bhp niggles a bit and the nippier XMAX wins that battle hands down...but how much of a difference would that make in reality..? For me, the new bike is just for fun since I retire in a few weeks, so no longer a commuting need. As said previously, I guess the only answer is to try them both and see what happens.

 

It never really occurred to me where a dealership is located, I don’t plan on going back to the dealership. Unless it’s for warranty work… As long as it’s in the same town as me , I don’t care about buying closer. My PCX never saw the dealer after I bought it, My xXMax has been back once. Here in the US the warranty is only one year anyway, so after that time there’s no reason to go to any specific place.

 

A very good point, actually. And to be honest, I have never been back to the dealer I bought my PCX from, also about 30 miles away. In fact I tend to avoid main dealers on cost. I have a local bike garage that does all my servicing.

 

From a mechanic here..
You won't really notice 2hp difference.
I think it will come down to 2 things if I was buying one, comfort and price.
That electric windscreen is just a farkel you will never use.

 

Not put off but it's basically a Kymco. Still a good bike. All I'm saying is if it's value for money your after you're better off demo'ing the Kymco than the Kawasaki - much cheaper.

 

I have to echo scuba here on the electric screen issue, although I don't agree it's a farkle at all.
For your purposes, as you say, pottering around after retirement, I don't think the electric screen would be worth it.
However, they are good if you tend to go on high speed motorways and the like.
My GTR1400 had the electric screen, great at 80mph cruising, but buffeting at higher speeds meant lowering the screen to compensate the air flow around me or risk the twitch on the bars and hope for no tank slappers.

 

Not all of us retired guys just “putter” around town.....

The electric screen would be a godsend for me. I routinely take a 200 mile trip across Florida which puts me going through about five or six small towns off the interstate. After running at hi-speed between towns, I would like it lowered to get some fresh air as I go through the town @ 30 mph.....Not a “farkle” at all for me. I currently use a Puig deflector but an electric screen would be much more elegant in its application.

 

I must admit that I would like an electric screen on my goldwing.
Even with the vent in the middle of it, it's just not enough sometimes.....plus I doubt it would go low enough to make much difference anyway