Today I was at the Honda dealer shopping for some new summer gloves when I decided to have a sit on the Forza 300 to see what all the fuss is about.
Compared to the PCX it's a noticeably bigger scooter, but still appears manageable for manoeuvring, parking and filtering.
I really liked the way the sculpted seat cupped/supported my butt.
It felt really comfortable for the few minutes I was on there, at least.The floor boards give the same latitude in unobstructed leg position variety that you get on the PCX, but they're wider.
However, my knees were about 6mm off the dashboard! This is the one that kills the Forza for me. Any abrupt stop seems like it would result in double knee reconstruction...
There was no key in the ignition, so I didn't test if my XL RJays SP2 helmet could fit under the seat.
I then went across the road to the Royal Enfield dealer to have a sit on the Kymco Downtown 350i.
Dam, this scoot seemed as much bigger to the Forza, as the Forza does to the PCX! Throwing a leg over when you're in bad shape like me, was a challenge.
The seat had a similar feel to the Forza, maybe not quite as supportive? But not having spent any significant time in either saddle, I can't say for sure...
Wow, the handlebars were just in the right spot! It felt like I could sit on this scoot without having to search for a comfortable riding position to suit my back.
The floor boards... Why oh why did they have to put a step there to lock your toes in? You either run your feet flat or lift your legs completely up onto the ramp.
Once my feet were up on the ramped part of the floorboards, I really did feel like I was in a cruiser position with my knees slightly higher than my hips.
I'm not sure this is a deal breaker, as it's certainly still better than anything Piaggio offer as far as foot position options go. But it's worth some consideration.
Now the things that peeved me. Dam glossy black plastic bezel around the base of the handlebars. I can't see this looking good after a couple of years of use...
As big as the scoot is, I couldn't fit my XL RJays SP2 under the seat in either position. The front helmet space seems only adequate for a M/L open face 3/4 helmet.
The rear helmet space appears to be roughly the same as the PCX, except narrower. The seat doesn't quite completely close with my helmet just as with the PCX.
The porous matte white paint on the demo bike had attracted some smudges in the showroom. The grey colour held up much better and appears easier to maintain.
Unfortunately, the current 2016/17 Forza only comes in black in Aus, and I'm no fan of that. Otherwise, apart from the tight knee room, it seemed a good size scoot.
The Downtown 350i was a pretty good fit. But does seem like it would be harder to manage when parking, etc. I also wonder how the gloss/matte finishes would hold up?
Both scoots seem to have similar storage spaces about the dash, but I didn't get to look under the seat on the Forza. Both have ABS, and the Kymco sports an extra ~50cc.
What do you guys think that have test ridden both?
