The Honda PCX / Forza / ADV150 / SH Forums

Before you embark on a voyage of discovery tinkering and tweaking your PCXs bits and bobs, here's a few things to think about...

Here's a fact: No matter what you do to the variator it is the amount of horsepower available which determines how fast it can go.

Fact number two: To get real performance gains you need to change the CVT properties AND significantly increase the available horsepower.

The PCX was designed from the outset as a vehicle to give good economy in cities.
It has a modest power output of just 11.2 bhp.
It has a very simple two valve cylinder head.
It has a maximum speed of 100kph.

Now compare this with the best in class, arguably the Yamaha X-max 125 which has a four valve head, develops 15 bhp, and will do (wait for it) 115kph.
So if you can manage to get parts which will increase the power of a PCX by 25%, you might see a 15% speed increase.

Going one step further, the X-max has a 250cc big brother, it has 21 bhp and it manages 140kph.
So if you can squeeze an extra 80% out of a PCX (big bore kit plus tuning parts?) you might get an extra 40% speed.

It is because the PCX is a simple 125cc two valve economy scooter that it is extremely unlikely that anyone will ever get one to do a decent top speed with decent fuel economy for less money than it would cost to trade it in for a 250.

I think this is a good summary of the opposition to performance mods, presented in a rational way.

I'm going to sticky this, because at the end of the day, the PCX is an economy vehicle, not a Ducati Monster.

I should also say that this reply does not imply that you SHOULDN'T try to modify your bike -- by all means do, it's fun to tinker, and that's what this subforum is for.


Any opposition to modifying your PCX should be posted here, in this thread, and nowhere else on this forum. Any flaming or counterproductive posts in the rest of this subforum will be immediately moved to the Drama and Bullcrap section. Repeat offenders may get access to this subforum removed.

My PCX150 has more power to work with than the 125 did. It has 12.9 hp and is top speed limited sometimes by horsepower and more usually by the rev limiter at 68 mph and 9,600. It has unused area at the top of the front pulley. If I can get the belt to the top of the pulley with hand tuned DR Pulley sliders I will gain top speed and lower the cruise rpms at 55 mph. The rpm ranges of the variator/ contra spring are set up for economy. If I increase the rpm ranges that the trans is running the engine at, up toward the power peak (7,500 to 8,000?) with lighter sliders, I will gain quicker 5-40 mph times.

I'm not aware of any sub $3500 fuel injected, water cooled, scooters currently available in the USA which can surpass the performance of the PCX150.

If you gain something by adjusting the CVT you will lose something else.

If you are using more power and gearing advantage to be quicker in the 5-40 mph range, you will use more fuel.
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If you are successful in defeating the top speed stops as they are designed into the ramps of the variator by shaving some DR Pulley sliders to let the belt use all of the available pulley, you lose only a slight bit of gearing advantage above the lock up rpm of your choice. The higher top speed may then be more often limited by power vs wind than by the redline. But when conditions are favorable, you will have a higher top speed and slightly lower highway cruise rpms.

PCX = city bike and frugal.

Lets talk about gadget mods on the bike such as GPS mounts, 12v accessory kit, decals etc

I don’t know anyone who spends so much effort and $$$ tweaking his car’s engine to get just 3 more MPH. OTOH, I won’t drive a car that tops out at 60 MPH either. I want my cars to easily drive any speed I will ever want to go (almost never more than 70, though any of them could do 100)

My PCX *150* meets my needs perfectly. It is frugal, my last tank gave me 108 MPG. It easily goes 60 MPH, which is as fast as my city bike will ever need to go.

Someday I may want a highway cruiser bike that goes 80. The PCX isn’t it. It will need to carry more luggage than the PCX can carry, and I won’t expect it to get >100 MPG.

I bought the bike that suits my needs. Anyone who needs more performance didn’t buy the right bike.

The next step up in performance is always a big jump in price and weight. A Downtown 300 is $2200 more than the PCX. The Genuine Blur220i is a great deal right now at $4000 but still air cooled and only 70 mpgUS.
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http://genuinescooters.com/blur.html#Overview
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Air cooled is fine, less to go wrong.
The Downtown is a far better vehicle in so many ways than a PCX, the $2200 would be money well spent if you want to do more than urban commuting.

Cracksta wrote:PCX = city bike and frugal.

Lets talk about gadget mods on the bike such as GPS mounts, 12v accessory kit, decals etc

Yeh - gadgets

I want my next car to get better gas mileage than a Prius, be faster than a Corvette, have more seats than an Odyssey, pull more than a F-350, and cost less than a Fit. My budget is limited so I’ll do it with mods to my dad’s old Taurus.

qed wrote:

Cracksta wrote:PCX = city bike and frugal.

Lets talk about gadget mods on the bike such as GPS mounts, 12v accessory kit, decals etc

Yeh - gadgets

That's what the Accessories subforum is for! Go over there!

sendler2112 wrote:I'm not aware of any sub $3500 fuel injected, water cooled, scooters currently available in the USA which can surpass the performance of the PCX150.

I agree.

Price and fuel economy plus looks made me hedge towards the Honda and not a Yamaha.

There is no need to hot rod this scoot unless you just want to but not for gains in daily commute value
or speed.

My opinion is that this is well engineered product and should remain as is.
Just ride it.

sendler2112 wrote:I'm not aware of any sub $3500 fuel injected, water cooled, scooters currently available in the USA which can surpass the performance of the PCX150.

Sym HD200 Evo is $3499 and better performance.

gn2 wrote:Sym HD200 Evo is $3499 and better performance.

SYM scooters are priced well. 171cc is a better engine size in order to gain 65 mph highway cruise speeds and top out at 72. Nothing can touch the fuel economy of the PCX though. Full on modified PCX125's are still getting 85 mpgUS.
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sendler2112 wrote: Nothing can touch the fuel economy of the PCX though. Full on modified PCX125's are still getting 85 mpgUS.

Well nothing apart from just about every other half decent 125, some of which will do significantly more mpg than a PCX.

gn2 wrote:
Well nothing apart from just about every other half decent 125, some of which will do significantly more mpg than a PCX.

really? Dont think many 125's have better mpg than the PCX. Some will have better mph though.

gn2 wrote:Well nothing apart from just about every other half decent 125, some of which will do significantly more mpg than a PCX.

I haven't seen any. Some 110cc scooters do but they aren't as fast. The PCX150 is an amazing blend of just enough. Not cheap but holds it's own in comparison in the market especially when fuel economy is factored in. I just looked at Piagio Fly150 looks like about 60 mpgUS. Some of the Indian market air cooled motorcycles are amazing on gas. There will always be some loss in a belt drive.
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http://www.honda2wheelersindia.com/shine/index.html
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The Honda Shine is listed at 65mkpl, 152 mpgUS and actual users are reporting 125 mpgUS lifetime. Tops out 2 mph less than a PCX125 though. Very cheap with the exchange rate. $1700 brand new. The Twister is $1200!

sendler2112 wrote:I haven't seen any.

UK model Honda CBF125, claimed figure from Honda is 160mpg (133US) and real world consumtion can better the PCX.