My PCX150-White/Red

[you you]

Nice looking scooter. The 13inch wheels and wider tyres really suit it

[kramnala58]

... got concerned that I might be an easy target for the BIBs ...

I am new to Thailand (15 months) and newer to scooters/motorcyles (8 months). I am not familiar with the term "BIB's" ... what does that stand for and what should I be aware of?

[HawaiiJ]

BIB=Boys in Brown, AKA Thai Police.

In Chiang Mai, there are daily checkpoints for helmets and seat belt violators along with any other violation they can come up with. In my 2+ years here I have had one stop (vehicle) for my wife not wearing a seat belt. The cost was 200 THB and no ticket. Over the past 12 years of Thailand travels I have been stopped for numerous issues and been able to escape for 200 THB with no tickets. Many times, you just get caught up in the mix and get stopped only because it is the wrong time of the month.

Since I have gotten the PCX, I have not been stopped and I'm always waved on. Outside of Chiang Mai (city) there's many military/police checkpoints looking for contraband or drugs. Normally, I'll see the local scooter riders stopped and thoroughly searched. For some reason I don't get the same treatment, I only get the smile and wave through. Maybe I got my Thai drivers license for nothing!

[maddiedog]

The wide tires look nice. Have you noticed more top-end speed as a result of larger tires?

[kramnala58]

BIB=Boys in Brown, AKA Thai Police

Okay, thanks, I have not heard them referred to as that yet, although I have met them in person twice. Both times in a cage, not on my PCX.

... the cost was 200 THB and no ticket ...

That's what it cost me last night for an illegal u-turn. I tried to play the "my GPS told me to make a u-turn" card but he wasn't buying it. 90 seconds and 200฿ later I was on my way.

Over the past 12 years of Thailand travels I have been stopped for numerous issues and been able to escape for 200 THB with no tickets. Many times, you just get caught up in the mix and get stopped only because it is the wrong time of the month.

Sometimes I think it is because we a farang (white foreigner) and they think we have money so we will pay. I noticed it was particularly bad as Songkran (Thai New Year) got near. I suppose they needed to stock up on their party funds.

... I only get the smile and wave through. Maybe I got my Thai drivers license for nothing!

I have a Thai license for the cage but not the bike. I didn't have an 'M' endorsement in the US so I was not able to automatically get it here. For the cage license I just had to do the visual tests and they issued it to me.

I have been able to get around the bike license issue by getting an International Driving Permit. On my last trip back to the US I stopped in at AAA to get one for the cage and the gal at the desk asked if I wanted it endorsed for a motorcycle as well. Of course I took her up on the offer! So now I can legally drive the bike in Thailand.

There is another great benefit to having an International Driving Permit. An acquaintance put me on to it. Each time he went back to the US he got another International Permit. Eventually he had about half a dozen of them including the expired ones. Because most Thai police don't know what they are, they don't try to figure out if they are expired or not. So instead of paying the bribe, this guy insists that the cop write him up and he will go to the station to retrieve his permit. He gives the cop one of his out of date permits and never goes back. He has done that a couple of times.

I thought about it last night with the u-turn, but 1) I deserved it. 2) I was in a hurry and I didn't want to spend the time it would take for him to write me up.

The phrase "This is Thailand" (TIT) is true. We aren't in Kansas any more Toto.

[HawaiiJ]

The wide tires look nice. Have you noticed more top-end speed as a result of larger tires?

Nothing on the top end, I never got around to trying to determine top end speed in the original factory spec either. I just figured being almost 6'5" and not very stealthy I would not be the one setting the top speed mark.

This morning as I headed off to school, I quickly realized I had left the key in the PCX with it turned on. The battery was dead and I was left with the truck or the wife's Yamaha Fino scooter for transportation. I chose the Fino. This afternoon on the way to buy a set of booster cables I got a laugh, another American slowed long enough to yell to me and say "Hey man, you need a bigger scooter". I'm thinking NO SH*T!

So, I'm probably not the top speed guy.

[DeoSan]

Hello HawaiiJ,

I was wondering which YSS series/model did you get?

[HawaiiJ]

I believe the part number was TZ302-310TR-07O in the XXL model. The letter at the end represents the "Offset" mount model, I think this only comes into critical play if you would ever desire to use the oversize tires on the rear like I currently have installed.

If you are in Thailand they are relatively easy to locate and should cost no more than 4000 Thb or about 125 USD.

Note, YSS (to my knowledge) never produced a model specific to the PCX 150 but the part number above is from the PCX125 but fits with no issues. Note: The part numbers were different on the factory PCX125/PCX150 factory shock. I did make an inquiry to YSS Tech Support to no avail and gave up after a couple of attempts.

The attached file breaks down the part number code if you need it.

[HawaiiJ]

In Thailand there's a saying, Same-Same but Different. I parked next to this PCX last week when I went to the doctor. I no longer have a complex about my GIVI topbox being too large. There were also a pair of 12-volt power outlets installed in a different location than I had seen before. The plug installation was very clean.

[Kermit]

That is certainly an interesting trunk!

[you you]

The wide tires look nice. Have you noticed more top-end speed as a result of larger tires?

Nothing on the top end, I never got around to trying to determine top end speed in the original factory spec either. I just figured being almost 6'5" and not very stealthy I would not be the one setting the top speed mark.

This morning as I headed off to school, I quickly realized I had left the key in the PCX with it turned on. The battery was dead and I was left with the truck or the wife's Yamaha Fino scooter for transportation. I chose the Fino. This afternoon on the way to buy a set of booster cables I got a laugh, another American slowed long enough to yell to me and say "Hey man, you need a bigger scooter". I'm thinking NO SH*T!

So, I'm probably not the top speed guy.

Did you tell the guy he needed to sort his broken nose?

[HawaiiJ]

Did you tell the guy he needed to sort his broken nose?[/quote]

No, I laughed it off, he was on a Yamaha Nuovo 135 and I felt sorry for him too.

[you you]

Did you tell the guy he needed to sort his broken nose?

No, I laughed it off, he was on a Yamaha Nuovo 135 and I felt sorry for him too.[/quote]

If someone says anything like that about when I'm driving my little Peugeot 107 I usually say "no need, I've got nothing to compensate for"

[WhiteNoise]

That's one big fat arse trunk! Wait! I've got a hamper & it's White!

[HawaiiJ]

That's one big fat arse trunk! Wait! I've got a hamper & it's White!

Go for it!! It'll match the color of your PCX and maybe you can get the white PCX brigade to follow your lead.

Can you imagine the loss of gas mileage with this clothes hamper on a PCX.

[HawaiiJ]

Hello fellow PCXers, been nearly a year since my last post and will likely be the last on this particular topic since I sold my PCX earlier today. In total I had the PCX150 for 2 years, 8 months and rode it just under 29,000 km. I had a great time on the PCX, it was very reliable and only failed me once due to dead battery a couple of months ago. Luckily, I was at a neighbor's house and had a short push home.

During my ownership, I had added many "shiny bits" and addon parts. Of all the changes I made there was one that turned out to be a regret and if I had the change to undo it I would have made that choice. Here's why.

I preparation for selling the PCX, I took it in for a final service. I had the routine items serviced in addition to replacing the front and rear brake pads and the spark plug. When I picked up the PCX from the dealer, I trailed behind my PCX with my wife driving and noticed a steady stream of white smoke exiting the exhaust. Between the last service and now, I did have to add a bit of oil before the next service so I was concerned about oil loss considering I was selling the PCX to a family friend didn't want to sell them a problem.

So back to the dealer and after a lengthy discussion, the decision was made to rebuild the complete top-end of the motor. New Cylinder Head, Piston, Rings, gaskets and other items required to fix the problem with the smoke. I dropped it off on Friday and picked it up on Monday. No more smoke and the old parts were provided to me so I understood the work that was completed.

Good news, the smoke is gone. New owner is pleased. The repair bill including the original service, brakes (front & rear), spark-plug, top-end motor rebuild & all associated labor came to a grand total of 4100 Thai Baht or just over $125 USD. Not bad.

The Honda dealer highly suggested I remove the aftermarket air breather I installed and go back to the factory air filter box or the problem would return after another 20,000 km. Even though the small canister breather units are sold by many of the shops here in Thailand apparently they are not highly thought of. The only reason for installing the thing in the first place was to allow for the extra larger tires I installed on the last tire change.

So, the main purpose of this post was to offer the warning the dealer made to me about the air cleaner I had installed and maybe it might help someone in their decision. Luckily, the decision I made had a very small monetary price in terms of the repair here in Thailand. I don't think the cost for this type of work would be the same outside of Thailand or some of the other parts of Asia.

So make you decisions wisely, I'm sure some will want to debate my comments (in terms of being valid) and that is alright. Just take it with a grain of salt. Not really looking for a debate.

If you are wondering, the purpose for selling? I'll be making a transition back to the USA around the first part of the year and needed to liquidate prior to leaving.

Not sure what I'll get next when I return..

Happy riding to everyone.

[you you]

Hello fellow PCXers, been nearly a year since my last post and will likely be the last on this particular topic since I sold my PCX earlier today. In total I had the PCX150 for 2 years, 8 months and rode it just under 29,000 km. I had a great time on the PCX, it was very reliable and only failed me once due to dead battery a couple of months ago. Luckily, I was at a neighbor's house and had a short push home.

During my ownership, I had added many "shiny bits" and addon parts. Of all the changes I made there was one that turned out to be a regret and if I had the change to undo it I would have made that choice. Here's why.

I preparation for selling the PCX, I took it in for a final service. I had the routine items serviced in addition to replacing the front and rear brake pads and the spark plug. When I picked up the PCX from the dealer, I trailed behind my PCX with my wife driving and noticed a steady stream of white smoke exiting the exhaust. Between the last service and now, I did have to add a bit of oil before the next service so I was concerned about oil loss considering I was selling the PCX to a family friend didn't want to sell them a problem.

So back to the dealer and after a lengthy discussion, the decision was made to rebuild the complete top-end of the motor. New Cylinder Head, Piston, Rings, gaskets and other items required to fix the problem with the smoke. I dropped it off on Friday and picked it up on Monday. No more smoke and the old parts were provided to me so I understood the work that was completed.

Good news, the smoke is gone. New owner is pleased. The repair bill including the original service, brakes (front & rear), spark-plug, top-end motor rebuild & all associated labor came to a grand total of 4100 Thai Baht or just over $125 USD. Not bad.

The Honda dealer highly suggested I remove the aftermarket air breather I installed and go back to the factory air filter box or the problem would return after another 20,000 km. Even though the small canister breather units are sold by many of the shops here in Thailand apparently they are not highly thought of. The only reason for installing the thing in the first place was to allow for the extra larger tires I installed on the last tire change.

So, the main purpose of this post was to offer the warning the dealer made to me about the air cleaner I had installed and maybe it might help someone in their decision. Luckily, the decision I made had a very small monetary price in terms of the repair here in Thailand. I don't think the cost for this type of work would be the same outside of Thailand or some of the other parts of Asia.

So make you decisions wisely, I'm sure some will want to debate my comments (in terms of being valid) and that is alright. Just take it with a grain of salt. Not really looking for a debate.

If you are wondering, the purpose for selling? I'll be making a transition back to the USA around the first part of the year and needed to liquidate prior to leaving.

Not sure what I'll get next when I return..

Happy riding to everyone.

So it was reliable apart from a flat battery?

[HawaiiJ]

Very reliable, the battery was 2.5 years old and with the heat and use here in Thailand I think it was just due to be replaced. I had noticed a different sound when starting as if it might be getting weaker over time. The different sound definitely disappeared when I replaced the original battery.

The battery store tested the old battery and said it was ok, being careful I decided to replace it and move on. The cost to replace was only about 11-12 USD so it was an easy decision.

I had pulled up to a neighbor's house to retrieve the kids from playing and just stepped off the PCX neglecting to turn off the key, the drain of the lights and such drained the battery in about 5 minutes. Being cautious it was an easy decision to replace the battery.

On a note of reliability, I never had any other failures like flat tires or such. I was took a preventative approach to maintenance and replaced things like the brakes, drive belt, coolant & other replaceable earlier than recommended by Honda. There were 2 reasons for this; super cheap for repairs and parts here in Thailand and I took a few 1600+ km trips and wanted to be as prepared as possible.

[fish]

GN2, Relax on the warranty. I looked at it, thankfully the page numbers were in english as for the rest I have sent it to my translator. It did have one comment in english. It said to ignore the off topic comments from GN2 for some reason and life would be happier. Not bad advice.

Love the advice your manual gave.....many, many manuals belonging to many scooter riders world wide, have been thusly revised!! :-) :-)
You are my kind of fellow....and you've a great looking scoot. Ride safe & keep your sense of humour!
Fish