Considering a Forza 300

[coachz]

I'm looking into buying a Forza 300 for short trips with my wife. She likes to drive too but is only 5'4". Currently we have a Kymco like 200i. Just wondering what your overall impressions are of the bike and if she will be able to drive it if she can drive the 200i just fine. Is it reliable? The Kymco has stranded me twice with the crappy solenoid and I want a very reliable bike above all else.

Thanks !
John

[gn2]

The Forza is reliable enough save for several isues with early ones which have been sorted under warranty.
Its a good bit bigger and heavier than the Like and doesn't have a flat floor step through like the Like which you may or may not like.
A Vespa is more like the Like than the Forza and your wife may like that more?
Try them both and see which you like

[Blackbeard1718]

WELCOME ABOARD, SHIPMATE!

Looking at a few of the Specs between the Kymco Like 200i and the Honda Forza 300:

Kymco Like 200i Seat Height: 30.5"
Honda Forza 300 Seight Height: 28.2"

Kymco Like 200i Width: 27"
Honda Forza 300 Width: 29.5"

Kymco Like 200i Weight: 245#
Honda Forza 300 Weight: 422# (Non-ABS) - 428# (ABS)

Even though the Forza's Seat Height is 2.3" Lower, the extra 2.5" Width might be a problem with her getting her feet Flat-Footed on the pavement at Stops. Her Legs & Feet will have to go out a bit further, thus shortening her Feet-To-Ground Distance. Also, consider that she'll be holding up an extra 177#-183# of Forza, compared to the 245# of Like! Trying to Tippy-Toe that extra 177#-183#, probably wouldn't be a good idea.

Best recommendation I can make, is to find one to sit on and Test Fit OFF of the Center Stand, with Both Wheels on the Ground. The Forza's Seat Nose does taper off, allowing for the Rider's Legs to reach down better at Stops.

Best of Luck!

Cheers!

BB

[GatorGreg]

How short are the "short trips" you have planned? Have you considered the PCX 150? It's closer in weight to your Kymco and the Kymco like 200 is only a 163 cc engine so the 153cc PCX 150 might be just as fast and should be of the highest quality since it's a Honda For the cost of a new Forza 300 you could get a nicely outfitted PCX 150 with topcase etc and have some spending money left over - but you'll have a lower top speed and you won't have ABS as an option

[coachz]

Trips are only 20 miles average but the 163 cc like 200 is too slow for me screaming at 60mph so the 150 would be too small too. Good tips guys. Thanks so much.

[fish]

I have 10K on my Kymco LIKE200i - one bad TPS under warranty; never stranded.
I had a new FORZA for 365 days and 6K miles....traded up for a new Burgman 400.
LIKE & PCX are too small, too light and too slow for highways.
The Forza is well sorted now, and a very nice riding scooter with plenty of highway power. (like a Buick in its ride, compared to the LIKE) Parts and panels are a lot cheaper than the Burgman's!!
The Forza is not a light scooter - which contributes to its smooth ride and road holding in the wind....but maybe too much for a smaller person.
There are plenty of scoots above the LIKE, and below the Forza, that have good highway power and are lighter than the Forza.
SYM 200 is a well loved scooter, maybe look at the Kymco 300's (very popular scooter with the owners), Yamaha is making a scooter below the Majesty.
Anything much bigger than the SYM 200 is going to be heavy. The SYM's engine may be only slightly bigger than the LIKE's 163's cc's but it is ridden at 70MPH by its owners. World of difference between these 2 scooters. SYM being a serious mini-tourer while the LIKE is an urban street scooter, as you've found.
Vespa makes a scoot that may fit her...if you want to go the $$. Pricey servicing often.
Good luck
Fish

[Blackbeard1718]

Trips are only 20 miles average but the 163 cc like 200 is too slow for me screaming at 60mph so the 150 would be too small too. Good tips guys. Thanks so much.

COACHZ!

Not trying to sway you from the Forza, but just offering another option for you. Have you looked at the Burgman 200-ABS? It's a True 200cc (Not like the Kymco's 200 = 163cc..... I had a People S200 back in the day..... Traded Up to the People S250 after a few months.....).

Ok..... More Comparisons for you, adding in the Burg 200's Specs:

HORSE POWER:

Like HP - 11.3

Burg 200 HP - 18.1

Forza HP - 24.5


SEAT HEIGHT:

Like - 30.5"

Burg 200 - 28.9"

Forza - 28.2"


WIDTH:

Like - 27"

Burg 200 - 29.1"

Forza - 29.5"


WEIGHT:

Like - 245#

Burg 200 - 359#

Forza - 422# (Non-ABS) - 428# (ABS)


Both Forza & Burg have ABS!


MSRP:

Forza - $5,599 Non-ABS - $6,099 ABS

Burg - $4,999 ABS


FWIW, I looked and sat on a Burg 200, before I found a Forza to sit on. The Forza's Seat was Customizeable, in that I could remove the Butt Bumper from it, whereas, I could not make ANY adjustments to the Burg, as it was a Fixed Seating Position. At 6'1", the Forza's Ergos fit me better, as a result of the Butt Bumper being removed.

With that said, the Burg MAYYYYYY be a better fit for your wife, at 5'4". Also, she's only looking at an additional 114# difference, coming from the Like to the Burg, whereas the Forza would be a 177#-183# difference.

Best of Luck!

Cheers!

BB

[coachz]

Great ideas guys. Thanks so much!

[dkazzed]

Huh, I didn't know the US got non-ABS Forzas. It's ABS only in Canada.

The Burgman 200 is probably a 60-65mph cruiser meaning the minimum speed it'll maintain up a 6% grade on the Interstate. Will probably do 70-75mph on a flat grade and top out at 80.

[coachz]

Picking up a 2014 forza with 1000 miles on it for $3500 atm. Sitting here at the dealer. Thanks for the tips gents!

[dkazzed]

Excellent deal! Congrats!

[coachz]

Just put 30 miles on this baby and jesus is this light years nicer than my like 200. My wife fits great on it and can drive it too. The ride is plush, bumps are super nice and the engine noise is almost below the road noise. The longer whellbase and bigger tires make all the difference. Plenty fast enough. Really I think perfect for our outings! Zoom

[coachz]

What does this shutter key thing do?

[coachz]

Doh, found out it hides the keyhole

[Blackbeard1718]

What does this shutter key thing do?

Mobile Selfies!

CONGRATS on y'alls Forza!

Enjoy!

Cheers!

BB

[Kompact]

Congrats on the new Forza. Pics or it didn't happen.

[coachz]

Just a quick pic of my new scoot.

[Blackbeard1718]

Looks Great! The Red ones are the FASTER ones, ya know!

Cheers!

BB

[GatorGreg]

Just a quick pic of my new scoot.

[pja2536]

Looks Great! The Red ones are the FASTER ones, ya know!

They may be in the USA but they aren't over here in Australia! Mainly because they only sell the Forza in Black or White

My Black one is MUCH faster than the White ones

Back to the original post; you will find your new Forza much better than an around-town (20 km +) run-about. I have done several three-day tours through out-back NSW covering 2,000+ km. It's almost as good as my previous SilverWing at touring.

Enjoy the new bike

Regards,
Peter