Is Honda Forza PCX good for LA traffic?

[JetFalcon]

So I crashed my Ninja 650 in LA from some guy who made a left turn in front of me. It's his fault and his insurance company will be paying for the damages, but my bike is totaled so it's likely just going to be me getting a check for what the bike is worth.

But before my crash, I considered getting a scooter for LA because riding a sport bike like a Ninja 650 was harder to control when going slow. It's great for highway and cruising big roads, but just alright for metropolitan traffic. So I was wondering if riding a scooter would be much easier in stop and go traffic in the city like LA during rush hour. For one they're lighter and also require no shifting, which I think would be easier for the stop and go type traffic.

But yeah, let me know if having a scooter would be much better than a sport bike just for the sake of commuting in a crowded traffic jammed city like LA.

I sat on the PCX150, it feels kinda small like I'm just sitting in a tiny chair. But the Honda Forza is a little better for me since I'm bigger at 220 lb and fits me better. So I am debating between the two, whether to get a tiny scooter I know I won't be comfortable in for long rides or to get a bigger scooter like the Forza but may be harder to get around super tight traffic.

[Valiant]

Depends. Are you lane splitting? The PCX and Forza are both about as fat if not fatter than your typical sport bike.

Another question would be:
Are you perpetually stuck at low speeds?

Because if you jump on a 60 mph highway with the PCX, you might have a few road ragers trying to park their car up your ass(excuse the colorful description).

If 90% of your daily use is under 50 mph, there's nothing better than the PCX for what you describe. If you still want to hop on the highway at higher speeds, I'd go with the Forza, but I would give up lane splitting with it.


I find the PCX to be perfect for my daily commute. Traffic is only bad at rush hour for westbound traffic. I hop on the freeway daily with a speed limit of 50 mph. It's less stop and go than your intended use, but I still snag about 75 mpg with a heavily modified PCX(which doesn't help fuel economy much). You might miss the acceleration given that 0-60 speed is easily 13-15 seconds on a stock PCX.

[kramnala58]

I ride a PCX in Bangkok, but when I move back to to North America I will likely look at the Forza for the added size and power. Unless you are in solid stop/go traffic (more stop than go) like I am in the heart of Bangkok, I think you will find the PCX a little undersized.

[gn2]

A Forza would be perfect, the PCX is too slow.

[forza300]

Sorry to hear about your accident and I'm very glad you are still here to tell us about it. I hope you managed enough strength to kick the driver's backside until he/she was spitting peanuts.

I agree with the above comments. I commute on mine too in 50-80kph zones and i'm quite happy, never feel stressed or worried about lack of power. However, I avoid 100+zones as you have nothing in reserve for overtakes or to get out of trouble. Sure, I can still scoot up to 100kph for short bursts but the "happy zone" seems to be <90kph on the pcx. Just me personal opinion.

If I was on highways regularly I'd have another bike. I can avoid them though so delighted with the pcx. I also had a Forza and it's also a wonderful machine, easily capable of cruising at 100-110kph on highways. Both are quite adept at filtering (lane splitting) but the PCX has the edge due to slim dimensions and much shorter so it can turn on a 5c coin.

Whichever you choose you will be very happy I'm sure. There are a fair few ex-big bike riders on the forum and I personally don't miss the gears or power. I just love to ride. The more miles, the more smiles

[forza300]

... one more thing. Try BOTH and then decide.

The Forza is MUCH better for touring or longer rides but then again I find the PCX MUCH more comfortable and it LOVES commuting.

Hmm.. or get both?

Either way, nice position to be in. Ride safe mate.

[Mel46]

If you are considering a scooter you need to determine what its main function will be. I had a beautiful Suzuki Burgman 400 that could cruise on the highway all day with plenty of reserve. However, when i was in tight traffic it was a bit bulky, like the Forza is. I traded down for a pcx because it did quite well in town and in tight traffic, yet it could, if need be, get on the freeway though there is no reserve. Consider getting a new pcx and a used Burgman 400. Used ones would probably be between $3,000 and $5,000 depending on the year. Mine was a 2006 but had almost no miles on it when i purchased it. Good deals are to be had if you scout craigslist. I would suggest a used Forza but they are hard to find.

[dkazzed]

Ride both in your traffic conditions. I ride a CBR 125R which has roughly the same acceleration and cruising speed as a PCX 150 on 55 to 65 limit freeways often with no problems in the Vancouver area. But I've driven in LA before and know how aggressive traffic there can be.

If you do get a PCX 150, you can do some of the simple mods others have recommended to get more top speed and acceleration. Your cruising speed will be the same but it's good to have some extra top speed available in ideal conditions ie. flat without a headwind. If I went the scooter route, I would absolutely consider a PCX 150 and do the mods.

There are good competitors out there. Kymco and SYM have PCX sized 200s and even the Kymco People GTi 300. Suzuki has their Burgman 200 though it's quite heavy. You may find the PCX is still the best all round scooter.