Idle stop technology useage

[Simon0867]

Hi all, and Happy New Year,

I've had my PCX for 6 months now and love the bike. So far it's coped admirably with all a Scottish winter can throw at it and always starts on the button. I mainly use the bike for my short commute to and from work, once the weather improves I'll be going on longer runs, but at the moment it's brief stop/start city runs.

I've only ever used the idle stop once and that was the day I picked the bike up. My concern has always been the effect it might have on the battery bearing in mind the normal use the bike gets.
Just wondered what other riders experience was? Is the system dependable or am I going to have problems.

I'd like to use it more, but equally I don't want to be faced with a flat battery at 6am during the working week.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

[ONTWOWHEELS]

Hello Simon and happy new year !

I bought PCX 125/2015 for my younger daughter but she is a new rider so untill she is experienced enough i ride it for 1.600 kms.
I always use idle stop and i did not have any problem untill now although i do not ride it everyday.

I assume that the 3rd generation of PCX has overcome the <<early age>> problems of the first two generations because everything now is led with ultra low energy consumption, battery has now 1Ah capacity more and there is a system that inspects the battery capacity constantly and if the battery voltage drops lower than the voltage required to start the engine it turns of <<idle stop>> automatically.

Hope i helped.

[iceman]

I've not used it ('15 model LED) but I would only consider using it if I had to stop regularly and could not filter through traffic (or if you prefer not to filter) - otherwise in normal riding conditions the amount of fuel saved is negligible so I really don't see the point (and wear and tear may be worse having the belt/clutch kick in too often rather than spend a few moments more ticking over in stopped traffic).
That said, on the new models which have the idle-stop cut-out protection as mentioned above, if you want to use it why not.

[you you]

Hi all, and Happy New Year,

I've had my PCX for 6 months now and love the bike. So far it's coped admirably with all a Scottish winter can throw at it and always starts on the button. I mainly use the bike for my short commute to and from work, once the weather improves I'll be going on longer runs, but at the moment it's brief stop/start city runs.

I've only ever used the idle stop once and that was the day I picked the bike up. My concern has always been the effect it might have on the battery bearing in mind the normal use the bike gets.
Just wondered what other riders experience was? Is the system dependable or am I going to have problems.

I'd like to use it more, but equally I don't want to be faced with a flat battery at 6am during the working week.



Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

Why don't you try it and see for yourself?

[kramnala58]

I ride in extreme stop and go traffic with most of my trips typically being less than 1 or 2 kms (1-1.5 miles). My experience has been that this is hard on the battery because it doesn't seem to have enough time to charge between starts and stops. Thus, I typically do not use it. Nonetheless, I don't see this as a fault of the idle stop as much as I do with the nature of my driving.

[waspmike]

hard on the battery because it doesn't seem to have enough time to charge between starts and stops.

Which is why Honda added the battery voltage monitoring.
I mean they can't actually admit it doesn't really work in the environment it was designed for, can they?

[ONTWOWHEELS]

They say there is an extra economy to the consumption 5% and above and it's logicall in the heavy city traffic full of stop and go to the traffic lights.
They have also installed a higher Ah capacity batterie (by 1 Ah).
As i have allready mentioned i use it without any problems untill now.

[iceman]

Honda cannot put any % fuel saving as it depends how often it kicks in and the length of each persons journey - their claim is probably not achievable outside of some maths formula.
It will help fuel economy in places you are not allowed to filter such as many US states, but in countries that allow filtering it's pointless as most people filter through most jams and slow-downs.
With fuel for the PCX not costing the earth, savings will not be that great.

[ONTWOWHEELS]

You are right. I use it just because it's there, i can't say for sure that it effects economy so much HONDA says and as you have allready said it's very economical one way or another.

I just wanted to say that if you use it, there is no problem at all for a flat battery as i have seen untill now.
But in order to be absolute sure we must use it for one - two years at least.

[gn2]

Scooter station did a test shortly after the PCX was launched, the fuel savings were minimal.
However, there's the comfort and fun to be considered.
Sitting with the engine off is much more pleasant than having it running.
And you can surprise motorists by zooming off when they think they will get away from the lights first.
As for transmission/clutch/drivebelt wear and tear mentioned earlier, if anything idle stop will reduce it because the belt ony stops turning when the engine is off.

[you you]

I'm off to watch Dum and Dummer..