Honda is like the equivalent of Yosemite’s Old Faithful: age-old, reliable and fascinating. Throughout the century, Honda has always strived to create the best for its customers. And now, with 2021 coming soon, they’re starting it strong with a whole new and improved line of Honda Scooters! What’s fresh, what’s good, let’s check them out!
Honda – A Household Name
Since its debut into the automobile industry in the early 60s, Honda has become a familiar name to all. Renowned for their compatibility, functionality, and elegance all packed into one convenient package, Honda has proven themselves more than capable of rivaling other established corporations.
From the historically iconic Super Cub series to the speedy RC series, Honda always has something for everyone.
However, for the suburban environment, it’s the scooter line of Honda vehicles that has arguably the widest popularity due to its versatile nature. Taking much less space than cars or motorcycles and more comfortable to handle means that there’s less work traversing the bustling Asian metropolitan streets.
Aside from the ever well-known ease of use, Honda scooters are also highly regarded for their extreme reliability. It’s not hard to come across Super Cub models still in tiptop shape even in 2020. While enduring in terms of usage throughout the years, they are by no means unable to adapt to suit the modern consumers’ taste.
Honda has continuously been moving forward and improving our crafts to stay ahead of the trend. Yet, regardless of what the future holds, their designs have always echoed ingenious simplicity and artistic creativity in their core principles. This, alongside with he “The Three Joys” philosophy, has been their North Star for the past years, and would likely to continue being so for years to come.
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An in-depth Look Into Honda scooters
With 2020 coming to a close soon and 2021 just around the corner, Honda has released their new 2020 – 2021 scooter roster. This year’s scooters are sure to impress the sporty and rugged-looking ADV150 to the more delicate Metropolitan, not with just the looks alone.
Power
Economical and dependable – those are the keywords to describe Honda engines. This year, Honda has presented you with 2 choices for scooter engine – the 49cc four-stroke engine for the Metropolitan and the Ruckus, and the 149cc four-stroke engine for the ADV150 and PCX150 models.
The 149cc engine, more colloquially known as the 150cc, has got a lot to bring to the table in terms of power, capable of fulfilling not just the user’s commuting needs, but even the occasional off-road excursions, too! With the ADV150 or PCX150, it’s not at all hard to reach 55 – 60 kph, especially on open roads.
The 49cc, on the other hand, while it doesn’t seem as powerful as its counterpart, still offers its user a lot of traveling capabilities. A bit harder to clock in at 50 indeed, but if you know your way around the handlebar, it’s not impossible.
Additionally, considering the packed streets in the morning or during rush hours, going at 30 or 40 will still get you to where you need to be very quick.
Technology
Technological advancement has always been a strong point of Honda, an aspect they have long since spearheaded. As such, Honda has integrated several technical features to enhance the user’s driving experience.
The integrated 4-stroke single-cylinder engine on all models follows an industry-wide established standard. This ensures the engines expend fuel as efficiently as possible while maintaining adequate noise level. Additionally, unlike the old and rather obsolete 2-stroke engines, there’s no need to use petrol – the fuel and lubricant mixture proven to be damaging to scooter engines.
This year, Honda rolled out their new scooter line equipped with the Programmed Fuel Injection system (PGM-FI), a staple of their products ever since the 80s. PGM-FI pushes fuel efficiency to an even higher level, preventing unnecessary fuel loss during the combustion phase.
With the help of these consumption reduction features, expect about 2 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers for the Ruckus and the Metropolitan. The ADV150 and PCX150’s added firepower mean that they would need around 3,36 liters to go 100 kilometers.
Furthermore, all 4 models come with V-Matic belt-drive transmission, allowing you to accelerate and decelerate with little to no effort. No shifting needed when driving!
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Convenience
As powerful as these engines are, Honda firmly believes that there should also be a balance between function and form so that the strength of the scooter does not affect its user’s comfort.
Except for the Ruckus, the 3 remaining scooters all have at least 22 under-seat storage liters. That gives more than enough space for not just helmets, but also additional tools and knick-knacks for your daily trips.
But don’t turn away from the Ruckus just yet, for with it you have so much more room to improve and customize. An under-seat frame acts as storage when you want to put your helmet away. Optional purchasable baskets can also help you increase your bike’s carrying capacity.
Comfort
Some scooter or motorbike lineups trade horsepower for suspension, resulting in the riders “feeling the beat” with every bump. But not Honda, as they have taken great care into the suspension system. Telescopic fork suspensions present on the Metropolitan, the ADV150, and the PCX150 means that your rides will be much smoother. Plus, considering how widely available and easy-to-fix this suspension type is, the maintenance cost would not be high.
The Ruckus, on the other hand, took a different approach, with slider and front fork tube suspension for the front wheels and monoshock springs for the rear. This gives the Ruckus a more “rugged off-road” vibe, showing its true potential to cause a “ruckus” on the streets.
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Conclusion
Considering each model’s beauty, it would take days to admire and understand one Honda scooter fully. Taking pride in their diversity and holding fast to their perfectionism roots, Honda scooters have yet to fail us. Whether you choose the compact yet powerful Metropolitan or the sturdy yet stylish ADV150, you’re sure to enjoy them regardless.
