Suzuki UZ125, Aprilia SR Motard 125, or Honda PCX 150?

[BugSmasher]

Hi Everyone,

I'm thinking about getting a scooter for commuting to work and generally running about town.

I live in Wellington so want something that can handle the Western Hills of Kelburn, Karori etc. without being flogged to death, also the 70 or 80 km/h areas around the airport, and possibly even the occasional trip as far as Petone 10 minutes along the motorway.

So far I've been looking at:

• the Suzuki UZ125 - seems pretty vanilla but is probably reliable
• the Aprilia SR Motard 125 - looks quite sharp and has 14" wheels, but I found one review that made me a bit nervous about gearbox reliability and overall build quality
• the Honda PCX 150 - looks quite stylish and presumably being a Honda is a quality machine, also has 14" wheels and supposedly awesome economy, but is a bit more expensive (although appears to be on sale at the moment).

I'd love to hear people's thoughts or experiences of these bikes, particularly with regards to performance relevant to the riding described, reliability, parts and servicing costs and longevity. Is there anything else I should be looking at in this category? The Honda at $4,495 would be the most that I'd want to spend.

Thanks for your help,
Pete.

[Ender EnZed]

I'm no scooter expert but 125-150cc is certainly appropriate for the riding you describe. They should comfortably(ish) handle 100km/h on the flat without exploding.

A budget of $4.5k sounds like you're looking brand new? If you're comfortable riding these vehicle yourself then nothing will count more than a test ride. If you're ready to buy then dealers will be more than happy to let you have a go.

[Zipper2T]

If you can afford it, go for the Honda PCX, although be aware that a new slightly improved model is coming soon, that's the reason for the price reduction.

[Zipper2T]

So far I've been looking at:

the Suzuki UZ125 - seems pretty vanilla but is probably reliable

excellent powerful fuel injected engine but dull styling and 10" wheels. Too expensive for what it is.

the Aprilia SR Motard 125 - looks quite sharp and has 14" wheels, but I found one review that made me a bit nervous about gearbox reliability and overall build quality

My experience with modern Piaggio products is that they are very reliable. Best looker of this lot by far, quality, flat floor, sharp handling but a little costly for a carby 125 with the older Leader engine.


the Honda PCX 150 - looks quite stylish and presumably being a Honda is a quality machine, also has 14" wheels and supposedly awesome economy, but is a bit more expensive (although appears to be on sale at the moment).

Superb engine with astonishing fuel economy considering it's capable of 120+k. Backrest on seat can be annoying as can the lack of a flat floor. Styling is an acquired taste IMO.

[BugSmasher]

Thanks for the comments Zipper.

I guess there's always going to be a slightly better model on the horizon. Any idea what the differences with the new Honda are?

I rode one the other day, and although I've never ridden a 150 before, have to say I was impressed with how it went. I didn't wind it right out as I wasn't on the motorway, but it was great up to about 90kph around semi urban roads and there seemed to be a fair bit left. I don't really envisage spending much time on the motorway, but would like to be able to sit happily with the traffic in dual carriageways etc.

I did find the hump in the seat a little bit annoying as ideally I would have liked to sit just a couple of inches further back on the seat, but I didn't see it as a huge problem. The Idle Stop feature was a bit disconcerting at first, but I could see that you'd get used to it after a while. Can always turn it off anyway.

I agree that the Aprilia does look quite neat, and they are including on road costs in the price at the moment as well, so probably not a bad deal. Only thing is there isn't a demo model, so I can only ride one if I'm 99% committed to buy. From what I've read they top out around 80-90 kph so I'm just a little worried that I might regret not having the little extra oomph that the Honda offers.

If any SR Motard 125 owners could comment on post run in performance I'd love to hear from you.

Cheers,
Pete.

So far I've been looking at:

the Suzuki UZ125 - seems pretty vanilla but is probably reliable

excellent powerful fuel injected engine but dull styling and 10" wheels. Too expensive for what it is.

the Aprilia SR Motard 125 - looks quite sharp and has 14" wheels, but I found one review that made me a bit nervous about gearbox reliability and overall build quality

My experience with modern Piaggio products is that they are very reliable. Best looker of this lot by far, quality, flat floor, sharp handling but a little costly for a carby 125 with the older Leader engine.


the Honda PCX 150 - looks quite stylish and presumably being a Honda is a quality machine, also has 14" wheels and supposedly awesome economy, but is a bit more expensive (although appears to be on sale at the moment).

Superb engine with astonishing fuel economy considering it's capable of 120+k. Backrest on seat can be annoying as can the lack of a flat floor. Styling is an acquired taste IMO.