HONDA NSS300 FORZA ROADTEST
IF you are familiar with Honda’s little PCX125 scooter, you will find the family resemblance to its big brother, the NSS300, which we are testing here. The soap-bar curves and swells are a far cry from other manufacturers’ edgy, sharp and aggressive offerings. No doubt the PCX and NSS look a little bit more stylish, executive-like and more approachable for that reason alone. The other obvious advantage of its looks are the timelessness of it, whereby the sharp, edgy looks of other scooters tend to age very quickly.
The problem with the little PCX is just that. It’s little. If you are anywhere above 5’ 8” and looking at the wrong end of 80kg, you would look fairly ridiculous on the PCX. The other disadvantage is that it only has storage space for one helmet and while it gets great fuel mileage, it doesn’t exactly feel at home on highways.
Enter the NSS300. It is substantially faster and has more power. It has a larger storage capacity and enough legroom for 6 footers. The NSS is a middleof-the-road between the little PCX and the big SilverWings while still managing to perform daily commutes and conquer the city snarls with aplomb.
The Forza is powered by a 279cc, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected single-cylinder engine producing 24bhp. The frame is designed to flex in certain areas while being extremely rigid elsewhere. Big and aggressive twin headlights make the bike look a little bit more aggressive than the demure PCX. The metallic grey of our test unit is suitably modest and stylish at the same time. The low screen sometimes looks a bit awkward, but all is good at three-quarters angle.
The fairly largish bodywork are home to a variety of cubbyholes and the underseat storage. The ignition activates a button-operated flap, which allow access to the two-helmet underseat storage area, and also the fuel flap, which is located on the central hump, and, finally, a deep (very deep) storage compartment to the left. A smaller storage compartment on the right is non-lockable.
The instrumentation is comprehensive and very car-like, with 2 smaller dials flanking two large ones. The racy looking speedo and tachometer are the two large dials and the fuel and temperature gauges are the smaller ones. A small central digital display for trip distance, fuel consumption and the time is present, but I found the numerals a bit too small to see. There’s a 12V power socket in case you forget your powerbank.
The NSS300 is fairly large and wide, but the 716mm-high seat feels low and deep. The floorboards allow you to vary your leg angle considerably (from Harley feet-forwards to retro sit-up-andbeg) and reduces fatigue on long runs. The seat is wide and very comfortable and a small backrest (bumrest?) divides the pillion and rider. A short ride as pillion revealed that you sit quite far apart and that the pillion seat is superior to many riders’ accommodations on other bikes. The fold-away passenger footrests are also top-notch, placed well and shaped like small floorboards.
Honda’s HISS security system is standard on the NSS and with the engine started, you will notice that the NSS emits very little vibration. Typically Honda, the power delivery is refined and controllable, although the NSS will easily keep up with traffic and beat them, most of the time.
The 194kg NSS will reach a top of 140kph and feel at home on the highway. It remains perfectly refined and steady although downhills will make the variator stumble as you approach 145 kph. The only downside to holding that speed (which the NSS will do all day) is the lack of wind protection from that low screen.
With a 1,546mm wheelbase, the NSS is no Honda Click in town. Freerflowing traffic and more open roads suit it best, but it can still manage the kerbside crawl perfectly well. Just as well the seamless CVT transmission is typically Honda-smooth and balances the NSS’s good handling. The suspension is fairly plush, although sometimes it kicks up on sharp-edged bumps. The 14-inch front is better coping at it than the rear 13 incher.
One nice aspect of the NSS is Honda’s combined braking system, where the left lever activates both front and rear brakes, while the right lever only works the front brake. All brakes are discs and equipped with ABS. I averaged 30.8 km/litre and this included a jaunt up to Penang, taking in the country roads on the way up and the highway back to KL. The 11.6-litre tank makes the NSS a viable long-distance partner.
Everything you might need in a scooter is in the NSS. If you can handle the price, you will get Honda buildquality, equipment level and their well renowned smoothness and manners. The NSS is truly a do-it-all scooter.