Last year I rode several Italian products, from the fashionable Vespa to the sturdy Aprilia SR-GT to the three-wheeled Piaggio MP3, which, thanks to its dual front wheel and foot-operated brakes, you can drive with a small driver’s license, even if it has a powerful half-liter engine. But this time I set my sights on Japan and borrowed a Honda Forza 125. The Forza has been on the road since 2015 and is a more mature, comfortable alternative to urban scooters like the Honda SH125. It is bigger, a little heavier (although not by that much, the weight under 170 kg really surprised me), but mainly it has a longer wheelbase and solved aerodynamics.
Thanks to this, it won’t even be frightened by a crossing outside the city, at speeds approaching 100 km/h it behaves calmly, stably and won’t scare you with any uncertainty. In addition, it adds an electrically sliding Plexiglas shield, which works very well even on taller European riders – it will stop blowing in your face and you will enjoy a longer ride.
The engine has just under 15bhp, exactly as required by law (any more would require big bike papers), but it also has a decent reserve of torque, so flexibility around town is sufficient. Honda even supplies a stop-start system as standard, thanks to which you will no longer be bothered by vibrations when idling. The maximum speed of just under 110 km/h is sufficient for small towns, and I was agile enough in the city. I can imagine that I would be a bit more nimble and agile with a Vespa-type scooter or the already mentioned Honda SH125, but it never happened to me that I couldn’t fit in somewhere with the Forza.
A big advantage is the practical side of things. The rear trunk can fit two light helmets, but also a larger backpack, but there is enough space under the large double seat for two integrals or even a relatively large purchase. In addition, you don’t have to hunt for keys in your jacket, because Forza has keyless unlocking and starting. To the left of the handlebars you will also find a practical cell phone box with a USB charging port.
You can find out what else I liked about Forza and what I wasn’t excited about in the video!
