Honda Forza 125 Review (2018)
What Is It?
The Honda Forza 125 is a learner friendly premium maxi scooter and is powered by a liquid cooled 125 cc single cylinder engine, producing 14.8 bhp at 8,500 rpm and maximum torque at 8,250 rpm.
Specs
- Seat Height: Low (780 mm / 30.7 inches)
- Weight: Average (162 kg / 357 lbs)
- Economy: Very good (100 mpg / 2.8 l/100km / 35.4 km/l)
- Range: High (250 miles / 402 km)
- Power to Weight: Low (0.093 bhp/kg / 0.069 kW/kg)
- Top Speed: Average (75 mph / 121 km/h)
Pros
- An electric screen on a 125!
- Handling
- Comfort
- Storage
- Range
- Looks
Cons
- There are much cheaper 125s available
- Screen could be taller
- No under seat light
What Is It Like?
Why The Forza?
I have owned the Honda Forza 125 since September 2018, after many of my pals had the older version, but I opted to spend the extra money for the newer model. I love my gadgets so I fancied a go at all the fancy parts on the newer model!
My Riding
My main reason for buying the Forza is that I am a full time Deliveroo driver working 40+ hours a week and riding over 100 miles a day so I needed the best possible bike to keep up with my demands. Below is all my personal reasons to why the bike is such a great bike and a few minor nitty gritty negatives.
Positives
- Large fuel tank with up to 280 miles range
- Very comfortable seat with lots of leg room
- Looks amazing, large glove box
- Fast with amazing handling (this has been tested and pushed to the limit)
- Huge amount of storage under the seat that's big enough for two full face helmets
- Keyless start was a bit strange but works great and is so much better than a key
- Don’t be put off by how big and wide the scooter is as you can still filter in city traffic
- Lots of information on the dash
Negatives
- You have to be a bit heavy handed with the throttle for the bike to even start moving
- The fuel and seat switches feel a bit cheap and sometimes won’t open
- The screen could have been a bit taller - I assume the bike is aimed at taller people hence why you can barely put your foot flat on the ground and I’m 5’11
- A few of the controls and switches are too close together
To Sum Up
After all this, if you're in the market for a 125cc scooter and want something cheap to run, that looks great, is fast and something that won’t let you down then this is the bike for you.
Spend the extra money and get the newer model as there is so much difference to the older model. I couldn’t believe how different they are, but that’s another topic.
- Harry H, 2019
Price Guide
Related Bikes
Honda Forza 300 - Essentially the same with a 279cc engine putting out 25bhp.
The Second Opinion
Living With It
I have owned the Forza for just over a month now and I love it. It's really smooth accelerating, can hold 65 with no problem and will get to 75 with a push.
It's very easy to put the bike on the main stand, I can do it with one hand and one foot it's that easy, plus the windscreen does a amazing job at deflecting wind. I do get a bit of wind in the face but I'm over 6 foot.
What Have I Changed?
Lots of storage allows me to easily put my helmet and jacket under the seat. Not all scooters can hold a XL helmet under the seat but this will with room to spare. I have added custom levers for comfort, an LED light under the seat and I believe both these are a must for comfort and easy use.
Any Negatives?
A few negatives I have noticed are you feel all the potholes and some can hurt but I find this only on the big pot holes the small ones are fine. Also the seat doesn't open all the way so it can be hard to reach to the end of the storage section.
- Matt H, 2019
Add Your Review
Do you own this bike? We would love to hear anything good, bad, unexpected or that you have changed plus anything that a prospective new owner might find interesting or useful.