It has been the proverbial question for the last couple of weeks; do we get a motorcycle or a scooter? After much deep thought and consideration, we went with a brand new Honda PCX 150. For the same price range, the other alternative would have been to purchase a used motorcycle, somewhere in the 200cc – 250cc range. As I wrote in an earlier post, 99% of the population that rides on two wheels has a scooter. And unless you plan on doing a lot of cross-Thailand touring, there is not much point in getting anything bigger. After reading about the constant carnage on the Thai highways (worse accident record than China), my dreams of touring Thailand on a motorcycle soon evaporated. We will stick with safer ways to get around the country! This cool little machine will fit our needs just fine.
It is definitely a high-tech machine. With fuel injection and a 2-valve, liquid cooled engine, it has a surprising amount of efficiency, torque and power for being so small! It actually has more horsepower and torque than the new 200cc motorcycle I was looking at last week. The starter motor and cooling system are both integrated into the engine which saves on weight and space. I don’t know if I would want to take it on any major highway but it is great for getting around town and for short trips into the countryside.
We wanted something reliable and this fits the bill. It came with a three year warranty on the engine and a five year warranty on the fuel injection system. With all the necessary insurance, licensing and one-year of theft insurance, the grand total came to around $2500. It has enough bells and whistles to excite any gadget freak! Built in alarm system, automatic locking with the key chain button, locked gas tank and starter, and a digital dashboard that would put many cars to shame! Tack on the 100 miles per gallon that it regularly gets, and we decided it was a winner!
