Forza nature

Even novice scooter riders will feel at home in the seat of the new HONDA NSS300 Forza, writes Jane Omorogbe.

WITH a name that means strength and power in Italian, Honda first introduced the Forza max-scooter in 2000 as a 250cc machine. The new Forza is now powered by the SH300i's engine, making it the king of Honda's single-cylinder scooters.

Its most striking attribute isn't so much the classy, polished styling running sleekly from front to rear, but how extremely easy it is to ride. Scooters aren't particularly complicated things. By their very nature they 'twist and go'.

Straddling the low seat will make even the least experienced rider feel comfortable instantly.

A fellow journalist, who had never ridden a scooter before and who was much shorter than everyone else, was literally beaming with relief, but also absolute delight at the Forza's simplicity.

For the more experienced, the smooth power delivery might be missing a hint of sporty character, but the flip side is how refined it feels.

Part of the engine's revisions prior to service in the Forza was to improve the acceleration, as it now has responsibility for hauling an extra 24kg along – blame the Forza's big, confidence inspiring body for that.

Without drag racing the Forza and SH300i side by side, I couldn't really tell you which one feels faster out of the blocks, but this newbie isn't a disappointment. Sure, you can't scrub too much speed before a turn and expect an instant surge when you nail the throttle on the exit but I suspect that most scooter owners don't ride like someone is lap timing them. And just between us, if you do, the NSS is still pretty good fun.

I'm hardly the average scooter rider size and my knees butt against the front inside fairing on most. The Forza is a better fit and although it's not exactly roomy, if you're not too much over 6ft tall, it's adequate.

The low screen's protection would probably suit a shorter frame than mine too, but it's reasonably effective at keeping the bulk of the blast off my head and torso. My shoulders, however, do take more of a hit and as my speed increases, I'm pushed in a slouch towards the back of the seat, which pushes against my lower spine. It's not that uncomfortable for short stretches, but I'd think twice before embarking on serious mileage. Again, if you're more of an average height or less then you'll probably be fine.

Some of the highway's asphalt is so rippled that it looks like a badly laid carpet and the predictably soft suspension deals with the poor surface as well as can be expected. It can start to wriggle lightly in some high speed corners, but backing off the throttle brings it back in line. Most of the test route twists around the Spanish countryside and it shows the Forza off in its best sun-drenched light. The handling is graceful and natural and it feels so capable I find myself wondering how it would cope with a track day.

Back in the real world, the pillion seat is comfortable and spacious although I'm perched quite high above the very compact Italian rider. Switching positions would create a more natural fit. The cavernous space beneath the seat can easily hold two full-face helmets and a solo rider could well carry a week's worth of shopping for one.

The dash is smart, classy and informative and the indicated fuel consumption is pretty accurate too. On my 68.5-mile ride the Forza drank 1.05 gallons of unleaded. That's 65mpg and a 166-mile tank range, but for a good portion of the journey I was hardly hanging around.

Handy buttons either side of the ignition open the fuel cap and storage spaces. In addition to the 'boot' there are two cubby holes. One isn't lockable but the other is, and it's comically deep, swallowing my arm up to the elbow.

The Forza is actually slightly slimmer than the old 250cc model and filtering through traffic, most scooters' main pastime, is a breeze.

Honda has almost six decades of scooter experience if you count their 220cc Juno K which was launched back in 1954. It shows.