Honda Forza 350

[Stephen]

Got out on the new Forza today in this glorious weather the blind spot mirrors have made a vast improvement,i enjoyed my little ride,i vary the speeds but kept mostly to 50/55 mph on the speedo,45/50 on the sat nav under 6k rpm,loads more left for me to play with once the first service is done,it handles the twisties well,ii do find the suspension a tad hard on the rear,i think some owners has changed the rear shocks,i paid a visit to the local farm shop and the under seat storage swallowed that up easily,i was having a few issues closing the new top box,so i called in at SBS in Milton Keynes,spoke with a very helpful member of staff,we are 99% sure we have resolved the issue,but he has put a note against my account,so if the issue does return they are aware i have already been in about it.covered about 80 miles today,so the scooter is up to about 230 miles now,first service is booked in for 4th November,

Steve

[Argyll]

I seem to recall that the seat latch problem is very common with Honda scoots and fixed by putting a spacer under the staple (the U shaped bit). I think that I just used a couple of washers.

[Stibbs]

At some stage the fuel filler cover will refuse to open. Some suggest hot glue as a remedy, my way round it is to use a credit card slipped into the gap where the catch is at the same time as operating the switch. Works for me every time

[velocipede6295]

Credit card works for me as well, and it is always to hand, as I am at the petrol pump filling up.

[Greyerbeard]

Re the fuel flap - put foam strip, e.g. door draught excluder, between the closing faces until you can JUST make it click shut - it will then spring open easily.
Keep the seat latch mechanism lightly lubricated.
If you value your luggage/shopping, remove the 'document holder' with a hacksaw before it punches holes in everything.
It's a rapid little bike and constantly amazes me with how quickly it will travel. Handling and steering are fluid and delightful up to a point; the point being fast bumpy corners although it usually sorts itself out eventually...
At 74kg I run the tyres at 2psi below book, which improves the ride quality slightly, but it's still pretty awful. Seat and riding position are comfy for me though.
About 80mpg around town on short runs; 85 on a decent run.

[Stephen]

Nice little run on the Forza 350 today about a 100 miles round trip to meet Steve & Martyn from the MM forum,nice little cafe in Nash Mills Hemel,i kept the scooter under 6k rpm 55ish mph,really pleased so far,got up to 190 miles on my tankful of fuel,then my bottle went,so filled it up 9.9 litres,so i still had 1.7 litres in there.

The bluetooth control underneath the left hand hand grip doesn’t hinder me at 5’7’ and a 29 inch inside leg,i don’t use it anyway,the radio goes from the phone,to the garmin,then to my helmet Bluetooth,if the phone rings i would only answer it if it were my elderly mother.I know the centre cover on the handlebars can be removed and a ram ball mount can be fitted,i tried to take it off to have a look,its a bit tough to get off,i can be a cackhanded git so was a bit worried about breaking the cover,is there a knack to remove it,some of our roads are awful,i guess the suspension can be altered I haven’t had a look at the tool kit yet to check if there is a “C” spanner to confirm this,have any owners had a play with the suspension?
The electric screen is good,i mainly have it in the raised position,has anyone fitted the taller Givi one,if so how tall are you and did it give any improvement,obviously it’ll be wider as well.My previous bikes have been heavy old monsters,Forza 750,650 Burgmans,big Harleys including the Electroglide and other big cruisers,the 350 is pleasure to push around and get on the centre stand,i think i am going to enjoy ownership of this little gem and looking forward to getting the first service done.

Steve

[Waldorf]

I'll check about the centre cover on the bars, Steve. I took mine off once and left it off.
The RAM ball is a 1" with an 8M male stud: https://rb.gy/ifum8
Check the stud size, though. I'm sure it's the smaller one.

In fact, I bought a ball with a female post then cut the top off a bolt to make a stud and used that; I thought the first one was a bit short as the Zumo 660 is a bit heavy.

[Argyll]

The Givi screen suited me perfectly. Best in the colder months due to the excellent wind protection but I reverted to the oem screen in the summer to get that sporty feel. I'd definitely recommend one.

[Stephen]

If you value your luggage/shopping, remove the 'document holder' with a hacksaw before it punches holes in everything.

….Yep,that will have to come off.

Just took it for its first service today,i’ve had no problems as such,the Honda heated grips are my only complaint at the moment,I couldn’t feel any heat on my 50 mile trip to the dealer,the mechanic stated they are getting warm,all credit to the service receptionist he said thats not good enough and will follow up my complaint with Honda customer service and hopefully get a warranty claim going,it chucked it down all the to and from the dealer,given the choice I wouldn’t of been on the scooter at all todayi don’t think Santa will bring me a Givi windscreen so i’ll have to treat myself

I want to take the cover off over the centre of the handle bars,might put a ram mount under there,does it just pull off,is there a knack.

Steve

[Waldorf]

I can't remember, Steve, but I think you have to squeeze the cover front to back; mine's off permanently.
As for the Givi screen; I'm not sure it's a good as others I've had; it's taller than the stock one but not much wider.