Maxi scooter segment seems to be witnessing its day in the light in the country and this has largely been due to the limited success that the Suzuki Burgman 125 has found in the Indian market. While the Burgman may not have been a success in front of giants like Activa 125, it has still remained moderately popular in the Indian market. Yeah, maybe the Burgman 125 is not a maxi-scooter by the standards of a purist, but it still has got the term going in India. Now there are reports that another Japanese maker is planning to join the maxi-scooter segment and that is none other than Honda. There are reports on the internet stating that the Japanese giant is looking over at plans to bring its Forza 300 maxi scooter in the Indian market. The same reports peg the timing of the launch of Forza 300 around December 2019 and state that it will be sold via the BigWing Honda dealerships across the nation.
Talking of Forza 300, it is one of the stellar products of the brand and comes loaded with features to the brim. Topping off the features list is the Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC), something that will make an appearance on a Honda scooter for the first time. Among other features are electronically adjustable windscreen, LED lights all around, analogue-digital instrument cluster and a 12V charging socket. The rear suspension of the maxi scooter is also offered with a 7-step adjustable system.
As far as the mechanical aspects of the Forza 300 are concerned, the maxi scooter will come with a 279cc fuel-injected engine rated to deliver 25 PS and 27.2Nm. The maxi scooter also comes with VVT (Variable Valve Timing) which in turn arms the scooter to offer better punch across the band. The aforementioned HSTC regulates the torque of the vehicle to prevent loss of traction in challenging spots. The braking duties on the scooter are handled by disc brakes at both wheels with dual channel ABS as standard.
However, the aforementioned report also states that the pricing for the Forza 300 in India could be in the range of around 8-9 lakhs (ex-showroom) as the maker will import the scooter in India through the Completely Built Unit (CBU). This will make the scooter as highly priced as some of the 600cc range sports bikes in the market. Given, the maxi scooter comes with a lot of storage and cruising abilities, but the same can also be said about the cruiser bikes that are available at such high a price tag. However, not to put the disheartened cloak on, there are chances that the company may also start importing knocked down kits of the maxi scooter once the demand for the same rises in the Indian market. The only other maxi-scooter with an engine in the 300 cc displacement range on sale in India is the Kymco X-Town 300i. This however, is priced at Rs 2.30 lakh (on-road Delhi) and is quite affordable as compared to the expected price of the Forza 300.
