2021 Honda Forza 350 -Detailed Ride Review!

My new 2021 honda Forza 350 - A good detailed look and lengthy ride report and how it really performs and cruises in the Australia outback.

[@nathansoutbackfishing]

Hey mate just wondering how do you mash together clips like this vid

[@ridewithwarro]

my new gopro 10 has arrived so will be interesting to see how it performs on the bars

[@nathansoutbackfishing]

@@ridewithwarro that’s awesome hope you enjoy the new GoPro I am after the hero 9

[@ridewithwarro]

@@nathansoutbackfishing i would probably go hero 8. just sold mine good camera. better still hold out and get the 10

[@nathansoutbackfishing]

@@ridewithwarro for sure mate thanks so much for the support

[@richardharmon5682]

That is a great review. Thanks for publishing it. In particular, I like the way you have your camera oriented. It gives a clear view of both the road, the speedometer and the tachometer. A lot of KZbin bike reviews use cameras that just don't provide such a nice view from the rider's perspective. Your extensive clear and interesting commentary was also appreciated.

[@ridewithwarro]

happy to hear you enjoyed it. bit lucky i think on the camera angle so happy there. on the other side of the coin i actually lost all on board recording of the audio run. had no choice but do a voice over which looking back i ran for 19 minutes with no edit...lol i might try this voice over again as i find -no need to yell while on the move at speed...lol again thanks for the nice feedback

[@richardharmon5682]

@@ridewithwarro I think that voice-over idea works really well. I agree that wind noise can make speech hard to understand at times. But with separate commentary you don't have that problem.

[@ridewithwarro]

@@richardharmon5682 yeah i think i will try that on the next few clips and see if it helps

[@findingneutral]

Excellent ride along and bike tutorial. Beautiful blue skys and terrain. That bike seems to handle whatever you throw at it. Nice 👌

[@ridewithwarro]

pretty good ride day indeed plus earlier on from where that clip started i sighted the first brown snake of the season. unfortunately some-one had bowled it over crosing the road. bad area for them anyway so plenty about

[@findingneutral]

@@ridewithwarro No more wiggle in that stick 😔

[@ridewithwarro]

@@findingneutral that too ...lol

[@kerryburns6041]

A very enjoyable video Warro, great to hear your impressions and compare them with my own. I´ve done just over 250 k on my Forza, after a lifetime of motorcycles, and it feels as secure on the bends as my old BMW R100 RS, and I can´t say better than that. Your comments regarding rear suspension were particularly interesting -- but before I even reach the mountain track that leads to town I had a problem to fix. It´s about the figs ..... I keep a chain across my track, with a gap at the side just wide enough for a bike. Over the gap hangs a fig tree, and at this time of year it decorates my track with purple squashy figs, which set like glue on the tyres. So I have to stop, and dismount, and clear a path. The problem being I´m on a slope, and my garden falls away down to the river a few hundred feet below, so I could really use a handbrake. So I´ve taken to keeping a couple of little rubber wedges, (used for spacing wall tiles) tucked into a handy gap in the plastic, which are perfect for jamming the brake levers open. Since there´s very little flat land in the Sierra Nevada, these do come in handy. Centre stands being awkward on a hill, the wedges greatly increase the number of places I can park on the side stand. I do like the screen, but was a bit surprised to feel a lot of wind coming up behind it, due to a gap beneath the black plastic nose. I´ve stuffed a piece of sponge rubber up there which solves the problem, not that it was at all serious, but it seemed to work against what the screen was doing. The concrete road which leads to civilisation is corrugated, and like you I´ve softened the rear shocks right down, which improved things a bit. I´d be interested to know of better shocks for this purpose, otherwise the standard ones seem fine. The front suspension while good on the tarmac is very stiff and unyielding on bumps, maybe due to smaller wheels than I´m used to, so I´d really like to learn if it´s possible to access the forks and try thinner damper fluid, and how that would affect the suspension -- adjusting only the rear seems a limited situation. Having big hands I was tired of my fingers trying to wrap themselves twice around the grips, so I used the foam rubber insulation from domestic hot water pipes to make sleeves which slip over the grips. These greatly increase my comfort, give slightly finer throttle control due to the greater diameter, and absorb the vibes along the concrete. I´m hoping to fit my Sat-Nav when I can work out how to get power to it -- any thoughts there would be welcome. Thanks for the video, don´t dance with the kangaroos ... Greetings from Spain.

[@ridewithwarro]

i actually thought a parking brake on a bike was a silly idea untill i parked it out on the road with a slight incline and motor running and it ran back on me. so found out immediately it's very hard to adjust my helmet and at the same time use the brake lever to hold the bike rock solid. thought it over and later on might be able to use one of those small ladder type straps to lock the handbrake on...lol your idea sounds pretty good too. red cowboy media first mentioned the shocks were not very good dampeners and i thought they wer ok on good surface but this ride had them bottom out several times in a short run. he has a clip on shocks he fitted to his unit and it appears they work fine or indeed much better. my screen appears ok for the rides i do but i had a very bad rattle or vibration in the dash at 40 kph. after several attempts i have now fixed this issue and plan to put a clip up soon. in regard to your gps. i suppose you could pull power directly from the battery or from that usb in the glovebox or maybe from a line to the headlight housing area. plus i have seen a few gps/phone mounts which sit in the centre of the handlebar area. centre plastic cap has to be removed to fit but looks fine with the new housing frame. best feature of the bike for me is its ability to pull good hills at speed and i think you'd have a few of those too. plus i am pretty inpressed with the abs braking system too all the best!

[@BilgemasterBill]

Thanks for another fine ride-along, Wild Bill! As you might have guessed, I'm not typically a big fan of modern styling, but I like that Forza 350 just fine. Among its other features, I find that dash layout particularly helpful and attractive. I could happily tour on that wonderscooter. Of course, I've long had a soft spot for those old school breeds of larger-wheeled better-handling scooters: Zündapp Bella (one of which I own), Heinkel Tourist, even those smaller capacity step-through Honda Cubs or Passports were to my liking, though those squirrelly Vespas maybe not so much. Your new Forza checks all the good boxes though. Having also looked over several other gushingly favorable independent reviews of this newly-redesigned Forza 350 for 2021, it's a bit of a mystery why absolutely none are likely to be coming to our shores over here in the USA. You can buy their "twitchy" little Metros all day long, sure, but not a single proper top of the line Forza is being brought here? I wonder what gives? Apparently the Forza line hasn't seen our shores since 2016 when they were sold here as the "Reflex". I was lucky enough to get a really good look at an older one (maybe a 250?) and was fairly impressed by them even then--just an insanely well designed and thought out bike with such deceptively commodious storage options that it was almost like one of those tents in the Harry Potter films that look perfectly normal on the outside but are actually cavernous within. Yeah, I definitely like 'em.

[@ridewithwarro]

B/B thanks on the comment -you should check this one out-it surprised me a bit...lol kzbin.info/www/bejne/l2KWpoyVgdGbpac back to the forza. its really a pretty good bike to ride and has good power on tap with no vibes. much quicker off the mark than some 500's i've been on so it's really a bit of a dark horse. depending upon the road and riding condition i can see only one real area that could do with an upgrade and i would say the rear shocks. they hit rock bottom on this road a few times and once tossed the rear end slighly off track. but saying that it was a pretty rough pot holey ride along it. i'd say from take off to white rock or the first 6 minutes of the clip i would have dodged a good 200 pot holes...lol

[@BilgemasterBill]

@@ridewithwarro Again, potholes are just another good reason for having larger wheels. Some of those scooters have teeny buggers that'd be swallowed up by a fairsized mouse hole. I grew up in Boston over here, where the potholes are multi-generational landmarks, many even having popular names. A city-wide tourbook of the city's more notable crevasses and pitfalls is included in the helpful book, 'Wild in the Streets', which is a locally-famous sort of survival guide to driving in my home town, renowned as it is for the homicidal motoring glee of its residents. Most any used car you might buy in the 617 telephone area code likely has a copy in what we call its "glove compartment" (i.e. "glovebox").

[@ridewithwarro]

@@BilgemasterBill yeah i suppose your right-just gotta live with them. did you know the new 350 classics are coming. im ready to buy as soon as the hit. my thoughts are -they are the best enfield to date in a single not like the old vibrators either -these will run with the 500's

[@BilgemasterBill]

@@ridewithwarro You may have caught my impressions on "The Forum" of the first of those Meteors I'd spotted in the wild. And yeah: they look "substantial" and really well finished. Hell, at very first glance I thought it was one of their fancy still-newish 650 twins. Beyond just keeping up with or even outrunning a 500 Bullet, I'd go so far as to guess that these new 350s might even be a fair pairing for a wife or other significant udder as a companion touring vehicle to one of their 650s, if you were both of the "leisurely meandering" sort. My hunch is that one of those new 350s might propel a 60 kg gal about as fleetly as a 650 might do for a 100+ kg fellow, or at least be tolerably matched in any event.

[@ridewithwarro]

@@BilgemasterBill i think enfield has in the past 3 years upped its game a fair bit with host of new and better built models to think about

[@marvfear]

Nice one Warri. I have YSS shocks on order for my beloved Forze 350. Enjoying it. It’s a willing engine I’ve found...A friend of mine has almost made his mind up to trade in his Harley sportsperson that’s looks superb but no where near as practical & comfortable as the Forze.... Merv. Perth

[@ridewithwarro]

over-all i think its a pretty good scooter or once i get use to it...lol plus it has good power on tap for a 350 and pulls hills with ease. just curious how much did the yss shocks set you back. i think further down the track i will go for better rear shocks. i plan to take it out on a far better road tomorrow so i think it will be far less to no potholes and a noice day out all the best and happy to hear you enjoyed the clip

[@marvfear]

@@ridewithwarro yeah they cost well over $700 (770 from memory) Aussie agent. With a 2 week wait time and tracking etc. the 2 weeks are up about now. I haven’t noticed any tracking number supplied. Maybe he meant 2 weeks wait time for import into agent’s stock. Who knows? I’ll jump on computer tomorrow and look a bit deeper into this. They weren’t 2 weeks into taking the money from my account haha. Anyway it looks legit etc a big deal type website in Oz. Having been in Thailand many years .. I would think the shocks would be a helluva lot cheaper there .. but it’s a fact .. if they’re not stamped with numbers on the shocks .. they’re said to be fakes. But a reputable Aussie importer would be well aware of that .. and import genuine ones otherwise he wouldn’t be in business too long. Yes I think Warro the shocks are the weak point in our lovely latest Forzer. Catering for smooth roads, and lighter people I guess, and not the heavier carcasses in our country haha. Cheers mate. Merv

[@ridewithwarro]

@@marvfear when i comes to shocks -there not cheap and the better they are the better the price...lol i had yss shocks on my first ct125 trail and then did the front fork insert kit too. same stuff! the more i ride the forza i find it pretty hard to fault. good hill climbing power which i like and can cruise easily at 100 kph. i've heard some dont like the seat but i've sat on my worse than this on new bikes and find it ok. i did have a bad dash rattle or vibe in that area and after several attempts finally got it out myself. overall a pretty good ride

[@ruahinesrider]

Nice road Warro very similar road & conditions with pot holes & all to where I live.I live in a rural area & the roads get neglected too.Kangaroos wow I got a worry about rabbits,I ran one over about 6pm with front wheel on Interceptor & was going through S bend too & was very lucky & sure did make a mess on front wheel & was very glad I had put the R.E sump guard on.

[@ridewithwarro]

i was actually out on some dirt roads today on the GROM..lol and in one small section saw roughly 6 rabbits. in fact in one section 2 were laying on the track and i sort of scared them when i did the grom thing...lol

[@ruahinesrider]

@@ridewithwarro I looked out my bedroom window into the paddock last year in spring & counted 19 rabbits I kid you not they make a real mess of the land.I had a 🦌 deer run out in front of me one dark night then ran along side of road then jumped fence,came 7-8km down the creek from ranges,happens occasionally.

[@ruahinesrider]

@@ridewithwarro That little Grom sure looks like a heap of fun Warro.I like those little bikes may be small but huge on fun.Good one.👍

[@spenrogers6860]

It would be nice to get as detailed description of how the Forza is going on this ride and leave out houses near the road an weather and potholes in the road

[@ridewithwarro]

slight camera issue that day but to save drama-the xmax 300 is the better bike

[@chrisc9376]

Pot holes are the norm everywhere nowadays, often think of getting a on road motocross bike that would fit in well ☺️ hope you are well warro.

[@ridewithwarro]

thanks, all good there. when it arrives i will be keen to get hold and ride the crf300l -been waiting many months now but i think it will be a cracking duel range motorcycle. good cruiser on the sealed stuff and should be well at home on the dirt sections.

[@dezstanie4300]

im looking at the 400cc version, have you taken a ride and is it good or better then the 350cc warro?

[@ridewithwarro]

i have not seen any info on a 400cc forza. the 350 was only release a few months back. speaking on this ride i think it handles everything i do with ease or so far anyway. good cruiser at 100 kph and pulls hills easy and ive had it on some very good hills. plus it has excellent duel channel abs and traction control too. i bet it would have no trouble knocking over 300 mile or 500 klm runs on a daily long distant hike

[@dezstanie4300]

@@ridewithwarro sorry warro i was thinking suzuki burgman 400, been looking in this range for a scooter to do delivery work. And everyone is using the froza 350 but i wont be the only one with the bike to use so the 400 came to play but I dont know either and the local shop is only small taking mechanic appoinments only cause of covid. I've just starting to use a 250 suzuki vl but when designing the back end for a box I noticed a major issue with the design and can only use scooters for purpose and saftey. Do you know where i can start about modifying the back end to fit a custom delivery box about 67cm high x 54cm wide and 44-47cm in length from the riders seat. I've kind of figured the mounting system but dont know which big of the two to pick. the honda350 or the suzuki400.

[@dezstanie4300]

I'll be to happy to pay for good advice from ya. I'm just trying to make it useful as a scooter but safe if I end up employing people to ride it of different weights and shapes. like cutting above the spring hight, light placements, I've got some from ebay that look good but then I didnt factor battery. I know what I want just not where to start and how to make sure riders and drivers are safe.

[@ridewithwarro]

@@dezstanie4300 i'd try ebay to try and sourced the factory style rear rack and then work on trying to make your box fit. ive seen guys on youtube in thailand running 45 litre boxes i think on quality racks so i'd start looking at their clips and shoot them a message on info where to buy. i have no use for top boxes as in all honesty i just dont like how they look on any bike...lol i like the clean line app[roch but then again i only ride em for the fun factor but i think if you chase down those thailand guys -youll get help try red cowboy media he has top box and rack fitted to his unit

[@jgberghofer]

Great Job Mate, I'm just about to swap my BMW S1000XR to a Scooter, not many points left on My Licence:) , a Scooter may be the right thing to save me lol, I love roads like the one in Your Video Clip, usually run from Richmond the Bells Line of Road and then on to Mudgee, enjoying it big Time, thanks again for Your great Video

[@ridewithwarro]

Best of luck but i must add these scooter are much quicker than you first think. not by bmw s1000xr standards but are 150 kph scooter...not bad for a 350

[@jgberghofer]

@Ride with Warro yes I agree with the speed, but they are more sitback and relaxing, just like my previous harley👍, the BMW S1000XR is comfy, but it's hard to hang back whenever Sportsbikes overtake You and some of them are in for a big surprise when overtaken by a rider sitting comfortable on his bike, if you know what I mean...looking forward to slow down at 67🍷🍇and hang on to my licence by changing over to a scooter, on the way tomorrow to haksbery Honda in Windsor, but I also want to have a look at the Kymco and BMW 400 Scooters before deciding what's best for me, perhaps one of this Days I'll catch up with you on the other side of the Mountains and we'll have a nice cold beer and a chat somewhere, 😀

[@ridewithwarro]

@@jgberghoferid stay away from the kymco 400i . pretty sure thats it. guy who tested one said it was a terrible vibrator

[@joehuidrom7085]

Is this about brown snake and the pot holes. Anyway good ride

[@ridewithwarro]

that too

[@nathansoutbackfishing]

Well done warro

[@ridewithwarro]

thanks-did you have a good b days. i see plenty of lures for you to try out too

[@canadian1512]

SH 350 or FORZA 350 ?

[@ridewithwarro]

xmax 300 -much better scooter

[@marvfear]

Haha I didn’t type ‘sportsperson’ ... I typed ‘sportster’ ..... blame the iPad.

[@ridewithwarro]

yeah i knew what you meant...i have trouble with the keyboad myself...lol