written by leaderdmd on 18/09/2004
Good Points
Comfort, Gas mileage, appearance, storage space (trunk and glove box), handles well at highway speed, good range, fast enough for highway cruising.
Bad Points
Moderate accelleration, body pannels are cheap plastic not fiberglass, Speedo not accurate.
General Comments
I traded up to the Honda Reflex 250 scooter from a Yamaha Zuma. I put 2000 miles on the Zuma in 4 months. That may colour my review of the Reflex.
The Reflex is very attractive. People love to check it out. It is plenty fast enough for highway cruising. I am never in anyone's way. It feels very solid on the highway. In heavy winds I feel like I could be blown off of the bike, not like the bike is effected by the wind. riding 2 up it is a bit slower, but still able to go well faster than the 65 mph speed limits on our local interstates.
I am getting 65 mpg with combination driving.
This bike is very comfortable for the driver. My usual passenger (135lb 13 year old boy) doesn't complain.
I've had to repair one of the body pannels. I used a $6.00 fiberglass repair kit. The repair is likely stronger than the original. I was not happy with the plastic material of the body pannels. It is cheap and brittle. I'm surprised that the plastic holds up so well. The white plastic shows through small chips and scratches in the paint. Don't get a dark color.
Honda builds one of the most reliable motorcycles. I don't expect to have much trouble with it.
Some people recomend the Suzuki Burgman 400 over this bike. The Burgman weighs 60 lbs more (about 18%), the engine is really a 383, the gas tank is the same size which must translate into lower range. I don't know how much better it could be.
As rated by our community of reviewers
196822_Johnburgman's Response to leaderdmd's Review
Written on: 09/06/2005
I have to agree, the Burgman 400 is a better all around machine for not much more money. I find that the Reflex revs too high under most conditions. Other than that, the Reflex is a winner around town, but if you are going to do any 20+ mile trips you will love the Burgman 400 and instantly recognize the shortcomings of the Reflex. The Burgman also has an easy detach rear wheel (no need to dismantle the rear suspension to get the wheel off), twin trip odometers, headlight flash to pass feature and 4 way flashers. The space under the seat is much better as is the large storage area under the bars. I like the ignition slot hide feature and the unlock-the-seat from the dash feature. The only thing I don't care for is the coolant level check procedure but that is a very small gripe in the bigger picture. All in all, the Burgman is a much more satisfying experience than the Reflex....
Danflex's Response to leaderdmd's Review
Written on: 27/11/2005
I find the Reflex to have no shortcomings. 90% of The things the previous comment listed in favor of the Burgman apply to the reflex. Twin trip odometers, headlight flash to pass feature and 4 way flashers. The space under the seat is much better as is the large storage area under the bars.
<br>The Reflex is very competent on the highway but is a place you don't want to go on many two wheeled vehicles to begin with regardless of size/HP.
<br>I think that at 65 -75 mpg Honda has a reason for not offering a heavier, same dimension, less mpg, larger cc scooter to compete with the Burgman or Majesty. The engine is designed to rev and is never intrusive or loud it just takes some getting used to. When thrashed the 250cc Honda's mpg will drop to 65 mpg where a larger scoot will fall into the 50's. I'm not trying to say one is better than the other.
<br>I do find it interesting that the two compete so closely.