I have ridden bikes for 30yrs but never before had a scooter. After some deliberation and review reading I thought an SH300i would make sense as most of my riding is now commuting. First impressions were not good, it bucked and moved about over bumps, it was not quick or fast in any way, it had odd handling and I kept slamming on the rear brake just before I stopped (instinctive reaction to ‘de-clutch’ before stopping). So - it does not handle like a motorbike and is not fast. I feared I had made a big mistake buying a new scooter. But – after a few weeks I started to understand what it’s all about and it is obviously unfair to compare it to a sportsbike. It is a scooter and it is quick enough to give confidence getting away from the lights, it is happy at motorway speeds, it is practical to pop down the shops, and it is ideal for commuting. Sure, it does move about on poor surfaces but it is has a different ‘feel’ to a motorbike as you are perched on top of it, but you do get used to it. On smoother roads it does handle neutrally and can be cranked over, brakes are good and it is quick enough to surprise other road users. I find it easier to use and more practical than a motorbike with its under seat storage and ‘twist and go’ nature, but because of its ‘jump on and go’ practicality I find that I ride in jeans / trainers as I feel ‘wrongly’ that protective gear isn’t so important. To give it some perspective it accelerates about the same as my CBR6 changing gear up to about 4-5000rpm which in the real world is nippy enough. For me it will never replace the feeling of riding a motorbike, when I get back on my CBR or 900SS I really appreciate how good those bikes are, but it is a scooter and when all is said and done in the last few months I’ve covered 800mls on the scooter, and 100 on the bikes, so it is the ‘goto’ machine. Car drivers (and other bikers) do seem to pull out or overtake just to get in front because they think that you are just a 125 which really was really irritating to start with, but now I find it quite comical and just let them do their thing. If you are thinking of getting one and have not ridden a scooter before I would strongly recommend testing one first but give it time, I nearly gave up on mine, but now I love it.

On my third SH 300 just traded in my 2008 with 26,000KM all on the original drive belt. Honda gave me 2,000 euro trade in. Say's something for Honda quality. The only scooter I would buy would be the Tmax but Yamaha need to put an 800cc engine & clean up the cheap plastic glove boxes I mean 11 grand for a scooter slower of the lights than the SH 300. It's not the best looking duck but then I don't have to worry about big wheel chains to lock it up & pay extra theft insurance. Great fast commuter, carries loads of shopping with a 47lt top case, fits two full helmets, often go in the Alps for day trips & weekends in Italy, August I'm touring Corsica. For long trips it's worth fitting a comfort seat & 45cm Ermax screen. Without a doubt a Wolf in Sheep clothing best selling scooter in Italy.

Hi, there! I am Ozzy from London. I do like scooters, but not this one. Ugly look, heavy and slow, handles bad, comes over road holes and bumps bad, no underseat storage, expensive parts, very big and unpractical size wheels, most of the parts became rusty or lost their protective coat of lack, paint, galvanise, fairing missed- wind will blow you up from the seat, seat cover looks awful and from cheap cover who keeps water and sweats your ass, all black plastics became scratched and uncoloured very soon.+++ Good points- breaks very well-ABS (if sensor is clean of dust to switch ON),service dealership is competent, so you can trust them (if you can spend sufficient amount of money), Dealership owns most of spare parts for instantly purchase.Front light is enough bright but this is not a surprise, most of the cars in the end of 20th century used 55-65watt halogen bulbs.Dash board and info displayed on it looks fancy and helps.Original paint is fat of lack and keeps shine and strong. This is what I am thinking. You decide by yourself! Owner of SH300i 2008 model.

Having previously owned a SH125 and PS125, I felt it was time to move up to the SH300 and my word, am I glad I did. The SH30 is a cracking machine with real pace and I also find it handles superbly ( I speak as a motorcyclist too). I find the larger wheeled scooter so much more stable and easier to ride than the smaller wheel of the PS125 or similar.I'm 5'10'' and can easily flat foot when at lights and I also find the riding position good for me but check it out if you're taller Build is first class (it's a Honda) with good brakes that are dual linked and I'll mention again, the turn of speed - it's even caught me out a few times with it's pull from standing still. I'll admit there isn't much space under the seat for storage and within that I keep just my gloves and padlock but you do have the topbox. My SH is a work horse being used for a round trip of 33 miles to work plus I use it just to go out and about - I'm finding my fuel consumption is around 75mpg which I can happily live with. Yes, I get wind blast when I get up to 70+ and I may look at fitting the full windshield come winter time but it's the same with any unfaired machine As a result of owning the SH300, I now hardly use my car and I'm going to downsize as a result and my motorbike only gets the occasional outing. I've foubd the SH300 to be just perfect for me as it does all I need and more. I can't recommend this machine enough and if the rumour I hear that Honda are going to stop importing it is true, then grab yourself one while you can - you won't be disapointed. The SH300 isn't cheap but I got a cracking deal from my dealer and I do expect to get many years use from my machine so for me, money well spent

I have had my bike since June 2008 where it spend most of its overnight time in a garage, and have now 17000 miles on it. Good points: - The Honda SH300i is a brilliant city commuter as it has the small size and nimbleness of a 125cc scooter, like a Vespa, but has enough power to easily keep up with the traffic on motorways. Furthermore it is extremely stable at any speeds, and the only problem I have had is strong wind buffeting when driving behind a lorry or van on a motorway and side wind susceptibility at high speeds. Both of which are unavoidable given the tall silhouette of driver plus bike... - Especially the engine is really good, once it is running it is very smooth under any conditions e.g temperatures from -20 to 40 degrees Celsius, torrential rain, freezing fog... It has a fairly low fuel consumption, which I would estimate at about 60 to 70 miles per gallon (2.5 to 3 liters per 100km). In my experience its top speed is at roughly 85 miles or bit above it, depending on small you make yourself, and its acceleration up to about 50 mph is stellar, to 70 mph is adequate, and above it is sluggish. Bad Points: - The operation of the top box is quite fiddly and it needed some time until I got used to it. When standing and having the rear brake on it rattles a lot. - The storage under the seat is only good enough for the chain and a first aid kit. - The 9 liter fuel tank is large enough for urban commuting, but too small for longer journeys. (I need to refuel every 4 days for my commute of 15 miles each way) - As all Hondas which are Made in Italy, it has serious rust problems: the exhaust (which might be expected), rear and front suspension show a lot of rust. Plus, one of the screws holding the exhaust had rusted through and fallen off plus other metal parts show rust. I have not jet checked the frame, but from my previous experience on a Honda Dylan 125 I do not expect good news... As it is a lot pricier than the SH125 I was expecting better rust protection.

Had it for 3 years. If you want to know how good it is. Try find a second hand one. 0-60 is about that of a Porsche Boxster, only difference is 72cm across handlebars (widest point). max speed 95mph. gives 70-80mpg depending on average speed. Like all scooter weight distribution is wrong (specialliy when you trade a CBR 600 for it). To all the chubby chaps on their sport bikes trying to commute- " sorry lads you bought a knife to a gun fight, just swallow your pride and get out of my way"

Five months ago I traded in my very reliable 4-year old SH125i for a new Sh300i because I wanted more power when riding two-up. When away from home, my wife & I often tow our scooter on a trailer behind our car and use it as a run around so we don't have to find a car park space or pay exhorbitant fees in crowded holiday towns! It carries us both perfectly & isn't troubled overmuch by steep hills (unlike the SH125 which sometimes struggled). I use the scooter every day for commuting 7 miles through quite heavy traffic - it's narrow width is ideal for filtering. As other's have said: for a 285cc bike, the acceleration is amazing & has come in useful more than once getting away from the lights when a car driver's got hacked off because I've come up the outside of a long queue & he's determined to put me onto the wrong side of the road when the lights change! The handling is very good, more like a motorcycle than a scooter and I've done a couple of long trips (100 miles each way) on both fast and country roads with no complaints other than a numb bum after about an hour. I had the Honda screen fitted which works well but it is expensive (Givi is much cheaper) and a couple of inches too tall (again, Givi make theirs in different heights). I should say that the scooter's not my only bike. I also own a big Harley-Davidson which I use for long distance touring but if I had to sell one bike, it'd be the Harley. I'd keep the SH300i simply because it's such a good all-rounder & with a set of throw-overs, could comfortably cope with the two of us aboard on a foreign touring holiday!

I bought my Honda 300 in May of this year.I was looking for a general purpose machine that I could ride to work rather than use the Kawasaki vn900 I had recently purchased. The first thing I should mention is that I am 6'4" and weigh 15 stone plus in riding gear;so some comments will need to be read with this in mind. As most of us know,the SH range is a product of Honda Italy so there is a real Euro feel to the bike and no import duty of 6% when sold within the EU. It is clear that a great deal of thought wetn into the design of the bike and I approve of most features apart from the pointless little running light thingies which contribute only cost and weight.Speaking of weight the SH is a hefty 350lbs plus despite the widespread use of high quality light weight plastic for most body panels.Obviously liquid cooling adds weight(and reliability) to the bike but most of the extra pounds can be traced to the very sturdy frame which helps the large wheels stay in line whilst cornering and the thick engine castings.I did an oil change the other day and was amazed at the great length of the sumpbolt.By the way I am a great believer in frequent oil changes on all motors even liquid cooled ones which don't give oil such a hard time as aircooled devices. The SH has lively performance even when running in; if one is so minded you can see off most four wheelers in the traffic lights grand prix.Whilst the majority of the 2000 miles I have done have been around Nottingham I have taken it on journeys of over 100 miles in a day using motorways.The SH is perfectly happy doing 75 on the M1.The automatic transmission absorbs more power than a conventional gearbox so the overall petrol consumption of 85 mpg around town and 90 mpg on a longer trip is fine by me.I have never had a bike with ABS and have never needed it but I suppose that it could be very useful on greasy roads in November.Once again, it shows that Honda were determined to get this bike right as far as the vast majority of riders are concerned. The biggest complaint that people have is the small petrol tank of 9 litres. As that 9 litres will take you well over 150 miles the complaint is more of commment on the sheer versatility of the SH.I recently retired and intend to do Europe by bike.I had intended to use my large Kawasaki but have come to the conclusion that the SH would actually be the better bike for such a task,Just think that over for a moment or two. So am I pleased with my purchase? Absolutely.I have been a biker since 1968 and owned 20 plus machines;the SH is probably the best allround mbike of the lot.I never thought that I would say that of a scooter. Happy,safe riding folks.Tony Ryan