2021 Honda Scooters updated | PCX125 | SH350i | SH Mode 125
The Honda range of scooters has been given a makeover for 2021 with the PCX125, SH350i and SH Mode 125 all being updated
SCOOTERS might not be the flashiest or sexiest machines in a manufacturers range, but to a brand like Honda, that has multiple urban transport solutions, they’re actually the bikes that help to keep the company afloat.
Three machines that do just that are the workhorses of the Honda range: The PCX125, the SH350i, and the SH Mode.
Each bike has been given an update for 2021 and here is a rundown of the main changes for each model.
2021 Honda PCX125
The PCX125 is regularly the best selling motorcycle in the UK and Europe and since launch, it’s sold over 140,000 units in Europe alone.
Top of the updates for 2021 is the most noticeable change, the styling. The bike has been given a nose to tail makeover, with crisper lines and a more modern take on the aerodynamic shape that’s become synonymous with the model.
The bike now also features LED lighting from front to back, with the headlight now incorporating LED DRLs and a centrally mounted headlight. The taillight is an interesting feature, with a type of 3d thing going on thanks to the liberal use of optic fibre – we like it and would like to see this on other models please Mr Honda San!
The new bike also features increased space in the under-seat storage area. Honda has added an extra 2.4l to the space, boosting it to 30.4l and meaning there is space for a lid, and probably some wet weather kit too. The glovebox of the bike now also features a USB Type-C socket for charging of devices on the go.
The PCX125 now includes the Honda Smart Key system. The Smart Key controls the main ignition switch and also storage comparts. It can also manage the optional 35L removable Smart top box. With the Smart Key in the rider’s pocket the box is unlocked and automatically locks when the rider walks away. It can also be locked from the key.
The PCX125’s new, Smart Power Plus (eSP+) four-valve, water-cooled SOHC powerplant delivers 12.3bhp @ 8,750rpm, with peak torque of 8.7lb-ft @ 6,500rpm. Bore and stroke is set at 53.5 x 55.5mm with compression ratio of 11.5:1 (as opposed to 52.4 x 57.9mm and 11:1 of the previous design). The shorter stroke not only allows room for the two extra valves, but it also reduces sliding friction.
2021 Honda SH350i
The big change with the 2021 SH350i is the increase in capacity of 50cc which provides the new bike with 29bhp – an increase of 16 percent. Because of this, the latest SH350i has faster acceleration and an improved top speed compared to the previous model.
The bodywork of the bike has also been updated, with a revised front end giving the bike a more modern and muscular face. As seems to be the theme in 2021, the lighting from front to back is now LED and there is even a USB Type-C socket mounted under the seat.
The new model’s frame has also been revised, with new pipe diameters, wall thicknesses, and materials of frame component parts improve to help improve high-speed stability and comfort. The changes also help the new bike save 1kg in weight of the frame, helping to produce an overall kerb weight of 174kg.
2021 Honda SH Mode 125
The retro-styled SH Mode has also been given an update for 2021, with revised styling giving the big-wheel 125 a cleaner and more uncluttered look that includes an LED headlight.
The frame of the bike has also been majorly updated, and is now a new, lighter steel item that Honda is calling an ‘enhanced Smart Architecture Frame’. It replaces the tubular steel underbone design of the previous model and is constructed from pressed steel. It comes in 8% lighter and is claimed to offer good handling feel, with enhanced stability, ride comfort, and durability. Kerb weight for the new bike is 118kg.
The bike has a new, Smart Power Plus (eSP+) four-valve, water-cooled SOHC engine delivers 11.2bhp @ 8,500rpm, with peak torque of 9 lb-ft of torque @ 5,000rpm. Bore and stroke is set at 53.5 x 55.5mm, with compression ratio of 11.5:1.
The new bike also benefits from an increased under-seat storage space that also features a USB Type-C socket for charging on the go.
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
