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| Honda SH 300 |
I looked at my right hand; slowly I lifted it to the throttle, gently does it now, I gripped the rubber hand grip and slowly tightened my knuckles. I moved my eyes towards the road ahead…nothing. No cars, no bikes, no kids on skateboards…nothing to impede my progress. I’d been waiting for this moment for a long time, I was about to unleash the Honda SH 300. Time slowed, I sucked in a last minute breath and twisted the throttle to full open… Initial acceleration was a little on the weak side for the first second or so, then wammo the transmission fully engages and I smoothly accelerate continuously to over 140kph. Inside my helmet a grin forms on my face. This is more like it; this is what a scooter should feel like. Why on earth has it taken so long for scooter manufactures to give us what we actually want?
Someone at Honda Italy made a decision a few years back to build a scooter from the ground up. They threw away all the crappy old scooter designs and started with a clean slate…the SH series was born. Now to say the SH series was a success is a total understatement, the SH is the new benchmark. Honda’s target was total domination of the lucrative Italian scooter market. Target reached, target blown completely to &*^#% bits. In 2007 the SH 150 was the number one selling scooter in Italy, the SH 300 was number two and the SH 125 was number three. Not even Toyota has a sales success that powerful, especially not with a premium model.
I’m not going to give you a complete technical rundown on the SH, that’s just not my style. That’s for other people, other websites and other humans sometimes called…NERDS. What I will do is tell you what the SH is like to ride. The SH 300 is the first scooter I have ever ridden that I actually WANT to ride HARD. The improved chassis and tight suspension give the Honda road holding that other scooters could only dream of. Hell, on a really twisty road I’d have a hard time keeping up with an SH300 on a motorcycle. The rear suspension is a little on the hard side, but it suits the bikes sporty nature far better than the usual cushy scooter set-up. The large 16 inch wheels do a superb job of ironing out most road imperfections anyway. So after falling in love with the SH’s superb handling I tried the brakes. Holy cow! I can’t stress how much better the Honda’s brakes are than a standard scooter. The SH runs Honda’s linked braking system which links the front and rear brakes off a single lever. This gives you added stopping power under panic situations when you’re only able to get a single hand on the lever. Now combine these linked brakes with a powerful and foolproof ABS (anti lock braking system) and you have well…the best brakes of any scooter I’ve ridden. Actually the brakes on the SH leave the brakes on most motorcycles for dead. After riding the SH 300 in terrible wet conditions I’d say I’d NEVER purchase a bike without ABS. It’s just that good. Welcome to the future. If the scooter you’re looking at buying doesn’t run ABS, simply don’t buy it. In comparison to the SH, it’s junk.
As I said at the beginning of this review the Honda SH 300 is fast; the SH 300 makes 27hp. That isn’t a massive number by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a big number in scooter-land. Basically, Honda re-engineered an engine from one of their off road motorcycles and de-tuned it to run a smoother power curve and better fuel economy. What they also did was beat the crap out of the competition. All of the SH’s competing bikes make a miserable 21-22hp. The extra 5-6hp means the lightweight Honda simply rides away from all of them in a straight line. In our tests the SH hit 100kph in just 10.9 seconds. That’s significantly faster than any other non-maxi scooter we’ve tested to date.
Ease of use wise the SH 300 is a breeze to live with. The bikes small size and weight mean it’s easy to move around at low speed and fairly easy to put on the center stand. Combine this with remote seat release off the ignition, a detailed set of gauges and a small glove box and you have a near perfect scooter. I say near perfect because the SH does have one major failing point. The under seat storage area is tiny and won’t fit any kind of full face helmet. Obviously Honda wanted to keep the seat height to a minimum and just couldn’t fit a larger storage area without raising the seat further. You can fit a top box to store a larger helmet but really, this is a pain. Hopefully Honda can address this poor storage problem in the future. We reviewed the SYM's new Citycom 300i and it simply kills the SH when it comes to storage. Finally, you get Honda’s solid build quality and legendary reliability combined with good fuel economy for such a rapid bike of 3.5L/100kms (67MPG). Summing up the Honda SH 300. Honda have set the benchmark with the SH; it’s probably the best scooter in the world. Most other manufacturers are scrambling to offer a competitor, but they seem to be missing the mark; some by a long long way. Vespa answered with the new GTS 300 Super but sadly the new engine is a total joke and only makes 1hp more than their 250cc model. No chance. Piaggio who own Vespa are using the same 300 motor (it’s actually only a 278cc engine) across their various brands. So I expect the new Aprilia’s, Gilera’s and Piaggio’s will be no match for the SH 300's dominance until they actually make a 300cc engine that makes decent power.
The SH 300 is a lot of money for a scooter but, think of it as the Porsche 911 of current scooters. So value for money, it isn’t bad at all. It really deserves to cost more money because it’s significantly better than its competitors. If I was buying a large wheeled scooter today there are only two real options. SYM’s new Citycom 300i or the Honda SH 300. The Citycom is a fantastic bike at a fantastic price, but the Honda is better again in nearly every department. It just comes down to money; if you can afford it…buy the Honda.
Manufacturer Specifications
Comments
(22)
 written by Grace , August 31, 2011
I am having Honda splendor and I am wondering if the Honda scooter have the same classy look and speed...New Scooters
Votes: -1
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 written by rahgu , August 13, 2011
why is not in india?
Votes: +1
I want to have in india how? Looks very nice! report abuse
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 written by oversized Bvlgari watches , May 23, 2011
I like the article!-oversized Bvlgari watches I like popular thing! I appreciate your writing style! From your work before I can learn can't learn things!
Votes: +0
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 written by Wayne Rooney , May 13, 2011
I finally found the soul mate ,I like you these things, http://www.clonesbar.com/seiko...-1012.html
Votes: +1
maybe I'm interested in these right, looking forward to you as soon as possible to update your works! report abuse
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 written by Marten , November 08, 2009
For some time now the Honda SH 300i seams to be the fastest and most powerful scooter in its class. But it has change. The new Kymco Downtown 300i have 5,8 hp and 21cc more and only five more kilos to carry than the Honda.
Votes: +3
Apart from that the Downtown has larger underseat storage – can easy handle two fullface helmets. I is going to be most interesting to se a test of the Downtown 300 here at “TSRâ€. report abuse
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 written by vincel , October 23, 2009
There isn't any "disdain" for the GTS 300, it really is a very good machine but back to back there just isn't any competition... especially if you leave emotion out of it. Do you look cooler on the Vespa? yes, probably. But I don't own a scooter to get laid and in the performance (everything that means not just outright speed) the Honda wins. I hate to tell you this but a "brand new, bigger, better" engine should do more than go up 1hp and a smidge of torque. The fact is I would be inclined to buy a gts250 with an aftermarket pipe if I was going to take the Vespa route, same hp, same style, better value etc etc.
Votes: +7
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 written by Paul in USofA , October 22, 2009
It is too bad that we don't see these in the USA, though it's little brother is (SH 150) is here.
Votes: +3
I do have a criticism of the level of the "journalism" and of subsequent comment by the author. The world isn't black and white. What fills up your check boxes might not matter on my value sheet. The author clearly has disdain for the Vespa GTS, but, dude...really. If you have ridden the 250 and the 300, you know that there is considerable differences between the two, and the 300 engine is not "a joke". They should have punched it out to a REAL 300, but alas... There are lots of reasons to prefer one scoot over another, and for one, I could not get over the looks of the SH series to buy one--and I have seen it in life. report abuse
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 written by brianh , October 12, 2009
When are these coming to NZ ?
Votes: +1
I heard end of this year but also heard maybe mid next year, anyone know for sure. Honda don't, I rang them LOL report abuse
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 written by eronilson batista de macedo , September 17, 2009
quando vai chega aqui no brasil em posso sabe tenho lead 110cc
Votes: +0
gostaria de compra uma dessas report abuse
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 written by Wayne , July 26, 2009
Love the Honda Sh 300i. But why did Honda have to make it look so sissy. I want one bad but I fear being ridiculed for riding a ladies only scooter.
Votes: -5
C'mon Honda, man it up a bit. Wayne 25/07/09 report abuse
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 written by Kalle von Kuk , March 19, 2009
Halloj!
Votes: +1
Jag har just köpt mig en SH300 och jag var ute och körde för första gången idag. Den är jävligt bra, måste jag få sagt och den känns betydligt bättre än Vespan jag hade. Nu när jag vant mig, så tycker dessutom att den är snygg! report abuse
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 written by Cam , March 01, 2009
Hi Mak,
Votes: +10
Sorry for the delay in reply. This is a very interesting question and something my friends and I have accurately tried to test. The most accurate test we did was a standing start race between the Runner 180SP and Honda SH300, with riders weighing essentially the same. Off the mark there wasn't much in it at all, and for the majority of the straight it was neck and neck. It's around the 90KM mark the Honda really pulls away with its much longer legs. It's kind of like comparing a WRX against a European car, say a Porsche 911. The Gilera being light, nimble and a 2 stroke is an awesome assault scoot for around the city and suburbs...and for this reason could almost win the race home every time. But the Honda is just so smooth and effortless, and if you were robbing a bank (not to suggest, just for an example!)and had twisty back and long roads to cover the Honda shows how much more accomplished it is over the Gilera. Hope this answers your question! This is why I really enjoy having both these scoots as they both provide massive grin factor by offering vast differences in ride. report abuse
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 written by Mak , February 23, 2009
Hello Cam
Votes: +1
Just wanted to know? How does the acceleration of the sh 300i compare to 2 stroke 'BEAST' Runner. Which one do you feel is quicker off the mark? report abuse
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written by Mak , February 20, 2009
I just wish you guys can review the new Derbi Gp1 250. (i dont know if it's available in your neck of the woods)
Votes: +1
But the Derbi has caused quite a stir in Australia. We're still waiting for the sh300i though. report abuse
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written by Cam , January 09, 2009
Hi, thanks to the good guys of this site I am the very fortunate person to own one of these superb scooters (and I beleive there are only 2 in Australasia). After reading the sound reviews all have written on this model I brought the evaluation scoot from Honda New Zealand, sight unseen and without test riding it. I have been riding scooters for around 15 years starting with the good old Honda Nifty Fifty (yes, with the shopping basket at the front!). More recently I have had a Vespa LX150, Vespa GT60 and my 2nd scoot is a Gilera 180SP, a nice contrast to the Honda SH300i. When I took delivery of the Honda SH300i and it was shipped down to me I must comment it looks far better in life than the pictures. It has nice proportions and sized well, not clumsy and oversized like most maxi scoots of this engine displacement. And the metallic dark green colour is very nice and quite unique for a scoot colour. I'm not wanting to do a review on this scoot, as this site along with others sing strong praise of this model. Just an informative few words for anybody considering acquiring one of these or just interested in scooters (hence why you are on this site!). Having been fortunate enough to experience many different scooters of all brands and sizes, the Honda is simply the best and most accomplished. Sure, it's not the best looking scoot but it more than makes up for this and every other department with its awesome engine, stability, safety features and performance. Prior to buying the Honda SH300i, I was (and still am) keen on buying the very classy looking new Vespa 300 Super, which I think looks very cool. Looks and design naturally with any scooter are important, but with the complete package the Honda SH300i provides, it ticks all the boxes for me. I have just seen pictures of the 2009 Honda SH300i, minor changes but with a couple of new "sportier" colour combinations. The new white and black colour combo with the black rims (cues from the new Vespa 300?!)looks fantastic and sure to attract even more interest in this scoot.
Votes: +14
I do enjoy riding my rorty Gilera 180cc 2 stroke, but when the weather changes for the worse, I decide to journey further, I have a pillion, I want the feel of a safer ride, I want the smooth power and torque the Honda SH300i is the one that gets out of the garage. And those big 16" wheels make it handle just so superb! Thanks for reading and happy to answer any questions. Safe and happy riding! report abuse
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 written by Gabriel , December 08, 2008
Hello! NICE SCOOTER,BUT: why can't HONDA make the same thing(grab a motocross engine BIG, and make a MAXI-SCOOTER...) when I think of other motorcycles from honda, I can't help saying what I have to say... For example: why the heck the honda FMX has 644 cc, and only 37 horse power...?!when the SH-300 has an engine 2.3 times SMALLER than that rebuilt "DOMINATOR" ENGINE and lacks 10 horsepower to be just as that engine?
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surely honda must make a single piston engine , not as that giant silver-wing ... KEEP UP THE GOOD JOB HONDA! YOU STARTED WITH SCOOTERS...CUB , WHAT THE HELL?! report abuse
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 written by Jet , October 28, 2008
I am hoping with fingers crossed that in the not too distant future Honda "Australia" will offer the SH 300 for us back here. We currently have the SH 150 but unfortunately not it's bigger brother! I think the Honda marketing team is waiting to see how well received the Vespa GT 300 super and SYM Citycom 300i is received before they commit themselves. Until then Australian consumers that want an SH 300 need to hand their cash over to other manufacturers. COME ON HONDA, NOW NOT LATTER!
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 written by ketzals , September 08, 2008
Honda have only bought in two SH 300s into NZ to evaluate them. They will order more if you're interested. A reader of ours recently purchased one of them actually. Not sure on price...certainly not cheap. Same sort of money as GTS Vespa I'd guess Worth every cent as it runs rings around a GTS. Let us know and we could probably drum up a test ride if you're keen.
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 written by Gary Bound , July 26, 2008
I found this review interesting and hopeful. I am looking for options for in town (San Diego) to & from work transportation. Working in the medical field and knowing most drivers don't watch, I have fears about riding scooter and am checking out trikes. Would appreciate suggestions and comments.
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I am the lucky owner of this SH300I, 2007 model.
I look is less your priority than reliability and performance. Let's go for it. I am using in Vietnam, where road condition are not the best than in western countries.
But it does, can stand dust, holes, rain and rain.
Only one thing to change, is the rear shock absorber to avoid back pain.
On my side i have changed variator, clutch bell, clutch and exhaust. Not that the original was broken, but to increase acceleration.
Nothing has to be changed due to malfunctions.
This scooter is a camel, support any road condition, low in fuel, feel save to drive and the faster of its range.