Honda Sh300i ABS MY 2016, once the defects have been removed it is increasingly the leader [ROAD TEST]

Honda Sh300i ABS MY 2016 – As the owner of a first series Sh300 I must admit that while driving some of the low wheels of the medium displacement competition, I was recently changing my mind about the “high wheels” choice. This new one Sh300 MY 2016 instead 100% convincing, fixing the major flaws of the first two series and setting a new standard. In fact, it is the only scooter on the market capable of high performance without reaching the management and purchase costs, as well as consumption, of maxi scooters.. He amazes with his stability on the fast track, which in the past represented his biggest limitation. The other big innovations concern a refined work on refining the electronics and transmission, which increases efficiency without losing sight of performance, but also the underseat compartment finally suitable for a real helmet, in addition to full LED headlight which illuminates the road significantly better. The icing on the cake keyless system, a further touch of comfortable modernity for the undisputed leader of its market segment.

Aesthetics and finishes:

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It confirms itself as one of the most elegant and sporty among scooters

Looking at it casually there doesn't seem to have been a revolution compared to the past, in reality the entire scooter has been the subject of careful refinement work, which partly revolutionizes its usability and value for those who use it. The most important details that change radically compared to the previous version are the shape and capacity of the underseat compartment and the transition to the full LED headlight. This second aspect, as well as improving the look, becomes fundamental when traveling on poorly or unlit roads. Now the Honda scooter "opens a passage" in the dark, with top visibility, which allows you to increase safety and speed, without fearing surprises. As for the saddle pad instead a miracle has been achieved, because without distorting the general aesthetics of the Sh300 you now have 19 liters of space available, cut in an excellent way to accommodate a "normal" sized helmet, perhaps together with a chain or other material. Since in Italy it comes as standard with windshield, hand guards and top case, the Potential load capacity of 3 helmets, or two helmets and a bag, as well as other material, such as rain gear, makes the Sh300 perfect for going to the office in complete comfort. Upon careful analysis we then find details in premium automotive style, such as the more refined and soft plastics, pleasant to the touch, in the area of ​​the buttons on the handlebar. Numerous data can be viewed on the dashboard, including consumption data as well as partial odometer readings, even if navigation continues to be managed only by the impractical buttons integrated on the instrumentation itself. The 12 volt socket passes under the saddle, while the storage compartment remains in the back of the shield on the left side, which however is smaller and only suitable for small objects, such as a gate remote control or house keys (be careful not to leave them when you get off the scooter , because the compartment has no locking systems). The windscreen, as we said as standard for our market, is a good compromise, it is not high to avoid braking the Sh300 too much on the motorway, but it is high enough to protect from air, water and cold. In this, the hand guards help to complete the protection, although, to be honest, those who are more than 1,75 meters tall will have to stand with their heads slightly bent forward if they want to remain well protected. The passenger footrests have also been revised, wider and more comfortable, but which protrude a few more centimeters from the shape of the scooter, requiring you to have a little attention, for example in narrow passages between cars stopped at a traffic light.

Engine and performance:

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Loses 2 horsepower, but improves performance and handling!

Miracles can sometimes happen. Exaggerations aside, what is surprising about the new Sh300 is that the 4 cc single-cylinder 279-valve engine appears reinvigorated, though to read the mere numerical data, in the transition to the third generation he gave up 2 horses (they were 27,2 in the first and second generations produced from 2006 until last year), which are now 25 (25,22 to be precise). Still from the data, however, we discover that the speed at which maximum power is delivered has dropped by 1.000 rpm, now at 7.500. The same thing happens with the torque, of 25 Nm (-1 nm), reached at 5.000 instead of 6.000 rpm. This causes the curve of delivery is better, with the best engine performance usable right where you need it. So the performances are at least aligned, with clear improvements in some passages. At the same time, emissions and consumption are reduced (from 30,6 km/l to 33,3 in the WMTC cycle, 8,7% more). Making the curve "go down" by 1.000 rpm was truly a no mean feat, because with the transmission system based on the variator, it means making the mechanics work optimally when you open the throttle, reducing delay to a minimum and having a formidable recovery. The credit goes, in this case too, to careful refinement work, with unchanged bore and stroke, but with electronics and transmission optimized to make the most of the potential of the engine, which it also becomes a Euro4. So at the traffic lights the Sh300 has the usual brilliant start, gains as mentioned in recovery and in readiness for reacceleration, without losing even in acceleration. In fact, it reaches i 140 km/h on the speedometer, without hesitation. If in the city the progress is already evident, it is on extra-urban routes that the differences compared to the previous generation become even more marked, also thanks to the improvements in terms of cycling, which now allow you to have fun even away from city traffic.

Ride and handling:

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The age-old problem of stability at speed has been definitively resolved

From the first meters the new Sh300 seems different. We just got off a 2008 model and the impressions are clearly different, even if looking at them they don't seem to differ much. Yes, the riding position changes a little (now placed at 805 mm from the ground), to make room for a full-face helmet in the compartment, but in practice it seems smaller from how manageable it is. In reality, however, the most significant changes go in the diametrically opposite direction: the new Sh300 is in fact slightly longer, also increased in the wheelbase, to give it stability in fast. And in fact the work on the frame and suspension calibration completes the solution to what was certainly the biggest problem of this scooter, already partly improved with the second generation of Sh300: the swaying at high speeds, especially with the top case and windshield mounted and traveling without a passenger. Those who, like myself, have a "first series", will know this perfectly. The use of a radial rear tire (standard on the second series) reduced the swaying, but to resolve it definitively it was necessary to intervene on the fork and suspension, at a rather significant expense. So we ended up getting used to it, often giving up the "pull" on the ring road, so as not to risk a potentially dangerous situation. As is normal, the "smacking" became more substantial in release, causing some fright. We have never heard of falls caused by this defect, but the sensation conveyed was certainly not one of safety. So, after leaving the first contact to an editorial colleague, the road test of the Sh300 MY2016 had intrigued us precisely for this reason, we wanted to understand whether or not Honda had fixed the only real major flaw of its best seller. The answer is positive, now the "sway question" is definitively resolved.

Not only that, because the new Sh also seems to absorb bumps better, another thing that the first generations didn't do very well. Thus the always very brilliant performance of this scooter can be fully exploited even on the motorway and on extra-urban roads, enjoying what for us is now unquestionably one of the best products on the market. For the rest, aspects of the previous model where the results were already very good are confirmed, such as the brake sector, the two 256 mm discs (front and rear) and the integral braking confirmed, with the addition of the ABS system now as standard and no longer optional. The weight is also substantially unchanged, at 169 kg (it was 167, but without ABS). We have already talked about the LED headlight and the clear improvement on the lighting front, the other big news is represented by the Smart Key system, which we found quite practical. There is no need to act on remote control, which simply needs to be kept in your pocket, but it is sufficient to get closer than 2 meters to enable the ignition lock, which lights up blue when the "manettino" is pressed, which at this point can be rotated to remove the steering lock, with an additional notch to enable the saddle opening button and all the way to the right to make the ignition contact, which occurs as usual by pulling (hard) the rear brake lever and with the button on the right electrical block. To be picky, we would like to point out that a key is always needed to open the trunk. Again to nitpick, the windshield is quite inclined (we believe to reduce aerodynamic resistance) and you need to get used to it to avoid touching it with your helmet.

Price and consumption:

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Price essentially unchanged, consumption -8,7%

The new Honda Sh300i ABS My 2016 costs 5.140 euros (they were 4.790 + ABS). It's worth it all, even in light of the latest news and updates in terms of chassis and technical and mechanical refinements, which make it the most comfortable and fastest means of transport for moving around the city and outside, with the best compromise between size, performance and management costs. There is currently a promotion in place, thanks to which the second key/remote control is supplied with the addition of only the cost of the material, thus freeing the coding and configuration operation. In fact, we would like to remind you that the Sh300 is delivered with a single remote control. If you lose it, you will find yourself with the scooter blocked, therefore with the inconvenience of having to transport it to a workshop for pairing and coding operations with a new remote control. In Italy it is supplied as standard with the windshield and handguards that you see in this test, as well as with the matching top case. We talked about the official data on consumption, which goes from 30,6 km/l to 33,3 in the WMTC cycle, with a decrease of 8,7%. In our road test we detected a average figure of 24 with one liter making “brilliant” use of the Sh300 on extra-urban routes (120 km/h on motorways and state roads with restarts and accelerations at wide open throttle), while in the city the drop is a little, even if with a more relaxed driving behavior the 25 per liter are always within reach . At the limit you get around 15 per liter, for example on the motorway with an indicated speed above 140 km/h, but already at 120 you drop a lot. The threshold of 30, however, can only be reached by driving very carefully, at less than 90 km/h and without ever making full use of the engine. Compared to other medium-sized scooters, it therefore benefits from significantly superior power and performance, which only comes at a small cost in terms of consumption.

PROS AND CONS
We like it:
It solves practically all the previous defects, maintains the already excellent performance, and is increasingly a top product
We do not like it:
Second remote control for a fee

Honda SH300i ABS MY 2016: the Motorionline Report Card

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Photo of the test by LINGEGNERE

Test clothing:
Jacket: Tucano Urbano Trip
Gloves: Tucano Urbano Squid 9801
Helmet: Nolan N21 Visor