Why is everyone excited to get their hands on the Honda ADV 150?


Because you could get the bigger bike that is the daddy of the ADV 150, the X-ADV 750, but it will set you back P799,000. Life is not fair. There are just some things beyond your reach. Honda probably had you in mind when they decided you had to have a taste of the more expensive X-ADV 750 in the form of the ADV 150, which is priced at P149,000.



X-ADV 750
ADV 150


I call the ADV 150 an MMM—a Mini Me Motor. I’d say it’s a fresh addition to the automatic displacement segment. 


Here are the details: it’s a 150cc Single Overhead Cam. It would have been nicer if it was a Double Overhead Cam, but that’s just me. It’s liquid-cooled and fuel-injected. For the wheels we are at 13” at the rear and 14” at the front. It’s got ABS brakes, with power at 14.7 hp. It’s got twin shocks and telescopic forks.



Shocks are a bit spongy, but not that much, which leads you to think that it might be off-road capable although you know for sure it’s an on-road scooter. I was tempted to really slug it out on light trails but decided against it, lest I damage its underside (I mean, come on, if your bike looked this good, you’d want to keep it that way) 


The seat compartment is pretty spacious, although a full face helmet won’t fit. A half-face would. The fabric is not cheap and the stitching is well-executed.


On the handlebars the switches, grips and bar ends are all solid, no cheap plastics to ruin the feel. It’s got a windscreen that you can fold out of the way—far as I can tell this is a first in its segment. I am not a fan of windscreens, so I like that I have a choice of getting rid of it. If I had to change anything, it would be the ordinary sideview mirrors for more sporty, robust, rounded ones. 





Top speed with a limiter is 120kph. With me on it, the bike reached 118kph, so that’s pretty close to its limit. By the way, I’m a six-footer weighing 170 lbs—so logic dictates that if you’re lighter than I am you’ll reach your top end faster. Mileage I got is 34 km per liter—and I was not saving on fuel at all. 


Handling isn’t as sporty and neither is it as agile as a Honda Beat or Click, but I do feel more aggressive in the corners. And if I wanted to push the ADV 150 harder on the corners, I’d say I would change the shocks and tires. Which got me thinking, despite its sporty and adventurous looks the ADV 150’s suspension and gearing leans more on touring than tumbling about in the rough unlike its bigger sibling, the X-ADV 750, which I got to try right up to its limits for 10 days in Malaysia, and I tell you it can handle rough roads.

 
You have to get used to the feel of riding the ADV 150 before you can be confident of sneaking past terrible traffic. It won’t be as agile as the Honda Click or Beat, but it will always look better.  The ADV 150 is badass. Ah, priorities!