Here’s the video ad for the NEW Honda SH300i.
The first part is a tale of young scooterists in love (ahhhh), who grow from the pair that shares the cozy seat of a cute little 100cc Honda SH to the couple that gets married and upgrades to a lovely 125cc Honda SH until finally they become a blazingly hot couple living the lifestyle of a nice upper crusty 3.5 family that rides around the European countryside on svelte SH300i’s.
Quite touching really, though you may wanna turn down the audio… the soundtrack burns with the horrendous eardrum shredding energy of a thousand Bette Midlers compounded by the hammer / anvil / stirrup shattering force of a million Barbara Streisands, covered in a light Michael Bolton buillabaise and baked at 400 for 18 hours until it is done and immediately poured into your ear canals to cool. (An ex-CIA operative told me it’s the same recipe used to… um.. coerce information out of Iraqi terror suspects.)
Anyway, the video then moves to heart racing shots of the SH300i, contradicted by a yawn inducing piano piece (as a matter of fact, why don’t you play your favorite MP3 in the background and just kill the audio from the Googlevideo player all together… there, that’s better). (some suggestions… Black Eye Peas – Pump it, Boston – More Than a Feeling, Steppenwolf – Magic Carpet Ride, James Brown – I Feel Good)
The video ends with 30 seconds of the Honda logo. That should be enough time for you to sit back and day dream about speeding around town on 300cc’s of 16″ wheel havin’, ABS Brake stoppin’, sleek, sexy, Honda scootin’ goodness. You know… I’m curious now… I wanna find out what scooterists think about big wheeled scooters. Here’s the poll:
26. October 2006 at 4:09 pm
As for me personally, the big wheeled scooters sorta grew on me… I mean, I’ve always loved the Cub and the Scarabeo, but didn’t think much about the others. Now that I’ve test driven the SYM HD200 and seen this SH300i, I want one! (to add to the collection of course)
26. October 2006 at 4:48 pm
I dunno, the SH300i doesn’t really do it for me, the tail end looks kinda buck rogers/doodle bug and while big wheels are probably better for most things, I don’t think they look as good on a scooter as small wheels. It looks light and so it’s probably hella fast, and it’s a Honda so it’s probably more reliable and comfortable than anything I’ll ever own, but the design doesn’t exite me much.
26. October 2006 at 6:29 pm
I haf’ta agree with illnoise. I’m kinda disapointed with the looks of the SH300i. As stated, it prolly IS very quick and prolly
will be very reliable. I’d LOVE the opportunity to try one. I think big wheels benifit the ride and the smaller ones the handling. I just wish they had make it look more modern, more interesting, more touring capable and available here in the USA.
26. October 2006 at 9:49 pm
Talk about your Schmaltzy presentation!!! Gadszooks — I like scooters in general for the fun they deliver… the SH300i looks like it would do all those same things but be a little less agressive feeling than its smaller wheeled cousins. It looks zoomy enough overall to get my attention but I am not so sure I would want one over my Majesty.
27. October 2006 at 7:58 am
Me want, me want, me want. pant pant pant….
27. October 2006 at 2:18 pm
I think it looks an awful lot like a Kymco People. The only things better about it are the 50 extra cc’s ABS and uh well its a Honda.
27. October 2006 at 11:03 pm
I own a Scarabeo 500 and absolutely love it. The larger wheels just feel better to me. I have driven several sizes of Kymco People and really like them, also. However, given the chance, I would definitely own a Vespa GT or GTS, 12″ wheels or not.
29. October 2006 at 12:03 am
Here’s what caught my attention: 300cc and 16″ wheels. Just what my wife has downstairs, a 1966 305 Dream with valenced fenders and full bodywork. Honda has finally come full circle! OK, it doesn’t have ABS, but it does have twin cylinders, electric start, and leading link front suspension.
29. October 2006 at 11:01 pm
I love it and want one…what do we have to do to get it in the US market? I own two Piaggio BVs and bought them because of the 16″ wheels and the stability they have at higher speeds. But then I didn’t buy my scooter just for in-town riding. It looks a lot like a Scarebeo and Italian styling pushes so many buttons for me that I don’t know where to begin explaining what I like the most about it. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it’s a Honda. It certainly breaks the mold from the ugly insect-looking front ends on most of the Asian bikes that just leave me cold.
7. November 2006 at 11:50 am
The sh300i will be even better than the sh150i with which i drove 20.0000km in one year: better braking power with ABS, better stability through longer wheelbase and more than sufficient torque for highways and dual transport.
I hope Honda Netherlands will import this one, otherwise i will do it myself.
4. January 2007 at 9:34 pm
The only problem I have with the compact size is the compact-looking floorboards. I have big feet and they just barely fit in the “foot well” of the People 150 or 250 I have ridden (never owned, just rode the 150 once). I had to look down to make sure my feet got on the floorboards which seem to be made for petite feet. I have a Honda Reflex and a Vespa GT200 and my feet fit fine on those, especially the Reflex which lets you stretch out. This Honda 300i, you’re definitely sitting upright.