Motorcycle insurance renewal

It's been 1 year since I'm riding on my PCX. Time passes by really fast.

I've just done my insurance renewal. Call up following insurers and was given quite a surprisingly wide range of quote for TPFT:
-- NTUC $460
-- MSIG $360
-- ANDA (also AXA) $320

I've chosen ANDA. Not because it's the cheapest but because it's most responsive and terms seem ok too.

Ntuc was very responsive too. But I've just read some forum post that a fellow biker was denied bike theft claim by ntuc because of his negligence in not using a disc lock! What gives?? I'm not sure how true is this but I've decided not to take any chances, hence have removed ntuc from consideration.

MSIG did respond but in a very unprofessional manner with email threads forwarding here and there and leaving you to receive an email with the full email thread from some singnet email sender asking for you to enter a full list of personal details so that they can give a quote. All these without identifying first that they are agent for MSIG. I do not feel comfortable working with this insurer, With uncertainty that I'll be responded professionally and timely enough should there be any claims needed in future.

Anda has been responsive to my queries and answering with clarity, so they have my business.

Hope this helps anyone who is searching for insurance renewal. :)

Vespa LX150 or Honda PCX?

A Big "Gong Xi Fa Cai" to Everyone!!

Wow, it's been a long holiday season! Still basking in the holiday mood now... =P

Glad to receive a query on "LX150 or PCX?"

Seriously, if you like "looks", go for LX150! It's simply eye-catching and handsome! Period.

If you are looking for a fuel-efficient, cool-looking and easy-to-handle machine, PCX is a good choice.

• It has a lower center of gravity and larger wheel than LX150, so I believe that it should offer a more stable ride than LX too.
• Servicing cost - Up till now, my most expensive servicing session costs $50 at Boon Siew. I am not sure about LX but I do not think it will costs much less for a European bike. (?)
• PCX's underseat storage space is much much bigger than LX's
• PCX's headlight is much bigger and definitely more visible than LX's. If you are also a driver, I believe you will understand this importance too. :P

Looking 1 year back... I was deciding between LX150 and PCX during my bike purchase too. Gathered comparison feedback from as much technician uncles in the bikeshops that I've visited, all have given their votes to PCX for the technical performance. LX150 is still my first-love (simply love the look! *muack*). But the seat is just too high for me to ride on it confidently. Weighing between safety and looks, I've chosen the PCX. Have not regretted my decision till now. Although, a tint of jealousy and envy still tinkle up in me whenever I pass by one of my first love on the road...

Finally, a Breakdown.... Flat battery

Phew, i'm relieved to be finally done handling my First motorcycle breakdown. Thanks to the great help from one of the friendly uncles from Yan Aik Motor Co (6, Phoenix Road) 

I was riding around Teck Whye Lane yesterday evening when I met with an unexpected surprise, unable to start my bike's engine from Idle-stop state no matter how much the throttle has been twisted. No choice, stepped down the bike and pushed it to the nearest carpark. Luckily the cars that were behind my bike were patient enough to wait for me to make way without sounding any horn. =) There are still nice drivers around in Singapore after all.

Searched the net and found Yan Aik to be the nearest bike shop from the area. Called them up and the uncle whom i've spoken to immediately ask for the bike location and came down to take a look. Unable to find possible problem, uncle offered to push the bike back to his shop which is about 1KM away and with some upslopes, and it was raining! omg... I was really impressed by the enthusiasm and helpfulness of this uncle!

Collected the bike after a few hours. Found out that the problem is due to a flat battery, so Yan Aik changed the battery. The total bill is $95. Truthfully, the amount is more than i've expected. But i've still gladly made payment for it as I was impressed by the sincere service of the uncle-technicians here in Yan Aik. (Has anyone changed their battery in bike shops before? Care to share on what was your cost?)

At the same time, I'm puzzled why this battery problem was not detected by Boon Siew when they serviced my bike less than 2 months ago? Also, this is a less than 1 years-old bike, isn't the battery life too short? I'm expecting it to last at least 2 years, with the idling-stop technology always activated. Now, i'm thinking that this short battery-life is definitely a significant con of the Honda PCX motorcycle!

Convenient reference to Yan Aik's location for fellow riders who are staying in or encounter a breakdown in CCK area.

View Larger Map

Review of storage space on Honda PCX 125

Glove compartment which is not lockable. So not for keeping of valuables.

Under-seat storage when empty.

Removable helmet hook which is included with the tool bag.

This is how the helmet hook looks like when it's fully-hooked and seat closed. So your helmet will be fully-secured when the seat is locked.

Under-seat storage compartment can accommodate 1 half-face helmet comfortably. (Sadly, my full-face helmet can't fit in)

My 14-inch laptop can fit into the under-seat compartment snugly, with some spare room for rain coat and some small nitty-gritty stuffs.

Generally, storage space is good, without the bike looking too bulky. But I found it slightly hard to close the seat tight compared to other bikes. One needs to exert quite a considerable amount of force before the seat can be locked. Also, I've noticed that the PCX does not have any hook that can be used especially by ladies to hook our small handbag or shopping bags like some other scooters such as Vespa GT has.

Review of my Honda PCX

It's been slightly more than a month riding on my new Honda PCX.

In comparison to the BBDC 2B learner bike:
- the height of seat is about the same as those normal cut seats (I'm about 1.6m tall, and find the seat height of Honda PCX just nice)
- the handling of the bike feels lighter
- definitely much easier to operate since this is an auto transmission motorcycle
- side mirrors are larger, so it provides easier safety check
- thighs do not get heated up as easily on the pcx
- power in terms of speed of acceleration feels the same
- feeling of engine power at low speed is lower though, probably because it's an auto bike

My other likes about Honda PCX:
- good fuel efficiency at about 45km/litre
- more environmentally friendly with its idle-stop technology. I do not find this feature disruptive at all, engine does get started instantly with throttle twist, sometimes I did not even realise that the engine has been turned off
- large underseat storage space
- very nice, bright and visible headlight and signal lights
- decent speed, reach and maintain at 80km/hr easily and without much strenuous engine roar (just FYI, I've been able to reach 100km/hr easily too)
- low noise during engine start up

My dislike about the Honda PCX:
- the underseat storage space, despite being large, can't fit in my full face helmet! :(
- no hook below the handle for hanging of stuffs like bags of groceries (I notice quite a few of the other scooters have such hooks)

Okies, I'll update again with some pictures of my Honda PCX. :)

New stylish protection for my face

Regardless of whether we are a driver or a rider, face is definitely one of the most important feature for a lady! Hence, I've gotten myself a full-face helmet. I wanted it to help shield my face better from the sun as well as dust. In addition, I feel that it also help to shield us from those "ti ko bei" drivers!

I've got the Caberg Konda full-face modular helmet from Regina@Kelantan lane. I think it's pretty comfy compared to the other full-face modular helmets that i've tried in the store (including the Shoei ones). In addition, it has a much-needed sun visor too! Stylo! =) The interior liner can be fully-removed for wash too, a must for someone like me who is a clean freak! The top air-vent doesn't feel to be working much i thought, but the chin vent is functional and not bad. My head and face did not feel warm and stuffy during the ride.

So far so good for this Caberg Konda helmet for now. The only complaint I have is that it cannot fit into my tiny rear box, neither can it fit into my large underseat compartment of my Honda PCX! :(

Here are some pictures of my Caberg Konda...

Finally got my First motorcycle!

Yeah! I've finally made up my mind and purchased my first motorcycle! Gotten for myself the Honda PCX for it's great fuel efficiency and environment-friendliness with its "idling stop" technology. I've just ridden on it for about 1 week. Still trying to get up-to-speed with my riding skills, so can't really give a fair comment on the performance of the Honda PCX for now. I'll try to give my update soon on this cool-looking bike! Hehe..