Scooters are incredibly useful, and riders in most countries outside of North America seem to love them. Differences in appeal across markets are many, varied, and way outside the scope of this piece, though. What we can tell you is that Honda is apparently working on a new member to its ADV scooter family, to sit squarely in between the X-ADV and the ADV150.  

We first speculated about a mid-grade ADV scoot from Honda back in 2019, which is also where we first learned that it would most likely share its powerplant with the midgrade Forza scooter. At the time, the Forza 300 was roaming the streets of Europe, but it’s since been displaced by the updated, Euro 5-compliant Forza 350. It’s that slightly larger-displacement unit that will provide the basic underpinnings for the upcoming ADV350, according to European type approval documents obtained by Cycle World

That means the ADV350 will be powered by a 330cc single-cylinder engine mated to a continuously variable transmission, resulting in a twist n’ go scooter experience. Therefore, it has a bit more in common with the ADV150 than the larger X-ADV scooter, which shares both a powerplant and Honda’s DCT with the NC750 motorcycle.  

So, is it more of a styling exercise than anything else? That appears to be the case, but it’s also not a surprise.  After all, the ADV150 is basically a redressed PCX150—and just look what that choice did on Honda’s part. While the PCX150 is kind of boring in design, it’s also the kind of workhorse scooter that you see everywhere if you spend any time in most Asian countries. The ADV150 livened up that design, and has unsurprisingly proved to be extremely popular since its introduction. There are also approximately a zillion aftermarket accessories for it, which probably doesn’t hurt.  

While the U.S. did (somewhat surprisingly) get the ADV150 on our shores, it’s not clear at this point whether we can ever expect to see the ADV350 once it’s released. We never got the X-ADV, and so far, we haven’t gotten any of the Forza models, either. Honda’s 2021 U.S. scooter lineup consists of the ADV150, PCX (also a 150, but they dropped the number designation for our market, although you can still see it in other markets), Ruckus, and Metropolitan.  

As for pricing, the 2021 Forza 350 currently runs £5,499 in the U.K., which works out to $7,592. Meanwhile, the 2021 ADV150 retails at $4,299. Motorcycle and scooter pricing across markets typically isn’t a straight conversion from one currency to another, but it’s not clear how many 350cc scooters Honda could expect to sell here in any case. Whether you find the ADV family’s looks more appealing than the Silver Wing is a matter of opinion, but the fact is, it’s been several years since Honda saw fit to release a mid-to-large displacement maxi scooter in the U.S. 

Got a tip for us? Email: tips@rideapart.com