The Giorno+, eh? Finally.
You darn bet. Frankly I wasn’t hoping to get a test ride just a few months after the launch, but thanks to Honda Philippines (HPI) and our friends Miss Donna and Sir Alex from Lifestyle on Wheels, we were finally able to get our hands on a demo. And this isn’t just the usual laps around the Honda Safety Driving Center (HSDC), mind you—we were actually able to bring the scooter home and test it out for .
How’s it like to ride, then?
Okay, just to be clear, as of this writing, our unit has only been with us for less than 10 hours. But I’m too stoked not to share my first impressions of the new Honda Giorno+, because this thing is promising.
To help us familiarize ourselves with the scooters first, HPI still had us do several laps around HSDC before we were allowed to take our units out. And it was a proper test, alright. We did acceleration and braking tests, and we rode around slaloms as well. Of course, we didn’t corner at speed, but we were able to simulate several real-world scenarios within a controlled environment.
It’s peppy off the line, and you really feel how the four-valve setup makes that difference in acceleration. Braking is also excellent even without ABS, and the combi-braking system in the Giorno+ is commendable. I tried going to as fast as 60kph before I slammed the brakes, and the wheels didn’t lock up at all. I did hear the tire skid a bit, but I never felt like I wasn’t in control of the bike.
It also weaved through cones very easily. It’s very light, so it’s easy to ride through traffic. Though I must admit, I was surprised with the wide seat. It had me tiptoeing. That might be an issue for short riders or beginners.
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Four valves, 125cc. How fuel efficient is it?
Honestly, I can’t say for sure yet. I reset the fuel gauge before we started our rounds at HSDC, and when I finally got out on the road, I was rushing to Makati so it wasn’t a proper test for fuel efficiency. I did get somewhere around 42km/L, which isn’t worthy of a standing ovation but is good enough for the inefficient riding I did all morning. I’m sure when I get to try it out further, I’ll get better results. Make sure to watch out for the final fuel-consumption figures in the full review.
Very well. But I bet you got looks while riding the Honda Giorno.
You know what? I did. I only rode it earlier from Parañaque to Makati and I did catch a few people—mostly fellow riders on the road—catching a second glimpse of the scooter. I’m sure it’s a mix of those who know what it is and those who are seeing it for the first time and feel it’s worthy of a second look.
So, is it worth the price tag?
P101,900 is a lot of money, but I won’t be able to tell you a definitive answer just yet. You’ll have to wait for the full review while I ride the all-new Honda Giorno+ a bit more. I’ll have to go through more traffic, ride through more punishing city roads, and just spend more saddle time overall. But one thing’s for sure: HPI has been missing a retro scooter to replace the Scoopy. Now it has one, albeit a bit more expensive, but it might just be good enough to have people willing to spend a little extra. Anyway, that review’s coming real soon. We promise.
