Riding the Big Ruckus makes you loose your mind; you see the numbers say this bike should be just OK. It makes 19 horsepower from its 250cc engine; the brakes are not astounding considering the big front disc. The suspension is a bit off, it can be induced to bottom out quite easily yet still manage to send every bump from the road through the well-sorted chassis. There is virtually no storage space. She is wide and a bit awkward for traffic slicing duties. Although you can get a bit more control if you lever yourself off the backrest and sit forward in the seat. In fact, regarding what I normally consider important categories for a good scooter the Honda Big Ruckus (called a PS250 in Japan) falls down quite hard. But… and this is a big BUT… I absolutely love this bike. For all its foibles I cannot help but grin when I get on it, hell I grin just looking at the ugly brute.

Honda’s Big Ruckus has the most comfortable seating layout imaginable without resorting to a La Z Boy. The set up includes a very comfortable seat with a padded backrest. The backrest drops to become a pillion seat when riding two-up, which is effortless and comfortable for everyone involved. Your feet rest on forward mounted plates similar to those on most cruiser style motorcycles. The aforementioned seat also slides to allow simple adjustment. Unlike most Honda’s we have tested the Ruckus has a factory installed side stand to compliment a well-balanced centre stand. You pretty much just slide into the Ruckus 250 as you would your favourite armchair, put your feet up and ride. The engine although not especially potent, provides a reasonable range of momentum through the rev range and has plenty of acceleration to pass most cars at city speeds and will comfortably cruise on the highway. One note about highway driving however… this is a very naked bike, which means plenty of punishing wind, especially at highway speeds.