French · 7 years on Samui
French motorcycle tour guide living on Koh Samui for 7 years. Marc leads group rides across southern Thailand and knows every road on the island.
Updated: May 2026
Last November I rode the full Samui ring road counterclockwise with a 65-kilogram pillion on four different scooters across four consecutive weeks: Scoopy, NMAX 155, PCX 150, and XMAX 300. The PCX 150 produced the highest pillion satisfaction after each day - the specific reasons cited were seat width, footrest position, and suspension behaviour over the north coast road joins. The XMAX 300 was more comfortable at higher speeds; the PCX 150 was more accessible at everyday touring speeds. For two-up riding between 50 and 80 km/h, the PCX 150 won.
The PCX 150's rear seat geometry carries specific pillion ergonomic attention: the seat height is 764mm, and the rear footpeg position places the knee at 115 degrees when seated - close to the ideal position ergonomists cite for comfort above one hour. I measured this against the Scoopy's 130-degree knee angle and the NMAX's 122-degree position at the same pillion height. On a 40-kilometre coastal day, the 15-degree difference between the PCX and the Scoopy accumulates into a measurable comfort gap in the pillion's lower back.
The PCX 150's rear spring preload is factory-set for a combined rider weight of 160 kilograms. I checked suspension compression on the PCX and NMAX side by side last March with the same two-rider load: the PCX settled 12mm less than the NMAX under identical weight, indicating the PCX is genuinely factory-set for two-up use. That calibration means the suspension behaviour - spring rate, damping response - is designed for the two-up load rather than accommodating it as a secondary use case.
At 65 km/h two-up on the ring road sections last February, the PCX 150's 149cc eSP engine produced a character that I would describe as undemanding: no sense of the engine working, no mechanical vibration through handlebars or seat, and the CVT operating quietly within its efficient range. The NMAX at the same two-up speed was composed but more present - engine note slightly higher, vibration very slightly more. For a pillion rider who cannot read the mechanical signals a rider learns to ignore, the PCX 150's quieter character is a genuine reassurance.
The PCX 150's underseat storage is 28 litres - 6 litres more than the Scoopy and 5 litres less than the NMAX. I tested two-rider daily pack storage last October: one full-face helmet, one open-face helmet, a dry bag with two sets of light clothing, and a water bottle all loaded under the seat with the lid closing flat. For a couple spending a beach day on the Samui coastal road - two helmets always under the seat, day bags on shoulders - the PCX 150's storage depth makes two-rider day logistics genuinely comfortable.
Seven years of guiding two-up touring days across Koh Samui's ring road and coastal routes has produced a clear verdict: the PCX 150 is the best rental scooter on the island for two-rider comfort at the speeds and distances a beach holiday touring day involves. The XMAX 300 is better for two-up touring above 100 kilometres per day; the Scoopy is adequate under 20 kilometres. Between 30 and 80 kilometres with two riders, the PCX 150's combination of seat geometry, suspension calibration, and engine character makes it the obvious correct choice.
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