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 March on a warm morning with clear sky above Mae Nam, I turned the Filano south toward the road that climbs above Chaweng Lake toward the temple. The first 800 metres rise steadily; the Filano handled them without drama at 55 km/h. At the steeper middle section, where the road pitches above 8 per cent, I felt the engine working - 45 km/h, throttle at full travel, revving higher than I would like for sustained climbing. The Filano manages Samui's moderate hills, but it is working harder than it looks.
Chaweng Lake overlook road on a Sunday morning in November is where I run benchmark tests on any new scooter. The climb from the lower junction to the viewpoint takes 2.8 kilometres and gains approximately 90 metres. I rode it on the Filano last March and compared it against the Scoopy. The Filano was 40 seconds slower - both at full throttle - because the 125cc engine's peak power arrives higher in the rev range and the road requires sustained effort through a gear the automatic cannot drop to on demand.
Riding a 125cc automatic on a steady gradient produces a specific sensation that experienced riders know and beginners sometimes mistake for a mechanical fault: the engine at full throttle but the speed still dropping. The Filano's CVT transmission keeps the engine at its optimal rev range for gradient climbing and the bike does not stall, but it does slow. On Samui's standard ring road gradients - the gentle rises near Bangrak and the Lamai viewpoint approach - this is entirely irrelevant. The limitation only becomes visible above 6 per cent sustained grade.
Downhill on the Filano is a different experience from the climb. The linked braking system distributes load across both wheels naturally, so riders do not need to manually balance front and rear brake input on steep descents. I rode the viewpoint descent above Chaweng Lake last October after rain, braking earlier than on dry roads and applying steady rear pedal pressure. The bike tracked straight throughout, no understeer, no lock. The Filano's engine also provides light engine braking on throttle release - less than a 150cc, but present and useful.
Last February I watched two riders on a Filano attempt the steep access track to the Khao Hua Jook viewpoint above Nathon. They made it two-thirds of the way up before the engine's sustained effort became audible from 30 metres away. They stopped, turned around, and came back down safely. The track gradient there peaks above 12 per cent on the final approach - beyond the Filano's comfortable envelope when carrying two riders. Alone, a fit rider reaches the top. Two-up is the scenario where you will want a bigger bike.
Seven years of riding every gradient Koh Samui offers has sharpened my view on the Filano's hill performance: it is adequate for the roads most tourists encounter and inadequate for the roads most tourists should not attempt without experience. The ring road's rolling hills, the beach-access tracks, the lane above Bo Phut - the Filano handles all of these without a rider needing to manage the throttle. Beyond that radius, into the mountain roads above Nathon or the Chaweng highland tracks, the NMAX 155 is the honest recommendation.
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