I'm AMAZED at the "car-like" reliability from Taiwan!
by: oldchopperguy - Feb 23, 2014 15:44:00 GMT -5
Post by oldchopperguy on Feb 23, 2014 15:44:00 GMT -5
Well guys and gals...
I've now had my Kymco for four months, through the winter, and have ridden over 1,000 miles on it. The important thing to remember here, is that the scooter is an old-style 2-valve, carbureted 2007 with 14,000 miles already on her. And those miles were mostly hard, high-speed touring miles, riding 2-up and loaded down. Hard, serious touring miles. This old 250cc Grand Vista is a WELL-used, Well-worn specimen bought at a reasonable price due to its age and condition. It is FAR from a new ride.
EVERYTHING still works perfectly, right down to the digital dash, including a clock that can be changed from 12 to 24 hours, and the speedo, again programmable from miles to kilometers. The headlight is "car-like" giving good night-time illumination. The battery stays up all the time. It just sat 3 weeks in below-freezing weather, and when I dug "Minnie Mouse" out from under the tarps, I checked the oil, water and tires, and hit the starter button. The engine was running before it could make a full revolution on the starter. The tires stay up! It will keep up with FAST traffic when the light turns green. It will keep up with 70+mph freeway traffic. And... Minnie still handles short and sweet at low speeds in parking lots, etc. Down in the engine-bay, everything looks and lasts like heavy-duty automotive parts. I see no "lightweight" cheesy parts that you HOPE will last a few months. Big, solid CDI, coil, wires, junction-blocks, hoses, double, pull-pull throttle cables, HEAVY, reinforced frame rails... It looks VERY comforting... Much like a modern Asian car or truck.
At the store, or on slow, cramped urban streets, it rides and handles VERY similar to my old Chinese 150. On fast surface streets, and on the highway, it rides and handles VERY much like a medium-to-large motorcycle... SOLID and SURE. It also gives near 90mpg fuel mileage. In short, the old Kymco is a "150" when I need a 150, and a 750 when I need a 750... This old-style "short-wheelbase" first-generation water-cooled "touring-scooter" comes the closest to being "all things for all purposes" of any bike I've ever ridden. And THIS one is an OLD, well-worn example.
I now have enough experience with it to confidently recommend the shorter-wheelbase, relatively small-size, under 400-pound 250-300cc type scooters to anyone who wants the 150 general size and weight, and a flat-floor, but in a MUCH more reliable and capable ride. (While the "short" 200 and up scooter is not common today, it IS available in various NEW Kymco, SYM, Italian models and probably other makes). For those wanting true BIG motorcycle handling, LONG, HEAVY touring scooters are available from most ALL manufacturers.
The AMAZING phenomenon I've found with my individual scooter here is that the original quality from Taiwan (even 7 model-years back) is in a whole different world from the Mainland China makers. For six years, I enjoyed my Chinese 150, but spent more time wrenching than riding. I had to go to LED lights to see at night. I had to charge the battery monthly. The tires had to be aired weekly. Bolts were stripped. Brake cylinders and calipers went bad. Spare CDI's had to be kept on-hand. Plastics cracked. The thin frame wobbled... And more... It just never ended. And, of course, it had the normal performance limitations inherent with 9-horsepower... WOT just to stay with city traffic from a light, and always 5mph short of staying with impatient traffic.
Now, I ride the aging water-cooled 250 with the same casual confidence as driving my reliable old Honda car... Cheesh! What a pleasure!
It's OLD, and I know there will be repairs needed as time goes by, but the prospect of "normal maintenance" as opposed to "what do I need to fix THIS week to keep it running?" is really nice. I've now inspected and ridden about every brand of 200 to 800cc scooter out there, and most all are great, you just need to find the type that suits you best. BUT... Especially with the new models, TAIWAN has REALLY stepped up to the plate with QUALITY, features, performance and original styling to the extent that they more than compete with the Japanese and Italian scooters.
I now truly have a renewed attitude toward Taiwanese scoots, and to "used" as opposed to new, if on a tight budget... Check them out! (Now, many also feature 4-valve, fuel-injected engines, too!) I think you'll be amazed too!
Leo (ridin' vintage Taiwan) in Texas
I've now had my Kymco for four months, through the winter, and have ridden over 1,000 miles on it. The important thing to remember here, is that the scooter is an old-style 2-valve, carbureted 2007 with 14,000 miles already on her. And those miles were mostly hard, high-speed touring miles, riding 2-up and loaded down. Hard, serious touring miles. This old 250cc Grand Vista is a WELL-used, Well-worn specimen bought at a reasonable price due to its age and condition. It is FAR from a new ride.
EVERYTHING still works perfectly, right down to the digital dash, including a clock that can be changed from 12 to 24 hours, and the speedo, again programmable from miles to kilometers. The headlight is "car-like" giving good night-time illumination. The battery stays up all the time. It just sat 3 weeks in below-freezing weather, and when I dug "Minnie Mouse" out from under the tarps, I checked the oil, water and tires, and hit the starter button. The engine was running before it could make a full revolution on the starter. The tires stay up! It will keep up with FAST traffic when the light turns green. It will keep up with 70+mph freeway traffic. And... Minnie still handles short and sweet at low speeds in parking lots, etc. Down in the engine-bay, everything looks and lasts like heavy-duty automotive parts. I see no "lightweight" cheesy parts that you HOPE will last a few months. Big, solid CDI, coil, wires, junction-blocks, hoses, double, pull-pull throttle cables, HEAVY, reinforced frame rails... It looks VERY comforting... Much like a modern Asian car or truck.
At the store, or on slow, cramped urban streets, it rides and handles VERY similar to my old Chinese 150. On fast surface streets, and on the highway, it rides and handles VERY much like a medium-to-large motorcycle... SOLID and SURE. It also gives near 90mpg fuel mileage. In short, the old Kymco is a "150" when I need a 150, and a 750 when I need a 750... This old-style "short-wheelbase" first-generation water-cooled "touring-scooter" comes the closest to being "all things for all purposes" of any bike I've ever ridden. And THIS one is an OLD, well-worn example.
I now have enough experience with it to confidently recommend the shorter-wheelbase, relatively small-size, under 400-pound 250-300cc type scooters to anyone who wants the 150 general size and weight, and a flat-floor, but in a MUCH more reliable and capable ride. (While the "short" 200 and up scooter is not common today, it IS available in various NEW Kymco, SYM, Italian models and probably other makes). For those wanting true BIG motorcycle handling, LONG, HEAVY touring scooters are available from most ALL manufacturers.
The AMAZING phenomenon I've found with my individual scooter here is that the original quality from Taiwan (even 7 model-years back) is in a whole different world from the Mainland China makers. For six years, I enjoyed my Chinese 150, but spent more time wrenching than riding. I had to go to LED lights to see at night. I had to charge the battery monthly. The tires had to be aired weekly. Bolts were stripped. Brake cylinders and calipers went bad. Spare CDI's had to be kept on-hand. Plastics cracked. The thin frame wobbled... And more... It just never ended. And, of course, it had the normal performance limitations inherent with 9-horsepower... WOT just to stay with city traffic from a light, and always 5mph short of staying with impatient traffic.
Now, I ride the aging water-cooled 250 with the same casual confidence as driving my reliable old Honda car... Cheesh! What a pleasure!
It's OLD, and I know there will be repairs needed as time goes by, but the prospect of "normal maintenance" as opposed to "what do I need to fix THIS week to keep it running?" is really nice. I've now inspected and ridden about every brand of 200 to 800cc scooter out there, and most all are great, you just need to find the type that suits you best. BUT... Especially with the new models, TAIWAN has REALLY stepped up to the plate with QUALITY, features, performance and original styling to the extent that they more than compete with the Japanese and Italian scooters.
I now truly have a renewed attitude toward Taiwanese scoots, and to "used" as opposed to new, if on a tight budget... Check them out! (Now, many also feature 4-valve, fuel-injected engines, too!) I think you'll be amazed too!
Leo (ridin' vintage Taiwan) in Texas
. I went to Honda and got Reflex seal set for less that $20.
Honda Accord... 165K miles, "rode hard and put up wet" but just perks along with nothing EVER breaking down.
