Ok almost time for Sue to order her new scoot, we had set our eyes on the Sym GTS Evo which she fell in love with ( dont need the 0% finance btw ) then I saw the Kymco Downtown with 299cc and 29bhp, a few ppl say the seat isnt so good in reviews, but being a bloke i see more power...good thing
I dont think Piaggio sell the X7 300 anymore, but it was about £300 cheaper
So what do ppl think, any preferences? she will be using it mainly for going to work on, she currently has a Yam Vity 125 Both the Sym and Kymco are roughly the same price @ £3900
Thanks Rik
I had a 250 Sym Voyager so can vouch for their reliability & would have another one tomorrow but can only afford to buy used at the moment.
The Kymco looks a bit sportier and yes its probably a bit faster so its a tough choice. I would try and get a test ride on both scoots and then decide.
As for the Piaggio X7 300i a dealer has a brand new one for sale on E bay (pre registered) at £2700 so I would definetly check that one out as it seems to be a real bargain
Id go with the new Bev350 too, those service intevals make up for the extra price and the quality is better than the SYM but possibly equal to the Kymco. Make sure its comfy for your wife though, I cant get comfortable on one but Im over 6 foot.
The Downtown doesn't really have a "large arse" saddle on the front, but the pillion is enough to get an elephant on.
To be honest it's probably a bit hard for a bloke, there's a bump to allow for a helmet under the seat, which is in the wrong place and not that well padded, and can a be bit uncomfortable after about 3 hours, a but a slim bird probably won't have a problem with it. I did have a bit of trouble with the leg length until the saddle dropped a bit, but I guess you could always lower the rear suspension to allow for that. I would have thought that anyone with an inside leg of 30" or less might struggle.
I think the Sym is a bit more toury, if you know what I mean - not quite so upright. I didn't consider it when I bought mine because there are no dealers locally, but I liked the style. My first choice, after the obvious Tmax and Burger was the Piaggio 400, which isn't that much more expensive and has a bit more power again, so you might want to keep that in mind.
However, I'm happy with top speed of mid nineties and seventy odd to the gallon, and it does turn heads, especially with all the lights switched on on the front, even in a crotch rocket area like mine.
Yes, dont forget the new X10 is out shortly so you might be able to get an Xevo 400 at a bargain price. Three hours in the saddle before discomort is bloody good IMO, I get a sore bum before that on my Burgman and on the Xevo before.
Oh, dont forget, the ABS and ASR on the Bev are optional... and therefore more expensive
