New and looking for a big scoot

[Bingo]

" What about the Majesty 400? "

its still a very nice scooter. an older one though. comparable to the burgman400. the inside storage is weird. it has a significatn step in space .the seat also opens in the middle. its a good bike but I think the burgman is just a bit better. the burgman sold more and has a lot of parts available for quite cheap. I think the majesty is a great bike but not too successful.

youre going to pay for that bmw badge. hard to find parts if you want to service yourself and I know some of their products cant even be serviced by the owner and only in a certified garage.

the ak is a specialized scooter. its brute force and performance. it lacks under seat space. so if you want to put some items under, you may have to get a top box. maintenance is not cheap. if you specifically want performance its a great scooter. it has a nice display.

if youre looking for a good all arounder. has enough power (compared to the 110) comfort and features, a different scooter may be better. the silverwing is very strong. as it is parallel twin. it sounds nice as well. vs the thumper b400/majesty 400. its very much like the b400/m400 in design but stronger. and youll pay for that as well.

changing the oil is simple enough to do on any maxiscooter, but there is an additional step your 110 probably doesnt have and thats an oil filter. but if you do the oil and buy/replace your oil filter, you can save a nice chunk of money. if you dont have the technical skill to wrench on your own, thats fine. some people dont feel comfortable doing their own work. I specifically dont trust any service place anymore. I know I will do a better job. ill take 3 times longer but I know simple things like coating the spark plug with anti seize or using a torque wrench on the plug wont be done at service stations.

the xciting is not a new model. the 400cc is. theyve had 250/300/500 in the past. wasnt too successful though. be aware the 400 has a stepped seat and has foot pegs. I also think the seat doesnt open with a strut but it opens in the middle and everything goes in from one directions. meaning, if you put something inside towards the back and want to get it out, everything thats in front has to come out first to get to the back. the others are open seats and you can see the whole space and take just what you need.

I definitely want a good bit of performance. As said, the Silverwing was quick enough and felt like it would sustain a good speed no bother at all and also went like a train (For a scooter) off the lights. The SH300 I tried felt no more exciting than the little vision. We will very often be two up and whilst Michelle (my wife) is a lightweight at less than 8 stone Im more than double that so its a fair chunk of weight to haul around.

Servicing ill probably get done at the independent workshop Ive used for years but I think ill discount the BMWs which were too expensive anyway. Michelle said she might be willing to try another Silverwing but getting a newer one in budget or near budget might not be that easy and to be honest If I was spending over 4k I would be more inclined to go for Roadsters AK.

So I guess the ones to try will be in my order of preference

Kymco Xciting 400
Burgman 400
Majesty 400
Kymco AK550 (not sure if I will get to try one of them so easily)

Maybe another Silverwing just to be sure.

[Bingo]

Hi Roadster.

thanks for that. I had a look. I guess I need to post a bit more then as it says in your ad £4300 to anyone with over 10 posts!

I had discounted the AK as firstly they are even rarer than the Xciting and secondly I assumed they would be out of my budget. Nice bike by all accounts though. Hmm. Interesting though. Trouble is you are on the South Coast and Im way up at the top of the North Yorkshire Dales. I had hoped to buy from a dealer preferably one not too far away but for the right bike at the right price maybe private could be an option.

Its early days at the moment. Nobody is going anywhere for a bit!

You say its had three oil changes. That seems a lot for a bike with so few miles. What are the service intervals? Does anyone know the service intervals for the Xciting also?

I tend to change the oil and filter on a calendar basis. The first was on mileage as recommended by Kymco then one in 2019 and one in 2020. It has also been in to the dealer for Kymco updates as of last August. These weren't that critical but addressed battery drain issues and ( as far as I know ) a different spacer on the back axle to improve rear belt alignment. I haven't done any recent pictures yet but there is a video showing the Mivvi Storm silencer. https://youtu.be/u_jXMf5iE1w

If you didn't want that then I will discount the price accordingly, all standard parts as new of course.

Sound like its been well looked after. That exhaust sounds great! What would you reckon the annual service costs would be at your run of the mill independent workshop roughly? I suspect ill do maybe 4000 miles a year on it.

I am interested but it would be a while yet I guess with all the restrictions etc. I would also have to consider a courier to get it up here as well as factoring coming down to see it. Pity you are not nearer.

[Bingo]

I meant to add. I will almost certainly want to add a top box if not already installed. Michelle is used to having one to lean against and some bikes dont take two helmets under the seat.

[Stibbs]

Hi there, we’ll I’m going to say this aren’t I? IMO you can’t beat the B400 if you’re on a budget. Easy to do basic service yourself, tops 65mpg, sits all day at, ahem, “motorway” speeds and with the addition of topbox plenty of storage and comfort for pillion. I’ve been down to S France twice (round trip of 2k miles each time) never missed a beat. I’ve also trailered it down and ridden round for a few weeks in temperatures of 35-40c with no problems. Once lockdown ends get a test ride on a sub 2016 model. I agree with previous posts re later models not worth the extra money, I get why Suzuki altered model but it added nothing to what is a great bike. Anyway, good luck with your hunt.

[Rocketman122]

I think a top case is very useful for trips and now with rain, you need some extra space for a rain suit etc. you can add a backrest to the case. otoh, the b400 limited/abs has a backrest and you will need to get a different plastic cover on the rear, where youll connect the plate and top box on top of that. . you can also make you own base plate with plywood. just use some coating to protect the wood from rain and swelling. I found a mint used suzuki plate for the b400 on ebay for $55 shipped.

try all of the scooters so you can rule them out. you have to take your "wants/needs" into consideration. there is no perfect. the SW is a b400 but more powerful and noticebly expensive maintenance wise. the ak/tmax is more powerful than the honda but has less storage vs the SW/B400/M400. and mainteanance, again, is very expensive. money, mostl times decides what we buy.

scooters/motorcycles are NOT investments. so I always try to buy something that gives the best bang for buck. I always opt for something "good enough" and I will do my own work on them, so I can allow myself to buy the bigger scooters. motorcycles for me are not an option as I want flexibility comfort and just enough power. I drive very calm and only buy the bigger scooters because at highway speeds I want the engine to rev as low as possible. the 100 at highway speeds is really making it work for long distances.

I, like Stibbs feel, the b400 is the best overall winner as ticking the most buttons with price/maintenance cost/reliable/parts availability/and a good database of know how on the scooter. if I was financially in a good position, id probably get 2 scooters. b400 for day to day. and the ak for weekend fun track days. but if the lady doesnt enjoy the rear seat, then it wont matter what anyone thinks.
be aware, almost all the maxi scooters (except those like teh sh300 who resemble your 110) will be wide in the back seat and stepped. yours is more thin and the pillion is just a bit higher than the driver. all the maxi scooters also have a backrest for the driver and the pillion rider will have a hard time sitting close to the driver. in fact your lady can sit with her back up against the backrest on the box and you wont even be touching one another. they are very large seats

stay safe

[Bingo]

I think a top case is very useful for trips and now with rain, you need some extra space for a rain suit etc. you can add a backrest to the case. otoh, the b400 limited/abs has a backrest and you will need to get a different plastic cover on the rear, where youll connect the plate and top box on top of that. . you can also make you own base plate with plywood. just use some coating to protect the wood from rain and swelling. I found a mint used suzuki plate for the b400 on ebay for $55 shipped.

try all of the scooters so you can rule them out. you have to take your "wants/needs" into consideration. there is no perfect. the SW is a b400 but more powerful and noticebly expensive maintenance wise. the ak/tmax is more powerful than the honda but has less storage vs the SW/B400/M400. and mainteanance, again, is very expensive. money, mostl times decides what we buy.

scooters/motorcycles are NOT investments. so I always try to buy something that gives the best bang for buck. I always opt for something "good enough" and I will do my own work on them, so I can allow myself to buy the bigger scooters. motorcycles for me are not an option as I want flexibility comfort and just enough power. I drive very calm and only buy the bigger scooters because at highway speeds I want the engine to rev as low as possible. the 100 at highway speeds is really making it work for long distances.

I, like Stibbs feel, the b400 is the best overall winner as ticking the most buttons with price/maintenance cost/reliable/parts availability/and a good database of know how on the scooter. if I was financially in a good position, id probably get 2 scooters. b400 for day to day. and the ak for weekend fun track days. but if the lady doesnt enjoy the rear seat, then it wont matter what anyone thinks.
be aware, almost all the maxi scooters (except those like teh sh300 who resemble your 110) will be wide in the back seat and stepped. yours is more thin and the pillion is just a bit higher than the driver. all the maxi scooters also have a backrest for the driver and the pillion rider will have a hard time sitting close to the driver. in fact your lady can sit with her back up against the backrest on the box and you wont even be touching one another. they are very large seats

stay safe

Thanks for that and sorry for the late reply. I dont seem to be getting notifications.

I think the Burgman is also not as powerful as the Xciting by about 5hp. Not sure about Torque. Im just concerned that it wont have enough ooomph but I wont know until I try it. Ill definitely try one though once we are out of lockdown. I suppose the appeal over the Kymco is availability, parts etc. I am more likely to get one more local also.

[Bingo]

Hi there, we’ll I’m going to say this aren’t I? IMO you can’t beat the B400 if you’re on a budget. Easy to do basic service yourself, tops 65mpg, sits all day at, ahem, “motorway” speeds and with the addition of topbox plenty of storage and comfort for pillion. I’ve been down to S France twice (round trip of 2k miles each time) never missed a beat. I’ve also trailered it down and ridden round for a few weeks in temperatures of 35-40c with no problems. Once lockdown ends get a test ride on a sub 2016 model. I agree with previous posts re later models not worth the extra money, I get why Suzuki altered model but it added nothing to what is a great bike. Anyway, good luck with your hunt.

Sounds like a good trip. I love touring round the South of France on the little Vision but it gets there on the back of the camper van!

[Bingo]

What about one of these? A bit over budget and more a motorbike than scooter but its is a Honda so should be pretty reliable. Anyone had one or experience of one? That one is not far from me either once lockdown is over.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2015-HONDA-N ... Swt81gEbUE

[Rocketman122]

as far as performance it would be great. see if the lady will be comfortable. 47hp is very little imo. the suzuki vstrom650 is 70hp. im not a suzuki fanboy. im not a fan of any brand. I buy based on value for the money. it doesnt matter the brand to me but what it gives. not the perceived value but real value.

leg room / storage is non existant. it is tallish so you will have to do the leg over routine. try and see. you have nothing to lose except a better perspective of different bikes. you may really enjoy it.

[Bingo]

as far as performance it would be great. see if the lady will be comfortable. 47hp is very little imo. the suzuki vstrom650 is 70hp. im not a suzuki fanboy. im not a fan of any brand. I buy based on value for the money. it doesnt matter the brand to me but what it gives. not the perceived value but real value.

leg room / storage is non existant. it is tallish so you will have to do the leg over routine. try and see. you have nothing to lose except a better perspective of different bikes. you may really enjoy it.

Cheers. I still really fancy the Kymco Xciting 400 or the AK. I just like the look of the Xciting. I know its a bit of a rare bike though. Just need to get out there and try some but that aint happening anytime soon. I did think about just taking a punt and ordering one online and having it delivered but SHMO just gave me the hard stare