It's a one-lung Swinger...

It's the same frame has my 400, it's taller but narrower than the Burg this is why at just under 6'3" I find it very comfortable.

I have two SYMs I bought from new, and for both I have now abandoned the daft service intervals as the accumulated cost was just not worth the warranty. In both cases the insurance offer was pointless (3rd party only) and the interest rates now are huge.

One is a 2011 GTS300, the other is the 2011/12 Joyride.
Both started drab grep metallic but at least the GTS has silver wheels and forks. I wanted the GTS125 silver but it wasn't possible, the JR200 after being knocked down in a car park (it was tarmac colour with black wheels after all) was professionally repainted in Rossi Corsa and now looks stunning.

Both are fun to ride, the GTS300 is more 'peppy' than a Burgman 400, and also doesn't suffer the classic 2007-on Burgman clutch judder, it's a very solid frame too. The JR is more bendy - perhaps because of the (very useful) flat floor, a much more scootery feel.
Both windscreens were hopeless and have been replaced by Isotta windscreens, sent over from europe as they were unobtainable here. In fact I dread to think how much money SYMUK are failing to make on parts and accessories, even my Givi racks came from Germany. Basically the rule is that if I can't buy them online (or at all) from SYMUK I won't - basic rule of supply there.

3000 km is too far for the oil and too soon for anything else, so I change the oil every 1500km, air filter + plug at 6000km and both now have reached 9000km.

For some reason service manuals are a secret and parts very difficult to obtain, so I use the previous gen service manual for the JR200 and the Citycom 300 service manual for the GTS with the same motor.

Faults:
* The GTS300 has been faultless.
* The JR200 has had (a useful list for the new version as requested earlier in the thread)

1) A grabby clutch. The speed is too high, two up in London really cooked that.
2) Corroding connectors as road spray gets thrown up the open front. (The GTS has a rubber shield).
3) noisy dashboard
4) the tank is a little small.
5) Thermometer sender failure.

It also has a blinking engine light too that no one knows what it means. The warranty here has been useless.

The JR200 take-up speed for the clutch is way too high, much higher than the GTS300 which manages at walking pace and is therefore FAR better in traffic. I am still sourcing weaker springs for the JR200 clutch to lower the engagement speed.

The SYMUK website for the new GTS300 is disappointing as it appears to have all the specs for the old model, like 263cc etc, whereas the new model is 278cc I believe. I also despair of the colours available - black or white? A simple trip to Spain will get me a silver one with ABS for the same money as the matt black UK one, so that's where I'll probably buy that one.

As for again not being at Motorcycle Live and thinking you need a £50k stand or nothing - that's just plain wrong. All you require is a Joyride 200, a new GTS300 and the new 600 in a small open stand and you'd get a lot of interest. As for dealers, I had a nice one nearby (Supamoto) but they closed/contracted, there are now two at a distance but the only one that seems to have any decent stock seems to be in Bolton, a long way away (almost as far as Spain . France has rubbish colours too BTW. From all dealers I have talked to getting parts has been a trail and Kymco is now seen as the better alternate for them to stock as their supply chain is excellent. Sad but true.

For me there are the following criteria:
1) Cheapness to run (fuel, ins, tax, servicing)
2) Tank capacity
3) Underseat storage capacity
4) Ride quality, seat comfort (The JR200 seat sucks, the GTS (once that ridiculous adjustable backrest was replaced with something a fraction of the size) rocks.
5) Features (The GTS mirrors were hopeless - I fitted bar mirrors so I could actually see behind me and put vinyl wrap over the old holes)

I liked the Piaggio X10 until I realised it was too wide and had no underseat space, such details break a sale.It does have excellent service intervals though.
The new Kymco looks good but I'm not sure it's as good. Daelim looks promising.
The new GTS has a useful power upgrade and heater vent, bigger wheels and possibly more space. But not in black and not without ABS, so a flight to Spain and a ride home look in order there if I decide to go that way. Of course that precluded trade ins - but dealerwise I don't have that option anyway

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Thanks Dezzi, as if I am not tempted enough Can't say I like it with the top box, but then I have never been a top box fan.

globs wrote
I liked the Piaggio X10 until I realised it was too wide and had no underseat space, such details break a sale.It does have excellent service intervals though. ....
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no under seat space ????
its got 52 litres under the seat and fits my xxl flip and the wifes small full face with ease ...

jamie wrote:globs wrote
I liked the Piaggio X10 until I realised it was too wide and had no underseat space, such details break a sale.It does have excellent service intervals though. ....
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
no under seat space ????
its got 52 litres under the seat and fits my xxl flip and the wifes small full face with ease ...

It all looks very shallow in the X10 luggage compartment and from underneath you can see they have made very poor use of space underneath. I didn't write it off entirely because it has good service intervals, an excellent motor and many other attributes, it just went from 'the scooter to have' to a merely interesting scooter.
I'll revisit it though - I never knew you could genuinely fit two lids in there - thanks for the tip.

Incidentally I calculated the hit of SYM 3000km shop servicing and I see it like this:

In 3000 miles I spend about £150 on fuel. My last (really the last!) service was over £150 but lets say £150 per time, which is equal to the amount I spent of fuel. Effectively my economical 80mpg machine becomes - due to service costs, the same as a 40mpg machine to run. I.e. due to service costs it does what any big bike might do at 40mph so I am saving nothing but weight and tax.

Additionally SYM programmed the engine oil light to flick on religiously every 1000km, it even says in their service book 1000km, and when I change mine every 1500 miles (This is Mobile 1 0w40 fully synthetic oil) it looks like it needs a change. Leaving semi-synth in there for 3000km can't be a good idea.
So I buy my oil in 4-5 litre containers so it's pretty cheap, and I just suck it out with a vacuum oil machine and put the new stuff in, I don't even have to disturb the sump plug thread. Same with the axle oil at the back, a 100ml syringe (£2.99 on eBay) and some 80/90 axle oil - a 2 minute job.

Hi Globs.
It's great to have another perspective on the SYM 300i engine Scoots. I'm assuming you're talking about the 300i because you mention 80mpg.

Globs wrote:Additionally SYM programmed the engine oil light to flick on religiously every 1000km, it even says in their service book 1000km, and when I change mine every 1500 miles (This is Mobile 1 0w40 fully synthetic oil) it looks like it needs a change. Leaving semi-synth in there for 3000km can't be a good idea.
So I buy my oil in 4-5 litre containers so it's pretty cheap, and I just suck it out with a vacuum oil machine and put the new stuff in, I don't even have to disturb the sump plug thread. Same with the axle oil at the back, a 100ml syringe (£2.99 on eBay) and some 80/90 axle oil - a 2 minute job.

I can't help wondering if there's been some misinterpretation here? Chinglish can have that effect!
Doesn't the GTS300i oil change warning light come on after 3,000km like the Citycom? In the GTS300i manual - which shares a lot in common with my Citycom 300i - it states:





Also worth considering - using the vacuum oil machine rather than the draining plug might help explain why it "looks like it needs a change." after 1500km?

Using a vacuum pump sucky thingy is probably why your oil is going so discoloured after so few miles, giving the impression it needs changing early. In fact, it's probably ok, even semi syn oil is probably fine at 3k even if it's really black. Colour is no indication of whether the oil is ok or not. It's just being tainted early (and probably going really black quite early) by the left over oil in the engine from not doing a full drain down by removing the sump plug. It makes a big difference if you do a full drain down by removing the sump plug with the oil warm and just let it drain and stand for 10 mins. And moving the bike from side to side before putting the plug back in gets quite a bit extra out too. That really is the only way to get virtually all the old stuff out. Don't forget that old stuff in the bottom of the engine often contains some of the nastiest stuff in it and it can harm your engine. Those pumpy sucky things are not meant to be used as a permanent solutions to do oil changes as it does let too much bad stuff build up in the engine. You'll find the new oil will stay cleaner longer by not using it. Your experience is typical of someone using the pumpy sucky thing.

UPDATE

SYM Technical Dept have extended service intervals, but has not filtered officially down through the ranks and into print as yet....

Extended service intervals apply to 250cc and above - now 6,000km

Watch this space - I have posted this indication previously - and reconfirmed this morning, please be patient and I will have official line shortly.

400cc and 600cc motors use paper filters.

Thanks
SYMUK