A looong time ago, when Symco was still called Sanyang I owned a Sanyang Yelang 125. I loved that bike.
Today I ride a scooter and although it is convenient, I want something else. I really quite like the “farmer bikes”, how do these two compare?:
kymco.com.tw/products/models … rcules.asp
yamaha-motor.com.tw/motor/motor_SR.htm
I used to have a SR 150. It was quiet, reliable, and had great gas mileage (more than 400km per tank). Although it had a good amount of torque it was quite slow and a little boring.
Am starting to see lots more of the Kymcos on the road in KH (construction workers).
What is the price difference?
I have no idea about the price as yet.
As for being boring and slow, that sounds like an exact description of myself, so that doesn’t bother me at all. I am not going on the tracks, can’t get on the highway with a 150 anyway and the rest of Taiwan’s roads is not suitable for fast anyway.
I’m also a fan of the “farmer bikes.” I have a few comments that might be of use…
First off, if gas mileage is a big concern, consider getting a 125cc (if someone still sells them - I know that Kymco recently went to all 150cc despite what their web site says).
Resist the temptation to buy a “sports bike.” I did, and now regret it. I bought a SYM 150cc RII:
sym.com.tw/chi/showroom/inde … info&id=42
Looks real cool, but the low-slung handlebars are giving me a backache. It’s serious enough that I may trade in this bike (which is less than six months old!) for a farmer’s bike. The high handlebars are easier on the back, from my experience. I tried to see if I could get someone to remove the sports handlebars and install standard ones, but was told that it’s mechanically complicated and would involve changing too many parts (the forks included), and so the cost would be more than selling the old bike and buying a new one.
My new 150cc bike gets 90 mpg. My old 125cc farmer’s bike got 130 mpg. I am amazed that the small difference in engine size is eating so much gas, as there is little difference in performance. Or maybe it’s the newfangled pollution control that’s eating gas. Both bikes have carburetors, so I can’t blame it on fuel injection.
Farmer’s bikes attract less attention than sports bikes. That means less fear of theft. Anyone who wants to steal a bike wants something “cool.”
As for Yamaha - funny, but when I visited a Yamaha dealer last year, he said that they no longer sell this type of bike in Taiwan. They sell only scooters.
You do need to visit a few dealerships. Ask for their catalog. Tell them what type of bike you want, and ask about the price.
best regards,
DB
[quote=“Dog’s_Breakfast”]I’m also a fan of the “farmer bikes.” I have a few comments that might be of use…
First off, if gas mileage is a big concern, consider getting a 125cc (if someone still sells them - I know that Kymco recently went to all 150cc despite what their web site says).
Resist the temptation to buy a “sports bike.” I did, and now regret it. I bought a SYM 150cc RII:
sym.com.tw/chi/showroom/inde … info&id=42
Looks real cool, but the low-slung handlebars are giving me a backache. It’s serious enough that I may trade in this bike (which is less than six months old!) for a farmer’s bike. The high handlebars are easier on the back, from my experience. I tried to see if I could get someone to remove the sports handlebars and install standard ones, but was told that it’s mechanically complicated and would involve changing too many parts (the forks included), and so the cost would be more than selling the old bike and buying a new one.
My new 150cc bike gets 90 mpg. My old 125cc farmer’s bike got 130 mpg. I am amazed that the small difference in engine size is eating so much gas, as there is little difference in performance. Or maybe it’s the newfangled pollution control that’s eating gas. Both bikes have carburetors, so I can’t blame it on fuel injection.
Farmer’s bikes attract less attention than sports bikes. That means less fear of theft. Anyone who wants to steal a bike wants something “cool.”
As for Yamaha - funny, but when I visited a Yamaha dealer last year, he said that they no longer sell this type of bike in Taiwan. They sell only scooters.
You do need to visit a few dealerships. Ask for their catalog. Tell them what type of bike you want, and ask about the price.
best regards,
DB[/quote]
That’s annoying. Perhaps the move to EFI killed it too. I remember the Yamaha showroom here in Tainan had a new SR 150 in the window a FEW MONTHS AGO but that might have been the end of the line. It used to be the cheapest motorcycle you could buy new.
I haven’t seen an EFI model of the yamaha but a couple of shops still have some left over 08 models if you look hard enough.
Those bikes are pretty tough, you could consider getting a used one. I bought a 15 year old one and it still ran well.
Why don’t you get another SYM farmer bike? They still make the 125s with the high handlebars and drum brakes.
Thanks for the replies so far.
Wouldn’t mind buying a second hand one, would even prefer it, cheaper :-/
The Sym 125 ones, well, yes, I also sort of consider that. I even consider the 100cc 國民車-type bikes （美力 or 金旺）. I was just trying to get some feedback on the 150cc bikes first.
[quote=“rice_t”]Thanks for the replies so far.
Wouldn’t mind buying a second hand one, would even prefer it, cheaper :-/
The Sym 125 ones, well, yes, I also sort of consider that. I even consider the 100cc 國民車-type bikes （美力 or 金旺）. I was just trying to get some feedback on the 150cc bikes first.[/quote]
國民車 those new ones look cute. 
[quote=“nazmikarakoc”][quote=“rice_t”]Thanks for the replies so far.
Wouldn’t mind buying a second hand one, would even prefer it, cheaper :-/
The Sym 125 ones, well, yes, I also sort of consider that. I even consider the 100cc 國民車-type bikes （美力 or 金旺）. I was just trying to get some feedback on the 150cc bikes first.[/quote]
國民車 those new ones look cute. [/quote]
Yep, unfortunately they do.
Hey,
Don’t know what you’re into, but if you pick up a used SR150, you can drop in a 250cc head and crank from Japan (I know a place where they can set you up with the whole kit). The guy might suggest that you change the whole transmission too, but if you want to go cheap and super torquey, leave in the 150 gearing. You can get front and rear sprockets custom made for under a grand a pop and they should last 7,000km± (plenty of little industrial revolution shops north of taipei main will do this to order, or go through the shop at a premium). Cheaper in the long run, and if you thrash your bike, your gears will shed teeth and you’ll be able to choose when you replace your transmission:)
Of course, then you still have issues with a shitty swingarm and suspension.
If you go for a Kymco with the KTR engine (KTR, Quanon) then I don’t know about upgrades, but the Zing and Hipster, you can drop in the Hartford 200cc head and crank, with the same gearing/sprocket conundrum mentioned above. But they’re fecking HEAVY.
Or you could just buy something and enjoy it for what it is…but where’s the fun in that?
Q
Kymco Zing owner here. Thing is a beast, in both the good and bad sense.
Mine is a 96 or 97 and runs like a champ. I’ve driven it on pretty much every major highway in Taiwan north of Tainan County and never had a problem. I beat the hell out of the poor thing. Rev, Rev, Rev. Great gas mileage but not the best handling or performance in the world. Again, its a beast. One thing your cant really argue is that Kymco’s are reliable and well built. They are even getting a good reputation outside of Taiwan now.
I’ve heard the SR-150 Yammy is good too but the Kymco Zing or Hipster as its now called definitely has more style points with its cruiser style.
I would upgrade to the Venox 250 in a heartbeat if it wasnt so overpriced (60,000NT more here than in the US. WHY!!!???)
As it is I’ll probably run my Zing into the ground and then decide what to do (I dont know if I will ever go through the headache and financial rape involved with buying a REAL bike here)
overseas model Yamaha SR 500:
overseas model Yamaha SR 250 (2005 model):
overseas model Yamaha SR125 (1998 model, UK)
vs. Taiwan Yamaha SR 150
what a dog.
[quote=“PaddyB”]Kymco Zing owner here. Thing is a beast, in both the good and bad sense.
Mine is a 96 or 97 and runs like a champ. I’ve driven it on pretty much every major highway in Taiwan north of Tainan County and never had a problem. I beat the hell out of the poor thing. Rev, Rev, Rev. Great gas mileage but not the best handling or performance in the world. Again, its a beast. One thing your cant really argue is that Kymco’s are reliable and well built. They are even getting a good reputation outside of Taiwan now.
I’ve heard the SR-150 Yammy is good too but the Kymco Zing or Hipster as its now called definitely has more style points with its cruiser style.
I would upgrade to the Venox 250 in a heartbeat if it wasn’t so overpriced (60,000NT more here than in the US. WHY!!!???)
As it is I’ll probably run my Zing into the ground and then decide what to do (I don’t know if I will ever go through the headache and financial rape involved with buying a REAL bike here)[/quote]
Kymco Zing owner here too.
While I have a grudging affection for it, and respect for the basic reliability of the engine (as opposed to the CheapChromeRus of the rest of it) I have to say it is a very stupid vehicle indeed. Perhaps only the 125cc version you get in the UK is stupider.
Though I have only test ridden a Yamaha SR 150 very briefly, I am confident it is a vastly superior machine. Edit:except for the cyclic gearbox, which I dont like. but imagine one could get used to.
Some teenage girls are, however, impressed by the “cruiser style” and I can imagine circumstances where that might be important.
The above criticism of the Zing shouldn’t be applied to the Kymco Grand King, of course, which isn’t a cruiser. I’d think the GK and the SR150 would be quite evenly matched, though the Yamaha gives an impression of better quality.
Spanner time might change that impression, though. If the SR150 makes as much use of “cross-head/impossible to tell if you’ve got the right screwdriver bit/inevitably chewed” screws as my Yamaha RZR does, then I’d probably choose the GK, since these (which I have to add to my list of fuckwitted motorcycle design features) seem to be mercifully rare on the Zing, and I guess on the GK. If the GK has a non-cyclic gearbox (which I think it does) that would probably clinch it.
These things may of course not be important to the OP.
This is the Yamaha Vixion 150 as offered in Indonesia. Just looking at this bike vs. the SR150, it’s hard to understand why supposedly on-the-bleeding-edge-of-technology Taiwan has a 3rd rate hand-me-down vehicle and Indo has this liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, monoshock, deltabox-framed thing. Doesn’t make sense. How come supposedly poor Indonesians can afford these, and supposedly wealthy Taiwanese have to make do with crap like the SR150?
Honda Indonesia have a similarly cool looking device but I can’t remember what it’s called. Suzuki are not far behind either.
Is the Taiwan market just so stuck in the scooter rut it’s not interested in these bikes? 
Kick start? Lever behind the L. footpeg.
No. Heel and toe gearshift. IIRC it has no kickstart, just electric. I didn’t spend a lot of time staring at it.
[quote=“redwagon”]This is the Yamaha Vixion 150 as offered in Indonesia. Just looking at this bike vs. the SR150, it’s hard to understand why supposedly on-the-bleeding-edge-of-technology Taiwan has a 3rd rate hand-me-down vehicle and Indo has this liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, monoshock, deltabox-framed thing. Doesn’t make sense. How come supposedly poor Indonesians can afford these, and supposedly wealthy Taiwanese have to make do with crap like the SR150?
Honda Indonesia have a similarly cool looking device but I can’t remember what it’s called. Suzuki are not far behind either.
Is the Taiwan market just so stuck in the scooter rut it’s not interested in these bikes? [/quote]
Hardly tragic if true
No kickstart: A BAD THING, because, er…you might want to kick start it
Fuel Injection: A BAD THING. If you don’t agree fair enough, but in support of my opinion I can quote a poster called REDWAGON who seems to be pretty knowledgable about this kind of thing.
Exposed Chain: A BAD THING. If you don’t agree fair enough, but in support of my opinion I can quote a poster called REDWAGON who seems to be pretty knowledgable about this kind of thing.
No luggage rack, and it looks like it’d be difficult to fit one: A BAD THING because, er…you might want to carry some luggage.
No crash bars, and it looks like it’d be difficult to fit them (no front frame): A BAD THING because, er…you might want to crash.
Water cooling. A good thing if you’re pushing it, otherwise A BAD THING because its extra complication/failure modes.
The OP was asking about “farmers bikes” which are an endangered species (The SR150 is apparently now extinct). There is no shortage of “real biker” sportsbikes/sportsbike wannabees. Outside of Taiwan they are pretty much all you can buy, but “farmer bikes” are more robust and useful as everyday transport. Scooters are probably more useful still.
Could Taiwan actually be doing something RATIONAL for once??? -
AERGH!!! Does not compute!! My mind is going!! I can feel …Daisy Daisy give me your answer do, I’m half craz eee all forrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…
True, I think fuel injection is pointless on smallbore bikes… but convince the govt. about that.
True, kickstart only can be a reliability issue. I’m not sure it has one or not… not much time for gawping at it.
Enclosed chainguard. Yup. But try selling something that stodgy-looking to the average biker. Not a chance.
Liquid-cooling. It’s not just for a hard-driven motor. Modern EFi engines run so damn lean they run very hot. Tighter control of temperature means higher temps can be run which is better efficiency. Tighter piston/cylinder fits are possible which have benefits in oil control, emissions, power output etc.
I wish there was room in Taiwan’s market for both sporty and purely utilitarian models. Sadly, you seem to stuck with either a tarted-up scooter or a farm bike. Not much in between. Kymco’s Quannon is a sad mishmash of NSR parts (nearly 20 years old) and the latest version of the CB125 engine first sold in 1969. Pathetic.
It’s a shame they stopped making the NSR, RZX/R and FZ/R150 and then left a gap in the market. But, I bet the marketing guys are right and there is very little market for these bikes. Kymco and Yamaha Taiwan have no chance of exporting small-bore sportbikes as they cannot compete with even the Japanese on price. Noone wants to spend the money to get the smaller bikes approved for import because the volume isn’t there. People will spend a little more and get a 250 if they want a big-wheel bike. Lose/lose situation.
My guess is that the farm bike choices are soon going to dry up also. Yamaha didn’t do so well with the old SR150, and I think that’s largely because it was more expensive than the competition. I don’t think they are going to be in a hurry to replace it with an even more expensive injected model that will probably also sell poorly. Kymco and Sanyang will never invest much money into this sector as they rule it by price. They will likely continue making the same obsolete bikes that get steadily more complex, heavier, slower, harder to maintain and more expensive until the market either disappears altogether or the government finally raises emissions standards to the point where the old aircooled CB125 design can no longer pass. At some point, no amount of fuel injection, EGR, air pumps or catalytic converters will help and the farm bike will die out.
CPI essentially went from a 50cc m/c to a 250cc m/c, when they could have launched a 150cc. Why?
My guess is that the MSRP of a 150cc moto would be very close to that of a 250cc moto, say NT 95K vs NT109K, and CPI decided that there would be much greater volume for a 250cc moto.
Personally, I am a big fan of EFI, since I like to ride in the mountains. If you only ride in the city, carburetors are fine, but if you’re routinely going between sea level and 2000 mtrs, EFI is incomparably better, having patiently waited for an SR150 to pant its way through the mountain passes. Hopefully, CPI will get the EFI right on the 2010 model.