Venox 250--your opinions, please

The Venox interests me. I want to get a new bike in the next few months and I would like to hear what anybody has to say about Venox and Ego bikes.

I started out in Taiwan with a used Zing 150 (Kymco) and then went to a Yamaha FZ-150. I loved that bike and sold it to joesax about a year after I bought a Kymco Dink 150. (I only sold the FZ because I knew it would be in good hands–thanks, joesax). I still love that bike.

Now, at nearly 35,000km, one fairly big crash, and several scrapes, I want to retire the Dink to an errand-running bike and get a new bike that is an in-city and long-trip bike to eventually replace it. I am not interested in buying a 500 or 1000cc bike, for right now.

The Dink is good because you can load it up with stuff: under the seat and on the floor-board. If that’s all I want, an Ego should be the next logical step. However, I am a control-freak and miss shifting gears–especially on mountain roads. If I get a Venox, maybe I can find saddle-bags or something for it. I saw a Venox a few days ago that had a huge UFO-shaped “trunk” or “boot” that would be nice but terrible for parking.

Dinks are very good bikes. The Dink’s flaws are that the rear-view mirrors are expensive and break off easily. One time one broke off while simply riding on a rough road. The oil is 900cc and most stores only carry 800cc or 1l. Parts are expensive and sometimes impossible to buy on the weekend–when you need them the most. I had to “baby” a trip home once when my rear brake wore through to the metal.

I would like anybody’s input on this. I hope to see any Venox or Ego experience here. Also, I am not a Kymco-only guy. Kymco bikes seem to be what I want and they are within my price range.

Every review, non-Taiwan, of the Venox I have read has been very positive. Do a google on the name and see them.
I do not know if a different model is sold outside Taiwan.

Model: Kymco 250 Venox
Year: 2005
Category: Custom / cruiser

Engine and transmission
Displacement: 252.00 ccm (15.38 cubic inches)
Engine type: V2
Stroke: 4
Power: 26.82 HP (19.6 kW)) @ 10500 RPM
Torque: 19.00 Nm (1.9 kgf-m or 14.0 ft.lbs) @ 8000 RPM
Valves per cylinder: 4
Fuel control: DOHC
Cooling system: Liquid
Gearbox: 5-speed

Physical measures
Dry weight: 190.0 kg (418.9 pounds)
Overall height: 1,080 mm (42.5 inches)
Overall length: 2,325 mm (91.5 inches)
Overall width: 840 mm (33.1 inches)

Chassis and dimensions
Front tyre dimensions: 120/80-17
Rear tyre dimensions: 150/80-15
Front brakes: Single disc
Rear brakes: Expanding brake (drum brake)
Power/weight ratio: 0.1412 HP/kg…

I’ve highlighted the parts that matter… 190kg dry!!! with oil, battery, coolant and a tank of gas we’re talking well over 210kg… a 4 stroke 250cc with an optimistic 26 horses at the screaming red-line and 14ft-lb peak torque!!.. now I must admit I’ve never ridden one, but with those figures it can only be a pig… which is a good thing considering the fact you’ll be trying to drag almost 300kg of bike and rider to a stop with a single front disc and a rear drum :astonished: … plus it has bugger all clearance so mountain twisties are out of the question due to lean angle concerns, it has ocean liner type dimensions ruling it out as a commuter, leaving it’s only real role being a low speed, low power, under braked, over weight, straight line weekend cruiser… In fact it’s just like a mini “Made in Taiwan” Harley… minus the brand image…

I’m sure that pitted against it’s European / American competition in the budget mini cruiser category it’s price point in their market probably makes it come out with fairly good reviews… but unless it’s Taiwan sales price is now considerably lower than the NT$175,000 or whatever it was the last time I saw it, personally I’d avoid this thing like the plague…

From what I hear you can now pick up a box fresh Honda CR 250 for NT200K or even better a CB400 V-Tech for NT280K !

People in Taiwan love to slag it, but every review I’ve read from abroad is very complimentary. It might have something to do with the fact that it’s more expensive here, where it is made, than it is anywhere else in the world. It’s about 170k here, while it’s about 110k in the states and 111 in Europe. No doubt the price-gouging Kymko practices, taking advantage of the ignorance of the locals, turns a few people off. I’ve only ridden one around the block at slow speeds; the stores don’t let you actually ride one before you buy it, which sucks. At least I could ride the Hornet 250 at a rental place; the Hornet will put you far ahead of the scooters, but I’m not sure how much faster it is than the Venox. Quite a bit, I’d imagine.

I can tell you from first hand experience that it’s slower than an RZR… :smiling_imp:

The power to weight ratio sucks and it overpriced…Spend the extra money and get a VTEC CB400. It’s 30kg lighter and has double the horsepower…You do the math.

I think other posters are probably right that you’d get frustrated with the Venox pretty quickly.

For other “real motorbike” options, check out this thread; [Hornet or VTR 250
(plus the suggestion of a Honda CR250 above is an interesting one).

Regarding big scooters, see here;
[New maxi scooters made in Taiwan
Mungacious makes some comments on the Ego 250 there, and some more here;
[forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopic.ph … 115#361115](Yamaha Majesty

[quote=“coolingtower”](I only sold the FZ because I knew it would be in good hands–thanks, joesax).[/quote]I don’t ride your old bike so often these days, but it’s still going strong! A very smooth ride.

Thanks for the opinions and thanks for the specs, plasmatron. I have read all the good reviews, etc.

Apparently now the “standard” price is 149,000. I really don’t want to spend more for a Honda, even though I would enjoy that. I’m not really interested in horsepower, power-to-weight ratio, knee-dragging clearance or such. I really want a bike that is comfortable, manual tranny, smooth, etc. A useful bike. I don’t want an expensive gem that I have to especially worry about every time I park somewhere. I could give up shifting for an Ego and still be able to carry a lot of stuff, but I really want to get back to shifting–even if that involves getting saddle-bags to carry things.

I was looking toward Venox as a 150K or less option. As my Dink gets even more raggedy, I will look for an option.

Thanks, everyone.

The Venox, from what I’ve read, is comfortable and smooth. But I would still think it’s a bit of a thief magnet.

Did you check out Mungacious’s comments on the Ego? Also, remember that it doesn’t have a flat floorboard so you can’t use that for transporting stuff.

Have you thought about the SYM Joyride 180 (scooter)? Again, good reviews abroad, and it has a flat floorboard and a screen.

I have owned a Venox for almost two years now. Although I am selling it, having bought a CB400SF, I can’t say I have many complaints about it. First off, you simply can’t judge a bike by its specs. That’s just plain dumb.

It’s a heavy bike, but has plenty of balls, and I’m a big guy as well. It’s beautiful in the mountains. If you want to take turns at high speed and lean into them, then the Venox is not for you. But if you want more than 150cc, and don’t need a racer, it’s an excellent bike. The gear box is a bit clunky on the downshift, but is still okay. You’ll find most reviews of the Venox will touch on that. Being 249cc, you still have a ‘white plate’ and don’t have to deal with the extra bike testing and license.

I can’t say too much bad about it really. It’s a good bike. Kymco knows what they’re doing. It’s just a shame it’s overpriced.

By the way, one more thing, the 2005 Venox, the third year they’ve made it, is no cheaper than the 2004 or 2003. The list price is still $185,000. I’ve checked it out.

Joesax,
I am aware of the Ego floorboard hump. I don’t think it would be all that bad. If I were to come home from Costco with a bag full of things, I think it would shape itself to balance on both sides. Anyway, they’re building Costco in Tainan now and after it opens I won’t have to be making long Costco trips to GaoXiong.
I don’t know what Mungacious is.
(Side note: Joesax, I still have an extra clutch cable for your FZ. PM me about a possible TaiZhong trip in the next month or so.)

Mer,
Thank you very much for the information. I rode a Zing 150 for 4 or 5 years, and I’m familiar with having a clunky gearbox. The Zing was always hard to find neutral if you’re not moving, but I soon got around that by adopting the habit of getting it into neutral while rolling up to stop.

I have some questions about the Venox:

  1. Have you found a buyer for your bike yet?

  2. Does the protruding muffler cause any problems.? For example: parking, leg burns, cooked passenger legs, easy to get damaged, etc. (The pictures on kymcorider.com don’t show a protective guard on that pipe, but the bike I saw in GaoXiong a few days ago had a light grey Ego-looking guard on it. Is that standard?) It appears that it is agled-out enough not to interfere with saddle-bags. What do you think?

  3. How comfortable is the Venox for passengers? Where are the passenger footpegs in relation to the rider?

  4. I can’t find any spec list that mentions the fuel input. Is it fuel-injected, dual-carbs, ?

  5. After-market items: I would be interested in getting a tachometer, maybe dual vacuum guages, maybe a water temp. guage, and saddle-bags or panniers. It’s not likely, but I also might be interested in getting noisier mufflers, as long as they’re not too noisy, too expensive or look stupid. (Each cylinder being 125cc, I’m sure there are a lot of suitable pipes to choose from if I can find a store that has a selection.) Do you know if any of these things are available? (Don’t research this, if you don’t know off the top of your head. A tachometer is nearly a must, but the rest is just my wish-list.)

  6. Other than brake pads, chain, tires, and regular items, what things (if any) have failed in your 2 years of ownership? (e.g. broken clutch cable, etc.)

  7. Does the seat open? Is there any little space at all under there where you may put something like a bike-lock, wallet, small water botltle, can of pop, etc? Also, where is the battery, and where does the key go in?

Thanks in advance, Mer, for any help with these questions.

coolingtower,
I’ll try to answer as many of your questions as I can.

  1. I’ve had quite a few inquiries, but the bike is still for sale. Call me, 0936-822-078, if you like.

  2. No trouble with the muffler. I have a guard on it which has got some scrapes, but does the trick. It came with the bike. I have one saddlebag on it, on that side, no trouble at all.

  3. The back part of the seat for the passenger isn’t huge, but the footpegs are well situated, big enough, and safe.

  4. Sorry, don’t know. I’m not one of those ‘know everything about motorcycles’ kind of guy. Just an enthusiast.

  5. I would imagine you can put anything on the bike you want, especially a tach. A different muffler might be tough though, the Venox is set up in a pretty unique way from the bikes I’ve seen.

  6. I’ve had nothing fail, not even a clutch cable. I think Kmyco put the Venox together pretty well. If it was just a bit more reaonably price, you’d see more of them on the streets here.

  7. The battery is under the seat. The seat, by the way, is a pain in the ass to get off. You have to take off the small side panels to get under it. There’s no storage space under the seat either. There is a cool space on the one side of the bike though, where you could put stuff, but again, it’s under the side panel that you have to screw off to get to. Comes with a tool kit though. Ignition is on the left side of the bike, off the engine.

Hope that helps. Call me if you like.

[quote=“coolingtower”]I don’t know what Mungacious is…
(Side note: Joesax, I still have an extra clutch cable for your FZ. PM me about a possible TaiZhong trip in the next month or so.)[/quote]Mungacious is a Forumosa member. He owns an Ego 250 but for various reasons recommends not getting one. Here’s the link to one of his posts again;
[forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopic.ph … 115#361115](Yamaha Majesty

Let me know when you’re coming down to Taichung. I think you’ll be impressed by your old FZ.

I believe the Venox has carburettors, not fuel injection.

[quote=“joesax”][quote=“coolingtower”]I don’t know what Mungacious is…
(Side note: Joesax, I still have an extra clutch cable for your FZ. PM me about a possible TaiZhong trip in the next month or so.)[/quote]Mungacious is a Forumosa member. He owns an Ego 250 but for various reasons recommends not getting one. Here’s the link to one of his posts again;
[forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopic.ph … 115#361115](Yamaha Majesty

Let me know when you’re coming down to Taichung. I think you’ll be impressed by your old FZ.

I believe the Venox has carburettors, not fuel injection.[/quote]

kymco ego is a decent scooter. in its stock form, its average. ive modded mine out far beyond my original ‘no-more mods!’-cutoff point.

in stock form, here are the pluses and negatives
+
good acceleration(its 250ccs) for a 250 range scooter(compared to suzuki skywave 250, yamaha majesty 250, sym rv180)
small form body(easier to park)
stable at 100-130km(not useful for in-city riding, but important when heading out for longer trips)
makes its max torque at 5,500, which is just a little higher than average cruising rpm

poor top-speed(with no mods, u will hit 120kmph…eventually. skywave, majesty, even rv180 can hit 130-150 with ease. i won’t even compare it to a rzr/tzr/nsr)
small form body = small storage space(1 full-face helmet and some rain gear folded up and bagged
harder to flick in and out of traffic compared to 125-150cc scooters(however it is much easier to control in traffic compared to the long-wheelbased skywave/majesty)
poor brakes, but as you get better at riding, you can get used to them

the dink250/peoples250/ego250/bet&win250 all use the same KhE7 based engine/transmission. no matter what the mechanic tells you, the parts are ALL THE SAME(engine/transmission only) so all engine/carb/exhaust/ transmission mods are exactly the same and interchangeable.

mods i’ve done so far:
1.revalved/resprung front suspension with itallian bitubo innards and ohlins oil
2.bitubo rear shocks with heavier springs
3.free-flowing msp exhaust
4.yoshimura tmr-mjn28 carburetor & throttle
5.malossi bearing/drivetrain
6.hid light(with bixenon projector housing on the way)
7.bridgestone b02/b03 front and rear tires(same size as stock, but a whole new world of traction and confidence)
8.super-duper ugly backrest(looks like home-made shoes)

i intend to install more effective brakes/lines/discs next. ideally, safety mods should come first, however, the exhaust came up on auction online and with that, i started playing with the carburetor mix.[adding an aftermarket exhaust ‘leans’ out the air/gas mix] after a month or two fiddling with cvk needles and jets, i opted to buy a more precise air/gas mixing tool, the tmr-mjn flatside carb from yoshimura. while the original cvk30 provides ‘adequate’ acceleration, the new carb gives the scooter really explosive acceleration, when well set-up, i can carry a passenger and still ‘beat’ nearly any other modified scooter on the street, light-to-light[okay i know street racing is bad, and i will probably hurt someone or hurt myself or my pillion, but as dave chappelle said, ‘xxxxxx, sometimes ya gotta race’

anyway, if you have any questions about the EGO, please feel free to ask. over the last two years, i’ve managed to break enough parts, i mean learn enough about it to consider myself fairly proficient at its basic mechanical workings.

Thanks for the info. Mungacious.

Still, not everybody is as mechanically minded as you and you did write in a previous post;[quote=“mungacious”]my advice, don’t buy one. parts are hard to come by, dealer service is even worse. if u are mechanically inclined and have access to the proper tools, the ego is a wonderfully built scooter, just don’t expect anyone to help u maintain it. I suggest a svmax or cygnus for their huge parts catalog and # of techs who know what they’re doing with those two scoots.[/quote]

You mentioned the SYM RV180. Is that the fuel injected version of the Joyride 180? They look very similar. The Joyride 180 was rated highly by Twist and Go (UK scooter magazine).

[quote=“joesax”]Thanks for the info. Mungacious.

Still, not everybody is as mechanically minded as you and you did write in a previous post;[quote=“mungacious”]my advice, don’t buy one. parts are hard to come by, dealer service is even worse. if u are mechanically inclined and have access to the proper tools, the ego is a wonderfully built scooter, just don’t expect anyone to help u maintain it. I suggest a svmax or cygnus for their huge parts catalog and # of techs who know what they’re doing with those two scoots.[/quote]

You mentioned the SYM RV180. Is that the fuel injected version of the Joyride 180? They look very similar. The Joyride 180 was rated highly by Twist and Go (UK scooter magazine).[/quote]

i am uncertain as to which rv180 i was running with, or if it was modified at all(im a big fan of bikes which look stock but are modded to hell and back, sleepers i believe their called) but they’re damn fast…i would assume EFI, though carbs do give better ‘kick’ at 0-1/4 throttle openings.

honestly, a 60,000 NT cygnus + 60,000 NT worth of mods = a faster, more agile, more fun bike to ride than a 120,000 NT stock 250ego.

granted a stock ego 250 can hold its own against completely tricked out cygnus, however it will take quite a bit of effort & skill.

when modding any sort of scooter for performance, you are likely shortening the scooter’s effective lifespan…as people tend to change their scooters after 3-5 years in ‘consume until you’re flat broke’-taiwan…total lifespan is not really so important…imho

Mungacious,

Great post. Thank you for giving us the whole history and personal opinions.

I understand everything you said in your post, except I am not familiar with some of the part numbers. I can imagine you have a really great bike. I’m still not sure what my next bike will be. Probably a Venox or Ego, and maybe something else. With all your experience in buying parts, I imagine you would know what guages are available. I love guages.

Is it possible to buy a vacuum guage? I’d really like dual vac guages if I go the Venox route. I want to know that both carbs are working together and monitor any change in the throttle linkage. A tach could probably connect to the ignition somehow. What about a water or oil temp guage? Are these things available?

I got the vacuum guage idea after my Dad nearly ruined a Yamaha Maxim that had bad throttle linkage and it was only using one cylinder (out of 2).

Thanks, again.

[quote=“coolingtower”]Mungacious,

Great post. Thank you for giving us the whole history and personal opinions.

I understand everything you said in your post, except I am not familiar with some of the part numbers. I can imagine you have a really great bike. I’m still not sure what my next bike will be. Probably a Venox or Ego, and maybe something else. With all your experience in buying parts, I imagine you would know what guages are available. I love guages.

Is it possible to buy a vacuum guage? I’d really like dual vac guages if I go the Venox route. I want to know that both carbs are working together and monitor any change in the throttle linkage. A tach could probably connect to the ignition somehow. What about a water or oil temp guage? Are these things available?

I got the vacuum guage idea after my Dad nearly ruined a Yamaha Maxim that had bad throttle linkage and it was only using one cylinder (out of 2).

Thanks, again.[/quote]

hmm, vac guages…this would be a meter showing you the approx vaccum created in the intake manifold? sorry, i defer this question to HSIADOGAH, as i’ve never heard of such. on a single cylinder scooter(do they even make vtwins/ltwins/i4 scooters?) its pretty clear if the cylinder isn’t firing well…the bike just won’t run too smoothly or you will have no pwer…

you can probably get a gauge to measure nearly anything, depending on how much you want to spend.

the default ego 250 clock panel is a backlit blue/green lcd with analog spedo/odo. the digital portion informs you of rpm(though in 1000 rpm increments, so you don’t know if you’re at 1,100 or 1,900), fuel level, battery level/charging, water temp(its a water cooled engine), approximate ambient temp(though the sensor sits above the bikes radiator like the DINK) and a nice time/date&month/second clock

if you like analog gauges, i suggest buying the ego150 clock panel and installing it in place of your digital clock panel(and then sell me your 250 lcd clock panel, my backlight died at 20,000kms) the only measurement you lose is battery meter.

i would suggest against installing a whole series of aftermarket guages on a bike you will be parking on the street. doing so pretty much invites all sorts of unwanted attention from bike thieves of all backgrounds(bumbling students to professionals)…anyone who is willing to cut their fairings to install a meter of some sort must either have some cool stuff installed, or really babies their bike.

-chris

What’s your thinking regarding parking in Taiwan? I have never before washed any motorcycle I have owned. What if I got a white Ego or a black Venox and never washed the thing? Do you think that makes it safer, or are theives smarter than that?

What are your thoughts on this?

[quote=“coolingtower”]What’s your thinking regarding parking in Taiwan? I have never before washed any motorcycle I have owned. What if I got a white Ego or a black Venox and never washed the thing? Do you think that makes it safer, or are theives smarter than that?

What are your thoughts on this?[/quote]

by buying either venox or ego, you are buying into a very very very small pool of such bikes in taiwan. i never lock my scooter anymore. theres just too few of them sold each year locally for it to be worthy of stealing without catching too much attention.(assuming thief is looking for a quick joyride)…much easier to steal a dink/majesty/rv…if i see a fellow ego rider on the street i give’em a wave…

theres also a good chance they’re part of the the yahoo online community group tw.club.yahoo.com/clubs/The-EGO-race

venox riders on the street are like unicorns…u may never see one in this lifetime…

professional theives are looking for something that they can quickly part out and deliver to waiting customers…joy riders are looking for something they can ride around for an hour-1 to 2 days max…both bikes are too high profile to ride in the pack of ordinary scooters discreetly, esp during peak rush hour with cops directing traffic at every major intersection. think how many cygnii/sv-max/gmax/dinks you see everyday on the road…much easier targets