I have a 150cc scooter and am thinking about changing to a 250cc. Is the difference in performance all that great/noticeable? How about the tax/insurance - is it much more expensive?
They’re massively overpriced at the moment. I think Maoman’s got a 250 scooter though, a Grand Plonk or Massive Dink or something like that.
Maoman had a Yamaha Majesty 250 but sold it. That bike goes for around 180,000NT new. The Kymco Ego 250 is currently around 140,000 I think. The Kymco Grand Dink 250 (oooeerr) is 110,000.
I don’t think tax and insurance are significantly more. They only start to get really pricey when you go above 250cc.
Performance is significantly better;
[quote=“mungacious”]I’ve got a kymco ego 250 unmodified except bridgestone tires and a sparkly 6K HID…its alright…nothing beats me across any intersection, except the big yellow plate bikes. 135cc RZR two strokes will outrun my scooter around 90km+. kymco ego tops out at around 135kmph(tested in a straightline tunnel with no traffic. Carrying a passenger, I can still beat most single riders in a straightline, even the modified 125/150 scooters…[/quote]The Grand Dink’s engine produces either the same or slightly more power. The Majesty produces more again.
250s are overpriced at the moment, but if you have the cash and a scooter’s what you want to spend your money on, then go for it. I think prices may start to fall over the next year or two, though, so might be worth waiting for a while.
I don’t expect that gasoline prices will get any lower in a year or two. And who knows, maybe they’ll even start rationing it if the present trend continues. So I’d consider gas mileage, if I were you.
A well-maintained, modern 250 engine will probably be more fuel-efficient than most of the current 150s, and quite likely less polluting. (That’s comparing like with like of course; 4-stroke with 4-stroke).
I think gas prices are very low in Taiwan. I don’t know how they compare to the USA though.
Petrol might as well be free here, it’s so cheap. It’s good fun watching the Americans squirm as the price of gasoline approaches UK 1962 prices in the US ! Come on Robert, when did you last think about the cost of motion lotion for a scooter !?? (“Rationing”!? Tee Hee !)
[quote=“joesax”]
I think gas prices are very low in Taiwan. I don’t know how they compare to the USA though.[/quote]
Gas is running about $1.90/gal for low grade unleaded, $2.10/gal for premium here in Idaho. In Washington, it’s about 10 to 15 cents cheaper at each grade level. What’s go juice going for over there?
NP: Men’s 200m breast stroke semifinal, '04 Olympics
I don’t expect that gasoline prices will get any lower in a year or two. And who knows, maybe they’ll even start rationing it if the present trend continues. So I’d consider gas mileage, if I were you.[/quote]
My 250cc kymco ego scooter makes from 19-28 kilometer per liter of gas…thats not very efficient at all…it could be from all the rush hour trafiic i ride in (ride to work everyday, tienmou to the warner village area/taipei 101)…a lot of stop/go(W.O.T. if i can maneuver to a pocket of air[usually the inner most lane])
250s are way too expensive…ego is still around 125,000NTD…grand dink was originally 140,000, now its 98 or 110…(think how pissed off 1st year buyers were when they dropped prices by nearly 30K)…shows u how much of a profit they make off 250s…and these are 100% locally made scooters…
buy a 250 if u:
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ride a lot of mountain roads…nice to have a little extra kick when u catch up to that 5-in-a-line caravan of tour buses/gravel trucks
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want to be able to park your bike ANYWHERE…big yellow plate bikes(250cc+) catch way too much attention to be daily rides…i can park my scooter without worrying
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want to pay lower taxes and registration fees…it was like 3000NT to register the bike for this year…thats not much at all
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want something a little different from everyone else…not many 250s around really…they share the same white plates as the 125/150s…
it is possible to modify a 125/150 Majesty until it performs nearly as well as my 250 scooter, but i would imagine such upgrades must cost an additional 70K(not including original price of bike) to replicate what mine can do in stock form…
ideal 250 in taiwan would be majesty 250 - its big, stable, not as big as the suzuki skywave 250(better in traffic maneuverability), has a tremendous aftermarket parts catelogue due to the bikes popularity back in japan, very fast for city streets here, and its pretty stealth as it kind of blends into the rest of traffic…just looks like a big boxy scooter…
-chris