Kymco 180 Racing King

Life Cars & Motorcycles
1

Hi everyone, i am looking for some advice/information on the Kymco 180 racing king. I have spent hours researching all the websites and am still confused as to exactly what you get. From what I can tell there is a

Standard Racing King
ABS Racing King
ABS + camera Racing King

And then also, in foreign countries at least there appears to be a new 2016 Racing King called the Racing King 180i which says it has a liquid cooled engine (but no camera). Although I cannot find any information about this model in Taiwan. Is it just being sold under a different name?

I would like to buy the whole package, ABS + camera + liquid cooled. Is there such a model? If not, how much better is the liquid cooled one? Or are they all liquid cooled now?

I am looking to buy brand new and Im wondering which is the best model to buy. Will use it for many years so Im not really bothered about the price difference.

Also, is it possible to get the two year plan without a permanent ARC? (i have a normal ARC) Would I need a Taiwanese citizens name down for security issues? And, do you recommend buying online or going to a dealer or ordering directly from kymco?

Thanks

2

[quote=“JPGGGGG12”]Hi everyone, I am looking for some advice/information on the Kymco 180 racing king. I have spent hours researching all the websites and am still confused as to exactly what you get. From what I can tell there is a

Standard Racing King
ABS Racing King
ABS + camera Racing King

And then also, in foreign countries at least there appears to be a new 2016 Racing King called the Racing King 180i which says it has a liquid cooled engine (but no camera). Although I cannot find any information about this model in Taiwan. Is it just being sold under a different name?

I would like to buy the whole package, ABS + camera + liquid cooled. Is there such a model? If not, how much better is the liquid cooled one? Or are they all liquid cooled now?

I am looking to buy brand new and Im wondering which is the best model to buy. Will use it for many years so Im not really bothered about the price difference.

Also, is it possible to get the two year plan without a permanent ARC? (I have a normal ARC) Would I need a Taiwanese citizens name down for security issues? And, do you recommend buying online or going to a dealer or ordering directly from kymco?

Thanks[/quote]

I am pretty sure all the Kymco racing kinds are liquid cooled. So then yes the ABS + camera Racing King should be liquid cooled. So don’t think there is going to be any difference in engine performance between the different models. Just depends if you want ABS and or a camera. ABS is great for rain. I’m surprised that now many other scooter manufacturers don’t have an ABS option.

You won’t be able to finance a scooter with only an ARC by yourself. You will 100% need a Taiwanese to sign for security issues. There is still a chance the banks won’t give you a loan with a Taiwanese co signer.

I would go directly to a dealer to buy one if you are going to buy new. They will also be able to answer your questions.

3

Ok great thanks for the information. So if there is still a chance the banks wont give me a loan with a Taiwanese co-signer, could we just pretend my GF is buying the bike and shes the sole signer? And she will just be able to get the loan no problem and then ill pay for it and register the bike under my name anyway? – is this possible?

In fact, does the bike even need to be in my name? We are living together and there wont be any issues with trust regarding fines/tickets and what not

4

[quote=“JPGGGGG12”]Ok great thanks for the information. So if there is still a chance the banks wont give me a loan with a Taiwanese co-signer, could we just pretend my GF is buying the bike and shes the sole signer? And she will just be able to get the loan no problem and then ill pay for it and register the bike under my name anyway? – is this possible?

In fact, does the bike even need to be in my name? We are living together and there wont be any issues with trust regarding fines/tickets and what not[/quote]

Yeah, the bike doesn’t need to be in your name to ride it. If your gf wants to be responsible for this then that is between you both. After the scooter has been payed for, I would immediately go to the DMV and get the scooter put in your name.

Also, when you finance a scooter here they send you payment slips. The interest is already worked out with the entire deal. Usually they will make a few blue bills off of you if you do a year payment plan. Once you get the payment slips you can pay then every month at 7-11. You can also pay for as many payments slips as you want. I financed a new 2016 Yamaha Cygnus (I have an APRC and it will still tough to find a bank to give me a loan, but eventually I prevailed). I payed off the scooter in 6 months. Didn’t want to wait. :slight_smile:

5

Just so you know, the “i” in the foreign model just refers to the fact that the scooter is fuel injected. All new scooters sold in Taiwan have to be fuel injected, it’s been like
that for a few years. As to all the makes of the Racing King being liquid cooled, that only applies to the 180 model, the 125 and 150 are not liquid cooled. Also, if you buy
the 180 without the ABS, you can not later decide to buy the factory ABS system for the Racing King and have it installed. Besides, I don’t think you’d want to try. I remember
the ABS system costs a lot, like over 25,000NT if you were going to buy the parts. If you see the difference between non ABS and with ABS is less than 20,000NT, I’d say
it’s worth getting the ABS. Also, it’s the same with the camera, you can’t later have the factory camera installed, the electrical wiring won’t support it. I know this for a fact,
as I’ve had this conversation with someone who works for Kymco warranty repair. Last time I saw the camera model on the 150 was only 4,000NT more. I can’t say much
about the quality of the camera, but I do know that you can connect your android phone to it, as Kymco makes an app for that. Now, can you get the app in English, I don’t
think so, but maybe you can…

6

Thanks guys, so i went to a bunch of shops today and asked some questions at a kymco shop too. Interestingly enough the lack of information about RCK 180 ABS, or RCK 180 ABS + camera is the fact they dont produce them anymore, they just simply stopped making them and the only RCK 180 available from kymco today is the standard model. Nowhere wanted to talk to me about the RCK 180 ABS and they were all offering me 150 ABS + camera instead. Supposedly due to a lack of demand for the 180. I guess nobody sees the need for 180 they are either happy with 150 or buying significantly bigger bikes. So it appears if you are looking for an RCK 180 ABS nowdays you cant get them from kymco themselves so you’re probably getting a 2nd hand or one from an outlet.

I did come across a 2015 RCK 180 ABS (no camera) at a store 2nd hand, only 5000km on the clock and the guy is offering me it for 85k. Seems tip top condition and the fact you cant get them new anymore i doubt im going to find a better deal so might end up taking it. I understand you cant install ABS on a standard model — however, he did tell me the ABS (no camera) is fully installed, they even have the slots ready for putting camera inside and the USB and lighter slots too – you just have to apply them yourselves. He told me i could have the camera installed on that bike for 5000NT.

What do you guys think?

7

Just did a quick www.ruten.com.tw search for a racing king 180 2015 and the cheapest I saw it at was 92,500, then 93,000, then 96,000. So 85,0000 with only 5,000kms on it seems like
a good deal. I really don’t recommend you try and get the camera installed if you go for buying this scooter. The slots may be there, but the wiring isn’t there to support it. I trust my
friend who does warranty repair for Kymco over some guy. This guy will have to cut into the electrical wiring to make that camera work. That’s the last thing you would want someone
to do here in Taiwan if you can avoid it. It rains so much here, and if that guy doesn’t do a good job, and butchers your wiring harness, your scooter will have a lot of problems. If you
are set on having that camera in there, I’d suggest on having the wiring harness replaced with the one that used for the camera, but that will cost probably 5,000NT. I’m guessing at
this point about the cost, as I’m guessing that a shop will charge double of the cost of the part to install it. So you’re looking at at least 10,000NT to have that camera properly installed.
For that much money, I think I’d rather go for one of these - tw.papagoinc.com/Products/CarDVR … spx?pid=42

8

Hi. I own a Kymco RCK 180 ABS + motocam.
It was perhaps the best purchase I have ever made (13 months, 14,000+km). I also did months of research before buying it, and I’m so glad I got it, it completely blows all other scooters out of the water (as far as I’m concerned), the only one that even comes close is the PGO Tigra 150 ABS, which is also VERY good. Before buying the RCK180 I went to the factory in Kaohsiung and had a nice chat with the engineers about the differences. In addition to that I did a lot of research online. Mobile01 wrote a great article about the 180, comparing it to the PGO Tigra 150 and the Yamaha Smax 155. mobile01.com/newsdetail.php?id=15295

For starters, let’s get this out of the way. ABS on scooters is amazing. It will save your life. It makes the scooter handle so much better when you use the brakes in all situations. On wet pavement the scooter handles like other scooters do in dry conditions. After riding with ABS for a year, I feel unsafe driving anything without ABS. This is a no brainer, for a new scooter, I would not consider any models that do not have ABS. Safety first.

About the models. The only difference between the models is the addition of ABS or a camera. The i is just different branding over seas.

RCK180:

It’s fast: Significantly faster than all scooters in it’s class except for the Tigra 150 ABS which is almost as fast as the RCK180. (RCK180 0-50kmph in 3.5 seconds, 0-100 in 15.8 seconds, top speed ~145 (takes forever)). Other fast bikes include the Tigra 150, G6, the Tigra 125. Bikes such as the RCK150, Smax155, Cygnus 125 (Cygnus 125 0-50 in 5.5 vs Tigra 125 0-50 in 3.6), are much slower. However aside from the Tigra 150, other scooters in this category have much less power, so not just about speed, uphill with passengers+air resistance plays a bigger role.

It’s safer: The RCK180 has 2 disks in the front, one in the back. Big disks. Normally this would not be good but because of the ABS, when stopping you should use the front and back brakes as the same time. Slamming on both brakes at 100kmph just stops the bike. No tail wobble, no skidding. Just stops. I’m more concerned about being hit from behind now than crashing into something in front of me.

Liquid cooled - pros/cons, heavier, but doesn’t over heat (been on 8 hour mountain rides with it). Other bikes like the Smax 155 are also liquid cooled.

RCK180 cons, the 175cc (yes it’s not 180) engine is in a higher tax category. Smax is also in this category, Kymco G6, Tigra 150, Sym Fighter, RCK150 are all in lower tax categories.

MotoCam: Piece of crap. Low quality, keeps breaking. Kymco warranty fixes it for free. I still like having it there for insurance purposes, but don’t expect to get travel videos out of it. Possible that this years camera is better, if so, I want an upgrade.

Fuel Economy: ~33-35 km/liter

Other thoughts: It’s comfortable, good for shorter people (I’m 165cm tall), handles well off road, lights are bright, body scratches very easily, handles mountains like a champ, seems to have good resale value, my passenger (girlfriend) prefers the seat to that of the smax 155, it’s comfortable for both riders on long rides, at first I hated the foot peg placement, but now I like it. It’s perfect for the driver when the front space is full. Storage is ok, other bikes probably have more, but I pack a lot on the back. Liquid cooling means there are no important air vents that get covered, so you can pack the front part tight. Driving it makes me happy on a regular basis, it’s an enjoyable ride. Heavier an harder to park in tight spaces than old 125s, quiet, low vibration, comfortable ride, will make you smug and look down on other scooters (except the Tigra 150/125 ABS which holds their own). 12 volt charging port is very convenient.

Price: Ignore online price. Go to a kymco shop, they will have a paper on the wall. Listed price was 112k, I paid 106k (went to a bigger dealer. RCK180 ABS+Motocam). The shop doesn’t really make any money on the sale, so expect ~2k discount for a small shop, bigger discount from a regional dealer. The factory won’t sell directly.

I hope this helped. I’ve rented a lot of different scooters and a year late I still think I made the best possible decision. The only other one I’d consider is the Tigra 150ABS. However, the RCK180 ABS is a real deal. Adding the ABS option to 150s adds 15-20k, but adding it to the 180 only adds 10k. And… there is one more ABS module than the other ones have (3 vs 2, since the KYMCO RCK180 has 2 front disks)

Almost every day I thank my ABS. No matter what bike you decide to go for, if you’re buying new, only get one with ABS. It will help your resale value later (eventually the law become all new bikes need to have ABS) and for the life of the vehicle, it’s very likely to save you from a wreck (EU transportation safety board study shows that 60% of crashes would have been avoided with ABS). As much as it rains here, it’s really dumb not to get a scooter with ABS. Did I mention ABS enough? It’s just really that good. No exaggeration for how much nicer driving is with good ABS brakes.

Here’s a compilation of all the wonderful places this bike has taken me: followxiaofei.com/

Note: speed of bikes as tested by mobile01, obviously depends on type of tires and weight of the rider. Sorry for spelling/grammar and repeating things.

[quote=“JPGGGGG12”]Hi everyone, I am looking for some advice/information on the Kymco 180 racing king. I have spent hours researching all the websites and am still confused as to exactly what you get. From what I can tell there is a

Standard Racing King
ABS Racing King
ABS + camera Racing King

And then also, in foreign countries at least there appears to be a new 2016 Racing King called the Racing King 180i which says it has a liquid cooled engine (but no camera). Although I cannot find any information about this model in Taiwan. Is it just being sold under a different name?

I would like to buy the whole package, ABS + camera + liquid cooled. Is there such a model? If not, how much better is the liquid cooled one? Or are they all liquid cooled now?

I am looking to buy brand new and Im wondering which is the best model to buy. Will use it for many years so Im not really bothered about the price difference.

Also, is it possible to get the two year plan without a permanent ARC? (I have a normal ARC) Would I need a Taiwanese citizens name down for security issues? And, do you recommend buying online or going to a dealer or ordering directly from kymco?

Thanks[/quote]

9

The ABS 180 was an over-engineering experiment (they cranked 17+PS out of a 175cc engine and put 2 ABS disks on the front, 1 would have been enough) by kymco and was sold at a loss (Similar price to the 150RCK, but with speced out components… and 2 abs disks on the front). The engineers at the factory were quite proud of it when I went there for a tour last year (Really friendly guys). It doesn’t surprise me that they stopped selling it, I kinda assumed it was a discounted expensive model to offset production costs for components that would make it into future models. When I bought mine last year, it seemed to me that Kymco would have to raise the price on it soon (which is why I jumped on purchasing one). It’s possible that raising the price would put it in competition with the 300cc models, so they pulled the plug instead. Maybe some of the components will end up in the next RCK150s and G6 150s, or introduce a completely new model. I’m very happy I got mine when I did. If you really want a new one, you can probably still find one at a showroom around the island somewhere. It will probably be heavily discounted.

[quote=“JPGGGGG12”]Thanks guys, so I went to a bunch of shops today and asked some questions at a kymco shop too. Interestingly enough the lack of information about RCK 180 ABS, or RCK 180 ABS + camera is the fact they dont produce them anymore, they just simply stopped making them and the only RCK 180 available from kymco today is the standard model. Nowhere wanted to talk to me about the RCK 180 ABS and they were all offering me 150 ABS + camera instead. Supposedly due to a lack of demand for the 180. I guess nobody sees the need for 180 they are either happy with 150 or buying significantly bigger bikes. So it appears if you are looking for an RCK 180 ABS nowdays you cant get them from kymco themselves so you’re probably getting a 2nd hand or one from an outlet.

I did come across a 2015 RCK 180 ABS (no camera) at a store 2nd hand, only 5000km on the clock and the guy is offering me it for 85k. Seems tip top condition and the fact you cant get them new anymore I doubt im going to find a better deal so might end up taking it. I understand you cant install ABS on a standard model — however, he did tell me the ABS (no camera) is fully installed, they even have the slots ready for putting camera inside and the USB and lighter slots too – you just have to apply them yourselves. He told me i could have the camera installed on that bike for 5000NT.

What do you guys think?[/quote]

10

Just curious for those that have one, how comfortable is the RK for long trips. I’m going to be in the market for a new scooter shortly and I would like to get a model with abs.

I used to have a 2008 Fighter, which was great for everything but long trips, but I found the handle bars a bit too low and ended up hunching when I rode it. It just felt a bit small for me (I’m 183cm) after riding for more than 30 minutes.

11

I’m on my second stay in Taiwan, and my second Racing King 180 (non-ABS version). I am about the same height as you, and I do frequent long trips on mine, sometimes 300km or more in a day. It’s pretty comfortable. There’s plenty of knee-room and legroom, the handlebars are a decent height, and there are cut-outs for your feet meaning you can vary your foot position on longer journeys. I’ve also driven fairly long distances on an S-Max, which I found very cramped by comparison, as well as other small (125cc) scooters which are in a much lower league in terms of comfort.

12

Thanks for all the info and advice guys, sorry for a late response. I did purchase the 2nd hand one I mentioned on May 1st and have had an awesome time riding it so far. Ended up getting it for 83k ABS 2015 model. So far I love it, the speed is great, the comfort is great.

In comparison to smaller scooters I’ve driven the ride just seems so solid. Its higher than most scooters and just way more stable, not sure how to describe… but for example you can take your hands off the wheel and the bike will stay straight with no wobble at all. The handle bars are WIDER and higher than most other scooters ive driven too, theres a noticeable difference when I get on a friends bike I feel really cramped, like im riding a bicycle or something. So – its clearly bigger, is that an issue? In terms of width, havent had a problem, parking isnt an issue and worming your way through traffic is just as easy as on smaller bikes too. The 1 size issue ive noticed though is it appears much LONGER than other scooters ive ridden, often its difficult to back out of a parking space if there isnt much space behind you (smaller bikes have no problem with this).

In terms of comfort – the riding position suits me. Im 180cm. At first I did not like the feet position… the gaps to put your feet are a little bit small, so if you have large feet they dont fit perfectly, and you may need to twist your feet a little bit outwards, OR you can just put your feet flat on the base of the scooter no problem.(so, not perfect, however it was still more comfortable than cygnus, and racing 150’s that i tried. the BEST bike for comfort seems to be the G6 – you are able to lean back and place feet higher up the bike because its a different shape) Ive got used to it now and dont have a problem with it anymore. The storage space on the bike is huge… i managed to fit a tent, and 2 sleeping bags, a rucksack and drive all the way to Taroko quite comfortably just by putting my legs over the top of the stuff and resting them higher up. Although doing this sometimes your knees can touch the handle bars off course (but with an empty bike they dont at all, even on sharp corners). My GF on the back is loving it, she says its extremely comfortable on the back, never complained even on 6 hour journeys… so thats great!

Now we get to the ABS… Asher =p. I completely agree with everything you have said about the ABS. I was leaning towards ABS even before actually trying it, and now having tried it agree that its simply amazing and makes a huge difference. I feel extremely scared driving other bikes now, as if the brakes dont work… i honestly feel completely out of control. I guess ABS just enables you to drive at speeds you wouldnt normally do, knowing you can get back down to 0 without any problems. Its saved me several times, you can start braking from like 50kph just in the scooter area at a red light and get to 0 before the light, its insane.

Finally, for speed, Its definitely fast off the line, only the PGO tigra or modded bikes can beat it. However i definitely wouldnt say acceleration is its strongest point. Top speed and brakes are probably more impressive. For example got friends with racing brembos, G6’s and Smax’s and they all seem pretty similar 0-60kph (they’re slightly behind) – but after that the RCK 180 just pulls away. Anyway, my point being theres other bikes with similar acceleration, where the RCK is different is the top speed. You can drive down the east coast on this thing casually pulling 50% throttle and before you know it you’re doing 100+. You don’t realise how fast you are going, because you barely have to try. Personally, the fastest I have been is 130kph, Ive only managed to achieve this in tunnels (it can definitely go faster, given the right conditions – but ive never found them). And it is easy to achieve 115-120, you can do this easily, almost anywhere even downtown

Top speed is interesting on scooters because it appears alot of them are restricted? I don’t have information on this but I’ve got friends with racing 150’s and their bikes seem to give up at about 103kph… even though you know it can go faster its holding itself back. Is this a kymco restriction? or how does it work? It seems yamahas are not restricted to 100ish – possible reason to taiwanese cool dudes favoring them? (cygnus> kymco racing 150, for example) – although way slower in acceleration

So far I’m loving it and have no complaints. Thanks to you all for the information!!