Report for SYM Fighter 150

Life Cars & Motorcycles
1

I have an SYM Fighter 150, and here’s my experience with it.

I had been riding a Venox 250 and Dink 150 (not “Grand Dink”–just “Dink”. It was the first production run). The Dink died at 60,000km and after a few months with only the Venox, I decided to get another scooter.

I wanted an “in town” bike that’s easy to park. I wanted to be able to put things under the seat. I wanted it to look like a 125 (which it does) and be less likely to be stolen. It has been what I wanted it to be. Compared to my Dink, I would have a lot of complaints (space under the seat is smaller than Dink’s, fuel tank too small, etc.) but I disregarded these because I basically got what I wanted.

A few days ago, I wanted to go up to see SatelliteTV at his A Li Shan home. The Venox was due for an oil change and the shops weren’t open yet, so I decided to take the Fighter. I thought I would have to drive slowly and carefully because I didn’t think it was all that “mountain-roadable”. I was wrong.

The Fighter performed much better than I had expected. It didn’t pogo or wobble in any turns. It doesn’t have the small-airplane-wheel front tire that the Dink has, but it didn’t seem to make a difference. I even dragged the plastic exhaust pipe shield twice.

(I took my favorite short-cut across a mountain and got from An Ping (Tainan’s seaside) to SatelliteTV’s house in 149.7km. We had a barbecue with about 10 people and then I felt sick. I had eaten a guava before leaving and that was the killer. The next morning, I made my own breakfast in his kitchen. I saw the Rio De Janiero (Carnival) parade LIVE on TV! Those Brazilian women don’t wear bras and nothing else, they wear full-body costumes with holes to let their tits hang out. That was interesting. If you want English-language TV with no commercials, want sports, or whatever–ask him. SatelliteTV can fix you up.)

Fighter again:
On the way down, I realized how steep my short-cut is. My ears popped a number of times. On steep grades, I let off the throttle to use compression braking. It was so good, that sometimes I slowed down to the point that the CVT would disengage. Mostly this was because the turns were so sharp that I couldn’t have taken them faster anyway. My guess was that it was about 19 degrees at the top of the short-cut and nearly 26 degrees at the bottom. That’s steep for only 10km.

In town, the Fighter gets about 1000m per dollar of fuel. I filled the tank before going to see SatelliteTV. I made it all the way home without needing fuel. The trip-meter read 287km when I reached home (I daydreamed and missed a turn-off and took a more direct route home which took longer and had more traffic lights). So…fuel usage ratio on long trips is much better than in town. Nearly the same as my former Dink.

If you’re looking for a cheap (63k, roughly) bike that’s good in town, 0 to 60 in 5 seconds, but pretty good at carving through mountain roads I recommend the Fighter. It’s not at all bad. I have a lot of complaints about it, but for the money it is great.

Questions? Comments? Want to know what my complaints really are?

coolingtower

2

Don’t want to derail your thread here, but the only question I have is, a bad guava? :laughing: Surely you’re being kind to your host. Up his way they BBQ that long pork, I hear it takes some getting used to.

HG

3

Good to hear that the Fighter’s fun in the mountains.

[quote=“coolingtower”]I wanted an “in town” bike that’s easy to park. I wanted to be able to put things under the seat. I wanted it to look like a 125 (which it does) and be less likely to be stolen. It has been what I wanted it to be. Compared to my Dink, I would have a lot of complaints (space under the seat is smaller than Dink’s, fuel tank too small, etc.) but I disregarded these because I basically got what I wanted.[/quote]There’s another advantage, too. Relatively small scooters like this are lighter and more fun to ride on the tiny twisty roads than the bigger scooters. They’re also better in traffic.

My BWS is very nice in this regard but it lacks the legs for longer journeys. One of these days I may get something like a Fighter.

4

I too own a fighter 150… good all round bike, but like all scooters (except for the PGO and a few Italians) lacks that rigidity in the center (where the floorpan is)… it IS a good all rounder, but it’s not a mountain carver… it’s too low… I’ve scraped the bottom of mine plenty of times, leaning off (though I can’t lean off a scoot like I used to - to used to the big bike now), and in the handling department, my old Yamaha Forte owned it - the only thing I ever scraped on that was the heat shield on the exhaust, and I rode it just as fast… Power wise, it owns the Forte, but still lacks somewhat for the uphill… it’s acceleration is good, but seems somewhat behind in the top end…

I would not trade my hornet 250 in for one… it just can’t compare in the performance department… though the fighter will run rings around the hornet for convenience in the city…

coolingtower > I’m curious what your complaints are, as I have a few about mine, but not too many… primarily about the horrid brakes at the front (not so bad now that I have gotten used to them, but still horrid)

I also find it strange the you are scraping the heat shield, when I find the centre stand drags much more commonly~

I was actually out riding today on my hornet, with my mate on his fighter and my sis-in-laws boyfriend on mine… my mate was complaining about his rear shock (which is set one from the hardest) in the corners, while the mountain newbie (on mine) had no complaints (which was set on the hardest)… bumped into Pecan (?) on the way back through 136

My ultimate opinion on my fighter :: a good all rounder, but to be what it truly can be, requires a few mods… better shocks, front brake upgrade and a strengthening rod in the centre of the floorpan… but since it’s not my mountain carver, I can’t be bothered…

btw. what colour did you get? mine’s white, my mate’s is black

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I’d like to get one of these as well, but for the time being I’m holding out for SYM to come out with a different color than what they currrently offer (Black, white, or sky blue from what I’ve seen).

I never noticed this lack of rigidity in the center on my old scoot (Yamaha Fuzzy) – What aspect of handling does this improve/affect?

Also, coolingtower, you mentioned storage space – is it at least enough to hold a full-face helmet + raincoat? Also, what other complaints have you had about it?

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x08, I would have to tip my bike down and imagine what actually dragged. It sounded like plastic and not metal. My Dink centre stand dragged horribly when it was new and then seemed not to drag much later. Maybe the rubber stop got thinner. I don’t know. I just looked at the Fighter and I can’t see what dragged. Whatever dragged, it wasn’t hard enough to make a sound that is discernable. And, there are no visible scrapes.

My number one complaint is that I am 183cm tall and 93kg. The rear-view mirrors give me a very clear picture of my shirt or jacket sleeves. I really want to be able to see the vanishing point. With the stock mirrors, I have to make my elbows meet in order to see with the mirrors. I have new chrome mirrors which are completely flat and maybe a little better, but not much. That cost $500. Plus, I think they look stupid, but function over form. If the seat was gone and I was sitting in the space below the seat, the mirrors would be perfect.

#2 Open seat button doesn’t always work: I have a shoulder bag and an armload of stuff and I push the button and then reach for the seat. Still locked. Then, I have to push it again. This seems minor, but it really pisses me off.

#3 Space under seat too small: This is like the Dink’s glove-compartment. When I bought it, they gave me a half-helmet with a little plastic guard on the front instead of giving me a full helmet. Why? Because a full helmet won’t fit in there. I currently carry a disc-brake lock and a raincoat. That’s nearly 50% of the space.

#4 Center of gravity is too high: A person small enough to be able to use the mirrors properly, would not be tall enough to sit on the high seat and have flat feet on the ground. Of course they did this in order to stuff a bigger engine in a smaller body. Let’s ignore this for now.

#5 Fuel tank too small: I can accept this. I’m sure they made the fuel tank as big as possible for this size. Not really a complaint.

#6 gas cap position and size: Just like the Dink, I always drive backwards into stations to fill up. Why is the opening on the left? Plus, the passage is small enough that they don’t want to fill it up. You have to tell them to wait for the bubbles to go down and keep filling until you finally see it in the neck of the pipe. Worse yet, they seem to have arranged the open cap to intentionally make it difficult to pour in fuel from a bottle–which is necessary sometimes, given the small tank. Carrying a bottle of extra fuel is difficult because the space under the seat is so small.

#7 Side stand too vertical: You need to “plan” how to park it because the side stand doesn’t let the bike lean enough. Ok, so use the center stand. Well, I would like to think I can to to 7-11 and not have to consider this. Not a big problem, but a pain in the ass.

All of these complaints are not necessarily related to the Fighter, in a general sense, but in a “that’s my only bike” sense. These are complaints that would bother me if this were my ONLY bike. OK? I highly recommend buying a Fighter, but if you’re a “biker” or want to often go on long trips, then, take note.

I really like the Fighter. It has turned out to be much more of a bike than I bought it for. I started this thread to commend Fighter in many ways instead of the opposite.

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[quote=“coolingtower”]My number one complaint is that I am 183cm tall and 93kg. The rear-view mirrors give me a very clear picture of my shirt or jacket sleeves. I really want to be able to see the vanishing point. With the stock mirrors, I have to make my elbows meet in order to see with the mirrors. I have new chrome mirrors which are completely flat and maybe a little better, but not much. That cost $500. Plus, I think they look stupid, but function over form. If the seat was gone and I was sitting in the space below the seat, the mirrors would be perfect.
[/quote]

I’m 186cm (183 here for some reason though), 90kg… no problems here… did you adjust your mirrors?

only time i have this problem is if i’ve stuck too much into it~

I agree here… totally

not a problem really… if it’s too big for someone, they won’t buy it~ I feel it’s perfect for me… so much that I kinda feel ridiculous on the 125s now…

True… could do with some work…

was annoying at first, but got used to it… never ran dry yet… also, seems to have plenty of mileage when the 1 bar is flashing…

what? I like it being more vertical…

8

Thanks for that guys, I’m thinking about getting rid of the FZR and the beater scooter and just having one good scooter. I like the Fighters. Too bad about the seat storage.

What else is in the class of Fighter 150 (largish scooter with equivelant power)? The Cygnuses (Cygni?) look nice as well.

9

x08

I did everything I could to adjust those mirrors. The new ones aren’t much better, either. Maybe I’m picky.

On mine, the seat lock works BETTER if I have a lot in it, because it will pop up then. If it’s not being pushed up, it doesn’t unlock about 1/3 of the time.

If you like a more vertical stand, that’s OK. Personal preference.

I’ve intentionally run mine out of fuel with a bottle to put in. When the last notch of fuel goes away and it’s only flashing “E” and “F”, you still have at least 30km left.

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you still didn’t reply though… what colour did you get?

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You might want to get one of these…

And this is why they are special…

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I got black. I forgot to include that. Sorry about that.

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[quote=“canucktyuktuk”]Thanks for that guys, I’m thinking about getting rid of the FZR and the beater scooter and just having one good scooter. I like the Fighters. Too bad about the seat storage.

What else is in the class of Fighter 150 (largish scooter with equivelant power)? The Cygnuses (Cygni?) look nice as well.[/quote]

I would recommend a Grand Dink. I rode one for 4 years and for an all-around bike, it’s great. It’s not-too-bad for parking, handles better than a Fighter and you can nearly bring home half the contents of the Costco store with no problem. The best thing about the Dink is that it has a flat floorbed. If you have one of those 20litre water things that you want to go fill, that’s no problem. Yamaha Majesty has that annoying hump in the middle which would make this difficult. This hump is the same with RV (SYM), SkyWave (Suzuki), and even the 500cc T-Max (Yamaha). Kymco lets you carry stuff. If you’re serious about “all-around”, I would vote for the Grand Dink. Even the Kymco Xciting 250/500 has a big hump in the middle. Grand Dink is the way to go for al all-arounder.

(I’ve written before that I had a lot of problems with my Dink, but that was it–it was just “Dink” and not “Grand Dink”. It was the first production run. They added the “Grand” later. This is a way to tell whether or not it was the first production run. I think this was just a marketing decision and not that they were delving into pretentiousness, like Starbucks where you have to say “grande” instead of “large”. Then, they introduced these goofy names like “macciato”, “latte”, and “cappuccino”, which are all the same thing: “coffee plus milk”.)

For used bikes, as long as it says “Grand” on it, I’d say it must be a good Dink. 150, 250–doesn’t matter. This bike has passed the test of “new model” because you see them everywhere. You can’t go wrong for an all-around bike. As much as the Fighter is fine, I wish I had bought another Dink. I miss my Dink and feel envious when I see one while riding the Fighter. (I don’t feel this when riding the Venox, though.)

14

Well gents, thanks for your review/comments- After taking a closer look at the 2007 model bike to go over the points of concern mentioned in this thread, I bought one (in the color I had wanted too). Sanyang has made the storage under the seat large enough for a full-face helmet now. According to the dealer, it was primarily a change to the contour of the inside of the seat. If that’s true, you guys may just be able to swap seats out and get your full-face helmets to fit inside. They also created an open storage space in front (although I have yet to figure out what I would ever use them for).

The only thing that does bother me so far is the gas cap - not only is it on the wrong side and awkward to fill, but it uses the “all-in-one” ignition/steering lock to open it. So often when I try to lock the steering of the bike after I’ve parked, the gas cap just pops open.

Other than that, it is a nice bike. One other question for you guys though-- they delivered it with Maxxis(sp?) tires. After only 150+ km, the surface of the tires look sort of rough. Are these tires supposed to be that soft? How long should I expect a set to last?

Thanks,

Peanut

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The Maxxis tires were ok… didn’t have a problem with them for normal riding… though yes, mine wore out at about 3-4000km… as in - no tread left in the centre… Got Cheng-Hsins on the now… OKish, but nothing special. CT has dunlops on his, so maybe he will tell you more~

The gas cap is fine on that side… just go to the other side of the pump, or come in from the other way… rarely have an issue, though there ARE times that you can’t…

As for locking it… you get used to it. You’ve gotta push the key in more to lock it…

PS. What colour did you get?

16

Well i got one too a while back. Its a great ride. I do agree with all of x08’s comments about the sorta-bothersome bits.

Seat space, is a bit small.

Power is good, height is great, many feel too small, but the fighter is a nice height.

I don’t have any problem with the front brake.

Id like some mods, but I’m not sure where to go. I know it has more to give.

My rear tire wore out at 5000km. I was expecting it, but happened to go flat far from home, so i had to get a cheap one installed, instead of a better brand.

Gas cap is just choice i have no problems.

X08 mine is white…white ones go faster.

17

Well I’m more than happy with mine… no more issues with the brakes… though I’ve given up trying to keep her in pristine condition… parking her in a shared parking area, as well as department stores etc. has left her with a fair share of scratches…

can’t be frugged modding it… I’ve got the hornet (until I get something bigger) if the fighter isn’t fast enough~

18

OK, I’ll just count on replacing the tires sometime in the next year then. I also got the hang of the gas cap/steering lock now – I just wasn’t pushing the key down far enough I guess - thanks.

As for color, I got a red one.

19

red? you got the 125? cos I don’t think the 150 is available in red is it?

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Yeah, I got the 150 in red - basically SYM arranged to have some red plastics swapped out for me.