Hello,
In terms of medium size scooters, I read a few reviews and it seems that both local brands are equally good but maybe Kymco is very slightly better… Is it ?
I heard some people put a dashcam on theirs ? Never heard about that, it is for safety/insurance/responsability purposes ?
Thanks
[quote=“Captain”]Hello,
In terms of medium size scooters, I read a few reviews and it seems that both local brands are equally good but maybe Kymco is very slightly better… Is it ?
I heard some people put a dashcam on theirs ? Never heard about that, it is for safety/insurance/responsability purposes ?
Thanks[/quote]
In terms of quality, I would say Kymco is better. This would just be my personal opinion though.
Many thanks, it confirms what I heard even Sym is probably not bad.
Not sure what ‘medium sized’ qualifies as, but here is my 2 cents.
SYM 250 RV, is much more comfortable and has better luggage compartments compared to a Nikita which is comparable in cc’s. Yes there is a lot of the latter on the road, but that is because of marketing and a bit of flooding the market when they first came out a few years ago.
For about six months I said I was going to buy the Nikita, and once I drove it, and compared it to the SYM RV250 I changed my mind. The Kymco drives like a big scooter (meaning your position on the seat is like that of a smaller scooter, on the top), the SYM give a much better seating position especially for long rides when you will need any extra comfort.
Aeon also makes a good big bike, but has the same problem of a riding position that is more on top of the scooter instead of being part of the scooter, if that makes sense.
I had a Kymco years ago, was rebuilt, and then rebuilt again before I sold it (free rebuild warranty from the guy who did it) and I dont think I’ll be buying another again. I also have a Yamaha 125 signs, which for a 125cc is hands down the best I feel for reliability and not ageing as fast as other styles.
I believe buying what you enjoy and find best is the way to go. Try to buy something that will last, and comes from a reputable dealer or have it checked out with a mechanic you know or a friend knows to be good. There is a lot of ‘used scooter’ places here that sell a lot of junk, and overprice especially when they see you are not a local.
Buying a 10 year old scooter will always have issues that need to be addressed, and no telling what happened in those last ten years. Same thing is true with a newer scooter that is for sale, why are they selling it if it is so new and still works so great…
Thank you Tcarnagan,
I totally agree with you, I want no issue, no mechanic problem and therefore no second hand scooter and it is why I am interested about getting feedback about Kymco and Sym.
I want something confortable enough (power) for 2 ppl to go on week-end on the island and on the hills. Nothing crazy (maybe 250/300/max 400), good position for long rides, good luggage compartments as you said. Aeon, I did not know the brand. Best for me would be probably to rent one for a day to test but I heard it is impossible.
Agree with your last sentence, it is why I prefer to buy totally new with guarantee. I know it is a lot of money but I will try to maintain it well with dealer so in a few years when I leave TW I can sell it reasonably well hopefully…
[quote=“tcarnagan”]Not sure what ‘medium sized’ qualifies as, but here is my 2 cents.
SYM 250 RV, is much more comfortable and has better luggage compartments compared to a Nikita which is comparable in cc’s. Yes there is a lot of the latter on the road, but that is because of marketing and a bit of flooding the market when they first came out a few years ago.
For about six months I said I was going to buy the Nikita, and once I drove it, and compared it to the SYM RV250 I changed my mind. The Kymco drives like a big scooter (meaning your position on the seat is like that of a smaller scooter, on the top), the SYM give a much better seating position especially for long rides when you will need any extra comfort.
Aeon also makes a good big bike, but has the same problem of a riding position that is more on top of the scooter instead of being part of the scooter, if that makes sense.
I had a Kymco years ago, was rebuilt, and then rebuilt again before I sold it (free rebuild warranty from the guy who did it) and I don’t think I’ll be buying another again. I also have a Yamaha 125 signs, which for a 125cc is hands down the best I feel for reliability and not ageing as fast as other styles.
I believe buying what you enjoy and find best is the way to go. Try to buy something that will last, and comes from a reputable dealer or have it checked out with a mechanic you know or a friend knows to be good. There is a lot of ‘used scooter’ places here that sell a lot of junk, and overprice especially when they see you are not a local.
Buying a 10 year old scooter will always have issues that need to be addressed, and no telling what happened in those last ten years. Same thing is true with a newer scooter that is for sale, why are they selling it if it is so new and still works so great…[/quote]
I checked what you suggested and agree that Sym is better in terms of position. However, I also understood that if I wanted to enjoy an easy parking among the other bikes and not with the cars, I needed to stay below 250cc and Sym RV 250 have been replaced by RV270 which change the plate color. So it seems that my only options left are Nikita 200 and Aeon Elite 250i… Different CC but overall a similar power.
[quote=“Captain”]
I checked what you suggested and agree that Sym is better in terms of position. However, I also understood that if I wanted to enjoy an easy parking among the other bikes and not with the cars, I needed to stay below 250cc and Sym RV 250 have been replaced by RV270 which change the plate color. So it seems that my only options left are Nikita 200 and Aeon Elite 250i… Different CC but overall a similar power.[/quote]
I have 2nd hand SYM scooters 150cc and 300cc. Both have given me pleasure and pain. Without knowing the full history that’s the risk of buying used. For me the cost saving of buying used + potential repair bills outweighed the depreciation loss of buying new.
I went with SYM as generally speaking they have a better seating position and bigger storage space. If you’re planning trips around the island bear this in mind. Kymco bikes tend to look nicer, have racier lines and has the bigger market share. Quality wise I think are all about the same. Depends on your luck and competence of your local shop to find and fix issues.
If you want to buy brand new and be below 251cc (no big bike licence and parking issues) then I think your choices are limited to Kymco Nikita 200, SYM RV 180, Yamaha Smax 155. The Aeon 250 got discontinued when it was made 2cc bigger and became a Elite 300i.
I would highly recommend a dashcam just in case. Some have dual cameras for front and rear which is hard wired to the scooter. Or you can get a Gopro clone and stick that on your helmet.
Aeon Elite 250i is still on their website, maybe it has not been updated yet.
aeonmotor.com/Eng/product.php?id=27
I see your point new vs 2nd hand but for me, it is just the opposite and I am Ok with higher depreciation to have a brand new bike. Probably (and unfortunately) a question of age as well 
I have the licence to drive anything (but surely no longer the expertise) but I live on the hills a bit outside the city so I want to be able to park easily with the other scooters when I come specially on week end where parking is a nightmare with a car.
Not many options left I guess, Nikita 200 seems nice… I will check and probably buy it after summer.
Thanks again for the tips and advices.
Captain,you need to look at the Chinese Aeon site 
The 250 and 400 listed on the English version aren’t sold here. SYM, Kymco sell many other models abroad but not in its home market