Kymco 2009

It looks to me that the scooter brand with the best line-up for 2009 is Kymco. I’d love to say that it was the classic Vespas, or one of the Japanese big 3 (or 4 if Kawasaki even imported one scooter) with their established reputations for reliability. Or even the American-based Genuine. But this Taiwanese company has you covered from 50cc to 500cc, retro to modern and sporty, even 2 or 4 stroke. Nobody else has that kind of variety. And everything in their line has a disc brake on the front, which is nice to get on a small scooter.

At the beginning of the line is the Sento 50 which is comparable to the Honda Metro. If you like the Yamaha Zuma, then take a look at the Agility, which comes in 50 or 125cc. Want something slightly sportier? Check out the Super 8 in 50 or 150cc.

The meat of their line is the People. It comes in 50 and 150cc versions, and then there are the S versions (with higher tech) in 50, 125, 200, and 250cc. All have 16” wheels, which would really smooth out the ride. All but the S 250 have big, flat floorboards. Only Aprilla has a comparable model right now, with its Scarabeo, but this is what the new Honda might look like.

In the maxi-scoot class, Kymco has the Grandvista 250 and the Xciting in 250 and 500cc versions. These are of the modern “origami” style like the Suzuki Burgman or the Yamaha Majesty.

In reputation, Kymco is often said to be just slightly below the Japanese brands, but still in their class, above the Chinese scooters. Their prices reflect that position in the marketplace, which makes them appear to be a great value. They are handled locally by Trans-Am in Lititz.