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.

New Hondas

I was at the Washington DC Motorcycle Expo yesterday. Honda had the largest display area there. The new DN-01 was there and I sat on it. The DN-01 is a motorcycle with an automatic transmission.

Impressions? Meh. It's a crusier. The seating position is reclined. The thing needs a backrest.
The handlebars are drawn too far back for me. I'm not really sure to whom this will appeal, and for a radical new model, it wasn't getting much interest at the show. Meanwhile, there was a huge crowd around the two Goldwings.

There is a rumor floating around that Honda is coming out with a new 150cc scooter. I asked the representatives there about that, and they confirmed that Honda will indeed be bringing a new mid-range scooter to the American market soon. They said to check with your dealer in a month or two for details.

Excuses

Election, recession, holidays, new position at work; blah, blah, blah, fishcakes. I’ve been busy. But a new year is here, and I guess it’s time to try and start this up again.

What will this year be like? Who knows. Last fall I was predicting that gas prices would rise again. Who could have seen that the bottom would fall out of… well, everything? Will scooters continue to be hot in a world where gas is cheap and consumer confidence is down? We’ll see.

Air Car

How about a cute little car that runs all day on a tank of compressed air? The Indian automobile company Tata plans to make these in America. The tank can be filled by plugging it in while parked, or by an on-board compressor while running. That compressor will run on anything from vegetable oil to gasoline. Range is 60 miles without the using the compressor, or 800 miles while using a tank of fuel. It is suppossedly capable of highway speeds.

The 3-wheel configuration wiil probably classify it as a motorcycle or scooter. The cabin makes it more all-weather friendly than a bike, but it doesn't seem like it has the crash protection of a car. Oh well, you have to give up something. Read a longer article here.

Robotic Legs From Honda

Alright, these are cool. But is this why Honda is not releasing any new scooters this year?

Fall Scenery

After riding the motorcycle to work exclusively for a month, this week I was able to return to the scooter. The contrast was a reminder about what is fun about scooters. With the automatic transmission, there is less to occupy your mind and you can be more aware of your surroundings. You can forget about shifting gears, the tachometer, and the sound of the engine and just take in the scenery.

Friday was another one of those days for which I carry a camera. Take a look at these photos.

A New Start

Factory recalls, mechanic mistakes, presidential elections... the last month has been crazy. Thank goodness that's over. Or is it?

Last night I took the motorcycle in for regularly scheduled service, actually a glorified oil change, and my sister was supposed to pick me up. But when she got there, her car was heavily leaking coolant. So we had to call for a tow, and now she has my car. I'm down to the last vehicle in the garage. The scooter saves the day.

And here's an endorsement for AAA Plus RV membership: if you need a tow, the Plus is worth it. I have the Plus RV because it covers motorcycles and scooters. My sister just has the regular membership, and it was going to cost extra for every mile over the first five. Once the tow truck arrived, we asked if me, as the passenger, having a Plus membership changed anything. Boy, did it. From that point on, nothing was too much trouble. Want the car towed to a garage near your house? No problem. Want dropped off somewhere along the way? Sure. "I'm on a Plus membership now. I don't mind.", said the driver. This kind off thing is like insurance. You hope you never use it, and you resent paying it when you don't. But if you need it, you won't regret having the best.

I know I've been a bad blogger. But I'm riding the scooter to work today for the first time in over a month. Perhaps it will rekindle my enthusiasm.