KymcoForum.com
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: Stig / Major Tom on June 04, 2018, 09:38:09 PM
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My LIKE200iLX has 12" wheels with good Michelin tires.
The Piaggio has the bigger 16" front and a 14" rear tires.
I find myself riding 5 to 10 mph faster when on the Piaggio than when on the LIKE, riding the same roads.
Roads that I cruise comfortably on the LIKE at 35 mph - I ride at 40-45mph on the Piaggio with the same relaxed feeling of control and stability.
I honsetly do not think it is the scooters - but the wheel size - that gives me a more stable sensation.
It's not a problem - just something I've noticed.
I can see why step-through big wheeled scooters are so popular in Europe. I really wanted to try the big wheeled People One that Kymco sells in Europe, or Honda's SH150i (or 125i) big wheeled scoot. Sadly neither are offered here. The bigwheeled Piaggio LIBERTY 150i is only a very recent entry in the USA. I'm having a lot of fun with this red one!
(https://s15.postimg.cc/djwb0vzsb/P1030594_2.jpg)
(https://s15.postimg.cc/c7a0l5xij/P1040702.jpg)
Stig
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I love Vespa s but, I cannot bring myself to buy one because of the small wheels.
The larger wheels ride smoother over bumps and pot holes. They give me a sense of confidence. At my age I need all the confidence I can muster.
ps: My wife has had a Scrabeo 200 for about four years. It has been a good scoot. It has large wheels also.
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Bigger wheels and longer wheelbase = stable ride, predictable ride. Good for old guys!
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I love Vespa s but, I cannot bring myself to buy one because of the small wheels.
The larger wheels ride smoother over bumps and pot holes. They give me a sense of confidence. At my age I need all the confidence I can muster...
Way back (1980's) a guy with a Honda Elite and I had about the same commute out in Mpls.
I was riding a Jawa moped at the time, so he had a notably faster vehicle; albeit in inner city traffic that meant he could stay ahead of me, but not by a lot.
As frequently happens in the Twin Cities a rather large pothole developed in a spot along the route, & being the alert individual I am I hit it with the Jawa on the way to work a couple times.
It was a definite jolt, but survivable.
One evening on the way home the guy with the Elite did what he'd done many times before and cut around me in the lane, but this time he managed to cleanly hit the pothole that had jolted me a few times. His smaller wheel didn't jolt, it stuck in the pothole & he wiped out pretty hard. I blocked the lane to keep him from getting hit any worse, & got a pretty good look at the damage. His front end was a total loss, & of course he wasn't doing well himself after the landing.
This is one of the reasons I prefer big wheeled scoots, & probably a part of why they're popular in Europe.
The bigger wheels will float over a potholes & similar obstacles a lot better than a smaller wheeled vehicle.
Of course to give the smaller wheels their due they maneuver a bit quicker so you can avoid said more easily if you;re alert enough to spot 'em in time.
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I agree with this. Small wheels don't take bumps very well at all.
However, I do like the way they wear and the fact that there's oodles of tyre choice, and those tyres are inexpensive.
I spent a long time on 14" wheels and I found that a good compromise!
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Loved loved loved my big wheel People 150. It was so much smoother and easier over the bumps than my PCH150 with the 12" tires. I envy your Liberty, Stig. Enjoy that ride!
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Loved loved loved my big wheel People 150. It was so much smoother and easier over the bumps than my PCH150 with the 12" tires. I envy your Liberty, Stig. Enjoy that ride!
Yeah, I wished Kymco and Honda offered a modern big wheel scooter with ABS, etc. Sure would have given them a look!
Stig
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I wiped on a Vespa in Rome because it slide across some wet cobblestones and I couldn't get my foot down fast enough to correct the slide. My honda SH-150 with the bigger wheels allowed me to 'right' the bike when I was on slide on wet cobblestones or when I hit a metal expansion joint on a bridge. Plus my mechanic in Rome hated working on Vespas(Wasp in Italian)
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New model Medley coming out to our dealers soon. Big change is the LED headlight and frame issue fixed. Could be my next ride. click on the image to enlarge.
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Looks nice, but we didn't get the old one here, just the Liberty. Nice bike but definitely a size smaller.
New model Medley coming out to our dealers soon...