KymcoForum.com
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: rjs987 on November 02, 2021, 11:28:14 PM
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I WAS going to wait until I put it on the trailer to bring it home but the dealer sent me pics today.
It arrived yesterday (Monday) and they prepped it today so it is now ready for me to arrive Saturday to get it and bring it home. I'll post pics of it on the trailer when I have those.
I decided to trailer the bike home rather than ride it due to the time of year (cold temps and unpredictable weather) and also because I am trading in my Burgman 650 and didn't want to chance any damage or accident riding that down to get the new bike. Plus the trade in was based on current mileage so didn't want to add another 350 miles.
I had been looking at several dealers all over the MidWest and even down south to find what I wanted for a price I was willing to pay. I came across Moto Italia (https://vespaedwardsville.com/ (https://vespaedwardsville.com/)) in Edwardsville, IL just outside of St Louis. They were actually closer than another dealer just outside Chicago which had a 2022 model in stock. But that Chicago dealer tacked on huge upcharges and didn't want to talk anything about trade in. Moto Italia showed they had one 2022 Matte Silver Crystal model so I emailed them to get the scoop on it. They said they were expecting that one any day and to call for details, so I did just last Thursday. I just happened to ask if they could get the Matte Deep Blue color I really wanted, and I said it just like that. They said they could have one there by the next week. They asked about a trade in and I told them about my Burgman and gave them some details they wanted to know. They then offered me a trade value that was more than anyone had yet offered me for a private sale price and also quoted me what was a lower than expected true OTD price. I thought about it overnight but knew exactly what I was going to say to them so the deal was struck on Friday.
Here is a link to some pics of the new machine. I just love the color.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/iuu4PzwMHfXt6uuu9 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/iuu4PzwMHfXt6uuu9)
I will miss the Burgman 650 but I'll be enjoying this new AK 550.
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Trailer biking sucks...With proper riding gear late fall ride fun Try is some time.
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Trailer biking sucks...With proper riding gear late fall ride fun Try is some time.
Normally I would, but I didn't want to give the dealer any excuse to change the trade allowance.
I am not really afraid of a little cold temp riding. Been down way below zeroF before and I have the gear for it. But with the fantastic trade allowance they are giving and also because I won't have my heated gloves controller connected I decided to trailer them each way. I know the AK 550 has heated grips but those are not as warm as heated gloves. I'll be finding out how good those are in coming weeks.
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just in time for our weather in Iowa to turn nice and cold! Congratulations on the new bike, I really like that blue. Looks really good in the matte finish.
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Congrats on the new scooter. I like the blue much better than the grey.
Wise choice trailering down and back given the distance. I hope you plan on riding the new scooter before putting it on the trailer. In the unlikely chance there is a problem with your new scooter it would be better to find out before you get home. If it was me I'd ride it at least a half hour just to make sure there aren't any issues.
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@rjs, great scoot, color just right.
I would additionally cover it on the way home😆.
..btw: you plan a topcase on it?
If yes, (beside the look) is there a possibility?
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There might be a change in plans about the trailer. Personally I rather preferred the idea to ride one down there and the other back. I asked if there would be any problem with the deal we struck on it if I did that and the dealer said "No" so I am adjusting what I need to take with me to ride down and back. I'll be taking faster roads going TO the dealer since I am very familiar with the Burgman 650 and it runs great on those. I keep reading how the AK 550 also runs great on fast roads but because it's new to me and needs several miles of moderate riding, if only to scrub in the tires, I have back roads planned to a motel about half way home that will work great for that. It's about 350 miles going there. Then about 175 miles to the motel and another 183 miles to home. These are all medium to short rides for me when I travel. And the temps will be in the mid 40s F in the mornings and mid 60s F during the afternoon. I might not even get a chance to use the heated grips since I usually don't add heated anything until mid 30s F at least. This will give me a chance to really get to know the new scooter and if there are any issues I have the dealer's phone number. Towing a bike on a trailer can be hard on it in some ways so I like this idea better. Besides, another excuse for another ride ;D
I WAS gathering everything I would need to manage a bike on a trailer: hitch/tow bars, locks for the tailgate, heavy duty straps and soft ties, etc. But now I am switching to gathering what I need for a ride with an overnight stay. Everything I'll be taking will fit in the storage under the seat on the AK. My Burgman would fit a lot more under the seat but I am thinking in terms of the ride back so no tent, no cook set or stove, etc. Double checked the tire pressure today since it is about the same temp as it will be when I leave Saturday early AM. Filled the gas tank. I'm all set now.
As to a top case...
I am thinking I like the OEM passenger handles better than any of the brackets for adding a top case. There is one luggage rack integrated into handles that match the OEM handles but it only comes in Black and the tail panel must be changed to fit it so I'll really have to think about it before adding anything just yet. I use a few dry bags anyway when I travel so one more dry bag is no big deal for me. I do have a few minor things I plan to add. Likely the first would be a battery maintainer pigtail with SAE connector. I have a SAE to 12vdc socket pigtail that I will be able to plug into that so I won't be missing the standard 12vdc socket. The left glove box on this scooter already has a USB connector in there so the phone has somewhere to be charging while I ride. I do plan to try out the Noodoe navigation app and then I'll decide if I need to mount my phone in a holder above the dash. The ONLY reason I have for mounting a phone where I can see it is for navigation. Noodoe will show me any missed texts or phone calls when I am stopped so don't need to see the phone for that. I know the horn is louder than the stock horn on many bikes and scooters so will see how that stacks up and if I feel the need to put a Stebel Nautilus on there someplace. For a while for now I'm just going to leave it stock as I assess what I might want.
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Awesome bike, love the color. Thats the one I wanted to get, but still my dealer doesnt have any coming in..... >:(
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THAT IS SO AWESOME.
Really glad to read it.
Took mine out in the rain for the first time today and im SUPER impressed yet again by this machine. The things a tank. Tried locking up a few times and the ABS is simply astonishing.
Again...many kudos on the buy
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Riding good way to find out if their are any initial problems---and to get to know machine. Check book on break in.
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Yes, congrats!
At last!
Wondering about the horizontal shock.....does the rear tire move forwards and back on bumps?
A bit of a design 'poof', "just because"....or a better system than a pair of vertical shocks on a touring bike??
Wonder how many Kymco brought over to the US?
Stig
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Riding good way to find out if their are any initial problems---and to get to know machine. Check book on break in.
Already did... a long time ago. There was discussion on the ADV Rider forum about service intervals. Break In miles is 180. The non-USA manuals all say first service, oil and filter change - etc, is also at 180 but many who have the AK in the USA have reported that their manuals say first service is at 3000 miles
Yes, congrats!
At last!
Wondering about the horizontal shock.....does the rear tire move forwards and back on bumps?
A bit of a design 'poof', "just because"....or a better system than a pair of vertical shocks on a touring bike??
Wonder how many Kymco brought over to the US?
Stig
Thanks, and agree... at last! Don't know how many were brought into the USA but I do know there are more and more showing up for 2022 models in dealers all over the USA.
There was discussion about that horizontal shock on the BurgmanUSA forum a while back. There are many bikes that do use that configuration. Some Harley models and many BMW models for just a few. Those usually have the shock under the swing arm in the middle. It turns out to be a better system.
The swing arm moves like any other proper swing arm. You will notice that the rear mount for the shock is offset above the swing arm and the front mount is raised even higher. As the swing arm moves up and down that rear mount actually moves forward and back, in addition to up and down. Someone mentioned something about "moment of arc" in that other conversation. I guess they like trig math. Anyway here's a pic showing this.
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BTW - the dealer I went through had just ordered and was expecting a 2022 Matte Silver Crystal AK 550 when I had called them last week. I mentioned about really liking the Matte Deep Blue and they said they could order that and get it by this week. They ordered it on Thursday and had it in the shop by Monday. If a dealer can get a special order color in 2 business days I'd say USA stock availability is starting to ramp up.
Having said that I will also add that there are many Kymco dealers, and dealers of other bikes as well, who are too lazy IMO to bother putting in an order for something a customer specifically wants or for models that they don't want to bother selling. Their loss.
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@rjd, ws handbook for ak 550 I saw at KYMCO.at for download, can't copy this link here but its a big pdf file of 461 pages.
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@rjs, ws handbook for ak 550 I saw at KYMCO.at for download, can't copy this link here but its a big pdf file of 461 pages.
Yes it is a big book. I have it downloaded and been studying it for a while now. That is where I downloaded it from.
I was thinking I posted the link here or maybe that was another forum. But they have a lot of the documents for many Kymco scooters there. I also downloaded the color electrical Circuit diagrams for the AK from there.
https://kymco.at/kymco_store_view/dowloads/kymco.html (https://kymco.at/kymco_store_view/dowloads/kymco.html)
Go down most of the way on this page to find the AK 550 technical manuals available here.
The Workshop manual is the big one. There are other documents they have that are subsets of the Workshop manual. Like the Service document is only Chapter 2 of the workshop manual. There is another page on that web site to download the operators manual but those are not in English
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Just a heads up, the US "variant" of the kymco AK550 has its first oil change listed at 600 miles in the manual.
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Just a heads up, the US "variant" of the kymco AK550 has its first oil change listed at 600 miles in the manual.
Ah! OK, I think I did know that from somewhere but not having a USA version of any manuals was hard to remember. Well, I'll be more than half way there just on the ride home.
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https://www.ebay.com/itm/313732410428?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D233631%26meid%3D6c64667a189e47609088c2407f94c350%26pid%3D101113%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D324759258953%26itm%3D313732410428%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2563228%26algv%3DDefaultOrganicWeb%26brand%3DGates&_trksid=p2563228.c101113.m2108
2 hours left...:)
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Just a heads up, the US "variant" of the kymco AK550 has its first oil change listed at 600 miles in the manual.
I saw that too, but my service center said it was due at 180 miles...so i did mine at 200
surely theres no harm in that, ya?
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I saw that too, but my service center said it was due at 180 miles...so i did mine at 200
surely theres no harm in that, ya?
The service manual that is from Austria Kymco shows the earlier schedule. I don't know if that also is still the norm in other countries. But the USA schedule is more like the usual motorcycle over here. Just found the graphic that was posted on the ADV Rider forum that I saw many months ago showing the different maintenance interval for the USA. Makes much more sense to me.
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That sonic meter the same as the service manual recommends, it's just still way to much money than I am willing to pay. I'll find out what the force tension tool I have will show me. I still prefer that for $16 over even $600 for a sonic tool.
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The service manual that is from Austria Kymco shows the earlier schedule. I don't know if that also is still the norm in other countries. But the USA schedule is more like the usual motorcycle over here. Just found the graphic that was posted on the ADV Rider forum that I saw many months ago showing the different maintenance interval for the USA. Makes much more sense to me.
I cant imagine any harm will come of my having done it a little early then, can you?
I hate this service guy...i told him i had the manual in my hand and it says 600...he said its supposed to be done at 180. Hes such a little twat
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I cant imagine any harm will come of my having done it a little early then, can you?
I hate this service guy...i told him i had the manual in my hand and it says 600...he said its supposed to be done at 180. Hes such a little twat
Nope, should be no problem changing the oil and even the filter much earlier than you have to. The only downside is spending more for the extra oil and filter when you do so.
I know some guys who insist on changing the oil in their modern cars every 3,000 miles when the manuals clearly state 10,000 or even 12,000 miles for those cars. Doesn't hurt the engines in the least.
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Wondering about the horizontal shock...
Was just looking again at that pic of the angles and the pics the dealer sent to me. With the AK on the center stand the rear wheel is allowed to hang a bit lower... as would be expected. That makes the shock and the swing arm look like they are parallel to each other so the angles between them is not apparent and it is hard to see how the shock can do its job. Then I realized the feature that makes it all work. That rear mount for the shock being above the swing arm is all important. If you draw a line from the pivot point of the swing arm to the rear shock mount point it is at an angle to both the swing arm and also the front shock mount bolt. This angle between that line and the forward shock mount becomes even more as the rear wheel, and thus the swing arm, are loaded. This is what enables the horizontal shock to work. And because that angle is compounded the more the rear end is loaded it naturally progressively compresses the shock, which can be made stiffer for better results. More efficient than a simple vertical shock that simply compresses in a straight line up and down. At least that's how I currently understand it. It would make sense then that all the high dollar bikes seem to be going to something like this.
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Was just looking again at that pic of the angles and the pics the dealer sent to me. With the AK on the center stand the rear wheel is allowed to hang a bit lower... as would be expected. That makes the shock and the swing arm look like they are parallel to each other so the angles between them is not apparent and it is hard to see how the shock can do its job. Then I realized the feature that makes it all work. That rear mount for the shock being above the swing arm is all important. If you draw a line from the pivot point of the swing arm to the rear shock mount point it is at an angle to both the swing arm and also the front shock mount bolt. This angle between that line and the forward shock mount becomes even more as the rear wheel, and thus the swing arm, are loaded. This is what enables the horizontal shock to work. And because that angle is compounded the more the rear end is loaded it naturally progressively compresses the shock, which can be made stiffer for better results. More efficient than a simple vertical shock that simply compresses in a straight line up and down. At least that's how I currently understand it. It would make sense then that all the high dollar bikes seem to be going to something like this.
Sir,
My friends tell me I'm mechanically declined. And why reading your quote above gave me a headache, which is NOT to say you are incorrect. I'm sure you are right and will remember to contact you if I ever need advice like this. And, Congratulations again on your new ride!!
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im on the edge of my seat here...didja get it? is it glorious?
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im on the edge of my seat here...didja get it? is it glorious?
I'm with ya!!!
I'm betting Bob's worst part is just wanting to take off and cruise. He'll break it in right, but I know he is chomping at the bits!!!!
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I guess I do have to come inside SOMETIME. Which means parking the bike for the night.
Rode the Burgman 650 down to Moto Italia at Edwardsville, IL and met Russ (a friend and rider from ST-Owners who lives in Eastern Iowa) at the first gas stop along the ride and he accompanied me the rest of the way around. He has accompanied me on rides to riding/camping events several times.
The trip down was faster than the trip back. Went 364 miles to get there. Spent entirely too long at the dealership but I was going over things on the new 2022 Kymco AK 550 and setting up the Noodoe app and connecting that to the AK for trying out the navigation on the way home. Ended up that the navigation took longer than I thought to update all the mapping to enable it to work well on that first trip. I didn't plan to go all the way home the same day since I knew I'd be at the dealer at least a few hours. We ended up taking nearly 5 hours to get to our motel after leaving the dealer sometime around 4:30. Part of that was taking it extremely easy on the new bike for the first 100 miles keeping the speed lower and varying the RPM as was required by the mfr. and recommended by the dealer. Should have stayed at a motel closer to the dealer. The navigation really didn't work well at all on the way to the motel. It kept trying to get me to turn around or take side streets/roads to get back to... somewhere else than where I was headed. So I ended up ignoring it and going by instinct.
This is a small dealership and one of very few where they actually do repairs to bikes rather than just replace modules that the computer diagnostics say to replace. This is one BIG reason many dealer shops don't work on bikes more than 10 years old.
Dealer looked over my Burgman and I showed him about the farkles that were added. One big reason I decided to bite the bullet with this dealer is that they offered more for my Burgman in trade than anyone had actually offered for a sale price from my advertising. Plus, they were willing to deal on the price a little. Ended up with a better deal than if I bought a 2021 model at a lower price but more up-charges tacked on and no trade. Everything went as expected financially.
The ride back to the motel the Saturday night was long but the AK performed wonderfully. The engine revs a little higher than my Burgman did for the same speeds but that just enables it to out perform the Burgman. It accelerates faster. Smaller engine (550.4cc vs. 638cc) and about 130 lbs lighter than the Burgman with about the same torque and HP. The seat is comfortable. The slanted foot board is a little closer than on the Burgman, but that's good since I always felt it was too far away. The level foot board feels a little lower than on the Burgman, but that's due to the seat being a little bit higher. Both foot boards were more comfortable to use on this bike. The seat height is actually 1 inch higher than on the Burgman 650. The all LED lighting, including headlights, worked really well. I was able to clearly see way down the road with those, especially on high beam. Russ was following and told me the tail light showed up really well. But that while the brake light was rather small it was very bright. I've intended to add a flashing brake LED bar similar to what I have had on all of my last 4 bikes. There is a bracket for the rear reflectors that will work well to mount that LED bar.
The dealer had filled the gas tank and ended up with 6 miles on the bike when I arrived. Now it has 412 miles on the odometer. The trip home from the dealership was 406 miles. I was able to get the maps figured out for the connected navigation and that worked well today on the rest of the way home. I think I figured out that the selected maps just didn't completely download to the bike before we left the dealer and then were not able to do so while on the road. That did complete while we were at the motel so today the navigation worked as well as any other navigation system. I want to try it out a lot more before I decide if I even want to mount my phone, or any other device, on the dash. I am thinking right now that I won't have to. I'm very good with that idea since the only reason I would have my phone mounted on the bike is for navigation. I can still have Google Maps running and giving me voice prompts while the bike navigation is showing on the center screen with the phone sitting in the glove box plugged into the USB port, which is what I was doing today. That worked out rather well. The Noodoe system on the AK 550 already handles showing me if there are text messages or phone calls I missed while riding, but this ONLY shows up when I am stopped and does not interrupt anything while riding. That part was working fine yesterday since there were a few text messages and a phone call I missed but the screen didn't show that to me until I stopped at the motel.
BTW- The "AVE MPG" display on the dash was showing around 65-66 mpg for every tank of gas I used. That display resets when I reset the A Trip meter, which I do every time I fill the tank to keep track of miles run since last fill. I haven't yet calculated the mpg based on miles traveled between fill ups yet so don't know how accurate the reading is on the dash. I do know that the gas gauge has been severely criticized for dropping to the flashing last bar rather fast. Some have said only half a tank is used to get to that point. I only saw that last bar start to flash once on the way home and for that tank it started flashing at 134 miles. And then I added just over 2.4 gallons when I stopped a few miles after that. My impression is that it really is not that much different than the gas gauge on "my" Burgman 650. (quote marks added since it is no longer mine now).
This bike has a "welcome" feature that I ended up turning off. That causes the Noodoe screen to light up and pulse a few times when I approach the bike even when it is turned off. Some owners on forums have said this is the bike sensing the remote fob but I found that not to be the case. It was doing that when it sensed my phone if BT was still turned on (and both fobs were in Faraday pouches in the motel room). I turned off the welcome sensing and also will make sure to turn off BT on my phone... which I usually do anyway when I'm not using my Sena. Turning off the BT on my phone stopped that welcome feature even before I disabled it.
A few more photos below. I bought a few supply things... a few oil filters (dealer has a real good price), an air filter, and a CVT gasket. That last item could not be bent, obviously, and was packaged on a stiff cardboard. I was able to bend the corners of the cardboard that were clear of the actual gasket so it would fit in the storage under the seat without being damaged. That is what I planned for by bringing my clothes in a small dry bag that I put under the cargo net on the passenger seat.
I used soft ties around the passenger hand grips to prevent marring the finish
I want to get more riding in, which I will be doing in the next many weeks I hope, before I give more of an evaluation of this scooter.
Link to some photos. Some taken at the dealership and some after leaving there:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/iuu4PzwMHfXt6uuu9 (https://photos.app.goo.gl/iuu4PzwMHfXt6uuu9)
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congratulations on getting it back home! Looks like a beautiful bike. Looking forward to more riding reviews after you get some more miles on.
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The service manual that is from Austria Kymco shows the earlier schedule. I don't know if that also is still the norm in other countries. But the USA schedule is more like the usual motorcycle over here. Just found the graphic that was posted on the ADV Rider forum that I saw many months ago showing the different maintenance interval for the USA. Makes much more sense to me.
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Hi rjs987 Congratulations on the new bike; it's a real beauty. I hope this doesn't mean you will leave the Burgman Forum.
Here in Taiwan they recommend 1st oil change at 300km on new bike and then every 5000km thereafter; it's probably the same everywhere. More often is not going to hurt; I have the oil changed on my Kymco Racing King every 1000km; I do ride it hard though.
See you on the other side, the Burgman forum that is.
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Not the same here:
.6X1000=600 mile first oil change. Every 3k miles thereafter.
(https://i.imgur.com/G9uoWwE.jpg)
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Rode the AK out to the county DOT office to get it registered and titled. Wasn't sure if the State would charge me tax based on the actual purchase price or deduct the trade-in allowance and tax that amount. Different states work it differently. Turns out that Iowa deducts the trade allowance first and then calculates tax on the balance. For some really strange reason, or perhaps governmental convoluted calculating, they set the purchase price somewhat less than the actual purchase price even though it was plainly stated on the purchase agreement. So the State thinks I was charged the purchase price of $10199 less the trade value of $4200 and charged me tax based on $5999. Yet I wrote the check for the balance for $6000. Oh well, I was fine with paying tax on a slightly lower amount.
OK, now I divulged all my secret details of my purchase. But not all. I did get the Kymco promotional discount of $250 off any Kymco product 250 cc or bigger. That promotion goes to the Dec 31, 2021.
This trip was a 29 miles round trip. I did discover that if I set the navigation start point to a building or someplace not actually ON the road then the Noodoe nav system will continually attempt to route me directly to that point... off road! So I recalculated the route to start at my currently location and all worked out really well.
At the county vehicle registration office.
In Iowa when buying a new vehicle within 30 days of selling a previous one I can simply transfer the existing plate over to the new vehicle. That is what I did... for now. I am considering possibly getting a personalized license plate for my AK. Maybe when it's time to renew registration.
The colors of the default plate don't do justice to the lovely Matte Deep Blue of my AK 550. But I think a blacked out plate with white lettering will work better.
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The colors of the default plate don't do justice to the lovely Matte Deep Blue of my AK 550. But I think a blacked out plate with white lettering will work better.[/size][/font][/color]
I think its the best looking skewter EVER. But ive a little bias at this point.
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Not the same here:
.6X1000=600 mile first oil change. Every 3k miles thereafter...
ACTUALLY...
You are partly right.
The first oil change per the USA user manual is at 600 miles. Second oil change at 3000 miles. Third oil change at 6000 miles.
Then it becomes much more reasonable with all subsequent oil changes every 6000 miles after that third oil change.
Filter changes happen as follows:
First change at 600 miles. Second filter change at 6000 miles. All subsequent filter changes every 6000 miles after that.
Oil screen is checked at the first oil change. And then the oil screen is checked and/or replaced as needed at every oil change.
I was initially thinking that I would very much prefer to do oil changes every 6000 miles similar to what I was doing with my Burgman and other bikes before that. But since only the first 3 oil changes are at short interval and then longer 6000 miles intervals after that I'll likely stick to the schedule... especially during warranty.
The CVT belt is scheduled to be replaced at 12,000 miles and there is no scheduled inspection of it before that. I would expect that belt would last even beyond that mileage but will see the condition on the scheduled interval.
Attached is a pdf screen clip of the service schedule for the USA. I couldn't see all of the clip that Clampett posted until I figured out I had to scroll sideways to see all of it.
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<snip>
The first oil change per the USA user manual is at 600 miles. Second oil change at 3000 miles. Third oil change at 6000 miles.
Then it becomes much more reasonable with all subsequent oil changes every 6000 miles after that third oil change.
<snip>
Yep, plain as day and I still said it wrong. Good catch. Thanks.
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Yep, plain as day and I still said it wrong. Good catch. Thanks.
Just keeping you on your toes. I'm sure you'd do the same for me... please. ::)
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ACTUALLY...
You are partly right.
The first oil change per the USA user manual is at 600 miles. Second oil change at 3000 miles. Third oil change at 6000 miles.
Then it becomes much more reasonable with all subsequent oil changes every 6000 miles after that third oil change.
Filter changes happen as follows:
First change at 600 miles. Second filter change at 6000 miles. All subsequent filter changes every 6000 miles after that.
Oil screen is checked at the first oil change. And then the oil screen is checked and/or replaced as needed at every oil change.
I was initially thinking that I would very much prefer to do oil changes every 6000 miles similar to what I was doing with my Burgman and other bikes before that. But since only the first 3 oil changes are at short interval and then longer 6000 miles intervals after that I'll likely stick to the schedule... especially during warranty.
The CVT belt is scheduled to be replaced at 12,000 miles and there is no scheduled inspection of it before that. I would expect that belt would last even beyond that mileage but will see the condition on the scheduled interval.
Attached is a pdf screen clip of the service schedule for the USA. I couldn't see all of the clip that Clampett posted until I figured out I had to scroll sideways to see all of it.
I just got doing the 3k mile change...went ahead and replaced the filter because i changed the first one so early...just wanted to be sure i was rid of all the micro debris. There actually was a little bit in the oil screen.
The TERRIBLE dealer service department must have mistaken the oil filter for a lug nut because it was just CRANKED on...so much so that the rubber was crushed and it was leaking very slightly...AND they had the oil way way overfilled as it turns out...i hadnt really looked at the dipstick all that close because i just assumed it was correct but it was filled all the way to the top notch...i went ahead and put in the amount stated in the manual and it landed right in the middle of the stick at the indicated mark.
Plus they didnt put one of the little plastic fasteners back in...its not there anyway.
Just awful. Never letting them touch it again unless its a warranty call
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went ahead and ordered this little tool today since ill obviously never get any help from service...looks like it makes the whole process pretty simple
https://www.easyboost.fr/en/maxiscooter/66-easyboost-variator-torque-drive-tools-for-kymco-ak-550-3770007214706.html
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went ahead and ordered this little tool today since ill obviously never get any help from service...looks like it makes the whole process pretty simple
https://www.easyboost.fr/en/maxiscooter/66-easyboost-variator-torque-drive-tools-for-kymco-ak-550-3770007214706.html (https://www.easyboost.fr/en/maxiscooter/66-easyboost-variator-torque-drive-tools-for-kymco-ak-550-3770007214706.html)
I've been considering that tool also. $126.46 incl shipping right now. Shipping to the USA is half the cost of the tool itself. Keep in mind that the video leaves out a lot of the process of removing the panels and a few other details.
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Spent the day yesterday re-arranging the garage to be able to park both cars inside instead of one forced to sit in the driveway. During warmer months the Corolla sits outside while half of the garage is filled with garden and yard work supplies and "stuff" as well as both my wife's and my scooters are parked there. During cold months to prevent the need to scrape ice off windows we put away all the garden and lawn stuff and bring the snow thrower to the front on one side putting away my wife's scooter for the season and make room for the Corolla to fit in yet also allow me to easily get my scooter out for a ride when I want. We only have an extended 2 car garage so that becomes a trick sometimes but I've managed to figure it out each year. With the technology in this scooter using the battery more than other, more archaic, scooters do even while parked I plug in the battery maintainer more often than I normally would. It doesn't constantly use battery but just a bit more than any other bike I've owned. If I turn off BT on my phone and put the keyless fob in a Faraday pouch the AK doesn't keep trying to find me nor connect to my phone so that helps preserve battery power.
Here is my new AK 550 tucked into it's winter parking spot ready to back out when the whim strikes. It looks tight but it does easily fit past the Rav4 to get out of the garage.
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Here is my new AK 550 tucked into it's winter parking spot ready to back out when the whim strikes. It looks tight but it does easily fit past the Rav4 to get out of the garage.
Beautiful...life is gooood.
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My dealer put the Battery Tender pigtail into the right glove box. I'm OK with that for now. I have a SAE to 12vdc socket adapter I can use on it and plan to order a Battery Tender SAE to USB adapter as well for an extra USB connection. Then I'll have one in the left glove box and one in the right glove box.
While I was in the mood I removed the windshield and the front top cover to see what the amp rating is on the battery tender pigtail the dealer installed for me. 7.5 amps. IOW, the standard fuse for battery tender. I found and saved a pigtail in my Amazon list with a 15 amp fuse. The wire in the standard pigtail might be able to handle 15 amps but not totally positive so I'll be changing that out. My mini compressor needs a 15 amp fuse. I also will be buying a new Battery Tender Plus, 1.25 amp, 6v or 12v. I'll use the new BT+ on the AK and use my old maintainer for the John Deere and the Metropolitan... switching off every few weeks between those two. My old one is an AccuMate battery maintainer I bought when I had my Gold Wing back in 2004. It's still working as advertised.
Oh, and since I removed the windshield I put back in the upper position for the cooler months coming along now. Was very easy to do all this. No need to remove the front top cover to move the shield. But it does need to come off to get at the battery which is located up there just in front of the instrument panels, or the fuse box which clips on top the battery. That front top cover has 2 small screws and 2 plastic rivets to take out then simply pull it straight forward, in a motion parallel to the ground, to unlatch the clips and hooks around the perimeter and it pulls right off. Putting it back on is the reverse and it snaps right on after lining up the hooks and clips. The shield bracket screws and shield screws do have a torque value but I didn't use the torque wrench. The brackets are hard heavy plastic so just very tight is good for those. The shield screws go through rubber grommets as with all shield screws on any bike so very snug on those. The steps and pics are very clear in the owners manual on relocating the shield up or down so no real need for pics on that.
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At least you know you dont really need to order one until you need it. Or heck, you can borrow mine :D
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Just how far would I have to ride to go get it? If I need it I won't likely be riding however, so that would mean YOU would be riding to me to bring it here. ;D
(central Iowa here) ;)
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Hi rjs987 Congratulations on the new bike; it's a real beauty. I hope this doesn't mean you will leave the Burgman Forum.
Here in Taiwan they recommend 1st oil change at 300km on new bike and then every 5000km thereafter; it's probably the same everywhere. More often is not going to hurt; I have the oil changed on my Kymco Racing King every 1000km; I do ride it hard though.
See you on the other side, the Burgman forum that is.
I was surprised by the frequency of oil/oil filter changes recommended...same for the air filter!!
NOTICE
? Air Filter Cartridge made of paper is used. Clean the Cartridge every
2000 km.
? Replace with a new Air Filter Cartridge every 5000km.
Thats from the service manual WHBAK550.pdf and it seems absolutely EXTREME!! Ive was cleaning it at that interval but its pointless. I have yet to get even the slightest puff of dust when i blow it out.
Im thinking these recommendations are for places with less pavement on the average commute or something :D
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I was surprised by the frequency of oil/oil filter changes recommended...same for the air filter!!
NOTICE
? Air Filter Cartridge made of paper is used. Clean the Cartridge every
2000 km.
? Replace with a new Air Filter Cartridge every 5000km.
Thats from the service manual WHBAK550.pdf and it seems absolutely EXTREME!! Ive was cleaning it at that interval but its pointless. I have yet to get even the slightest puff of dust when i blow it out.
Im thinking these recommendations are for places with less pavement on the average commute or something :D
First, that service manual is based on earlier models in Europe or in Taiwan.
The USA service schedule per the owner manual is much better for interval miles. First oil change at 600 miles, then 3000 miles, then 6000 miles and every 6000 miles after that. That's not so extreme and is actually still common for most bikes in the USA. The air filter inspection is every 6000 miles but replace is at every 12,000 miles. Not bad really.
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First, that service manual is based on earlier models in Europe or in Taiwan.
The USA service schedule per the owner manual is much better for interval miles. First oil change at 600 miles, then 3000 miles, then 6000 miles and every 6000 miles after that. That's not so extreme and is actually still common for most bikes in the USA. The air filter inspection is every 6000 miles but replace is at every 12,000 miles. Not bad really.
Oh, ya...i figured that out eventually :P
Just thinking there has to be some for the disparity. Road condition was the only thing i could come up with...And agreed!! The ACTUAL maintenance schedule...the one in the pretty kickarse box which ill keep for EVER...is pretty sensible and in line with other machines of its class.
Weird thing is that my certified kymco professional service provider would be unaware of the difference and COMPLETELY unwilling to listen to me about the difference even though i was looking right at the manual.
Ill stop about the service guy. I know i will.
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BTW - the dealer I went through had just ordered and was expecting a 2022 Matte Silver Crystal AK 550 when I had called them last week. I mentioned about really liking the Matte Deep Blue and they said they could order that and get it by this week. They ordered it on Thursday and had it in the shop by Monday. If a dealer can get a special order color in 2 business days I'd say USA stock availability is starting to ramp up.
Having said that I will also add that there are many Kymco dealers, and dealers of other bikes as well, who are too lazy IMO to bother putting in an order for something a customer specifically wants or for models that they don't want to bother selling. Their loss.
I liked the blue one too...but it would have cost another $1000 or so.
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After 455 miles riding the AK I think I can give a little bit of an assessment of this scooter. I say "I think" because 90% of those miles is highway so not a lot of slower roads traveled yet.
Starting from the top:
The shield is plenty for my needs and comfort. There is more protection than it would seem just looking at it. Most of the miles so far have been with the shield in the lower position. In this position I do get a stream of wind over the shield and maybe a little around it. But I want that during the warm and hot months when I would have the shield in the low position. I wear a full face helmet (not a modular) and like having the air stream flowing to the vents at the top of my helmet. The wind hits just above the visor on me so that's perfect. I only just recently moved the shield to the upper position and went on a 20 mile ride with it that way. There was plenty of protection with the air stream going over my helmet. This upper position is 1.5 inches higher and not angled back as much as the lower position so that bumps the air just over my helmet. Maybe, just maybe, I feel a little air on the very top but that's to be expected since I am after all on a motor-scooter (If you really want NO wind on you when you ride then stay inside your fully enclosed cage and keep the windows closed).
The seat is comfortable. I was a little concerned about that since I've not sat on a really comfortable stock seat until my CTX1300. My Burgman had a Corbin seat which was very comfortable, much more so than the CTX. Even more so than the Gold Wing I had years ago. I was wondering how many miles before I started to feel like I needed to get off the bike to rest but I just kept going and never got to that point. Either I changed or the stock seats are getting better or this Kymco AK 550 seat in particular is really that good. At least to me it is. I was comfortable the entire 200+ miles of the first day riding back from the dealer as well as 200+ miles on the next day. 406 miles total for both days.
I mentioned before after I first had a chance to sit on one of these how the ergonomics worked out for leg/foot room. I still hold to that. My reach to the grips on the AK has almost just the same feel as my reach was on the Burgman 650. Not enough to really tell any difference, although I'm sure in a side view picture a slight difference can be seen it is so slight so as to be hard to tell.
On my Burgman I found the only really comfortable place for my feet was right at the bend from the level foot board to the slanted foot board. My knees and hips were bent too much to be comfortable for long with my feet fully on the level foot board and the slanted foot board was just a little far away for me. I could keep my feet on the slanted board but my knees were too straight so a bit of a strain. On the AK I find it comfortable to keep my feet on the level foot board for a long time since the seat is higher and the more I ride it the more I am convinced the extra height is between the seat and level foot board. I can also more comfortably put my feet fully on the slanted foot board as well. My feet do still tend to drift to that place right at the notch in between slanted and level foot boards with the ball of my foot on the slant and my heal on the level out of habit. But with the AK I find I just leave my feet on the level foot board more and more. Since there is more distance from the seat to the level boards my hips and knees are not bent as much so are much more comfortable. I used to be young enough when all this didn't matter so much but those years are way past. I do definitely find the foot boards on the AK are longer, but not wider, than on the Burgman 650. So I can slide my feet forward or back a little on the level foot boards, or up or down a little on the slanted foot boards, before running out of foot board. The AK foot boards have a notch between the level and slanted boards that allow my toe to slide even more forward when on the level foot board.
The seat height is more than on MY Burgman 650 and also more than the stock Burgman 650. Burgman seat height = 29.9 inches. AK 550 seat height = 30.9 inches. For my comparison my ST1100 seat height = 31.5 inches. I could flat foot both feet easily on my Burgman. I can also do that on the AK but not as easily. If I slide up a little on the seat I can flat foot both sides but if I stay back in the seat I can only flat foot one side at a time. But the other foot is solidly on the ground if not down on my heal. I am 5 ft 9 in. with a 32 inch inseam. I never feel any instability on the AK while coming to or holding at a stop.
The ride so far is very nice. The engine does rev higher while doing the same thing as the Burgman. The red line is the same on both machines. The low end power feels better on the AK and acceleration also feels better. Holding speed on the Interstate highways at 65 mph is the same even with the engine revving higher on the AK. It does not feel like it's revving too high at any speed once I become accustomed to hearing/feeling/seeing that it is at a higher rpm. Just another something to become used to as with any new bike. Sort of like keeping the Power Mode turned on all the time with the Burgman. So far the mpg is as good as with the Burgman. I wasn't expecting that with this being a NEW bike. Usually mpg starts out a little lower than expected with a new bike and improves as the miles add on. If it goes as is expected then I will be very pleased with the mpg. I actually already am pleased since so far I've been getting around 55 mpg with one tank that I refilled before it was half gone that was below 50 mpg. But that low mpg was expected also since the temps during that part of the ride were below 50 F and in my experience the mpg starts to really drop about there.
The suspension is as good as I've been reading and hearing about in reviews. Going down mildly bouncy roads, where the pavement is not bumpy but just not so flat, the bike behaves as any other bike does and follows the "wave" of the pavement. But on bumps and uneven cracks in pavement the AK front end makes those a little softer than the Burgman did. There is no shock at the front end when hitting those. And the rear soaks up the bumps and uneven cracks as well. The rear shocks are not adjustable on the standard AK 550. There was a special edition that came out overseas a few years ago that did have adjustable shocks but that has not been the norm for the entire run since the end of 2017 when this bike was first announced. Overall I think the suspension is really good.
Almost forgot to mention about the heated grips. I did have a chance to try those out on that one leg of the trip home where the temps dropped below 50 F. I never went above the lowest setting and my hands were hot! I'll be testing just how well they work with my hands and gloves when the temps get really cold, like close to zero F. I'm still skeptical if they will be enough for me at those temps but we'll see.
The built-in features are neat. It is very nice to do a quick check of tire psi using the integrated TPMS and also flip past the voltage dispay. I usually leave it on either the voltage monitor or average mpg display while riding. Someday I'll rig up something temporary to mount my phone to do a cross check compare of the speedometer with the phone GPS.
The keyless system is way different to use than having an actual key but I'm getting used to it. The keyless control is really not as complicated as it looks and doesn't really have as much complexity as it seems at first glance. It basically does the same functions as a standard keyed ignition switch but just without inserting a key. It turns on the bike, opens the seat storage, opens the gas cap cover, locks the handlebars. And that's really it. It is nice not having to find my key to put into the ignition switch, but I do need to make sure I know where that fob is located and that it is secure in a zippered pocket in my gear.
The Noodoe system is cool. It could be much better but still nice to have some of the features enabled on the bike. I've already experienced how the notifications work for missed text messages and missed phone calls. Those only show up when sitting at a stop light for a little while and then go away when I start moving. I've been playing with the navigation that is built into the app. There are many quirks to it but I think I work through those to make it usable for me. Still a work in progress. I have found that if I set a way point just OFF the road I actually ride on the nav tends to want me to keep circling around that point until I hit right on it. That's usually only when I set a way point on a business or landmark that I cannot actually ride exactly to. The only way around it when that happens is to stop and reset the route to start at "my current location" and then it will move on. The nav does recalculate as expected and gets me to where I programmed it to go. It even has voice prompts for turn by turn. I'm still getting used to where some of the settings are in the program. One of the issues that has been reported is that because the Noodoe system, and also the keyless system, is always on in the background then the battery tends to drain more rapidly than any other bike. I have found that this doesn't happen quite as much if I make sure to turn off BT on my phone and also put my keyless fob in a Faraday pouch so the bike isn't continually trying to recognize those when they are near enough to be detected by those systems. I also keep the battery plugged into my battery maintainer. The battery at rest seems to show 12.7 vdc. But after a day it drops to 12.6 vdc unless I keep it plugged into the maintainer. I have ordered a new Battery Tender Plus to use just on my AK and use my other maintainer alternately on my wife's scooter and the JD lawn tractor. There is a setting in the app to enable the bike to remember the BT connection for a set number of days. This plays into the battery drain. The trade off is if I set this to a short time I have to re-pair the bike to the phone if that time is past or if I set this to a longer number of days the battery goes down just a little more. But keeping it connected to the Batt Tender would solve that issue.
I'm having fun on this new scooter and will continue to report on what I learn about it. My first oil/filter change interval is coming up in about 140 miles. I think due to the temp trends of the next many weeks I'll be doing that maintenance a little before the scheduled 600 miles. 461 miles on the odometer right now. I'd like to get at least another 80-90 miles riding before I do that and also get the job done next Tuesday. I say that since that is the next and likely the last day this year that will have temps over 60 F per the current forecast. There are already several videos on YouTube that show doing the oil/filter change so I don't think I need to be redundant about that.
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@rjs, thank you for this thorough review.
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@rjs, thank you for this thorough review.
Agreed Bob, a useful and detailed first impressions. Glad you’re enjoying it.
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Oh, ya...i figured that out eventually :P
Just thinking there has to be some for the disparity. Road condition was the only thing i could come up with...And agreed!! The ACTUAL maintenance schedule...the one in the pretty kickarse box which ill keep for EVER...is pretty sensible and in line with other machines of its class.
Weird thing is that my certified kymco professional service provider would be unaware of the difference and COMPLETELY unwilling to listen to me about the difference even though i was looking right at the manual.
Ill stop about the service guy. I know i will.
This shop will probably also wrongly insist on having to use a jaso ma/ma2 oil in your AK, costing you possibly even more money. There's nothing "wrong" with using it. But you don't "have" to.
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Awesome write-up. You're really good at that. Quite articulate. Are you a writer?
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This shop will probably also wrongly insist on having to use a jaso ma/ma2 oil in your AK, costing you possibly even more money. There's nothing "wrong" with using it. But you don't "have" to.
Why do you say that? My owner manual calls for using JASO type oil. EVERY bike with a wet clutch calls for using a JASO type oil. The minimum requirement with a wet clutch that the AK does have is that any oil you do use MUST NOT BE certified as Resource Conserving nor Energy Conserving since those designations indicate the inclusion of special extra slippery additives, over and above any other additives, which WILL destroy the clutch plates/pads over time. Usually the results of this happen within the span of one oil change but sometimes the more severe results may not be seen until the second oil change. In the USA there is an API circle on many oil bottles with an inner circle and outer ring. If the outer bottom ring is blank then it is good for using with a wet clutch. That outer bottom ring is where Resource Conserving or Energy Conserving will be indicated. Those bottles that don't have this circle should have that designated somewhere on the bottle or at least in documentation about the oil. JASO MA or JASO MA2 are simply certifications that indicate the oil is good for bikes with a wet clutch. In my past bikes I've usually used Rotella T6 full synthetic which is certified as JASO MA/MA2. Sometimes I have used SuperTech full synthetic 10w-40 until they changed it to make it a Resource Conserving oil and then I stopped. Sometimes I have used Valvoline when I can find it with the JASO MA certification. Personally I don't care what brand or viscosity oil anyone chooses to use. But if asked I will always say that if you have a wet clutch don't use any oil that is not certified JASO MA or is designated as Resource Conserving or Energy Conserving... unless you want to be doing clutch service in the near future.
So I agree that you don't have to use the oil bought from a dealer (if you do your own oil changes). But do be careful what oil you do use.
Awesome write-up. You're really good at that. Quite articulate. Are you a writer?
Thanks. And no, not a writer. But I am a detail person and a little anal about some things. :o
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Why do you say that? My owner manual calls for using JASO type oil. EVERY bike with a wet clutch calls for using a JASO type oil. The minimum requirement with a wet clutch that the AK does have is that any oil you do use MUST NOT BE certified as Resource Conserving nor Energy Conserving since those designations indicate the inclusion of special extra slippery additives, over and above any other additives, which WILL destroy the clutch plates/pads over time. Usually the results of this happen within the span of one oil change but sometimes the more severe results may not be seen until the second oil change. In the USA there is an API circle on many oil bottles with an inner circle and outer ring. If the outer bottom ring is blank then it is good for using with a wet clutch. That outer bottom ring is where Resource Conserving or Energy Conserving will be indicated. Those bottles that don't have this circle should have that designated somewhere on the bottle or at least in documentation about the oil. JASO MA or JASO MA2 are simply certifications that indicate the oil is good for bikes with a wet clutch. In my past bikes I've usually used Rotella T6 full synthetic which is certified as JASO MA/MA2. Sometimes I have used SuperTech full synthetic 10w-40 until they changed it to make it a Resource Conserving oil and then I stopped. Sometimes I have used Valvoline when I can find it with the JASO MA certification. Personally I don't care what brand or viscosity oil anyone chooses to use. But if asked I will always say that if you have a wet clutch don't use any oil that is not certified JASO MA or is designated as Resource Conserving or Energy Conserving... unless you want to be doing clutch service in the near future.
So I agree that you don't have to use the oil bought from a dealer (if you do your own oil changes). But do be careful what oil you do use.
Thanks. And no, not a writer. But I am a detail person and a little anal about some things. :o
The AK is a CVT there is no clutch. Also you should rerear your manual. There is no mention of the ma Orr ma2 oil. It only lists the weight.
Again CVTs don't have wet clutches!
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The AK is a CVT there is no clutch. Also you should rerear your manual. There is no mention of the ma Orr ma2 oil. It only lists the weight.
Again CVTs don't have wet clutches!
No, there is definitely a clutch that is after any CVT in a scooter drive train. Even little 50 cc scooters have a clutch between the CVT and final drive gears at the rear wheel. However in the swing arm mounted engines with the CVT along the swing arm the clutch is a dry clutch. But in every scooter with a frame mounted engine that I've looked into the clutch is a wet clutch that shares the engine oil.
There is no clutch LEVER since the clutch is automatic. But there is a clutch. I HAVE been reading my service manual for the AK and there is an entire section just on the clutch and reduction gear set that is between the CVT and final drive/timing belt. And I have read the service manual for my wife's Metropolitan and my Burgman as well as worked on those. THERE IS A CLUTCH. The CVT is in place of a fixed gear transmission, but it does not replace the clutch. Basic vehicle drive train mechanics. Almost the only vehicle that may not have a clutch is an electric drive vehicle. But even then, if there is a gas motor, such as with a hybrid, there is a clutch in those as well.
And just to add to complexity any bike with DCT has TWO clutches! And those are usually wet clutches.
If you have a swing arm mounted CVT and clutch you don't have to be concerned with what oil goes into the engine... other than recommended viscosity and oil serviceability rating. But if the clutch is mounted as part of the engine casing, as in the AK 550, then you do.
BTW- whats "ma Orr"? typo? Oh, you were referring to JASO MA/MA2... and there definitely is mention of JASO in the owner manual. Been working with and seeing those specs on oil for over the last 15 years.
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Why do you say that? My owner manual calls for using JASO type oil. EVERY bike with a wet clutch calls for using a JASO type oil. The minimum requirement with a wet clutch that the AK does have is that any oil you do use MUST NOT BE certified as Resource Conserving nor Energy Conserving since those designations indicate the inclusion of special extra slippery additives, over and above any other additives, which WILL destroy the clutch plates/pads over time. Usually the results of this happen within the span of one oil change but sometimes the more severe results may not be seen until the second oil change. In the USA there is an API circle on many oil bottles with an inner circle and outer ring. If the outer bottom ring is blank then it is good for using with a wet clutch. That outer bottom ring is where Resource Conserving or Energy Conserving will be indicated. Those bottles that don't have this circle should have that designated somewhere on the bottle or at least in documentation about the oil. JASO MA or JASO MA2 are simply certifications that indicate the oil is good for bikes with a wet clutch. In my past bikes I've usually used Rotella T6 full synthetic which is certified as JASO MA/MA2. Sometimes I have used SuperTech full synthetic 10w-40 until they changed it to make it a Resource Conserving oil and then I stopped. Sometimes I have used Valvoline when I can find it with the JASO MA certification. Personally I don't care what brand or viscosity oil anyone chooses to use. But if asked I will always say that if you have a wet clutch don't use any oil that is not certified JASO MA or is designated as Resource Conserving or Energy Conserving... unless you want to be doing clutch service in the near future.
So I agree that you don't have to use the oil bought from a dealer (if you do your own oil changes). But do be careful what oil you do use.
Thanks. And no, not a writer. But I am a detail person and a little anal about some things. :o
Quick little panic attack...had to run down and dig the empties out of the trash to make sure i had used the right oil :D
Mobile1 Racing Full Synthetic 4t SAE 10W-40 "Meets or exceeds requirements of JASO MA/MA2 API SN"
Gooood....gooood...
I just bought it because it had the little picture of a motorcycle on it. :P :) :D
Its great living in a virtually idiot-proof society
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Just looked in the AK 550 service manual. The wet clutch is contained in what Kymco is calling the Mission Box. On pages 4-42 through 4-46 are the steps for removing disassembling what the SM calls several times the "wet clutch" and performing some service on it.
The engine crank shaft feeds into the drive pulley of the CVT, which spins the driven pulley of the CVT. The output of the CVT feeds into the wet clutch. This wet clutch outputs to what Kymco is calling the final drive, which is a set of reduction gears that output on the final shaft. The final shaft is what the forward sprocket for the final drive/timing belt is mounted on.
The wet clutch and final drive reduction gear set and final shaft/sprocket are all on the left side just behind the water pump cover of the engine.
Interesting to me is that Suzuki calls the final drive reduction gear set the "transmission" on the Burgman 650 yet is not referring to the CVT. This has caused some confusion with some owners who did their own maintenance thinking they were changing the oil in the CVT on the left side of that engine. But the CVT is on the right side just like on the AK. I think calling that reduction gear set the "final drive" is better, yet still not best.
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No, there is definitely a clutch that is after any CVT in a scooter drive train. Even little 50 cc scooters have a clutch between the CVT and final drive gears at the rear wheel. However in the swing arm mounted engines with the CVT along the swing arm the clutch is a dry clutch. But in every scooter with a frame mounted engine that I've looked into the clutch is a wet clutch that shares the engine oil.
There is no clutch LEVER since the clutch is automatic. But there is a clutch. I HAVE been reading my service manual for the AK and there is an entire section just on the clutch and reduction gear set that is between the CVT and final drive/timing belt. And I have read the service manual for my wife's Metropolitan and my Burgman as well as worked on those. THERE IS A CLUTCH. The CVT is in place of a fixed gear transmission, but it does not replace the clutch. Basic vehicle drive train mechanics. Almost the only vehicle that may not have a clutch is an electric drive vehicle. But even then, if there is a gas motor, such as with a hybrid, there is a clutch in those as well.
And just to add to complexity any bike with DCT has TWO clutches! And those are usually wet clutches.
If you have a swing arm mounted CVT and clutch you don't have to be concerned with what oil goes into the engine... other than recommended viscosity and oil serviceability rating. But if the clutch is mounted as part of the engine casing, as in the AK 550, then you do.
BTW- whats "ma Orr"? typo? Oh, you were referring to JASO MA/MA2... and there definitely is mention of JASO in the owner manual. Been working with and seeing those specs on oil for over the last 15 years.
Feel free to upload a picture of the manual page asking/stating you need a MA(2) oil for the engine.
And no the AK550 nor does almost any other CVT have a wet clutch or require MA(2) type oil. This isn't even a question. Hell even some Harley's doesn't don't even require a MA(2) engine oil. As they have a separated systems/housing for they're wet clutch and engines.
I love how people throw around how many years they've been doing X. Like that matters, let the facts speak for themselves and not your perspective on life.
MA(2) oils are all about the lack of friction modifiers for your clutch. To much slippage and things won't engage. But in a CVT just like that's in the AK550, there is no gearing clutch or wet clutch.
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Owners Manual:
(https://i.imgur.com/C3blkuk.jpg)
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Service manual:
(https://i.imgur.com/FlluZ9H.jpg)
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The manual says to use Kymco Original 4-Stroke oil or one matching the specs.
That oil is JASO MA2.
This is not meant to tell you what to do. Just saying what is in the manuals recommended by Kymco.
I am one of those that usually use what I want regardless of the oil thread chatter. All the barking and growling doesn't change what I use.
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And I like how some people think they know more than all the documented facts and statements from a manufacturer and ignore all the photo evidence showing the very thing called a clutch. You must be kidding. Right?
Yep, Clampett posted a few of the pages that indicate the facts of the matter. One pic from the owner manual and other from the SM. You want better facts than the facts. Take one apart. But don't be confused about what certain parts are that you are evidently not familiar with. Such as that round assembly on the left side that receives the output of the CVT. Hint: it is directly connected at the left end of the CVT output shaft and sits in a bath of engine oil. It is the reason there are 2 oil drain plugs on the AK, one for the crankshaft well and the other for the WET CLUTCH well.
The JASO MA(2) spec is the Japan oil spec designed specifically for wet clutch systems. The owner manual you should already have if you own an AK 550 and it states to use JASO oil so I really shouldn't have to post a pic of that. But there are JASO specs that are not for using with a wet clutch, such as JASO MB. Go ahead and use any oil you want but if it isn't spec'd for a wet clutch and you have a wet clutch then don't complain about any clutch issues you have... even if you believe you don't have a clutch. The only surprise to me is that they do mention to use JASO oils but leave out to use MA/MA2. But then it is coming from Taiwan and not from Japan.
To be honest I am convinced you must be pulling our legs and just being contrary because you can. This just has to be a joke.
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And I like how some people think they know more than all the documented facts and statements from a manufacturer and ignore all the photo evidence showing the very thing called a clutch. You must be kidding. Right?
To be honest I am convinced you must be pulling our legs and just being contrary because you can. This just has to be a joke.
Might be the service guy where i bought my bike...:P
I promise ill stop.
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Right side and left side of AK 550 engine cut away.
Oh wait, no one's going to tell me there's no water pump on a scooter now are they?
Edited to correct markup in photo.
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I was wrong about the JASO terminology in the owner manual. It actually says SAE: 10W/40 MA. "MA" is a JASO specification that is designated for wet clutch applications in motorcycles and scooters. For this application I would highly recommend sticking to oils that designate JASO MA. Also note that the admonition at the bottom of the first column it mentions "If the engine or clutch is replaced..."
JASO MB is the spec for motorcycles and scooters that have a dry clutch or where the clutch does not share engine oil. In this application use any oil desired for the engine as long as all other specs are adhered to.
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@guys I love this thread, pls carry on...
To put some oil....😊
JASO MA – This was the standard for single unit engines where the wet clutch, gearbox and engine used the same oil. JASO-MA oils don't contain friction modifiers.
JASO MB – This lower standard was for bikes that use separate oils for the engine, clutch and gearbox (e.g Harley Davidson's and BMW's)
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The manual says to use Kymco Original 4-Stroke oil or one matching the specs.
That oil is JASO MA2.
This is not meant to tell you what to do. Just saying what is in the manuals recommended by Kymco.
I am one of those that usually use what I want regardless of the oil thread chatter. All the barking and growling doesn't change what I use.
Yep, follow the manual and don't go for the cheapest because it's cheap.
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@guys I love this thread, pls carry on...
To put some oil....😊
JASO MA – This was the standard for single unit engines where the wet clutch, gearbox and engine used the same oil. JASO-MA oils don't contain friction modifiers.
JASO MB – This lower standard was for bikes that use separate oils for the engine, clutch and gearbox (e.g Harley Davidson's and BMW's)
Me too @Ruffus we had an old Castrol TV ad here where the strap line was “Casrol, liquid engineering”!
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My new Battery Tender Plus arrived today. I moved my old battery maintainer to my wife's Metropolitan for now and plugged in the new BT+ to my AK 550. All is good.
Later I'll get around to replacing the BT pigtail that is in the right glove box with the new 15 amp version that I recently also received. I measured the length and the 15 amp pigtail is a few inches longer than the BT pigtail that is installed already. 16 ga wire instead of the 18 ga that is in the BT pigtail.
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Oh, discovered something related to the AK 550 battery seeming to run down rather fast... I also find my phone runs down faster than before I had the AK... unless I turn off location and BT on my phone. I guess it's a good thing there's that USB plug in the left glove box. I have a 6 inch USB-C cord for my phone that I keep plugged in there while riding.
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My new Battery Tender Plus arrived today. I moved my old battery maintainer to my wife's Metropolitan for now and plugged in the new BT+ to my AK 550. All is good.
Later I'll get around to replacing the BT pigtail that is in the right glove box with the new 15 amp version that I recently also received. I measured the length and the 15 amp pigtail is a few inches longer than the BT pigtail that is installed already. 16 ga wire instead of the 18 ga that is in the BT pigtail.
Thats pretty nice coming from the glove box like that...i cant remember if you said that you ran that or had the dealer do it
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Thats pretty nice coming from the glove box like that...i cant remember if you said that you ran that or had the dealer do it
Dealer put that in there. I plan to put a grommet at the hole they drilled to run it into that glove box. Dealer said they had heard how this bike tends to run down the battery in a short time sitting.
Like I said earlier I plan to replace it with the slightly longer pigtail that can handle a 15 amp fuse. That's what I need to run my mini compressor should that ever be needed. I have a 12 vdc socket to SAE connector pigtail that can use on that pigtail if I need a 12 vdc socket.
Having it coming out of the glove box like that helps to grab my attention that it's connected. I did once try to back out with the maintainer connected on one of my previous bikes so good to have reminder.
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Decided to do some more testing of Noodoe navigation on my ride I am planning today. I made a few more changes to the settings that I think were causing issues for me before. When I last used Noodoe navigation I had it set to shortest route and to avoid highways. That last bit may have been my problem since I was constantly being routed to gravel roads that branched off of the highway I was on. With Google Maps and also Garmin units avoiding highways means to avoid Interstate or big fast highways which is what I usually do, but if I happen to end up on one of those the system automatically follows that road until the next logical economical exit. Maybe by turning off the avoid highways and setting navigation for fastest route it will work better for me.
I did find a limitation I didn't know about before. There are only 8 waypoints allowed in a single route!
The last few years I've been using my cell phone and Google Maps for navigation. Google Maps Navigate allows only 10 stop points. This really has not been a big issue to me since I can plan a route with 10 or fewer stop points from start to lunch and then another route from lunch to destination so the limited number of stop points was handled. The one issue I have with Google Maps Navigate is that when each stop point is reached navigation stops until you specifically tap on the continue button. That is really the only issue I have using Google Maps... Well, that and the issue with rain drops running down my screen acting like random finger presses all over the screen making the phone go crazy. My phone has the same water resistance rating as the current dedicated GPS units, IP68, so having my phone out in the rain is not an issue. It's just those darn drops running down the screen.
So because of those two issues with Google Maps I was looking forward to Noodoe navigation. I am still working out about possibly doing like I did with Google Maps Navigate... making multiple routes that I can run one after the other. Will see how that works or if it will.
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I think I've mentioned this elsewhere... The 2022 AK 550 models come in 4 colors:
Matte Silver
Space Gray (gloss finish, not matte)
Matte Black
Matte Deep Blue (mine)
As to cleaning a Matte finish. This is not skin. So the typical knowledge about how to clean skin chemically or otherwise does not apply. There are a number of products that are cleaners and also cleaners and protectants (sealers). Several available at Walmart from Hog Wash and McKee's, or Flitz, or Chemical Guys. They are formulated to avoid creating a glossy shine since that destroys a Matte finish. Dirt really doesn't stick to the Matte finish on my AK. When I was washing it off with just water and a micro fiber cloth any dirt just wiped right off. Even bug guts really were suspended with just water and wiped or rinsed right off after a soak. This seems contrary to how it was with all my other bikes which has a gloss finish. Most of the usual chemical cleaners for body panels will actually dull the finish, which is one reason a polishing wax is needed. You don't want a polishing wax on a Matte finish or it will become splotchy and be ruined. A gloss finish is ruined by grit that can scratch it. Gloss finishes scratch much easier than Matte finishes. Typical cleaning methods used on gloss finishes do not apply to Matte finishes. A Matte finish can also be scratched but if done carefully it doesn't scratch as long as dirt/grit is soaked and a wet micro fiber is used to wipe it off. And if there are any scratches they most likely happened due to not enough soaking being done and there was an attempt to wipe dirt off while still too dry.
This is in answer to a few questions that were asked in a thread on "what did you do with your Kymco scooter". I answer here since that other thread was not intended as a question/answer/discussion thread but was already starting to become just that instead of what it was intended for... a thread to report on daily activity.
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Hello, Was planning on buying an AK 550 in May....but was watching the Youtube channel "BikeTrips" today and it seems he went with a BMW now because he says the AK 550 was unreliable....
This scares me!
Since I don't want to pay Yamaha or Suzuki prices I may have to go with a motorcycle instead of a Maxi scooter.
I know many AK riders love their scooters and may not want to discuss the problems they have with them.....so what to do?Jeff
Agree with not paying Yamaha prices for essentially the same scooter in the T-Max. Actually you'd have to pay even more and get the Tech Max to have one or two more features than come standard on the AK 550.As to the BMW c650 (if that's the one you were referring to)... Kymco makes the engine for that. From what I now have learned BMW was having quality issues with their c650 until they handed over the engine to Kymco and then things were way better. Maybe that guy on BikeTrips just had a lemon. I do know he had one of the early model years for the AK 550 (2017 or 2018?). The AK just came out at the end of 2017 so I think that was a 2018 model. I've known all brands and models of any kind of bike to have some issues in the first few years of production and some even have issues continuing. I am very happy with my AK so far.