KymcoForum.com
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: klaviator on November 18, 2010, 07:19:58 PM
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This is my first post on this forum. I have never owned a scooter. My scooter riding experience consists of two days on a rented Riva 125 in Hawaii over 20 years ago and a short ride on a reflex 250 about 7 years ago. I am trying to decide between a people 150, people 200 and super 8 150. I will mainly be using it to commute & ride around town but will occasional take some rides into the country and into the Smoky mountains. I do like to ride aggresively in the curves so handling and ground clearance is important. The local dealer has great deals on all three. Any inputs would be appreciated especially on performance and ease of maintenance. I plan on doing most of my own maintenance.
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Hi, klaviator, those are some fine machines to choose from! Some other folks on the forum may be able to fill you in on whether the 200 has a lot more power than the 150s or not. The Kymco website lists specs and the ground clearance for all three may be able to be found there as well. For me it would probably come down to personal preference. If you can test ride them definitely try all 3 and see which one suits you best and makes you feel comfortable. With your aggressive riding style you may prefer the racing style or look of that Super 8 while some folks still prefer a more classic looking scoot. Good luck and welcome to the forum.
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With the right "skins" on you can ride very aggressively on the S8. I just put Pilot SCs on mine and they are a perfect combo with the very solid cornering feel of this scoot.
Here is a video of us riding the twisties with the stock tires still on. Not bad even then.
Tail of the Lazy Dragon on 2 Kymco Super 8 150 s (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNhPHPe5ZCY#ws)
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Nice video! How's the power of the Super 8? I have also seen complaints on the forward slope of the seat. How comfortable is it for you?
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The power is good but it seems conservatively "tuned". I think i'll be able to get lots more out of it once i go "under the hood". Top speed stock is around 58mph.
The seat feels a little storage at first but i got used to it quick. It is an easy fix if it bothers you over time.
Before i got the S8, my other consideration was a Genuine Blur (lot's more expensive) or a People. Once i road them both there was no comparison. I like the lower, more "sport bike" seating of the S8 MUCH better than the Blur or the People. They both sit way to "up" for "Twisty Riding". IMOP.
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This is my first post on this forum. I have never owned a scooter. My scooter riding experience consists of two days on a rented Riva 125 in Hawaii over 20 years ago and a short ride on a reflex 250 about 7 years ago. I am trying to decide between a people 150, people 200 and super 8 150. I will mainly be using it to commute & ride around town but will occasional take some rides into the country and into the Smoky mountains. I do like to ride aggresively in the curves so handling and ground clearance is important. The local dealer has great deals on all three. Any inputs would be appreciated especially on performance and ease of maintenance. I plan on doing most of my own maintenance.
Super 8 for me.
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I have an S200 and it is really 163cc. It handles very well as should most scoots with the low center of gravity. Maintenance I've not needed yet except routine oil changes. Body parts removal may be an issue to access the plug etc., but I bought a manual which explains it well. Seat is comfortable. I sat on a Super 8 and the seat was very hard. I know from past bikes that if it first appears hard, it'll always be hard. Enjoy whatever you buy, and welcome.
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I'd like to second what others have a said here and add in a few thoughts of my own.
I'd like you to think about how critical storage is to you so you can shop with that in mind.
Also, small wheels vs large wheels (e.g., 10" vs 16") will be less stable but will give you a much wider selection in tires. 10" wheels will give you very quick handling almost to the point of being twitchy. While this is fine for commuting, it's going to make holding a line as you go through the mountains much more difficult, especially as you go over bumps.
Be sure to get at least a 150cc scooter othewise you'll not be allowed on limited access highways.
I'm also going to recommend a larger engine (200cc or above) if you're going to driving in higher speed areas. You can likely reach the speeds you want to with a smaller engine, but you're really going to be taxing the engine.
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I have a People150 and several other scoots. The Ppl is a tall scoot with a high center of gravity, big wheels make it comfortable, I take it off road a lot and its a great stump jumper but I like small wheels better on twisties. There's not a lot of choices for the 16" 80/80 and 100/80 tires. The People is a great scoot (150 or 200) but if you want aggressive, I'd go with the Super8.
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You have seen my comments over at ADVRider... but I saw the S8 at a dealer last night. That is a great looking bike.
Have you test ridden both the P150 and S8 yet? I would take LONG tests on both and then make your decision. I think it is really a style and ergonomics decision for these two bikes as the performance difference, in the long run, will be very minor.
This is all based on my impressions based on the specs and my readings. I have not ridden either but I think I would like to simply to be able to say more about about them.
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PS... that S8 is much bigger than I expected it to be.
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I plan on test riding the S8 and P200 next week. I'm leaning toward the S8 but won't make a final decision until after I ride them. The P200 is more comfortable but I like the idea of a small sporty scooter. The S8 is over $500 less and I'm not sure if there is much difference in performance with a difference of only 13cc.
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I am going to post here as the Sym-fan boy and not going to see this... You have spent a lot of time at your Kymco dealer and you are narrowing your choice at this dealer. Sym makes good stuff but their distribution is messed up (see Carter Bro fire in Google) in the US and I would not want to jump into that this year.
Both are great looking bikes and really.... honestly... you love either one. The P200 is a little bigger and may go a little faster. Test them, make your decision..buy...post your "Look at my new scoot photos"... Have a blast!
I love my scoot.
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I agree. I don't think there is a Sym dealer around Huntsville. The Kymco dealer is an independant repair shop that has been around for a long time and started selling Kymcos and Vespas a few years ago. It seems like a good place to do business, unlike the big motorcycle superstore (boutique) across town which reminds me of an expensive store at the mall. I will most likely do a lot business at the small dealer as I always need parts for my bikes and other stuff. I prefer the old fashioned, friendly shops rather than most of the fancy new dealers.
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Sounds like you have a great shop to work with and that is a blessing.
My dealer has become a friend and supporter of our riding club. That makes a huge difference in my ownership experience. You are making the right call starting a relationship with a good shop. Have fun and keep us posted.
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I am a SYM fan-boy and there is NO comparison between a People S 200 and a SYM HD 200 (I currently own both).
The People is OK for the city. The handling is fast and it feels light. It tops out at 60 MPH MAYBE, and I won't take mine on the highway.
The SYM HD 200 is a monster. It is fast like a sport bike. It does up to 75 MPH and holds the road on the highway. It is a totally different feel.
The Carter Bros situation is not a problem. my dealer sources parts from the KYMCO distributor in Canada, and you can also get parts from Taiwan in just a few days from Scooter Assassins. In fact, KYMCO parts take MUCH longer to get!
If you ride the People and the SYM, you will buy the SYM guaranteed.
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I'm a recent S8 convert...
I love it. Lots of power, great looks... Its awesome.
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Another quick question. What kind of gas does Kymco recommend, premium or regular?
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I am a SYM fan-boy and there is NO comparison between a People S 200 and a SYM HD 200 (I currently own both).
The People is OK for the city. The handling is fast and it feels light. It tops out at 60 MPH MAYBE, and I won't take mine on the highway.
The SYM HD 200 is a monster. It is fast like a sport bike. It does up to 75 MPH and holds the road on the highway. It is a totally different feel.
The Carter Bros situation is not a problem. my dealer sources parts from the KYMCO distributor in Canada, and you can also get parts from Taiwan in just a few days from Scooter Assassins. In fact, KYMCO parts take MUCH longer to get!
If you ride the People and the SYM, you will buy the SYM guaranteed.
I'm sure the Sym HD 200 is a great scooter but I don't believe there is a Sym dealer around here. Also, I doubt that the price tag is in the same ballpark as the Kymcos I'm looking at. I am really leaning towards the S8 which is 2200 OTD. Add a tail trunk for $75 and a few bucks to upgrade the tool kit and I'll be on the road for around 2300-2400.
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Price-wise, the S8 is probably best bang for the buck. You should always use premium on your bikes, it's not like you're filling up a Hummer.
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Price-wise, the S8 is probably best bang for the buck. You should always use premium on your bikes, it's not like you're filling up a Hummer.
That's what i love about these scoots. You can give them the best of everythig, fuel, synthetic oil, great quality racing tires, etc and still not equal a few tanks of gas in the cage.
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Price-wise, the S8 is probably best bang for the buck. You should always use premium on your bikes, it's not like you're filling up a Hummer.
I have never used premium in any of the bikes I have owned except my R1100GS which required it. When you pump premium from a gas pump with only one hose, the first quarter gallon or so may be regular. Not a big issue in a Hummer but when you only have a small tank to begin with, you will seldom actually be getting premium. You will get a regular/premium mix. Also, if an engine is designed to run on regular, premium will not make it run any better. Premium has no more energy than regular, it only resists detonation and pre-ignition better.
What does the owners manual call for?
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The owner's manual for which scoot, klaviator? There's a manual section here with links for some models.
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The owner's manual for which scoot, klaviator? There's a manual section here with links for some models.
I'm considering the S8 and P200. I suspect the manual for both calls for regular but I didn't notice it when I briefly looked at the S8 owners manual.
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Yeah, I'm not sure if we have the S8, I think one of them we don't have, can't remember for sure which one without doing a search for it. But most of the manuals seem to call for 93 octane and I hear that the octane ratings are different where they print the manuals so I won't try to tell ya the wrong thing.
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Yeah, but the way they calculate octane in Taiwan is different than here - so I think 93 octane there equals 87 here.
But you'll want to check on that.
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Most modern high performance motorcycles run fine on regular. BMW and HD twins require premium due to their large cylinders. I know that many people run premiun because they think premium = higher performance. I was just wondering if anyone knew the answer to my question. Does anyone have problems with 87 octane in their scooters or does everyone use a higher octane?
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Does anyone have problems with 87 octane in their scooters or does everyone use a higher octane?
I seem to recall some discussion around that recently.... ;D
You know, some do use premium and some don't. Haven't heard anyone have problems with using regular 87, but some feel that the premium stuff makes their scoot run better.
Matter of personal choice really.
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My wife has a SYM HD200, and it is a scootin' machine! Freeways are no problem on that thing at all. The HD125 is supposed to be plenty potent for a 125 too. Where I live now there are dealers for both makers. Where I will be moving in a year or two there is only a Kymco dealer. I am actually thinking of getting my self a Super 8 150.
jon
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theres a sym scooter out there called the rough horse I beleave they are 125. they are a good street bike and great off road.its like rideing a enduro dirt bike
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I test rode the P200 and S8. The P200 felt like it had more power and had a much more comfortable seat than the S8. It also handled like crap. It did not like going around corners. Not sure if it was just the one I rode or if they are all like that. I picked up a new 2009 S8 today. I didn't have time to ride it very much. It seems to handle pretty good. The brakes feel fine. As for the power, I'll wait untill I get a few more miles on it (at least untill after the first oil change) before seeing how fast it will go. It's a 150 so I'm not expecting a powerhouse.
I considered the Sym HD200. The only dealer remotely close by was sold out.
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Hey congrats! Did you get the Yellow & Blue? Seems to be the standard.
BTW you might be surprised when you first hit a stop light and your lights dim significantly. It's not broken, it's designed to do that. :)
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Way To Go, klaviator! Congrats on your new Super 8!! You are gonna love it!!!
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I got a red and black one. (http://i645.photobucket.com/albums/uu171/wknudsen/2010%20pics/CIMG2021.jpg)
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Looks nice, klaviator!!
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Hey that is very sharp. That was going to be my other choice when i got mine.
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Looking good brother!
Glad to have another s8 150 owner on a agility 50 heavy forum (Love to all my brothers and sisters!)
I'd rather had the black and red but got too good of a deal on the blue yellow '09 version.
WT is right about the lights dimming... mine does it. No worries.
Great acceleration and speed. Hitting 60mph (indicated) on the same hill my 50cc agility would struggle to maintain 30 on.
Enjoy... and take more pics for us! (I know I owe "us" my own pics!)
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That is a great looking scooter! I don't know what color I like the best. I really like the green one........
jon
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I like them ALL!...even though I still haven't seen pics of glopezz's yet...Kymco makes some great scoots!
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nice scoot and congrads.