KymcoForum.com
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: oldcoastie on April 13, 2011, 01:14:12 AM
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Went back to the dealer where I'd like to buy a Grand Vista and the price has mysteriously jumped by about 600 bucks...
Either a mistake was made on the 1st quote or gas prices are creating opportunity...
Either way, he's now almost a $1,000 beyond what I'm comfortable spending on a new scoot... been looking for an appropriate 250 on Craigslist but the pickin's have been slim to say the least....
The Grand Vista fits me physically so nicely but I'd really rather have the new technology of the fuel injection...
The bike that fit me second best (though the seat is just a fraction too tall) was the Yager.... I'm wondering how it handles at 55-65 (I'm a lightweight at 120 pounds)... How are you Yager owners doing with the bike?
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Is it a price jump simply because you are interested in buying. If you don't have another dealer near you, that could be it.
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Went back to the dealer where I'd like to buy a Grand Vista and the price has mysteriously jumped by about 600 bucks..
Where are you located?
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well, I suspect business is picking up and its a supply and demand kind of thing... and while I don't begrudge a guy making a profit after a couple lean years...
he is my closest dealer and has a good reputation for service, so I'd prefer to establish a business relationship with this shop (and want to support the little guy nature of this place).... but I also don't need to spend an arm and leg for the bike...
as I ain't made o' money, after all...
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I'm in So Cal - so plenty of dealers... I'm not stuck by any means...
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Coastie,
Picked up my new Yager last month (Chicago area.) It's an impressive vehicle and does well lugging my 200+ pounds around. The scoot does fine at 55+mph even with the smallish wheels. Just remember this is a 300 lb machine and will not hold the road as good as a 450+ lb motorcycle! You will get blown around more than on a 250cc like the Grand Vista.
The dealers are probably preparing for a rush of new buyers due to the gas crisis....I'm not sure if that'll happen or not. Anyway, the Yager ran me $2,999.00 + taxes, setup, license which was a good deal for a pretty awesome machine.
Wil B.
Broadview, IL
'71 Moto Guzzi Ambassador
'91 Honda Nighthawk 750
'04 Kymco Super 9 (my baby)
'10 Yager 200 i NEW!!!!
"What are we here for? We're all here ....TO GO!" -Wm. Burroughs
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No mystery Coastie - Gas is approaching $4/gal. Watch the prices on scoots rise. I bought mine just before gas hit $3.25 - Saw this coming down the road. ;D
If the guy moves the price on you, just let him know that wasn't the deal and walk if he won't budge. Don't reward bad behavior.
I REALLY liked the dealer I had originally gone to. And they had a silver DT300i in stock. Unfortunately, their slimey sales guy played every scummy trick in the book - And I walked.
I was able to get the price I was looking for over the phone at another dealer (took 15 minutes to get the price the other salesman assured me was 'impossible for any dealer to meet')- And they were very honest and wonderful to work with. VERY SATISFIED.
No matter how nice they act - If they are trying to screw you on price, they are not your friend.
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No matter how nice they act - If they are trying to screw you on price, they are not your friend.
Business relation is not friendship relation anyway.
They cannot screw you on the price, you can just let to be screwed.
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They are asking $3899.00 for new 09 Grand Vistas here in north Florida. We have a great dealer here with minimal add on fees. Do your homework and beat him up on the price if need be.
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Axy speaks The Truthâ„¢
Likewise, Doc - I can point anyone toward an excellent dealer on FL's Central East coast that doesn't BS.
Anything over MSRP OTD is pure, pure profit. They still have profit padded into a good deal! It is nice to see some dealers making money while not gouging customers. There are some, however, that will shamelessly slay the golden goose for that egg.
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well, I suspect business is picking up and its a supply and demand kind of thing... and while I don't begrudge a guy making a profit after a couple lean years...
he is my closest dealer and has a good reputation for service, so I'd prefer to establish a business relationship with this shop (and want to support the little guy nature of this place).... but I also don't need to spend an arm and leg for the bike...
as I ain't made o' money, after all...
is this NoHo Scooters? if not are you close to Los Angeles? they usually have deals on new and used. i know they had a red leftover '09 People S250 on the floor for display not so long ago. the owner said he'd give me a "smokin' deal" on it. but i am a customer so who knows anyone else? but business is business so i believe so
late last year they also had TWO 2008 SYM City Com's they could not sell for almost two years. if they still have them, bet they would take an offer. the owner Mike is very cool, as is his wife. it's the kind of place where he'll tell you how much the scoot is up front, and the bikes are clearly marked. but it's also the kind of place where they entertain offers. and you can go down, call, or email....and just say "i need a 250cc. do you have anything on special, or leftover stock? this is how much i have to spend OTD, and no more!" i beleive late last year they unloaded two 2008 SYM RV 250's for around $3200. pretty good deals. and while some leftover stock may not be fuel injected, that might be ok if the price is right
its all good at NoHo :)
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At 120 lbs. you should have no trouble maintaining 55 mph on the Yager. I am two of you and I can wring mine out to 65 so it should get there for you without problems.
That being said, the Grand Vista will absolutely fly with you on it. It has great acceleration and top end compared to the Yager. Either will run fine, but you are right that the fuel injection on the Yager is really nice. I rode mine all winter to temps in the single digits and never had trouble getting it started and riding away. I can't imagine a carb'ed scoot would come close to that.
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just wanted to post a few SoCal leads for the OP. never know when something good might be found. these have some promise, if not exactly perfect
Piaggio BV 250 $3300 obo
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/mcy/2289667293.html (http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/mcy/2289667293.html)
and a curious ad here from the SF Valley. looks like this person has a fuel injected 2009 Kymco Xciting Ri on sale for $3000. doesn't say if its a 250 or 500, just that it has "almost no miles" and is selling because its "just too big for an old man"
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/mcy/2321128159.html (http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/mcy/2321128159.html)
2007 Xciting 500, non fuel injected. and yeah i know its a 250 you're interested in, but who knows? this one is $2990 obo, BUT it had a "new" engine put in. so who knows why and what sort of overall reliabilty it will give?
http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/mcd/2319058909.html (http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/mcd/2319058909.html)
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At 120 lbs. you should have no trouble maintaining 55 mph on the Yager. I am two of you and I can wring mine out to 65 so it should get there for you without problems.
Some basic physics: top speed of the moving object does not depend on the weight of the object.
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Some basic physics: top speed of the moving object does not depend on the weight of the object.
At Bonneville I would agree, but in real life where you encounter turns and hills and stop lights, you may not have enough time to accelerate to top speed with a given weight before encountering an obstacle. I live in a hilly area, it is hard for me to find a long flat surface to really measure top speed. This should go into the equation for anyone looking at scooters.
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I'm far, far south of NoHo scooters... it's on the other side of L.A. from me (which most days is like getting to the other side of the moon)...
As far as smokin' deals... (oh good grief!) I found an Aprilia Sportcity 250 on sale... the bike is very beautiful and a size that I can easily handle - some have described it as a 250cc engine stuffed in a 150 body. I really rather fell in love with the bike.
But I'm scared. Piaggio dealers are few and far between (Aprilia was bought out by Piaggio and the Sportcity has the Piaggio quasar engine). It's a very solid bike and really shouldn't need any warranty repairs. But, if I were being sensible, the Kymco offers me closer dealer support.
Usually I'm a very sensible person.
Love is a funny thing.
Oh! What to do!?
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Well, I flirted with the Italian girl and I've dithered endless over spending the money, but I went back up and sat tested the GV again...
I think Tuesday I'm just going to put the deposit on a new red 09 GV (got the price back down to only 180 bucks over the original quote) and stop the agony of the decision...
The GV fits. The best advice I've gotten on this forum is "get the one that fits"...
Thanks for that - makes the decision a little bit easier.
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Good decision. If the bike does not fit, you may be hesitant to ride it. If it fits well, you will ride the wheels off it.
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yeah... that Aprillia is a hellava bike though... and priced a few hundred more than the GV right now... hard to take a pass on it...
but I worry about Piaggio USA right now... they are a mess!
Kymco really seems to be making a charge for business - it is positioned well to take advantage of the soft economy. And there is a dealership network (at least here in SoCal).
And it fits.
;)
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holy cow when it rains it pours! the Sport City is one hellva machine. it is indeed the near perfect big wheeled urban scooter and a great highway ride. but, the GV is no slouch for that duty, either. it has small wheels for nimbleness, and is not as sizable as it might look at first. just has a big looking nose
either way i think you're golden. but i do understand your pain! when i need a 250cc a SYM City Com or Aprila Sport City are top of my list. BUT, Italian does concern me as well. and SYM, also. so far as stability in this country. so Kymco with all their offerings and more on the way seems a great choice. always something new or used around....and as said lots of dealer support
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Well, now I've confused myself further... I happened upon a SYM RV250... it's a beautiful bike - not as pretty as the Aprilia, but nice looking in a Honda Reflex kinda way.
And it fit very nicely... the handlebars are a little higher and wider (feels much more motorcycle-ish), but the reach and all is very, very good... I no trouble maneuvering the bike around or putting it up or off the center stand.
It's leftover 2008 and I suspect the guy selling it probably picked it up at some bankruptcy fire sale... it is 500 bucks cheaper than the GV...
and very, very tempting.
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Well, I've worried all night about the leftover SYM RV250... 2008 on an unridden bike is getting kinda old.
I worry that gaskets are going to leak. I worry that the tires will need to be changed too soon. I worry that parts are proprietary and expense and unavailable.
Am I being penny-wise and pound foolish?
The local Kymco/Sym dealer is close and I like him. I think they do good service down there. And it does have a 2 year warranty.
Anything else I should worry about?
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Well, I've worried all night about the leftover SYM RV250... 2008 on an unridden bike is getting kinda old.
I worry that gaskets are going to leak. I worry that the tires will need to be changed too soon. I worry that parts are proprietary and expense and unavailable.
Am I being penny-wise and pound foolish?
The local Kymco/Sym dealer is close and I like him. I think they do good service down there. And it does have a 2 year warranty.
Anything else I should worry about?
Depends. Are you in the western U.S.? If so, the good news is that Lance Powersports will be your dealer's distributor. If not, the bad news is... no one knows who will be your dealer's distributor.
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yup, I'm on the left coast and the Kymco/Sym dealer seemed pretty confident in the Lance distributorship...
but that's the dealer talking...
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I'd say Lance will have a better handle on it than Carter Brothers did, but that is a very low bar to set.
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it looks like Lance, as a brand, is down to the one model - a 125cc Vespa looking scoot built by Sym. While I think it's smart they dumped all the cheapo China cr*p, it appears they are reorganizing themselves with a lot of streamlining.
But it makes me wonder what kind of shape Lance is in...
Is their business reorganizing in a sensible manner? Or are they on their last legs?
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it looks like Lance, as a brand, is down to the one model - a 125cc Vespa looking scoot built by Sym. While I think it's smart they dumped all the cheapo China cr*p, it appears they are reorganizing themselves with a lot of streamlining.
But it makes me wonder what kind of shape Lance is in...
Is their business reorganizing in a sensible manner? Or are they on their last legs?
Lance stopped offering mainland Chinese stuff from Znen, et al, as of last year, so this is the second year that the Cali Classic 125 (indeed built by SYM -- on the mainland, btw) is the only offering in their lineup. They're trying to be taken seriously, and should they get the whole SYM line for distribution (rebadging?) in the U.S., I'd say they have a good shot if their logistics and warehousing are worth a damn. So far, they've been helpful in getting us some SYM parts (ones common with the Cali Classic, e.g. Fiddle II), and they're responsive to us as a dealer.
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Well, I put all my worries to rest... just put a deposit down on a brand new red Grand Vista...
in the end, Lance needs to prove it is up to the job for the Syms and that has not happened yet.
I didn't want to lose a minute's sleep worrying about scooter parts somewhere down the road.
so... YEA FOR ME! ;D
the GV should be ready for a pickup in about 8 days!
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smart decision in my mind.
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thanks, TechGuy...
I'm really happy with the decision myself...
and I slept like a baby last night...
(and RED is NICE!)