KymcoForum.com
Scooters - 125 to 300 => Downtown 300 => Topic started by: BikerDude on November 04, 2011, 06:07:06 PM
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Hi,
I'm seriously considering a Downtown 300i instead of a car. I have to say that cost is a reason though not the entire story. It would seem that after looking around, the DT300 offers the best value for money. Anyone want to argue that point? I went to have a look at a Suzuki Burgman 400 but my local dealer didn't have one in stock. It looked (from the photos) kinda similar to the DT300 for size, but was nearly 50% more expensive!
The DT300 would be my first bike, so want to make sure I get it right. I want to do long distance as well as commuting. By "long distance" I mean 350 miles each way...
The DT300 seems to have great performance and excellent fuel economy. Would it be up to long haul?
BikerGuy.
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Hi BikerGuy,
In terms of distance the DT300 can do that and a lot more so that will not be an issue. a lot of people complaint about the sitting position and the material of the seat (not too confortable after a while).
If I where you I would buy the bike and modify the material of the seat for a gel one, you may have to spend some money but the savings on the long run will justify the cost.
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It will do the mileage you mentioned without a problem, but other then looking like
the Burgman/Majesty/Silverwing, it's completely different in one aspect.
Comfort.
The Downtown is made for.. wait for it.. downtown riding.
I would travel on it, not a a problem, but 350miles maybe 2-3 times a year tops.
The Xciting is much more comfortable, and all of the 3 mentioned japanese scoots
are a lot more comfortable for long distance.
I even found the People 300GTi to be more comfortable (both seat and suspension)
then the Downtown.
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You want to buy your 1st bike, but it won't be your last bike unless you screw up.
It is unlikely that you will be able to select a bike that can do all that you think you want to do right now.
In-town, freeway, and long distance riding are all different and certain bikes perform better for each.
Get a bike that you can handle and that is comfortable for you.
Looking at specifications will not tell you all you need to know.
You have to sit on the bikes to see if they fit your frame.
And you have to ride them to see if they fit your state of mind.
Take a scooter or motorcycle safety training course before you buy. The Beginning Courses furnish the motorcyle.
Check with the MSF for your state. (Motorcycle Safety Foundation).
And yes, it never hurts to get the opinions of experiences riders.
Scoot safely,
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Hi,
The DT300 would be my first bike, so want to make sure I get it right. I want to do long distance as well as commuting. By "long distance" I mean 350 miles each way...
The DT300 seems to have great performance and excellent fuel economy. Would it be up to long haul?
BikerGuy.
I have done more that that on mine. I guess i am different than most with this bike. I am 6'2" and find it very comfortable and like the fit. I am planning a 6000 + k trip on mine next summer, Saskatoon to Ottawa and back a week later. I have added a top case and larger wind screen to mine. I have read about to many strange problems on this forum with the exciting 500 to even consider one.
I would buy another dt300 if something happened to this one.
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I have done 350 in a single day with no issue. Just remember you have limited leg movement so you will be sitting up streight almost the entire way. In getting off the bike there was no real leg or back strain. I am not sure about if I had to do a total of 700 in one day.
The other problem may be weather. If you are only using this as alternative good weather vehicle then there may be no issue. Now if there is bad weather this could change things drastically. While I have done short runs caught in bad weather 350 miles to me would be unimaginable.....................
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as per tanware.....i just can't see travelling that far without having to worry about bad weather.....imo....bad weather reduces the fun pleasure of riding ....i rarely go more than 100 miles one way...i do local, freeway......on my 300 with no problems...
as re the issue of seat comfort and leg room ..yes these can be issues...but lets face it nobody rides 700 miles without getting on and off the scooter numerous times ....so stopping and resting to me is what mitigates against comfort and fatigue.....just need to know your limits...
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as per tanware.....i just can't see travelling that far without having to worry about bad weather.....imo....bad weather reduces the fun pleasure of riding ....i rarely go more than 100 miles one way...i do local, freeway......on my 300 with no problems...
as re the issue of seat comfort and leg room ..yes these can be issues...but lets face it nobody rides 700 miles without getting on and off the scooter numerous times ....so stopping and resting to me is what mitigates against comfort and fatigue.....just need to know your limits...
Even with the harsher suspension and harder seat, the Downtown is still more comfortable in the long run then my Kawasaki ER6F
which is a light touring bike more or less.. but I've been doing 100 mile days on a bicycle, so you can't count my opinion.. :)
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Hi,
Great responses! When I said I "wanted to get it right" I meant in so far as getting something decent/not crazy on power (e.g. 1200cc as much as I wouldn't say no ;D ), etc.. and that is good for a "beginner" and general bike whilst being capable as I "grow" into it.
I noticed that people tend to own multiple bikes - I don't want to get ahead of myself. ;D I had considered getting a smaller 125 (cost considerations) but I think I'd be screwing myself for longer runs, which I do reasonably frequently (maybe 6 times a year), hence looking at the 300 instead.
Take a scooter or motorcycle safety training course before you buy. The Beginning Courses furnish the motorcyle.
Check with the MSF for your state. (Motorcycle Safety Foundation).
Thanks for the suggestion, but I'm in the UK. I have already been to talk to a training school, and I found out that I can basically take any bike as a beginner (I'm over 21) and do a "Direct Access" course, which would enable me to drive it after passing the relevant tests. As a result, getting a smaller bike looks less attractive (I was tempted to get a 125 for a while then change later, but I can save some hassle and go for a decent bike from the start, and have the advantage of learning to ride on it as well).
Get a bike that you can handle and that is comfortable for you.
Looking at specifications will not tell you all you need to know.
You have to sit on the bikes to see if they fit your frame.
And you have to ride them to see if they fit your state of mind.
Duly noted.
...the Downtown is still more comfortable in the long run then my Kawasaki ER6F...but I've been doing 100 mile days on a bicycle, so you can't count my opinion.
hehe - I can tolerate the hard ride of a sports car whilst many would run screaming so I might be OK! :D
The other problem may be weather. If you are only using this as alternative good weather vehicle then there may be no issue. Now if there is bad weather this could change things drastically. While I have done short runs caught in bad weather 350 miles to me would be unimaginable.....................
Why is this? Surely this is down to clothing?
I would buy another dt300 if something happened to this one.
Good to know!
The Xciting is much more comfortable, and all of the 3 mentioned japanese scoots
are a lot more comfortable for long distance.
I even found the People 300GTi to be more comfortable (both seat and suspension)
then the Downtown.
I'll have to see if I can find some way to try them. I can try the Burgman in the next week (sit on it anyway). I'll see what my local Kymco dealer has in stock to look at.
Any particular Kymco I should be looking at, in addition to the DT300i? I want something good for the motorway, which the DT300i seems to be.
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Any particular Kymco I should be looking at, in addition to the DT300i? I want something good for the motorway, which the DT300i seems to be.
Just the Xciting 500Ri..
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Just the Xciting 500Ri..
Hmm. I don't see that listed on the UK site ( http://www.kymco.co.uk/ (http://www.kymco.co.uk/) ). ???
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From that sight looks like the 300I is the biggest they carry. I think it would be a good choice.
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From that sight looks like the 300I is the biggest they carry. I think it would be a good choice.
Great!
I have been having a look around, and it seems the 300i has a slightly harder ride compared to others, but is otherwise a good bike overall. I'm trying to figure out if there is £1500 value in a slightly bigger bike. For my needs it seems not.
Performance of the 300i seems good (0-60 in ~10 secs) with good accel from 50 (more important IMHO for things like over-taking), and if the rollers are changed, this seems to be improved. Fuel economy seems excellent too (though I'm looking at this as a car driver rather than a biker).
Can anyone comment on handling vs. other bikes. What is meant by "stability" exactly? Is there any other bike-specific terminology/handling I should be aware of?
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Hmm. I don't see that listed on the UK site ( http://www.kymco.co.uk/ (http://www.kymco.co.uk/) ). ???
It's about to be replaced with the new Xciting 400 with 40hp and another redesign, so they might have removed it
because of that.
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Can anyone comment on handling vs. other bikes. What is meant by "stability" exactly? Is there any other bike-specific terminology/handling I should be aware of?
The corners I'm able to take doing 70-75mph on my Kawasaki (it could take more, but I don't like riding on the very
edge of the tires) I was able to take at the same speed on the Downtown 300, flat-out everywhere.
It's very composed and just starts to flex a bit when pushed too hard, and that's about it.
Here's my review of the bike:
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=694673 (http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=694673)
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Other than comfort bad weather is riding without wipers etc. Also not only is you visability and traction down so is it also true for the vehicles around you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I was trying to figure out what people did in that situation (other than slow down). Is there some kind of rain repellent you can get that helps the rain run off in the airflow? I guess because of the way the air flows over the front screen, the rain is coming straight at you as opposed to from slightly above.
An interesting problem.
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Givi recommends a light coat of new finish on there wind screens to get rain off better. Works well on mine.
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"...new finish..." - is that a brand or... ???
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"...new finish..." - is that a brand or... ???
Sorry, car polish comes in an orange can. Not sure if you have it there. It is a brand.
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Hmmm.... I keep reading about heights of riders, and I'm a bit bothered by something... I'm 6ft 4" tall, but I have a 36" inseam. I knew my legs were long but I never really thought about it before. Will this be an issue with this bike? I read that some people have issues with clearance between their legs and the bars, with some suggesting raising the bars to get additional clearance. I'll get specifics on my leg lengths later (upper/lower leg). It seems upper leg length is the critical one for clearance???
I contacted my local dealer today to see if they had one to look at but they don't have any in stock, and don't plan to before March 2012.
:-\
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Hmmm.... I keep reading about heights of riders, and I'm a bit bothered by something... I'm 6ft 4" tall, but I have a 36" inseam. I knew my legs were long but I never really thought about it before. Will this be an issue with this bike? I read that some people have issues with clearance between their legs and the bars, with some suggesting raising the bars to get additional clearance. I'll get specifics on my leg lengths later (upper/lower leg). It seems upper leg length is the critical one for clearance???
I contacted my local dealer today to see if they had one to look at but they don't have any in stock, and don't plan to before March 2012.
:-\
The knee/bars clearance is the least of your problems, you might not fit on the bike at all.
I'm 5'11" and wish I had more room to move around on the bike, but I don't know what my
inseam is.
As for knees/bars issue.. it's not an issue even when it is, you just learn to move your leg
out of the way on those very infrequent occasions when you'll be going slow enough to
warrant the bars to be moved all the way to the side.
While riding, you move them just a few degrees, so there's really no problems with that even
if the bars hit your knees when you try it at the dealership.
I have no problems riding my little Agility, and the bars wouldn't clear my knee even with a
1" lift.
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Hi BiekerDude,
Kymco UK have not sold the Xciting 500 model here in the UK for the last 3.5 years. I bought and Agility City 125 4 years ago, since then I have kept an eye on their scooter models. The Downtown 300 non ABS was added to the UK market last year and I think that is as big as they are willing to go at least for now.
I bought my DT from a dealer in London but I had to travel to Bristol be able to see the scooter face to face :) as my dealer was not willing to get one for his showroom (London is not the market for this type of scooter, according to him).
Check on eBay, there is one in the West Midlands and another in Cheshire.
I will definitely recommend you to go and see one for yourself; sit on it for a few minutes to get a better idea in terms of comfort.
In my case my first impression was that the scooter was too big, coming from an agility city 125 but once I got on it that feeling went away. I have done a trip from London to Paris and back with my wife at the back, top case full, tunnel bag full and under storage full. The scooter felt very stable all the way and didn't have a single issue.
I am 5.6 ft and sitting position is not a problem, the only complaint that I have from my wife is the position of the foot pegs, apart from it she loves it.
I have changed the variator rollers and can notice an slight improvement, added a set of handgards that I am starting to like more now that it is getting cold.
Things that I want to change:
1. The screen for the 10cm taller version (Ermax), the wind hits me just on the upper half of my helmet and the noise can get annoying after a while.
2. The passenger foot pegs.
3. The clutch for a better quality one but it can wait.
4. The tyres for a Pirelli Diablo, stock tyres (Kenda) are ok but take a little too long to get up to temperature.
As you can see, we all agree that for a 300cc scooter you will definitely get a very good value for money.
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As you can see, we all agree that for a 300cc scooter you will definitely get a very good value for money.
I'm very impressed with what I've read so far! I don't know why I didn't consider motorbikes/scooters sooner! Seems I have been missing out on a lot of fun! ;D ::)
The knee/bars clearance is the least of your problems, you might not fit on the bike at all.
:o :-\ A case for a custom seat I think.
While riding, you move them just a few degrees, so there's really no problems with that even
if the bars hit your knees when you try it at the dealership.
I have no problems riding my little Agility, and the bars wouldn't clear my knee even with a
1" lift.
Awesome!
I'm 5'11" and wish I had more room to move around on the bike, but I don't know what my
inseam is.
Dumb question - can you define "move around"? I tend to find my ankles/feet feel agitated by sitting around more than my legs. I always have to periodically move my feet around. It is quite strange - I can't describe it! Some days it is OK.
3. The clutch for a better quality one but it can wait.
Interesting - which parts, and why?
4. The tyres for a Pirelli Diablo, stock tyres (Kenda) are ok but take a little too long to get up to temperature.
Hmm.
I read that the 300i can come with things like tyre pressure monitoring. Is it accurate? Is it an option you specify or is it standard? Just wondering. I check my tyres regularly anyway (once a week or so, sooner if something doesn't seem right).
I will definitely recommend you to go and see one for yourself; sit on it for a few minutes to get a better idea in terms of comfort.
In my case my first impression was that the scooter was too big, coming from an agility city 125 but once I got on it that feeling went away.
This raises an interesting point - what is the effect of wheelbase on handling? It seems the larger scooters are longer. Is this detremental or a benefit to handling? Seems to be that a longer wheelbase means it is more stable in corners?
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unfortunately...we can't get the 300 dt in black state side....which really ticked me off....however the white is growing on me...
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Dumb question - can you define "move around"? I tend to find my ankles/feet feel agitated by sitting around more than my legs. I always have to periodically move my feet around. It is quite strange - I can't describe it! Some days it is OK.
When you sit on it, you're pretty much forced into ONE position.. and while you can move your feet
back a bit, you'd probably want to move them more to the front, which you cant.. so you try to
'compensate' by moving your ass back, which again, you can't because of the butt stop..
The seat is rather lightly padded because of the massive underseat storage, so it can get a bit
uncomfy, but it's still better then a lot of other scooters I've recently tried (for example the
2011 Beverly 300), but looking at the Downtown you expect a plush, comfortable cruieser, while
it's actually a very nimble, light and stiff, sporty ride, and that's a good thing.
Try lanesplitting on the DT, and then on the Majesty 400 and you'll know what I mean.
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I read that the 300i can come with things like tyre pressure monitoring. Is it accurate? Is it an option you specify or is it standard? Just wondering. I check my tyres regularly anyway (once a week or so, sooner if something doesn't seem right).
The TPM option is disable on the Dowtown 300i. the button is there on the front panel but it does nothing.
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The TPM option is disable on the Dowtown 300i. the button is there on the front panel but it does nothing.
I've seen one on youtube from Taiwan that has that option, but I don't think it's available even
here (EU).
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Hi Bikerdude
Where are you in the UK? I live in Manchester if you are anywhere close you can have a sit on mine to see how it feels. A lot of the dealers are reluctant to get them in stock. My local dealer had to get one from another dealer in the south west.
Frank
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Hi Frank,
Thanks for the offer but I'm ~200 miles away. My local dealer says they will not get one in now it is winter, but it appears they will for next summer. I won't be buying anything until March at the earliest anyway.
Interesting TPM is not available in Europe.
Best regards,
BikerDude.
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Sorry if this sounds dumb, but what does the TPM button represent?
Thanks..
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Sorry if this sounds dumb, but what does the TPM button represent?
Thanks..
Nothing, on most markets.
;D
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I think I read someplace that it was for "Tire Pressure Monitor" which is not installed in the US.
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It is tyre pressure monitor but it seems this is a very rare function.
Best regards,
BikerDude.
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I can help a little on the handling and rain. I've done 200 miles in rain with some torrential bursts. It does fine, wear the proper gear, take corners slow. Rain on the windshield wasn't a big deal for me, as I see over it. The wind and rain is mostly directed over the helmet (I'm 5'11). I was very comfortable, other than I was wearing summer gloves, so my hands eventually got wet. My, hands, knees and thighs took the brunt. If it's not bitter cold, I find I have fun in the rain. It feels more adventuresome, but maybe I'm odd that way. I also ride a lot of cross country dirt bike stuff, so maybe I'm use to it.
I'm blown away by the handling on the bike. I've cornered so hard that I have pavement scrapes on my pipe cover on one side, and I've scraped the kick stand going the other way. I've lost a few motorcycle riders who couldn't hang through the corners with me. Granted, it gets a little squirrely when doing so. Soft suspension and small back tire. And I wouldn't necessarily recommend corning so hard, but I've been riding for a long time, including sport bikes. And I ride with all kinds of armor on, even when I'm going short distances. Not that that excuses any stupidity on my part. Don't skimp on safety equipment! Look for at least a Snell rated helmet, and I ride with a pressure suit too. Acerbis makes some nice mesh ones for hot weather, the Koerta line. They also fit well under my cold weather gear.
Having the seat back another two inches would go a long, long way for me in comfort. Still, It's more comfy than any motorcycle I've owned. The only other scoot/motorcycle that holds my attention is the upcoming BMW C600 Sport, possibly the BMWF800, but adventure bikes can't corner very well and make horrible commuters. But lets face it, the BMW will be a lot more expensive, and I'm doubtful the MPG's will be as good. I'd steer clear of smaller scoots, you'll just find yourself wanting more. The DT is a very nibble and light bike with a low seat height. Affordable and great for learning.