KymcoForum.com
Scooters - 125 to 300 => LIKE 200i => Topic started by: HelloPitty on January 28, 2015, 12:56:57 AM
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Hello KymcoForum folks!
My story on how I ended up here:
When I was a teen my dad bought me a Puch moped. At some point my brother loaned it out and it was never returned.
I decided I wanted to find another. I started looking at CL to find one. A few Vespa ads were in the list as well and I decided to click in....
Love at first scooter sight.
In typical newbie fashion I didn't know what to buy. I went to a couple of motorcycle shops nearby, but didn't find one to try.
I read lots of posts about Vespas and decided I would at least narrow my search to an air-cooled model. There are a lot of those I soon found out.
Ultimately I decided to jump in, buy a used LX150, then decide if I bought too small, or too heavy, or too difficult to work on. If I purchased wrong, I would re-sell and buy a model that I felt would address the shortcomings of the one I bought. I did buy one, seen in the second post.
Suddenly my dad became interested in riding along and said he wished he had a scooter. I immediately began looking and ran across a 2012 Kymco Like 200i with 315 miles for $1275. I'm not entirely sure it was a great deal, but I was willing to pay the price to have a scooter for when my dad stops over.
I just brought it home yesterday and haven't taken a proper photo of it, so I'll use the photo from the ad:
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I like the fact that both the Kymco and Vespa are air-cooled.
I will admit I LOVE the disc brakes on the 200i.
I will admit I LOVE the fuel injection..my older Vespa does not have it.
I also LOVE the blinkers on the 200i, they make noise, yay!
Here is my scooter: 2006 Vespa LX150:
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HelloPitty, Welcome to the forum.
Already I know you will be a shining star here. You didn't ask for a "T" shirt or a beer!
Check out Stigs threads on his Like. He's perhaps our most prolific Like poster. A nice guy as well. (don't tell him I said that).
SoCal, and scooters... Almost as nice as Florida. We have you beat tho... We get to play in hurricanes.
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HelloPitty,
Welcome to the Like 200i world. I think you're going to love your new scooter. I know I love mine. I'm no expert on prices for used Likes, but with only 315 miles, you basically got a new scooter for $1275. To me, that's a deal. I'm sure you and/or your dad will have fun scootin' on the Like!
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Welcome !!
I think that is a good price .....and yeah, it is a new scoot! (@$2K less than I paid)
Drain the oil, replace per owner's manual and enjoy!
Agree - love the EFI, brakes, twin shocks and air cooled no hassles. These things and the Vespa/Lambretta look sold me!
You have 2 very nice scoots. :-)
Stig
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Thank you all for the warm welcomes.
Check out Stigs threads on his Like. He's perhaps our most prolific Like poster. A nice guy as well. (don't tell him I said that).
Mums the word. ;D
I'm sure you and/or your dad will have fun scootin' on the Like!
I rode it directly to his house on Sunday, and he hopped right on it. I rode up and said, "Hi dad, here's your new Goldwing!"
At his age his Honda Goldwing is just too heavy for him...so this scoot is perfect!
Drain the oil, replace per owner's manual and enjoy!
That is on my to-do list on Saturday. No oil filter to buy, yay!
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Welcome to the forum! I as well have a Like 200i. New 2014 model, only 100 miles so far, the ONLY gripe I have so far is the seat, the rides can be a little rough, so the only modification I will make is to replace the seat material with some more comfy stuff for my booty, even on these urban roads here in Austin, TX, potholes are all too common!
Have fun & enjoy!
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the only modification I will make is to replace the seat material with some more comfy stuff
Indeed, same here!
Another bonus with the Like 200i is that it has 12 inch wheels, a little added smoothness from my perspective.
The Vespa has 11 inch front and 10 inch back wheels.
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Thank you all for the warm welcomes.
Mums the word. ;D
I think he saw it. Watch how I do this... ;)
Hey Stiggy... I was just kiddin' mate! ;D
Add a couple/2 ounces of Sea Foam to the next two full tanks of fuel. It will clean out the fuel system just in case the bike has sat w/ old gas. That, and the oil change/ perhaps a new set of fuel, and air filters, and a new spark plug should get you rippin'.
I understand it all should be new already but I look for the piece of mind.
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I do use Seafoam in my other scoot and have had good results. I'll try it in this as well.
Forgot about the air filter. First I'll do the oil, and spark plug, those should be easiest maintenance for me.
Then I'll tackle the air filter after finding (hopefully), a YouTube video.
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I do use Seafoam in my other scoot and have had good results. I'll try it in this as well.
Forgot about the air filter. First I'll do the oil, and spark plug, those should be easiest maintenance for me.
Then I'll tackle the air filter after finding (hopefully), a YouTube video.
There is one on youtube from an old member here. Remove side panel by sliding it back after removing a couple screws, etc., etc.
This just might be in the top 5 easiest scoots to do a vavle adjust on, too. (some hondas you just turn a screw/nut on the outside of valve cover!)
Stig
Stig
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That's a score for the like 200!!!! Make sure you do the valves also, first check is 300mi. Important to so early on. Stig has an awesome write up for the valve adjustment, better than the service manual. Hey zombie, Cali might not have hurricanes but earthquakes beat the pants off a hurricane!!!! Just wait for the "big one"!!!!
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Er uhh... NOT!
Where's Atlantis? Exactly!
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I wonder if anyone has ever been in an earthquake and hurricane at the same time? That'd be where it's at!
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That's a score for the like 200!!!! Make sure you do the valves also, first check is 300mi. Important to so early on. Stig has an awesome write up for the valve adjustment, better than the service manual.
Valve adjustment will be done, thank you for the reminder. Now to find Stig's write up.
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I wonder if anyone has ever been in an earthquake and hurricane at the same time? That'd be where it's at!
Slingers mom, after a bucket of beans, and a 12 pack.
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Couldn't wait any longer so the first oil change has been done.
I found it strange that the bolt that houses the spring and filter was just hand tightened. I snugged it down a tad more than that.
I put 10W40 4 cycle Motorcycle oil in it.
Here's the old oil.
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Couldn't wait any longer so the first oil change has been done.
I found it strange that the bolt that houses the spring and filter was just hand tightened. I snugged it down a tad more than that.
I put 10W40 4 cycle Motorcycle oil in it.
Here's the old oil.
Yeah, that should have been tightened with a wrench.
FYI - if you are thinking of doing your own servicing on the LIKE200i - cyclepedia.com sells an online service manual, and I think someone said you can also buy a paper manual from them now.
I use the online manual for all kinds of servicing stuff.
Stig
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Be careful tightening that cap. I have had several of them shear off the threaded section. It's just cast aluminium.
The "O" ring provided is thick enough to hold it in place with very little more than hand tight. Combine that with the springs force, and I seriously doubt it could ever fall out even if it had a mind to.
Just sayin' Careful with that one.
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FYI - if you are thinking of doing your own servicing on the LIKE200i - cyclepedia.com sells an online service manual, and I think someone said you can also buy a paper manual from them now.
Definitely going to look into that.
Be careful tightening that cap. I have had several of them shear off the threaded section. It's just cast aluminium.
Just sayin' Careful with that one.
Noted...glad I just tightened it a little bit over hand-tighten.
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Hi all, I was looking at a Kymco Craigslist ad and saw this front tire, it looks like mine, I was wondering if the curvy middle area is correct?
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No it's not right. It's called "cupping".
I posted a bunch of facts on why it happens, and potential cures... The witches here shot me down.
It's not a horrible threat on slow ass scooters but it is an issue to be avoided or corrected.
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zombie, I figured I'd best take a photo of my actual front tire.
Is that line down the middle supposed to be straight?
Does mine look like cupping?
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Good point there...
The reason for that center cut is supposed to be to allow water to escape, and prevent hydroplaning. That's easy to understand.
It appears that your tire was manufactured that way. It's hard to tell. Look at the first image you posted. See how all the cuts are sort of sticking up around the edges? that is cupping. The woven bands in the tire shift around, and the rubber has to follow.
A perfectly balanced, and aligned tire will not do that unless there is a flaw in the construction.
Getting back to your tire... It appears that it is made like that UNLESS you can detect some of that distortion on / around the other cuts. In any case I would buy a different tire. Reason is in rain or wet roads that zig zag groove will pull the tire to, and fro, Just my 2 cents.
I realize it's not a 100mph bike but all the tiny things add u to big things.
Ps... Next time kick the bike on its side. The sideways pict just gave me a seizure... It's ok tho. No brain to damage.
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The stock tires on all the Like's are well, LIKE that ahaha. Anyway, one thing to take note of, you hardly EVER have to take the oil screen out. I change the oil out of the drain bolt and only check the screen once a year or less, never dirty. If you get crud in your oil, clean it. Otherwise change using the drain bolt to avoid the cap breaking, like Zombie said I've seen more than a few customers break the screen cap, even with minimal torque installing it back on. They are also VERY easy to cross thread because its such a wide thread.
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Okay zombie, I'll kick the bike on its side to get that right side up pic for ya! :D
Bettin', good to know about the stock tires. And about that screen. It was super clean which I was happy about. But it did bend a bit as I tried to put it in the first time and I was being very careful. Wish I could locate a spare screen, would love to have one.
Must go and put my NGK Iridium spark plug in it now, the plug just arrived.
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Newbie confessions: 8)
I haven't ridden my Vespa since I brought this home (and it's for my dad)!
I overfilled the gas the first time...aargh!
I bent the little oil screen, but bent it back.
I'm working on a seat cushion fix.
I've worried if my tire is out of round.
After all this fussing and worrying, I'm just going to ride it, enjoy it, and keep it at the ready for when dad stops by and wants
to take a spin.
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Spin the tire on the centerstand. and attach a pencil or something like that to the fork. Any "out of round" will show up.
Check the rim too
If your pencil or whatever is firmly attached... I'm sure you follow the idea. Just ride it is what sticks out the most tho.
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Okay zombie, I'll kick the bike on its side to get that right side up pic for ya! :D
Bettin', good to know about the stock tires. And about that screen. It was super clean which I was happy about. But it did bend a bit as I tried to put it in the first time and I was being very careful. Wish I could locate a spare screen, would love to have one.
Must go and put my NGK Iridium spark plug in it now, the plug just arrived.
I put one of these sets in my tool box early on....If the stock part ever messes up I'm ready! My Kymco screen was a little squashed - so replaced it with the one from a set like this from eBay. Oh, and I clean mine in a little gas & dry with every oil change, (every 600 - 800 miles **) It gets out the last bit of dirty oil. Just take it easy working with all these alloy parts. Push & start the screw-in by hand to prevent cross-threading. I use a bit of silicone grease on the rubber O-ring gasket, snug it a touch with a wrench. You do NOT want that coming loose while riding down the road!
I put the new spark plug in the plug socket (has that rubber in there to hold the plug in the socket), add a short extension and Thread the plug in by hand after paying close attention to the angle the old one had as it comes out....to prevent cross threading the new plug.
And yeah, that is the way your front tire is supposed to look! It's a stock Kenda tire. Pretty long wearing tires, Kendas are, just don't go on a long high speed ride in the wet on them. The 'long wearing' ='s low wet grip!
Enjoy the scoot - it's pretty hardy!
** I do such freq servicing not because the scoot needs it - but because it is easy to service and my personality needs to do it! Also: Freq oil changes means "you'll never have to say you're sorry!"That's from a famous movie.
Stig
http://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-OIL-FILTER-SCREEN-CAP-SEAL-SPRING-FOR-GY6-50CC-125CC-150CC-4-STORKE-SCOOTER-/121377985010?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item1c42b111f2&vxp=mtr (http://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-OIL-FILTER-SCREEN-CAP-SEAL-SPRING-FOR-GY6-50CC-125CC-150CC-4-STORKE-SCOOTER-/121377985010?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item1c42b111f2&vxp=mtr)
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Thanks stig! Oil screen order placed, that will be some inexpensive peace of mind.
I haven't changed the plug yet. Figured I'd wait on that for a bit.
There was light drizzle here yesterday so I took out the Like to try some maneuvers (purposefully trying to make it slide), I'm happy to report that at low mph (25 and lower), she handled snug to the road, I didn't try faster speed as that would not be an adequate indicator of my riding style in the rain.
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I've owned the Like 200i for one week today.
One feature I appreciate is the 12V adapter in the glovebox.
I also love the kickstand.
Those are two features I wish my other scooter had.
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The 12v is an easy/cheap add on, and the kick stand... Just throw the bike over. (notice a pattern here?)
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Isn't your other bike an lx vespa?? Or et4, same thing... We have side stands for sale that bolt right on to the et/lx!
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Just throw the bike over.!!!!!!!!! >:(
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Isn't your other bike an lx vespa?? Or et4, same thing... We have side stands for sale that bolt right on to the et/lx!
Yes, LX150, and it's not getting any ride time right now. I'm breaking in dad's scoot for him. :) Once I get back on the LX, I might be inquiring about one, thank you.
Just throw the bike over.!!!!!!!!! >:(
Don't make me turn this bike around! :P
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Well that didn't take long at all!
I want Ice Cream, and I want it NOW!!! I'm going #2...
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Brought home a scooter friend for the Like; a gently used Symba:
(http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn140/lisantica/IMG_3421copy.jpg) (http://s303.photobucket.com/user/lisantica/media/IMG_3421copy.jpg.html)
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Pretty nifty the way you have it secured with the seat belts. At least it keeps your baby safe!
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HelloPitty. Nice to see another person from So. Cal. I'm in the South OC area. I just got my 2013 LIke in November and have enjoyed it thus far; 333 miles on it and counting. I'm learning lots from your questions, cause I've had a lot of the same. There is really only 3 things I wish I could change about the Like.
Of course, the seat. Ouch! Secondly the helmet space under the seat. I can say my little Honda Met 50 had more space than this bike when it came to helmet storage; full face fit under the seat and in the trunk. And a push button opening lock on the glove box. Otherwise, 2 thumbs up!
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Pretty nifty the way you have it secured with the seat belts. At least it keeps your baby safe!
Good catch! :D
HelloPitty. Nice to see another person from So. Cal. I'm in the South OC area. I just got my 2013 LIke in November and have enjoyed it thus far; 333 miles on it and counting.
I'm up to 401 now :D
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Brought home a scooter friend for the Like; a gently used Symba:
That is one cool little scoot!
Be sure to check out the info on these at the SYM forum....I linked there to some folks taking their Symbas around the world, or some darn thing! Crazy but wonderful.
(the old LIKE fired right up this morning for my 8 degree F commute to work. In daylight, I took the long way home for the afternoon commute - this thing is so much fun and so well behaved in city traffic.)
Re. the seat - I worked on my seat so that I could move back a little and not ride with my knees splayed out like a bear on a tricycle. My seat height is now 33" and the painful ridge is nowhere to be found under my added foam - no matter where I sit I can no longer feel it. (The top of my helmet comes in at 71" from the road.) This seat is very comfy now - I can ride for a long time - and the stock seat is unmolested, in the closet - to be reinstalled for its next owner. (I found a perfectly good 50cc LIKE seat on ebay to do my conversion on - they are the same seat, though the under-seat buckets are different.)
After rebuilding my seat - I quit shopping for better rear shocks. Amazing how much better the shocks feel with a nice thick and comfy seat!
Stig
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That is one cool little scoot!
Be sure to check out the info on these at the SYM forum....I linked there to some folks taking their Symbas around the world, or some darn thing! Crazy but wonderful.
Thank you. I did sign up for SYM forum at around 4 a.m. this morning. Too excited to sleep after a scooter purchase. I'm using my same username.
I read the around the world adventure of Colin and his wife Re. I believe that is what enticed me to buy a Symba. I think they put 22,000 miles on them or some such number.
As for the Like, I still Like. My dad was on it today so that made my day.
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Welcome to the group. There is a lot of scooter activity in So Cal. I ride with the Long Beach group when my schedule permits. There are a lot from here on the SYM forum as well. I bought my LIKE 11 months ago. No problems yet, other than a fouled plug. I have almost 5000 miles of recreational riding in that time.
P.S. The seat is alive and it is angry!
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Welcome to the group. There is a lot of scooter activity in So Cal. I ride with the Long Beach group when my schedule permits. There are a lot from here on the SYM forum as well. I bought my LIKE 11 months ago. No problems yet, other than a fouled plug. I have almost 5000 miles of recreational riding in that time.
P.S. The seat is alive and it is angry!
Got milk?
Or....got Iridium ?
One of 'em will cure that fouled plug issue!
Stig
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Bought the same model used last summer to get my husband a starter bike.
He's already advanced to a 350 cc model and I'm going to place this one up for sale.
I've been riding a 2010 kymco yager for 4+ years and love that thing.
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I'm up to 629 miles on the Like now.
As you may recall, I bought it for my dad to use, but since he's going to stick with clutch-styled motorcycles I have been wondering what to do with this extra scooter. I even tried selling it for a quick sale one time.
So far I've decided I'm going to hold onto it, a few reasons why:
1) It's so dependable
2) It has such nice styling
3) Nice to have an extra scoot for family/friends
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I'm up to 629 miles on the Like now.
As you may recall, I bought it for my dad to use, but since he's going to stick with clutch-styled motorcycles I have been wondering what to do with this extra scooter. I even tried selling it for a quick sale one time.
So far I've decided I'm going to hold onto it, a few reasons why:
1) It's so dependable
2) It has such nice styling
3) Nice to have an extra scoot for family/friends
Yep, me too.
I'm supposed to come up with reasons to sell on my LIKE200i.....the scoot I started with two years ago.
I like too much about it, and unless I find a person who appreciates what he's looking at (paying my price, in other words) it may be awhile before I sell it. Great urban scooter, with not much resale value in these parts.
Goofy thing has over 8000 miles on it, but still seems like a new scooter to me.
Stig
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I've had my Like for over 2 years now and see no reason to part with it. You get a lot of scooter for the money and most importantly, reliability.
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I have a Vespa LX150 that is my main scooter, but lately I've been riding the Like in order to keep mileage down on the Vespa.
The upside was I ended up liking the Like. Maybe I should ride the Vespa in order to keep miles off of the Like. :P
I do feel fortunate to have two to choose from. Buying second hand helped me afford the luxury.
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It starts to smooth out at about 600 miles. My LX hit its stride between 900 - 1000 miles. The difference in performance was definitely noticeable when it was breaking in.
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I'm already noticing smoothness.
Plus, I just put on a windscreen….I just love windscreens.
(https://c4.staticflickr.com/8/7786/18047759789_5a845653e4_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/tuPude)
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Where did you purchase that windscreen? What make/model is it? I've been searching for one for months, and the only Givi or Biondi windshields I could find were coming from Italy :o
Looks fantastic BTW, I have the same color as yours.
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Thank you.
It's a slipstreamer model.
I bought it used here:
http://www.kymcoforum.com/index.php?topic=13858.0 (http://www.kymcoforum.com/index.php?topic=13858.0)
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Careful with the Slipstreamer, we sell them and have had more than a few have bolts come loose. Check them regularly and use loctite on the mounting screws.
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Thank you…the prior owner did warn me, I used blue loctite per his suggestion.
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It's been 4 months since my last update.
I still love this Like scooter.
A couple of months went by (hot months where I don't like to ride so it wasn't started), and some family showed up.
Out come the bikes and that Like fired right up first try. :)
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As an update the Like scooter did sell.
I felt confident selling it to the young couple because I know just how sound of a bike it is.
I hope they have many happy years with it.
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Sorry to hear you parted with your Like, but at least it went to a good home.
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Well, glad you found a good home for your LIKE.
It is a good scooter!
Stig