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« on: June 30, 2011, 11:37:06 PM »
As a new owner of the Downtown 300i (5 weeks & 500 miles) I can say that whilst I am generally pleased with the bike there seems to be some mis-information floating about that maybe needs clarifying.
First of all let me say that the following is with regard to my UK sourced machine from a Kymco Dealer.
In various places (including some Kymco importers sites) you may be told (or inferred) that this machine has:-
ABS - Antilock Braking System
TPMS - Tyre Pressure Monitoring System
Storage for 2 full face helmets
"Linked" braking system (left lever applies both front and rear brakes)
An adjustable windscreen .......
Well, it does not have any of the above! It does, however have a main speedometer scale in Kph and a virtually unreadable secondary scale (red print on black ground) in mph - In my view totally unsuitable/unusable for the UK - I don't know how it got "type approval" As I have said elsewhere on this forum, Kymco produce a unit with the main scale in mph (USA) so why don't they fit it for the UK? I have even looked into adding an auxilliary electronic speedo - I quite like the Trail Tech Striker but it is quite a lot of money and a bit of work to fit........... What's annoying is that the bottom section of the DT LCD display is not used although I have seen that a 4 digit display is available there (think that might be something to do with the mythical TPMS) - would have been good if they made provision for this to display a digital speed readout - mph / kph switchable!
I have just fitted my new Givi D924ST screen which I think "improves" the look of the bike from most angles and certainly cuts down a lot of the buffeting and wind noise I was experiencing - I can actually hear what the engine is doing now.
Unfortunately I am not impressed with Givi quality control - the lower fixing hole does not line up very well and they have not provided proper fittings so you can transfer the Kymco oval badge assembly properly. The original screen has 2 molded lugs which the fixing points of the "KYMCO" assembly fit into - the Givi screen just has 2 holes so the screws are too long and won't clamp the oval assembly. I have bodged it for now (2 small cable grommets and 2 screw cups as spacers!) whilst Ifigure out how to do a permanent job - or get the fittings from Givi!
There are also some "stress" marks in the plastic either side of the main bend lines - where it has been pressed into the mold or maybe overheated? There were some very sharp ragged edges on the bottom section of the screen - which I filed flat after cutting my finger on them! There are also a few minor blemishes in the main area of the screen which arrived (with no protective film) packed in bubble wrap bag (sealed with a "Givi" label) and rattling about in a Givi.it cardboard box - not the best way to protect £107 worth of my money!
I am still deciding how to proceed with this as although I like the screen it is actually too tall (it's about 6.5" taller than the original) and I am looking right through the edge of it when riding. I can sit up a bit and peer over the top or I can slouch a bit and look through it but due to the curvature of the top sections "reverse flip" it distorts your view making everything look a bit squashed. I think I could get away with cutting about 2 - 2.5" off the top and still get most of the benefit of the better air flow as I think a lot of this is due to the extra width in the lower section because it integrates with the body work shape and shields some of the handlebar much more than the original screen does.
Some information they don't tell you before you buy the Givi screen - it had 2 labels stuck on the front:- (at least they peeled off easily)
1) "WARNING - in case of strong winds, drive at moderate speeds and never exceed 100Km/h" - is it just me or is this ambiguous - does it mean NEVER exceed 100Km/h or only when its windy? It also tells you to never park with the sun shining on the rear of the screen as the curvature will create a "lens" effect (and vaporise anything in front of it?) and they don't accept any responsibility for any damage if you don't cover the screen! It is OK to park with the sun shining in from the front of the screen. In my limited knowledge of Physics, lenses and light paths - should this not be the other way about? I would think that sun shining from the front, onto the convex curvature could be concentrated at a point behind the screen - like the seat, handlebars or bodywork etc.?
2) The second label warns how to clean the screen and also says it is made from "Antishock" material - is this antishock with regard to static electricity or is it made out of polycarbonate as opposed to acrylic?
As a final note regarding the screen - I ordered it from motorbikesandparts.co.uk as they were one of the few suppliers listing it (in stock?) I paid my money then sat back and waited for it to arrive. After 3 days with no order update I contacted them to be informed that they had to order it from Givi UK, who also had no stock and had, in turn, ordered it from Givi IT - "will be 2 weeks".
It has taken nearly 4 weeks to arrive and my phone and email requests for an update have been met with either a recorded message (after holding on line) saying they could not take any calls or robotic one line emails not really answering your question. In all honesty their customer support seems to be virtually nil and I am unable to recommend them as a supplier. I have since done a Google search and found lots of other complaints being expressed in various forums etc.
Filters - I know some of this information is elsewhere on the forum but to clarify:-
HifloFiltro (Hiflo) produce a replacement oil filter for the DT 300i - it is item number HF566 - I have seen it on sale for £2.50 - my dealer charged me £6.86 for the Kymco one on the first service.
DNA produce a replacement air filter - item number P-KY3SC11-01 - this is available for around £68 - I checked with the dealer - the Kymco version will be around £22 when he fits one during a service so you would get 3 Kymco ones for the price of the DNA.
However what I did not realise is the OEM filter is throw away but the DNA one is "servicable" and should last indefinitely. Apparently you can buy a £12 "service kit" for it which provides the cleaning fluid and a quantity of special oil required to recoat the cotton filter. It also has a bigger surface area and is supposed to pass 33% more air than the OEM version. I assume the fuel injection system would automatically compensate for this increased, less restricted flow? Any thoughts?
Although I don't much like these "disposable" items we all use so many of - unless the increased air flow gives improved performance or better mpg then, doing the sums, and assuming you need a new service kit every time, you would need five "changes" to roughly break even on costs - by the sixth change you would start to show a small saving - but that's a lot of miles!
That's more than enough for one post - I hope someone finds it useful?
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