Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.

Topics - gitsum

Pages: [1]

Compagno 50i and 110i / Compagno 110i seat size?

« on: April 06, 2015, 03:04:31 AM »

Just wondering if anyone has tried riding with a passenger? The seat looks thick and comfy, legroom looks good for rider and passenger, but is the seat long enough for two people?

I'm 160 and my wife 110, we both have small frames and don't mind riding two-up snuggled up close for medium to long distances. But we don't really want to be crammed together uncomfortably to the point of misery.

All the specs say dual rear shocks, but the photos clearly show a single rear shock. The first priority would be to replace that with an adjustable unit to make sure the handling is crisp and stable with two people at higher speeds.

After some much needed seat mods we have done extensive two-up touring on our current Tomos Nitro 150. We also did some successful touring on a Honda Elite 110 with 8.9 HP and power and speed was not an issue. After trying several larger scooters and small motorcycles, I regret selling the Elite 110. Honda doesn't produce them anymore, and I find the lighter weight and slightly more power of the Compagno very appealing.

For Sale / Sold!

« on: February 19, 2013, 04:22:32 PM »

I finally decided to bring an end to my SYM ownership. I'm planning to get a smaller scooter and a 250cc dual sport motorcycle.

This scooter is in near perfect condition with just a hair over 5000 miles. Top speed 75+ mph and averaging 75 mpg city or highway. I have changed the oil a total of 7 times (100 miles first change), adjusted the valves 3 times, changed the gear oil 4 times and changed the air filter twice. The tires are still less than halfway worn and it has been kept inside. It has the Euro turn signal mod (turn signal stalks removed, amber bulbs in original body integrated turn signal lenses).

Approximately $300 in upgrades including 16 gram Dr. Pulley sliders, stainless steel exhaust with baffle (made in Taiwan), and Napoleon bar end mirrors.

I'm asking $2295 ($1200 under msrp). Taking into account the $300 in upgrades and dealership fees this is a $1500 - $2000 saving over new. Located in Sierra Vista, AZ. SOLD!

General Discussion / brief Movie 150 test ride!

« on: February 13, 2013, 05:57:11 PM »

The owner of Scoot Over in Tucson offered me a test ride on a shiny new 2013 Movie 150 which I graciously accepted.

A little previous research on the internet revealed the new Kymco had 13.5 horsepower and weighed 250 lbs, intriguing to say the least. Pretty wicked tuning for an air cooled 150cc motor with a carb, though it does have a 4-valve head.

I took a short 7 or 8 minute ride in a residential area behind the shop, by no means enough time or miles to give a detailed review, but it did reveal the basic character and feel of the Movie 150.

I noticed three things immediately.

1. Stone cold the scooter started with a very brief stab of the starter button and idled smoothly and quietly. This scooter is quiet! Almost inaudible at idle, and a low muted growl at full throttle. Quiet and also a nice sounding stock tone, not something I would bother to change at all.

2. The Movie 150 is very quick to 45 mph, I would venture to say as fast as my HD 200 EVO. It was actually quicker to 10 mph, I'm guessing the fat 12" tires require a lot less torque to get rolling compared to the much larger diameter 16" hoops on the HD 200. With more torque and 1.7 horsepower more, I'm sure the HD 200 would pull handily ahead after 45 mph all the way to a faster top end. I would guess the Movie 150 would have the guts to pull somewhere above 65 mph but less than 70. While not feeling quite as powerful as the HD 200 in the mid-range, the Movie 150 still had good acceleration from 30 to 45 mph. Unfortunately in a posted 35 mph speed zone, I didn't have the opportunity to test the upper speed ranges.

3. With a 2 gallon fuel tank under the floor board and the rider sitting a couple of inches lower than the HD 200, the Movie 150 had a much lower center of gravity, feeling a lot lighter in comparison than one would expect 47 lbs less should feel (Movie 150 250 lbs - HD 200 Evo 297 lbs). This scooter felt nimble and quick handling like my Yamaha C3 (50cc -198 lbs), but not nervous or twitchy. A nice stable and smooth ride up to the 45 mph speed I was limited to (it's a shame I didn't get the opportunity to go faster!).

I road down a pot hole infested back alley and Movie 150's suspension and 12" wheels seemed to handle the bumps reasonably well, maybe not as smooth as the HD 200, but pretty darn close. I took a short cut between the back of two shopping centers, carefully riding on some medium size river rock, gravel and loose dirt with a few ruts. Wow, this was a huge improvement over the HD 200. The Movie 150 felt sure footed with virtually no squirmy and loose feeling front wheel or apparent lack of traction. I guess the lower center of gravity and lighter weight combined with a front tire that is 3/4" wider helps a lot.

Not near enough time to test seat comfort, but the basic shape was similar and it felt like maybe just a little bit more cushion. I'm sure the Movie 150 could never match the stability and ease the HD 200 gobbles up pavement two-up at 65 mph. But it was still competent in the engine department and should be able to hold 60+ mph on level ground while having more than adequate acceleration at low and mid-range speeds. Throw in a much more confident feeling off the pavement and lighter more tossable handling and the Movie 150 just "feels" more fun than my SYM HD 200 Evo

But a short test ride won't reveal any weaknesses or shortcomings the Movie 150 might present at higher speeds or on extended trips. Giving credit to the proven abilities of my HD 200, it has performed flawlessly with reasonable comfort and economy on many 250 - 350 mile days.

I have some concerns with overall comfort or stability on all day long rides, but from what I've experienced so far, I really like the Movie 150 and I'm seriously considering buying one.

Yes, I realize the Kymco Movie 150 was designed to be more of an urban scooter.
But then you are reading the opinion of someone that has taken long trips on a Honda Elite 110, SYM Wolf Classic 150 and even a Yamaha C3! I not sure everyone shares my view that smaller is just more fun

People 150 / People 150 two-up touring?

« on: December 13, 2012, 07:21:38 AM »

We ride a SYM HD 200 EVO and it does everything we need it to, and more. Just because it can, we cruise 60 - 65 mph on two lane highways covering 250 miles or more on day trips. We actually prefer riding around 50 mph, but I don't want to be a traffic obstacle, so we hold the legal speed limit. There hasn't been a long hill or grade that we couldn't hold at least 55 mph on. We notice that even when maintaining the speed limit, cars will pass anyway, especially on lonely two lane highways in the middle of nowhere.

The last couple of times we went riding, I tried a little experiment. I cut down our speed on any given stretch 10 -12 mph, and kept the throttle below 3/4. Our max cruising speed was 50 - 55 mph, and on some long inclines or against a good headwind, we slowed down to 45 - 50 mph. To our surprise, no more cars than usual passed us, and we thoroughly enjoyed the slower pace.

While I love the HD 200, I don't like the way SYM/Alliance does business. The nearest dealer is almost 200 miles away in Phoenix, and Tucson which is 70 miles away doesn't even have a SYM dealer anymore. You can't order SYM parts online, Alliance Powersports only distributes parts directly to a SYM dealer. The SYM HD 200 uses a highly modified GY6 engine, 4-valve, liquid cooled, and a cermanic coated cylinder, aftermarket parts are pretty much non-existent. I do all of my own maintenance and repairs, and due to the lack of parts availability and dealers, I just don't really want to own a SYM anymore.

On the other hand, the Kymco People 150 is more of a standard GY6, and I see many options for ordering parts both OEM and aftermarket. The GY6 has been in production for quite a few years from both Taiwanese and Japanese manufacturers (Chinese doesn't count!). So even though 2012 is the last year for the Kymco People 150, Genuine and a few others continue to offer quality GY6 based machines, meaning both stock and performance parts should be readily accessible for quite some time into the future.

My wife and I weigh 265 lbs combined, and we travel light with maybe 10 lbs of tools and gear. We previously owned a Honda Elite 110, and after a few modifications it would top out at 57 mph, cruising 50 - 55 mph was reasonable with the engine being water cooled. We weren't too unhappy with the power (maybe wanting a little more), but the small wheels made for a very nervous highway ride, and the seat was pretty uncomfortable after an hour or two. We found that 16" wheels delivered a very smooth ride, and the larger/softer seat on the HD 200 was a relief.

I'm hoping to find a compromise with the People 150, just not sure if it is what we need or not. If I bought one I would do my usual mods:

Short windscreen
complete smog device/canister and PAIR removal.
Dr. Pulley sliders
minor venting of the CVT cover
Aftermarket exhaust to eliminate the weight of the heavy catalyst equipped stock muffler
mild air box mods, usually just the small snorkel removal or enlarging a very small inlet
re-jet and fine tune the carb.

I am very meticulous about maintenance, changing the engine oil and gear oil often, keeping the air filter clean, checking the tire pressures before every ride, keeping a fresh spark plug in, adjusting the valves at or before the recommended intervals, adding seafoam occasionally to the fuel tank, making sure the carb jets are clean and the float level is correct, checking and servicing the clutch, variator and belt and of course keeping the engine and scooter spotless among other things.

Would I be expecting too much of the People 150 according to the following criteria?

extended 55 mph cruising two-up (265 lbs) on level ground with no headwind
maintaining 45 mph on long grades (nothing radically steep) or against a stiff headwind
holding WOT to keep up with traffic flow for a few minutes or miles (to keep impatient cars from running us down)
not worrying about overheating issues at higher speeds on hot days (100 degrees+)

We really love the look of the People 150, it's gets marginally better gas mileage than the HD 200, and most importantly I feel confident we can find parts for it and keep it in top notch running condition for a long, long time. Being more than 50 lbs lighter than the HD 200 is a significant benefit too, sometimes the HD 200 can feel heavy.

I have an almost brand new 2012 SYM Wolf Classic motorcycle that only has 900 miles on it. Thankfully that one is a Honda CB125 clone and there are some part options for it. I never rode it much and am trying to sell it, but there hasn't been any takers so far. I was thinking if someone had a People 150 a couple of years old without too many miles and still in good shape, I could offer a straight across trade and test the People 150's capabilities without actually spending any extra money.

But that's probably just wishful thinking... I would really like to hear some opinions on the People 150 in regards to touring ability. If it sounds favorable, I will sell off the HD 200 cheap and buy a new Kymco.