KymcoForum.com

 Looking through Craigslist, I saw a 2006 S250 in "excellent condition", according to seller. The listing says that the bike has less than 500 miles, and has been in storage for a long time. 
 I am new to small bikes and their issues. Other than the carburetor being gummed up and/or ruined, what would some of the other problems with a bike like this sitting for so long? The listing says that it "needs a good run to get it going strong".
 Just curious.

 When inspecting the bike this morning, I noticed the rear wheel has some side to side play in it. It can be moved as if it pivots on the axle. The movement may be about 1/8" - 3/16" at the outside of the tire. I noticed a dull noise coming from the rear a few days ago when braking.  I checked my other Like for this movement and it feels solid, no side to side movement at all.
 It seems like a bearing or sleeve issue to me, but I have no experience with scooter wear. I was going to take it to the professionals to check it out unless anyone has some idea if this could be a minor issue.

 It's been one year and three weeks since I brought my LIKE home from the dealer. In that time, I have ridden it through various speeds and conditions. Living in Southern California, it has seen extreme temperatures between 55 - 90 degrees. (Mind boggling, I know). Most of the rides, after break in, have been in the 45-55 mph range. Some roads had 60 mph speed limits, so I was pushing it.

 My opinion of this little Chinese bike has not changed. It is everything I expected it to be. As a midrange scooter under $3000.00, it has handled what I have thrown at it. It is not of the Vespa or Honda quality. It is a great entry/midlevel scooter. I will move up to a bigger scooter, as my desires have changed. This scooter still puts a smile on my face even when my backside has surrendered.

 The only issues I have experienced is a bad spark plug and the rear fender bracket cracked and broke. I used a torch and a hanger for a good gas weld on the bracket. Good as new. It is about time to open it up and check/replace the belt and rollers. Maintenance items are more frequent on these little bikes .
 It was a good choice for my first scooter. This is my first year review.

 I was driving my work truck through the San Fernando Valley (Like, oh my God) this afternoon. I was passed by a cream colored Like that was lane splitting in the fast lane. I thought to myself, "wow, a brave soul.". It was heavy traffic and he may have only been doing about 30 mph, but it was still a rare sight.
 It was on U.S Hwy 101, in the afternoon. This section of road is six lanes across in each direction. Hats off to the brave, the clueless, or the insane, whichever fits.
 It was liberating to watch, regardless of any safety issue. I gotta get my scooter fixed soon.

 I went by the local mega motorsports store this week. They have several N.O.S 2010 S250s on the sales floor. The salesman said they have received them from the factory over the last 6 months. (I assumed he meant USA distribution). I like the style of the S250, but I am at odds with the thought as to why the factory would wait 4 years to release them. Were they lost in an Indiana Jones sized warehouse? Possibly crate damaged that were recently repaired? It seems odd to me. Any ideas?

 140 miles in one day is the most I have done in one day. Rode from home to Long Beach, 16 miles, then met up with the scooter club. We rode to Mission San Fernando, 60 miles away. We toured the mission, had lunch and the took the scenic route home.
 My observations about the LIKE during a long ride are that it ran smooth, got great mileage, (80 mpg) and the designer of the seat should be set on fire. Thank goodness I have a rubber mat and an AirHawk seat cushion. They helped greatly. I would never had attempted to ride the LIKE that far with just the stock seat. It has been a great learning experience in finding routes to interesting places without having to go near the freeways.
 There was very very little traffic on Sunday morning. The Westside crazies were not out yet. Temperatures were only in the mid 80s by the afternoon. What a GREAT day.
 I heard that you can go through Camp Pendleton to get to San Diego. That's the only coastal route except for the freeway. You just have to go through a bit of red tape to ride through the Marine Base. It may be an option down the road.

 I rode with the Long Beach Scooter Club for the first time this weekend. It was a small group. There were only 9 riders on this trip, but It was a great way to get my feet wet. It was a great ride through Carbon Canyon.  It was a total of 85 miles, round trip.
 During the ride, my Like reached the 1000 mile mark. It took 10 weeks of recreational riding to get there. The bike is running smoother every week.

You can see my seat modification in the picture. LOL.