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After riding a 2007 Kymco Grand Vista for years I decided to buy a Kymco X-Town;   I loved my GrandVista so I wasn't looking for a big change just an upgrade. The main justification was ABS Brakes.  Surprisingly in Northern California I only found one in stock in Vallejo near the Bay Area, and rode it home, a three hour ride.   

The X-town improved on everything I didn't like on the Grandvista.  Rear brakes are better, mirrors positioned where they should be,  a shock absorber that helps keep the rear seat up,  a shield that slides over the ignition switch and a bigger 3 gallon gas tank that may increase distance to 200 miles. And finally a Fuel injection which make a difference. 

Picked it up with 3 miles on the odometer and managed keep up with the fast moving "Christmas Bay" area traffic at 60-65mph;  knowing that I needed to break the engine in before going faster.

I found no problems riding this new bike as the seat position and controls are similar to the Grandvista. The tires are 14 and 13 inch, but the stability is actually a bit better. A little bit longer and heavier but I found myself immediately going 5 mph faster around the corners.  I live 6 miles from the Tahoe National Forrest in the Sierra Foothills so have been riding an hour every day on the twisties.  In a very short time have almost 500 miles of riding time.   I looked at the other scooters, the bells and whistle came at a much higher price.  My only desire was just a bit faster on the interstates.  I have a 21 day tour coming up and I am very happy with this purchase.

I recently bought my third GV 250 and this one has an intermittent problem: the starter motor keeps running. There are two possibilities: the starting switch is not turning off...or the relay is staying on. By disconnecting the starter switch at the relay (the plastic connector with two  thin wires) you can determine if it's the switch: if it continues to crank, it's not the switch.  Then...it must be the relay, which it will be almost all the time. Why? Because the relay has to carry a large current and over thousands of starts the contacts become pitted from sparking, eventually generating enough heat to "spot weld" the contacts together. I had this happen on a 1946 car; I'd smack the relay and it would stop cranking. My buddy who sells BMW bike parts said this is a common problem on old Beemers; he sells a lot of relays. The good news is...you can buy a relay on ebay for $13:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Starter-Solenoid-Relay-for-KYMCO-Scooter-Moped-Grandvista-250-4-Stroke-250cc/162985559971?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

Great Bike, if you do some of the maintenance like change the gear oil and oil, air filter , spark plugs, etc. cost is not difficult,  maintenance is rather easy. Very reliable. It is very comfortable, I am 5 10, gas mileage is about 65 around town.  I think you will love this bike as I do.

I have often thought of getting Nitrogen Shocks for my GV, it might be easier to adjust for different loads, for example 2 people.  I just wonder  if it is worth the money or effort.

This is such a great bike, high gas mileage, looks good, enough power to satisfy most... and now a forum.  It would be nice to know what kind of changes have been made to make this bike run better or look better.  Mine is mostly stock.  I am using Amsoil oil, gear oil.  Runs like a champ, always starts first time in cold weather.

David