Anyone ever had to replace the swingarm on the XC500?

[spr0k3t]

So the scooter is at the shop getting the 6000 mile checkup... when replacing the rear tire they notice a problem with the brake caliper being a bit rubbed by the disc.  Further inspection has found a cracked swing arm and bad bearing on the swing arm to be the culprit.  Has any else ever experienced this issue?

[axy]

So the scooter is at the shop getting the 6000 mile checkup... when replacing the rear tire they notice a problem with the brake caliper being a bit rubbed by the disc.  Further inspection has found a cracked swing arm and bad bearing on the swing arm to be the culprit.  Has any else ever experienced this issue?

Incredible.
No, but who cares, let them replace it under warranty and send back to Kymco.
I have been telling for a long time that Kymco scoots are the same rubbish, quality wise, as all other scoots on the market. Unfortunately.

[Hoolander2]

Wow.  Where was the crack?  Was it near or at the bearing?  I'm asking so I can go look at mine!
 
Sorry about your problem and I hope it's fixed right soon.

Could have been a bad casting or bad amalgam.  Or the arm wasn't bored correctly to receive the bearing.  Or factory worker pressed the bearing in askew.  Or. . . or. . . who knows? 

[spr0k3t]

The crack is right in the middle of the swing arm.  I should have grabbed a few pictures while I was at the shop looking at it.  The crack continues along two of the ribs in the piece.  Don't know if they will be able to cover it under warranty but the shop is going to do what they can.  I just purchased this XC500 not more than two weeks ago (used), so the shop is doing everything they can for me.

[Hoolander2]

You don't suppose the scooter had been in a collision do you?  That would explain a lot.  They could've fixed everything else but overlooked the swingarm.

[spr0k3t]

Absolutely positive.  I know the people who had it before.  They babied that scooter like you wouldn't believe.  The only really heavy riding ever done on it was taking it down to Key West from Kansas City and back.  Other than that, the bike is almost new with every oil change and inspection paperwork recorded by a single shop.  I've got all printouts of everything ever done to the scooter.

[jprestonian]

It's tough to imagine any hit one could take in riding the thing that would break a non-defective swingarm that would not also at least bend the frame (if not crack a weld in it, somewhere). That's a pretty beefy chunk of metal.

Sounds like a bad casting to me.
.

[axy]

1. If it is under 2-year warranty, and judging by the mileage it could be, I see no reason why it would not be replaced.

2. Regardless of possible warranty expiry, it is clearly a manufacturing defect and they have to replace it.

[spr0k3t]

The two year warranty is already gone... it's down to whether Kymco is going to replace the swing arm due to bad casting/defects.  Here's a couple shots I took today at the shop where the scoot sits.

Larger pics can be found here.



I may be able to weld that sucker... I've got a person who does aluminum welding professionally for a living.

[spr0k3t]

Just an update... scooter is back and operational again.  I haven't been able to find an aluminum welder willing to work with cast aluminum, so I replaced the piece.

[axy]

I will refrain from commenting on Kymco's quality because I did that quite often lately.
Incredible.
 

[Agent Bob]

The pics of the cracks in the swing arm are scary. I'm no expert, but it looks like it could be under-designed. Not a lot of metal there. I read in a magazine that they can make modern bikes much lighter than the oldies with computer assisted design by paring off excees metal. That swing arm doesn't look too beefy, and aluminum yet.