Kymco is getting super cheap in the 50/125/150cc offerings

[MassScoot]

Since the downgrade of the Super 8 to a "Super Agility", Kymco's line-up is super weak IMHO. Bintelli scooters just picked-up the Adly line for 50cc (2-strokes @ 4.35HP) that out-class most 50cc today. Plus there are countless other solid companies that are producing better scooters for the money. I LOVE my GT300i but that costs 5K. For people looking into an entry-level 50cc or even a 150cc, Kymco needs to step-up! Kymco seems to be going backwards in the US. I'm sure gas prices has something to do with it, but overall their not what they were 2-3 years ago. 

[BettinANDlosing]

Totally agree, they have gutted their small displacement lineup completely.

[AMAC1680]

The agility 125 is still the best value scooter at the moment.
As far as the 50cc market IMO they should be banned as a road hazard. That should piss off many but just my .02.

A GT300 at 5000.00 is overpaying. I'll do them OTD at 4k or less. The 300cc class can cost just look at Forza and Baby Burgman. The kymco 300 s are better machines for less.

Kymco in parts of the country that scooters sell is kicking ass and taking names over SYM, Bintelli et al.

Cheap entry level 50 are Chinas gig and if fact are a tiny fragment of a small market.

AMAC

[BettinANDlosing]

The agility 125 is still the best value scooter at the moment.
As far as the 50cc market IMO they should be banned as a road hazard. That should piss off many but just my .02.

A GT300 at 5000.00 is overpaying. I'll do them OTD at 4k or less. The 300cc class can cost just look at Forza and Baby Burgman. The kymco 300 s are better machines for less.

Kymco in parts of the country that scooters sell is kicking ass and taking names over SYM, Bintelli et al.

Cheap entry level 50 are Chinas gig and if fact are a tiny fragment of a small market.

AMAC

50cc are only as dangerous as the operator, used on the correct 30 and under roads. My zuma can go 65, so thats not a problem.

[ScooterWolf]

I had thought the same thing about their commuter class scoots. With Kymco a 200i rating isn't always a 200 cc scoot. With the discontinued Yager 200i = 175 cc and Grand Vista there seems be a developing gap between the 150 and 300 cc scooter range with flat boards.

-Wolf

[AMAC1680]

50cc are only as dangerous as the operator, used on the correct 30 and under roads. My zuma can go 65, so thats not a problem.

Ok then I'd go for a ban on the rider....

AMAC

[BettinANDlosing]

Ok then I'd go for a ban on the rider....

AMAC

Hahaha good point, I guess it lays in education. But people will never learn. IDK here in Portland I hardly ever see 50ccs holding up traffic, most Oregon drivers drive pretty damn slow to start with. I would say ban all drivers because most are total crap anyway, but that won't happen.

[CROSSBOLT]

This may have  very little to do with what you seem to be aiming but I have always wondered why the 200s never were even close. Also I wondered why the Like engine unit was substantially different from the Yager. The Yager performed quite well with my bulk (230 lbs) and the Like not so much. Seemed to me to put the Yager engine unit in the Like and have a great performer! Yah, yah, make it an AIRCOOLED version! Consolidate the parts. Saves money. Is not that what drives MBAs? Look at the DT and GT: Except for the left engine case the engine units are nearly identical.

Karl

[AMAC1680]

This may have  very little to do with what you seem to be aiming but I have always wondered why the 200s never were even close. Also I wondered why the Like engine unit was substantially different from the Yager. The Yager performed quite well with my bulk (230 lbs) and the Like not so much. Seemed to me to put the Yager engine unit in the Like and have a great performer! Yah, yah, make it an AIRCOOLED version! Consolidate the parts. Saves money. Is not that what drives MBAs? Look at the DT and GT: Except for the left engine case the engine units are nearly identical.

Karl

That's kinda what they did , they just picked the wrong horse.

Kymco decided to hang their hat on the 163cc motor that was in the S200. They stuck it in the Like and ended up with a real nice scooter with the same speed limitations as the S200. It's a tough long lived motor but it pales when compared to even the 125cc kicker in the agility.

I won't even throw it in the same group as the SYM 171cc "200". That motor will pull 65-70 gps all day long with some throttle left.

Had they put the Yager motor in the Like things would be far different. But they didn't.
Wrong horse.

They also tried to clean up the "People Mess". The group had to many models with almost the same performance. Add in the agility, super 8 and they had too much in the same displacement and few buyers.

AMAC

[BettinANDlosing]

I think where they went wrong was scrapping the "People" lineup. People 150 was our number one seller, the S200 had a slightly higher top speed but much more comfortable for tall riders, the People 250 and S250 were AWESOME and $1000 less than the new 300cc bikes, and you cant leave out the champ People 50 2t, de-restricted can go 45 all day long. Why they took these out and replaced them with almost 100% Chinese models, no one will ever know. When I have customers that ask for 250ccs, I have to tell them sorry the step is from "200cc" (and depressingly admit that it's actually a 163cc) to 300cc, with a price out of the normal scooterist budget. We have customers that are riding their People 150 past 50,000km and I've seen multiple 250cc's past that mark. My inside info leads me to the conclusion that they are focusing on the ATV UTV market, sadly a greater market in the USA than scooters. Also the new VP of Kymco is from mainland China, and I also think this has to do with why we are seeing a lot of the Chinese Kymco, he's hooking his brothers in China up with all the manufacturing. The mid cc bikes are the same price, but far lower quality then when I started working on and selling them 7 years ago. 

[MassScoot]

The agility 125 is still the best value scooter at the moment.
As far as the 50cc market IMO they should be banned as a road hazard. That should piss off many but just my .02.

A GT300 at 5000.00 is overpaying. I'll do them OTD at 4k or less. The 300cc class can cost just look at Forza and Baby Burgman. The kymco 300 s are better machines for less.

Kymco in parts of the country that scooters sell is kicking ass and taking names over SYM, Bintelli et al.

Cheap entry level 50 are Chinas gig and if fact are a tiny fragment of a small market.

AMAC

AMAC: I disagree in regards to the Agility being the best value scooter today. If I was to pluck-down 2K for a 125cc it would be the Lance Cabo 125

http://www.lancepowersports.com/models/cabo125.html

The Agility is one ugly duckling! Plus it looks cheap as well. Some upsides is the dealer network that works in favor of the Agility. It's a good a solid scoot aside from it's looks, but there are too many options today while Kymco rests on it's laurels. I bought a Lance PCH 125 for my wife for $1800.00 & it's a really good machine. Granted, she only has about 700 miles on it as we leave it down @ our 2nd home in Stuart, FL.

[AMAC1680]

Your Lance will give you everything that any other quality scoot will give. Long term rock solid performance.

I have a 2010 lance Cali Classic 125 up in NJ with almost 10,000 miles on it. Never so much as a burp.
All it does is start right up and run like a champ. Even if it's sat in the deep freeze for a few months.

Yeah you'll be a happy camper with your Lance.

That said if I needed, real need, a budget small scoot that would do a little over 60 I'd buy the Agility. Again need. I'll agree not a looker but as quick 125 as there is.

AMAC

[GLV55]

Agree with B&L - the biggest mistake they made was dropping the People 150. What a great scooter that was. I'd still be riding it today if it hadn't gotten hit by a stupid drunk driver. Smooth ride, solid engine, handled like a champ, easy to service.... dang, I miss that bike! Excuse me, I have to go sob into my coffee now ....

[AMAC1680]

Agree with B&L - the biggest mistake they made was dropping the People 150. What a great scooter that was. I'd still be riding it today if it hadn't gotten hit by a stupid drunk driver. Smooth ride, solid engine, handled like a champ, easy to service.... dang, I miss that bike! Excuse me, I have to go sob into my coffee now ....

The problem with the People line was the S200 with its 163cc motor squashed between the 150 and 250. Both of those were tops. The 200 was tough but slow. Hence the glut of 2009/2010 leftover S200s. They were everywhere until recently.

They should of canned the 200 and left the other two.

AMAC

[ad_astra]

Adly's aren't the only 50cc two-smokes back in the States. TGB returned this year, also. I don't think either of them would make much of a dent. Maybe in the rental market, but that's in tourist areas.

I love my Agility 125. I use it for going around town, and its perfect for that. Downgrading the Super 8 might not have been such a bad idea do to the niche aspect. The sportier version could not have kept up with the current Yamaha SMAX or the Honda PCX 150. Why bother competing in an area they can't match, except in terms of value? Instead it looks like they tooled their line to dominate the market against Lance/Sym, I suspect.

I suspect there are other Kymco's in this town as there are three dealerships in a 60 mile radius that sell them, but I have yet to see another one on the road. I've seen Chinese Ruckus-clones, a Vespa LX, a Honda Metro or two, and a bunch of Genuine Buddies and Stellas.  Maybe the situation is different elsewhere, but it seems Kymco's closest competitor is really Genuine, and their best way to compete is on price, hence the general cheapening of the line.