John!Just curious, but have you looked at the Burgman 400 as a possible candidate? I bought my Burgy 400 in July, after Test Riding a few other scoots, namely the Yamaha Majesty 400, Kymco XCiting 500, and the Burgy 400. I looked at the Burgy 650, Honda Silverwing 600, and Aprilia Scarabeo 500 (Classic Style), and determined that they were much to heavy for me, and for my needs. My four criteria items were:
1. Weight
2. Gas Mileage
3. Storage
4. Dealer Service Availability
Of all the scoots I rode, researched, and looked at, I kept coming back to the Burgy 400. Here were my reasons for NOT choosing the others:
- Yamaha Majesty 400: Too short for my height of 6'1".
- Kymco XCiting 500: Half of the Storage room of the Burgy 400, meaning I would have to purchase a Top Case. Also, it's a very heavy scooter, and somewhat Top Heavy as well. Gas Mileage is in the Low 50's.
- Suzuki Burgman 650: Much to heavy for me! Mirrors were way to low. Gas Mileage is in the Low '50's. When I move up to a 650, it will be with a Danson Trike Kit. By that time, MPG won't matter very much to me!
- Honda Silverwing 600: Not as much comfort room as the Burgy 400. Also too heavy for me. Much more money than I would be willing to spend.
- Aprilia Scarabeo 500: WAYYYYYY TOO HEAVY!!! I was going to Test Ride one, until I did the "Side-To-Side" Weight Test on the Showroom Floor, and almost dropped it! It is more Top Heavy than the XCiting 500.
My reasons for buying the Burgy 400:
- After riding more than 3K Miles on it to date, I'm starting to get 72mpg on the Highway, and 68mpg in the City.
- 14 Gals of Storage under the seat alone, plus the Glovebox and two Cubby Holes up front. I don't need a Top Case.
- More than enough room to give me an extremely comfortable ride.
- The Weight is centered much, much lower than any other scooter I have ridden, and is easy to maneuver around with your feet. It is very maneuverable in City Riding, and more than Highway Capable at 75+ mph. It will go over 100mph if I ever need it to, but I'm more than comfortable riding at 75mph on the Highway.
- Easily rides 2-Up, while still getting decent MPG's, and it can still easily get the speed I need in the City and on the Highway.
I'm not trying to sway you away from Kymco, as I have a 2007 People S250, other than my 2007 Burgman 400. Kymco is a GREAT scooter, but they still need to work on their Seat Comfort and Storage Capacity. Kymco's, for some reason, tend to offer half as much Storage Capacity than their competitors.
If you're definitely going between the Burgman 650, XCiting 500, and XCiting 700i, I would choose:
1. Burgman 650
2. XCiting 700i
3. XCiting 500
The Burgman 650 is a very SWEET machine, and the style is fantastic. It weighs 600lbs Wet. Plenty of Underseat Storage! Unless you do your own Maintenance, you'll need a Service Department near you at some point. Service Intervals are nicely spaced apart (e.g., 600 miles, 4,000 miles).
The XCiting 700i is Fuel Injected, and quite possibly heavier than the Burgman. Check the Kymco USA website, for Kymco Dealers in your area. I have two in my area, one 30 miles away, and another 45 miles away. However, my Suzuki Dealer is less than 5 miles from my home. Kymco's Service Intervals are too frequent, IMHO (e.g., 600 miles, 1,500 miles).
The XCiting 500 will be FI on the '08 Model, due in the US next year. I would wait for the FI Model, rather than the CARB Model.
I hope I've provided at least a little bit of info to assist you.
Best of Luck in your Search!
Cheers!
BB
