Max Vehicle Capacity of the Like 200i

[Duddy03]

One topic I haven’t seen discussed is the maximum vehicle capacity for the Like 200i.  As a previous technical writer I often find inconsistencies in the owner’s manual and in maintenance manuals.  The following is from an e-mail I sent to KYMCO last October:
“I own a 2015 Like 200i and I found a discrepancy in the Owner's Manual, T200-KA40AA-US-A5, revised June 2012.  On page 5, "Load Limits & Loading Guidelines," the maximum weight capacity of the scooter is listed as 330 pounds.  However, on page 51, "Specifications," the maximum weight capacity is shown to be 358 pounds.  On a relatively small vehicle such as the Like 200i, a 28 pound discrepancy could be significant.  While I am confident that I am safe riding the Like solo, when traveling with a passenger, my passenger and I could be dangerously close or even exceeding the maximum weight capacity.  Please let me know which of the two listed maximum weight capacity specifications is correct.  Also, is there a newer version available of the 2015 Owner's Manual than the June 2012 copy which came with the scooter?”

Here is the response on October 24, 2016:  “The max. weight capacity on the Like 200i is 358lbs.”
Travis W. Stone
Technical Department Manager
KYMCO USA, INC.
Desk    844-816-6648
 tstone@kymcousa.com
www.kymcousa.com

I recall the days when my 6’ 6” roommate in college and I used to return from the grocery store on my Honda S90 motorcycle.  Boy was it overweight!   And the pictures and videos one sees with 2 or 3 riders on a scooter carrying all sorts of belongings, makes a person wonder about their safety.

Increasing the tire pressure is a good way to minimize heat build-up in the tires.  (It also increases the possibility of tire damage when hitting pot holes.)  But here, too, there are inconsistencies:  My owner’s manual says the  pressure (cold) for the front is 25 psi (rider only or rider & passenger) and the rear is 29 psi (rider only) or 32 psi (rider & passenger) with a maximum of 35 psi in either tire at any time.  But the sidewall of the Kenda says the max load is 494 lbs @ 40 psi for the front tire and the max load  is  536 lbs @ 40 psi for the rear tire.  The recommended manufacturer’s tire pressure for most cars and trucks is generally far lower than what is on the sidewall of a tire.  But people with RV trailers will generally fill the tires to the maximum of the tire.

Some scooter riders may play with the rear suspension settings but that doesn’t really  improve the safe driving characteristics of bikes.  What are your thoughts when carrying a passenger?  Thanks.

[TroutBum]

For me as a solo rider the weight limit isn't an issue. I follow the manufacturer's tire pressure recommendation which has served me well. I got 12,000 on the original Kenda before they needed replacing. The tires wore evenly across the surface.

[Mr. Paul]

When carrying a passenger I increase my tire pressure. I also increase the rear spring preload to compensate for the extra weight on the rear.  If I were in your situation with a passenger, I would put 27 PSI in the front, and 32 in the rear and dial the rear preload to max.  Hope that helps ya.

[Stig / Major Tom]

Scooter tire inflation seems to be a very personal thing, and maybe it is the same situation with motorcycle riders - but I doubt it.

Some people look at that tire sidewall - and see the big numbers that a tire can handle before it detonates, and crank up their tires well above the book: to "increase tread life", "increase gas mileage", "better cornering stability", "higher cornering speeds", "better braking response", etc., etc.

The whole scooter-tire-PSI thing is almost as controversial as oil types & viscosity and the fuel octane thing.
 
For a single rider on a LIKE200i - Michelin says their Power Pure (reinforced) rear tire should be inflated to 28 psi; their (non reinforced) front tire recommendation is for 24.5 psi. These figures are very close to the LIKE200i manual.

I have learned that I do not enjoy the ride of my LIKE200i if I stray above these numbers. And I do not think the scooter bits and parts enjoy the thrashing if I make my tires harder than that - but that might just be my personal too-gentle sensitivities. I like my scooter and don't want it knocking itself apart.

As for a scooter's weight carrying capacity: I did three things when looking at a new scooter to purchase
1) I checked the price.
2) I sat the seat.
3) I got down on my knees next to all my favorite scooters on the dealer's show room carpet - using a pen & paper to figure out the manufacturer's recommended carrying capacity.

 I am 6'3" and knocking @250lbs....and had no plans to take a passenger with this, my first, scooter.
.

I think a whole lot of people are riding two-up --- at well above their bikes' stated carrying capacity.
I have heard more than a few say that the manufacturer's stated figures are well below the actual capacity of the bike.... "The company is playing it safe", etc..

Every week I use my LIKE200i for solo bopping around.
I added a Forza 300 for longer trips & loved everything about it - but sold it & moved up to a Burgman 400's  400lb carrying capacity. Now I can take a passenger.

I, too, rode a Honda 90 with my young wife on the back - all over New England back roads. We had a blast with that little beauty! No clue what its carrying capacity was - I just made good use of the gear box!
Stig

[vespbretta]

As a previous technical writer you must suffer lots of headaches while reading Kymcos so called "technical papers".  Mostly they are not worth the paper that it´s written on.
It´s good to know, that Travis W. Stone from Kymco USA thinks that the maximum weight capacity is 358lbs. While my vehicle registration papers and -certificates still say 330lbs....
Isn´t that fantastic? What the heck! But of course it´s not Stone´s problem, it´s mine in the end. Especially in case of having an accident with a passenger and the insurance company then trying to make a case of overload out of it. Fortunately I am driving alone most of the time.
Kymcos documents are full of discrepancies, but at Kymco nobody cares. So you better take everything as a rough guideline at best. 

Same thing with the tire pressure. Just a rough guideline for the user. Optimum tire pressure is always flexible within a certain range, depending on many factors like total weight, with or without passenger, road conditions, wheather, temperature, tire structure, bike/scooter characteristics, riding style, and so on and so forth.
Vehicle Manufacturer always go by what the tire manufacturer recommends for their tires. It´s a reasonable compromise to start with. That will work as a compromise under all conditions more or less well. But in the end you will need to find out by yourself what fits you best to your riding factors.
So I would say that the range between 25 and 30 on the front and between 30 and 36 on the rear is a good "window of opportunity" to find your best tire pressure for the Like.
Never go below 25, except you need to conquer a dune in the desert, and also never go over 36. The maximum load index on the sidewall is just the absolute maximum limit that the tire can deal with before it gets damaged and might detonate one day.
I have found my urban peace with 26 on the front tire and 32 on the rear tire. For long haul trips I would probably use 29 and 33.

[vespbretta]

Here is another beauty:
I guess I found out why there is a discrepancy for the maximum weight capacity. Kymco obviously has no clue about the real dry weight of this scooter. Can you believe that?
Thats why Kymco USA presents the Like on their website with a "Claimed Dry Weight" of 245lbs/111kg. That´s a good one for sure! 
Now the dry weigth of my Like 200i is according to the papers and for what unexplainable reason ever 266,8lbs/121kg.
Maximum total weight of the scooter obviously is 597,5lbs/271kg according to my papers.
So we just found at least 22lbs/10kg.  But still a few lbs/kg missing.

What do your registration documents and -certificates say about the scooters weights?
How could we measure the exact dry weight of our scooters the easiest way? Where can vehicles be weighed for example? At special dumpsites maybe? Where else?
I guess now I DO want to now my exact dry weight of my scooter and read the scale with my own eyes...

[de dee]

  I bought a heavy Wt. scale for over Wt. people, good for 440 Lb.s   and checked the Wt. front wheel then rear wheel  sat on the seat and checked rear wheel again,. my down town came to 412 Lb. with full tank of gas ,.  I forget the Wt. with me on it,.  4 years ago.,

[Duddy03]

Thanks for everyone's comments.  My registration doesn't mention dry weight but my owner's manual says my 2015 model is 264.5 lbs / 120 kg.  To adjust the rear preload, a person should probably use a special spanner tool which I don't have.  Will a slip-lock wrench and a rag to protect the finish work just as well?  Thanks.

[Mr. Paul]

Yep, that's what I use. Just be careful. The teeth of the pliers will go right through a piece of cloth and scratch the shock. Rag and piece of inner tube works well. To adjust it , I very heavily sit on the scooter.(Kind of like bouncing)   If the front dives, I need less rear preload. If the rear dives, I need more. If the front and rear move at the same rate, its just right. For a passenger though, I load the rear all the way.

[AMAC1680]

These things have manuals , who knew.....

AMAC

[LidoCA]

All I know, is that mine started running better when I lost 20 pounds.

[Stig / Major Tom]

All I know, is that mine started running better when I lost 20 pounds.

That was your muffler gone missing.
All those rough roads.....happens.
STIG