Test Ride - 150 vs 250

[Calothrix]

Was driving past my local Kymco dealer yesterday and thought I would stop in to see if they had a Yager 200 in stock.  I just wanted to see how the Yager would compare in power, size, handling, etc. to my People 150.  They did not have any Yagers, but they did have some Xciting 250's on hand and the salesman was working me.  I told him I wasn't interested in the larger scoots but he kept saying how much the 250 would blow the socks off of the P150.  He had a used Xciting 250 on hand so I decided what the heck, I'll take it for a test ride.  Of course the top end was a good 15 mph (indicated) faster than my P150, but I was surprised from 0 to 35 mph, I did not think there was a heck of a lot of difference!   

[shubonker]

Larger scooters are better on the highway.  Bumps on the road won't send you flying like the smaller scooters might.  Really depends on how you want to use your scooter. 

[ts1]

but I was surprised from 0 to 35 mph, I did not think there was a heck of a lot of difference!

Right. The X250 has more power, but is also heavier and has a longer gear transmission ratio.

[TechGuy]

In-town you may notice to much difference in acceleration, but try to take a 150 onto a 50+ MPH road and you will appreciate the bigger engine. In-town, or in-city, the 150 is going to very light and nimble and fit into just about any space.  The X250 is a MUCH larger machine, physically, and will require much more space to part in.

You need to figure out your NEEDS before you decide what bike to get. 

College Campus, in-city, 25-45 MPH streets ONLY- a 150 may be a great fit.

Rural roads, freeways, week-end trips to a place 200 miles away- the big bike will fit the need. The 150 will not meet your REQUIREMENTs.

[Calothrix]

Agree 100% with TechGuy.  Still was surprised the 250 didn't have more "poop" in the low end.

[YagerMeister]

Yeah, I bit surprised about the lack of difference in the low end power also.  I have a Yamaha 250 maxi scooter and it blows the doors off my Yager 200, but the Yager is much more tossable and the suspension is sportier.

[orpicker]

I recently went from a 150 to a 250. The 250 is heavier and seems a little top heavy. It's a little awkward around parking lots and smaller spaces. On the road, it's much better. The higher speeds make keeping up with traffic much better. This is rather like a sail boat. In the harbor and around the docks, you have to be cautious, but on the open water, she flies.

[Calothrix]

Good analogy orpicker.

[scosgt]

It can also vary between brands.
I have an S200 and also a SYM HD 200
These are "competitive" scoots, only 8cc apart in engine size (163cc vs 171cc).
The SYM is water cooled 4 valves, has 4 more horsepower (which is like 1/3 more) and is of course heavier.
They look similar but the steering geometry and center of gravity is totally different (and the SYM has much more weight over the front wheel due to the radiator being in the front shield, along with the capture tank).
They ride and handle COMPLETELY differently.
The S200 is great around town. It makes turns VERY nicely, maneuvers  easily in parking lots, and is light and easy to push, put on the stand and generally man handle.
The SYM makes you work a bit on right turns (and BETTER not stall) is harder to hold up when stopped, is harder to back up (when parking - here in NY we park motorcycles back wheel to the curb), much harder to control in low speed maneuvers and in general not as good of a city bike. BUT, it is smooth and stable on the highway and hits almost 75 MPH, and the engine never sounds like it is breathing hard.

So it is not only the CC. These two bikes take the same tires, so you would think the ride is comparable, and it is not in any way. I don't think the s200 is a good highway bike at all, too slow and not feeling stable, OTOH I could ride the SYM on the highway all day without a problem. But if they were both the same color they would look very very similar.

So you can also look at different brands, until you find one you like that rides and handles the way you are looking for.

I am curious about the s250. It is bigger, water cooled, and heavier. It might be more like the SYM, but I wonder if you lose the local street handling in exchange for highway stability.

[axy]

I am curious about the s250. It is bigger, water cooled, and heavier. It might be more like the SYM, but I wonder if you lose the local street handling in exchange for highway stability.

For me it is always strange when somebody says that this or that 200 cc scoot is not as good in "local street handling" as some other scoot, especially another 200 cc.

It is true that 50 cc scoots are generally more agile than 125 or 250 while 500 are even heavier, but if you are not a midget (or a small person, to be more p.c. , or have some kind of lower-body muscular disfunction, you can drive Hayabusa 1300 through city traffic just as comfortably as a scoot. Also, Hayabusa can do a few tricks more than scoot.

Furthermore, bigger and heavier bikes are much better in keeping a straight line at low speed than lighter bikes with smaller tires, so it is a paradox that you can much easier swerve between lanes and cars or drive around still-standing traffic on 200 hp 250 kg bike than 50 cc Chinese bike with 9" tires.

Or at least that's my impression...

[scosgt]

You are entitled to your opinion, but as I stated I have both bikes and these are my findings. YMMV

[TechGuy]

As mentioned by Dave Harrington on his site, and in my gut feeling based on my independent readings and poking around, I would not buy a SYM product until Carter Bros. or SYM Corporate re-establishes a USA presence (offices/inventory/parts).  With the fire at the main SYM USA warehouse, the suspected arson cause, the timing, the economy and the lack of response by Carter Bro's, it puts a lot of doubt in my mind when the product will be fully supported in the USA.

http://www.justgottascoot.com/sym.htm#Caution