Replacing my Super 8 with a Like 150i

[klaviator]

I have been trying to decide for a while what scooter to get to replace my Super 8 150 which now has 32,600 miles on it.  The Super 8 has been one of the most fun bikes I have ever owned but it's time to move on.  Yesterday I drove 110 miles down to the nearest Kymco dealer.  That would be Max Motorsports in Pelham, Al.  They had a real nice collection of scooters in the showroom.



I had called ahead and arranged for a test ride of a Like 150i.



I did a test ride and liked it enough to make them an offer.  They accepted and I was soon the owner of a 2018 Like 150i.  I took it for another ride and then loaded it up and headed for home.



After I got home I pulled out the S8 and took these pics.



.



.

[big blue]

Beautiful pics and great looking scooters, I know from watching your videos that the Like will be well cared for. Enjoy the new ride!

[CROSSBOLT]

Looks good!

[Gnzbrg]

That's great, love the new 150 in white.  Looking forward to your impressions after you put a few miles on it.  I need to ride up to that dealer (maybe 160 miles) and check them out...

[klaviator]

That's great, love the new 150 in white.  Looking forward to your impressions after you put a few miles on it.  I need to ride up to that dealer (maybe 160 miles) and check them out...

Max Motorsports seems to be a great dealer.  Everyone there was friendly and helpful and buying was a very low pressure affair.  They also have a great selection. 

So far I like the scooter.  Engine performance is a bit less than I hoped for but then it's not broken in yet and I haven't really opened it up yet.  Seems to be quicker than my Super 8 but not as fast as my Smax was.  The brakes are awesome.  handling?  feels good around town but until I get it out on some twisty mountain roads I'll wait to pass judgement on that.

I considered the red but went with white.  I was a little concerned it would be harder to photograph but I'm not concerned about that anymore.



.



.

[Stig / Major Tom]

The profile of these new LIKE150i's sure remind me a lot of the sleek little Primavera (my fav VESPA)….at half the $.
That is surely NO accident!


The last time I rode my LIKE200iLX to a motorcycle meet (Blessing of the Bikes) - folks were complimenting me on my "restored" Vespa, "or is it a Lambretta?"

Stig

[Stig / Major Tom]

Like your latest photos much better!
Stig

[LoupGarou]

Nice scoot. Been eyeballing them myself. 
Max is my fave dealer... bought my Spade there.

[JJJoseph]

I love the new fuel-injected Kymcos, but still haven't figured out how to get around the problem that they can't be owner-maintained like the older GY6-type Kymcos.

[scooterfan]

I love the new fuel-injected Kymcos, but still haven't figured out how to get around the problem that they can't be owner-maintained like the older GY6-type Kymcos.

I am with you on this one. I would like to buy a bigger Kymco in future, but chances are very slim that I will ever buy a fuel injected one. For the simple reason - I like to do my own services and repairs.
Fuel consumption and performance should be better on fuel injected Kymcos, but I am not a performance freak and spending money at dealerships to solve possible problems might soon cancel the savings on fuel costs.

Maybe I should ask - which bigger Kymcos came with carbs ?

[klaviator]

I love the new fuel-injected Kymcos, but still haven't figured out how to get around the problem that they can't be owner-maintained like the older GY6-type Kymcos.

Why not?  Oil changes, belt changes, Valve adjustments, how are they any different?  Sure the FI could go bad but then so could carbs.  I didn't have problems with my carb but then I rode my scooter almost every day.   

[scooterfan]

Why not?  Oil changes, belt changes, Valve adjustments, how are they any different?  Sure the FI could go bad but then so could

It's not that simple.
If something goes wrong with a carb, an owner could get away just by maybe using a can of carb cleaner, and cleaning the carb.

A fuel injection system have several additional components - like a computer, an oxygen sensor, fuel injector(s), fuel pressure regulator, additional wiring, and an electric fuel pump.  Any of these components can get faulty and even mechanics with many years of experience usually need expensive diagnostic tools to trace a problem.

In short - a carb is a lot easier and cheaper to service, than tracing and replacing a faulty part on a FI system.

[Stig / Major Tom]

Klav….
I think you are going to have years of fun with your new LIKE!
I think you made a great choice.....on this scooter which was voted "Scooter of the Year" (in 2017, was it?).
Heck of a lot of scooter for a very nice price.

As for the EFI and electronic ignition found on all new scooters - I just don't think we can convince a guy who loves tinkering and carbs to change.

All the arguments for EFI can be disputed - including the fact that every EFI that I've heard of has a "get-you-home" system built into it. Whatever....
Me, I prefer charcoal over gas grills - go figure!

Been a fan of EFI ever since finding it under the hood of my Rabbit 44 yrs ago - my son and I started our 4 EFI scoots/bikes ( 1418 total cc's) on a frigid day recently - and grinned at how quick were the starts and how quickly they settled into a smooth idle!
 I'll spend my time doing the simple CVT, filter and fluids servicing - while loving and trusting the EFI.

Stig

[klaviator]

It is true that carb problems can often be fixed by the owner while FI not so much.  I have owned many bikes with carbs and have had to fix some carb problems over the years.  The Like is my 6th bike with FI and I have yet to have a single issue with the FI on any of them.  Given a choice I'd prefer FI over carbs.

I have also owned several vehicles with FI.  Only one ever gave me problems.  I had a Chevy S-10 that needed an expensive repair related to the FI.  It did not however strand me anywhere.  It just started running badly.

[Forbes1964]

It's not that simple.
If something goes wrong with a carb, an owner could get away just by maybe using a can of carb cleaner, and cleaning the carb.

A fuel injection system have several additional components - like a computer, an oxygen sensor, fuel injector(s), fuel pressure regulator, additional wiring, and an electric fuel pump.  Any of these components can get faulty and even mechanics with many years of experience usually need expensive diagnostic tools to trace a problem.

In short - a carb is a lot easier and cheaper to service, than tracing and replacing a faulty part on a FI system.

While fuel injection is more complex to diagnose and repair, the truth of the matter is that in most cases it’s MUCH MORE reliable compared with the average carburetor. That part of the scooter is virtually maintenance free. Use clean fuel, replace fuel filter on schedule, that’s about it for the fuel system.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk