How well do Kymcos hold up?

[flying old guy]

Like I said previously. I'm brand new to the Kymco line. Just bought a 2014 Yeager200i and a 2018 Like2001. Before these I have ridden only Japanese bikes for the past 56years. Just wondering with proper care, how well will these little bikes hold up. Thanks.

[CROSSBOLT]

So, you figured out I needed something to keep me busy, huh? Well, you are right! Here is my opinion about Kymcos so treat it for what it cost!

The Kymco story, short version, they started in '63 making engine units for Honda since Sochiro-san could not keep up with "the nicest people on a Honda!" The Kaohsiung company was turned loose in '68 to do what they are doing now, building riding toys with a lot of Honda technology. You cannot kill either a Honda or a Kymco except by total impact destruction. Very long lasting, takes forever to breah in, no leaks, no burn, run forever, very little trouble unless induced by owner or dealer, hardly ever need parts ( good thing, actually ), good mileage, non-fattening. Usuall get traded for the next newest thing or parked and neglected. Several two-stroke failures but that's about it.

[flying old guy]

Thanks, That's very encouraging. At 71 I still can't get rid of the bug of riding.

[CROSSBOLT]

Got the same problem at 79!

[TBR125]

For perspective, my Agility 125 retailed at 1,900$ new, one of the cheaper Kymco's. It has to date, plowed through a deer, tumbled down an embankment around a bend, and been side swiped by a suburban. Nothing but 99cents worth of tie wraps has been needed. The frames are built like a tank and the plastics mainly flex except for the painted panels that will crack when impacted. The engine has endured 19,000 miles of red-line highway cruising with no maintenance other than standard 2,500mi oil interval. If you want a low maintenance reliable bike for scenic drives they will last a long time. If you need everything a 1,900 dollar machine can give you it won't hold back. Driving the scooter has saved me over 11 grand in insurance and car maintenance in the past 3 years alone. Not to mention the purchase price of a car. Whatever you need from a scoot a kymco is in my opinion on of the best options for the money.

[flying old guy]

Thank you so much, I love hearing things like this.

[monkeybongos]

2,500 mile oil changes?  A lot of miles for a scooter oil change.  Mine  (Lance) recommends 620 miles.

[flying old guy]

Should I be concerned that my Kymco has a sticker that says "made in China"?

[Stig / Major Tom]

Should I be concerned that my Kymco has a sticker that says "made in China"?

Whole lot of Kymcos are assembled in China.
This thread might be of interest...…
https://www.kymcoforum.com/index.php?topic=29757.0


And this review might be of interest...… It's 10 yrs old - but not a thing has changed since then on the LIKE200i
http://www.justgottascoot.com/like200.htm

Stig

[SemperVee]

Just sold our 2011 Kymco Downtown and BUYING a new 2019
 Kymco Spade 150 for the S/O who can handle this rather more easily than the 300cc DT.   Not upto the build quality of Honda, etc but the reliability seems to be built in for a much less price with Fuel injection no less..  Reminds me of circa 1970 standard MC.

[TBR125]

2,500 mile oil changes?  A lot of miles for a scooter oil change.  Mine  (Lance) recommends 620 miles.

The manual recommends 2000km for an oil change which I would recommend to anyone to be on the safe side, however, after several sets of oil analysis results from professional labs, I have extended the change to 2500mi as the oil at that point is still fully functional and debris is the limitation. My engine for some reason has worn in and now has very little wear between oil changes. I will add an oil cooler in the near future that has a built in filter which would allow a safe 3,000 mile change. The safe interval varies per engine. Even if this works for me I recommend the manual specs for others unless testing has shown otherwise.

My brothers 2012 Toyota corolla is on 20,000 or one year intervals. The exact engine is a contender for the million miler.

[Stig / Major Tom]

The manual recommends 2000km for an oil change which I would recommend to anyone to be on the safe side, however, after several sets of oil analysis results from professional labs, I have extended the change to 2500mi as the oil at that point is still fully functional and debris is the limitation. My engine for some reason has worn in and now has very little wear between oil changes. I will add an oil cooler in the near future that has a built in filter which would allow a safe 3,000 mile change. The safe interval varies per engine. Even if this works for me I recommend the manual specs for others unless testing has shown otherwise.

My brothers 2012 Toyota corolla is on 20,000 or one year intervals. The exact engine is a contender for the million miler.

Obviously an owner can do whatever they want - but the 2012 Toyota Corolla owner's manual states 5000 mile/ 6 mos. oil changes. That is what we followed.
I just did a 900 mile oil change on my LIKE200i. Less than a Qt. and less than $6. Manual states 1250miles.

Stig

[monkeybongos]

Even if this works for me I recommend the manual specs for others unless testing has shown otherwise.

Not sure I understand.  Do you mean testing used oil from one's engine to check for deterioration and debris, reflecting the need for more or less frequent oil changes?

[TBR125]

It is a large topic but every single engine is slightly different. Even of the same batch off an assembly line one engine will wear lubricants at a different rate then those beside it. The spec interval is a conservative number that insures the highest wearing powerplant has oils changed before the lubricants reach their minimum performance. It is best(if the resources are available) to cater the maintenance  to the optimal operation of your engine. I change fluids when they reach a minimal level of effective lubricant. I keep higher minimums than even the manufacturers to ensure the best lifespan. Change, primarily debris displacement is a large wear factor for most machines. The optimum usage of an engine is a given rpm, set torque, and continuous running. Obviously cars use engines in a different manner than say generators. With the advance of synthetic lubricants and filters designed for synthetic oils, the time before reaching the debris max or the lubricant minimum is longer. I am not just talking about oiliness by the way. There are numerous aspects of oils and the contained additives that all effect performance. If filtration is still effective and engine debris is at a minimum, and the oils remain structural intact, then there is no need to disrupt the system by changing the fluids at that point. Which is why Mobil one has there 20,000mi or one year guaranteed oil and matching filter for the engines that can use it.

On a side note, we are talking marginal gains here. For the average operator standard intervals are fine and recommended.

[monkeybongos]

Very interesting, and most of it makes sense to me, however I have a couple questions.

"I change fluids when they reach a minimal level of effective lubricant."
How do you know when that is?

"I keep higher minimums than even the manufactures to ensure the best lifespan."
By "higher minimums" do you mean lower mileage/more frequent oil changes than recommended?

How did you come to be so knowledgeable about all this?
I'm especially curious about this topic as I use expensive oil and wonder if 620 mile changes are overkill.
Apologize if this discussion is hijacking the thread, figure oil is of prime interest and importance to all scooterists.