hmm... mysterious price jump

[oldcoastie]

I'm far, far south of NoHo scooters... it's on the other side of L.A. from me (which most days is like getting to the other side of the moon)...

As far as smokin' deals... (oh good grief!) I found an Aprilia Sportcity 250 on sale... the bike is very beautiful and a size that I can easily handle - some have described it as a 250cc engine stuffed in a 150 body. I really rather fell in love with the bike.

But I'm scared. Piaggio dealers are few and far between (Aprilia was bought out by Piaggio and the Sportcity has the Piaggio quasar engine). It's a very solid bike and really shouldn't need any warranty repairs. But, if I were being sensible, the Kymco offers me closer dealer support.

Usually I'm a very sensible person.

Love is a funny thing.

Oh! What to do!?

[oldcoastie]

Well, I flirted with the Italian girl and I've dithered endless over spending the money, but I went back up and sat tested the GV again...

I think Tuesday I'm just going to put the deposit on a new red 09 GV (got the price back down to only 180 bucks over the original quote) and stop the agony of the decision...

The GV fits. The best advice I've gotten on this forum is "get the one that fits"...

Thanks for that - makes the decision a little bit easier.

[TechGuy]

Good decision.  If the bike does not fit, you may be hesitant to ride it.  If it fits well, you will ride the wheels off it.

[oldcoastie]

yeah... that Aprillia is a hellava bike though... and priced a few hundred more than the GV right now... hard to take a pass on it...

but I worry about Piaggio USA right now... they are a mess!

Kymco really seems to be making a charge for business - it is positioned well to take advantage of the soft economy. And there is a dealership network (at least here in SoCal).

And it fits.

 

[MrKymco]

holy cow when it rains it pours! the Sport City is one hellva machine. it is indeed the near perfect big wheeled urban scooter and a great highway ride. but, the GV is no slouch for that duty, either. it has small wheels for nimbleness, and is not as sizable as it might look at first. just has a big looking nose

either way i think you're golden. but i do understand your pain! when i need a 250cc a SYM City Com or Aprila Sport City are top of my list. BUT, Italian does concern me as well. and SYM, also. so far as stability in this country. so Kymco with all their offerings and more on the way seems a great choice. always something new or used around....and as said lots of dealer support

[oldcoastie]

Well, now I've confused myself further... I happened upon a SYM RV250... it's a beautiful bike - not as pretty as the Aprilia, but nice looking in a Honda Reflex kinda way.

And it fit very nicely... the handlebars are a little higher and wider (feels much more motorcycle-ish), but the reach and all is very, very good... I no trouble maneuvering the bike around or putting it up or off the center stand.

It's leftover 2008 and I suspect the guy selling it probably picked it up at some bankruptcy fire sale...  it is 500 bucks cheaper than the GV...

and very, very tempting.

[oldcoastie]

Well, I've worried all night about the leftover SYM RV250... 2008 on an unridden bike is getting kinda old.

I worry that gaskets are going to leak. I worry that the tires will need to be changed too soon. I worry that parts are proprietary and expense and unavailable.

Am I being penny-wise and pound foolish?

The local Kymco/Sym dealer is close and I like him. I think they do good service down there. And it does have a 2 year warranty.

Anything else I should worry about?

[jprestonian]

Well, I've worried all night about the leftover SYM RV250... 2008 on an unridden bike is getting kinda old.

I worry that gaskets are going to leak. I worry that the tires will need to be changed too soon. I worry that parts are proprietary and expense and unavailable.

Am I being penny-wise and pound foolish?

The local Kymco/Sym dealer is close and I like him. I think they do good service down there. And it does have a 2 year warranty.

Anything else I should worry about?

Depends. Are you in the western U.S.?  If so, the good news is that Lance Powersports will be your dealer's distributor. If not, the bad news is... no one knows who will be your dealer's distributor.
.

[oldcoastie]

yup, I'm on the left coast and the Kymco/Sym dealer seemed pretty confident in the Lance distributorship...

but that's the dealer talking...

[jprestonian]

I'd say Lance will have a better handle on it than Carter Brothers did, but that is a very low bar to set.
.

[oldcoastie]

it looks like Lance, as a brand, is down to the one model - a 125cc Vespa looking scoot built by Sym. While I think it's smart they dumped all the cheapo China cr*p, it appears they are reorganizing themselves with a lot of streamlining.

But it makes me wonder what kind of shape Lance is in...

Is their business reorganizing in a sensible manner? Or are they on their last legs?

[jprestonian]

it looks like Lance, as a brand, is down to the one model - a 125cc Vespa looking scoot built by Sym. While I think it's smart they dumped all the cheapo China cr*p, it appears they are reorganizing themselves with a lot of streamlining.

But it makes me wonder what kind of shape Lance is in...

Is their business reorganizing in a sensible manner? Or are they on their last legs?

Lance stopped offering mainland Chinese stuff from Znen, et al, as of last year, so this is the second year that the Cali Classic 125 (indeed built by SYM -- on the mainland, btw) is the only offering in their lineup. They're trying to be taken seriously, and should they get the whole SYM line for distribution (rebadging?) in the U.S., I'd say they have a good shot if their logistics and warehousing are worth a damn. So far, they've been helpful in getting us some SYM parts (ones common with the Cali Classic, e.g. Fiddle II), and they're responsive to us as a dealer.
.

[oldcoastie]

Well, I put all my worries to rest... just put a deposit down on a brand new red Grand Vista...

in the end, Lance needs to prove it is up to the job for the Syms and that has not happened yet.

I didn't want to lose a minute's sleep worrying about scooter parts somewhere down the road.

so... YEA FOR ME! 

the GV should be ready for a pickup in about 8 days!

[TechGuy]

smart decision in my mind.

[oldcoastie]

thanks, TechGuy...

I'm really happy with the decision myself...

and I slept like a baby last night...

(and RED is NICE!)