2009 Kymco Downtown 300i

[skadamo]

Sportier version of the Xciting 300i...

http://www.motoblog.it/post/15820/novita-kymco-downtown-300i-2009



Found it here...
http://2strokebuzz.com/index.php?p=4342

[skadamo]

Xciting 300i for comparison..

[landes_h]

I ordered one yesterday. Color grey. Can't wait to get it and test it out.
My choice was originally the Suzuki Burgman 400, but the Downtown has almost the same power, is lighter, and most of all ... much cheaper.

I hope soon there will be very active forum for this fine scooter and a lot of technical talks and advise.

See you soon with more info and pictures :-)
Regards
Horst
 

[axy]

I ordered one yesterday. Color grey. Can't wait to get it and test it out.
My choice was originally the Suzuki Burgman 400, but the Downtown has almost the same power, is lighter, and most of all ... much cheaper.

I think Burgman 400 has close to 10 hp more than Kymco 300.
When you compare two bikes that have 150 and 160 hp, that is not a big difference but in scooter world, 22 and 32 hp is a difference between a night and day.

[jprestonian]

I ordered one yesterday. Color grey. Can't wait to get it and test it out.

I have to assume you don't live in the U.S., since we don't get anywhere near the variety of models the rest of the world seems to get.
.

[ts1]

I think Burgman 400 has close to 10 hp more than Kymco 300.

Which Kymco 300?
In case of a Downtown 300i, you are wrong: 24.1kW / 8000rpm.
Burgman 400: 25kW / 7300rpm.

[axy]

Which Kymco 300?
In case of a Downtown 300i, you are wrong: 24.1kW / 8000rpm.
Burgman 400: 25kW / 7300rpm.

I am searching now and something is very strange to me.

If that bike (Downtown) had 33hp, no way it would have declared top speed of 130 km/h - similar to 21 hp scooters.
It should reach at least declared 150-155 km/h.

Is it possible that somebody mixed up kW with hp and this same mistake is being repeated over and over again?

Usually 300 cc scooters have 23-24 hp max. This scooter, having 33 hp, would be the only exception.

[griffon_j9]

Don't know if this has the numbers you want or not, but thought maybe the main kymco site would have what your looking for?

http://www.kymco.com/showroom/showroom_main.asp?MotorCTID={AA22D5F4-3FB4-4823-8486-D60301F4D49B}

[ts1]

Kymcos advertised speed is sometimes nonsense or a tactical trick to easy the EU emission test (which depends on speed).
With 33hp there is no way for a Kymco to reach 150kph or above.
The Xciting 500 is rated with 147kph, but can only reach 145kph (500 carb with 27.5kW) or 148kph (500i with 28.2kW).

The Downtown 300i does already exist for some months and in the german Kymco forum you can read that indicated 160 is reached.
On my Xciting 500, speedometer 160 would translate to ~141 GPS.

[axy]

Kymcos advertised speed is sometimes nonsense or a tactical trick to easy the EU emission test (which depends on speed).
With 33hp there is no way for a Kymco to reach 150kph or above.
The Xciting 500 is rated with 147kph, but can only reach 145kph (500 carb with 27.5kW) or 148kph (500i with 28.2kW).

The Downtown 300i does already exist for some months and in the german Kymco forum you can read that indicated 160 is reached.
On my Xciting 500, speedometer 160 would translate to ~141 GPS.

I've checked meanwhile Kymco factory site and really they say it's 33 hp.
I am pleasantly surprised. This is I think the only 300 cc scooter that has more than 23 hp. Unfortunately in 2009 Downtown will not be sold in my country.

Regarding speed, I have never checked GPS value (might as well do that), but my People 250S regularly shows top speed on a straight road of around 140 km/h two up and 145 km/h with just me on it. I have seen 155+ km/h downhill.

I know that when I am driving 70 km/h I am really doing 60, I have no idea how much it is lying at higher speeds.

However, I must say that 160 km/h and real 141 km/h on Xciting 500 sounds kind of low. What is the top speed of Xciting 500 on a straight road (tacho and GPS)? I see here it shows 170 - kymco xciting 500 170kph .

Why do you think that 33 hp cannot propel such a vehicle to 150 km/h? Restricted bikes like Kawasaki ER-5 that have 25 kW/33 hp regularly achieve top speed of 95 mph (153 km/h).

Tnx!

[ts1]

A scooter with its inefficient variomatic (~20% power loss in transmission) and upright seating position is not a bike, the top speed must be lower.
And Kymco scooters aren't build for top speed (in Taiwan no motorcycle, regardless of power, is allowed to use the highway!), so the gear is a little bit short.
Piaggio + Peugeot state some more kph at the same power.

The picture shows 150 indicated. During the video we see, that the driver used the slipstream of the cars in front. We don't see the check in the opposite direction. Not a real prove.

My Xciting 500 carb. does 165 indicated, 145 GPS, checked in the 2 directions (within 15min.) on an open fllat highway after break in, then taken the arithmetic medium.
Verified by an USA Xciting 500 carb. driver (on maxi-scoots.com) with exactly the same GPS speed.
And a german scooter magazin also testet the carb. with 145 and the injected with 148.

Maybe now the top speed is a little bit higher, because maximum power isn't achieved just shortly after break in. But I would need new tires and belt for perfect conditions and I am too greedy to change just for 1-2-3kph top speed.
Maybe another model is a little bit more powerful, just from factory variation - or tuned up with different air filter, vario, ...

In fact, I never went that fast anymore. While accelerating to 140-150 indicated, I already passed the car/truck. Enough for me.

[axy]

A scooter with its inefficient variomatic (~20% power loss in transmission) and upright seating position is not a bike, the top speed must be lower.
And Kymco scooters aren't build for top speed (in Taiwan no motorcycle, regardless of power, is allowed to use the highway!), so the gear is a little bit short.
Piaggio + Peugeot state some more kph at the same power.

I must admit that I had Piaggio Beverly 200 with 1 hp less than Kymco People S250 and People beats Beverly at top speed for at least (declared) 10 km/h.

My gf`s Agility 125 has a top speed of indicated 110 km/h on a flat surface.

I do not exactly agree that Kymco is not built for top speed.

Regarding transmission loss, I`ve searched the subject extensively on the Internet and exact information is very hard to find. I have found some scientific papers and discussions. However, roughly speaking, in manual transmissions the loss is between 16% and 20 %. Pulley CVT used in scooters has loss of around 25 % while other types of CVT (disc based and viscosity-pump based) have up to 30 % loss.

My experience is that motorcycles with sequential gearbox and scooters with CVT have approximately the same top speed.

I am however a bit surprised that there is a small difference between indicated top speed of you X500 and my P250S. (let`s say 14x vs. 165).
There must be however a big difference in elasticity and acceleration.

Furthermore, I think that, if 33 hp for Downtown 300i is correct, it is a great power output, unmatched by competition. Also, 130 km/h declared is way too low. It has 10 hp more than my scooter and around 7 less than yours. Burgman 400 with 33 hp has declared top speed of 160. Beverly 400 (34 hp) has declared top speed of 155 km/h.

Also it is strange that Kymco decided to put 300 cc injection engine into Peple 300i with 24 hp while they have used the same 300i engine in Downtown 300i with almost 9 hp more! If they decided to put this engine into People they would have a bestseller.

Anyway, good move for Kymco!

I wonder if it will ever be sold in my country and at what price. New Kymco prices are very high, quads are ridiculously expensive (up to 3 TIMES more than Chinese quads of similar displacement!) and for that reason a lot of new Kymco models are not sold on this market at all, they would probably not be competitive enough.

[ts1]

However, roughly speaking, in manual transmissions the loss is between 16% and 20 %.

I have heard of 5-10%.

Burgman 400 with 33 hp has declared top speed of 160. Beverly 400 (34 hp) has declared top speed of 155 km/h.

Not in germany, our numbers are much smaller. I.e. 145kph for the new Burgman 400 with full 400cc and 34hp.
Maybe, because advertisements like speed etc. must prove valid in front of court. MSA/Kymco got some trouble overstating the speed of the Yager Gt 125 with 108kph.

Also it is strange that Kymco decided to put 300 cc injection engine into Peple 300i with 24 hp while they have used the same 300i engine in Downtown 300i with almost 9 hp more!

It's not the same engine, not at all the same displacement. The Downtown 300i has full 300cc, even the Honda SH300i has "only"  279ccm.
That displacement difference explains some of the power difference.
Another explanation has the abbreviation "BMW". BMW is known to cooperate with Kymco. G450X, Myroad and Downtown are their new childs.
That fact feed rumors about a new super scooter. But the international economy crises raised some doubts.

[axy]

Not in germany, our numbers are much smaller. I.e. 145kph for the new Burgman 400 with full 400cc and 34hp.
Maybe, because advertisements like speed etc. must prove valid in front of court.

This could be the reason.

In Italy they would probably claim it goes 180 km/h. 

[sibi]

The downtown is the fastest 300cc scooter on the market. It has 33 hp, 24 on wheel dyno tested on a pessimistic dynometer. Its weight is only 165kg and its able to outperform even 400cc scooters at acceleration. The closest competitor at 300cc is the honda sh 300 which has the same weight but is 5hp less and slower. It can easily reach 140km/h and travel on the highway with this speed, it hits 150km/h with a bit patience and the top speed ever seen on the tachometer is 160km/h. The tachometer is pretty accurate,at 100 km/h the gps shows 94km/h.