Kymco in Chicago

[rp]

Looking to get the DT300 here in Chgo but the number of dealers is slim, maybe four at the most.  I was at Motorworks on Western and they said they could order one, Scooterworks might have something in the spring and Arlington Motorworks is 35-40 miles away.  Any tips for Chicago?   I live on the S W Side near Midway.

Thanks

[tortoise]

Looking to get the DT300 here in Chgo but the number of dealers is slim, maybe four at the most.

What a whiner . . must be a Chicago thing!  Many regions of the USA have ZERO nearby KYMCO dealers.

[rp]

The purpose of a forum is to try and help each other not put others down.

The DownTown seems like a real nice scooter and I'm in one of the largest cities in the U.S.. Is there a support network for it here.  Does anyone else in Chicago own the scooter?  I don't want to shell out  $6000 for a ride and not have any backup.  If thats the case, I'll ge a Lindhai 300 or BMS 260 for $3000.

Were all part of the same group.

[big blue]

Hello rp, I have a Kymco Like 200i which I purchased from a dealer 20 miles from my home. When I require maintenance service they pick it up and deliver it! They are very interested in customer service and their products (Genuine and Kymco). One of your locals must be as dedicated. I should add that the factory warranty can be serviced by a non-Kymco service center as long as it is a recognized shop. By the way I am in Oregon. ...Len

[rp]

Big Blue, thanks for the feedback.   Tortoise does make a point about the reliability of Kymco in the sense that there might not be a dealer near and people are buying them.  And there sure are not any issues with them like the China scooters.  I own one and the QC that goes into the manufacturing just isn't there.
Plus, the reason they are called "cheep" isn't just because of the price but the quality of the scooter itself.  So, why did I buy a China scooter in the first place?
Price and thought the the comments I read about them were exaggerated.  They were not. 

I wanted to start looking now to get ready for spring. 

[ce]

Get that awesome Xciting 250 ri on ebay, that's a deal, an 09 with 249 miles on it, $3250 and $500 to ship it right to your house. Offer 'em 3 grand.
Don't muck about with no Linhai, for a little more, you're on a Kymco.

Nothing wrong with a Linhai, but it's just not in the sane league. I ride a 250 X and a 500 X, and the 250 is more fun and a sweet ride compared to the 2 Linhais I went through before moving up.

And Tortoise is a bona fide expert on scooters, he don't pull no punches, but he don't mean no harm, so listen up if you ever get him talking.

[08087]

I don't think NYC (Manhatten) has any Kymco dealers. Just sayin'.

[MotoRandy123]

Well we don't have any dealers in town here either but I found some 30 - 40 miles away.
That's close enough for me. It's a nice ride if I need something and a little hassle if I need
to tow the bike (hopefully not!). My guess is 99% of people wouldn't need major warranty
service so if I do it's a one time deal to haul it in. Most service is relatively easy to learn and
do, just keep new oil in there and have fun riding!

[bleys]

I also had to go about 30 miles to find a Kymco dealer, but then I was able to find a scooter shop only about 5 miles away.  The mechanic used to work for a more local Kymco dealer that had closed up shop and now works on my scoot.  If you don't want to do the work yourself, look for a shop close to where you live - they can do the routine maintenance and still order parts.  If you do need warranty work, then you are probably back to the dealer, but this has not been an issue for my scoot so far.

[big blue]

Right on Bleys, I had the last service done at my dealer because it included valve adjustment. It turns out it was spot on. I will do my own oil,and air filter service from now on. We have  a motorsports dealer here which I wll use for some services. They sell Artic Cat products some of which are made by Kymco so no parts problem. I have had no issues with my scoot and I don't forsee any...Len

[rp]

Thanks everyone for your imputs.  I'll probably be getting or ordering the scooter sometime in March.  I have my motorcycle indorsement already and rode the china scoot for three months last summer.  And now the move up.

RP

[kingkymco125]

Here in Vegas we are lucky to have one Kymco dealer. There are not that may scooter shops which sell high quality scooters. The percentage for this is less than 10% of the market. Most of the shops we have sell the cheap Chinese import scooters.. I had a 50cc Roketa for two years before I got my current Kymco Agility 125cc scooter. Everyone rides those cheap bikes and the public is not willing to spend the money for a quality bike. I was happy to find the scooter shop Vegas does have. Those guys will take care of you and they care about the product they have. I had recently read how Kymco USA wanted to open up 500 new kymco dealerships here in the next couple of years. I hope that does happen.

[Vivo]

In my country, we have scoot dealers at almost every corner.... anyway, I won't worry too much about warranty (It's just me) These Kymco scoots are bullet proof unless you got a lemon.  The first thing that broke is my factory battery... no worry, I just bought a better one... It's also good to learn the basic scooter mechanics to do d.i.y. services in case something breaks... 

[Wil B.]

rp,

Arlington Heights probably has the widest selection of Kymcos.  They are basically a used motorcycle dealer.  But they are pretty far North. Scooterworks on the North side of Chicago are expert on most things scooter, but they usually only carry the small Kymcos, they might order a larger Kymco.  I live in the Western burbs, and have to take 2 trains to Scooterworks to pickup my scooter or to go home after dropping off (I bought the Super 9 there.)   Don't know about Motoworks, but they probably carry mostly the smaller Kymcos.  Also, I bought my Yager 200 at Otto Brothers Honda in Lyons which may be closer to you than some of the other dealers.  I got a real nice price there, but I'm not sure if they're still carrying Kymco.  The economy has really killed motorcycle sales the last few years, and most dealers are struggling.

Please note these Kymcos are very reliable, and much of the service is owner friendly and not difficult.  I only use the dealers for the initial service, and tire repacement unless there is a warranty issue or something I can't handle....

Wil B.
Broadview, IL

'71 Guzzi Ambassador
'91 Nighthawk
'04 Kymco Super 9
'10 Kymco Yager 200gt