Having regrets for buying the Blur

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AL GRANDE
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Having regrets for buying the Blur

Post by AL GRANDE »

Close to 2200 miles on my Blur and I'm NOT impressed with it.

I agree with a few of the Blur owners on this forum, I stupidly bought into the hype about this scooter that Genuine Scooter, Just Gotta Scoot, and anyone else who test rode this bike once. They all claimed it's the best performing scooter that has left the Taiwanese shores (I believe that was Genuine Scooter paying these people to say that, like Dave Harrington from Just Gotta Scoot. He never says anything bad about a scooter he's test riding. They paid him well).

Anyway, I only had one warranty work done on my Blur, which is getting a new dash because of that shitty tachometer that fucks up quickly. My new dash is already showing the tach failing after being replaced 2 months ago! I'm also, starting to notice a scent of oil burning from my exhaust. That was confirmed when I had to add oil to my engine to keep it at the normal levels.

Here in Sacramento, CA, the local Genuine Scooter dealer, The Scoot Shop, already closed its doors last month so there is no Genuine Scooter dealer to perform warranty work. I e-mailed Genuine Scooter a couple of times to ask them how they're going to honor their warranty to me and the other Genuine scooter customers in Sacramento. OF COURSE they haven't responded to my query and I bet they won't.

Is this good customer service from Genuine Scooter? I don't think so.

Now, I don't blame them for this recession, but I do blame them for approving a failing business in Sacramento to sell their scooters and watching that business close its doors a few months later. I wonder if there are more Genuine Scooter dealerships across the country that are closing their doors and leaving customers who believe in the Genuine brand high and dry. I'm sure there quite a bit more than we care to believe.

I do like some aspects of my Blur, the look, the great fuel economy, and . . . that's about it. Nothing else.

For $4,000, I expected a little more from this scooter and from Genuine Scooter Company. I'm saving more money and within a year, I'm going back to Kymco and buy a People 300 GTI a better scooter than the Blur with a top speed close to 90 mph and a cruising speed around 75 mph. How do I know? My friend has one and he let me ride on I5. it rode smooth and had extra speed to pass all those pain-in-the-ass cagers who never seem to see scooterists no matter how close we are to them.

In closing, I do regret buying the Blur. I should never have bought into Genuine's hype that this a great scooter - IT'S NOT!
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illnoise
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Post by illnoise »

In Dave Harrington's defense, I barely know him, but he's certainly not on Genuine's payroll (they don't even advertise on his site). He does (only occasionally) work for a dealer but it's seemingly just for fun/experience, I hear he doesn't need the money. He's a conscientious guy just trying to provide info about a market that's totally ignored by mass media. I don't always agree with his reviews, but I'd never accuse him of dishonesty, he just very pro-scootering and writes what he likes.

To hear the Blur is "hyped" is surprising, Dave and I are really the only vocal advocates of the Blur I can think of, having been probably the first two to ride one, both on the same day in Minneapolis at a rally. I went out and bought one with my own money a couple weeks later, I've at least taken a spin on just about every scooter available, and there aren't many scooters (of any displacement) I'd trade my Blur 150 for. For that matter, it was stolen, and I spent the insurance money buying the exact same bike. If the 220i has issues, that's a shame, I test rode and reviewed a prototype and felt it was everything great about the 150 with fuel injection and more power. Dave and I generally review demo or preproduction bikes that have been carefully gone over, and only have a brief chance to ride them, so our only reference for longevity and quality is the reputation of the manufacturer, and from years of talking to dealers and consumers, I feel Genuine is as good as it gets in the scooter industry.

It does appear there are some issues with the Blur 220i, and that's unfortunate. I'd be angry too if I spent a lot of money and wasn't entirely happy with a bike. Most other owners seem to be getting at least some support from dealers and Genuine, who I just read in another thread has claimed these issues are a top priority. I encourage you to follow these other threads and continue to seek customer satisfaction, perhaps another dealer or Modern Buddy member can help you get in touch with the right people at Genuine.

Bryan
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viney266
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Post by viney266 »

And having worked in the bike biz for years.

1.) Yes, your warranty is good at any genuine shop. Not just where you bought it

2.) I"m sure genuine had no idea your local shop was going to close. Shops close for numerous reasons, death of the principal, bad management, AND sometimes you just can't make enough money. The motorcycle scooter business is REALLY tough, you have to compete constantly with mail order and internet sales with low to zero overhead , and pay to keep good techs. I can tell you it isn't easy. I did it for 14 years :)...but it is FUN!

3.) The tach issue? Cars do things FARRRRRRR worse than that, and so do bikes. Ask a Honda dealer what they had to do to the new 1800 goldwing frames sometime! nightmare! It happens, at least Genuine is addressing it and trying to get it worked out.

Ok, I"m done, hope that helped some.
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Post by chub1965 »

i have heard many people complaining about the 220's performance and i am a bit confused. what did you expect,every review i read claimed correctly a top speed of between 75-80 mph exactly what ive been getting.as far as take-off from a dead stop routinely beat vespa 250 gts off the line thow not at top end.as far as the twisties go the 220 cant be beat and the same goes for the brakes.dont forget performance does not mean just straight line driving.in the city the 220 is indeed a performance scoot,if your thing is straight line highway driving i suggest a burgman or t-max.
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ericalm
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Re: Having regrets for buying the Blur

Post by ericalm »

AL GRANDE wrote:I should never have bought into Genuine's hype that this a great scooter - IT'S NOT!
I'm not sure what you expect a company to say about their own products. There have been a few products I've regretted buying, but it's certainly not Sony's fault for hyping a camera that disappointed me.

Maybe I'm misreading it, but your post sounds like you feel like you were somehow duped into buying a Blur.

The Blur clearly has its fans, but I haven't read anything from them that's clearly dishonest or seems intended to mislead would-be buyers.

Probably the most outspoken fan of the Blur 220i is Ron Arnold (MB member Rippinyarn), Detroit Scooter Examiner. It was his Scooter of the Year in 2010:
http://www.examiner.com/scooter-in-detr ... -year-2010

But he's clearly not on the take; he's documented and reported on problems with his tach and engine light here on MB:
viewtopic.php?t=19167

It's unfortunate that you're unhappy with the scooter. You said you expected more, but aside from the tach, what are your complaints about the scooter? Something faster? I don't think Genuine or anyone else has claimed a Blur will match the speeds of the Kymco 300. (Genuine's site has an estimated 75mph top speed.)
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Post by Chessy1 »

I have read a number of reviews on "JustGottaScoot", and I can't find any fault with what was written as a disclaimer was made up front that he was a happy Blur 150 owner and that probably carried a lot of weight in his comments about future reliability of the 220i (overall, he seems to do a really good job of pointing out things that matter to potential future buyers). I also read other reviews and all the posts here before buying and made the decision to go the safe route (e.g. Honda) as it seemed like the Blur was having a few teething issues which might be expected as the 220 is a new engine as well as the FI.

But, I still think the 220i is a cool looking scoot and that's why I stay lurking on this forum as a year or two down the road I might be ready to get something bigger and there seems to be no better place to get updates on quality issues than a forum populated by the scoots owners.
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Post by Rippinyarn »

Hey, I resemble those remarks Eric!

Yep, I've have a few teething problems with my Blur, but I'm getting a lot of attention from a tech at Genuine and it is with the understanding that I will share any successful improvements (mine or their suggested remedies) with them and with the community. That's the difference that I see with Genuine vs. the other quality scooter providers. Philip McCaleb is an old scooter guy, and it shows. He, and the people that he seems to hire, actually care about the scooters that they sell and the enjoyment that those scooters provide to their owners. It's not all perfect. They have problems like any other company. They have that whole Stella thing hanging around their necks, and now they have what seems like a rare calibration or conservative programming issue with the engine warning light on the fuel injection system on certain Buddys and Blurs. They are dedicating some of their very busy resources to addressing the problem as best they can (waiting on me to adjust my valves again - I did it wrong the first time!), and seem concerned about the whole issue.

The tach thing is more simple - get your dealer to order you a new one. If you don't have a dealer now, contact a tech at Genuine (PM me) and ask what they can do to help. My second tach didn't work correctly for a few days, but then started working and has been rock solid since then. I cleaned the wiring harness contacts when I was putting in my heated grips and re-seated every wiring junction that I could find with no change in the performance of the tach. I'm closing my case on the tach problem.

These are scooters, and sometimes a little patience goes a long way. Sometimes, the human building these things misses a step (maybe clicking home a connector). Sometimes a programmer goes conservative in setting a parameter because his boss told him that the US is all superhighways and that he had damn well better not have engines blowing up, ever, because of that. This is the real world and yes, nothing is perfect. Even with the minor problems that I've encountered with my Blur, it is easily the most high performance scooter that I've ever ridden. I didn't say 'fastest', because performance is more than just top speed. The Blur handles very well, takes a lean easily and consistently, and stops with tremendous authority. It's small, it's light, and it has a dual nature that I really enjoy. I can ride it like my moped and just get to my destination or I can tear up an on (or off ramp) and get a thrill of accomplishment without probably coming near the real capabilities of the scoot. Some of this is the excellent product that PGO puts together, some of it is the confidence and working relationship that Genuine has with the manufacturer to customize the scoots for this market, along with the willingness to take a chance that perhaps not everything will go exactly as planned. I loved my old Kymco too, but it never exhibited half the personality of a 50cc Buddy or my Blur.

So I'm not in Genuine's pocket. And in comparison, I've tried to get through to Honda Motorcycles USA through a couple of different channels and I can't ever get a coherent contact with them! It's a pity, as I believe that they have the most complete scooter line up in the US, and their products are top notch for their intended purposes. They, like Kymco, seem to lack the passion that the 9 or 10 person Genuine Scooter Company has, and demonstrates every day. Just like Genuine, Honda can't get the numbers of scoots that they bring in right, and yet I don't see people around here clamoring for their heads.

It's fine if the Blur isn't for you, Al, and I wish you well in your quest (scooter shopping is more than half the fun) but please don't think that you were forced into buying a product, or that a company duped you into buying something that isn't any good. Find a dealer who can help you address your issues and/or get Genuine involved. I'll help as much as I can for sure, and I appreciate your presence here on MB. I want you to enjoy your Blur as much as I enjoy mine. If you need to move on, that's OK too. Ride safe, and I'll see you on the road sometime. Hopefully, you'll stick around and we can tackle this thing together.

The Blur is a credible entry into a class of two (with the Aprilia SR50 in the US), the sport scooter. It ain't for everybody!
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ggs34
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blur

Post by ggs34 »

Now you know why i did not buy a blur not enough top end. Too much overheating problems and that tach thing

I bought a aprilia sportcity 250 used and a much better quality scoot for
the buck easier on the wallet
i got mine for under 2500 only 460 miles on it
hope you find a bike you like better

blur very expensive bike for what you get very ugly colors dull white and ugly gray
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Re: blur

Post by Rippinyarn »

ggs34 wrote:Now you know why i did not buy a blur not enough top end. Too much overheating problems and that tach thing

I bought a aprilia sportcity 250 used and a much better quality scoot for
the buck easier on the wallet
i got mine for under 2500 only 460 miles on it
hope you find a bike you like better

blur very expensive bike for what you get very ugly colors dull white and ugly gray
ggs34, I bet that you're a lot of fun at parties.
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Post by Lil Buddy »

I'm having regrets for reading this post.
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Post by scooterjon »

Al thank you for your honest opinion about the Blur 220i but in all fairness to the reviews it has had in the past from Just gotta scoot the writer only had put a few miles on the vehicle and this was his first impression on the scooter based on those miles. I do respect your opinion as you have had more saddle time then most of the reviewers of this vehicle and it has me wondering if this scooter is right for me. Maybe the Blur 220i is not the scooter to own for me but for others it is ok. Regardless I thank you for sharing your experience with your the Blur 220i and for now it has convinced me not to buy. I hope this in a way is a learning lesson for Genuine to maybe improve in the design of the scooter, however they are only a distributor and not the manufacture of the products they carry so this may take some time. Again thanks for your input despite what others on here might say. Not everyone's ass is meant for a Blur and Blur riders should be considerate of that and your opinion.

No regrets reading this post!
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Post by charlie55 »

I know that it's an altogether different ride, but if any of you guys have enough Blur-remorse to do a straight 220i-Helix swap, gimme a buzz.

Love the comfort..... :D

miss the performance..... :zzz:
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have you opened it up

Post by rev_sole »

really i have to say maybe the scoot shop closed for a reason, have you checked there work and made sure that they connected everything properly? I now that taking new things apart is not they best thing to do but, things happen.

I had my blur exhaust fixed when Capital Yamaha was the dealer, I just had the clamp fall off this week. It may have never completely tight.
scared me though I thought after 9500 Bdu's that something broke inside.

Just going to Hype for a Min , I ride it like i stole it and :twisted: have not been the best with my oil and upkeep and it just keeps on going. :D I love it i even rode it from Sacramento to Sonora to Modesto then back.

It' too bad that I am over My head with bill right now , I would love to buy another blur.
Good luck
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Post by beastmaster »

sour grapes
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
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Post by squidsie »

"Here in Sacramento, CA, the local Genuine Scooter dealer, The Scoot Shop, already closed its doors last month so there is no Genuine Scooter dealer to perform warranty work. I e-mailed Genuine Scooter a couple of times to ask them how they're going to honor their warranty to me and the other Genuine scooter customers in Sacramento. OF COURSE they haven't responded to my query and I bet they won't."


Hey Al Grande,

The next closest Genuine Dealer is in downtown Vacaville. They are a husband and wife run company called MotoXotica. I went by there yesterday just to check out the Stella's and Budddy's. They are very nice people who have been there for quite some time, I believe. Downtown Vacaville is only about 30 miles from downtown Sac, which is not too far. Im sure you can take a back road if you cant ride your Blur on the 80 West freeway. And if not, cant you use the Road Side Assistance covered under the warranty to have it towed?

You should definitely check it out. Its totally worth a shot before your 2 years are up! Good luck and keep us posted!
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Post by BlueMark »

Don't keep living with regrets. Sell it and buy something you'll love.
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Post by ericalm »

This is the last post the OP made here and he hasn't been back to the forum since then.

People have brought up a number of valid points. At this point, it sounds as if the OP simply bought something without properly researching it or with unrealistic expectations and is now pissed, regretful and blaming others for their influence on his decision.

Al GRANDE, if you want to respond to this, PM me and let me know. Otherwise I'm locking this because this kind of hit and run is basically trolling.
Eric // LA Scooter Meetup Group // Stella 4T // Vespa LX // Vespa LXS // Honda Helix // some, uh, projects…
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