2007 Morphus or 2009 Kymco?

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scullyfu
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2007 Morphus or 2009 Kymco?

Post by scullyfu »

i'm looking at these scooterx (no pix of the morphus) and would like anyone with any experience with these models to weigh in with your personal critique.

i'm 5'2" female, so the short seat is very appealing. :) the morphus 250cc had only one owner, an older gent who's kept up the maintenance (in fact, just had the bike to the shop for a complete service). mileage is under 1500 miles. asking price $2699 obo.

OR, here's the 2009 grand vista 250cc i'm looking at for $1900:
http://rochester.craigslist.org/mcy/3783973682.html

i'm considering these scoots cuz i want to start doing some touring along with everyday riding.

thanks to all for reading and hopefully, responding. :)
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Post by Keys »

Oooo...I'd love a Morphous!
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Dooglas
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Post by Dooglas »

The Morpheus is certainly a classic - and it certainly has a low seat. It also has an unusual seating position that I don't think I would like for longer trips. Have you ridden a Morpheus? Another possibility is the Honda Helix which has somewhat similar ergonomics but is less extreme in design, very reliable, and easier to find than the Morpheus. In that regard, the Kymco has much more conventional ergonomics.
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scullyfu
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Post by scullyfu »

Dooglas wrote:The Morpheus is certainly a classic - and it certainly has a low seat. It also has an unusual seating position that I don't think I would like for longer trips. Have you ridden a Morpheus? Another possibility is the Honda Helix which has somewhat similar ergonomics but is less extreme in design, very reliable, and easier to find than the Morpheus. In that regard, the Kymco has much more conventional ergonomics.
i've not ridden either one, but i have sat on a majesty 400 before and liked the fact that i could flat foot it, but its too much scooter for me size-wise.
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Syd
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Post by Syd »

Every time I see a Morphous I think of this picture.
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skully93
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Post by skully93 »

I don't think you can go wrong either way, but having seen the performance of the Grand Vista in person, I like it. it also shares the same engine as my soon to be sold People 250, which has been extremely solid.

That's also a fantastic price on a low mileage kymco.
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Post by BuddyRaton »

I haven't been on the Kymco but I did ride a Morphous...as far as looks...it's either a love it or hate it...I love it.

Low speed handling is a little cumbersome...not bad...but it takes a little work. At speed I found it to be a great bike. It has enough power, I found it smooth and comfortable.

I think the two are probably pretty close in reliability. If it was my choice I would go for the Morpheus...Kymcos are good scooters but kind of like driving a Honda Civic...nice...reliable...meh....but a Morphous!...now you're making a statement! (Starbuck wouldn't be caught dead on a stinkin' Kymco! :mrgreen: )
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charlie55
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Post by charlie55 »

Syd wrote:Every time I see a Morphous I think of this picture.
<Helixschadenfreude>

Image

=

Image

</Helixschadenfreude>
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Post by JHScoot »

no experience with either but i would take the yamaha for $600 more then the kymco. or however far down you can take the price

low seat height, smooth riding, storage galore, lower miles. and yamaha quality. if its up and up i would say its a nice touring scooter if 70mph or so will get the job done, cruising
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scullyfu
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Post by scullyfu »

skully93 wrote:I don't think you can go wrong either way, but having seen the performance of the Grand Vista in person, I like it. it also shares the same engine as my soon to be sold People 250, which has been extremely solid.

That's also a fantastic price on a low mileage kymco.
i guess she realized the price was low and has revised the price to $2600. <shrug>
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Post by peabody99 »

Morpheus because it is delightfully ugly over just horrid ugly like the Kymco. In the end you'll be fine no matter what, but since our household had a lemon kymco ( but a good kymco before the bad one)I know I'd grab the morpheus.
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Post by JHScoot »

scullyfu wrote:
skully93 wrote:I don't think you can go wrong either way, but having seen the performance of the Grand Vista in person, I like it. it also shares the same engine as my soon to be sold People 250, which has been extremely solid.

That's also a fantastic price on a low mileage kymco.
i guess she realized the price was low and has revised the price to $2600. <shrug>
same price as the Morph, now?

no brainer all things being equal imo. morph all the way
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Post by scullyfu »

okay, the seller of the kymco said he would honor the $1900 price, so i went to rochester this morning and rode the grand vista 250cc.

since i'm used to a buddy 125cc, the 250cc was a little hefty. ;) here's a question regarding the steering. on the buddy, i was used to leaning and not having much handlebar 'steering' movement. however, on the kymco the handlebar was highly 'steerable': lots of movement.

is that usual? again, this is an '09 and in terrific shape. i'm just concerned about the 'steering'. thoughts? also, i'm concerned about being able to pick the kymco up in case of a go-down.

other than those concerns, the kymco rode like a dream and had lots of acceleration of the line. he's also throwing in a lock and cover for the $1900.

i'd appreciate any input re: the handlebar left to right steering movement. :)
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Post by az_slynch »

I notice that difference between my Vespa or my Riva and my Yager. The Vespa and Riva have headsets similar to the Buddy, where the handgrips lie in the same plane as the speedometer and headlight. On the Yager, it has the same "raised" bars as the GrandVista. I have also noticed an increase in the steering input and attribute it to the effective distance between the handgrips and the clamp on the steering tube. It's odd at first, but it became natural quickly. Over time, it seems that the steering effort on the Vespa and Riva is greater than that of the Yager when in motion.

In a nutshell, a longer handlebar allows you to put more torque into steering with equal effort, so it will feel easy or loose.

You could check the steering by having someone hold the front wheel in place while you wiggle the bars. If something's loose, it will manifest then.
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