Modern Buddy

So, my Buddy is my favorite. However, riding 2-up on long rides, there are just a lot of things it wasn't designed to do. So, rather than trash it, I figured I would look for a great deal on a 2nd scoot.

I lucked out, and it seems that I can get a ridiculously good deal on a wine-red one that is gently used and well taken care of. it's got minimal miles, and was taken care of by the local dealer.

So, my question is, does anyone have any experience with them? It's a tad tall for me, but I'm sure I'd get used to it quickly. I know it's a people, but not if it's the 'S' version. Doesn't seem to have a kickstart, so it might be injected.

Thoughts?

http://www.kymcousa.com/showroom/scoote ... index.html

That will at least tell you if it's injected

If it's the "S" version of the 250, it will have dual front disk brakes. The older-model People 250 (no S) has a single front disk. That makes it extremely easy to tell in a hurry which one is which. Knowing which year the bike is may not be definitive because IIRC there was a year of overlap when Kymco sold both. I'm not certain which year that was, 2007 maybe. The Peep 250s are solid machines. The styling is an acquired taste, but if you've found a great deal on one and you want to ride two up, esp for any distance, it's a good choice.

EDITed because I made more typos in this post than the law allows and because I forgot to mention that the Peep 250 will handle more like a motorcycle than a scooter because of the big wheels. At higher speeds, that is a good thing. It's not a bad thing around town either, it just won't be as nimble as a Buddy, which is the king of nimbility.

Well, it tells me the start is electric at leat .

Regardless, seems like a good scoot for 2 up and more challenging rides. It has very little miles so I figured it would be worth a shot.

It's got the single disc on each wheel, so it should be just the '07 people. Gets great reviews, so unless someone shows up with more cash before Tue, I think I'll jump on it. it was definitely harder to push off the center stand, an actual turning radius will be and adjustment, but I like the suspension.

I was seriously looking at the People. It's a nice scooter. After looking at a lot of large wheeled scooters I did a complete about face and went for the Vespa GTV. It felt better. I'm short and all of the larger wheeled scooters felt a bit too tall for me. But it rides very well. Not as nimble as a Buddy but nothing is. It's still plenty nimble. I hate to say it but as far as fun and nimble go with larger wheels... The Wolf is still the most fun. They really got it right. Especially for scooter people. Now of they could bump up the displacement to 200 or 250.....

Just Gotta Scoot has some informative reviews on larger Kymcos including the 250 People and 250 S.

http://www.justgottascoot.com/people250.htm

http://www.justgottascoot.com/people250s.htm

Kymco 250cc scooters in the USA are carbureted.

Yeah, I just didn't see a kickstart. no big whoop, I have a tender and I can rotate batteries if needed.

Basically the Kymco People GTi 300 is the fuel injected upgrade for the carbed 250s.

http://www.justgottascoot.com/peoplegti300.htm

I really liked the S250 for two-up riding. Handled very well for a big-bore (250 and up) scooter. The 300GTi is a beast. That thing keeps up with my Xciting 500 and outperforms in top speed. It's just the 300GTi is a tad scary on the highway holding runs at 70. The 250 is liquid cooled... and should have the bump to get you up to 65 easily.

I have 2 Kymcos both 50cc. The people 50 can outperform the Cobra 50
has a faster smoother ride with 16" wheels. It handles nice and gives the feel of a motorcycle. The Cobra is very nice has 12" wheels as well but comparing stock to stock set ups the people wins. Kymco usually has a good product, and is not cheaply made.

good to know! hopefully the cat doesn't get out of the bag before then .

I can only speak for the brand and my model and experience, but the S250 has a good reputation. I have only seen a few posts around the 'net of people with somewhat big problems with them. But even so the probs were resolved.

This is a pretty good forum. The "S" model essentially shares the same mechanicals / systems with the earlier model. But the body style changed, of course. You can find lot's of info on the People 250 there:

http://www.kymcoforum.com/index.php?board=6.0

Now of course some will be problems, and one guy there had big issues with hardware and trim and some other things. "Cheap" he says. But he lives in severe weather and still has the scooter. It runs fine. So realize many who post at forums have probs with their bike. Thats why they are posting. But as you can tell nothing too major and not very many complaints

I would say Kymco / PGO / SYM are all good brands.

So far as my Agility 125 the engine was defected from the factory so they replaced it no questions asked. The new one has been perfect and is very smooth and surprisingly punchy. It gets to 50- 60mph GPS'd and stays there pretty well. And depending on roads and conditions you don't have to pin the throttle to get there. But 35-55mph is where the Agility is best and most flexible. At those speeds around SoCal its just a hoot.

But yes my over all impression is positive. I have their most basic 125 but I find it well put together and nothing has quit or stopped working. Always starts and goes. It's a bit of a bitch in cold weather, though. You will most likely find the 250 to be as well. It's a "thing" with some Kymco's. Expect a cold weather stall or two when the auto-choke disengages. And expect the bike to need to "warm up" longer then Buddy.

The Kymco Downtown 300i is supposed to be a real sweet ride,heard it thru the grape vine.Anyone know?

I have read nothing but good about it. A user at ADV Rider forums owns and rides one and likes it a lot Say's he chose it over the People 300 because it felt much more nimble and lightweight. At slower speeds he says it is almost as intrepid as the Agility. It feels like a scooter is what I gather. Others have said the same.

Biggest complain seems to be legroom issues. It's for riders well under six foot, or so I have read. Or at least no longer of inseam then 30in. Maybe less? Different seats are available in other markets which address this issue but not in the U.S. Go figure. The prob would seem to be taller riders cannot scoot back far enough on the stock seat. Some have even suggest just cutting the seat down at the "hump" in a very crude manner and patching it up. I would not think to do that, however

http://www.kymcoforum.com/index.php?topic=5102.0

5'11 rider





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skully93 wrote:It's got the single disc on each wheel, so it should be just the '07 people. Gets great reviews, so unless someone shows up with more cash before Tue, I think I'll jump on it. it was definitely harder to push off the center stand, an actual turning radius will be and adjustment, but I like the suspension.

It's what I've got, and I just flipped 36 megameters, today. It's been a good bike for me, and now I do a 31-mile one-way interstate commute on it, weekdays. It's runnin' like a sewing machine.
.

jrsjr wrote:...Buddy, which is the king of nimbility.

Shouldn't that be nimblbility?

I have one. Loving it but will prob sell it to upgrade to the new 300i. Handles 2-up just fine. I might do the Denver Iron Butt 2-up - maybe ill see you there!

my legs are pretty short, in fact I had a hard time pushing it off the center stand!

Velo, I'd love it if you came down and rode with us. Fun group! If this other one doesn't come through for some reason, I'll let you know, we might be able to work something out so you can get the 300i. Nice bike, but the sticker was a bit too much for me to justify.

Syd wrote:

jrsjr wrote:...Buddy, which is the king of nimbility.

Shouldn't that be nimblbility?

Ha! Great minds thinking alike! Nimblbility was another of the "typos" I mentioned. "Nimbility" was the product of an hyperactive spellchecker. When I saw Nimbility in the suggested spelling box, I thought that was a perfect word to describe the Buddy. It sounds like one of those made-up 1960's marketing terms, but apparently is a real word.

skully93 wrote:my legs are pretty short, in fact I had a hard time pushing it off the center stand!

Velo, I'd love it if you came down and rode with us. Fun group! If this other one doesn't come through for some reason, I'll let you know, we might be able to work something out so you can get the 300i. Nice bike, but the sticker was a bit too much for me to justify.

Yeah, I rode with the MisFits for the first time 2 months ago from Sportique Denver.

I put my center stand on and off when I'm off the scoot next to it. I've always done it this way - even on my little Vino 125 which weighs nothing...

lots of tall customers state that it feels cramped on the Kymco Downtown 300i

at 5'7" tall isn't an issue that I have . in fact if I were any shorter then the scoot wouldn't work for me, as it's too tall and has an odd center of gravity, compared to the buddy that I can toss around however I want. We'll see if this gal is serious or not on Tue, but it seems like a great deal.