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SPECS · PICS · RATING
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Review of the 2007 Sym HD 125:Great Handling and Great Ride |
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Author: Rob, 2008-06-03, viewed 322 times. | ||||||
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Well I have only placed about 15 miles on my 2008, however I can say that in that short period the SYM HD 125 is everything I hoped it would be and more. | ||||||
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After 4 weeks of daily research to find the right commuting scooter I finally decided on this ´style´ of scooter (i.e. a scooter with 16 inch wheels). Why 16 in wheels¿ Well physics...I live in a larger city where potholes, bumps, and loose stones/gravel are far from rare and bad drivers are not. I wanted a scooter with larger wheels to deal with these obstacles so I can deal with urban traffic. Other scooters with 10 inch or 12 inch wheels (like the pricey Vespas and their various copycats like the Yamaha Vino 125) may look stylish, but from my few short test drives they felt very shaky and unstable. In fact, after test driving the Vino I almost gave up on the idea of a scooter being viable urban transportation. That was until I found out that there are several models of scooters with 16 inch wheels. KYMCO, Flyscooter, and several other manufacturers make scooters with a larger wheel base(e.g. Kymco´s People S 125/200 and Flyscooter´s Cadenza are very similar in shape). What got me to buy the SYM HD line was the research on the company and the great reviews European riders gave their products (mostly the HD 200 or Orbit as it is called in the UK). Moreover, I looked at the KYMCO People and Flyscooter Cadenza taking my time to look over the scooters build quality and decided that the SYM looked to be built the best (i.e. it had the best styling, materials, and design of the three IMO). I will not say that I test drove the People or the Cadenza because I did not. I did sit on them and test drove the SYM first because the seat was the most comfortable to me (not too hard and not too soft). Once I drove it I knew it was the scooter for me and never even tried the others...why would I when I had found what I wanted. I cannot review the durability or longevity of this product since it has only 20 or so miles on it. However, I can review how it rides and how it handles. First, let me say that for a scooter that almost gets and estimated 100 MPG this thing zips right along. Take off is a bit rough in the first few seconds (I have yet to ride a CVT scooter that isn´t this way) but once it gets going the ride is smooth. What amazes me about the HD 125 is that once you get to about 7 mph if you crank the throttle this scooter takes off very very fast! I got it to go to 45 mph in about 5 seconds (probably just under)! This is good for a scooter. From what I have been told it will max out at about 60 MPH, perhaps faster after several hundred miles of break-in. In any event, this bad boy is able to keep up with traffic with no problems. Handling on this this is really good as well. I noticed a huge difference in cornering between the Vino 125 (which has 10 inch wheels) and the HD 125 (which has 16 inc wheels). This is probably pretty obvious but I felt that I could put more lean on my turns without feeling like I was losing control or balance. 16 inch wheels just handle better than 10 inch wheels, a lot better. The handling did get a little shaky at higher speeds (45 MPH) but not as much as the Vino 125, and I definitely felt like I could have gone faster without being uncomfortable (and will). On the Vino I ALMOST made it to 45 and didn´t feel very comfortable doing so. The steering started to shake badly and I didn´t much like it! Braking on the SYM HD 125 is adequate and much better than the Vino 125 I tested. I was able to stop within a few seconds when going 40 MPH without skidding or feeling like I was going to fall off. As far a height an weight, I think that this scooter is made for someone who is a bit bigger. I am 5´ 10 and can just touch the street comfortably. Also, the scooter is pretty heavy for a scooter (300lbs) which is 50 lbs more than the People and Cadenza. While this weight may be a burden a very slow speeds it helps at higher speeds when making turns. In short, I am pleased with my purchase (baring any glitches-- but hey I have a FULL 2 year Warranty on EVERYTHING!!!!). To me this is the hybrid of scooters. The practicality and automation of a scooter with the larger wheel base of a motorcycle. I could easily spend 45 minuets on this scooter without becoming uncomfortable (and did). It will make for a great commuting scooter which is what I was looking for given gas is Dollars 4 and rising! |
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