 Kymco
Downtown 300i
Where ability meets agility
There was a time before Burgman’s, Majesty’s and Silverwing’s
were born, when the biggest Asian market scooter was a 250 cc Honda
Helix. With a top speed of only 65 mph it was the largest maxi scoot
on the market, but could not cut it where road speeds were 65 mph
and higher. No way to pass, no gumption and suspension that was
nothing to write home about. All that changed when Honda launched
the Silverwing, and Suzuki and Yamaha later launched their maxi
mounts with the Burgman and Majesty models.
Despite that, I’ve longed for a gutsy small scoot that is lighter
in weight and more agile in the corners. Leave it to Kymco to come
up with just such a ride.
The Taiwanese company has been busy over the years expanding
their scooter offerings from low cc rides all the way up to the
Xciting 500 maxi. With all the latest technology, Kymco takes it
down a step in motor size to bring the best of all worlds to the
forefront with the introduction of the Downtown 300i, a fuel
injected maxi scoot that makes corners more fun than ever before.
My test ride went on for 200 miles and lasted all day. A trip
around Oregon’s majestic Mt. Hood using mostly secondary and
tertiary roads showed me everything the Downtown was capable of and
more. I started with a 10 mile stretch of interstate which revealed
a top speed of 85 mph. Plenty of passing power for any of America’s
highest mph rated roads.
 I
then exited onto old US 30 and rode the Historic Columbia River
Highway from Multnomah Falls to the robust Vista House, passing more
than a dozen sport bikes in the process. At 300 cc’s the scooter has
no advantage over a sportbike on the straights, but the low center
of gravity allows it to corner superbly and thus I was never
re-passed by any rider I went around. During the ascent I was able
to manage complete control of the scoot with simple throttle
techniques and virtually no braking.
My next jaunt was along the Barlow wagon trail, a sweet, now
paved section of roadway that took me closer to Mt. Hood. Elevation
changes are all over the place and the need to use braking for
downhill sections was obvious. With the CVT providing a nominal
compression ratio, it’s not possible to put the scoot through it’s
paces downhill without some help from the front and rear disc
brakes, which performed very well.
After a brief lunch stop I headed up to Timberline Lodge on the
south side of Mt. Hood. Again I was passing slower riders on larger
bikes, never to be seen again until I reached the parking area at
the top.
The final corners of the day came as I climbed into the city of
Hood River along a series of roads including the dubious Cooper Spur
Road. While the Cooper Spur Road can often be fun, this day it had
recently been oiled as part of a not yet complete chip seal process.
The tires maintained good traction and the road eventually dried up
on the final fun leg to Hood River.
The Downtown is a great scoot for two types of riders.
For newbies it’s a fine choice. There isn’t too much in the
throttle to get a new rider into trouble and there’s plenty of
braking power. Maneuverability, both while traveling as well as from
a standstill, is a cinch.
For the experienced rider looking to shed a few scooter pounds, the 367 pound
Downtown does just that, providing greater agility and handling abilities than a
larger size scoot. And with a top speed in the 80’s the scoot gets the job done
in the passing lane. Experienced riders may often find the throttle is usually
in one of two positions – closed or fully open. Acceleration can seem to take a
while, which gives you more time to view what sport riders are wearing as you
pass them by.Comfort-wise, the ergonomics are more suited for riding in the
city, with not much room to stretch your legs out in a conventional
fashion otherwise. You can lift each leg onto the top angle of the
floor boards but it seems a little unnatural. Nonetheless, it does
provide a needed change in body position from time to time. The
stock seat fit my 160 pound body with a 30 inch inseam just fine and
was comfortable throughout the day.
The 40+ liter storage area under the seat provided the room I
needed to store the gear I carry on a day ride (and I carry a lot).
I’d add a top box for overnight trips.
With a 3.3 gallon fuel tank and a 69 mpg rating the range is 200+
miles - plenty of range to get you between gas stops.
The Downtown 300i is Kymco’s most innovative scooter yet,
combining small scoot agility with big scoot ability. If this is a
peek at things to come, we’re looking forward to what’s next. But
for now this is a well done scooter everyone should take out on a
test ride.
TM/Summer '10
Photos by Orhun Uyger/Turkphotos.com
Kymco scooters are available at
Seattle Scooter
Center and other fine dealers. For a complete list of dealers
visit the
KymcoUSA.com website. |
