TheScooterScoop

(Thanks to Urban Moto Shop in Austin for letting me have my way with her! More pictures here.)

I had the chance to become acquainted with a relative newcomer to the American market, SYM. Their HD200 model was introduced to European markets back in 2004 and has really made a good impression. So, are they too late in the game to make a name for themselves here in the USA? I mean, look how long it took Kymco to make a name for themselves and most people still don’t know who they are. Well, Carter Brothers doesn’t think so. Their horde of sales persons are scouring the country as we speak, spreading the SYM gospel.

So, who is SYM? Well, some say they’re Kymco’s toughest competition and Genuine’s biggest headache. SYM is another player offering a quality Taiwanese product for a pretty reasonable price.

So what is the HD200 ($3498)? Another entry into the 16″ wheel market riding along side scooters like the Aprilia Scarabeo 150 ($4299), Kymco People S 200 ($3299), Piaggio Beverly 200 ($4499), TN’G Verona 150 ($2895), QLINK Pegasus ($2799) and even the new Aprilia SportCity 250 ($4599) nearly fitting into this category with a 15″ wheel. (All prices MSRP)

Taiwanese made scooters usually fit into a middle category being more expensive than Chinese scoots and cheaper than Japanese and European scoots. With an MSRP of $3498, the SYM HD 200 definitely falls into that category. BUT, one thing you’ll notice is how its price stacks up with other Taiwanese products, being more expensive than the People S 200.

Why would the newcomer SYM HD 200 be more expensive than the more established People S? Well for one it’s got a liquid cooled, 4-port head, 171.2cc motor instead of air cooled, 2-port head, 166cc which spells better performance. The SYM also sports a fancy ceramic lined cylinder to help protect against wear. SYM is really pulling out the stops with it’s engine here and you would hope for some advancements from a scooter company that’s been in the business since 1953, right?

In my opinion, the Kymco People S looks more esthetically pleasing . I’ve not ridden one yet so I can’t give you a head to head. But I can say I did enjoy my time with the HD 200. She was peppy and easily hit speeds of 50 MPH around the block. She is rated for up to 67 MPH and I could see that, but not much more. Now, don’t get me wrong on the looks… The HD was nice. I was pleasantly surprised by the fit and finish with the only exception being a slightly loose, left brake handle. She arrived on the back of a trailer bed, so I’ll take it as salesman road wear for now. All the jostling around and dealer test drives can put a hurtin’ on a scooter.

The driver’s portion of the seat was a bit short, like a bar stool, but comfortable with room for a passenger on the back. Now, I’ve gotten used to riding a Vespa for a little while and I’m not accustom to big tires but when this baby was on the road it was like riding on rails. That centrifugal force from the 16″ wheels is really noticeable and helped to keep her riding upright (I think a 16″ rider moving to a 10″ wheel scooter would probably fall over on their first right hand turn… that’s how hard I had to push to get her to lean). The shocks were sufficient for taking the edge off of a hard speed-bump and the disc / drum brake combo was VERY effective. Read more comments on the photos found by clicking on the title link.

What you’re reading here is not an exhaustive review, but more of an introduction to the SYM HD 200. If the HD 200 I tested was a testament to SYM quality, I can say it does a nice job. Not exactly a Honda SH300i, but solid enough to last you a few ten-thousand miles. I enjoyed it very much and would consider it as an add to my collection.

I only had two major hits against it. One was the lack of stowage. It had room for the half helmet under the seat and a tiny compartment for your papers and that was about it. Balancing that out a bit is the fact that THIS is the case with most of the tall scooters… There’s no Honda Helix trunk in these things, AND it does have a little luggage rack on the back which should allow the mounting of a good top case (I’ve been informed that a top case and windshield is in the works).

My other complaint was where to add the coolant should you find you’re running low. When you look at the photos you’ll see the little indicator window, but to fill it you have to crack open the head unit. This means the removal of like 6 to 10 screws to fill the coolant tank! So be sure to pack a phillips head screw driver just in case.

In conclusion I say that if you’re looking for an introductory scooter with automatic transmission and motorcycle-like tires (see: stability), you should definitely put this one on your short list. Give it a ride… test out the People S… Heck you might as well jump on the Italian and Chinese tall scoots too, just so you know… AND then you can come back and give us the scoop on your tall scoot round-up. Be sure to check out the photos at Flickr by clicking on the title link.