Keeway ARN 150 – Can Keeway be China’s saving grace?

Thu, Jun 21, 2007

Reviews, Scooter Reviews


(Eh, looks somewhat inspired, but still a bit too much like the Chinese’ standard spy-vs-spy design.)

BIG shout out to Orin O’Neill from Scootin’ Old Skool who took it upon himself to give the Chinese a chance with a review of Keeway’s ARN 150. Is it a complete pile of horse poop or a road worthy 2-wheeler. Let’s see what Orin had to say, TAKE IT AWAY ORIN! (oh, and my quips will be lurking in the parens. LIKE THIS! scare ya?)

Keeway ARN 150 Scooter
by Orin O’Neill

For many people, the term “Chinese scooter” is inexorably connected to the term “cheap and nasty.” (go ooooon?) And why not? Chinese scooters have mostly been devices with odd names, sold at big-box retailers or storefronts that also sell mobile phones and do money transfers to Central America. (don’t forget pawn shops and used car dealers.) Cheap, yes, but not particularly well-made, and certainly not supported by anything like a franchised dealer network or service centers. (preach on brutha Orin!)

But this situation is changing rapidly. Just as the bicyclists in Mao suits have acquired BMWs and Italian designer clothes (Hrm… An Armani Mao suit?), China’s automotive industry is ramping up, the goal nothing less than being a major player on the world stage, with products the equal of anything offered by Japanese, Korean, European or even American companies.

Keeway is one of those companies. New to the United States, the company has divisions throughout Europe [including a design and engineering center in Italy], and a product line that includes scooters, motorcycles, ATVs and even go-karts, all powered by engines designed and built by Keeway. (I will say that of all the Chinese bikes I saw at the Indi Dealer Expo, I liked Keeway the best).

Keeway’s ARN 150 plays in a crowded field in Europe, going up against such storied names as Honda, Yamaha and Piaggio. In the U.S., where people are just now warming up to the idea of motor scooters, the ARN 150 has what most Americans are seeking above all else–a low price.

Scooter Gallery of Seattle, which supplied the test example, sells the ARN 150 for $2195, a price that includes a top case and remote-controlled alarm. This compares quite favorably with the Genuine Buddy 125 ($2599) and Yamaha Vino 125 ($2649), both of which give away 25cc to the ARN 150′s 9.4-horsepower engine.

Nasty, the ARN 150 most definitely is not. The styling is modern, if a bit derivative. Yes, the body is plastic but the pieces are of high quality and fit together precisely. The blue is a perfect match for Team Yamaha blue, so you can easily find a helmet that will match. The chassis components look well-made, and the cast aluminum wheels look expensive. There’s a purposeful-looking hydraulic disc brake in front, and a rear drum brake with a helper spring that adds a weighty feel to the rear brake lever operation. (Yeah, this ARN isn’t the prettiest thing that Keeway has to offer, but I’m glad to know it’s at least put together well.)

On the road, it works well and feels solidly built. Like most Asian scooters, the riding position is a bit scrunched-up for someone 5′ 11″ and 240 lbs., but I was able to place both feet flat on the ground, in my Adidas scooter shoes. (This tends to be the biggest complaint with Keeway scoots. Scootdawg and I both have experienced displeasure with the ‘high floorboard’.) The seat is harder than you’ll find on most scooters in this class, but the upholstery is somewhat slippery… I found myself sliding forward slightly going down hills. (Ewwwww not good. Might have to sprinkle some of those non-slip cell phone mats on the seat. Reminds me of the time a friend of mine Armor All’d his seat. It was like riding a greased hog! Not that I’d ever admit to riding a greased hog, mind you.)

The 12-inch wheels combine with an adjustable rear and telescopic front fork suspension to make Seattle’s mostly awful pavement bearable. The ARN 150′s Kenda tires easily passed the Fremont Bridge Grating Nibble Test; there was none. (BWAHAHA! That’s the greatest sounding test I’ve ever heard of. Thanks Orin.) These tires have a tread pattern not unlike the Continental Zippy 3, sort of a slick with diagonal grooves.


(Nice… An expansion chamber on a 4-stroker. Sure to make you look 10 mph faster!)

The engine’s sound is not what you’d expect, the performance-looking (that expansion chamber is really a muffler) pipe giving off a low-pitched growl. Even accounting for a bit of play in the right handgrip, it seemed to require a great big twist to get the bike to move smartly, but once twisted, it will go. We saw an indicated 50 mph, and there was room for more than that.
However, you probably won’t be motivated to do random speed runs with the ARN 150, but if that’s what you want, you’d be looking elsewhere.

This is a bike for the first-time scooter owner. It’s inexpensive, easy to ride, handles predictably, has plenty of power to keep up with traffic and will let you amaze your friends with tales of how far a few bucks’ worth of gas will take you.

And when you’re ready to move up, chances are Keeway will have something for you…

(Say cheese! Congrats Keeway! Your ARN 150 has passed the test. With the expansion of your dealership and support infrastructure I believe you will have a quality product worthy of a TSS reader’s hard earned cash. I’ve talked to Keeway’s president and voiced my only concern, the high floorboards, and he said they are addressing it now. Great to know! These guys are close to us here at the TSS headquarters, so we plan on paying them a visit when things cool off.)

Thanks again to Orin from Scootin’ Old School for the excellent report! We hope to hear more from Orin in the near future and if you can’t wait for that you should go check out his blog. I’m sure he’ll have something tasty for us when AmeriVespa kicks off on July 12th. Wish I could be there. TheScooterScoop’s roving reporter, Lawrence Hsu will be on site snapping photos and pondering it’s greatness. Be sure to say “Wassup!?”.

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16 Responses to “Keeway ARN 150 – Can Keeway be China’s saving grace?”

  1. Anonymous Says:

    The floorboards and storage box scream Chinese.
    And why do they keep putting expansion chambers on a 4 stroke engine? This bike reminds me of TNG’s ridiculous DR150.

    I’m sorry, but this appears to be the same pile of crap that all the other Chinese companies are manufacturing.

    Reply

  2. Orin Says:

    Remember, most scooters that sell for around two grand are not exactly heirloom-quality. Considering the price, this is a good bike for someone who just wants to get from point A to point B and get 80 mpg doing it. Or maybe a good one to send with the kid to college.

    Look closely, you will discover a difference between this bike and other Chinese “crap.”

    __Orin

    Reply

  3. Anonymous Says:

    What kind of warranty does it carry, their website doesn’t say?

    Reply

  4. Steve Says:

    Anon1 – Yeah… top box. Prolly has an alarm, remote start, and CD player too. That’s when you know something fishy is going on.

    As for pile-o-crap… the appearances lend themselves to that, but Keeway has some tricks up their sleeve in the design department. Check the latest TSS.TV show when it comes out at the end of the month!

    Orin! Good points. I also believe that many of the Chinese scoots look similar, but the proof is in the fit and finish and THAT can only be measured in person.

    Anon2. Daelim’s factory warranty is 2 years.

    Reply

  5. Dudel Says:

    ******* CanAm Scooter *******

    Bombardier (aka BRP) has a patent for a scooter with front storage and CVT with final chain drive. Functionally, a baby version of the Aprilia 850 Mana. The CVT is completely supported by the suspension and the CVT casing is structural acting as a frame member to decease unsprung weight improving handling and allowing the weight of the engine/tranny to be moved closer to the vehicle’s cener of gravity. No word on engine size but they seem to imply that a varety of engine sizes may be used. From the physical size of the bike, I suspect 50cc to 150cc range.

    Patent No.: US 7,225,892 B1
    http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7225892.pdf

    “A storage bin between the handlebar and the seat that is sized to accommodate a helmet… the helmet storage location is sized to accommodater one helmet and, alternatively, may be used to store personal belongings as well… the CVT housing does not act as the rear swing arm for the vehicle, which reduces the unsprung weight of the vehicle.” The illustration shows a final chain drive but also mentions, “Alternatively, a belt or shaft drive may be employed…”

    Reply

  6. Anonymous Says:

    try the agirra scooter, its a big classic touring

    Reply

  7. Anonymous Says:

    orginal from Italy as i know, they are now produced in China but europe office in London http://www.agirra.eu

    Reply

  8. 131341 Says:

    Please guys, I need the service’s manual of this scooter. My e-mail is infantericardo@gmail.com..

    I am sure that it is in somewhere but I can’t get it on internet.. I’ve found one in italian. But it’s so hard to read..

    Reply

  9. RZ&S Says:

    TERRIBLE Quality Keeway ARN150-
    Ignition and wiring PROBLEMS from Day One = stranded from home hdqtrs total of FOUR times. In-shop total of Three times. During perceived dealership stonewalling, endured excessive battery charging, multiple maintenance-related purchases, and afore-mentioned strandings (til late night). Demand for REFUND – dealer FINALLY replacing battery (Duh!), but they also cut, disabled the remote starter/alarm, because they “couldn’t fix it”. They finally told us they have HISTORY of Customer COMPLAINTS on same no-start ignition & wiring issues. Need to disclose that information & be upfront with customers and give financial/discount for these EXPECTED strandings, MAJOR time inconveniences, and lo$$ of income due to same. Overly-patient in keeping this crappy machine, related to post-warranty period family mechanical abilities. NO recommendation for Keeway.

    Reply

  10. RZ&S Says:

    TERRIBLE Quality Keeway ARN150-
    Ignition and wiring PROBLEMS from Day One = stranded from home hdqtrs total of FOUR times. In-shop total of Three times. During perceived dealership stonewalling, endured excessive battery charging, multiple maintenance-related purchases, and afore-mentioned strandings (til late night). Demand for REFUND – dealer FINALLY replacing battery (Duh!), but they also cut, disabled the remote starter/alarm, because they “couldn’t fix it”. They finally told us they have HISTORY of Customer COMPLAINTS on same no-start ignition & wiring issues. Need to disclose that information & be upfront with customers and give financial/discount for these EXPECTED strandings, MAJOR time inconveniences, and lo$$ of income due to same. Overly-patient in keeping this crappy machine, related to post-warranty period family mechanical abilities. NO recommendation for Keeway.

    Reply

  11. Anonymous Says:

    This customer pushed both buttons on the remote alarm, which disables the ignition switch. It’s an anti-theft feature. If you don’t know about it, it appears that the ignition has failed. We had the same “problem” with a customer who did this repeatedly, but we were able to figure it out and reset the alarm. They kept doing it, and wouldn’t listen to instructions on how to properly operate the alarm so we eventually disconnected the alarm to keep them from stranding themselves.

    Keeway Dealer

    Reply

  12. sketchy Says:

    do you think a 49cc keeway is better than a yamaha bewis’s ?and do u think a 49cc modifican go at____km/h??

    Reply

  13. Anonymous Says:

    I got this scooter about a week ago. Now have 165 miles. So far, so good!! The dealership network is what sold me on this (and the warranty which is actually real, unlike the Chinese drop-ship scooters!)

    Reply

  14. Dimitrios Says:

    I own a keeway 150cc…So far so good.The only money i have give is for gas and oil. 2500km full throttle (90kph). Caution on the wet!!! Kenda tyres need extra caution. It feels like you are driving on ice. It has a little bit of fun also. Once you accelerate the rear tyre immediately looses grip.

    Reply

  15. michael milstead Says:

    Keeway scooters are at the top of their game and should not go un-noticed, being a Keeway dealer and racing Keeway scooters I am sorta an expert on these scoots and always have been a fan of QJ who make the scooters in China. Keeway has many more models and have stuck with the two stroke way after all other chinese went to GY6. Great quality workmanship plus the price is just right and the style look and feel are way above anything else in its price range for a two stroke scooter.

    Reply

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