Sunday, November 9, 2008

Kymco Scooter for Sale

I am selling my trusty steed, "Chip," the mint-green Kymco People 150 scooter I've been riding for the last year. (What follows is, basically, an ad. But hey, it's my blog...)

No, we have not given up on scooters. I've just contracted to buy a different scooter, one that's a little lighter and, I hope, better in the sand and dirt, albeit a bit less powerful and speedy on the highway.

When I bought the People 150, one of the things that impressed me about it was the large 16"-diameter wheels. That's the ex-Motorcycle Safety Foundation instructor in me: larger diameter equals better handling and more safety. And, as far as riding on the pavement goes, this is entirely correct, and I have been extremely pleased with the Kymco's speed and agility on the street. So what gives?

Well, as regular readers know, we spend a good deal of time away from the pavement. And off the asphalt, Louise, on her relatively underpowered 49cc Honda Metropolitan, leaves me in the dust. Her scooter is lighter, with a lower CG, and, most importantly, the aspect ratio of those standard 10" scooter tires is more suited to the soft stuff. For the most part, I can keep up with her, because she runs out of top end so soon. But she can, for example, ride on the beach, whereas I can not.

So the bottom line is I am getting something smaller, lighter, less powerful, and with 10" wheels. We'll miss Chip's comfort and speed when heading to dinner (or wherever else the Metro isn't fast enough to go) two-up, but everything is a trade-off.

My loss can be your gain; Chip is for sale. Details:
All service has been performed to schedule, and the bike is in excellent mechanical and cosmetic condition. In addition to all the stock specs, the bike also has:
  • A 12-volt DC power outlet ("cigar-lighter" type) with weather cover. I added this to power my GPS or cell phone, as needed. Works great, and looks "factory-installed."
  • Additional turn signal/running light combinations in the built-in locations. For those unfamiliar, Kymco does not equip these light locations with sockets or bulbs for scooters sold in the US -- they have turn signals mounted on stalks below the handle bars instead. Chip now has both -- many people like to remove the stalk ones for a cleaner look.
  • I'll throw in the complete service manual and wiring diagrams on CD
The Givi tail trunk I mounted to the bike that you may see in photos on this blog is negotiable. I can use it on the new bike.
Delivery: OK, I admit, the trick is to get rid of this before I pick up the other scooter in a couple of weeks. That bike is in Maryland, and we will shortly be in Tennessee. I can probably deliver this anywhere in Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, or northern Virginia without too much trouble -- delivery would be negotiated as a matter of what it will cost us, fuel-wise, to divert. Any place else, we would have to talk about arranging a pick up, or delivery by independent company at your expense.

Photos: Coming soon. There are several scattered throughout the blog, but I will take a couple of dedicated shots to post here. I'll add them to this post, but will also post something fresh when I do. In the meantime, here's one with me aboard:



So there you have it. If you want a great deal on a great scooter, drop me a note and make an offer. The MSRP on these is $3,200 (about what I paid, exclusive of prep, etc.), and retail blue book is $2,345.

9 comments:

  1. Your not going to tell us what the new scooter is?

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  2. Well, this post was really about selling the Kymco, to make room for it. Also, I don't want to jinx the whole deal on the "new" scooter by announcing the details here, only to possibly have it fall through later. It's a private sale of a used bike, and I sent a deposit. When I've finally got it in hand, I'll make a proper introduction here, complete with photos.

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  3. After posting I thought I might have came across as rude. Hope that is how you took it.

    I am a scooter enthusiast and look forward in seeing what you bought.

    I bought a 2008 Buddy Italia early this year and have greatly enjoyed the 95 mpg it gets.

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  4. I'm having a bad day.

    It should've said....

    Hope that isn't how you took it.

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  5. No offense taken (and sorry for the delay -- just catching up on comments now).

    I should have the new scoot in hand tomorrow or so, and will post something here shortly.

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  6. Apologies if this is covered in the blog and I just couldn't find it, is Chip still looking for a new home?

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  7. @Anonymous:

    No, it was not really covered in the blog, so this is a great question. Actually, I was kind of wondering if anyone would notice.

    What happened is that the deal for the Rattler that I was looking at fell through. When that happened, we were in the middle of a whole bunch of other things, and I decided it was just to chaotic to try to find another scooter, not to mention it was really the wrong time of the year (at least, in that part of the country -- here in Florida is a different story).

    So the answer is that I am still riding around on Chip, and I'm actually kind of fond of him. However I will entertain serious offers, because I am still hoping to get something different "one of these days." Which is the reason I've left this post up.

    That said, I will probably not get serious about the whole thing until at least March, because our lives are scheduled out that far at the moment.

    Long-winded answer to a simple question, I know.

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  8. So I realize that this post is 6 months old, but I found it while looking for a used People 150 and am curious if you're still looking to sell it?

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  9. @Anonymous: I do still have the People 150, and, as I wrote back in December, I will entertain serious offers on it.

    I've now decided against the Rattler, for a variety of reasons, but I am considering a Vino 125, which is what Louise is riding, just to simplify the maintenance issues, even though it is a good deal slower than the People 150.

    If you are seriously interested in the People, drop me an email. My address can be found by clicking on "Who We Are" in the side bar, above right.

    -Sean

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