Posted: 11 Jul 2013
This is one seriously useful mid-capacity scooter. The Kymco Downtown 300i is a good-looking machine from any angle. It’s also built very well and isn’t too pricey either. So what do you get for less than £4,000 from Taiwan?
Aside from executive styling you also get powerful twin halogen headlights, complete with LED side lights, an attractive and useful front screen, digital instruments with trip computer, clock, fuel gauge, an analogue tacho and speedo, not to mention a sumptuous seat with riders back support and room for two full face helmets beneath it. There’s also a very comfortable pillion seat with grab rail and a lockable glovebox behind the legshields (with charge point inside).
Of course it’s not much use without a decent power plant and it’s worth noting that Kymco also provide the engines for BMW’s 647cc maxi scooters, so reliability shouldn’t be an issue. The engine in this particular scooter is a class leading 299cc, automatic, liquid cooled, fuel injected, four-valve OHC with twin balance shaft to help reduce vibration. The engine produces more power and torque than anything else in the 250/300cc scooter class. The extra power provided by that engine comes in useful when powering away from traffic lights, or for cruising along the motorway.
The Downtown is marketed as a sports tourer and they’ve got that description bang on. It has very good handling characteristics and superb brakes so you can have some fun on it around town and lap up a few twisties on the way home if you fancy taking the long way around. It’ll also cover a few hundred miles in total comfort, either on your own or two up.
The Downtown lives up to its name and can handle stop/start slow speed traffic with perfect manners and balance but it’s just as willing to have some fun when you leave town behind. Some scooters leave a lasting impression and the Kymco Downtown 300i is one of them. It looks good, handles well and is quick enough to be both useful and good fun wherever you choose to take it. It’s one to have a look at if you’re hankering after a maxi style scooter but don’t need one of the larger capacities machines.
Downtown 125i
The Kymco Downtown is also available as a 125cc at £3,299, it shares all the same styling and attributes of its larger stable mate but comes with a nippy liquid cooled 125cc engine, which makes just less than the permissible 15bhp. It’s a great town scooter but feels a bit on the large side when compared to most other 125s, not to worry though because size is important on the road and it helps to gain respect for the rider to stop the bullies picking on you out on the mean streets.
Kymco Downtown 300i specs
+ Points: Build quality, stonking engine
- Points: The 125 is big for its capacity
Price: £3,999 (125cc £3,299)
Power: 29.5bhp (125cc 14.75bhp)
Dry weight: 179kg (125cc 167kg)
Seat height: 775mm
Colours: White (300i), dark metallic silver (125i)
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