Accentuate the positive

There is an old saying about you never get second  chance to make a first impression.  In some ways the Kymco has impressed me.  For example I like the sporty look of the scooter, it feels more like a sport bike in some ways.  Whereas my old Burgman felt like a Cruiser, or to quote some wit:  "A barcalounger on wheels

I like the clicking noise the turn signals make because I'm horrible at remembering to turn them off.  The little cricket buzzing in my ear is a nice reminder to do so.   I also like the corning in the Kymco, it seems to take a curve at a better angle then the Burgie ever did.  Of course, I might have just gotten better at cornering.

Two things really surprised me, one was the windshield.  While certainly on the replacement list, it seems to direct the air up and over me much better than the stock Burgie shield ever did and there is a definite reduction in buffeting because of it.  At higher speeds the Burgie's stock windshield seemed to "quake" a little.  No such issue with the Xciting's windscreen.

One of the other things that surprised me is how well it handles cross winds.  Maybe I've gotten better at driving in them, but the Xciting seems to cut through a cross wind easily.  I remember having to feel like I was practically leaning on one side of the Burgie to keep it upright one day during some punishing Easterly winds.  While I've not had the experience of taking the Xciting out during a day like that, I've been impressed with it's ability to handle the winds so far.

The fuel tank is the Silver Circle on the right.

The convenience of the fuel tank is nice as well.  I an pop the lid open, fill up the tank, replace the nozzle and put my wallet away all without having to dismount the bike.  The only issue I have with it is the very small tank, it only takes a little over 2 gallons to fill it completely.  Frankly I've not down the MPG calculations yet but a rough guess puts my MPG around 65?  Certainly not a shabby number.

Finally the seat is very comfortable, surprisingly so.  No matter what I did, including adding a beaded seat, to the Burgie I suffered from the dreaded "Monkey Butt."  Some days were better than others of course, but the seat on the Kymco is firmer I guess?  So far all I have done is commute on the bike, so this impression might change but for now I've no complaints.

I can't help but wonder if the performance I've experienced out of this bike is because I'm used to the much larger Burgman, where the Xciting seems "heavier" is some respects it's also a much more compact scooter.  The storage is horrid, I have room for a full face helmet and gloves under the seat and not much else.  Where in the Burgman I was unable to place my full face helmet, my jacket, gloves and a sweater under the seat when I was work.

Another positive is there is a hook to attach a grocery bag to in the pass through.  A thermos on a carabiner might work as well on those hot days.

Unless something changes drastically in the next year or two I think I'll be on the Kymco for at least three years.  Lots of time to let it grow on me I suppose.  Plenty of time to...oh go ahead and sing it you two:

You can't always get what you want...

But like the man said...sometimes you get what you need.

I simply wasn't planning on buying a used 2009 Kymco Xciting 500.  I originally had my eye on a slightly used 2012 Burgie with a Givi Windshield and top box on it. Somehow the dealer let me walk out the door because he was an pimple in the lower and back side of the human body (OK maybe not but I didn't care for him). His loss.  

In fact, the link to the dealership that I was dealing with used to be on my website.  I had bought my original Burgman there as well, however after my incident with a bolt and a few other minor things my satisfaction with them was low.  Plus I thought they were trying to take advantage of me.  They are designed for a high turnover of bikes, and I am not the unknowing boob that I was over a year ago when I bought my first Burgman.  Don't treat me like I was.  I also spent most of my adult life in sales, you work with the customer to make a deal, you don't let your ego get in the way (considering we were only $500 away in price). I thought I had a legit and fair offer.  They would not work with me.  Oh well, their loss.  This is the end of my ranting and raving. 

Up the street from him was a Honda/Suzuki dealership.  I was looking at a 2008 Kymco Xciting 500 as well as a Piaggio MP3 500.  Frankly they were not my first, second or third choices and I really wasn't impressed with the Kymco at all.  There were several "traditional" bikes I was looking at too, but in the end I decided to stay on a scooter.  A Honda Silver Wing was also in the running but was sold late on Friday (after I was told it was still available).

I was not even looking at the possibility of buying a 2013 Burgman, I could not really afford it...but I let myself get talked into with some gentle arm twisting.  They were willing to work with me. In fact, I was told I had it with the exception of crossing the "T's" and dotting the "I's."   As the pictures show, I am not riding a new Burgman.  That deal fell through, much to my regret.  

Pic by West Coast Powersports

What I ended up with was a 09 Kymco.  Yep, the bike that really didn't excite me in the first place.  She's got slightly over 4,000 KM (or about 2400 miles) on her, is dark metallic silver and had a displacement of 498 cc.  So she's slightly more powerful than my previous 07 Burgman 400.  I was able to pay cash for her and walk away with a new helmet out of deal, that's about it.  It's not what I wanted and frankly I am not sure how long I'll keep her, but at this stage in my life...sometimes you get what you need.  Life is to complex for me not to have another ride. 

The mirrors are crappy and to short for me.

It's a little strange driving a new bike.  This one is a little heavier and a little more powerful than the bikes I've ridden before,  I need to go off into a parking lot somewhere and do some emergency stops and such...just to get used to the handling.  In about two weeks (Feb 16) I plan on taking a 100 plus mile ride up to Crystal Springs with the Suncoast Scooter group.  Another first for me.

Can you think of a better way to break in a new (well, new to me) bike?  To get used to her?  I just hope of capable of doing 100 to 200 miles in one day.  In any case it should be an exciting adventure and should serve as a good shake down for the bike. 

First impression:

1)  I rode it home from the dealership at night and on the freeway.  All told about 60 miles.  One of the reasons I decided to buy the scooter in the end was the "Malossi" stickers on the side.   Malossi makes parts for racing bikes, and it seemed strange to me that the previous owner would put Malossi stickers on the bike without actually putting in Malossi parts.  That meant the previous owner probably knew what they were doing and took good care of the bike.  I hope so anyway.  When I opened her up on the highway, the tachometer stayed low.  A good sign that I might be right. 

2)  I already need to replace the crappy stock mirrors.   Way to short.  

3)  The low beam light is fine, but the high beam bleeds to much off into the sides of the road.  I already have a solution (maybe) based on something I read in the Burgman Forums.  LED's might solve that issue.

Thanks to Daboo from the Burgman forums for the idea.

4)  The Kymco has no storage.  A top box is not a luxury.  It's a necessary. 

5)  This is weird. The speedometer is in Kilometers.  The miles per hour gauge is small and hard to read.  GPS might be in order here.