Motorcycle reviews

This is a great scooter with lots of power. I've actually been at 89 mph! Even at that speed the bike was steady & didn't hesitate. The only problem I have is the legroom for the driver. I can't stretch my legs out in front so it is a little cramped. Other than that, I love this scooter. I've owned this bike for 2 1/2 weeks & I don't drive my cars anymore. Great gas mileage, at $2.29/gallon I can fill up for $4.50 and ride 112 miles on one tank. Can't beat that! Show less

On the 29th of June, approximately 5pm, central standard time, I recieved my very first motorcycle. A brand new, shiny and very chromed out, 2005 Kymco Venox 250! This time, it was no test ride, it was ride for keeps! I am so extactic over the purchase that I'm almost bouncing off the walls. I can't wait until morning so I can jet so school on this baby. I swear, it looks so much bigger than it actually is. What is interesting is that is has about 1/2 the hp that a Harley Sportster 883 has, and this is a 250cc V-Twin! Very impressive in my book! I must recant my statement about the vibrations though. There is some, but it is so light, the only way you can notice it is if you are wearing sneakers while riding the bike. On the handlebars, there isn't as much either. You have to be putting a death grip on it to feel it intensly. The thing I just love about this bike is its extremely easy to ride. Now, I know I've only ridden 3 bikes, including this one, so my knowledge of bike habits is extremely limited. But for my needs and requirements, this baby is perfect. I'm keeping my Venox for years to come. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!! Show less

This is only like the 3rd motorcycle I have ever ridden, but even though it wasn't the biggest, it had the one thing I needed in my first bike. Confidence Inspiring Performance! The first bike I rode was my bro-in-laws 1984 Honda Shadow 650. Not really something good for a newbie, but it got me really going into motorcycles. The second bike I rode was a Suzuki DR200(or something like that) for my motorcycle training course. This Kymco I rode is so much better than these past 2 that is it unbelievable. I had never had so much confidence in my abilities on the open road, over hills, travelling on highways and in through traffic. And this is only through a 6 km run that lasted about 15 minutes! Very pleased with it and recommend it to all of you first time riders out there. Show less

Very smooth and comfortable ride. Very well balanced bike. Wide open have hit 80 mph on the speedo and can actually pass people on the highway. Riders of Japanese crotch rockets often mistake it for a motorcycle and give me a wave. These rides are like I'm in heaven! Show less

Bought this scoot new, leftover stock from '04. Quite fast for a 150 - I have had it up to 69mph (downhill of course). maintains 55 - 60 quite easily, even on slight grades. FANTASTIC warranty -best in the business. Very easy to service. Handles well - a real joy to ride. Build quality seems good. Even has a digital clock in the dash! The downsides of this bike are minor (except for the riding position). I have ridden it to work many times ; a 45 mile trip one way and it has been great. I get a consistent 70mpg. Show less

Purchased this from a dealer in Holland, Michigan. This scooter is awesome and very fun to ride. Top speed is around 32 to 33 mph. That is restricted for break in. Only need to go 160 km more and my dealer said they will de-restrict this bad boy, then they said top speed will be 45 to 50 mph. I can't wait. Me and my wife love these scooters, we are getting her one too. Really, these scooters are great! Show less

I have had my 2003 Bet & Win for about 3 months now and couldn't be happier. As with all things everyone has their own opinions. I have not had any problems at all with the bike. I have only had experience with a 50cc moped, so this definitely has been an upgrade for me. I use it as a daily rider since I am only a mile or so from work. I take it out in the area every now and then and it has performed well. One issue is with crosswinds since the bike is lightweight it can be a little scary when you are not expecting it. I don't ride on the highway even though it is capable, this bike seems to perform better at less than 60-70 mph. I highly recommend it for new riders and anyone wanting to get into scooters. Show less

Had scoot since June 2004, only able to ride nights and weekends, and do all the time. Have been on rides for up too four hours. MPG average is about 66. Smooth, comfortable. Show less

I decided to buy a scooter when I realized that I could pay for it with the money I'd save just commuting and running errands with it. Being unfamiliar with the various scooter brands, I decided I would look at low-end Hondas and bought a Ruckus. Within a month, I realized that I wanted more oomph for getting up hills and a higher top speed so I could ride on a wider variety of roads. Then I saw a Vespa on I-95, which caused me to really ponder the possibilities. I sold the Ruckus and researched various scooter brands and models, eventually deciding on the Kymco People line. I had trouble making up my mind, though, between the 50, 150, and 250. 50, 150, OR 250? I read that, with modifications, the 50 would hit 50 MPH, which probably means 47 or 48 MPH on a level grade and 50 MPH down hill. That would work unless I'd want to use it on highways, but I also wanted to steer clear of 2-strokes. I read that the 150 would hit 72 MPH going down hill, which sounded awfully fast and unsafe to me. Kymco's U.S. distributor told me that the 150's top speed is between 60 and 70 MPH and that the 250's top speed is between 70 and 80 MPH. The appeal for me of the 250 was the meatier tires, the dual disc brakes, and the slightly larger fuel tank. The only downside to the 150 and 250 were that I would have to get a motorcycle license. I ruled out the 50 and began the motorcycle license process, which turned out to be simple. For the ~10 MPG better gas mileage and ~$1,000 cheaper price tag, I chose the People 150. THE SCOOTER: It's a bit heavier than the Ruckus, which took a little getting used to but isn't a problem. It feels very sure-footed. Initial acceleration is very good and gives me the jump on almost any car when I want it. Around town it has enough oomph to let me pass with authority. One thing I don't like about the People is the set-up for filling the gas tank. The hole on the Ruckus was metal and solid, but on the People it's plastic. Filling the tank there's no way to see how close the gas level is to the top without removing the nozzle and you can't just fill until the pump shuts off because it shuts off immediately if you squeeze the pump handle too far. Several times I have spilled fuel outside the hole onto the shelf under the rear portion of the seat. This wouldn't be so bad except that from there it can spill into the under-seat storage compartment pretty easily. I would recommend keeping a rag under the seat for when you get a drippy fuel nozzle. The turn signal indicator lights are too dim to easily be seen during daylight but click loudly enough to be heard through helmet and wind noise. The indicators that tell you whether you're using low beam or high beam are plenty bright. The odometer counts kilometers, not miles. THE RIDE: The ride is much nicer than the Ruckus, which surprised me. The Ruckus has really meaty tires, so the People 150's tires looked skimpy to me. I expected that every bump taken at speed would be punishing, but not so. The ride also feels much more stable due to the taller 16wheels. SEAT HEIGHT: The seat is comfortable and at a good height for me. If I put one foot down when I come to a stop, I stand flat-footed, but if I put both feet down I'm usually putting the pressure on the balls of my feet with my knees bent a bit. This is different than the lower seat of the Ruckus, but not at all awkward or uncomfortable. THE KICK START: The kick start worked really well on the Ruckus, but the kick start on my People was initially a pain in the tookas. Several times I've just given up and used the electric starter. I'm getting better at it, although it's still ornery at times, like when it hasn't been used for a few days. I've since discovered that it helps to give it a little throttle when kick starting it. STORAGE: The People's under-seat storage compartment is generous, but not enough to hold a helmet. I use it to carry a thick cable, a Kryptonite lock, a gas rag, and the included tool kit, which leaves plenty of room for other things. The front glove compartment is really two small compartments once the door is opened. I only keep a pair of sunglasses on one side and riding gloves on the other, but there's room for a little more. PERFORMANCE: The first place I rode it was to my office about 5 miles away. What amazed me was how fast I was going without feeling like I was going that fast (~55 MPH indicated in a 35 MPH zone). The People's 16wheels make for much more competent and confidence-inspiring cornering than my old scooter. The braking is adequate. For a scooter that can hit 65 MPH, it really needs rear disc brakes to go with the front ones. Squeezing the rear brake alone doesn't do much at all. The scooter's front brake works well, though. My first real test ride was a 75-mile trip from my home to Front Royal, Virginia and back. I was taking a rifle to a friend for repair in a guitar-backpack case that stuck up a bit over my helmet causing no little bit of additional windage at highway speeds. The speed limit on Rt. 66 goes from 55 to 65. I didn't pass anybody, but the scooter maintained speeds between 62 and 72 MPH indicated, depending on whether I was ascending or descending the gently rolling hills. I made quite a site and got a good number of double-takes from motorcyclists traveling in the other direction. The side gust from a passing tractor trailer isn't so bad, but the wind really buffeted me when I was behind one. When I got off of Rt. 66, I was on well paved twisty mountain roads. Again I was surprised to see how confidently and fast I was taking them, which I attribute to the taller wheels. The last 1/4 mile or so of my trip was dirt/gravel road and the People didn't like that too much. For that stretch I had to slow to 15-20 MPH and I wished I'd had the Ruckus. Traveling on a 65 MPH highway without the added windage from my guitar case I get between 64 and 72 MPH indicated with the throttle held wide open. While I have found that I would prefer the extra power and weight of the 250 when riding on the highway, I don't feel too insecure on the 150. The highest speed I've reached is 74 MPH indicated. STATS: At the time of this review, the scooter has 1,104 kilometers (686 miles) on it. I have observed a consistent gas mileage of 113 KPG or 70 MPG. The speedometer indicates a speed higher than actual. I measured it between indicated 35 and 65 MPH and it maintained a constant discrepancy of 6 MPH lower than what the speedometer indicated. The fuel gauge needle drops like a stone on the highway once below the 1/2-tank mark, so watch it closely. The engine is a 152cc air-cooled 4-stroke that produces 8.1 horsepower at 6100 RPM. The scooter weighs 111 kg or 245 lbs. An engine temperature gauge or indicator light would be nice. FINAL WORD: When it's time to upgrade, I'll never go back to wheels smaller than 16. So far I have had no problems whatsoever and the quality seems good. I'm delighted with the value-to-dollar ratio I got with this scooter. If I had it to do over again, I would get the People 250, but only because of the slightly insufficient top speed on 65 MPH highways. Since I am new to motorized two-wheeled vehicles, the 250 can wait and the 150 is certainly sufficient while I hone my skills. Show less

I just bought a new 2003 (left over). My biggest concerns where having room for 2 comfortably (Me 5'10" 280 lbs, my wife 5'6" 105 lbs.)and enough power. With both of us on it we have room to spare and this scooter will blast away from stop lights and accelerate quickly to 45 mph and then keep climbing but at a slower pace. I haven't had it topped out yet but it will do an easy 55 mph and get there quickly. I was going to go with the 150 but now I'm glad I bought the 250. The ride is a little stiff and I was suprised as the springs are not adjusted to there stiffest setting. If you planned on going very far at 55 + mph I would recommend a windshield, I think we will also get the storage compartment that mounts on the back. I just can't say enough about this scooter. Show less