Just got a People S 250!

[jas67]

Hello, my name is Jay, and I'm a Scooterist
(hello, Jay).

I just wanted to thank David, and everyone else who contributes to
justgottascoot.com, as it was a valuable resource in my scooter
selection process.

I live on a 50 mph rural road. After test-riding a few 125-150cc
scooters, I decided that I need better acceleration to get up to the
50-60 MPH that is the norm on my road, and others I frequent, and the
ability to cruise at 55 to 60 MPH without having to be at the
scooter's top speed. So, I started looking at various 250cc
scooters. Initially, I was looking at Aprilia (Sportcity or
Scarabeo), Piaggio BV, and Honda (Reflex). I didn't want anything
as large as the Burgmans. I saw a couple of SYMs and Kymcos for
sale, but in my mind, they went the same category as the mainland
Chinese scooters, so I initially didn't consider them, until reading
reviews of both makes on justgottascoot. In fact, my research showed
me that Aprilia/Piaggio can be harder to get parts from. Also, it
turns out that there is a Kymco dealer a bit closer to me than the
nearest Aprilia/Piaggio dealer.

As luck would have it, I came across a 2007 Kymco People S 250 with
3400 miles on it for only $1600. One 15 minute test ride had me
sold, and it followed in home (in my trailer, behind my car).

I also have a motorcycle (Moto Guzzi V7 Classic, 750cc), and yet, I
still find this very fun to ride, and a much better machine for quick
trips for a few bags of groceries or other items that I don't need the
car for.

With its large, 16" wheels, it rides a lot more like a motorcycle at
speed than smaller-wheeled scooters, yet, is still very maneuverable
at slower speeds in town. It has a very good balance of handling and
ride quality. While the traditional small-wheeled scooters have their
place, with the mix of rural and suburban roads + some highway, that I
ride, this is ideal for my needs. I was initially thinking that I
would want/need a 500cc scooter, such as the Scarabeo 500, or BV500,
but after riding the S 250, which is a bit lighter than the 500's,
discovered it has plenty of power. If I really have to satisfy my
need for "fast", I take the V7 instead (which isn't really isn't all
that quick by motorcycle standards, but is plenty for me).

[Evil Scooter Kitty]

Mmmmmmm, Guzzi V7 - that's one of the few new bikes on my short list.

I'm sure you'll continue to enjoy your People 'S' 250.

[jas67]

is definitely a nice bike. It is my first motorcycle. I didn't
want a sport bike or a cruiser. I'm 43, so when I think
motorcycle, I think UJM (Universal Japanese Motorcycle) or
Standard. I like the neutral seating position of a "standard" The
V7 is the Italian take on the UJM. At first I was looking for a
Kawasaki W650, Kawasaki's take on BSA's and Triumph Bonneville. I
wanted fuel injection, which meant if I got a Bonnie, it had to be
2010 or newer. The W650 is fuel injected, but were only imported
two years, 2000-2001. A good friend of mine turned me on to Moto
Guzzi. I started looking at the Breva 750, since they were made
2004-2009, and would be available for less money than the V7. The
Breva looks like a typical naked sport bike, but has a more neutral
seating position than the Japanese sport bikes or Ducatis. Then I
found this V7 Classic with only 1700 miles. It had a reserve of
$6750 on ebay, but the seller came down $500 to sell off ebay. He
paid $8600 for it last April. It is basically a new bike.
Classic looks, with the convenience and a modern computer-managed
engine. It has more power than most "beginner" bikes, but yet, not
too much for a conservative (read: older) beginner such as myself.

Despite getting a motorcycle, I still wanted to get a scooter to take
on camping trips (on a front-mounted carrier on my truck, as we pull a
large travel trailer, but yet wanted to keep the cap on the bed for
our bicycles and other gear), and as a fuel-efficient fun alternative
for small grocery runs, and other errands. Plus, my wife may actually
take the MSF course to ride the scooter, but doesn't want to ride a
motorcycle. Now that I have it, I really enjoy riding it.

Interestingly, reading scooter reviews has become a "guilty pleasure",
even after purchasing the S250 (don't tell my motorcycle buddies).
One thing that I have noticed on your site, is the preference for
Taiwanese scooters (not that that is a bad thing), and that the
majority of your reviews are Kymco, Genuine, and SYM. I see that
Aprilia, Piaggio, and Vespa are also sold in your area. Have you had
trouble getting those for reviews? We have a local dealer here who
sells Aprilia, Piaggio and Genuine, and others that sell Kymco, Vespa,
Honda, and Yamaha, so all the brands (excluding the Chinese, which I
have no interest in) are represented here. Do you accept third-
party reviews? Maybe I could use it as an excuse to sample some
other scooters. I'll have to get an arm band mount for my iPhone
(to use as a GPS) since mounting a bar-mount can be a challenge on
some scooters (my S250 included).

[jas67]

OK, so it turns out that with scooter speedos, your speed may
vary..... alot. The speedo PS250 that David reviewed was only
about 6% optimistic. Well, today, I had a chance to check mine
against one of those radar speed signs. My 2009 Moto Guzzi V7
Classic's speedo agreed with the sign. My PS250? 13% high.
60 MPH indicated was only 53 MPH on the sign. No wonder traffic was
still blowing past me when I was doing an indicated 60 MPH on a 50 MPH
four lane road where most traffic does 60.

So, no matter what you ride or drive, it is probably worth checking
the accuracy of the speedo.