Long-term update: Kymco Downtown 300i

In the last few years Kymco has introduced a large range of scooters and motorcycles into Australia, including the Downtown 300i, the Bikesales Network’s current long-termer.

The award-winning Downtown maxi scooter impresses with key features such as ABS, a CVT transmission, plenty of under-seat storage, and even a waterproof console space with 12V charger for your mobile phone.

With a four-stroke, four-valve, liquid-cooled 300cc engine, the Downtown has no trouble taking off from the lights, and the CVT doesn't ‘drag’ as much as some scooters. You really get a sense of sharp acceleration and being on the front foot, with no real 'slip' to be had.

On the daily commute – both in the tight stuff and at highway speeds in major city thoroughfares -- the Downtown 300i scooter is at complete ease, and there aren't many cars you can't pull ahead of during traffic light duels. Meld this with a low centre of gravity and good manoeuvrability and you're left with a scooter that allows for smooth weaving through traffic with confidence to overtake or move ahead of the traffic.

And during a two-hour blast through some particularly twisty mountain passes the Kymco performed surprisingly well, with the tyres delivering good levels of grip.

The most outstanding feature of the engine is the torque curve. Climbing steadily from 2500rpm, the Downtown 300i’s torque levels are maintained at an impressive level.

On the open road the 300i offers smooth cruising with minimal effort. It accelerates up to 60km/h incredibly quick for a CVT setup, and then up to 80 in not much more time. There is a slight dip in the power curve as you push towards 100km/h, however. Mind you, once 100km/h is achieved, the Kymco maxi will sit on about 5750rpm with plenty more torque to allow overtaking, maxxing out at just under 150km/h.

Cornering is surprisingly easy, whether you’re on tight city corners or long sweeping bends in the country. The quick response of the throttle and well sorted fuel injection allows maximum control and confidence in straightening up, and the big brakes – with the front and back used in concert -- can pull you up on a dime.

Push the Downtown really hard through turns and there’s a feeling of slight unease and a hint of a wobble, but that’s a universal feature of scooters where the rider is more perched on top of the scooter rather than in it.

The seat is generously sized with soft cushioning and wrap-around lower back support, which rises for the pillion. The shape of the saddle encourages relaxation; it seats the rider firm up against the lumbar support.

The soft suspension means you can ride a good distance and your hands won't be maimed with jolting and vibrations from the road. The near vertical windshield minimises wind noise, although there is a little bit of turbulence.

A spacious foot well gives the rider a choice of three foothold positions, and the floor pan wraps around the side for the pillion footholds.

The long seat pivots from the front of the bike to open up into a storage area that can fit two full-faced helmets -- however they need to be placed 'just so' in order to fit. The solenoid mechanism for accessing this space is controlled by the ignition key (this required some frustrated "getting used to" and seems to be a little counter intuitive). Also we couldn't fit a full-sized laptop computer (inside a satchel) under the seat, although a net book would fit easily.

The seat takes a very firm shove to shut it, and if it doesn’t close properly, a small LED light remains switched on within the storage area, which drains the battery. However, there is a light on the dash that warns of the seat issue, so there really is no excuse for battery drainage to become an acute problem.

But if it did happen,  accessing the battery involves lots of fiddling around. A socket set is required to undo eight bolts to remove the ‘bucket’ under  the seat before the jumper leads can be fitted.

The 12V cigarette-lighter style socket is perfect for mobile phone charging, and came in handy on a number of occasions.
There is also a large flip-out catchment hook below the instrument cluster on the front dash to hang helmets/coats/shopping/take-away food in between your legs with little discomfort. Smaller touches like this put the icing on the cake.

The instrument panel is easy to read without taking your eyes from the road, displaying a combo of LCD and analogue readouts. On the digital panel there is fuel, temperature and trip information, but the dash buttons for cycling time and trip information are not great -- being recessed they're almost impossible to operate with gloves on. An analogue tachometer and speedometer are also present.  

The headlights are exceptional, so that early morning and night driving is never a sketchy affair. Talking of safety, the ABS is also very good in the wet, although  the rear ABS has a somewhat wooden feel, pulsing rather slowly. This is probably because of the extra weight hanging over the rear, but it should be said that the brakes combined are excellent, which keeps ABS at ‘bay’ in all but the most extreme situations.

Fuel usage seems very miserly at this stage, and we’re currently pushing out 250-280km between stops. We’ll touch base again very soon for what is proving to be a commuter of the highest order.

TRANSMISSION
Type: CVT auto
Chassis and running gear

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame type: Welded-steel, dual cradle
Front suspension: Telescopic fork, non-adjustable
Rear suspension: Twin shocks, adjustable for preload
Front Brake: 260mm disc with single-piston caliper, ABS
Rear brake: 240mm disc with single-piston caliper, ABS
Tyres: Front 120/80-14, rear 150/70-13

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed dry weight: 166kg
Seat height: 775mm
Fuel capacity: 12.5 litres

PERFORMANCE
Max power: 29hp (21.3kW) at 8500rpm
Max torque: 26.5Nm at 6500rpm

OTHER STUFF
Price: $7490 with ABS ($6990 without ABS)
Bike supplied by: Kymco Australia
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres