A sure-fire way of knowing that the dreaded and deadly Covid Pandemic is largely a thing of the past is by venturing out into the city. Traffic volumes are absolutely hectic, exacerbated as it often is, by regular ‘load-shedding’. Negotiating the urban sprawl is a totally unpleasant and frustrating experience. But does it have to be? I may just have experienced the solution. Enter SYM’s Freedom of the City machine, the SYM Jet14. Part of its allure is right there in the name—Jet14. It has 14” wheels which, for me, are a game changer.
So here is the thing. You don’t have to sit in your car, idling away fuel at around R26 a litre, getting anxious as your meeting deadline approaches. The Jet offers an affordable, practical and hugely economical answer to your commuting woes. In terms of form and function, scooters are the bee’s knees!
The Jet14 is super stylish from any and every angle. Sleek and lithe with LED lights that are both practical and functional. See and be seen. It is high on practicality too. Under-seat storage gives you space to stow your helmet and rain suit, or the bread and milk your partner asks you to pick up on the way home. Your house keys and phone are locked in the oddments cubby in front of you, and the Woolies packet with your supper is hanging from the bespoke hook between your legs.
The seat is comfy and roomy enough to easily drop Junior at school on your way to work. No problem power-wise either. The 8,8 kW @ 8,000 rpm and 12,2 Nm of torque from the 169 cc 4-stroke single will punt you off the line ahead of the traffic and keep you there.
The slim body allows for effortless threading through traffic aided by the feathery 134 kg weight which is all super low in the chassis. This is the thing. Anybody can ride the Jet14. It really is that easy. Point and squirt and the Jet does the rest. No issues with stopping either. The disc brakes for and aft are excellent, bringing you to a halt without sweat or bother. Damn, this beastie is a blast around town!
Well-laid-out gauges keep you informed of all the vital statistics that matter. Fuel level in the 7,5-litre tank, revs and speed, as well as how far you’ve travelled. I’ll tell you what. You’ll start thinking of which cool coffee shop on the other side of the city you can pull into. Just because it’s suddenly so easy.
Conventional non-adjustable front shocks are well dialled in and, together with the 14” wheels, make scooting around town totally effortless. Twin rear shocks with adjustable preload do the same at the back and allow you to adjust for Junior’s weight if needs be. When you have emptied a tank and are refuelling after around 200 k’s just think for a moment what a doddle it has been.
When you research on the Net you soon discover what an enviable record SYM has earned for value for money, practical and reliable products. In SA we have the reassurance of the backing of a decent dealer network, who are in turn backed by KMSA. People read the odd blogs on Facebook about guys who do hectic trips on their SYMs. The one fellow, seeing as how the subject is the Jet14, rode his from Cape Town to Durban and back. Absolutely no issues. As the journey progressed, his enjoyment of and respect for his plucky SYM grew and grew. Now that is a proper adventure!
The question should not be “should I get a Jet14 and save myself a load of money and time?”, but rather “what is stopping me?”. OK, let’s address the Elephant in the room… Is it dangerous? Absolutely not!! There is no ego involved in commuting, so riders do not do stupid ego-driven things that land them in trouble.
The Jet14 allows you to keep up with, or stay ahead of the traffic. You then literally only concern yourself with the traffic in your immediate vicinity. The mirrors keep you informed of what is behind you. I have already told you how good the brakes are. Decent situational awareness, which should be encouraged with all road users from pedestrians up, is all that is called for. The SYM does the rest with its bright body, decent lights and dynamic ability. This my friends is the answer to your urban mobility dilemma. At under R33,000, the solution could not be more simple.
SYM JET 14 200
For more information on the bike featured in this article, click on the link below…
