I rode through to Jo’Burg from Pretoria during peak traffic to pick up the Kymco for review. After acquainting myself with the handsome Taiwanese Scoot, I headed back out into the traffic. It was immediately apparent that scooters are, without a shadow of a doubt, the answer to conquering the urban mobility challenge that we are all facing. The low centre of gravity, slim proportions, punchy performance and agile handling make it a cinch to slice and dice the heaviest traffic snarl-up. It made my BM feel ponderous by comparison. So what makes the XCITING S 400i special?
The heart of the beastie is a wonderfully smooth SOHC 399cc 4-Valve single, which churns out a seamless 35,54 hp @7,500 rpm and 37,7 Nm of torque @6250 rpm. The bike weighs 195 kg, which is quite light for a Maxi Scooter. Consider that a Suzuki Burgman 650 weighs a full 77 Kg more! This negates the extra power to a large degree. The CVT gearbox is snatch-free and accelerates from a stop with a simple twist and go verve. The scooter lifts slightly under hard acceleration, reminiscent of the older BMW twins which jacked up on the shaft under power. It is a pleasant sensation as the bike drops traffic for dead and gets up to highway speeds with surprising ease. Cruising at 120/130 km/h is absolutely effortless, with the engine operating around its torque peak, yet still more than 2000 rpm from the redline. It will run the claimed top speed of around 155 km/h easily.
The styling is really handsome, with clean sporty lines. The windshield is adjustable, allowing the rider to set it to suit. The bike hums down the highway with the rider cocooned in a bubble of still air. Weather protection will benefit from this adjustability too. The seat is spacious and comfy for the extended touring that this scooter is capable of. The suspension is on the firm side, accentuating the sporty nature of the XCITING S 400i. Handling is flawless, limited only by the slight lack of feel from the 120/70×15 front tyre and the 140/70×14 rear. They did not let me down in any way, it is just that I started to feel too brave given the excellent handling and chickened out before things got messy.
The brakes blew me away. The twin 280 mm front discs have radially mounted callipers. The rear disc is 240 mm. Braking is progressive with an excellent feel and is really powerful and would not disappoint on an out-and-out sports bike. ABS is standard. The Kymco has a taught, quality feel, which is both rewarding and confidence-inspiring. In typical scooter fashion, there is decent storage space under the seat. It comfortably accommodates a full-face helmet, however, access to the storage is slightly limited by the shape of the aperture.
There are three ‘Cubbies’ in the front bodywork, one of which has a 12v charging port. A luggage hook allows for a shopping bag between your legs. The fuel cap of the 12,5l tank can be accessed without raising the seat. Fuel economy of around 27 km/L will see a usable range of over 300 k’s.
Lights are bright LEDs and include daytime running lights. You have no excuse for speeding given that you have no less than three gauges measuring your speed. A conventional analogue speedo is on the left as well as an analogue and digital speedo in the centre. To the right of the dash is your fuel gauge, clock and trip info on an LCD display. All are very neat and tidy. The whole bike has a well-made and quality feel. It is equipped with both main and side stands. I did not attempt it, but apparently, you can pair your phone via Bluetooth to the LCD display for navigation, to make and receive calls and receive notifications.
All in all, the Kymco XCITING S 400i is an excellent scooter which offers exceptional value at around R85k. In fact, given its spread of talents, build quality, good looks and superb real-world performance it may just be the ‘Sports Touring’ and commuting scooter buy out there at the moment. I would highly recommend that you seriously consider it if you are tired of traffic jams and spending hours in traffic. For heaven’s sake, get a life, get a Kymco XCITING S 400i and replace your traffic frown with a smile!
Kymco XCITING S 400i
For more information on the bike featured in this article, click on the link below…
