KYMCO PEOPLE 250S RED IN STOCK!

Just arrived in time for the best riding of the season. We were out of stock for the entire summer, as the People 250S were sold before they got to our showroom floor! We finally have a fire engine RED available. First come, first to ride her away!!!

For our review on the Kymco People 250S, click HERE!

(click on the pics for higher resolution images)

NEW 2009 SYM HD200 SALE!!!

In Stock! Ready to go! We just received a shipment of the SYM HD200, one of our favorite BIG WHEEL scooters. Large 16" meaty tires mounted to large alloy rims for one of the fastest, smoothest and most comfortable rides of any scooter on the market today! 4 valves per cylinders which are a SYM exclusive one piece head and ceramic coated for ultimate performance. Check out our impressions and review of the SYM HD200, click here.

(click on any pic for high resolution images)

We have Shiny Silver, Fire Engine Red and Midnight Metallic Blue available for delivery. Just in time for the best riding season of the year. Don't wait until gas goes up again, and miss out on your chance to pick up this excellent scooter at a great price!

We're ready to cut a deal and move 'em out! Stop by today!

SYM MIO 50 REVIEW - Packed full of features!

The Sym Mio 50 is the ultimate small, 4-stroke urban scooter packed full of features. With a lineage to Honda, the SYM Mio has similar styling cues as the Honda Metropolitan in both looks and size.

However, the SYM Mio is packed full of extra conveniences not found on the Honda. The Sym Mio is also quite a bit quicker than the Honda Metropolitans we've serviced and ridden.

Honda Metropolitan

The multi-function key and ignition switch of the Sym Mio has a safety feature that slides a cover over the ignition to prevent theft attempts with a screwdriver or other objects.

The key ignition switch also opens the neat gas cap that you'll never drop or fumble with, as it's spring loaded and permanently ATTACHED to the scooter!

As the Honda Metropolitan is designed for one person, the Sym Mio is a sturdier scooter designed for two-up riding, with trick fold-out passenger footpegs.

If you're riding your Sym Mio on errands, like mailing letters and packages in the mailbox on the corner, there's no need to turn off your Mio to remove the key and open the seat! Check out the neat "Seat Open" button on the left handlebar control, that only works when the scooter is on.

The controls feel solid, but a "push to cancel" turn signal would be a welcome addition, and standard on other quality scooters.

The Sym Mio also features an elegant, easy to read and easy to understand speedo and fuel gauge. (Note: the speedo reads in MPH! not in Km/H).

Clearly the Sym Mio is a well thought out scooter loaded with features that every scooterist can appreciate. Of course, what really makes the Sym Mio stand out is the ride!

THE RIDE. Smooth, stable and FAST! Did we say fast? Yes. We usually recommend 2 stroke scooters in the 49cc class (no "M" motorcycle license required in PA) for the quick acceleration and higher top speed when compared to 4-stroke 49cc scooters.

However, the Sym Mio is quite peppy off the line, and gets up to speed in a hurry. Not quite as fast as the Genuine Buddy 50, but certainly quick enough to negotiate Center City driving.

Addressing the weakness (slowness) of the Honda Metropolitan, the Sym Mio is definitely one of the quickest 49cc 4-stroke scooters on the market. The Sym Mio also features a hydraulic front disc brake vs. the Honda Metropolitan's drum brake.

Gas Mileage? We expect the Sym Mio to get around 80mpg+ in city driving (the SYM-USA.com website rates the Mio at 152.9 miles per gallon at 25mph!)

So if you're in the market for a smaller/low seat height, quiet, clean burning, more fuel efficient 4-stroke scooter, and thought your only choice was the Honda Metropolitan, stop by the shop and take a good hard look at the Sym Mio.

With twice the Honda warranty, so many more features, faster speed and front disc brakes, the Sym Mio is a big improvement over a proven design. Bang for your buck, value for your money, the Sym Mio is hard to beat. The guys and gals at the shop have fondly nicknamed the The Sym Mio as the "Honda Metropolitan Deluxe!"
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SYM HD200 REVIEW

Just received our first shipment of the SYM HD200. A large wheeled, liquid cooled, highway capable scooter. Wow! Very impressive ride. The HD200 may be one of the quickest and most comfortable and stable scooters in the 200cc-250cc class!

Easy to read instrument cluster, with MPH in large print in the outer circle of the speedometer, again indicating SYM's commitment to the US market. Wide mirrors for a clear rear view. Improvements include a small windscreen that does just enough to direct airflow evenly over the top of the scooterist's helmet. The external, key lock gas cap is located next to the back of the saddle, no need to open the seat to fill up. Abundant storage under the seat. Fit, finish, paint are excellent, the red paint just pops. Controls also have a solid, quality feel.


The weight of the HD200 falls between Kymco's air cooled People S200, and the liquid cooled People S250, at right under 300lbs. The ride and handling of the HD200 is that of a much lighter scoot.

Acceleration block to block is exceptionally quick, especially for a scooter just prepped and right out of the crate. Roll on from 30mph to 50mph is sports car quick, out accelerating cars on Delaware Ave. Although windy down by the IKEA and the river, the SYM HD200 tracked straight and stable with seemingly no effects from the cross winds.

The saddle is sculpted with little room for movement fore and aft, but nevertheless comfortable enough. There's plenty of room between the knees and handlebars for taller riders. The HD200 should fit average to taller riders well. Ride position is upright, feet slightly forward.

Stopping power is provided by a front disc brake and rear drums. The rear rim has a disc brake mount, and a rear disc brake would be a welcome addition. During the test ride on Oregon Ave, a SUV making a left turn out of a bank, pulled out right in front of me, and the HD200 did stop in time. Always look ahead and anticipate. If you think a cager is going to do something stupid, most likely they will. Be prepared.

Overall, our initial impression of the HD200 is exceptional. Smooth power delivery, one of the most stable and comfortable rides. Excellent suspension that handles road imperfections flawlessly, keeping the wheels firmly on the road. The HD200 is all about the ride!

We expect the quality and reliability to be very good, as SYM was once a Honda partner and our 49cc SYMs have had few issues. All SYMs come with a 2 year part and labor factory warranty, supported by Philadelphia Scooters. Gas mileage is stated as 96 miles per gallon at 25mph, so we estimate real world mileage around 70-80 miles per gallon depending on riding style and conditions.

The SYM HD200 is the perfect "get around town with occasional jaunts on the highway" scooter. Light and nimble enough to ride and park in Center City, perfect to ride out to Manyunk, Germantown and Chestnut Hill. Stop by the shop and check it out. We also have a silver HD200 in stock and expecting a blue soon.
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Just In! - THE NEW KYMCO STING

Just un-crated the new for '09 KYMCO STING 49cc scooter. Formerly known as the "YUP", this Kymco favorite is back just in time for the best riding of the season.

Same engine as the venerable and proven reliable, Kymco People 50, the STING sports a set of more scooter-like 12" wheels with tubeless tires mounted on alloy rims. Kymco 2 year parts & labor warranty.

Fit and finish is excellent as you would expect from Kymco. The STING is a larger 49cc scooter that should fit the average to taller scooterist.

Check back for a full riding review, but in the meantime, here's some STING eye candy.

(click on images for a higher resolution view)

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Homage to mechanics, who labor in obscurity

Deft surgeons of small engines are still in demand.

Bob Martin is a former Inquirer writer and editor

Today, when many will mark the end of summer with a beach bash, or will luxuriate in the advent of five months of football, I choose to focus on the grease monkey.

I use the term deliberately. If it were a description of an ethnic or racial group, it would be rightfully banished from acceptable vocabulary. But in that it refers to a group of workers - mechanics, in polite parlance - who operate on the edge of invisibility, there's no protest to be heard.

These days, I'm not sure if Labor Day should prompt celebration or mourning.

The American labor movement, which gave us the eight-hour day and the minimum wage, among other things, is bailing water from a leaky ship.

One of America's biggest exports is the outsourcing of manufacturing, information-technology and personal-services jobs to the Third World. Call mechanics what you wish, but one thing is certain: Their jobs are too immediate, too hands-on, too face-to-face to be shipped overseas.

Indeed, they join a long list of "anchored" workers - nurses, police, retail-sales clerks, day-care employees, to name a few - whose jobs can't be outsourced.

But what makes mechanics different is their obscurity. They typically toil in the off-limits back shops, where grease and gasoline permeate their skin, engine blades bloody their fingers, and temperatures are often stifling.

Balance all that with the constant demand for problem-solving and critical thinking, and you'll see why I choose to honor mechanics this Labor Day.

for the rest of the article click here.
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