Kymco Xciting 500
Quick Ride
KYMCO XCITING 500 The next big thing?
EVERY THING used to be small is now big:motorcycles,TVs, fountain drinks and now scooters.The biggest two-wheeler from
Taiwan is the Kymco Xciting, and everything about it is big. It’s powered by a 499cc, liquidcooled, four-stroke dohc single-cylinder engine, has a huge windscreen, triple-disc brakes and a 63-inch wheelbase.
The ample, thickly padded saddle (with adjustable rider backrest) is so wide that, at 5-foot-6,1 couldn’t put both feet flat on the ground while straddling the bike. The bars are wide and high, and the underseat storage is commodious-not only will it hold a full-face helmet, but there’s room for even more stuff. There also is a 12-volt power outlet and charger rack for your cell phone. Further, a small storage compartment at the front of the seat holds sunglasses and toll change, while a locking compartment on the dash swallows other items. A large grabrail (with integrated luggage rack) provides seating security for your passenger, who will enjoy the cushy expanse of the pillion portion of the one-piece saddle.
Once under way, the Xciting feels light and is easy to maneuver. The carbureted engine takes some time to warm up, coughing, spitting and stalling for the first mile or two, but after that it runs just fine. It’s not as quick off the line as its 500cc engine might suggest, but at speed it feels smooth and powerful with strong midrange.
The bike steers lightly enough in traffic, rolls over bumps easily with its big 15-inch front wheel and stops like something less massive. Overall handling is pretty good if not exactly among the best in the scooter realm. Riding conservatively, it’s fine, but if you enter anything resembling “attack mode,” it loses its solid, planted and stable feel. But it is a scooter, after all.
Where the Xciting shines is on short-to-medium freeway commutes. Between 60 and 80 mph, this big scoot is in its element, keeping up with surprised motorists and making the rider feel totally in control. The screen blocks windblast effectively at higher speeds; but because the shield is somewhat narrow, air hits you from the sides. Another annoyance is the speedometer that puts kilometers above mph, which keeps eyes off the road longer than should be necessary. Fuel range is another limiting factor. The gauge reads empty well before 90 miles, even under steady-state cruising conditions. That puts fuel economy in the 30 mpg range, which with the 3.4-gallon tank isn’t enough.
Hardcore motorcycle enthusiasts who wouldn’t be caught dead on a scooter still won’t be overly excited by an Xciting. But at $5999, it’s a solid value with good performance and big utility.
Gabe Ets-Hokin
