Yamaha Mio

[gennisis]

I intend to get a bike...cars too expensive.

Went to the CM sunday market and saw many bikes.

I want a fully automatic and saw that of the 20/25, there (since I understand Honda have the lions share of the market) ,half were Meo's.

Being suspicious I wondered why.

Does anyone know any minus points against the Meo?

I like the design...relativly straight forward and not looking like Darth Vardar(honda's)

Prices were arround 24K-28K 2/3/4 yrs old. I think new is 40-42K

Any thoughts appreciated

Edited October 4, 2007 by gennisis

[Tony Clifton]

Tried one and thought it had no guts compared to my auto-clutch Honda Wave 125, that extra torque can be a lifesaver, especially here.

Edited October 4, 2007 by Tony Clifton

[Richard-BKK]

If you are thinking about extra power then buy a Yamaha Fino and modify the engine a bit, see the story

http://www.motorcycle.in.th/article.php/Tu...no-into-a-Racer

Outright dangerous but from 0 to 100 as fast as a decent sport car...

[jackcorbett]

If you are thinking about extra power then buy a Yamaha Fino and modify the engine a bit, see the story

http://www.motorcycle.in.th/article.php/Tu...no-into-a-Racer

Outright dangerous but from 0 to 100 as fast as a decent sport car...

Yamaha is quite smart the way it's dressing up its Mios The new paint schemes are fabulous. The Fino is simply a Mio that is retrofitted to look just like those old style Vespas. The curves are just right. Gorgeous. That being said, I bought my girlfriend a bright red Fino and as I have mentioned here it's a charming bike costing 40,000 baht brand spanking new. But I also have a Yamaha Nouvo, the Mios larger brother although the two supposedly have the same 115 cc. engine athough the Nouvo is gutsier. New Yamaha Nouvos are 49,000 baht. The Nouvo is much more practical as it has a large storage area under the seat just for starters. Also has larger wheels and tires---16 inch diameter compared to a Finos 14 inchers. So the Nouvo is safer on the road. My girlfriend takes my Nouvo grocery shopping, not the Fino, so as much as she likes her Fino, I really think if she didn't have me and access to my Nouvo and had to do it all over again, she'd take the Nouvo over the Fino or the Mio for that matter. This should tell you all you need to know.

[Richard-BKK]

If you are thinking about extra power then buy a Yamaha Fino and modify the engine a bit, see the story

http://www.motorcycle.in.th/article.php/Tu...no-into-a-Racer

Outright dangerous but from 0 to 100 as fast as a decent sport car...

Yamaha is quite smart the way it's dressing up its Mios The new paint schemes are fabulous. The Fino is simply a Mio that is retrofitted to look just like those old style Vespas. The curves are just right. Gorgeous. That being said, I bought my girlfriend a bright red Fino and as I have mentioned here it's a charming bike costing 40,000 baht brand spanking new. But I also have a Yamaha Nouvo, the Mios larger brother although the two supposedly have the same 115 cc. engine athough the Nouvo is gutsier. New Yamaha Nouvos are 49,000 baht. The Nouvo is much more practical as it has a large storage area under the seat just for starters. Also has larger wheels and tires---16 inch diameter compared to a Finos 14 inchers. So the Nouvo is safer on the road. My girlfriend takes my Nouvo grocery shopping, not the Fino, so as much as she likes her Fino, I really think if she didn't have me and access to my Nouvo and had to do it all over again, she'd take the Nouvo over the Fino or the Mio for that matter. This should tell you all you need to know.

The story is about changing the 115cc 2-valve Yamaha Fino to a 4-valve 190cc

[jackcorbett]

There seems to be a problem here, Richard. I replied to the original poster's query asking for information on Yamaha Mios and did not intend to quote you.

That said, interesting story. Here's my two cents. First---although I've said favorable things here about both the Yamaha Mio and Fino, I feel the tire size of the Nouvo makes it much more road worthy at higher speeds. And although I feel that either the Nouvo or Air Blade represents the best all around bike for driving in the Pattaya area, I feel that other choices are better if driving conditions include a mix that incorporates more driving on higher speed roads with less driving in a Pattaya only environment where the speeds are going to be much lower. Now that I said that a few days ago my girlfriend and I took my Nouvo to Sattahip from Pattaya with her driving and me on the back. At times she'd drive up to 80 kph (around 50) and the Nouvo seemed just fine at this speed with plenty of power to spare. I'd probably be driving it a little faster. And the other day I was talking to one of my fellow condo owners who knows someone who drives all over Thailand on a 125 cc. class bike. He just grabs a bike and goes. Unsure if he rents them out for a business, has a shop or what.

However, last night I took a Honda Phantom for an unplanned test spin. This is the first time I've driven a Phantom. I was sitting in a bar owned by a fellow American who lives close to me and his Thai girflriend asked me if I wanted to test drive the Phantom. Although it's just 200 cc's, it felt better than I expected, feeling more powerful while shifting smoother than I expected after reading a few comments here and elsewhere. This could very well be a very good machine for someone needing to do more highway driving than the typical Pattaya resident does.

But back to your story. Based on my personal experiences extensively modifying a 1992 Mazda Miata sportscar there is no way I'd want to made substantual modifications to Finos, Nouvos, CBR 150's and the like in search for better performance. After having a Sebring supercharger installed on the Miata, sport exhaust, header, larger wheels and tires, etc. I blew three engines and finally had the supercharger removed. Even so, at 140,000 miles the Miata's transmission finally crashed and burned, and I believe this was a result of overpowering it way beyond what Mazda engineers designed it to withstand. From everything I've read Mazda Miata's although sportscars are the most reliable of all cars in the Mazda lineup.

Edited October 5, 2007 by jackcorbett

[Richard-BKK]

I 100% agree with you modifying a Yamaha Fino (or anything else) will surely shorten it lifespan, as the story on motorcycle.in.th go's on you can read that the modifiers them self belief that it is suicidal to drive this bike so fast.

Also the Honda Phantom is a great bike, actual not to long ago a friend his g/f also did a test drive. She loved it, but in the end she selected a BMW G650 Xmoto (http://www.motorcycle.in.th/article.php/BuyingaNewBigBikeinThailand)

[jackcorbett]

That BMW is an intriguing piece of machinery although there is a huge price differential between it and a Phantom. Also.......service would be a primary concern to those living here in Thailand.

I have an American friend who commented to me about Phantoms, "they spend more time in the shop than outside the shop." Then he commented that the Platinum bikes also spent a lot of time in the shop. I corrected him, by saying the Phantom was a Honda whereas the Platinum was a cut rate bottom basement priced knock off of Japanese designed machines such as Hondas and Yamahas, after which David prattled on, "Same same. No real difference." THen again if this particular American friend told me wearing black t shirts made him a target for man eating tigers and there actually were lots of man eating tigers around, I'd stop wearing white t shirts and start wearing black ones instead since this is how credible this particular friend of mine is. All in all I felt the Phantom had a much heavier, and more powerful feel to it than a mere 200 cc's would even begin to suggest.

[MaiChai]

Why everyone bought Mios/are now buying Finos? Simple answer: fashion. Remember fashion has no logic so dont try and figure it out.

A couple of Thai friends think the fashion will die out; autos are now perceived to consume more fuel than manuals and if you see them stripped down there aint alot of steel in them. As boring as the Waves are they are the proven durables, and what with the move to fuel injection they are now more economical and easier to start.

However, depends what you want. If you just need to get about and dont need to carry a passenger (or just a small one), they are cheap enough, so dont think too much about it and buy what you fancy!

[LeungKen]

Why everyone bought Mios/are now buying Finos? Simple answer: fashion. Remember fashion has no logic so dont try and figure it out.

A couple of Thai friends think the fashion will die out; autos are now perceived to consume more fuel than manuals and if you see them stripped down there aint alot of steel in them. As boring as the Waves are they are the proven durables, and what with the move to fuel injection they are now more economical and easier to start.

However, depends what you want. If you just need to get about and dont need to carry a passenger (or just a small one), they are cheap enough, so dont think too much about it and buy what you fancy!

The above is all true, you have to ask yourself what you want the bike for ? Just around town or long runs, 1 person or 2. Etc etc..

For problem free economical riding you can't beat a Honda Wave - if you really want an Auto then perhaps think of a bigger Gutsier bike for 2 People. Yamaha Nouvo or Honda Air Blade. If it's just for one to putt putt around town then the Mio or the Honda Click are both acceptable.

[nidge]

i have a yamaha mio and it is a pile of JUNK. For sure it looks ok but after 6 months it became a nightmare to start. I took it to a garage and the guy there said it is a common fault with these bikes and he could not fix it. There are a number of people in my area with the MIO and they all have starting problems.

Buy one at your own peril.

[engrin]

My mio hardly starts with the electric starter

Especially if its been sitting in the parking lot for a long time

I wouldn't recommend a mio to a friend

It bother me that it's automatic and I still have to mess with the choke all the time.

ps. Was bought second hand

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

Also the Honda Phantom is a great bike, actual not to long ago a friend his g/f also did a test drive. She loved it, but in the end she selected a BMW G650 Xmoto (http://www.motorcycle.in.th/article.php/BuyingaNewBigBikeinThailand)

Hello all,

Thanks for the info. So is the Phantom an automatic? And what would it cost? I'll be in LOS next year an extended length of time and would need a moto that could handle countryside road trips.

Or, any other suggestions for this type of transport application?

[Richard-BKK]

i have a yamaha mio and it is a pile of JUNK. For sure it looks ok but after 6 months it became a nightmare to start. I took it to a garage and the guy there said it is a common fault with these bikes and he could not fix it. There are a number of people in my area with the MIO and they all have starting problems.

Buy one at your own peril.

What is wrong with the bike, what is this "common fault"?

[JUDAS]

I intend to get a bike...cars too expensive.

Went to the CM sunday market and saw many bikes.

I want a fully automatic and saw that of the 20/25, there (since I understand Honda have the lions share of the market) ,half were Meo's.

Being suspicious I wondered why.

Does anyone know any minus points against the Meo?

I like the design...relativly straight forward and not looking like Darth Vardar(honda's)

Prices were arround 24K-28K 2/3/4 yrs old. I think new is 40-42K

Any thoughts appreciated

Wouldn't touch a MIO. Most of the bikes I see more than a year old all have terrible transmission whine, very common. I have about 20 Honda Click ( for rent ) totally reliable and I believe spare parts are cheaper.

[nidge]

i have a yamaha mio and it is a pile of JUNK. For sure it looks ok but after 6 months it became a nightmare to start. I took it to a garage and the guy there said it is a common fault with these bikes and he could not fix it. There are a number of people in my area with the MIO and they all have starting problems.

Buy one at your own peril.

What is wrong with the bike, what is this "common fault"?

I would say not being able to start the bike is a fault. I thought it was clear. I thought it was jut my bike that had this problem but the mechanic that i spoke to say they are all the same. That makes it sound like a common fault.

[chavy]

Also the Honda Phantom is a great bike, actual not to long ago a friend his g/f also did a test drive. She loved it, but in the end she selected a BMW G650 Xmoto (http://www.motorcycle.in.th/article.php/BuyingaNewBigBikeinThailand)

Hello all,

Thanks for the info. So is the Phantom an automatic? And what would it cost? I'll be in LOS next year an extended length of time and would need a moto that could handle countryside road trips.

Or, any other suggestions for this type of transport application?

The Phantom is not automatic. Itis a "chopper" style bike at 200cc.

I use to have a 150CC Phantom but these are not made anymore. My biggest regretwas ever selling it

[jaidam]

We bought 2 brand new Mios last week for renting out at the missus' shop. With only 20 kilometers on the clock and totally mint condition someone rented one a few days ago. Yesterday he brought it back with damage to almost every part, all panels, floor, mirrors, whatever, was all scratched up. I decided(very generously) to only charge him 8,000 baht. As per the contract it would have been near on 17k baht. The guy stood up in shock and said " I will not pay that, I need my money for a round the world tour!" Hilarious excuse.

Don't suppose he would have travelled very far without his passport!

I was very impressed by the performance and handling of the little Mio. Recently rented an almost new Click, about 1000ks on the clock in Koh Phangan. Terrible juddering when pulling away from standstill. When starting to move on the brand new Mio there is the slightest vibration. Definitely room for improvement on the automatic clutch.

[chavy]

Also the Honda Phantom is a great bike, actual not to long ago a friend his g/f also did a test drive. She loved it, but in the end she selected a BMW G650 Xmoto (http://www.motorcycle.in.th/article.php/BuyingaNewBigBikeinThailand)

Hello all,

Thanks for the info. So is the Phantom an automatic? And what would it cost? I'll be in LOS next year an extended length of time and would need a moto that could handle countryside road trips.

Or, any other suggestions for this type of transport application?

The Phantom is not automatic. Itis a "chopper" style bike at 200cc.

I use to have a 150CC Phantom but these are not made anymore. My biggest regretwas ever selling it

I'm think the cost of a new Phantom is somewhere in the region of 85,000. There are plenty of second hand available if you don't want to go that far.

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

The Phantom is not automatic. Itis a "chopper" style bike at 200cc.

I use to have a 150CC Phantom but these are not made anymore. My biggest regretwas ever selling it

I'm think the cost of a new Phantom is somewhere in the region of 85,000. There are plenty of second hand available if you don't want to go that far.

Thanks Chavy. Cruiser/chopper style is not for me.

For hoot, I went to the BMW Thailand site and saw the 1200GS (my dream bike) for $29,000 Cdn. It's $18K here at home and that's about $4000 more than in the US. Um, no thanks.

[VocalNeal]

I intend to get a bike...cars too expensive.

Went to the CM sunday market and saw many bikes.

I want a fully automatic and saw that of the 20/25, there (since I understand Honda have the lions share of the market) ,half were Meo's.

Being suspicious I wondered why.

Does anyone know any minus points against the Meo?

I like the design...relativly straight forward and not looking like Darth Vardar(honda's)

Prices were arround 24K-28K 2/3/4 yrs old. I think new is 40-42K

Any thoughts appreciated

If you want to go fast (sic) then opt for a model with bigger wheels i.e 16 in . All manufactureres offer these "performance" versions for more money.

Engine wise Hondas are water cooled. In my opinion a better bet as tolerances can be tighter as the engine runs at a constant temperature. Hondas are generally better built.

One point to think about is usage. If you want to go for a little trip somewhere other than around the neighborhood then you will travel on main roads with the rest of the traffic. I feel more comfortable if I can go 5-10% faster than the rest of the traffic. This puts me in control and I don't have to worry about too many vehicles trying to pass. In which case you should look at a bigger scooter like a JRD. They have a mixed reputation but are better for that type of use.

The new Waves are 125 even fuel injected but not water cooled and not automatic but for longevity are derived from the Cub which has been around for 40 + years.

[jackcorbett]

The Phantom is not automatic. Itis a "chopper" style bike at 200cc.

I use to have a 150CC Phantom but these are not made anymore. My biggest regretwas ever selling it

I'm think the cost of a new Phantom is somewhere in the region of 85,000. There are plenty of second hand available if you don't want to go that far.

Thanks Chavy. Cruiser/chopper style is not for me.

For hoot, I went to the BMW Thailand site and saw the 1200GS (my dream bike) for $29,000 Cdn. It's $18K here at home and that's about $4000 more than in the US. Um, no thanks.

I liked the Phantom, at least from my ten minute spin on it. It had more power than I expected and I also felt it shifted smoother than I expected after reading negative comments from Phantom riders who otherwise liked the bike. This was at night and in Pattaya. A few years ago in the U.S. my last two street bikes were a R-65 (650 cc.) which only weighed 408 pounds and later on a K-100 RS which had narrow bars and which enforced a crouched riding position. Recalling the R-65, although it had wider handle bars and although it lent itself to a straight up riding position, I sat taller in the seat than on the Phantom and I believe the handle bars were narrower. So it gave me more of a sense of being at one with the bike and really in control. This is the same feel I get with the Yamaha Nouvo although by most measurements you can hardly compare a fully automatic 115 cc. step through to a 650 cc. BMW. I just remember feeling really at one with the bike on that 650 BMW. And although the Phantom probably weighs 305 lbs dry to the BMW's 408 pounds the BMW felt smaller. Too bad they stopped making the R-65 many years ago. It felt great in city traffic and it also felt terrific cruising at 70 to 80 miles an hour. Quite possibly the cruiser style is just a bit too relaxed. It's just too dangerous around here to be too laid back on any bike.

[MaiChai]

The micro kickstart on the Mio is a joke. Not good if you dont use the bike much and the battery runs down. At least with a Wave you dont need a battery (should you be too stingy or lazy to fix it) Wave=pack horse of SE Asia

[Richard-BKK]

The Honda Wave comes maybe from a old family, but it is one of the best bikes you can every buy. With the current fuel injection system it comes also packet with ceramic coated pistons. And is surely the best all round 125cc bike ever

http://www.motorcycle.in.th/article.php/Th...125i-model-2008

[jackcorbett]

As I've mentioned I have the Yamaha Nouvo, the Mio's bigger brother. My gf has the Fino which is basically a Mio with a retro Italian styled curvaceous body put on. Otherwise I think everything is about the same for the Mio that goes for the Fino. These are smaller bikes than the Nouvo and do not have the luggage capacity among other things. The Fino's 40,000 baht whereas Nouvos are now going for 49000 baht. Buy one or the other and we are only talking 3000 baht difference per year without factoring in resale value that will probably make the difference in cost of ownership even less. Okay...the Mio and Fino are smaller than the Nouvo, and although I really like my gf's Fino, both are not as capable as the Nouvo. They weigh around 190 pounds to the Nouvo's 225 pounds so here although the Nouvo is a larger bike with larger tires and wheels, hence more stable, the Nouvo is still pretty much of a light weight itself. When I mean capable, I mean the Nouvo has the edge doing down the road at speed, but I also mean the Nouvo has a fairly substantual luggage compartment underneath its ample seat whereas the two smaller bikes have about as much room for a pair of gloves.

My gf's atttitude about the Wave is this. Thais buy them because they are much cheaper than the automatics. And for no other reason she tells me. In other words she's saying that if you bought a machine for Thai most THais would take the automatic bikes almost every time. A Nouvo has a much larger and more comfortable seat than a Wave (with more room for storage underneath as well). It has bigger tires so it will be more stable. Has a little more weight so again this will tend to make it more stable as well. It has a platform on which to place your feet rather than footpegs. This means that when it rains your feet stay dry.

But don't take my word for this. It all comes down to personal preference. Rent a Mio. Then look at the Finos or rent one as well for a day. Then rent a Nouvo. And if you can drive an Air Blade as well. Then buy what suits you the most. And as far as reliability I"d say all of these bikes are quite good. No trouble with either the Fino or the Nouvo, so I tend not to believe that many Mios are going to have many problems either. Just doesn't make sense.

[dippyrick]

The misses got a new Mio 10 months ago for 37,600 B all in (i.e.registration/tax/insurance/no.plate included).

She's proud as punch on it (she paid for half of it. so deserves to be!)

O.K. i agree with most what's been said re:14 inch wheels/stability/difficult to start (on first occasion only)

Don't forget it's a scooter

And as such there's enough room for the weekly shopping or medium sized dog (as pictured)

A nice enough little run around

However my biggest concern ,as with all these automatic scooters it's impossible to

SOUND THE HORN

WHILE

APPLYING

THE

BREAK

what with Thai drivers and DOGS !!!!!!!

[stevemiddie]

Mio. They are rubbish. Cheap plastic parts all over.

[jackcorbett]

Yep. Same as the Nouvo which is the bike I have. But consider this. Pattaya is smack right on the ocean. Honda Phantom's have a look of solidity about them with a much more substantial feel to them than a Nouvo. Lots of metal. Being on the ocean means having lots of humidity and humidity and metal do not go well together. Most Phantoms start to show the effects of all this humidity. Plastic is unaffected by humidity.

So as much as I try to like the idea of a different type of bike, when you really get down to it, for most people you really can't beat a Yamaha Nouvo or Honda Air Blade. Both are practically maintenance free. Neither is so fast as to invite you to pour on the throttle and get yourself into trouble due to the fact that the Thai police do absolutely nothing to control the idiotic driving that goes on here. But both are fast enough to do the job and to do it quite well so long as you live in the city. The CBR 150 looks really cool and I love the idea of its slightly larger tires than the Nouvo's or Air Blade's, disk brakes on both wheels, greater acceleration, etc. But there's no storage space on the bike. Furthermore, at sixty just how cool am I going to look on that CBR? EVen my THai girlfriend mentions "Phantom" whenever I mention CBR to her, meaning I think, "that little crotch rocket is a young man's toy but you would look pretty cool on that big Phantom." If I bought the Phantom I'd have to get saddle bags which aren't nearly as practical as that nice storage area underneath the Nouvo's seat. I hate the idea of those behind the bike's seat external storage boxes which add to its length and to me seem to be cheaply made. Moreover the Phantom is not as easily parked as the Nouvo which can be placed between two other bikes that are closely parked together. Plus once again, even though the Phantom is by no means a speed racer it does seem to have more acceleration than my Nouvo and it has bigger tires so I would probably tend to drive it faster. And this conflicts with what i perceive to be my greatest goal while driving a motorcyle here which is self preservation. Simply put the faster I go the less time I have to think about how to save myself from the latest threat to my life by the latest stupid driving act from the latest idiot near me.

I think both the CBR or the Phantom if I kept either one for very long are going to show metal deterioration from the humidity whereas the Nouvo will show little if any. Furthermore, at 49,000 baht I can drive mine for a total of say three years and then simply buy another one while suffering very little maintenance cost or time spent polishing chrome, etc. You just drive these things and they drive quite easily, your feet remain dry from the rains. You have large 16 inch wheels which give you greater stability than lesser wheels found on many other motorbikes. You go into a store and buy something and you simply put it under the seat and the job is done without having to fiddle around with tank bags, saddle bags or the like or having to screw with a cheaply made external case. You have that hook in front of you on which you can hook all sorts of plastic bags and you have other places all around the bike on which even more things can be tied onto. You would all be surprised at how large a box the thais can strap onto the rear portion of a Nouvo's seat using all those tie down spots designed into a Nouvo. And to top it all off the Nouvo even has a certain amount of off road capability (which it shares with Waves and other motorbikes). For instance there is a fair amount of construction going on near me and I will sometimes drive my bike in the dirt so I can see what progress has been made there. And no, the Nouvo is no dirt bike but it's one helluva lot better than Phantom's, Viragos, Kawasaki Boss's, etc. Truth is the Nouvo does so many things well and is so carefree that try as I might want to consider a CBR, Phantom or practically anything else, there are simply too many drawbacks to such alternatives to one who lives and drives in Pattaya and too many strong points one would be giving up going to something that is "bigger and better" than a Nouvo.

[rjk]

Im about to buy a brand new Honda Click with the better dual braking system, 47k baht. Would anyone strongly advise against this bike ?