SYM Scooters

[andy1100xx]

I'm in the market for a big scooter so went to the main SYM dealer near Hua Lum Pong station yesterday to see what they had.

They've got the MaxSYM 400i ABS and the JoyMax 300i in stock. Both looked very impressive, the 400 is certainly quite a bit bigger but looks more robust and better made. The Max is Baht 215,000 and the Joy is 155,000.

The salespeople were very friendly but it's obviously quite a small outfit. The one thing that did concern me was the service area which was a very basic shed across the road, pretty kuch the same as any back street motorcycle fixer.

FWIW, I am also of course considering the Honda Forza and understand all the benefits of the service network, reslae value etc but they are not available at the moment (and no indication of when they will come in again) and to be honest, I've seen one or two in the flesh and (suprisingly) they do not seem to be as well built as the SYM's plus they are pretty plain looking in comparison (IMHO of course). Reviews internationally (mainly Uk and US) who have less of a Honda bias than the LOS also seem to rate the SYM's higher.

Overall was quite impressed with both the SYM's but would like to hear from anyone on here who owns/owned one (particularly the 400) and could share some longer term info.

Cheers

Andy

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[VocalNeal]

Just had a guy come by this morning with a GTS 300 to buy a variator, says he will take it there tomorrow to have it fitted. There is a local SYM group on Facebook.

Edited November 3, 2013 by VocalNeal

[Mousehound]

Just had a guy come by with a GTS 300 to buy a variator, says he will take it there tomorrow to have it fitted.

I have a Le Grande 200 (175cc) - (Joyride in USA) it is very reliable and has a strong motor.

As it happens I am after a new variator - can anyone help me out with where to get one.

[buck99]

I have a SYM 300i GTS and am very happy with it. I have owned it for 6 months and have about 6000 km on the odometer. I owned a PCX prior to this and I find the SYM to be a great step up. I like the acceleration, the suspension and ease of handling. I also find the quality to be exceptional. The one thing I did change was the seat but I have never liked the stock seats on any motorcycles I've owned in the past. For 1,000 baht I had a custom fit and softer seat added. I also added a big Shad top box. The big top box and ample storage under the seat gives me lots of space to haul stuff home from shopping.

I have had no problem with service on the SYM here in Pattaya and I see more of them on the road each month.

I agonized over the decision between a 300cc and a 400cc. The money difference was not the issue for me but handling a bigger bike in traffic was a consideration. After I thought about how much time I spend driving in town and little time I spend on the highway, I opted for the 300. I'm happy with my choice.

As a side note, I gave my one year old PCX to my 45 Kg GF but if the SYM sitting unused she will always take it instead.

[andy1100xx]

Just had a guy come by this morning with a GTS 300 to buy a variator, says he will take it there tomorrow to have it fitted. There is a local SYM group on Facebook.

Thanks for the info, the Facebook page would be useful but i can't seem to find the page, do you happen to have the link?

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[andy1100xx]

Just had a guy come by this morning with a GTS 300 to buy a variator, says he will take it there tomorrow to have it fitted. There is a local SYM group on Facebook.

Thanks for the info, the Facebook page would be useful but i can't seem to find the page, do you happen to have the link?

Edit: don't worry, managed to find it. There are some photo's on the site of a much bigger show room with what looks like a proper workshop. I'll have to find out where this is.

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[Issanman]

Nice scooters. Too bad they are so damn heavy. But at least on a scooter, most of the weight is near the ground compared to a motorcycle.

[VocalNeal]

Just had a guy come by with a GTS 300 to buy a variator, says he will take it there tomorrow to have it fitted.

I have a Le Grande 200 (175cc) - (Joyride in USA) it is very reliable and has a strong motor.

As it happens I am after a new variator - can anyone help me out with where to get one.

The same as say a 2008 Joyride 200.

I sent you a PM

Edited November 4, 2013 by VocalNeal

[BSJ]

Just had a guy come by with a GTS 300 to buy a variator, says he will take it there tomorrow to have it fitted.

I have a Le Grande 200 (175cc) - (Joyride in USA) it is very reliable and has a strong motor.

As it happens I am after a new variator - can anyone help me out with where to get one.

You could always try ebay. There are a lot of people selling a myriad of scooter and bike parts.

Those Max400 are very impressive looking!

[andy1100xx]

I have a SYM 300i GTS and am very happy with it. I have owned it for 6 months and have about 6000 km on the odometer. I owned a PCX prior to this and I find the SYM to be a great step up. I like the acceleration, the suspension and ease of handling. I also find the quality to be exceptional. The one thing I did change was the seat but I have never liked the stock seats on any motorcycles I've owned in the past. For 1,000 baht I had a custom fit and softer seat added. I also added a big Shad top box. The big top box and ample storage under the seat gives me lots of space to haul stuff home from shopping.

I have had no problem with service on the SYM here in Pattaya and I see more of them on the road each month.

I agonized over the decision between a 300cc and a 400cc. The money difference was not the issue for me but handling a bigger bike in traffic was a consideration. After I thought about how much time I spend driving in town and little time I spend on the highway, I opted for the 300. I'm happy with my choice.

As a side note, I gave my one year old PCX to my 45 Kg GF but if the SYM sitting unused she will always take it instead.

thanks, that's very useful info. i must admit I am equally torn between the 300 and 400 - the extra space, equipment and power of the 400 is very tempting but for sure the 300 would be nippier in traffic

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[ktm jeff]

Would go for the Sym over the Honda anyday - Hondas build quality has been slipping for years and as you say Sym looks far better built , much better value and resale values improving all the time as people learn this. Sym can be serviced anywhere ,liquid cooled , fuel injected , simple to work on.

[krbkk]

the SYM Scooters are the only one for Farangs.

I Need my Scooter for every Day Shopping, that mean, I Need a big Space in front of Driver for cooling Box or 2 Box of Beer

HONDA has nothing, Yamaha has only one, the Filano, all other has also nothing

I have not the data sheet here but I remember, that the Filano is only for small Thai Ladies.

betwenn Scooter weight and max-weight are only 58 KG

My weight with 90 kg, plus Cooling Box 20 kg and sometimes my Boy with 30 kg

normaly you can drive with this, but if you hit a hole or a bumper, the Scooter can brocken

and the Brakes are also only for this small weight.

at the SYM Scooter you a lot of space and you can ride with 2 Farang without a Problem.

but for this, the own weight is higher as the scooters from Thailand

[buck99]

I wanted to add one other thing that I really like about the SYM. It has a great lighting system. With the exception of my Honda Goldwing in the US, all my previous motorcycles were lacking in the lighting department. The SYM has great forward lighting on both the low and high beam. In addition, it has 2 "fog lights" that really illuminate the road and make you highly visable to the other traffic. Also it has LED forward lights that are easily spoted both day and night. The rear tail/break light is exceptionally large along with the turn indicators.

[andy1100xx]

Good to see so much positive feedback on the SYM's.

The big showroom/workshop is on the Tiwanon/Nam Wong Wan junction in Nontaburi, pretty easy to get to go by the looks of it.

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[andy1100xx]

I agonized over the decision between a 300cc and a 400cc. The money difference was not the issue for me but handling a bigger bike in traffic was a consideration. After I thought about how much time I spend driving in town and little time I spend on the highway, I opted for the 300. I'm happy with my choice.

Buck99, sounds like the 300 is good in traffic, how is out on the highway? i want something that can cruise comfortably at 120kmh with a couple of farangs on board (combined weight about 150kg) plus maybe a bit of luggage if I fit a top box.

BTW, is your bike the old or the new 300 (i.e the Joymax with the indicators in the mirrors)?

Cheers

Andy

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Edited November 5, 2013 by andy1100xx

[buck99]

I agonized over the decision between a 300cc and a 400cc. The money difference was not the issue for me but handling a bigger bike in traffic was a consideration. After I thought about how much time I spend driving in town and little time I spend on the highway, I opted for the 300. I'm happy with my choice.

Buck99, sounds like the 300 is good in traffic, how is out on the highway? i want something that can cruise comfortably at 120kmh with a couple of farangs on board (combined weight about 150kg) plus maybe a bit of luggage if I fit a top box.

BTW, is your bike the old or the new 300 (i.e the Joymax with the indicators in the mirrors)?

Cheers

Andy

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Andy I'm afraid I'm not the one to ask about going 120 km per hour on the Sukumvit. Usually 100 kmh is what I feel comfortable with here in Thailand. Somchai is known to do crazy things and I want some response time to avoid disaster. However at 100 kph there is enough left in the throttle to accelerate should the need arise. I'm not sure what recommended carring weight is but I think 150 kg is within limits. The combined wt of my GF and Me is 130kg and it handles that with out effort. My SYM is a 300i GTS. I believe it's the same as the 300i Joymax-just some minor changes in the body style.

[andy1100xx]

Andy I'm afraid I'm not the one to ask about going 120 km per hour on the Sukumvit. Usually 100 kmh is what I feel comfortable with here in Thailand. Somchai is known to do crazy things and I want some response time to avoid disaster. However at 100 kph there is enough left in the throttle to accelerate should the need arise. I'm not sure what recommended carring weight is but I think 150 kg is within limits. The combined wt of my GF and Me is 130kg and it handles that with out effort. My SYM is a 300i GTS. I believe it's the same as the 300i Joymax-just some minor changes in the body style.

Haha, probably very sensible. Until recently I've only ever ridden big sports bikes here so my sense of speed may be a bit warped, it would be great to think that I would be happy to cruise at 100kmh on my scooter, definitely better for long term health!

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[ll2]

get teh 400 cc, price different is not that much and 400 looks better quality and design as well.

Also teh weight difference and dimensions are not that different as well.

i expect to see honda sh300i in Thailand though.

[BSJ]

get teh 400 cc, price different is not that much and 400 looks better quality and design as well.

Also teh weight difference and dimensions are not that different as well.

i expect to see honda sh300i in Thailand though.

If they price the SH300 like they have with the SH150/PCX150 expect to see the SH300 up around 180k baht.

[ll2]

get teh 400 cc, price different is not that much and 400 looks better quality and design as well.

Also teh weight difference and dimensions are not that different as well.

i expect to see honda sh300i in Thailand though.

If they price the SH300 like they have with the SH150/PCX150 expect to see the SH300 up around 180k baht.

180 k is not that bad for a 27 hp scooter and lots of room.

it would be a very good scooter option for thailand.

[andy1100xx]

 

180 k is not that bad for a 27 hp scooter and lots of room.

it would be a very good scooter option for thailand.

I took a look at the SH150 (assume 300 the same?) and it really didn't do anything for me - just seemed like a Honda Cub on steroids; same small seat, riding position, storage etc. definitely better built than your average Thai scooter but my idea of a maxi scooter is something a bit luxurious as well. Each to their own i suppose. Would be better in the traffic than a normal battleship sized maxi scooter I guess.

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[VocalNeal]

Andy the guy that brought his 300 to my place confirmed he is getting 140.

Not try the top speed yet but at least it can achieve 140km/h..

Edited November 6, 2013 by VocalNeal

[andy1100xx]

Andy the guy that brought his 300 to my place confirmed he is getting 140.

Not try the top speed yet but at least it can achieve 140km/h..

that's good to know, thanks. Did he mention anything about a comfortable max cruising speed?

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[VocalNeal]

I'll ask.

Edited November 6, 2013 by VocalNeal

[ll2]

180 k is not that bad for a 27 hp scooter and lots of room.

it would be a very good scooter option for thailand.

I took a look at the SH150 (assume 300 the same?) and it really didn't do anything for me - just seemed like a Honda Cub on steroids; same small seat, riding position, storage etc. definitely better built than your average Thai scooter but my idea of a maxi scooter is something a bit luxurious as well. Each to their own i suppose. Would be better in the traffic than a normal battleship sized maxi scooter I guess.

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you assume wrong.

[andy1100xx]

 

 

180 k is not that bad for a 27 hp scooter and lots of room.

it would be a very good scooter option for thailand.

I took a look at the SH150 (assume 300 the same?) and it really didn't do anything for me - just seemed like a Honda Cub on steroids; same small seat, riding position, storage etc. definitely better built than your average Thai scooter but my idea of a maxi scooter is something a bit luxurious as well. Each to their own i suppose. Would be better in the traffic than a normal battleship sized maxi scooter I guess.

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you assume wrong.

Care to expand? In the pictures I've seen they look almost identical.

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[VocalNeal]

No one else has offered and opinion so. They look like twins.

The uninitiated would be hard to tell them apart. Technically there is a small difference as the 300 has a "special" three point engine mount which make the wheelbase a little 65mm or so longer. It also has a slightly larger exhaust. Otherwise peas in a pod. So no real difference in city traffic but obviously the 300 is better outside the city or on traffic free boulevards.

I would like to see it here but would not put any money on it because there is no bling to differentiate it from the 150 so will be of little appeal to the masses in Asia. Discerning riders maybe but there are not enough of those to make it viable.

[Martinluka]

No one else has offered and opinion so. They look like twins.

The uninitiated would be hard to tell them apart. Technically there is a small difference as the 300 has a "special" three point engine mount which make the wheelbase a little 65mm or so longer. It also has a slightly larger exhaust. Otherwise peas in a pod. So no real difference in city traffic but obviously the 300 is better outside the city or on traffic free boulevards.

I would like to see it here but would not put any money on it because there is no bling to differentiate it from the 150 so will be of little appeal to the masses in Asia. Discerning riders maybe but there are not enough of those to make it viable.

Sym is better than HondaEngine technical the Sym GTS 300i EVO has the leading edge over the Honda Forza 300i. Sym uses ceramic lining in its cylinder which reduces the friction a lot, and we all know friction is energy lost, Honda compensate the power lose with a bit bigger cylinder capacity....

Still the Sym GTS 300i EVO has more horsepower....

Sym GTS 300i EVO ….......................... 29 horsepower.

Honda Forza 300i …............................ 24 horsepower

It's possible that the Honda produce less power, as the 24 horsepower is based on information from Honda (manufacturers often claim higher performance than actual 3th party testers find.) The 29 horsepower of the Sym GTS 300i EVO is based on tests done by the popular English motorcycle magazine Visordown.

[Martinluka]

Sym is just better than Honda

Engine technical the Sym GTS 300i EVO has the leading edge over the Honda Forza 300i. Sym uses ceramic lining in its cylinder which reduces the friction a lot, and we all know friction is energy lost, Honda compensate the power lose with a bit bigger cylinder capacity....

Still the Sym GTS 300i EVO has more horsepower....

Sym GTS 300i EVO ….......................... 29 horsepower.
Honda Forza 300i …............................ 24 horsepower

It's possible that the Honda produce less power, as the 24 horsepower is based on information from Honda (manufacturers often claim higher performance than actual 3th party testers find.) The 29 horsepower of the Sym GTS 300i EVO is based on tests done by the popular English motorcycle magazine Visordown.

[VocalNeal]

Sym is just better than Honda

Engine technical the Sym GTS 300i EVO has the leading edge over the Honda Forza 300i. Sym uses ceramic lining in its cylinder which reduces the friction a lot, and we all know friction is energy lost, Honda compensate the power lose with a bit bigger cylinder capacity....

Still the Sym GTS 300i EVO has more horsepower....

Sym GTS 300i EVO ….......................... 29 horsepower.

Honda Forza 300i …............................ 24 horsepower

It's possible that the Honda produce less power, as the 24 horsepower is based on information from Honda (manufacturers often claim higher performance than actual 3th party testers find.) The 29 horsepower of the Sym GTS 300i EVO is based on tests done by the popular English motorcycle magazine Visordown.

This is somewhat true but not wholly. To have 29 HP you'll need the SYM F4 engine which is identical in capacity to Honda at 278 cc. Yes the Forza is less hp but the Honda SH at 279 cc gives nominally 28HP. The 263 cc SYM GTS gives 24 hp. So yes is better as it gets the same HP as Forza from slightly less capacity. But less HP needs less fuel, so possibly Forza is designed more for economy than increased performance.