Review of the Kymco Agility 125 Scooter

This is my first review of the 2007 riding season. Yes, for those of you in warmer climates, we Minnesotans have Kymco Agility 125cc Summary to face facts - we only get about 8 months (if we're lucky) of riding time each year.

The Agilty is marketed by Kymco of Taiwan, but it is in fact a Chinese-manufactured scooter. You poor souls who have suffered through my other scooter writings (and podcasts, and reviews, and...) will know that I'm a Kymco fan. I have a People 250 that has proven itself to be a wonderful machine. I was interested in seeing if a Kymco from China would be as impressive as their Taiwanese offerings. It is, and it isn't.

The agility 125 utilizes a four-stroke forced air cooled 125cc engine. It is carbureted, has an automatic CVT transmission, electric start with a kickstart back-up. The front brake is hydraulic disk and the rear is drum. There are dual rear shock absorbers and telescopic forks up front. The front tire is a 120/70 12 inch with the rear being 130/70 and also 12 inches. The wheel base is just over 51 inches and the weight is 232 pounds. The fuel tank holds 1.3 gallons. The Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) is $1,999. That's a key number to keep in mind, about $2,000. Just for reference, The Agility's stable-mate from Kymco, the People 125S, is $2,999. A Genuine Buddy 125 is $2,599 and a Yamaha Vino 125 is $2,549. That means that the nearest price competitor is still 27% more expensive that the Agility.

The Agility was provided courtesy of Bob at Scooterville here in the Twin Cities and I rode it for four days.

Speedometer Reading, Speed & Fuel Economy

Aside from price, these items are usually the first thing people ask about. The speedometer was very optimistic reading 14% fast. The speedometer indicates Kilometers per hour on the outer ring, and miles per hour on the inner. At an indicated speed of 40 miler per hour, the actual speed was just over 34 miles per hour. This is a bit more optimistic of a reading than most other scooters I have tested. I did not have an opportunity to really search out the top end on the Agility 125. For a start, I weigh 200 pounds and the scooter was brand new. I did get it up to an indicated speed of 68 miles per hour which would translate to an actual speed of about 59 miles per hour. It would be my guess that after engine break-in and with a lighter rider, the Agility 125 could see 62 - 65 miles per hour on the very top end. Again, corrected for the inaccurate speedometer, I got 96 miles per gallon. Yes, that's right, damn near 100 miles per gallon.

Features

The Kymco Agility 125 has some nice features including one of my favourites - mirrors that actually work! Even with a "wide load" like me on board, I could easily see what was going on behind me. This may not seem like such a big deal to you, but that probably means that you're too skinny. The dash includes a speedometer, odometer, fuel gauge, clock and indicators for lights and turn signals.

There is a hook just to the left of the ignition switch with a soft rubber "stopper" on top and it carried a small grocery bag just fine. The seat was very comfortable. I would say it is nicer than either the Buddy or Vino. It's not too narrow up front and nicely padded. The specifications for the Agility 125 say that is has a 31 inch seat height. Based on my yardstick (and short inseam) Id' say that this is off a bit. I measured 30.25 inches and I was able to touch easily when seated on the scooter (the 200 pounds I mentioned earlier may have something to do with this).

The seat release (key operated) is located on the port side of the scooter and the passenger is provided with large floorboards as opposed to fold-out pegs. The scooter was also equipped with a combination luggage rack and passenger grab-rail. All in all, the ergonomics of this scooter are pretty good for both the driver and passenger.

Opening the seat reveals as reasonable amount of storage. I was able to fit my 3/4-style XXL helmet in the storage area with ease. There is a small raised area in the center of the storage compartment that is labeled for carburetor maintenance, but it didn't interfere with the helmet.

Also under the seat is the fuel filler access. The cap has a neat flip up grab-handle that I found quite easy to operate, even with gloves on.

Riding Impressions

The Agility 125 is a fun ride with one caveat that I'll get to in a moment. It started easily and run smoothly through-out the test. It's quick off the line - not as quick as a Buddy 125, but a little quicker than a Vino 125. I had no issues keeping up with other traffic at speeds of up to 45 miles per hour. The front disk and rear drum brakes worked well with no lock-up on the rear drum even under (ahem) "spirited" deceleration. The Buddy 125 is faster, handles better, and brakes better than the Agility... but it DOES cost $600 more.

Here's the caveat on riding - the tire profile on the Agility 125 has an extreme cusp from the tread surface to the narrow sidewall. Take a look at the picture below and you'll see what I mean. The Agility takes a little effort to lean, less effort to counter-steer, but when you get close to that cusp look out! The lean angle goes sever VERY quickly and could lead to some scary moments if you are not prepared.

You may also notice from the picture that I "explored" this cusp on the tire a few times, but manage to keep the scooter upright. I think some different tires would solve this quirk and make the handling of the Agility significantly better.

Fit and Finish

Look back at the start of this review and you'll notice that there is a lot of flat black on the Agility. There are glossy coloured panels on the front and sides, but pretty much everything else is flat. It's available in silver (as reviewed) along with blue and red. The overall fit and finish is good, very good considering the price. The seat latch has a bit more "play" than I like, but it does close securely. The plastic panel fit well together with none of the erratic gaps or loose feel of so many inexpensive scooters.

The look of the Agility 125 is definitely meant to appeal to the younger, sportier set. The headlight is mounted in the center panel, not on the head as more "retro" designed scooters such as the buddy. The narrow profile and flat black give the Agility a look that draws 18 - 25 year olds to the scooter. I took most of the photos for this review in a popular Twin Cities park area, and plenty of younger guys came over to check it out.

Conclusions

I really don't like to qualify my conclusions about a scooter, but in this case I think it is warranted. $1,999, just keep saying that to yourself, $1,999. The Kymco Agility 125 has a two-year warranty, lots of great features, good ergonomics, and the Kymco name and reputation for outstanding support. On top of all that, it's fun to ride and with some different tires might well be an exceptionally good handling machine. If you want that "retro" look, go for a Buddy or a Vino. If a sporty, quick and fun scooter is what you're after, the Agility deserves your consideration.

You can find out more about the Kymco Agility and all the other Kymco offerings at:

http://www.kymcousa.com/

Again, thanks to Scooterville for providing the scooter for review.