Test: Sym Maxsym 600i - not as bad as cheaper

Instead of an introduction: Anyone who has followed the magazine and website for at least eight years may remember that in 2009 we published a scooter comparison test for George. Why am I reminding you of this? Because at that time, among the relatively affordable scooters, he was winning surprisingly, but convincingly. Sim Orbit 50... Well, according to the results of this test on this test of the 600cc Sim, I was sitting not suspiciously, but with rather high expectations. When you are happy with a brand, expectations remain.

Let's get down to business: The Sym Maxsym 600i can easily be attributed to size, appearance and volume. tourist maxi scootersbut not for the price! At 6.899 euros (the agent advertises a special price of 6.299 euros without "bargaining"), this is one third or even half lower than the prices of competitors such as Suzuki Burgman as BMW C650GT... Or another comparison: for the same amount of money, we can buy a Piaggia Beverly with a volume of 350 cubic feet. Which is better, what pays off and where the price difference comes from will not be discussed here as I haven't had the opportunity to try them all at once, so let's focus on the driving experience of a Sanyang Motors product.

Progress in shape

From a distance and from a distance of several steps, it must be admitted that the appearance of Maxsym is not at all wrong. It's still not as attractive as, say, BMW (but maybe some people even like it better), but they still managed to move away from the nasty (cheap) Asian lines with their shape. Let's say Sim is writing a story similar to what happened with the Kii, for example: we smelled a bit of Pride and Sephia, and the Ceed was already a car that also impressed any (now former) Renault or Volkswagen owner. Mostly the price, but also the design.

When we take a step closer and look at the plastic from a palpable distance (shape, quality, contacts), there are already signs of savings. But calm blood is nothing critical. Let's put it this way: thanks to the heated four-speed levers, the other switches on the left side of the steering wheel are moved to the right and thus almost inconveniently removed. And two top drawers without locks, which in terms of quality give the feeling of a big child's toy or a little oversized free movement of the throttle lever. He was even more concerned reflections on plasticcovering meters; because of the flash, sometimes I had to look at the sensors longer than I would like, and because of the poorly visible signal lights, I forgot to turn off the direction indicators several times. But then again: nothing that could deter a potential buyer from visiting the salon.

At first discreet, then more alive

Let's move on to the bright side of this scooter, the engine. It ignites quickly and reliably and, considering that it is a single cylinder, vibrates little. As for the sound, it would be unfair (for example, before the Aprilie RSV4) to write that it is beautiful, but there is definitely nothing in the sound wave that could disturb the driver and those around him. It controls the operation of the engine, quietly gurgling, without unpleasant mechanical noises. Regarding power or transmission to the rear wheel, after the first few kilometers I thought I was going to criticize the half-hearted starting response, as the bike starts more restrained in the first meters (but still there is enough spark to avoid going through an intersection), it pulls faster only at speeds from 30 to 40 km / h.

Until I was looking for the limits of sliding in the rain on the road past the Kranj bus station. The residents of Kranj learn that the asphalt there is as smooth as glass, and when I finally managed to turn the rear wheel into an empty wheel with a coarse addition of gas, fijuuu, the rear of the scooter was designed to catch up and overtake the front one. In addition to the driver's recklessness, they are also to blame for this. lack of anti-slip protection of the rear wheel and the fact that the scooter's motor doesn't brake the spinning rear tire when the throttle is closed, but revs and revs (you know, in situations like this, hundreds is a power)… Well, the scooter stopped on wheels, but I found this to be really welcome without smart electronics , if the engine is not too brutal right from scratch. Or, in other words: "traction control" that prevents the tire from going into a gap is perhaps even more welcome on a powerful scooter than on a motorcycle.

The engine with automatic transmission is undoubtedly one of the highlights of Maxsym: it accelerates smoothly, confidently picks up speed up to legal speeds, while maintaining a healthy level of power when overtaking. It hit 160 and would still drive if it kept pushing, while at 130 km / h, the engine spins at about five thousand rpm. At the same time, the single-cylinder drinks honey. 4,5 and 4,9 liters per hundred kilometerswith a gentle right hand, probably less.

You will avoid bad roads

Also driving performance they are good, or as we expect from such a large scooter (and not a motorcycle): at city speeds it is a little more difficult to achieve directional stability, otherwise it is sovereign on the road and allows itself to bend in all kinds of turns, short or long, as long as ... as even as possible. When a scooter finds itself on a bad road or hellish rubble, it turns out that it is not a real motorcycle, but a scooter. The strikes of the latter on short striking fossa are rather sharp., while longer bumps, especially at high speeds, result in a less pleasant "float". This is where the biggest difference can be seen compared to the king of maxi scooters, the Yamaha T-max, which, loaded with passenger and passenger, remains consistently stable even through long, fast corners.

Tall people will beat with plastic knees

The brakes are good, but not of high quality (powerful enough, only average by sensations). The seat is comfortable and with lumbar support pleasantly supports the lower spine, and the legs can be bent or "cruise" extended forward. It is worth reminding long-legged people that they intend to have problems with knee blows to plastic, but everyone who is up to a good 180 centimeters will not have these problems. The wind protection is good (but not of the highest quality), the mirrors are excellent (set high, with a large area, no vibrations), plenty of luggage space (under the seat for two smaller integral helmets, a large drawer with a knee lock and two smaller drawers without a lock; inside you can even find a 12-volt and USB charger), car sensors (only data on average consumption and air temperature are missing), there is a slot for warm air in front of the driver's knees ... In short, under the line is something that would really bother us. Especially if we have a price.

So? Anyone who can easily afford a Tmax will buy it, just like rich gentlemen usually avoid Dacia showrooms. On the other hand, many people may put just such a Sym on the other side of the scale and wonder how long it will take to go to sea due to the price difference.

Matevj Hribar

• Basic data

  Sales: Špan doo

  Base model price: € 6.899 (special price € 6.299) €

• Technical information

  engine: single-cylinder, four-stroke, 565 cm3, liquid-cooled, fuel injection, electric starter

  Power: 33,8 kW (46 km) at 6.750 rpm

  Torque: 49 Nm at 5.000 rpm

  Energy transfer: automatic clutch, continuously variable transmission CVT, belt

  Frame: steel pipe

  brakes: front two discs Ø 275 mm, rear disc Ø 275 mm, ABS

  Suspension: front telescopic fork, rear swingarm and two shock absorbers, adjustable preload

  Tires: 120/70R15, 160/60R14

  Growth: 755 mm

  Fuel tank: 14, l

  Wheelbase: 1.560 mm

  Weight: 234 kg

We praise and reproach

Engine and transmission

robust equipment

spaciousness, comfort

luggage compartment

appearance

Mirror

price of money

no (possibility) traction control of the rear wheel

comfort on a bad road

glare of plastic over pressure gauges

only middle brakes