Top honors go to Suzuki, SYM, Kymco

The 2009 ScooterMaxi Awards of Distinction are going to Suzuki, SYM and Kymco. The top maxiscooters in two size classes, as well as Lineup of the Year are honored annually by ScooterMaxi.com.

The Big Maxi of the Year title goes to the always-solid Suzuki Burgman 650. A newcomer flagship model, the SYM Citycom 300i, claims Middleweight Maxi of the Year. The Award of Distinction for the ScooterMaxi Lineup of the Year goes to Kymco for the second time in three years.
Suzuki Burgman 650 – Big Maxi of the Year

Suzuki Burgman 650 - Big Maxi of the Year

In a scooter market where innovation continually raises the competitive bar, the Suzuki Burgman 650 not only set the Big Maxi benchmark years ago – but remains the standard-bearer today. Virtually nothing has changed with the B650 offering over the past five years, yet no other maxi-scooter challenges its status as the class leader for long-distance touring capability and overall sophistication. Model stability has allowed pricing to remain very reasonable, and ensures full support from the substantial Suzuki dealer network for many decades to come. At the same time, those dealers are seeing few mechanical problem areas, so it makes even more sense not to mess with a good thing. Even in base form, the big Burgman offers far more rider flexibility than what’s typically found elsewhere. For instance, the silky smooth transmission features useful “power” and “normal” automatic modes, as well as manual shifting if desired. The Executive trim level adds highly functional amenities such as electronic windscreen height adjustment, ABS brakes and a passenger backrest. For setting a consistently high benchmark, and raising the entire maxi-scooter market profile to new levels, the Suzuki Burgman 650 earns the 2009 Big Maxi Award of Distinction.

Suzuki Burgman 650

In 2008, the third-generation Yamaha TMAX - newly arrived to the U.S. market - won the Big Maxi of the Year award.

SYM Citycom 300i – Middleweight Maxi of the Year

Every year, the Middleweight Maxi category gets a little more diversified with technology advances and stronger engines. At the head of this competitive class in 2009 is the SYM Citycom 300i. Featuring a gutsy fuel-injected 263cc four-valve engine, the Citycom 300i exhibits snappy around-town performance and handles the challenges of city freeways with ease thanks to its high-torque power curve and nimble handling. With 16-inch wheels supporting a reasonable 59” wheelbase, the SYM flagship model offers a comfortable and solidly balanced ride carrying 406 pounds (net dry weight). One of the highest priorities we seek in a quality middleweight is good fuel economy, and the 300i barely sips its juice – racking up mpg in the mid-60s even when ridden hard. The biggest challenge for Taiwan-based SYM is to establish a stronger U.S. brand presence in the scooter market. When potential riders discover that the Citycom 300i has arrived in style, a solid foothold for SYM should not be far away.

SYM Citycom 300i

A year ago, the Kymco Xciting 250Ri claimed the Middleweight Maxi of the Year title.
 
Kymco – ScooterMaxi Lineup of the Year

More than ever, Kymco has proven its commitment as a U.S. scooter lineup leader for the long haul with more than 700 dealers nationwide. While the basic Kymco line up of Middleweight Maxis and Big Maxi models hasn’t expanded, it is clear the already-impressive brand got stronger once again in 2009. By enhancing its existing partnership with Shad, Kymco is now offering color plate-matching top cases in four sizes. Kymco continues to polish its overall U.S. lineup with the highly successful introduction of the Yager 200i just below the middleweight class, and a fuel-injected 300-class scooter is on the way in 2010. Despite the slipping U.S. dollar in a struggling economy, Kymco has kept MSRP prices low to further enhance the brand’s value-oriented image. Of course, at its core the award recognizes the solid Kymco maxi-scooter lineup for its quality, variety and value: three Middleweight Maxis – the fuel-injected Xciting 250Ri, the big-wheeled People S 250, and the venerable Grandvista 250, as well as Kymco’s flagship Big Maxi model – the Xciting 500Ri.

Kymco cruising in South Carolina   

Kymco also claimed the ScooterMaxi Lineup of the Year title for 2007. A year ago, Piaggio Group was named ScooterMaxi Lineup of the Year.