+ Click to Enlarge SMOOTH SCOOTER: The Kymco B&W 125 has clean-burning four-stroke power in a sophisticated chassis, wrapped in stylish bodywork. Pix: DAVE ABRAHAMS

July 5, 2000
By Dave Abrahams

TEST DATE: April 2000

Taiwanese manufacturer Kymco was among the first of the big scooter makers to recognise that street-going two-strokes would soon be legislated out of existence and to begin developing four-stroke scooters for export as well as for the lucrative home market.

Now, with the B&W range comprising 125, 150 and 250cc versions of its smooth-running SOHC single, the factory is in Phase 2 of Taiwan's emissions control programme that attempts to limit exhaust and noise pollution.

The scooter's almost absurdly large exhaust cannister not only keeps the motor so quiet that you can't hear it idling in traffic but also contains the first catalytic converter to be fitted to a Kymco four-stroke. It limits the bike to unleaded fuel, which can impose its own problems, and runs so hot it could almost glow in the dark.

This is typical of cat-crackers but the tailpipe still retains enough heat to blister unwary ankles long after the motor stops. Indeed, a warning notice on the body advises riders to treat the bike's exhaust with respect.

The water-cooled 125cc single, a little undersquare at 52.4 x 57.8mm bore and stroke, kicks out 7.5kW at 7500rpm and runs incredibly smoothly, almost without vibration, and revs willingly well past its power peak. In fact the B&W reached its maximum of 102km/h with just under 9000rpm on the tacho.

The belt-driven CVT transmission drives through a centrifugally operated multi-disc dry clutch set to take up at quite low revs, well below the motor's torque peak at 6500. This means the bike will pull away on a whiff of throttle and can be trickled smoothly through the heaviest commuting traffic.

The downside is that, even at full throttle, the B&W accelerates very gently for the first few metres before the motor picks up revs and begins to pull with meaning. Then it will zip ahead of the traffic, up to about 90km/h, before it runs out of steam. Triple-digit progress requires distance and patience.

Make no mistake, the Kymco's two-stroke competition will out-pull it from a standing start with ease but only by using a "lazy" clutch and lots of revs. Two-strokes move through traffic in a series of bursts, like a heavy-duty chainsaw, so the four-strokes are more civilised. Another unusual characteristic of the B&W: it's the first scooter I've ridden that has some engine braking, at least down to 2000rpm when the clutch decouples. It's a very strange feeling until you get used to it.

The Kymco is built on a conventional tubular-steel backbone chassis, a J-curve between the steering head and the engine mounting plates. The leg shields are thicker and more integrated than usual because they enclose not only the radiator and its fan but also the 10-litre fuel tank. This lowers the centre of gravity; the usual position over the rear wheel is not ideal in terms of weight distribution and quick steering.

For much the same reason the motor is set as low as possible in the chassis, lending remarkable stability in a scooter with 12-inch wheels.

The front suspension uses 33mm conventional forks with very short travel and devoid of adjustment. They bottom only on the occasional gutter but allow a wiggle on longitudinal cracks in the tar. The rear suspension has the first twin-shock set-up I've seen on a scooter, is built on a full swing-arm and gives great road-holding. Even on the softest of five preload settings the ride is firm - firmer than the front - but the bike turns in like a ferret after a rat and tracks true even on bumpy roads. This, and the fact that the B&W will run flat out with only one hand on the bars, without shaking its head, is a measure of how far scooter chassis design has come in only about five years

Each wheel has a disc brake with identical twin-piston floating callipers gripping a 220mm rotor in front and a 200mm at the back. Despite the more powerful specification on the front brake, it is not as sharp as the rear. This has long been standard on scooters, perhaps deliberately because of the built-in rearward weight bias of the genre and because they will be ridden by people never taught to ride a motorcycle.

What isn't allowed for is the transfer of the rider's weight on to the front wheel under hard braking. I had to brake very hard and was disconcerted when the back wheel locked up as the front suspension dived. Thereafter I treated the left-hand lever with some respect; the front brake is plenty for lane-splitting chores.

I know looks are largely in the eye of the looker, but I think the B&W is one of the prettiest of scooters. The test bike was smoothly finished in metallic blue with a faux carbon-fibre kickstrip at foot level and the lines of the front panel lead down to a point, echoed by the two extra air intakes and the lozenge-shaped headlight covers that also contain neat parking lights.

The front indicators are in the lower body, also under clear covers - they get their colour from orange bulbs that look cute but might pose a replacement problem.

A neat cast-alloy carrier with grab-rails protects the rear end from shopping trolleys and the stepped seat is broad and deeply padded. It unlatches with the ignition key to reveal a storage compartment big enough for a helmet and with courtesy light that works even with the ignition off.

The fascia is one of the best I've seen on any two-wheeler, putting many cars to shame both with its neat layout and its lavish appointments. Gauges for revs, fuel level and coolant temperature, a digital clock and all the normal warning lights flank the usual speedo. There's even a little green LED next to the speedo that turns red when the bike is due for service - I shan't be surprised if next year's model has one to remind you on your anniversary.

The mirrors are on neat, but unnecessary, anti-vibration mountings and look like they were cloned from those on the Ferrari F40.

After more than seven million scooters, Kymco is getting it right. The four-stroke motor frees us for ever from remembering to top up the oil and the footwell is roomy enough for longer Western legs. The styling is smooth and unfussy; the fit and finish of the body panels will stand comparison with anything on the market. All I could ask for would be a sharper front brake and a little more bottom end power - roll on the 250.

Thanks to Nick Viljoen at Mototech (Cape Town) for the loan of the B&W. It costs (March 2000) R15790.

SPECIFICATIONS

Motor: Liquid-cooled four-stroke single.
Capacity: 124.6cc.
Bore x stroke: 52.4 x 57.8mm.
Valvegear: SOHC with two overhead valves per cylinder.
Compression ratio: 10.6:1.
Power: 7.55kW @ 7500rpm.
Torque: 9.8Nm @ 6500rpm.
Induction: Keihin VE carburettor.
Ignition: C.D.I.
Starting: Electric and Kick.
Transmission: CVT drive with dry multi-disc centrifugal clutch.
Suspension: 33mm conventional cartridge forks at front, twin hydraulic shock absorbers, adjustable for preload, at rear.
Brakes: 220mm disc with twin-piston floating calliper at front, 200mm disc with twin-piston floating calliper at rear.
Tyres: Front: 120/70 x 12" tubeless. Rear: 130/70 x 12" tubeless.
Wheelbase: 1390mm.
Seat height: 810mm.
Dry weight: 138kg.
Fuel capacity: 10 litres.