Kymco AK550 First Look Review

Kymco is a well known scooter making brand the world over including Europe and even the United States of America. Plus, the company makes scooters for BMW and Kawasaki and has a portfolio ranging from 50cc to 550cc, with a few electric ones for good measure. But they have little to no recognition when it comes to the Indian market. So, when we got a call from the company for a visit to Taiwan to know about its India plans, and ride (albeit briefly) their flagship AK 550 maxi scooter, it was an opportunity too good to pass up.

Visual appeal

Before we get into detailed explanations, let us make one thing clear from the outset, the AK 550 will not be coming to India. The company does intend to enter the Indian market, though, and that too with a maxi-scooter, but it will not be the AK 550. The AK is Kymco’s flagship scooter and showcases what the company is capable of. And there is no better way to judge a company than to test its best product.

The AK is truly a stunning looking thing. The front cowl houses twin headlamps, the indicators are mounted on the side panels and the overall design of the scooter is all sharp edges and steep lines. There is no step-through gap or floorboard here, instead the area is occupied by the fuel tank. The seats are split and feature a small backrest for the rider with a slightly larger one for the pillion. Moving to the rear, the tail rises sharply and is flanked by a massive exhaust muffler on one side and just air on the other. The tail lamps, along with the entire lighting system on the scooter, are LEDs. And it rides on 15-inch wheels shod with Metzeler, yes, Metzeler rubber front and rear.

What’s in the kit?

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You get keyless start, with a knob that sits just below the handlebar centerpiece that rotates between ignition, kill switch, fuel cap and seat release. Though it does look a bit flimsy, it works rather well, but does take a bit of getting used to. The instrument display is completely digital, comprising of three separate units.

The central screen is a circular TFT display flanked by a digital tachometer on the left and a digital speedo on the right. The central colour screen employs something called Noodoe, which is Kymco’s software system that links the rider’s mobile with the screen via an app and can display various vehicle statistics and can be fully customized to display whatever information the rider wants. You also get premium quality switchgear along with heated grips for cold weather, as well as a fly screen that actually works. 

What are the mechanicals like?

It is powered by a Kymco-developed 550cc liquid-cooled, parallel-twin, 8-valve DOHC engine that makes 54PS of max power and about 55Nm of peak torque. The engine is mated to a CVT automatic transmission, which puts power on the road via a 160-section Metzeller rear tyre shod on a 15-inch wheel. In addition, the AK 550 comes with a twin petal disc radial Brembo brake setup up front and a single disc setup at the rear, with dual-channel ABS.

The suspension up front comprises of a set of 46mm upside-down forks, while the rear gets a horizontal trailing arm. Do keep in mind, we’re talking about a scooter here. There’s enough high-end hardware here to put a lot of motorcycles to shame.

What’s it like to ride?

Yes, the meat of the matter. For starters, the Kymco is a fairly large scooter. To draw up a comparison, it is over 300mm longer than the Activa 125, with an equally longer wheelbase and that is massive. There is ample space to move around on the seat and the perch is comfortable and well supportive. Even with two people on board, it shouldn’t get uncomfortable at all. The extra long wheelbase also means it’s stable in a straight line and since the engine is attached to the chassis, it has less unsprung weight and a lower centre of gravity.

To ride though, it isn’t dramatically different from any conventional automatic scooter. You still thumb the starter to wake the engine up from its slumber and the two handlebar levers operate the front and rear brakes. And to get going, all you need to do is twist the right wrist. But where the difference lies is in the way it goes. If you wring the throttle the way I did, the acceleration is immediate and hard. It’s not superbike fast, but it will surprise you. The speed climbs relentlessly and even past the 140kmph mark, it doesn’t stop accelerating. We had to slow down after that point as we ran out of road on the Kymco test track, which is essentially an arrow straight road with two figure of eights marked out at either end.

Brake hard and the twin-disc setup up front responds with equal urgency as the throttle. The dual-channel ABS works really well with the system cutting in for the rear a little earlier than the front to keep the massive 220kg scooter true to its line. The suspension too is very well balanced. The track had a patch of rough road setup to test the suspension capabilities of the Kymco scooters - a bad patch along with rumble strips, potholes, washboard ruts and cobbled surfaces. The AK managed all undulations with ease, with only the washboard ruts causing a slight bit of discomfort, that too because we were going a little faster than we should have.

With very little unsprung weight and most of it sitting very close to the ground, the AK gets a very low centre of gravity, which makes it agile. Changing directions required minimal effort and as we repeated the loops of the figure of eight, the more confidence inspiring the scooter got in the corners. It almost felt like a motorcycle through the turns and no matter how low we leaned, there was ample grip from the Metzellers.

ZigSays

The AK 550 is like nothing we’ve ridden before, and it is honestly a phenomenal product. You could slap a Yamaha badge on it and no one would be any wiser. But unfortunately, Kymco will not get the AK 550 to India because it is just too expensive - 10,000 euros or around Rs 8.5 lakh (excl. duties). But the maxi-scooter that will come to our country eventually will definitely share its DNA with the Kymco flagship and that, in our books, is a big thumbs up.