The Cali Classic is built by SYM in Taiwan. As with all SYM scooters it uses a ceramic coated cylinder that helps with cooling and longer life. The SYM influence is also evident in the fit and finish. It is near flawless.
DIMENSIONS
Length 76.38 in.
Height 44.88 in.
Width 34.25 in.
Weight 220 lbs.
Ground Clearance 7.5 in.
Wheelbase 51.57 in.
Seat Height 29 in.
ENGINE & DRIVETRAIN
Engine 4-stroke single cylinder
Horsepower 8.38 hp @ 8,000 rpm
Displacement 124.6 cc
Torque 8.33 ft. lbs. @ 6,500 rpm
Compression Ratio 9.6:1
Fuel Tank Capacity 1.18 gal.
MPG Rating 90 mpg
Ignition CDI
Starting System Electric / kick
Clutch Centrifugal type
Cooling Air
Transmission C.V.T.
OPERATIONAL
Maximum Speed 59 mph
Maximum Load 333 lbs.
Frame High strength steel
Suspension Front: Telescopic fork
Rear: Unit swing
First impressions.
The scooter is pleasing to the eye. It stood out from the others around it. With its naked handlebars , lots of shinny stuff and classic lines it has a look that jumped out at me. After a closer inspection you could definitely see that SYM influence. Everything on the scooter lines up,all fittings are tight, all plastic held in place with actual fasteners.
This particular scooter had 0 miles on it and had been on the floor for a little bit. After the fluids were changed and gas was put in it fired right up. A minor carburetor adjustment and the little 125cc purred. No rattles with the exception of the factory top-box, more on that later.
Performance
Give the throttle of twist and the Cali has snappy acceleration right up to 40 miles an hour. From 40 to 45 acceleration is still very good. From 45 up until my top end of 56 , gps, acceleration still wasn't all that bad considering this is a 125 cc scooter. I've seen others report the motor as "pokey" buts that's very unfair.
The ride
This scooter definitely has the ability to pull me around at 50 miles an hour all day long. I've been using it as my daily transportation for the last two weeks and it hasn't let me down.It does well up and over the Bridges it also does well over the steel grates. The tires seemed to be nice grippy and fairly wide for a small real scooter. As would be expected wind has its effects own this scoot.
Bumps are handled well without much jarring to the rider and the bike rides true when on washboard. The brakes are adequate for the scooter. The headlight is poor. Dim and the angle can't be raised without mods to the speedo bracket.
I've never been big on two-up riding but for the sake of this review, and impossible parking at the Fourth of July fireworks, I put a friend on the back and headed the 6 miles to Seaside Heights. The scoot had enough power to make the trip without much effort on the 35-40 mph beach roads. Even minor input from the passenger is felt quickly but again a product of smaller wheels than I'm used to.The passenger foot rests are another story, perfectly located to hit the back of the drivers calf. They are a little to far forward .
The seat is well padded but has the usual "hump" between what is perceived as the driver/passenger positions. Why builders insist on the hump is beyond me. The most comfortable position for all but the smallest of riders is on or almost on the hump.
Even in the Lance video the rider is sitting almost own the hump.
Because of a spinal cord injury I use a Roho Airhawk cushion on all my bikes and it really helps "even out" the hump on this scooter.
As a product of the wide swept back handlebars the mirrors are as good as on any bike I've ever ridden. They give a clear of of what's behind you.
The downside to the swept bars is that they promote slouching or a leaned back posture. It feels right but in a few miles it starts to get tiresome. Once I sat back up all was well. There's a little extra room to move the feet forward so I never felt cramped. That said I'm 5' 8" with a 30" inseam. Any taller and it would be a tight fit.
So what's not to like ?
Nothing is perfect and the Cali Classic is no exception. As I mentioned the seat has the hump issue. The factory top box rattled like crazy and needed a little weatherstrip to stop the rattle.
To hold the price point some things, like the controls seem adequate. The turn switch just feels "clunky". Ditto on the headlight switches. The indicator lights are also dim and hard to see in sunlight.
Storage under the seat is non-existent so without a top box it's whatever you can fit in your pockets.
Nothing that's a deal breaker.
The jury says.......
For $1999.00 with a 24 month warranty and SYM quality it's hard to beat.
Most people like the looks and if you have a reasonable expectation of what a 124cc scoot will do this could be the ride for you.
07-10-2013, 01:17 PM
07-10-2013, 01:17 PM
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