behind it , or move well back towards the pillion seat . There is PLENTY of room for a pillion , and pretty decent fold-out rear pegs for them too . However , it is to scooters what Australia is to islands ... rather large . And on my first foray around town , instead of nippy zipping mobility , I found the Sym 300 to be about as wieldy as a footbridge .
INNER BEAUTY Look I ’ ll be honest , at first it wasn ’ t my cup of tea . I feared writing this review . So , to get a fairer assessment I spent a lot of time on it . Going to the gym . My agent . Coffee shops . Newmarket shopping trips , Mt Albert visiting , Kumeu to friends , cruised the wilds of the North Shore , zapped around the Titirangi hills , and plundered the supermarket . And perhaps begrudgingly , I began to appreciate it . For a scooter that looks like it weighs as much as
Nova Scotia , I chucked it round town , over speed humps , into car parks , and hurtled down motorways . Yes , it is quite heavy at 200kg , but slowly the silliness gave way to a sort of stylish oozing comfort . I oiled my way around the streets , cruising about with a silky demeanour . And by hokey that space below the seat can hold a lot , even if the hydraulic strut prevents full opening . On another positive note it is dead easy to ride once you are running , and providing you ’ re not into lane-splitting , one tends to just relax and roll about while the world goes on uninterrupted , in effect it smooths and soothes your mindset . Cool and cruisy . Nice . And then just as you are thinking that this shiny Taiwanese beastie may not be unforgiveable , you run low on gas . And that is when I got a bit cross . The fuel filler cap is located on the running boards between your feet . Pop the button , a flimsy black plastic
KIWI RIDER 107