Kymco Myroad 700

The first thing anyone sitting on the MyRoad will notice is the compactness of the rider triangle and generous width of the seat. The seat’s backrest doesn’t allow enough rearward movement, making you feel as though you’re tyrannosaurus-rexing the handlebars. There’s also insufficient legroom for taller riders. Both front and rear brake levers are adjustable, but we had them at the closest setting leaving the remaining three settings for people with giganto hand syndrome.

All the information’s there, even the unnecessary tachometer, but a simple task like resetting the trip meter requires pushing two buttons simultaneously. Yes, we’re nitpicking, but only because it took us a while to figure out what should be a no-brainer. In the age of Apple, we expect intuitive design.

Gauge cluster arrangement includes an analog speedo and tach separated by a small digital display – informative but nothing fancy. The ignition switch is multi-functional, as it opens the fuel lid and unlocks the seat, but the operation is somewhat complicated. On the left side of the dash is a small, unlockable storage compartment, while above the rider’s right foot resides the parking brake that requires an exceptionally hefty tug to release.

The fuel-injected, DOHC, liquid-cooled parallel-Twin fires easily and settles in to an audible, vibey idle. “The engine’s a little sluggish off the line and annoyingly buzzy at freeway speeds,” says Associate Editor, Evans Brasfield. To which Scooter Boy Editor, Troy Siahaan adds, “I expected more power from the 700, it feels like it lags a bit finding the right transmission ratio, say, when trying to overtake another vehicle.”

In the handling department the 633-pound (wet) MyRoad skillfully masks its girth and displays commendable chassis stability – especially notable considering its scootering tires sizes of 15 and 14 inches, front and rear, respectively. The MyRoad’s greatest handling compromise is the unsorted damping of its suspension and ill-functioning electronic damping adjustments.

Despite the disappointing performance of the MyRoad’s suspension components, it remains a good handling scooter. The only thing restricting its cornering ability is limited clearance by way of centerstand and exhaust can.

“I was looking forward to experiencing the joys of electronically adjustable suspension on the Kymco but was mostly frustrated with it,” says Chief Scooterist, Kevin Duke. “It was surprisingly harsh on its softest setting, so there was no reason to adjust it firmer. After reducing rear shock preload to the lowest setting, overall suspension compliance improved. However, the front end still displays a harshness I’d blame on excess high-speed compression damping.”

The MyRoad’s braking system has unusually high specifications for a scooter. It boasts dual four-piston radial-mount front calipers and a two-piston rear caliper, both with steel braided brake lines and featuring standard ABS. Braking power, while not mind blowing, is ample for a 600+ pound scooter, with a firm lever but a soft bite. Toothier brake pads could prove to be a performance gain considering the high-end components.
2014 Kymco MyRoad 700i Storage

Until then, Duke best sums up Kymco’s 700i saying, “The MyRoad is a solid effort in this segment, but it’s relatively unrefined next to its challengers. Another six months of R&D – improving mirrors, turnsignal-indicator noise and engine vibration – would’ve been time well spent.”

Review: Motorcycle.com