SYM Citicom 300i

I picked up the CityCom at GoMoto and was immediately reminded that this is a tall scooter and I am NOT a tall person. With my 30 inch inseam, I am used to relying on my 220 pound girthy build to compress scooters down to "touching" height. The best I could manage on the CityCom was a tip-toe at stops. The CityCom is the tallest of the three scooters (Piaggio,, Kymco and SYM). For me, every aspect aside from seat height was ergonomically PERFECT on the CityCom. My hands "fell" right on the controls. The seat is among the most comfortable stock seats I've ever been on. For me, the stock windshield was the perfect height and width. I would say that the SYM CityCom 300i is as comfortable as the Piaggio BV350 and may even be more comfortable. Both have better ergonomics than the Kymco People GTi, especially in the seat.

Turn the key, wait for the system to cycle, grab a brake lever and hit the starter button - the CityCom fires right up and settles into a smooth idle. Fuel injection rocks. Acceleration from a stop is smooth and quick. Not as quick as SYM's own HD200 up to about 20 MPH, but the mid-range on the CityCom is very nice. This is one area that both the Kymco People GTi 300 and the Piaggio BV350 are much stronger than the CityCom. The CityCom is the heaviest of the three and the lowest in horsepower. It shows. The CityCom is also $700 less than GTi and $800 less than the BV.SYM CityCom 300i Scooter Front and Rear Wheels Top speed is also a lot less on the CtiyCom. What this means to you as a scooter rider depends on what you want/need from your scooter and what you are willing to spend.

The last time I rode a CityCom (2009) the brakes were just adequate. The 2013 CityCom is definitely a step up from the older version in braking performance. I found the front and rear discs to be strong and easy to modulate. Probably because I was paying extra attention to the brakes, I did my panic stop tests several times and there was no fade or change in input required. Handling was very good and proved that one doesn't have to compromise (much) to get a scooter that feels as good on 25 MPH parkways as it does on 65MPH highways. The combination of big wheels, relatively short wheelbase and upright steering geometry can feel just fine at a wide range of speeds. Of course the CityCom takes more effort on those twisty parkways than a Genuine Buddy with 10 inch wheels does. It also doesn't have the "flowing" highway ride of a Burgman 650. HOWEVER neither of those scooters feels very good on the other end of the performance perspective. Yes, I have ridden a Buddy on the highway, on fairly long rides at fairly high speeds. Skittish is being SYM CityCom Passenger Footrestskind. Yes, I have ridden a Burgamn 650 Executive on slow twisty parkways in heavy traffic. Wallowing is being kind. The CityCom will feel pretty good in either situation and just about everything in between.

Passenger accommodations are quite nice on the CityCom. My wife Bev thought a backrest would be nice, but said the seat was very comfortable, the foot-pegs were at just the right position, and the grab-rail was handy. Of course adding a rear luggage rack and trunk with a backrest makes the passenger area about perfect.

I didn't get any really long rides in during my time with this scooter, but I did manage a few jaunts on twisty roads without a lot of other traffic and the CityCom was fun. Something that can't always be said of such a practical ride.

The 2009 CityCom was an impressive machine so far as build quality goes and the 2013 version is just as good if not a touch better. The 2013 version is available in white, red, grey and dark grey or what SYM calls flat black. It's the grey version that I rode. The quality of the paint was excellent. Fit of the body panels is outstanding. Every component appears to be a high quality and very well put together. As I've said many times previously, good scooters out of Taiwan are as good as scooters from anyplace in the world. I know the flat black and grey are "safe" colors for dealers to stock, but I would like to see the red and white in person. Based on the quality I've seen, I'dSYM CityCom 300i Scooter Three-Quarter Rear View not be surprised if they were just plain gorgeous.

The overall design of the CityCom really resonates with me. I know this is largely a question of personal taste, but the CityCom is one of the few scooters that I think looks good from any angle, even the back. The rear luggage rack we all hope will make it the USA does NOT really impact the look of the scooter in a negative way. The lines stay mostly as original and if one selects a good quality trunk like a SHAD, popping the trunk off when not needed will leave a very clean looking scooter.

The quality of the 2009 CityCom was high and it certainly looks like the 2013 will continue at the same level.

Extracts from the review by David L Harrington