SYM Fiddle II 125

The reproduction of retro elegance and its pure western classic design are embodied on Fiddle II. Old fashion elegance and talent. Pure westernized classic design.

The astonishing modern retro design is the integration of arc body shape, classic European head light and tail light, and the chromed garnishes. Arc line designed with classic old fashion head lamp, westernized old fashion taillight and electroplated decoration; one remarkable design. The seat offers great comfort at riding and the space under it is sufficient to accommodate your stuff after a pleasant shopping.

It is the most eye-catching ride with Fiddle II in and around the city.

Review:

The SYM Fiddle II is available in both 50cc and 125cc versions. For this review we tested a 125cc model. A lot of the features are going to be the same. Of course performance will be markedly different between the two versions.

SYM Fiddle 2 Seat Release SwitchFirst off is my personal favorite feature – the seat release switch. Yes, you can use the ignition switch, like most scooters, but there is also a seat latch release integrated with the headlight switch. Just push down on the low-beam position and the seat will unlatch. This is completely cool and very functional. I am all too often needing to add something to, or get something out of, the underseat area and with this feature I can do it without turning off the scooter and fumbling with the ignition switch.

The SYM Fiddle II is a retro-styled scooter. I think it looks similar to the Vespa LX series. It is currently available in red, white and green. I had the opportunity to see all three colours and they are quite nice. The finish work on the Fiddle II is exceptional. The red one used for this review drew attention and comments from just about everyone who saw it. The pictures in this review just don’t do it justice. When you visit your local SYM dealer, get them to wheel one outside and look at it in the sunlight – wow.

Other than the seat latch release, the control layout is very similar to most other modern automatic scooters. The dash is easy to read and includes a speedometer/odometer, high beam and turn signal indicators, and a fuel gauge. There is a small luggage hook on the inside front legshield and a nice rear luggage rack comes standard on the Fiddle II. The underseat storage is among the best I have seen in this class of scooter. It easily swallowed up my XXL helmet with room to spare. The rearview mirrors are spaced far enough apart to actually allow one to see something behind them, though they are a touch on the small side for my taste. My wife and several other average sized riders found the mirrors to be just fine.

A lot of people had a spin on our review scooter. Most of the miles were put on by me and my wife. The comments were universally positive. Handling, braking and comfort all got high marks. Performance was adequate to good depending on the expectations of the rider. I was expecting performance similar to the SYM HD125. This liquid-cooled four-valve 125 puts out 12.5 hp and is an exceptional performer. The Fiddle II is an air-cooled 125 rated at 8.5 hp. OK, to me, the Fiddle II was adequate. To people used to riding a Yamaha Vino 125, the Fiddle II seemed to have good performance. It’s also important to keep in mind that the SYM HD125 costs nearly $800 more than the Fiddle.

Braking and handling on the Fiddle II are really nice. The front disc/rear drum set up is strong and easy to modulate. The swing arm rear suspension contributes to an exceptionally nice ride and responsive handling. Most other scooters in this class have a pretty harsh ride that translates even small road hazards to the rider. The Fiddle II soaked up small bumps without disturbing the rider and provided good feedback at “brisk” riding speeds.

I would guess that the majority of people who would purchase a Fiddle II are planning to use it for mostly city riding. At speeds of 30 – 45 MPH, the Fiddle II does just fine. At higher speeds, say 55 MPH or so, the ride is less stable and the scooter feels like it’s working pretty hard. Part of this is pure geometry – small wheels (10 inch) are just not going to be as “happy” at higher speeds as big wheels are. The Fiddle II is certainly capable of brief surface highway jaunts, but I wouldn’t want to spend all day there. Of course I feel the same about the other small-wheeled retro styled scooters as well.

Again, the Fiddle II really shines in the comfort area. This scooter is much more capable than a lot of its competition when it comes to carrying a passenger. Even loaded with a 175 lb rider and a 130 lb passenger, the Fiddle II exhibited good handling and maintained a confident posture on the road.