Aprilia Sport City 250 review

[GREY.HOUND]

Just read this whole thread. Sat on a SC250 today, very nice and seems to fit me well, at least from sitting on it. Thanks for all the info. Dealer has two 2009's NOS.

[Forde]

Originally Posted by klaviator

I'd never use an impact wrench to put something back on.

yeah thats what im saying but most people use one for removing and refitting the variator. including most of the how to vids on youtube!

[klaviator]

I now have 13,600+ miles on my sport city and a few updates. First of all, I crashed it going around 25-30 mph. Details are in my ride report here: http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=834584

It only had minor damage. I ended up replacing the heat shield on the exhaust and the front brake lever which had been bent but was still useable. Replacing the lever was a PITA and it took close to two hours due to having to figure out how to remove bodywork and covers and a stuck fastener. If I had to do it again it would be much quicker now that I know how to do it. I would have taken pics of the process but my camera died last weekend and I hadn't bought a new on yet. As a comparison, replacing a lever on most motorcycles is a 5 minute job.

The Kenda cruiser tire on the rear was replaced with a Kenda K567 Challenger. It had 4100 miles on it. That's the best mileage so far but I went with the Challenger because it seemed to perform a little better. Total cost for the new tire including mount and balance was under $120 at Rider's Hill.

My right front fork seal is leaking again. It had been replaced in the spring under warranty. The tech at the dealer is going to see if Piaggio will cover some of the cost to replace it as a good will gesture. The warranty is now expired.

There has been a lot of talk about poor parts support by Piaggio but the parts I ordered came in quickly and seemed more reasonably priced than parts I have bought for my Kymco.

Overall, my Sport City is still a blast to ride and really seems to run stronger since I did the valves, belt and rollers at 11.5K. I saw 89 MPH on the speedo and that's with the taller rear tire which drives the speedo/ODO.


Some pics from my last trip.



.

[oalvarez]

Hecuva thread......even for a non-sc250 owner! Great info, loved the review and your ride report as well (sorry about the mishap). Now I'm curious as to how differently a larger wheeled scooter rides (I ride my Vespa up in the canyons, it's a hoot ), I guess some test rides might be in order.

Thanks again,

[klaviator]

Originally Posted by oalvarez

Hecuva thread......even for a non-sc250 owner! Great info, loved the review and your ride report as well (sorry about the mishap). Now I'm curious as to how differently a larger wheeled scooter rides (I ride my Vespa up in the canyons, it's a hoot ), I guess some test rides might be in order.

Thanks again,

I'd be interested in the comparison too. I've never ridden a Vespa.

I agree about riding scooters on twisty roads being a hoot. It's really fun when you pass a not so fast rider on a sport bike

[hexnut]

Glad you are OK and the scooter is not damaged much. I ride much more conservative now than I did in my younger days.

Good that you got replacement parts reasonable. The muffler cover for a Kymco s 250 is $43.39 and the right brake lever is $25.09. The left lever is only $19.27. I don't know what the difference is. Replacing the lever on the Kymco takes about 5 minutes.
may the force be with you,

hexnut

[ScootTour]

my 09 sportscity is getting close to 6000 miles and next week I will have its 6k mile service. Both tires are still doing strong.m

[klaviator]

Originally Posted by ScootTour

my 09 sportscity is getting close to 6000 miles and next week I will have its 6k mile service. Both tires are still doing strong.m

Not that much to the 6K service. I hope you are doing it yourself. Change the engine & final drive oil. Clean the air filter and CVT filter. I wouldn't bother changing the roller & sliding blocks.

[ScootTour]

Originally Posted by klaviator

Not that much to the 6K service. I hope you are doing it yourself. Change the engine & final drive oil. Clean the air filter and CVT filter. I wouldn't bother changing the roller & sliding blocks.

I am not doing it myself I am taking it to an authorized Aprillia dealer however. I know people who would help me do it myself but I have heard with a vespa engine you dont want to tinker around unless you really know what you are doing.

[ScootTour]

I got my 6k mile service done and it was about $250.
I am going to call to confirm but I think the main difference between this and a simple oil change is 'sliding block/variable speed rollers' - replace. but not sure what that really means actually.

[klaviator]

Originally Posted by ScootTour

I got my 6k mile service done and it was about $250.
I am going to call to confirm but I think the main difference between this and a simple oil change is 'sliding block/variable speed rollers' - replace. but not sure what that really means actually.

Replacing the sliding blocks and rollers is somewhat of a pita due to the fact that removing the variator cover is somewhat complicated. I didn't bother to replace them until I did the 12.5K service. Although they both showed some signs of wear, I don't see any need to replace them every 6k. I won't replace them again until I do the 25K service. If you read back through this thread I covered all that including the procedure for replacing them. At 12.5K you will need to have all that done plus replacing the belt and spark plug and adjusting the valves. I would imagine that would add about add about $200 to the $250 you paid for this service. That's why I do the maintenance myself.

I recommend skipping the sliding block/roller replacement at the 6K service in the future. If you don't replace the blocks/rollers, it's basically just an oil change and filter cleaning which is easy to do yourself.

One more thing. I recommend checking and cleaning the CVT filter every couple of thousand miles. It's only a 5 minute job and the only tool required is a screwdriver. I'd also clean the engine air filter at least every 3,000 miles. I would buy a spare because you may find you need if it's in bad shape.

[ScootTour]

Originally Posted by klaviator

Replacing the sliding blocks and rollers is somewhat of a pita due to the fact that removing the variator cover is somewhat complicated. I didn't bother to replace them until I did the 12.5K service. Although they both showed some signs of wear, I don't see any need to replace them every 6k. I won't replace them again until I do the 25K service. If you read back through this thread I covered all that including the procedure for replacing them. At 12.5K you will need to have all that done plus replacing the belt and spark plug and adjusting the valves. I would imagine that would add about add about $200 to the $250 you paid for this service. That's why I do the maintenance myself.

I recommend skipping the sliding block/roller replacement at the 6K service in the future. If you don't replace the blocks/rollers, it's basically just an oil change and filter cleaning which is easy to do yourself.

One more thing. I recommend checking and cleaning the CVT filter every couple of thousand miles. It's only a 5 minute job and the only tool required is a screwdriver. I'd also clean the engine air filter at least every 3,000 miles. I would buy a spare because you may find you need if it's in bad shape.

good to know, and I am not sure they even did the sliding block because its not on the parts purchased list. Never the less my plan is to get proffesional service on the 12k and do the 6k myself moving forward.

Also, I got my 6k miles in less than 5 months which is very much not the average so I would assume some of that maintence suggestions take time into consideration because using average miles used on a motorcycle 6k miles represents well over a year.

[klaviator]

I now have put over 14,000 miles on my Sport City in the 18.5 months I have owned it. I'd have more miles on it but I do also have three other bikes to ride

[wannabe1]

PMed you

[gore-tx]

I've started looking at the Sportcity 250... There still are some brand new 2009 at a discount.
I've read this thread and I am looking for more input in terms of comfort and wind protection. Anyone has put a tall screen on it? If so how much does it affect the handling?