Unleash the Beast my new Maxsym 600

[spaceprobe]

Its funny since being the first person in the UK to place an order for the 600 in January I have had trouble getting exited about it, in fact there was even a couple of times when I thought about cancelling the order. There are two reason for this I am a bit out of salts health wise at the moment but the main one is that my Maxsym 400 had just been running so well. Like its owner it just kept getting better with age and I could not help think that ordering the 600 was just being wasteful. However the French got their 600's before us and so reviews started to appear. I am attaching a link for a video review since even if you can not understand the dialogue it gives you a good view of the 600 in action, http://www.motor-infos.tv/video-923-sym ... uffle.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. The basis of the French review were how pleasantly surprised that were by the 600 and that indeed it was a step up from the 400. So now my appetite was wetted again however this did not stop the feelings of guilt has I rode across the beautiful Sussex countryside this afternoon to collect the 600. The 400 purred as we rode through ancient villages and forest roads. On arriving at the dealer my guilt soon turned to lust when I caught sight of my 600 for the first time. I had gone for the sports option which is basically matt grey paint work, red stitching on the seat, and red wheel rims. What can I say I thought it looked stunning. Since I was one of the first purchases SYM had included a removable lockable Shad 45 Lt top box and a huge security chain and lock. I am not a great lover of top boxes but somehow it seemed to work even if it did mean loosing the passenger backrest. Also the extra carrying capacity means I can hopefully reach my goal of using this as my main transport. The other points of note were that the linked brakes had been replaced by the new Bosch 9 ABS system, the retro chrome mirrors were now a contemporary design and colour coordinated and finally the huge round cylinder of an exhaust now resembled a laser cannon from a starship. Other changes I am told include a redesigned clutch and air box and the inclusion of a low fuel light to the fuel gauge. The Maxsym's have a bike like feel the are taller and slimmer that Burgman which that are the most similar too, and have twin bike like folks. SYM have included some nice little touches, there is a notch in the door of the battery housing to allow a charging cable to be fitted, a hole in the roof of the glove box near the two power outlets so that cables can be passed up through the handle bars (great for sat nav) and a heater vent in the front floor.. The under seat storage is slightly smaller that the 400 but it is still possible to get one full face and one half face helmet in and SYM helpfully print a diagram on the inside wall of the storage compartment to show you how to do this. It as the same triple security system, manual immobilizer under seat, ignition unit shutter and steering lock. The 600 is a little heavier than the 400 but not noticeably and in fact it may be my imagination but I thought the 600 was easier to get on the centre stand. I had got hem to prepare the bike to my specifications, i.e. screen on the tallest setting, drivers seat back on the far setting and the leavers one notch in. Therefore when I sat on it I felt instantly at home and enjoyed the comfort of the large drivers seat. So turning the key the smart blue dashboard runs through all its checks, there are warning lights for just about everything including one to remind you its time to get the bike serviced. Talking on which the service intervals have been increased on these new models but still not up there with the best of other brands. Then it was time to hit the starter button, a pleasant rumble exuded from the laser cannon and then there was nothing. Yes, this big 600 single thumper produced virtually no vibration, not through the seat and not through the bars in fact I have to check the rev counter to make sure I had not stalled. So to the open road, this is a bike that is born to be wild, there is no throttle lag power delivery is smooth and precise, it was like reaching an open field and taking a dog off the lead this bike wanted to run. I was of course aware that the brakes and the tyres had not bedded in (11 miles on the clock) and as is typically for me it had started to rain.. The 600 took the country lanes and the bends in its stride, it was like being a young biker again, in fact at one stage I thought I could feel my knee going down (at my age can you imagine) and all the time being accompanied but a pleasant rumble from the shapely exhaust. I hit the country town of Lewes at rush hour and suddenly my beast became a gentle lamb, having no problem remaining as smooth as silk in heavy slow moving traffic. Then it was onto the duel carriageway A27, and once again the 600 could feel the wind in its lights and was away again. I arrived home with a large grin and my mind taken off just how rough I was feeling. So what are the negatives , well the same ones from the 400, the dash board indicators can not be seen in bright sunlight, but they are also audible. The main speedo is in KPH with the secondary ring in MPH. The clock shows the date in the American format month/day (and its not even sold in the US). The fuel filler is under a flap in the floor and it can be difficult to see when you have reached the top. With this bike SYM have taken all good points of the 400 up to the next level and as such I think they have a winner, and it is interesting to not that all the first shipment is now sold. SYM make much about the price and in fact according to the French it even undercuts the Kymco 700 by €400 whilst the performance is the same. With its build quality, features and three year warranty a question would have to be asked if you could justify the extra £3000 for the Suzuki or £4000 for the BMW. My 400 averaged 65 miles per gallon so it will be interesting to see what this does and my insurance as gone from £130 to £164. Whilst I realise SYM is a smaller UK player I have personally been very pleased with their customer service and the way they interact with their customers. I purchased the 600 from Groombridge Motorcycles. (http://www.jwg.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;), not a dealer I used before but I was very impressed with Keith O'Regan and is team and I shall look forward to using them in the future. The trade in they offered me for the 400 was a no brainer and I would have been mad not to have taken the opportunity to upgraded and do bare in mind that now have a rather nice used 400 for sale. So with a good summer beckoning and now that I am retired I hope to put some miles on it and will come back with a long term review later in the year.

[spaceprobe]

Post script Keith from Groombridge suggested that if I wanted to organise a ride out to there in the summer they would put a barbecue on for us. Its a very large dealership so lots of bikes to look at and a very large clothing and accessory department.

[horobags]

Very nice, worth waiting for,

[johnp]

Looks great

[Raven]

Congrats and well worth the wait. Nice looking scooter. I like the Red highlights and stitching on the seat, wish Suzuki would do something like this for the burgman.

Glad to hear you're on the mend, bet you'll feel better with every mile you do on you're Maxsym 600

Raven

[Steve_D]

Very nice looking bike and you seem just a leeeetle bit happy with your purchase.

[Deleted User 796]

The matt black looks great. I'm glad this will be your main transport, I'm hoping to change the Xevo next year (it's been good but looking very tatty now) I'd be interested to hear how it copes through the winter (wear n tear, rust etc.) and if it's good with a pillion.

What are the service intervals anyway? Are the frequent services just to change the oil and filter?

[spaceprobe]

The matt black looks great. I'm glad this will be your main transport, I'm hoping to change the Xevo next year (it's been good but looking very tatty now) I'd be interested to hear how it copes through the winter (wear n tear, rust etc.) and if it's good with a pillion.

What are the service intervals anyway? Are the frequent services just to change the oil and filter?

Well I used my 400 for my daily commute all through the winter and it weathered very well, much better than my Kawasaki Vulcan. The engine oil needs changing every 6000 kl

[VOZZA]

Well done spaceprobe, lovely looking bike with some nice touches. Hope the two of you get on well for many miles, and that the bike helps you to get better soon.

[wozza]

Hurrah - the Eagle has landed!! Excellent stuff. I look forward to read more of your reviews in the future... . The SYM could well be on my list of machines for the future.
Though I'm not happy about the KMH clocks which is a bit of a pity.