GOING DOWNTOWN?
After a capable commuter scooter that’s nippy, nimble and not too expensive?
Kymco Agility City+ 125
Having recently moved away from the MoreBikes HQ in Lincolnshire, down to Sevenoaks, Kent, I was on the lookout for something well built for navigating built-up towns and busy centres. So when I was offered the opportunity to test Kymco’s Agility City+ 125 I eagerly took them up on the opportunity to try out this urban-styled commuter scooter.
Over the last couple of months I’ve battled through the congested urban sprawl, wound my way along twisty back roads, and powered (within reason) along arrow-straight main roads. Basically, I’ve been all over to see how well this thing holds up on the daily commute.
Kymco opened their doors in Taiwan back in 1964, originally starting out with a technology transfer from Honda. But over the years Kymco have become one of the leading global powersports brands in their own right, endeavouring to create personal vehicles that ‘win the hearts of consumers all over the world’. To do that, they’ve got a healthy stable of rides, which includes scooters, motorcycles, mobility scooters, ATVs and utility vehicles. Focusing on twowheels, they’ve got everything from 50cc scoots to 550cc threewheelers.
The Agility City+ is their urban commuting machine. From the moment it was unloaded from the van I was impressed with how it looked: strong, angular lines across its bodywork giving it an aggressive look not commonly seen on city commuters, with the twotone black and light blue offering a striking appearance. The headlights and indicators are integrated into the front of the scooter, just above its wheel – yet they're high enough to be easily visible to other road users. And there’s a small windshield which curves back just over the dashboard, too. The dash itself is surprisingly simple, almost old-school, but it still provides everything you need. It contains an analogue speedo and a fuel gauge, above which there’s the full beam indicator. There’s also a digital display containing a clock and trip information. Like I said, simple, but effective. My only problem with the dash is that the speedo has KM/H as the larger, more detailed numbers, with MP/H as the smaller ring on the inside. The other problem is that whilst the numbers on the speedo light up, the needle
doesn’t – which can make
it hard to see what speed you’re going when riding at night.
Underneath the dash is a lockable compartment which contains a charging point, and it’s just big enough to fit your phone and/or wallet. The seat is really comfortable, too, with plenty of space for a pillion passenger when the time comes, and ample storage underneath. The model on test also came with a Shad top box fitted. Kymco actually work with the luggage firm to create kit that’ll fit easily to their rides, which is a nice touch, particularly for a smaller firm. The comfort continues with the footboards, which offer enough space to easily have your feet in front of you, but it also wraps slightly around the side and offers a bit of flexibility if you prefer a more focused, motorcyclestyle riding position.
The Agility City+ is powered by a 125cc Euro5 engine which kicks out a maximum of 8.8hp. Being primarily designed for towns and cities, it gets up to 30 and even 40mph quickly enough, but anything more is a bit of a strain. I managed to squeeze 56mph out of it, but it was a long process to get it there. But then again, it’s important to remember this is a scooter meant for commuting, not cruising along faster roads.
The brakes on the Agility City+ are fantastic, brought together through the power of CBS. With 260mm discs at the front and 240mm at the rear, they provide sharp and responsive speed reduction, helping you feel in control at all times.
The suspension is made up of a 33mm hydraulic telescopic fork with 95mm travel at the front, whilst the rear has a single swing arm with adjustable hydraulic shock absorber with 81mm travel. Boy is this thing smooth to ride; manhole covers, uneven road, bumps, it doesn’t matter… There wasn’t a single road condition that I put under this thing’s tyres where I wasn’t comfortable the entire time.
All of these things put together mean that Kymco’s Agility City+ handles very well, and with a dry weight of 114kg it’s light enough that you can throw it around; easily nipping through tight streets, filtering through traffic, and even banking it around sharper bends.
When it comes to night rides (minus my previous comments about how hard it is to see your speed at night), I was pleasantly surprised by the Agility City+. Normally on anything dedicated to urban riding the dipped beams aren’t all that potent. However, these were more than up to the task, and the full beams did a great job on the rare times I felt I needed them.
I’ve ridden all shapes and sizes of two-wheeled machines in my first year on the road, but nothing has come anywhere close to being such an ideal bike for nipping through town on. Whether you’re after something for tackling the commute to work, grabbing some groceries, meeting friends, or just riding for the sake of riding, this is a great option. And at £2599 it hardly breaks the bank for a machine of this quality and versatility. As much as I love riding geared bikes, I’m going to actually miss this great little commuter scooter when it goes back, thanks to its ease of use and the delight it makes you feel doing something as simple as nipping along a high street (I can’t believe I’ve actually written that).
If you’re into automatics and you like to get to where you’re going as fast as possible then there are plenty of other options on the market, but if you’re after a reliable, comfortable and very affordable machine which feels so at home nipping through city streets, I have no qualms in recommending the Kymco.