First introduced in 2008, the Xciting 500Ri is the premier maxi-scooter in the Kymco line. It is known for its speed, low center of gravity, and improved braking and ABS. Sporty and fast, Xciting is designed to be sleek, with a smooth ride. Its swooped side panels, angular headlamp, and swept back windscreen are similar to other current maxi-scooter models. Built for power, it is meant to offer excitement at a more affordable price than the other leading brands in the field. Backed by its manufacturer’s name, the Xciting has a lot of expectations to live up to. Kymco is known to provide not only comfort and maneuverability, but a plethora of other accessories that make riding this machine a holistic experience. The Xciting offers more than other regular scooters by Kymco such as People. Aptly named, the Xciting comes with a range of features to offer utmost convenience to its rider. Its driver’s seat is well padded, and the suspension handles well on bumpy roads at lower speeds, with step-less acceleration from a standing start up to cruising speed, and passing power at highway speeds. It also features fully automatic transmission, four position brake levers, a hand parking brake, a rather sturdy center stand, and an integrated engine kill switch. These features put it up to par with most scooters in its range.
Being Kymco’s flagship scooter, the Xciting 500Ri is geared towards consumers looking for affordable scooters. This scoot focuses more on having a sporty look and comes equipped with parts to back that up. It is liquid-cooled and features fuel injection, along with a CVT transmission. When put to the test against its competitors, the Kymco does come up short in a few aspects. Most of its parts either belong to unknown brands or some of the units are manufactured in-house at the Kymco factory. Although this scoot can be purchased at a considerably lower price than its big name counterparts, it may leave consumers wanting more in certain areas.
One drawback is that it is slower to accelerate to 60 miles per hour, and its braking distance at 60 miles per hour is longer than its competitors. This puts the scooter at a comparatively lower rating by most enthusiasts because acceleration and braking matter at this level. The Xciting handling corners well at slower speeds, but after 40 miles per hour it resists turn-in and has a high speed wobble, making it difficult for riders to pull it back, so it is not recommended for long highway drives or back-roading. Not being able to ride this bike on long drives or back-roading limits the amount of fun that can be had with this scooter. Still, it has a comfortable driver’s seat and cockpit, adjustable windscreens and other features, and has very good fuel efficiency, so it is a good choice for city drives and short distance commuting. This scooter can provide convenience when used within a city because most of the travelling requires short distance to be covered. It can handle well around tight corners and is convenient to park in the tightest spots.