I recommend a Sym Simply 50 CC as a first time bike (Sym GTS 250)

Member Name: Ladymagic

Product:	Sym GTS 250
Date:	02/12/08 (797 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A sturdy , clean lined , reliable middle of the range scooter.

Disadvantages: Slow on hills until the speed restriction is removed

I wanted to buy my disabled son a scooter that would be totally reliable , cheap to run and looked less like a scooter and more like a real motor bike , to get him to and from college safely and quickly at a reasonable cost and the Sym Simply 50 cc scooter has achieved all I have asked for and more .

Bought in mid September this year ( 2008) it looks a very sturdy bike compared to the other bikes in and around my village of the same CC.
Its clean long lines make it a contender for style and although its name isn't something to shout about , its not a thing to be laughed at compared with most 50 CC scooters.

In total I paid around £1,000 for the standard bike , it comes in bright red, royal blue or silver and Mike choose the royal blue one.
Insurance for a first time rider is not cheap and I know some people will just stick on third party , fire and theft as standard for a first time biker, but my son may need extra help at some time so I went to a company who deal mainly with motorbike and scooter riders.( ask me and I'll let you know the name of the company )

The bike is now fully comp , as well as his leathers and 2 helmets are covered for the full amount ,he also has full brake down and collection cover for his bike , should in the case of an accident be unfit to drive it will be taken to the dealers/repairers and Mike transported home to us .
I believe that first time bike riders should be made to have full covered just for peace of mind for us the parents., let alone for them and anyone else on the road .........anyhow back to the love of my sons life ...........his bike.

After passing the first part of the bike test he was then on the road, or should I say up and down the hills as we live on the boarders of Devon and Cornwall and its known for its somewhat hilly terrain ( ha, thats an understatement !)

This bike has exceeded all our expectations and although it was very slow ( 10-15 MPH ) on steep hills , which caused Mike to get hooted at , sworn at and have a few fingers raised in a manner which is not befitting that of a sensible adult driver as they roared past him at times ............ but on flat ground it will sail along at between 30 -45 miles an hour depending on road speeds.

Once Mike had true road confidence ( 2 months ) we had both of the items that restrict speed taken off.
One is just the bog standard thing they put on to hold the speed down for youngsters , but as Mike is not young and foolish or can be classed as a 'jack me lad' we had the speacil chip put in ( ordered from SYM ) to improve the hill speeds and give him a big more horse power on duel carriageways, and now the bike does 45-55 on the flat and 20-25 up hills .

We have had a couple of small problems with the bike , but nothing major , just silly things like the brakes kept sticking and a plastic fitment at the back of the bike snapped , but all was fixed in quick time by the dealer we purchased the bike from under warranty ( 2 years ) and without having to ask, beg or pay a penny.

I can honestly say that this bike has been an excellent buy for a first time road user , its larger than most and from the back looks more like a motorbike that a 50 cc scooter , which makes Mike happy as he was so worry about looking like quote:

' a girl on a three wheeler and less like a man on a cool bike'

We have done some decorating of the bike to make it stand out a bit , if you go onto E-bay you can purchase sets of stickers that will make the scooter look more like a racing model , these mum had the honor of applying .
Then there's the rim edging , this comes in 4 parts for each rim side and in various colours and you have to be of very steady hand to get this on , but then its on it looks very smart.
The replacement carbon mirrors came next, along with ( only for parking not for use whilst on the road) the two blue neon under foot rest lights .
A new bright blue tax disc holder was added and I've still a few things extra to go on after Christmas.
I'm one of those rare mums who actually cares about what my son rides and what he does with his bike , I've shown him how to look after it , sort out any minor scratches and marks by cutting it back , cleaning it and the best way to store it , along with my husband who once rode with one of the most famous 1960-70 biker groups down south that there is , so its in the blood.

The Sym Simply 50cc scooter is one of the best first time bikes that we have seen and tried out and I know that my son would not change it for any other make or model ( 50 CC ) at this time , its a good clean little runner , very economical (£5 fills the tank which lasts him for 6 days averaging 3-4 trip at day) it looks smart and with the extra artwork added very sporty .
It handles very well especially around corners and is very easy to drive, unlike some of the smaller scooter which make the rider bend forward to reach the handle bars , the Sym Simply lets you sit upright with your feet flat down in front of your body at the right angle , so you dont end up with stiff, sore or deep legs after a long ride.

I would recommend this bike for all first time riders male or female , add extra artwork for the men as they like to look sporty , but for us girls its a good sturdy , easy to ride bike with style.

I'm going to put a picture of the bike in my photo gallery should you wish to see it .

Summary: Easy to ride, economical, safe, sturdy and it looks the bizz.

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