It seems like it was yesterday, but it was at the turn of the millennium when the concept we have today of maxi scooters was born. Before, and during some years of the first decade of the century, most of the then only large scooters were simple oversized versions of the models that the brands had in their portfolio, inefficient and with limited performance when using the propellers in the situation. traditional, that is, on the rear wheel swingarm.
The idea was to gain share on two sides: among those who were looking to park medium and large displacement motorcycles and who found them the perfect option to continue riding; and the new users, more urbanites – with 125 cc and 200 cc scooters for the most part – who wanted to make the leap to a larger displacement without switching to traditional motorcycles. But then Yamaha arrived and changed everything with the TMax: the first sports maxi scooter that it presented in 2000 and launched on the market a year later. The brand with the three tuning forks already had its great Majesty, but the change brought about by the chassis configuration of the new TMax, housing the engine (already a powerful twin cylinder), opened the door wide for the arrival of other large sports scooters. .
The TMax has had several generations in these more than twenty years and all starting from the medium displacement par excellence, 500cc, and today it is the best-selling sports scooter in Europe since its launch, leading a select market.
But technology has democratized its access to other great models and several brands continue (and return) to bet on this segment as a showcase of their good work. Brands like Honda, which with its Forza 750 and, above all, with X-ADV, have opened new paths for these large faired frames.
In 2017, the winged brand revolutionized the biker parish with the disruptive time and seeing how it disappeared in 2010) and a new double transmission (DCT) instead of the traditional variator: a clutch for the even gears and another for the odd ones. For those who like the technical idea, but do not fully agree with this croosover bet, Honda has the Forza 750, a more road-going version and more, above all, more elegant.
Also Asian manufacturers such as Sym with its TL, which have been growing in engine and performance thanks to a strong investment in technology or Kymco, which in 2017 decided to stand up to the almighty TMax with its AK550, a sports bet surrounded by up to 45 new patents and the great idea of separating the gearbox and the engine to facilitate maintenance, and even Piaggio, which has not hesitated to bet big, after being the father of double front wheel tricycles, with its Mp3 530 HPE Exclusive that It represents the most advanced evolutionary step of this type of frame and the first to surpass the 500 cc barrier.
In electric terms, although it may seem incredible, evolution is being slower and only BMW can boast of having a model that can fit into this maxi scooter typology: the CE 04, a unique bet with a powerful 31 kW engine (about 42 HP equivalent ) futuristic design.
A pandemic, that of Covid-19, a crisis, that of chips and the problems that it brought to the automotive sector worldwide, a war, that of Russia in Ukraine, which has triggered inflation with the consequent contraction of the access to customer financing… Nothing has managed to defeat Kymco’s intention to finally bring its AK 550 Premium to Spain.
The first generation was launched in 2017 to challenge the king of the board, the Yamaha TMax, this renewed offering from the Taiwanese brand maintains its original DNA, with the 45 patents that surround it and the great technical solution that comes with having a powertrain. divided into two blocks (engine – the most powerful in the category with its 50.3 HP – and transmission) separated from the transmission, which favors its maintenance and adjustments.
The AK 550 Premium is a true missile on the road with a cornering behavior unlike that of a traditional scooter and more typical of a sports motorcycle. This surprising response in turns is multiplied by the brand’s successful proposal to incorporate cornering ABS designed by Bosch.
This new generation with softer lines maintains dimensions (2,220 mm and 1,450 mm in height) and a front and rear weight distribution (the total is 238 kilos) of 50%-50%. The frame is a double beam made of aluminum alloy weighing only 13.5 kilos to which the engine is anchored to gain rigidity. For its manufacturing, Kymco has opted for several cutting-edge techniques such as low-pressure casting, hydroforming (using liquid injected aluminum at high pressure), extrusion (where the molten material is forced) and casting with individual heat treatment in the parts. Keyless start, the brand’s integrated navigator, two driving modes and SOS assistance are other of its attractions.
Its price, groundbreaking for the segment: 11,999 euros
For many, the concept of a sports scooter is almost an oxymoron, but you only have to get on any of these models to realize, curve by curve, that they are much more than just large scooters.