There aren’t many truly sporty scooters on the national market. The ones that do exist are very good, though, and only a few road bikes can offer the refined dynamics of these medium-displacement automatics. One of these is the SYM Maxsym TL 508, which has been revamped and is now more powerful but also better equipped.
The sports scooter segment is small and exclusive, but it offers interesting sales figures, even without mentioning countries like Italy and France where the Yamaha TMAX has always been a best seller. This is undoubtedly the most famous model in the segment of premium sports automatics, where we also find the Kymco AK 550 Premium and where a few other models from other brands have already passed through. Honda, for example, also has proposals in this category, but with a DCT gearbox, which is different from all the others that are continuous acceleration automatics.
APPEARANCE
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SYM, the Taiwanese brand known for the good price-quality ratio of its products, surprised us in 2019 when it came out with a new model for this segment, immediately connoted as a sports car, in aesthetics and construction. They took inspiration from the segment’s best-seller and launched the TL, with a two-cylinder engine and CVT automatic gearbox with chain final drive. The weight distribution was equal on both axles, helped by the central mounting of the engine, it had a tubular steel frame and a well-designed side monoshock, as well as an aluminum swingarm. In other words, as soon as it was launched in its first generation, the TL proved to be a very sporty scooter, despite retaining maxi-scooter details such as high aerodynamic protection.
There was enough space under the seat to store a helmet and a few other objects, there was a glove compartment at the front and the digital color instrumentation was quite “lively”, so to speak. For 2023, the main features of this TL have been retained, and we’re talking about 15-inch rims that mount sports tires, an inverted fork at the front and braking with radial calipers and cut-out discs. Other key features are the central engine mount and the lateral positioning of the rear monoshock, both of which offer impeccable dynamic handling.
SECOND GENERATION
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In this revamp, the aesthetics have been retained, but the new parallel twin-cylinder engine boasts greater displacement, power and torque. The 508 cc engine produces 45.5 hp at 6,750 rpm, an increase of 11% on the previous engine. This SYM is also better equipped, now offering a traction control system and a keyless ignition system for much more comfortable general use.
THE BEST Suspension behavior, solidity of the whole, driving pleasure TO BE IMPROVED Footwell, sharp feel of the engine at low speed, windscreen too high
But there’s no turning back. The main feature of this scooter is its handling, which is very fun and safe, even at speeds that you wouldn’t normally be able to do with an automatic. The suspension, in particular, is of enormous quality, especially the rear, and you’d have to go to very high motorcycle ranges to find the same efficiency as this model. But even here there’s nothing new, as the previous model was already like this, while the braking is still top quality, in terms of the feel of the levers and the power that the calipers exert on the discs. The biggest difference is now in the twin-cylinder engine, which is smooth but more powerful and stretches further, now capable of easily exceeding 165 km/h, with average consumption of around 4.6 liters per 100 km. Agile, very stable, with a high ground clearance and Maxxis tires with plenty of grip, this Maxsym continues to be one of the most efficient scooters in the segment, now faster and with a good keyless ignition system. As for traction control, it’s an asset, even more so in town and in low-grip conditions than in sporty riding.
As for what we liked least, the footwell is somewhat reduced and the feet are in a somewhat forward position, while the accelerator is a little sensitive at low speeds. By this we mean that, although the engine is very smooth, the feel at low speed is always a little jerky, so in the city you need to get used to it, not least because you can feel the engine brake a lot in these situations. In the city, too, we’d like the windshield to be lower (it can be adjusted with a tool, but it’s always high), so that we have better visibility and some wind hitting us in the face during the hottest days. And by the way, if the handlebars were slightly higher, the riding position would be even better.
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As for the instrumentation, although there are so many ways to view it, it deserves an update, both in terms of the aesthetics of the dashboard and the information, because even with so much data, we’re missing something as important as the average consumption (ours was measured at the pump), and the model’s range. On the other hand, if you don’t care too much about details and want a sporty scooter at a good price, then this will be your choice! As for the colors, this blue from the test is no longer on sale here. The other two colors, brown and matte black, come with a 5-year warranty and a price tag of €10,449, interesting figures for a scooter that is as versatile as any other, but is sporty (and fun) on this one. It remains to be seen to what extent it will be able to compete in sales with the world’s most famous sports scooter, which for many years has been considered the benchmark in its class.