The Kymco Xciting is a maxi-scooter produced by the Taiwanese manufacturer since 2005. It was first sold with 250 and 500 cc engines, received a more aggressive second series in 2009 and a 400 cc engine in 2011, and has since grown into a family of its own.
Kymco Xciting at a glance
| Maker | Kymco, Taiwan |
|---|---|
| Type | maxi-scooter |
| Produced since | 2005 |
| First shown | Intermot, Munich, July 2004 |
| Engines at launch | 251 cc and 498 cc singles |
| 250 power | 20.1 hp at 7,250 rpm |
| 500 power | 37.4 hp (27.5 kW) at 7,500 rpm |
| Front brakes | two 260 mm discs |
| Rear brake | single 240 mm disc |
| Second series | spring 2009, LED headlights |
| 400i | shown at EICMA 2011, built from 2012 |
| ABS | optional from June 2014 |
History of the Kymco Xciting
First series (2005)
The Xciting was presented at the Intermot show in Munich in July 2004 and went on sale in the first months of 2005, available in black and silver with either engine and in orange and blue for the 500 only. The 250 had an actual displacement of 251 cc from a liquid-cooled two-valve four-stroke single producing 20.1 hp at 7,250 rpm and 20.5 Nm at 6,500 rpm. The 500 was a liquid-cooled 498 cc single with double overhead camshafts and four valves, making 37.4 hp (27.5 kW) at 7,500 rpm and 37.1 Nm at 5,000 rpm. Both used two 260 mm front discs and a single 240 mm rear disc.
Second series (2009)
A second series shown in spring 2009 had a more aggressive, sportier design: the front received a new light unit with LED headlights and the rear a more sculpted grab handle for the passenger. Colours were anthracite, orange, white and black. The R version, the only one sold in Italy, was distinguished by red brake calipers, a white rev counter, sportier suspension settings and a height-adjustable smoke-black screen; its engines were the 300 and the 500. The chassis was revised with a fork clamped in a double crown, 40 mm stanchions and 110 mm of travel, a rear engine-transmission unit acting as the swingarm with two shock absorbers of 100 mm travel adjustable for spring preload, and the same two front discs and single rear disc. The 300 and 500 were both fuel-injected Euro 3 liquid-cooled four-strokes, with 23.8 hp and 38.4 hp respectively.
400i and S 400i
At EICMA 2011 Kymco showed a light styling update and a new 400 cc G5-SC engine. The model entered production in 2012 and was sold in Europe from spring 2013; the 400 initially joined the R300 and R500, and unlike them it used a new double-crown fork of 41 mm and a new braking system with two 280 mm front discs. The injected, liquid-cooled 400i made 36.1 hp and 37.7 Nm. ABS became available at extra cost in June 2014, and the 300 and 500 left production in 2015. In November 2017 the new-generation Xciting S 400i debuted at EICMA, based on an evolution of the previous frame but with new, sportier styling, a sharp twin full-LED headlight, the updated G5-SC 400 engine with 36.1 hp at 7,500 rpm and 37.7 Nm at 6,250 rpm in Euro 4 form, digital instruments and the Kymco Noodoe navigation system. The S sat alongside the previous 400i without replacing it. A light restyling of the Xciting S 400 was presented in November 2021 with cosmetic changes and improved navigation, a Euro 5 engine of 34 hp and 38.4 Nm at 6,000 rpm and standard TCS traction control. In November 2022 the Xciting VS400i joined the S400i, a limited edition of 500 units for the Italian market with a dedicated front shield, sharper lights, specific plastics and a two-tone matte white and black finish; sales began in 2023.
Design and features
- Maxi-scooter size: two 260 mm front discs and engines up to 500 cc.
- Sporty R version: red calipers, white rev counter and an adjustable screen.
- Big-wheel chassis: 40 mm fork on the second series, 41 mm on the 400i.
- Noodoe navigation: introduced on the Xciting S 400i in 2017.
- Traction control: standard on the 2021 Xciting S 400.
Kymco Xciting versions
- Xciting 250: 251 cc single with 20.1 hp.
- Xciting 500: 498 cc four-valve single with 37.4 hp.
- Xciting R 300 and R 500: sporty second-series versions.
- Xciting 400i: new 400 cc engine from 2012.
- Xciting S 400i: new-generation model from 2017 with Noodoe.
- Xciting VS400i: 500-unit Italian edition from 2023.
The Xciting was Kymco’s largest scooter, above the Downtown and the People. More models are in the Kymco collection.
Sources
- Kymco Xciting, Italian Wikipedia: history, engines, chassis, versions
- Kymco, English Wikipedia: company background
