As Taiwan’s No. 1 scooter brand and as the world’s 5th largest motorcycle and scooter manufacturer, Kymco has been a staple name for reliability since 1963.
But despite this, there are some things about Kymco scooters that aren’t as well known. or example:
- Is Kymco an acronym?
- Has Kymco both worked with BMW?
- Did Kymco seriously make a motorcycle called the “Hipster?”
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#1. What does Kymco Stand For?
In this case, “Kymco” stands for “Kwang Yang Motor Company.”
#2. Kymco & Honda = True?
Coincidence? Hardly.
In the 1960s, Kymco had a close partnership with Honda as a parts supplier.
And even after the Kymco brand launched in 1995, they still maintain their close relationship with Honda.
#3. Kymco Powered by Honda?
HugoRain, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Even though they stopped making parts for Honda in the 1990s, some Kymco models still use cloned Honda engines.
One such example is the Kymco Super 9 pictured above, which uses an engine that is based on the Honda AF18E/AF16E engine.
For more information about the Super 9, read the review for it on motorscooterguide.net.
#4. BMW & Kymco = True?
But Honda isn’t the only motorcycle manufacturer that Kymco partnered with.
In 2008, BMW approached Kymco to make the water-cooled, single-cylinder engines for the new BMW G450X Enduro motorcycle (pictured below).
#5. The Kymco…Hipster?
The Kymco Hipster is a 125 cc cruiser motorcycle with a thumper engine – (i.e., a single-cylinder four-stroke) made in 2003.
However, despite the baffling name, there’s not much other information available about it, apart from a spec listing on sites like bikez.com.
#6. What Does “AK550” Stand For?
And in case you’re curious about the abbreviation, the “AK” stands for “Anniverssary Kymco.”
7. The Kawasaki J300 = Kymco?
“Wait a minite – Kawasaki? Wasn’t this list about Kymco?” Yes, it is – hence why I brought up the J300 maxi scooter.
Like the BMW G450X, the Kawasaki J300 was made as part of a partnership between Kawasaki and, you guessed it – Kymco.
If you look at the J300 and the Kymco Downtown 300i, you’ll see that they’re nearly identical.
