Shameless plug: Daelim S2 250 site

[gusset]

I put up a fairly simple web site about some of my thoughts and experiences with my Daelim S2 250. Maybe someone will find it helpful if they are looking for an owner's report of sorts (actual owner testimonials are hard to find for this scoot in the US).

www.pacifier.com/~kvbruhn/s2_main.html

[automattic]

Nice website you got.

[Admin]

That's good info. I looked at Daelim at the Expo and was impressed with what I saw.

[tastroman]

Gussett,

As you know I was going to buy an S-2 about a week ago but in the end decided to just drive my Elite until the wheels fall off. I never did test drive the S-2 but sitting on it gave me the feel that it was a quality scoot.
During my research I can across a Korean motorcyclist(living in Korea) and asked him what he thought of Daelim. He said they hold the largest market share in Korea for motorcycles with Hysoung coming in 2nd. He said they are on par with Japanese motorcycles as far as reliability is concerned. This seems to be a pretty good endorsement for Daelim.
Please keep us informed how yours is doing as there are not many out there yet and you seem to be putting some miles on yours.

[gusset]

Say, Tastroman, that's good info. Nice to "hear from" someone a little closer to the company's stomping grounds.

Thanks for passing that along.

[tastroman]

Gussett, how about an update on the s-2. Hows it doing this spring.

[gusset]

tastroman said:

Gussett, how about an update on the s-2. Hows it doing this spring.

Been running well, thanks for asking! There was a nasty-ish cold streak for a little bit that kept me off the road in the beginning of January, but since then I've driven my car to work twice, and one of those was because I took 3 kids with me to work for "Take Your Kids To Work Day"...Elmo's been busy getting my carcass to and from work, rain or shine (my S2 is red, so we named it after the little fuzzy red monster on Sesame Street).

No problems or breakages as of yet. 8000km is coming up pretty soon on the odometer. My opinion of this bike remains high.

I guess in the interest of full disclosure there are a few items worth mentioning, even though they are fairly minor:

1) A minor rattle has developed up front somewhere that I can discern when stopped and when I am not wearing earplugs. I have not yet gone digging for it.

2) When I get it up over 60mph or so (~72 indicated), I have begun noticing an extra vibration that feels like it's originating in the powertrain; my guess is that it's belt vibration. A little forum digging tells me that it's somewhat common in 250cc bikes, including some of the upper end bikes from Kymco and Honda, so I'm not worried about it. I'm thinking that it could be a bit of belt stretch, which can loosen the slack side of the belt under load, because the vibe has not always been present. My rear tire is going to need changing before too much longer, so I'm thinking about having the dealer swap out the belt at that time to see if it changes anything (maybe a Gates belt with the aramid reinforcement).

3) Idle speed has dropped in 2007, and I need to adjust it a bit. I don't know if it's due to engine vibration causing the adjustment screw to back off a skosh, or something else.

4) Fuel economy seems to have increased slightly. For the past 2 months it's been closer to 64-65mpg than the 62mpg it had been getting. Theories abound (low idle, driving habits, gas quality, temperature, etc.).

I guess I need to add this stuff to my "news/bloggish stuff" page.

Where does one purchase good quality scooter belts? What about tires?

Anyway, it's still running well, and for some strange reason I've been feeling better and better about my purchase lately whenever I visit the gas station...

[luciano136]

gusset said:

1) A minor rattle has developed up front somewhere that I can discern when stopped and when I am not wearing earplugs. I have not yet gone digging for it.

I opened the area around my windshield and re-tightened some things. It was mainly the windshield that caused the noise. Most of the rattle in the front is gone now. Of course, yours could be a different issue...

[HPS MotorSports LLC]

Any Daelim Dealer should be able to get you a good belt... Although I dont recomend Daelims replacement as they are pricey....Belive me Daelims are my top line. MRP sells good kevlar belts but youd have to go thru an MRP dealer to get them. As far as tires go I am a dealer for Marshalls Dist who handle Dunlops, CHeng Shen and a few others. they have a nice selection.

[MLN]

Mike

Is the 2 year 24 month warranty on the Daelim scooters parts and Labor? What is the going price of a S2? What is the real "GPS" top speed of an S2? What is the parts availability situation for them?

Thanks
MLN

[HPS MotorSports LLC]

MLN...Yes its parts AND Labor on the Daelim's.... First 2000 Km's is bumper to bumper. The going price with freight and prep is about $4300 (S2-250). I have no problems at all with Daelim getting parts for any scoot they have! Dont know what the true GPS'ed speed is ..All I can tell you is that the fastest I have been on one was 85mph. I was passing a Miata with a really cute blond....hehehehe

[tastroman]

Well, I finally broke down and bought an S2 250. A local dealer had a good price on a demo with 200 miles on it and I just could not pass it up. I should be selling my much beloved Elite 250 tomorrow.
I have only had it for a day but here are the things I noticed right off the bat in comparison to my Elite. The Daelim has better acceleration off the line and is much more stable at 50mph plus speeds. On the down side it is less flickable at low speeds. The underseat storage is great. It will hold my XL Nolan full face helmet. I also like the fact that it runs quiet. The mirrors provide a good view of whats behind you.
Here is what I do not like about it. This might not be fair as the Daelim has a tough act to follow. Even with the taller aftermarket windshield, the wind hits me about helmet level creating a lot of wind noise.(I am 6'1") On the Elite the wind was deflected over my head. And from a comfort standpoint the floorboards are a little high for me. When sitting, my knees are actually a little higher than my hips. Fortunately there is a lot of foot space so seating positions can be adjusted if you feel the need to move around a little. I followed Gussets instructions and put some felt between the windshield and frame to stop the windshield from rattling at idle. The speedometer and odometer read in km not miles. The scooter comes with a 2 year warranty but to keep it valid you need to replace the fuel filter, and air filter every 6 months. The user manual could use some better translation for the US market. For instance, blinkers are referred to as winkers.
Right now I am having mixed emotions. If it proves to be reliable I am sure I will learn to overlook the few things that bother me.

[gusset]

Congrats on the new scooter! I appreciate your comments, especially the comparative ones, as I have no extended experience with other scooters to gage against. Regarding the floorboards, do you think that's a matter of getting used to it, or does it actually seem inferior to your Elite?

I know what you mean about the wind screen; I expect a noisy ride on a bike, so it doesn't bother me, especially after riding for a month with the stock screen, but I definitely know what you mean. Is the screen on your Elite taller than the S2, or is it just a better design of screen? I wonder if there's a laminar lip for another model of scooter that would fit the S2.

Your comment about the fuel and air filters brings up a question. The service manual shows that the air cleaner has to be inspected at the 4000km/6 month interval, not automatically replaced. I wonder which has precedence, owner's or service manual? I guess that's one to ask Daelim USA about. I'll fire off an email and see if they can tell me.

[tastroman]

I think I like the location of the floorboards on the Elite better. The Elites are a few inches lower and the seat is a little higher so from hip to knee there is about a 10 degree decline as opposed to a 5 degree incline on the S-2. Maybe I just need to adjust to the S2's seating position, but in the 1 1/2 hour trip back from the dealership my butt was getting tired. On the Elite my back would be the 1st part to get tired.
The aftermarket windshield I have on the Elite is really high. I have to straighten up in order to look over it. The trade off is that at night you get a glare from hairline scratches in it so its hard to see through.
Gusset, have you had any luck finding tires for your S-2? What did you see about the Avons that scarred you? I used to run Avons on my motorcycles and thought they were pretty good.

[gusset]

I did some surfing on various forums (yahoo for the most part) for info on the Avons, and found a number of posts relating negative experiences. I know that people are more likely to complain rather than post their praises, though, so I put a post on the Yahoo maxi-scooter group asking point blank for any positive Viper Stryke owner experiences. One of the responses was this:

autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/maxi-scooters/message/30453

The pics were disturbing.

All this means little if I had to "prove" something, but I just can't being myself to look the other way. It doesn't mean it can't happen with a Michelin or a Pirelli, but I've never heard of it on those.

I have ordered a Michelin Pilot Sport SC to replace my rear tire. This is, by all accounts I can find, a first rate tire, even rated as the best you can buy by one writeup I found. It may be for the best, considering the amount of riding I do in the rain. It is a performance tire, though, so I'm not going to expect much longevity out of it. The stock tire is at the wear bars, and could take me through the summer if I wanted to, but I definitely need to change it before the fall rainy season hits.

This whole tire size issue would not have stopped me from getting an S2 by any stretch...in hindsight, I'd buy this scooter again in a heartbeat. But it certainly has been a mild downer to learn that my #1 and #2 tire preferences aren't available here.

re - windscreen: that screen on the Elite must be truly huge if you've got to look through it. I'm not sure I could get comfortable with that.

Your comments have prodded me, though. I've been just "dealing" with the buffetting, and being happy that it isn't on my torso like the stock screen had it. You have encouraged me to take some closer looks at other scooters as I see them, to see if I can find a close enough match to fit a Laminar Lip.

[tastroman]

Thanks for the info on the tires. Actually, thanks for all the info you have provided about the S2. Daelim should thank you for all the PR you have given them. It is stuff like this that makes message boards so useful.
I am a member of the Yahoo Daelim group but I think I will keep posting here as I find this format much easier to navigate.


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Elites Windshield