Another year, another 12,000kms :-) She's at 52,000kms now, which is just over the previous record for my use of a two wheeler, set by an XLR250R.

It turns out that the loosening rear axle nut is a persistent problem. The best solution so far has been a double nut (M16 x1.25 pitch) with thread lock. I will buy a new OEM nut at some point to see if that does it.

The loosening rear axle nut is the cause of the softening rear brake - as it loosens, brake gets softer until it then gets very hard with no real braking action. So I can now tell from the brake lever when the rear axle nut is loosening.

I have a leaking nearside fork seal. I bought new seals to replace it but still haven't had time to do the job and in the meantime (8 months!) most if not all of the oil has now leaked out. It doesn't seem to affect handling much, if at all, so now I'm not sure if I'll bother until I have nothing else to do - i.e. never. I'm really quite surprised that less damping has no great effect - on a motorcycle it's very noticeable.

I got new pair of Seyoun NJK tires and fitted them myself - getting pretty good at that task without doing paint damage now. They are better than the Maxxis so far - very predictable, stable, good dry grip with similar longevity and no front wobble. I haven't had a chance to test them in a downpour yet because it is the dry season still.

I took the rear engine case off at 47,000km to inspect the belt, clutch etc. due a slight increase in mechanical noise, esp when cold. The belt is wearing normally and I reckon it'll be good for 35-40,000kms until it reaches its wear limit. I don't see any way to inspect the clutch or variator without disassembling them, so I'll postpone those jobs until the belt needs replacing in about 6 months or so.

Condition wise, she's looking dull and shabby despite washes and the screen is yellowing from being parked outside while I'm indoors working. The bodywork buzzes a bit, more than before, which is mildly annoying when it gets my attention. She is showing her age and needs some light restoration with plastic polishes etc. However, it's not worth it because she is now 10 years old and has no second hand value at all here. Pride of ownership (and weekend thrills) is why I also have a Kawasaki Ninja ;-)

Well, that's about it. I guess I'll check in again when I do the clutch, variator, belt etc.

All the 300s are great imo. For the 16"wheel versions, there's also an HD300 coming which looks to have a lot of parts in common with the current Citycom 300, in fact, only the wheels and fairing seem to be different.

I bought my CC used with 4,000kms on it - almost 4 years ago - and it is 2009 I think so the previous owner was a "non-user". I'm doing around 8 to 12,000kms a year - about 70km a day, usually 4 days a week - I plan to run it until it won't run anymore. It's been so utterly reliable with so little maintenance.... so even at 12k a year, you might have to wait some time to find out how many kms this scoot can do. I don't mind "waiting" - hope it takes many more years to find out ;-)

But it'll now die on the way home cos I said that.

Super late reply but ... a burn out is caused by too much current drain ... this could be a wiring issue, such as a wire that has been rubbed or sliced a little, exposing the copper and allowing current to flow where it shouldn't. Total pita to find shorts tbh.

With everything working, the Citycom still won't turn over for a number of reasons and you listed all of them that I know. The fault that comes to mind is faulty switches (they look on or off but aren't working) - my rear brake light switch broke and I didn't know it. To check them you'll need to check wiring with a circuit tester. The other fault I've seen reported is the starter solenoid - that can be removed and tested with a battery to see if it is switching or not. 

Hello all,  Here's my story briefly. I just bought like today.... a spanky new, zero mileage 2009 SYM Citicom 300i from a motorcycle shop that closed it doors via an auction. Ok, no user manual comes with when I went to pick it up. So I am full of questions. Like what octane gas to use. Transmission oil and Engine oil do you recommend. I was able to download the user and service manuals online. I want this scooter for my work commute which is over an hour away, so this little thing better be reliable... I am a woman, motorcyclist...own a Yamaha  bagger which is great for long runs. A puddle jumper just looked like fun and I hope I get great gas mileage. Is gear oil the same as transmission oil? I am thinking so. Where do you recommend for getting replacement parts. I would like to run synthetic in it, but I need the weights.   There are no scooter mechanics in my neck of the woods, so a lot of this I will be doing for myself.  Does this bike have issues I need to look out for? Also are there  SYM tool kits to purchase to put in your bike?   Thanks in advance. I am used to riding 964 lb bike, this thing is quite wobbly and high. Sort of freaky. Also no shifter... You just use your brakes all the time to slow down? You must go thru a lot of brake pads. Assure me I will not die on this thing....BTW, what average sweet zone this bike likes to go at? Top end is 79 mph?    Thanks...WR   

Hi - good choice of scooter and you lucked out with zero miles :-) I've had no problems with mine. After 43,000kms one fork seal needs replacing but this is just servicing really, so if you look after yours, it should be trouble free. I put the scoot on my blog so there's lots of info there https://myl8test.wordpress.com/mbikes/sym-citycom-300i/

You already downloaded a service manual https://myl8test.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/city-com-service-manual.pdf
Here are parts lists pdfs, not that you'll need them http://www.symcanada.com/techPages/techCityCom.html
I use 95 unleaded.
I use cheap 10W40 API SL engine oil - change when the red oil light comes on. It's quite frequent so don't waste $$ on premium oil that is designed to last a long time. (BTW the oil light is not a warning light as such - a reminder light - reset it with a button press on the dash.) 
I change the gearbox oil using a jumbo syringe every second engine oil change - I use Castrol GL5 85W-140.
Air filters clog up rapidly and aren't cheap so a few owners have made their own from a discarded old one. It's easier than you imagine and worth it if you're looking to keep running costs low for long term use/ownership. If you can get a 5cm x 20cm K&N element, this will flow about the same as the original larger paper element. Epoxy putty is a decent seal and solid fixing to hold the K&N filter onto the SYM filter frame.
My brake pads have lasted well but I commute on a highway so YMMV. I found cheap replacements on Ebay - details in the blog.
Your tires might be very old Maxxis - any cracks? Most people love Michelin City Grips but I can't get them here in HK so I have Seyoun NJK - quite similar to the original Maxxis.
No idea about sourcing parts or tool kits for you there, sorry.
The front bodywork is a major pain to remove until you've had some practice, so even a bulb change can take half a day at first. The headlight system is funky so stick to standard bulbs - it won't work with LEDs as standard.
Coming from a motorcycle, the handling will be a little odd at first but I got used to it pretty quickly. The front brake is crap because of a tail heavy weight distribution and the pads are crap - EBC do a sintered metal pad upgrade SFA264HH that fixes that. Keep the OEM front pads - they are identical to the ones in the rear where they work well. Again, details on the blog :-)
The first place to rust will probably be the rear shock springs and then the starter motor, located immediately in front of the rear wheel. I removed the rust and painted it with Hammerite.
 
Not much else to know - just do the usual checks and servicing and it'll last. You can keep the unpainted plastics looking fresh with Amor All Protectant or similar. :-)

Hi,

Quick update - she's done 40,000kms now and still doing great.

Faults:

She needed a new rubber centre stand bumper at 28,000, which I made myself from a door stop. The original had fallen off. The original parts would cost $12.

The rear axle nut starting working loose so I added a split washer and that was fixed.

The brake light leds in the top box died so I replaced them. They died again and I couldn't find a fault (resistors blown? seems not) so I added a strip behind the red reflector and that's been fine.

The brake rear light switch went at 35,000kms so I got a new one for $11.

The rear brake lever goes soft - the first time this happened I did a brake fluid change but it happened again soon after and actually just needs pumping to get the air out. I suspect there is an air leak which will worsen but at the moment is fine.

Repairs have cost under $40 in 40,000kms! In the meantime, I would have needed 6 new air filters so the K&N has already saved me money too.

So, I highly recommend this scoot for easy reliable relaxed riding :-) Good job Sym!