Hi,
I thought I'd share this with y'all since I think my CC is one of the best ways to commute and I'm willing to argue that with any takers :-)
Here’s a record of the averaged running costs over 24,000kms (2 years for me), in US$. I've done over 64,000 in 5 years so far, and although the LCD display is almost dead (burned out in the middle, like an old Gameboy), the rest of the scoot is fine. I bought the CC with 4,000kms on the clock, 4 years old, for $3,000. As you can see, the biggest costs are fuel, depreciation, and paying the man. It’s in order of expense, highest to lowest.
1. Fuel: on my regular commute I get 32km/l. That’s $1,235 for 24,000kms. It’s mostly highway at 100km/h plus some lane sharing through jams and a little city riding. Compared to my Kawasaki Ninja 650R, this is a saving of about $600.
2. Depreciation = $1,200, 2 yrs – the machine cost $3,000 and I assume I’ll never sell it so it’s a total loss from purchase. As a result, depreciation loss per year keeps decreasing the longer the machine is in constant use and it’s had 5 years of this so far. The Ninja cost $5,000 and I’ve had it 10 years, and it’s still worth something, so they’re about the same. The CC would be impossible to sell here - the old age and the relatively high seat means no-one would buy it. It's fairly obvious that the more often you buy/sell vehicles, the higher this cost is, and it can easily be the most expensive.
3. The man - government mandated costs – insurance ($200 for 2 years), and road tax ($325 in 2 years) = $525 in 2 years / 24,000kms. Again, the insurance is 30% cheaper than the Ninja.
4. Tires – $120 – Maxxis lasted 18,000kms, would cost $100 to replace, but typically scooter tires cost around $200-$300 for 24,000kms it seems? For me, the actual cost of Seyoun NJK is US$60 for 12,000. Compare to my Kawasaki Ninja, which is $250 for 8,000kms, the Ninja is over 6x the price of the CC.
5. Belt – $50 – replaced at 21,870kms when the revs started rising a little – not fully worn – $80 for the SYM part: Mitsuboshi is $55 on Amazon. The second belt had worn to 23.1mm at 49,460km. The service limit is 22.5mm. I replaced it after 40,000kms of use (62k on the ODO) when it was 22.8mm and looking a little cracked between the grooves. Say $50 for 24,000kms.
6. Oil changes every 3,000kms and gear oil every 6,000kms is 11 litres of 10W40 engine oil and half a litre of gear oil (Castrol GL-5 85W-140) for 24,000kms = $45
7. Air filter – switched to K&N = $150 for the filter, cleaner and oil = a lifetime, so it’s hard to say, but call it $40 for 24,000kms.
8. Transmission – clutch, variator, rollers, etc. – still working fine at 62,000km. Clutch pads at 5.5mm – wear limit is 3mm – so clutch life is 120,000kms or so. Again, hard to say, but call it $40 in 24,000kms.
9. Brake pads – the front and rear use the same pads and I’ve used 6 sets in 60,000km – the originals, 1 pair of EBC sintered ($20), another EBC organic ($10) in the front and some very cheap unbranded pads in the rear ($2.50). Brake fluid was replaced at 30,000kms for $15. Overall that is $20 in 24,000kms. The rear brake is so powerful, every pad I've tried has made little difference. The same can't be said for the front, where only the EBC are good enough, and the SFA264HH sintered pads make it a decent brake.
10. Spark plug – Iridium CR8EIX or CR9EIX (tuned) every 30,000kms or so is $10
And that's it for running costs.
For repairs, I needed new fork seals and ATF fluid ($50), a new main stand bump rubber ($10), a new left brake light switch (a standard part used widely on a huge number of machines, $5), and some rear axle nuts and thread lock ($10). I might say I need a new display but not yet. It's bad but the ODO and fuel level are still readable. The clock can barely be made out, which means it's useless on the go when I need it.
The total running costs are $3,285, and it means $0.137 per km or $9.58 for my 70km commute. In Hong Kong, it means about HK$1.07 per km, or HK$75 a day, which is about 35% more expensive than the cheapest public transport but it's less than half the time, and is so much more enjoyable and convenient. It’s also about $600 a year cheaper than the Ninja, mostly because of lower tire, fuel and insurance costs. 🙂
I've got my eye on an X-Max 300 and a MT-09 as replacements/upgrades, but as long as the CC and Ninja keep doing what they do, I am holding off on the new machines.
Well done SYM - you made a mighty fine scooter.