Kmyco Bet & Win 150 / 250

Summary
Overall, the Bet & Win scooters are mostly about value and practicality. You can pick up one of these well made, reliable and powerful scooters for a very reasonable price, especially in the used market.
Pros
Great value
Powerful liquid cooled motors
Underseat storage
Cons
Dated styling
Below average fuel mileage
3.9

KYMCO BET & WIN 150 / 250

The Bet & Win 150 and 250 were Kymco’s original mid-sized scooters sold in North America, along with the People series. The Bet & Win scooters were a cornerstone model for Kymco in their early years, as they achieved good sales by offering powerful motors and a good assortment of features for a very reasonable price. Both Bet & Win (or B&W) scooters were part of Kymco’s 2004 USA debut line up and were sold through 2008 in the USA.

Up in Canada, the Bet & Win scooters were part of Kymco’s 2005 Canadian debut and they remained on sale through 2009 before being replaced by newer designs. Outside of North America, the Bet & Win scooters were released earlier, so by 2008 / 2009 the design was clearly showing its age. Kymco has been rapidly improving their design and engineering prowess, so newer models featuring higher refinement were starting to make the Bet & Win outdated.

Engines

Propulsion for the Bet & Win scooters comes from two liquid cooled, 4-stroke motor options. The smaller (and $500 cheaper) 150cc engine delivers 12.2 HP at a healthy 7250 RPM. This translates into a top speed of 65mph (110km/hr), which is a nice clip for a 150. Fuel economy for the 150 is average for its size at about 70 mpg. Some modern Kymco’s are a little better at about 80 mpg thanks to fuel injection replacing the B & W’s carburator.

The liquid cooled motor found in the Bet & Win 150 was rarely used in other Kymco’s during this period – presumably to cut the cost of those other air cooled machines. The Super 8 150, People 150, Sting 150 etc. all used Kymco’s air cooled spec of this motor. Accordingly, the Bet & Win 150 engine is likely to last a bit longer and fare better at extended high speed riding and in really hot conditions.

The 250 model ups the power 50% to 18.5 HP at 7000 RPM. Accordingly, peak velocity rises to 75-80mph, which makes this bike much more at home on the highway than the 150. Insurance and purchase price aren’t likely that different between engine sizes, so if you want to do a fair bit of backroads or highway travel then the 250 is a nice way to go. On the downside, expect about 60mpg instead of 70.

Design and Amenities

The Bet & Win scooters offer a nice level of features and nice liquid cooled motors for the price. Both Bet & Win scooters have side and center stands, good underseat storage and no glovebox. They are well suited to carrying a passenger with their reasonably sized seat and dual rear shocks. Obviously the 250 model is going to fare a bit better with a passenger than the 150.

Discussion

In the end, the Bet & Win scooters were replaced by Kymco’s newer and more refined designs like the Frost / Yager 200i and Downtown. The similar Grandvista 250 also didn’t help the Bet & Win 250’s sales. The Grandvista 250 was introduced in 2005 and sold alongside the Bet & Win scooters. It had similar styling and used the same motor as the B&W 250.

Overall, the Bet & Win scooters are mostly about value and practicality. You can pick up one of these well made, reliable and powerful scooters for a very reasonable price, especially in the used market. You can find flashier and more fully featured scooters, but you’ll have a very hard time doing so for a similar price. Someone who is looking for a scooter for mostly practical reasons is going to have a hard time justifying spending more.

Pros:

  • Great value
  • Powerful liquid cooled motors
  • Underseat storage

Cons:

  • Dated styling
  • Below average fuel mileage

Links:

MotorscooterGuide Forums – Visit the forums on this site to chat about this scoot.
KymcoForum.com – A good place to learn more about Kymco’s

Key Specs – Bet & Win 150:

  • Engine: Liquid cooled, 152cc, single cylinder, 4-stroke
  • Transmission: CVT
  • Power 12.2hp @ 7250 RPM and 9.3 ft/lbs torque @ 6000 RPM
  • Bore & Stroke: 57.4mm x 57.8mm
  • Fuel Delivery: Carb with Auto Choke
  • Drive: Belt
  • Wheelbase:
  • Weight: 303 lbs
  • Starter: Electric
  • Seat height:
  • Fuel Tank: 2.6 gallon / 10 liter
  • Brakes: 2 Piston Disc (Front), Single Piston Disc (Rear)
  • Front Suspension: Telescopic Fork
  • Rear Suspension: Dual Shocks
  • Tires: 80/80-16 (front), 100/80-16 (rear)
  • Years Sold: 2004-2008 USA, 2006 – 2009 Canada
  • Colors: Red, Royal Blue, Silver, Light Blue
  • MSRP: $3499 (2008 USA)

Key Specs – Bet & Win 250:

  • Engine: Liquid cooled, 249.1cc, single cylinder, 4-stroke
  • Power: 18.53hp @ 7000 RPM, 16.04 lbs-ft torque @ 5500 RPM
  • Compression: 10.3:1
  • Transmission: CVT
  • Bore & Stroke: 72.7mm x 60mm
  • Fuel Delivery: Carb with Auto Choke
  • Drive: Belt
  • Wheelbase: 1435mm
  • Weight: 370 lbs
  • Starter: Electric
  • Seat height:
  • Fuel Tank: 2.6 gallon / 10.5 liter
  • Brakes: 2 Piston Disc (Front), Single Piston Disc (Rear)
  • Front Suspension: Telescopic Fork
  • Rear Suspension: Dual Shocks
  • Tires: 120/70-12 (Front), 140/70-12 (Rear)
  • Years Sold: 2004-2008 USA, 2006 – 2009 Canada
  • MSRP: $3999 (2008 USA)
  • Colors: Red, Royal Blue, Silver, Light Blue