Would you like to upsize that value meal?
By, Trevor Hedge

Australian scooter importers Bolwell are riding the crest of a huge wave of scooter popularity better than any other distributor. The Melbourne based company imports their models from a Taiwanese factory. This is not unusual however as even most of the smaller capacity scooters sold by motorcycling giants such as Yamaha and Honda are built in Taiwanese or Chinese factories rather than their own customary Japanese plants. Obviously a major selling point for the Japanese brands is their well established quality image. But that is obviously not enough as buyers are flocking to Bolwell in droves, and with a two year unlimited kilometre warranty on even their smaller models, who could blame them. Over the first half of 2006 Bolwell sold more than three times as many scooters as Yamaha. Those impressive sales figures are not derived from one bargain basement model but from strong sales across an extensive range of scooters.

Until recently the Bolwell range has been concentrated in the smaller capacity segments of the market with models ranging up to 200cc but now the company has stepped up to the bigger game with the introduction of the 250cc Firenze. This machine is certainly a shot across the bows of the established players in this larger section of the scooter market. At $6990 it is the cheapest scooter on the market that could really serve as a person’s sole means of transportation rather than just act as a backup to a larger vehicle.

The 250cc four-stroke powerplant spins quickly up to its 8000rpm redline. 60kph arrives five seconds after twisting the throttle when the lights turn green and 100kph comes up in around ten seconds. There is still plenty left in reserve for highway overtaking from that speed and 140kph can be reached in most conditions. Its legs are long enough to sit at freeway speeds without seeming as though it is trying too hard to maintain that speed. Something smaller capacity machines can't achieve without giving the rider the feeling that they are revving the ring out of it. The extra 100cc the Firenze boasts makes freeway commutes a delight in contrast to smaller machines. It would be nice if the Firenze could jump out of the blocks a little quicker however, it does take a little while to wind up and good acceleration only really starts from around 20kph upwards. The 12 litre fuel tank realises a useful 250km touring range.

Storage space is ample with the cavernous under seat stowage area big enough to swallow two full face helmets. A small storage area can handle small items while between your feet another small storage area boasts cup holders, although on a scooter I struggle to fathom why… The under seat storage area opens with the turn of a key on the right rear of the machine rather than via the ignition which I actually quite liked. The fuel filler is remotely opened via the ignition key and it pops out of the footwell on a spring loaded arm. To my mind this was a little tacky and did the machines quality image no favours.

Continued on Page 2....