Short answer is no!
Sadly the KYMCO 500 that is offered in the U.S. is a gas pig and a bit lethargic on the road. It doesn’t have good/useable underseat storage, the gas gauge is quirky and the odometer and speedometer read in kilometers.
Now don’t get ticked, I would recommend a KYMCO (and have) to many riders, they make great bikes 250cc and below. I have a Grand Vista and a Honda Reflex. The Grand Vista is put together much better for fit and finish but I only have 1500 miles on it so far, time will tell how reliable it is. I have 14,000 miles on my Reflex and haven’t had a single issue.
Probably the best all around large scooter in the U.S. is a Burgman 400. Good useable power, better than average mpg from most reports, reliable motor and a big dealer network. Oh, and the largest underseat storage available for you toury types.
Now the kicker is the new Xciting 500r with fuel injection that is slated to arrive in the fall.
That could be a real nice bike, I understand it comes with ABS standard. So if you could
wait a little bit maybe you could try that one out for size.
EDIT: I have heard that The New Exciting 500 will come in two configurations. Both are Fuel Injected and one will have ABS and the other won’t.
How about upgrade it all the way up to the Yamaha TMAX 500, available in US as a 2009 model! Now that’s a real upgrade!
–Lorenzo