Scooters are extremely popular in Europe and Asia thanks to the convenience and ease-of-use they provide. More often than not, folks ride their scooters to work on a daily basis, relegating the use of their car on weekends for farther trips out of town. There's really no wonder that more and more scooters that are loaded with tech are hitting the market lately.
Take for example, the newest model from Taiwanese scooter specialist Kymco: the Dink. Although an extremely odd choice of name for a scooter, you could say that the Dink would be a perfect scooter for, well, DINKs. By DINKs, I mean "Double Income No Kids," a relatively new term in pop culture ushered in by the TikTok generation. Kidding aside, Kymco's new Dink is actually a pretty sensible machine, packing a decent amount of tech, and built atop a very practical platform. It's offered in two version – a 125cc and 150cc variant, with each sold in either a flat-floor setup or a maxi-scooter style.
Let's talk about the engines first. The 125cc variant, dubbed the R 125 Dink, is powered by a 125cc, air-cooled, fuel-injected, single-cylinder engine with an output of 11.5 horsepower at 8,000 rpm. Meanwhile, the larger R 150 Dink gets a 150cc, air-cooled, single-cylinder engine with a max output of 15 ponies also at 8,000 rpm. Kymco's scooter engines are known to be fuel-efficient workhorses capable of running for years with minimal maintenance, so we can expect the two Dinks to be quite the practical machines.
In terms of styling, meanwhile, Kymco has opted for a thoroughly modern look, with the scooters flaunting angular lines and a menacing facia. From some angles, the look of the Dink's front end sort of reminds me of the Yamaha TMAX, especially given those aggressive DRLs beside the headlights. There's also a large windscreen, a long, two-up saddle, and flared bodywork at the front apron and tail that all work together to make the scooter look much bigger than it really is.
In terms of technology, we find a rather basic scooter platform beneath the aggressive exterior. The Dink is supported by standard telescopic forks and a pair of rear shock absorbers. It sports a wheelbase of 1,370 millimeters, and tips the scales at an extremely accessible 127 kilograms. The wheels consist of 13-inch alloys on both ends, with tires measuring 120/70 and 130/70 at the front and rear respectively. Last but not least, the scooter comes to a stop with front and rear disc brakes complete with dual-channel ABS.
