Bolwell Firenze 250 Review

Overall Rating

Whilst I have only been riding for a relatively short while, I quickly realised that I loved it so much I would have to upgrade my first 100cc Peugeot for a larger touring scooter. I recently purchased a new Bolwell Firenze 250cc (sold outside Australia as the Sym GTS Voyager 250 and also known as the Joymax in some countries). After just three weeks of riding this scooter I can confirm that the upgrade is the most enjoyable decision I have made in recent memory!

Apart from my experience on the Peugeot Speedfight, I have also hired a Bolwell LeGrande (Sym Joyride outside Australia) and ridden it for a day up in far north Queensland (think tropical paradise!). The LeGrande is a 171cc scooter and was my first experience with long rides on the open road with significant twisties (look under Sym Joyride for my review). I thoroughly enjoyed my day on the LeGrande and found it a very comfortable scooter for touring.

The initial comparison is that the Firenze is an even more stable scooter than the LeGrande, most probably due to having 13" wheels and being quite a bit heavier (173kg dry). The weight of this scooter was the most noticeable difference when I first bought it. I have found that I need to be careful when manoeuvring it by hand as it feels as if it would be easy to drop, especially by letting it tilt too far from upright. I try to keep it slightly tilted towards my body so as I can use my lower body to help stabilise it. I also keep the side stand lowered when manoeuvring it "just in case".

It definitely feels more stable on the tight corners and I have surprised myself how confident I feel going through the tight twisties around the Melbourne hills. Whilst I am not the best person to judge the relative power and acceleration compared to other scooters, it does not feel as if it would be the fastest 250cc off at the lights. This suits my riding style. It definitely has the power to easily cruise at 110kmh with more in reserve. I am told that it is speed limited to 130kmh although this is not stated in the owner's manual and I haven't tested it.

The brakes felt very solid from the first moment I rode the scooter and they are improving as they wear in. The manual makes reference to the left brake lever being a "front and rear brake lever" so they are linked although there is no further information on the ratio of front and rear brake that gets applied.

I have found the seat comfortable for the rider although I have only done a couple of stretches of around 90 minutes at a time so far. The riding position is very upright which means that the screen is a bit too low for me and I do get wind buffeting around my helmet at speed. Another feature not mentioned in the owner's manual is that there is an adjustment for the riders backrest. There are adjustment screws under the seat and it can come forward two notches. I like it all the way back where it is set by default but it is nice to know that there is some adjustment available. The rear seat is very wide and I have sat in the pillion position once while stationary on the main stand and could easily reach the foot-pegs. It felt comfortable despite it being wide.

The Firenze clearly looks like a maxi-scooter with lots of plastic around the front and a long, wide seat area. It has one small storage compartment for a mobile phone or similar and another bigger lockable glove box at the front. It has a couple of drink holders and some more storage for small items on the central tunnel near your feet and I guess this could be useful to some. The under seat storage is enormous and my large flip type full-face helmet fits easily with lots of room to spare. It looks like another smaller open face helmet would fit in as well but I prefer to use this space for my wet weather gear and the other "stuff" that seems to collect over time. There is a light in the main storage compartment which is handy at night and the seat is held open with a hydraulic rod.

The lights on the Firenze are stunning! On low beam the headlight provides excellent lighting in front and quite a way to each side. The separate high beam light is also very bright. I used to ride around using high beam all the time on my Peugeot but I can't do that on the Firenze without getting flashed by oncoming drivers. There are LED lights around the separate high-beam headlight which no doubt look "cool" to some but their purpose escapes me. Unfortunately, the fog lights do not meet Australian Design Rules so there is a cover over the fog light switch. It does have a hazard flasher switch for all four indicator lights to operate at the same time. This is well thought out as you can turn the hazard lights on and lock the ignition and they cannot be turned off until you turn the ignition on again.

The LED tail light is brighter than most other bikes and scooters which I think is a good safety feature. I went on a scooter group ride recently and there were lots of comments from the other riders on just how bright and noticeable the tail light is during the day. The only down side is that if any of the LEDs fail then I understand you have to replace the whole tail light unit or, if out of warranty, maybe just accept that some of the 20 individual LEDs are not working.

The main centre stand is very well balanced and does not take too much effort to operate. In fact it takes less effort than my old Peugeot (the extra weight of the bike is not noticeable when operating the centre stand). There is also a side stand that is linked to the kill switch. I think this is an excellent feature that should be on all automatic scooters with side stands so as the engine cannot be run when the side stand is down thus avoiding the risk of accidentally twisting the throttle and having the scooter run off the stand and fall over. I did park it on a slight down hill slope recently and was not confident that the side stand would hold so I am getting into the habit of using the centre stand all the time. There is no parking brake which would help make the side stand more secure although one can easily be improvised with some Velcro wrap-around tape or releasable cable ties.

One feature I really like is the foldable mirrors. I have to park my scoter in a tight space both at work and at home so being able to quickly fold the mirrors in when parking is a real bonus. They are mounted forward of the steering column and screen on the front moulding and give good rear vision to each side but not quite as good vision directly behind you. A standard mirror mount on the steering column is available on each side so I will see if installing a standard mirror on one side may help give vision directly behind; a slightly convex "blind spot" mirror is another option I am looking into.

The fuel cap is released by turning the ignition switch to the left without pushing the key in. The cap is spring loaded and you simply push it back into position until you hear the locking click. I am not sure how durable this will be over time so I am being careful when filling up and when locking the cap. The filler is located low to the side of the centre tunnel near your left foot. I guess this is good in that it keeps petrol well away from the storage areas. I assume the tank is around the foot well area so this will keep the weight low. There is no kick start option included on the Firenze.

One of the surprises to me with upgrading from a 2 stroke to a 4 stroke is the improved fuel consumption. I managed to get 22km per litre (around 4.5 litres per 100km) on my first few fills. I have managed just over 270km before the reserve warning started flashing and the manual states that there is 1.2 litres left at this point; this should mean about 25km to go. I am expecting the fuel consumption will improve a bit as the engine gets run in.

Some of the other features include a 12V accessory socket in the glove box for a phone charger or similar; a trip meter; an oil change warning light with reset switch; and, a very handy digital clock that is easy to read while riding. A claimed security feature is an ignition cover that can be activated using a matching part of the plastic key end to prevent anyone trying to force something into the lock. It works by requiring the magnet embedded in the key end to unlock the cover. A quick test confirmed that it is not easy to unlock the cover without the standard key end (unless maybe you carry a magnet around with you as well!).

There are only a few accessories currently available. Givi in the UK do have a top box case carrier (SR230 - MONOLOCK case carrier) but I am not sure how easy this is to get in Australia. Futurescootering.com has some accessories that look interesting. Have a look at his modified front panel, chrome steering column and side mirrors with LED turn lights!

I am a bit surprised that there are so few Internet forums discussing this bike as yet as it has been released in the UK and elsewhere for quite some time.

Human nature is to justify ones own purchases as "the best" but trying to remain objective I have only found three "negatives" so far. The first one is the lack of third party accessories, especially a larger wind screen or "laminar lip"; the second is the weight of the scooter; and the only other one is a pet issue for me - the indicators are not audible. Most of the other scooters made by Sym seem to have excellent audible indicators but not on the Firenze. Oh well, the mods to the screen and getting audible indicators are now challenges for me to solve! I am now off to the gym to solve the weight problem (in more than one way!).

I will put updates in the comments section as I gain more experience with the fabulous Firenze.

Members' Comments onbrucer's Review

• brucer on 23rd Jul 2006

  Here is my 6 week update. I now have about 1100 kms on the bike and am still really enjoying it. No mechanical or other problems so far!
  
  I been on a couple of rides with scooter groups now and have found that adding extra weight to the handlebars makes the steering feel much more solid at 100kph and over. You can buy heavier bar-end weights but I added universal bar-end mirrors and this added 250gm to each side which is enough to stabilise the steering at speed. I highly recommend adding this extra weight in one way or another.
  
  I think I may have found someone in Melbourne who can make a windscreen extension. Hopefully, my next update will report on this.
  
  I have found a couple of options for adding an audible signal to the turn indicators but have not bothered installing it as yet (it requires tapping into the existing wiring). I have found that I am getting better at remembering to cancel the indicators so I am unsure if I will bother with this accessory.
  
  I am now much more comfortable with the weight of the bike which only leaves my weight to deal with!
  
  Bruce
  Melbourne, Australia

• brucer on 10th Sep 2006

  Here is my 3 month update. I now have just over 2500 kms on the bike and am still really enjoying it. Still no mechanical or other problems so far!
  
  I took it for a 600km ride today on the highway, mostly cruising at around 120kph according to the speedo. It felt stable at this speed. The only issue I had was a "numb bum" after a few hours so I am investigating a wood bead seat cover to try and improve this.
  
  I took my GPS with me today and found that the speedo on the Firenze reads about 7kph over when it shows 100, 110 and 120kph. My GPS confirmed that I was doing 113kph when the speedo was showing 120kph with a similar error when showing 100 and 110kph. The speed limit on the highway was 110kph so I kept the speedo at just under or on 120kph and this seemed correct based on the speed of other traffic.
  
  I now think that the screen on the Firenze is fine and what I thought was buffeting coming over the top of the screen is actually coming from around the screen. I wore earplugs today and this dramatically reduced the wind noise which allowed me to concentrate on where the buffeting was coming from. I have tried a temporary screen extension of around 100mm but this did not make a noticeable difference which is what lead me to suspect that it was more wind noise than buffeting that was causing my discomfort.
  
  So instead of looking for a larger screen or laminar lip I am now investigating a quieter helmet as the difference with and without earplugs is very significant. I have a flip-face helmet and I suspect that the flip hinge causes a lot of wind noise near my ear.
  
  The fuel consumption was not as good as I had expected at around 5.5l/100km (around 42-43mpg imperial). This is the same as I get doing short start-stop commutes to and from work. My guess is that sitting on 120kph on the speedo (around 6,700-7,000 rpm) is not the best for fuel consumption. I have noticed much better figures for rides that would average more like 90kph. I have been using 95 octane petrol since getting the bike. I will see if 98 octane makes a difference.
  
  I have a 1300km ride planned for November or December and I will give another update after that ride.
  
  Bruce
  Melbourne, Australia

• kmunyard on 17th Oct 2006

  Good stuff.
  
  I am thinking of upgrading from my Bolwel 150 cc. I would like to know how it fits a taller person (6ft 2)..?
  
  Ken Munyard in Brisbane

• brucer on 30th Oct 2006

  Hi Ken,
  
  I am 5' 11' and can easily have my feet flat footed either side when stationary. You should check it out at the local dealers and see if you feel comfortable with both feet on the ground. There is lots of room to move your feet forward and backward while riding; try and see how it feels when on the centre stand.
  
  Also, I have just added a wood bead seat to my Firenze (www.beadrider.com) which raises the seat a bit. At worst you could have the seat remade so it is higher if you are not comfortable with the standard seat.
  
  I will be riding my Firenze from Melbourne to Canberra and back the weekend after this one and will put further comments here after this 1300km ride.
  
  Bruce
  Melbourne. Australia

• kmunyard on 1st Nov 2006

  Hi Brucer
  Look forward to your comments after Canberra.
  Do you know the Voyager sells in NZ for NZ$5995. I wonder why we pay so much when there is only a 10% GST to pay.
  I like the machine very much and will be going to the Bike show here on Saturday to further check it out.
  Cheers

• jim1977 on 6th Nov 2006

  Hi Brucer,
  I have had my Bolwell Firenze 250 scooter for nearly four months now, and I have just clocked over 7500kms. I use it for my daily commute to and from work, which is roughly 500kms / week. I have had no issues with my machine at all. I have been looking for accessories for it, but I have not found anything that will bolt onto a Firenze. I'm looking for a rack that will hold a top-box. Can you point me to anywhere that would sell them?
  
  I'm planning a big ride myself for the end of November, along the Great Ocean Road, which should be a lots of fun. I use the Mobil Synergy 8000 (98 Oct) fuel in my Firenze. I can get 340km / 12ltr tank when cruising at roughly 60 - 80km/hr. I leave for work very early in the morning, so I don't have to deal with the stop-start traffic at peak hour.

• brucer on 6th Nov 2006

  Hi Jim,
  
  Try Armadale Motors in Melbourne for the top box carrier. They imported some direct from Givi, but I am not sure if they still have them.
  
  Your fuel consumption is much better than mine, so I am keen to exchange notes. How about contacting me via the Melbourne Scooter Connection on Yahoo Groups, as I would enjoy keeping in touch with other local Firenze owners.
  
  Bruce

• brucer on 13th Nov 2006

  Here is my five month review after my 1400km trip to Canberra and back over the last four days. I went to Canberra to watch the Prime Minsters XI play England at the cricket, and I am not sure if the riding or the cricket result was the key highlight of the trip!
  
  I now have about 5,300km on my Bolwell Firenze, with no mechanical or other problems encountered so far.
  
  The Firenze performed flawlessly. The trip was around 700km each way. I was able to sit on just under 120kph on the speedo, which is just above 110kph (117kph on the speedo is a true 110kph according to my GPS). This means the engine was revving at 7000-7250rpm most of the time (it redlines at 8000rpm), which I think is why I only got 19km per litre. I tried standard ULP and 98 octane, but as far as I can tell, there was no noticeable improvement with the more expensive octane blends, so I am going to go back to using standard ULP now.
  
  The trip confirmed my view that a 250cc is the minimum size for extended highway touring at a genuine 110kph. I was able to keep it at around 120kph on the speedo, but as soon as I had to climb any sort of incline the speedo would drop back to 100-110kph, despite having the throttle open wide. I think if I was going to do such extended touring trips frequently then I would want a 400cc or a bigger scooter to keep up with the traffic over hilly terrain. Of course, I am not the lightest rider, and I did have lots of stuff under the seat and in a backpack strapped to the pillion seat, which probably did not help with the top end performance.
  
  The buffeting when coming up behind a big semi is noticeable, but after the first couple of times I expected it and passed the semi as widely as I could. There is less buffeting when passing one coming in the other direction, but I still moved as far to the left as possible when passing any traffic. Bumps and potholes were not a problem, although the Hume Highway is in generally good repair. I think the 13” wheels helped here.
  
  I still feel that the standard mirrors on the Firenze are inadequate. They do not allow sufficient vision directly behind you. I have solved this problem by adding a pair of bar-end mirrors that are slightly concave and give excellent vision directly behind (you can see them in the photo at the top of this review if you look very closely). There are also standard mirror mounts available, so any standard bike mirrors can be mounted to give improved vision directly behind. I use the standard Firenze mirrors to cover the blind spots on both sides, and the bar-end mirrors to cover directly behind me. I think it is important to be aware of what traffic is behind you, both for when you want to overtake and also for when someone is about to overtake you. I encountered several periods of rain on the way back, and this is when it was even more important to be aware of what is behind you, so as you don't end up having to take evasive action in the wet. I would have been feeling very uncomfortable if I did not have the extra mirrors for this trip.
  
  My biggest problem was the numb backside ("monkey butt" if you are from the US) after an hour or more. I had ordered a custom made wooden beaded seat cover (www.beadrider.com) but this did not work as well as I had hoped. I think it helped compared to the standard seat, but I still found after the first two hours I just had to stop, and every hour to hour and a half after that. This is probably not a bad thing as it forces you to take breaks, but I would still like to find a solution for my numb butt. Maybe I just need to take longer rides more frequently so as my butt self-adjusts.
  
  The other accessory I definitely now want to install is a Throttle Lock (http://brakeawayproducts.com). I do have a throttle rocker which allows me to use the palm of my hand to keep the throttle open, but this got frustrating, as I had to reposition it when doing 100-110kph versus when doing 50kph through the towns. I ended up taking it off for the return journey as I felt it was not safe if I needed to throttle off and apply the brakes in a hurry; there was too much risk that I would end up braking with lots of throttle still on. Even though it costs a lot more, I think the Throttle Lock will be much safer and allow me to rest my right hand when it gets tired.
  
  In summary, I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to Canberra and back, and I would eagerly do it again on my Firenze.
  
  Bruce
  Melbourne, Australia

• robobris on 6th Dec 2006

  Hi Bruce,
  Thanks for all that info about the Firenze. I have had mine for a couple of weeks. I would like to get some extras for it when and if I can, such as a back rest for the pillion and a few other things.
  
  Robert, Brisbane.

• Wonga66 on 29th Mar 2007

  I'm at 5600km and my Fireze is spluttering at low speed.
  It feels like either not enough fuel getting in or not enough air?!!
  The rev is at 2000 at idle which is what it should be.
  I took it in for a 6000km service but I'm not sure if the mechanic checked all he was supposed to.
  Could the problem be a blocked fuel line.
  Cylinder head, cylinder, piston.
  Carbon in the exhaust system.
  Valve clearance, or something else that other owners may know of.
  Any comment would be appreciated.

• sk8on8 on 14th Apr 2007

  You can get the top box rack and/or the top box from Peter Stevens motorcycles in the city (Melb.). I got mine put on at the time of purchase. Also, I have been able to get hand guards, for the wind, put on for $78. I have attached roo shoos to the top of my front wheel guard to try and deter roos jumping out in front of me. Plus, I have put yellow reflective stickers on the panels to make it more visible at night. I am close to six foot, and I found that if I push my butt into the back rest, then put my feet up, rather than flat, that I have a very comfortable ride.

• Geomira on 8th May 2007

  I have done 20,000 on by Firenze, basically just use it for work. I have a problem with my scooter during cold weather. At a certain temperature ie when its pretty cold ie below 6 degree's C. The scooter loses power and I get a maximum of about 80 to 90 Km's per hour. Which is a bit scary at 5.00 am in the dark when I am on a highway which has a speed limit of 110 km's and there's a rather large truck coming up fast behind me. Have you had that problem ? Why I believe it is temp related is as soon as I hit warmer air it rights itself and I back up to my elected speed. On the return journey home in the afternoon no problems. Any comments would be great. Great scooter and thanks for your review
  
  Thanks mate
  
  Regards George

• brucer on 9th May 2007

  George,
  
  I haven't experienced this problem at low temperatures but Melbourne isn't that cold yet. Where are you located? A number of Firenze owners are keeping in contact through the "maxiscootersoz" Yahoo Group. I suggest you post your problem on this group.

• mick1234 on 1st Jun 2007

  Guys I'm after a scooter club in Melbourne and also the ride down to the Phillip Island for the bikes starting from Cranbourne. It would be great if we could get a big turn out for the island if anyone is interested please let me know.

• mick1234 on 4th Jun 2007

  I have just got my Firenze last week its a great ride I would like to know where there is a scooter club in Melbourne the comments from you guys on the bike have been great a lot of help we must get together for a ride maybe the island who knows also there is a bike shop down there in Cows very good pricing on the jackets and gloves dryrider jackets $110.

• brucer on 4th Jun 2007

  Mick1234 - go to Yahoo Groups and search for "MelbourneSC" and "melbourne_twist_go_scooters" for scooter groups in Melbourne. A number of Firenze owners are using the "maxiscootersoz" group to exchange info on the Firenze.

• brucer on 10th Aug 2007

  Here is my 14-month review after having done over 12K on my Firenze.
  
  The only problems I have had so far are two problems with exhaust bolts, both fixed under warranty, (the first was welded up temporarily while waiting for a complete replacement exhaust unit to arrive and the second was simply a bolt coming lose and falling off), a blown headlight globe and a blown ignition fuse. I had to replace the rear tyre at around 10.5K (it cost AUD$90 fitted and balanced); the front tyre is still OK. The brake pads are still only about half worn so I am expecting around 20K from them.
  
  The recent 12K service was an expensive one as the belt and rollers had to be replaced. Mine cost me AUD$590 and others have reported a similar cost. However, it runs noticeably smoother and quieter after this major service. They fixed a high-pitched noise I was getting when decelerating; it turned out to be some bearing around the rear drive area that needed greasing.
  
  I have averaged 20.7 km/l since new with the median at 20.1km/l, the best figure at 27.3km/l and the worst at 16.6km/l. I have changed the oil more frequently than recommended and used mineral oil up until now. I will use synthetic oil from now on.
  
  I have now done two trips to Canberra and back (around 1300km round trip each time) and am looking forward to an excuse for another trip some time soon. I still believe that the 250cc is the minimum for extended highway cruising and will most likely upgrade sometime soon to a 400cc or bigger as I would like “that little extra in reserve”.
  
  I strongly recommend fitting bar-end mirrors as I have done, or something similar, to give you better vision directly behind you. I would not like to do an extended trip without having this improved vision directly behind as the standard mirrors are just not adequate for this.
  
  I have experimented with the audible beepers and initially tried using a flasher relay from a Bolwell Jolie but after blowing two of these I suspect I am using them in a way that they are not designed for. I like the audible clicking sound they give but have now reverted back to the Universal Turn Signal Alert Beeper Kit from rvtoys.net. I initially didn’t like the loud beeping but I have got used to that now and it does have the added benefit of making sure pedestrians are aware of you when you are turning.
  
  I still find there is a reasonable amount of wind buffeting around my head at speed. I have used earplugs on my extended rides and these are highly recommended, as they seem to make the buffeting more bearable. I would still like to install the throttle lock from brakeawayproducts.com but the company will only supply units for the bikes they have tested. I haven’t been prepared to take the risk and order one regardless and see if I can get it to work on the Firenze.
  
  The “numb bum” problem still persists on the extended rides. I tried the beaded seat cover from beadrider.com but this only made a minor improvement. I will try a sheepskin cover on top of the beads for my next extended ride.
  
  I recently added a Givi E52 top box and think that the Givi mount is much sturdier than the Bolwell/Sym one as the rear supports are attached to the top of the shock absorbers rather than to the passenger grab rail. The Givi box is rated for 10Kg of “stuff” whereas the Bolwell one I think is only rated for 5Kg. I have not noticed any handling differences so far. In fact, I think the extra weight at the rear has improved the handling around town.
  
  Overall, I am still very happy with my Firenze but I would like to upgrade to a 400cc or bigger scooter when I can. Maybe Bolwell will come out with their 500cc scooter before then and I will look closely at that.
  
  If you would like any more info on the Firenze or ask me questions then post a message to the "maxiscootersoz" Yahoo Group.
  
  Bruce
  Melbourne, Australia

• brucer on 13th Nov 2007

  This is my final update on the Firenze as I have sold my Firenze and upgraded to a Suzuki Burgman 650. I don’t intend to compare the Firenze to the Burgman 650 as the Burgman is clearly in a different league as far as power and ride.
  
  I have to say that I have really enjoyed my almost 18 months with the Firenze. I recently did my third trip from Melbourne to Canberra and back on it (around 1300km round trip) and again it performed flawlessly. I still believe that a 250cc scooter is the minimum capacity required for extended highway touring and that a 400+ is a much better option if you intend to do highway touring more than occasionally.
  
  The only issue I have with the Firenze remains with the standard mirrors not giving you enough vision directly behind you. The bar end mirrors I installed solved that problem for me and, in my opinion, are a much better solution than the small stick-on blind spot mirrors that I also tried.
  
  I will happily recommend the Firenze to anyone who is looking for a highway capable 250cc that is also manoeuvrable around town.
  
  Bruce
  Melbourne, Australia

• The Bean on 10th Apr 2008

  Just to add another negative. When you need to change the globe in the main head light. One must remove the mirrors, wind screen, and top covers to and covers around steering, to gain access to back of main head light.
  A bad design feature I would think. All other lights are within hands reach.