I brought my SYM Shark 125 in 1994, brand new. The first service I had, I was told my back brakes needed renewing, but that due to a design fault, the whole back mechanism had to be dismantled. The work cost me £200. Then this year, the electronic ignition stopped working. I was told it needed a new battery, so I got one at a cost of £28. The lights and indicators started failing, and I took it to another bike shop. I was told the starter motor had burnt out and would need a new one. Three weeks later it was replaced at a cost of £160. Three months later, ignition went again and the lights and an awful rattling noise came from the engine. To cut a long story short, there was a fault with the starter motor mechanism and some bolts had broken so that instead of the starter motor switching off after starting, it carried on and burnt itself out. Coupled that with the design fault of the petrol cap being in a dip and letting water into the engine, the total cost was £400. I am so sick of this bike and can't wait to get rid of it. I have paid for it on finance at a cost of £97 per month. I feel totally ripped off by the dealer, the manufacturer, and people who have carried out work on the bike. If anything else goes wrong, I shall be quoting "Sales of Goods Act" and getting my money back.
If you want my advice, stay away from SYM anything!