Seen testing on a highway in Malaysia is the forthcoming Aveta Vanguard 250 scooter. Enquiries with Aveta Malaysia yielded information the Vanguard 250 will make its entry into the Malaysian scooter market “quite soon” while the price point is said to be “below RM20,000.”
In Malaysia, the quarter-litre scooter segment is extremely competitive, with the Yamaha X-Max 250 taking the market lead. There is also the Honda Forza 250, WMoto ES250i, WMoto XDV 250i, WMoto RT2, Modenas Elegan 250 EX, SYM Cruisym 250i, Aprilia SR200 and Vespa GTS 300.
Sharp-eyed readers will have noticed the resemblance of the Vanguard 250 to the Italian Malaguti SpiderMax 300 and Spanish Wottan Motor X-SUV, both shown at the recent EICMA motorcycle show in Milan, Italy. Due to Malaysia’s driving licence structure, we can expect the 250 cc version of the Vanguard to be sold locally, instead of the rather more powerful 300 cc engine variant.
While specifications for the Vanguard 250 have not as yet been released, power will come from a liquid-cooled, single-cylinder mill. Power is expected to be around 24 hp or so, with 23 Nm of torque, typical numbers for scooters in this class.
Inside the cockpit is likely to be a TFT-LCD screen, with USB charging port for the rider’s electronics and keyless start, while it is yet to be confirmed if Bluetooth connectivity is included. Two-channel ABS is standard equipment with single hydraulic discs front and rear, and suspension is done with telescopic forks and preload adjustable absorbers in the rear.
All of these, the Aveta, the Malaguti, the Wottan are based on the same bike, the Taro Motor XSUV, a bike from China.