2018 KYMCO Spade

[SamM]

The RFY shocks that I bought are 15”. My goal was and is to try to raise the height of my Spade to make it a better fit for me. I have no interest in lowering the bike. The only issue with the longer shocks may be the chain wearing through the rubber swing arm protector. That could need a fix but I have something in the works.

The weight of the Spade is another concern for me. Dropping some weight from both me and the bike is a priority for me as well.

The MNNTHBX fender kit looks great to me. I’ll probably be going with that. I still have much to do with my Spade and things may change a little.

SamM

[Dannytexas]

I installed my custom Galfer brake line today.
Its 2" longer to allow more room for my aftermarket handlebars and brake lever.

Plus the angle of the OEM fittings was not working well with aftermarket perch's so I was able to correct that with the custom cable.

The Galfer site has an easy to build form where you pick each fitting and shape and length and color of the brake line itself.
It shipped within 2 days of submitting my order and received in 4 days. Not bad and I'm happy with it.

[SamM]

Very nice!

[odramracs]

Is anyone here on facebook? They just started a Spade group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/118716888944380/

[HandySpade]

Aww, do you have to be logged in to view that? I don't have an account anymore, and rather not make one. There was other spade facebook pages that you didn't need an account to view them.

[HandySpade]

Darn lol didn't mean to kill the thread I was looking forward to new posts. Hope all is well with everyone here and as for me I am still enjoying my Spade!

[SamM]

My Spade is still being modified. Just ordered a lot more parts and MNNTHBX sent me a new set of Renthal handlebars to test and evaluate. Their previous Renthal RC High handlebars are too high to work properly on the Spade. The cables were stretched too tight. Some of the other new parts include: the 3-piece MNNTHBX fender kit, the complete exhaust system, and their tuner. Just trying to find the time to finish it up.

More soon!

SamM

[SamM]

Yesterday, I actually got a good bit of work accomplished on the Spade. The front fender was trimmed and painted, the rear fender was painted, the centerstand was removed and the new MNNTHBX exhausted was bolted up. I also installed a MNNTHBX chainguard and the rear LED turn signals.

The next things on the to-do list are to finish the wiring, drilling the handlebars for the controls, and installing the BAZZAZ tuner. Yesterday, I charged the battery, started it and a bike sounds awesome with the new pipe. I may find some time today to get the grab handle and rear fender repainted and bolted back on. The rear fender needs sanded and repainted. It looks good just not great.

SamM

[SamM]

The RFY 15” shocks were just too long for the Spade. A buddy bought them to use on one of his bikes. I just purchased and bolted on 13.5” solid black RFY shocks. The new shocks look much better and the chain is no longer dragging on the swingarm protector. I also replaced the front red brake caliper with a KYMCO black caliper. The lone red caliper looked hokey on the bike.

There are just a few things left to finish up. I’ll post pictures soon.

SamM

[Timpo]

The Spade does look nice, might be a good platform for mini cafe racer.

[SamM]

My Spade was finished today. It was taken on its maiden voyage since being modified. A riding buddy went with me on his Triumph Bonneville. We had a nice short ride of about 12 miles to get coffee. The bike ran very well. I have not installed the tuner yet, so it wasn’t as smooth as I would have liked. It is basically finished but there are a few things left to go over. The Spade plug n’ play electronic flasher has not arrived yet. I expect it any day. I have new Pirelli SL60 dualsport tires that need to be mounted. Still looking for new mirrors. Not sure if I want barend mirrors or just something nicer than the factory mirrors.

The shocks were swapped for 14” black RFY shocks. These seem to work better and the solid black shocks look great. Fork gaiters from MNNTHBX also need to be installed. I’ll post updates as things are finished up. The bike is built as a miniature cafe racer. The Bates mini taillight looks good on it. Thanks for looking.

SamM

[Weldangrind]

I was hoping this project would resurface soon. I'd love to see a set of bar end mirrors on it. Have you considered clip-ons?

[SamM]

A few things needed to be buttoned up on the Spade before posting about it again. What a great little bike. This thing is a lot of fun.

I have barend mirrors but the aluminum handlebars are too thick for the mounting hardware that was provided. Clip-ons are too low for me. I find that lower position just too aggressive for my riding style. Standard bikes appeal much more to me.

There are a few more things to work on. More later.

SamM

[Timpo]

Honestly Kymco Spade is very expensive.
I think it's comparable to Kawasaki Z125 and Honda Grom.

Doesn't it kinda beat the purpose of China bikes? (yes I know Kymco is Taiwanese)

[culcune]

The Spade, like the Lifan KP Mini, out-groms the Grom and Z125--it has a 150cc vertical engine (not sure if that is really a 'plus' over the horizontal engines, but I would prefer my thumper that way) and 5-speed transmission. More so, it has EFI (making it 'better' than the Lifan's carbed bike). At the price point, I still think the Kymco is a good deal comparing it to the Honda and Kawasaki based on what you get with the Spade.