Recently I was over in the South of France at a Sym launch and unfortunately we ran out of time to get a proper go on the little 50cc Mio so I took a trip down to damp and dismal Derby to take it out for a proper blast. The Mio’s bigger sister, the 100cc version has been in the country for over a year now and has sold fairly well. We tested it back in issue 31 so you know where to look if you fancy the larger capacity version. First things first, you can’t help noticing the retro feel to the Mio it’s a cute scoot and is designed to appeal to the style conscious commuter. It’s curvaceous bodywork, chrome detailing and funky two tone colour schemes make the scooter stand out from the crowd – quite an important asset these days when there are literally hundreds of different, but very similar models to choose from.

The Mio looked great being ridden in the sunshine along the cobbled streets of Provence by the pretty PR girl and I’m sure it’ll look just as stylish being ridden through the towns and cities of Great Britain, although the rider might not look quite as sexy in baggy waterproofs and a thick jumper!

The 50cc Mio is powered by a four stroke air cooled motor and is quite a responsive little scoot. The relatively lightweight machine which tips the scales at 84kg soon reaches its enforced 30mph speed limit and with many cities being chock a block with cars these days you’ll struggle to break the limit going about your daily business anyway. Whilst I was out and about taking photos in the middle of the city centre (in a waterfall) the Mio drew quite a few admiring glances from passers by and caused a bit of a stir, although I’m not sure if it was the scoot they were looking at or if people were pitying this strange man taking photos of a moped in the rain, but who cares.

I found the scoot to be quite an easy machine to ride (not that any twist & go’s are too tricky) but the Mio is so light and agile that it makes slow riding a simple job. It’s easy to manoeuvre the scoot through stationary lines of traffic and it will turn around on a sixpence, ideal for battling through busy town centres at rush hour. The front disc brake is sharp enough to haul the little beauty up quickly and the rear drum is adequate for the speeds you’ll be travelling at as well. The scoot is equipped with large chrome mirrors which not only look nice but you can see the road behind as well, which is a bonus. Underseat storage is fairly roomy, although I couldn’t fit my full face Arai lid under there but it’ll take a few groceries for that all important trip to the supermarket on the way home from work. The Mio also has a factory fitted immobiliser which is operated by a hidden switch, (I won’t tell you where it’s hidden though) quite a useful addition to help keep any thieving scum at bay. The ignition switch is tamper proof as well to stop any toe rags from jamming a screwdriver in there; it has a sliding cover which can only be opened by using the tool on the reverse of the key. One nice little gimmick on the Mio is the multi coloured backlighting on the clocks, turn the lights off and on again and the colour changes so you can choose your favourite.

The Mio has ‘lady rider’ written all over it (luckily though it’s not in permanent marker so you can wipe it off when you get the scoot home!) and its comfy dual seat is low enough to enable any vertically challenged people to touch the floor easily which is a confidence booster for any learners taking to the roads for the first time. Despite the scoot being aimed at female riders I didn’t feel out of place on it so don’t let that put you off lads ‘cos you’ll still look cool and manly on it.

The Mio 50 retails at £1499 and the importers are also offering a tempting insurance deal, free TPO insurance and £199 third party fire and theft. I think you get quite a nice little machine for your money; it looks stylish is built to last and is a bit different to many of the scooter ‘clones’ out there. It’s in the shops now so visit your local Sym dealer and have a closer look.