Keeway Vieste 300 Road Test Review: Likes And Dislikes

Exploring what it’s like to ride India’s first reasonably accessible maxi-scooter

Indians love Europe and its culture. We love their food, EU countries are great for vacationing and we absolutely love their cars and bikes. Then why is it that we have been deprived of Europe's iconic maxi-scooter culture? Aprilia tried with the SXR 160, but it's just a SR 160 after the first COVID-19 lockdown. Yes, the Yamaha Aerox 155 sure comes close, but the Japanese scooter is like a size zero model in front of proper European maxis. And let's not even talk about the BMW C 400 GT! 

In comes the Keeway Vieste 300. A Hungarian hopeful raised in China. We've ridden it, ran some tests and here is what we like and dislike about this proper 300cc maxi-scooter.

Thumbs up!
Styling:

Yes it looks like a Ducati Panigale, which is European. But, ‘inspired designs’ feels so Chinese, no? But that is where the line gets blurry. That in-the-face design is actually very sporty looking and hard to dislike. 

Features: 

Compared to its sibling, the Keeway Sixties 300i, the Vieste 300 is better equipped and feature rich. Considering its maxi personality, it packs in the essentials like heated grips, a good-to-have feature on a touring scooter. It also gets an apron-mounted USB charging port, which is super convenient, and a full digital LCD console that is bright, easy to read under harsh light and comprehensive. One of the features that help the Keeway standout better is its keyless function. Only BMW offers that on its C400 GT, but that is three times more expensive.
Handling: 

It gets a telescopic fork and twin rear shocks. You ride on 13-inch rims that run on meaty 110-70/130-70 section Timsun tyres front and back. On the highway or over good roads, this setup is very enjoyable. In a true maxi fashion, the scooter feels relaxed like a cruiser. It is not the most agile when it comes to changing directions and splitting lanes on the highway; but in a straight line, it feels planted. 

And the same dynamics demand less aggressive riding in the city too. Cruise around and you'll be comfortable, moving fast means overworking its brakes and suspension which aren't its strongest suits. But more on that later.  
  
Range: 

As mentioned before, maxi-scooters encourage touring and range is critical in that department. The good thing is, the Vieste 300 sports one of the largest fuel tanks on a scooter currently on sale in India. You can demand about 300km of range from its 12-litre fuel tank.

Thumbs down!
Performance: 

This segment sparks a bit of a debate. Yes it is fast, faster than the Yamaha Aerox, but it is also twice the displacement and twice as expensive, hence you have twice the expectations. But in reality, the performance is predictable but not exciting. It goes to 100kmph and that's it. You would expect a 300cc (278cc to be precise) to be more thrilling but it isn't. It reaches 115kmph after much struggle, and even then, you have to deal with a fair bit of windblast. Ultimately, you are forced to settle down to 90-95kmph, which seems disheartening considering that you are getting just marginal gains over the Yamaha Aerox 155 which is half the Keeway's price.

Fit and finish:

It's all plastic and the fitment levels are much better than what we expected from a Chinese product. That said, while the finish of the paint on the body panels is good, the quality of the plastic itself is underwhelming. Moreover, at the time of testing this scooter, it’s been raining in Pune and condensation is not this scooter’s best friend. We experienced a fair amount of headlight and tail light fogging.   

Convenience:  

It's one thing to have a scooter that's loaded with features and a whole other challenge to make it user friendly. For instance, the apron mounted USB charging is great, but the cubby holder itself is shallow and has no cover like on the Sixties, so there's a risk of your phone falling out.
 
The digital instrumentation spread is elaborate but the layout seems like an afterthought and much of the space could have been utilised better. 

While the fob is a cool feature to have, it looks cheap and lacks a proximity sensor. So if you miss the narrow five second window to unlock your scooter, you'll have to reach for it again and repeat the unlocking process all over.   

Ride Quality And Braking:

Europe has superior infrastructure, India does not, period. And this maxi-scooter that handles the highways well starts to shake and shudder on our poor Indian city roads. The firmness of the rear suspension is very jarring making everyday commutes annoying. For instance, riding over white rumbler strips is never a good time. And that’s the start of the issue. Sharp bumps and thuds are sent back to the rider in an unkindly manner. You are left with soreness all throughout after a couple of hours in the saddle, which too feels like it is made out of wood and not foam. 

    




While you get disc brakes at either end, the combination of an intrusive ABS system and lack of feedback from the Timsun tyres made things a little iffy. Moreover, just in a couple of days of testing, the front brake already began to fade, which isn’t what you expect from a premium product. 

Verdict:

This is a tough one for a simple reason. The Keeway Vieste 300 delivers well on paper, but on the road, the usability is underwhelming. And that feeling is amplified by the fact that this scooter costs a hefty Rs 2.99 lakh( ex-showroom Delhi).