Not a Honda...not a Kymco...but...UM Matrix II

Yesterday, I rode both the Honda SH-150 and the UM Matrix II at Lancaster Honda. The Honda was an eye opener, and in some ways, the UM was as well.

While the UM is definitely no Honda, it certainly provides a low cost option for those who may not have around $5,000 to drop on a scooter.


My initial impressions of the United Motors Matrix II 150 are as follows:

• Appearance: Lots of angles. Looks a bit like a Malagutti I've seen. Headlights seem eye-catching
  
• Fit and Finish: Mediocre. As an example, there were plastic shavings tucked around the edges of the instrument panel cover.
  
• Storage: Fairly good for this class of scooter. Probably big enough for a full face helmet and certainly big enough for my 3/4 helmet.
  
• Aesthetically, Not terribly loud. Not terribly good looking in my opinion, but looks are not everything.
  
• Seat height is a little tall and the floorboards are so wide that putting my feet down was an uncomfortable experience.
  
• Footroom is very good, with plenty of room for me to flop my big ol' stompers around.
• Mirrors vibrate horribly when stopped, making it impossible to know what is going on behind. When under way, the vibrations settled down some, but there were about three of each vehicle behind me, in each mirror.
  
• Vibrations were very noticeable.
• Instrument panel is made of cheap plastic. It gave me the impression that I was riding an oversized powerwheels. The turn signal indicators were impossible to see in full sun until I squinted real hard and got up close, which would be a difficult way to ride. As a plus, it does have a tachometer, though that seems a little pointless when one has no control over shifting.
  

• Kickstand included at no extra charge!
  

Now, on to the ride.

• The UM Matrix II is nicely agile and countersteers well. It feels more agile at speed than it does for slow turns. In fact, it was harder to turn around in a full circle than either my Kymco People 150 or the SH-150i. At speed, it seems very stable, of course, I think the chunky tires on the 13" wheels help a lot.
  
• The UM Matrix II rides solidly for the most part, though there was a little play in the steering column, which was a bit unnerving. The suspension was pretty good. Nice and bouncy. It absorbed bumps fairly well.
• The seat comfort is average. by the end of my 15 minute ride, I had repositioned myself at least five times. I was starting to feel a little saddlesore. There is minimal back support. Of course, these issues can be easily modified.
  

As for performance, the UM Matrix II is a capable machine.

• Acceleration is moderate. While it accelerated more gradually than my People 150, it did so capably without complaint.
  
• I wasn't able to really test top speed since I didn't take it on the highway, but it did register about 55 on the speedo on a downhill. It seemed to do pretty well uphill, on a rather steep grade it registered 48 on the speedo, though it did not seem to struggle. I didn't even think to look at the tach since I'm not used to one on a scooter.
  
• Cornering was pretty good. Since the UM Matrix II is fairly stable, this wasn't an issue, though, as its turning circle seemed a bit larger than the SH-150i.

As a whole, the UM Matrix II is a capable and sufficient scooter. It's not breathtaking, but it does what it needs to do. At $2100 (I'm fairly certain that's the price I was quoted), it is an easier pill to swallow than the SH-150i at over $5,000 out the door (OTD). Even my Kymco People 150 cost $3100 OTD which is a good chunk more than the Matrix II.

That seems like a pretty good deal to me. Certainly, there are trade offs in order to get that savings, but for the price, it's an ok Chinascoot (edited after more research). As mentioned, things like seat comfort can be modified. I'm sure that the play in the steering column can be fixed as well.

For the money, it's hard to beat the UM Matrix II. It's no Honda, It's not even a Kymco, but it is affordable and should deliver good value for those who simply need serviceable, reliable transportation.