As it happened I found myself looking at a 2004 Milano 125 that was a theft recovery. Here was an opportunity to look closely at the construction of a smaller scooter while putting it back together. The motor was the same as the Tanks 150 cc GY6 but with a displacement of 125 ccâ?™s so I thought it would be an interesting comparison as well. Some people might look at the Milano by Tnâ?™G as a Spartan scooter with little other than utility and retro styling to recommend it but after spending time with this machine I would say that would be missing the point. What follows here is some of what I found as I played with putting the Milano back together.
The Tnâ?™G Milano 125 has a look that is slightly retro and a feel that is solid scooter.
By now you know something about the Tank and the controversy the Chinese invasion of scooters has caused in the U.S. marketplace. In the process of buying one I spent quite a bit of time with the computer getting to know a lot about the uninformed opinions these single trackers generate as well as the misinformation. Much of the venom directed at the machine and its manufacturer was misplaced irritation over the practices of a very few retailers. Lots of verbiage passed between June of 2005 and present among the denizens of the internet over what awful products these imports are (even claimed by some to be illegal for use in the United States) and unfortunately very little information from that period stood the test of time and usage. When I got my Tank (TK150T-H) it was a typical delivery with the front wheel and top case detached and the gas line in need of connecting. In putting it together there was not a lot of time or energy expended due in large part to the excellent article by John Ebberts showing a step by step guide on how to do it. Since then there has been a constant stream of information about every aspect of maintenance and repair as owners discover the workings of their Tank. Everyone acknowledges that the ownerâ?™s manual is useless but the information on-line has largely replaced the need for a manual.
Tank took the lines of a modern scooter and put it in an appealing package.
The Milano has excellent support on-line from its parent company Tnâ?™G and this includes a parts catalog as well as an ownerâ?™s manual that is easy to use. When I got this Pearl Green beauty it only came with a manual from the previous owner in Spanish. While I can struggle through issues in that language, thanks to living and being part of the Southwestern culture for so long, it just takes me a while longer. Moreover, my knowledge is not technical in nature in that language. In fact, better that we should order cervesas (beer) together than bujias o frenos (spark plugs or brakes). There were lots of missing parts to the Milano when I picked it up. Body panels had been gouged or were not there at all, while bolts holding the engine in place were broken off in the scooter and, in general, you might think that I lacked good sense if you had seen the state of the scooter at that time. It had obviously been run through the brush and many of the panels were cracked. In no time I had stripped it down and made a list of what was needed from looking at the on-line parts available. I made a visit to a local (and very cool) retail shop (Scoot Over in Tucson) and had the most of the parts in a week or so. A few things needed follow up because I had not noticed them being broken or missing on the first go round but in short order I was riding the beast around town.
The differences in the two machines are significant. The Milano has 10 inch wheels compared to the 12 inchers on the Tank. Right away you notice the fast turning of the Milano due to the tire size. The Tank is no slouch when it comes to turning with its light weight and close steering geometry (57.08 inch wheel base) but the Milano has a shorter wheel base (48.5 inches) and the ten inch wheels to offer a snappy and quick response. Up to, say, thirty miles an hour from a stop you will notice the Milano is slightly more tender in its handling while keeping up nicely with the Tank. Over thirty the Tank is noticeably steadier and the Milano is getting a little touchy. The Milanoâ?™s 124.6 cc motor works harder to maintain speed and though it is rated at 9 horse power it is clearly less motor than the Tankâ?™s 149.7 ccâ?™s and just over 10 horse power. The difference propels the Tank up to around 65 mph but the Milano can struggle to get to 55 mph so you get much more than expected from the Tank. If you had come to the Tank from a Milano perspective you would be amazed and amused by this but coming, as I did, from the Tank it was obvious that I would have to hot rod the Milano if I were going to keep it long term. At this point I need to mention that I enjoy the Milano despite this lack of power because it IS fun to ride! Also the folks at Tnâ?™G must agree because in the later versions they upped the power plant to a 150 cc motor.
One of the things that you notice when you get the speed up is that the TK150 comes with a windshield and the Milano does not. On a cold morning I had to think twice about which one I was going take for a short jaunt to the hardware store. The deciding factor that day turned out to be that the storage capacity of the Tank is a good deal larger than the Milano which made the choice more obvious. There is a hook at the front (behind the cowling) of the Milano that can add a way to carry a bag of two but the under seat storage is less than the Tank has. I like the hook so much I may install something similar on the Tank one of these days. In a way, the area under the seat of the Milano is more useable but there is so much more volume in the Tank plus the top carrier box that itâ?™s no contest really.
A small issue is the turning signal button. On the Tank itâ?™s an easy enough button to use but I noticed that the one on the Milano has a more positive feeling to it. It is easier to tell without looking when you have disengaged the signal on the Milano. It is not that the one on the Tank is bad; it is not, it is more that a push on the Milano clicks and you feel the disengagement more clearly.
Once I got the Tankâ?™s brake handles adjusted correctly there was an obvious benefit to the positive feel of full braking from its front and rear disc brakes. The surprise for me here was the Milano came with a disc forward but drum rear set up yet was very steady on full braking maneuvers. Thatâ?™s the sort of surprise you can learn to like. The miniscule 1.45 gallon fuel tank on the Milano has driven me little crazy since I have been used to the 2.9 gallon capacity on the Tank. The difference in gas mileage is such that you soon learn to appreciate the larger fuel supply available on the TK150. My experience has been a mpg between 70 to 75 for the Tank and around 85 for the Tnâ?™G.
The fit and finish of the Milano is really good. Everything seems to be put together very well and while I had read complaints regarding these on earlier models I didnâ?™t see problems here. Keep in mind this Milano had been sorely used (and abused) before I had gotten it and if there was any indication of a failure I would likely have seen it while dismantling and reassembling it. Having taken the Tank apart several times for different reasons I can say that it is put together well and the parts fit nicely once you get the hang of how they work together to make the whole. The aft section is an intricate combination that is not piece meal â?“ that is, if you want one panel off you will need to take them all off! Given that both of these are plastic body works I would rather take the Milano apart and put it together than the Tank due to the ease of assembly but the Tank is well thought out and very sturdy.
One thing that I figured out right away was that I could easily kick start the Milano but that the Tank was almost never willing to give me positive reinforcement on the first or second kick. Good thing the electric start works well on both of them. In both cases the batteries are almost the same, 12 volt with 6 or 7 Ah rating.
In trying these scooters out I had periods that had me favoring one over the other for different reasons. For a time I preferred the Milano for the better lighting it gave me at night. Its single bulb out shone the Tankâ?™s dual system and seemed to hit the road in the right place. Even after I changed out the Tankâ?™s headlight assembly I preferred the Milanoâ?™s brightness. The ease of getting around on the Milano and the fact that it is much lighter (222 pounds against 286 pounds) was a plus. Then I got in a frame of mind that had me going faster and I got to appreciate the larger wheel size and more weight of the TK150 along with more pull. If lived in town and had a regular short commute I would choose the Milano but I know that longer rides, with a group here, has me ranging further a field than that and I would choose the Tank. Although the Milano is built in the USA it is from parts made in China and, frankly, it is obvious that Tnâ?™G is trying to construct a good combination. Tank must have quality control involved in their process as well and the result is a very workable unit. Small issues pop up on any vehicle when you own it for a while but either of these one track vehicles should give long service under good maintenance.
Overall I like the little 125 Milano as a second scoot for short hops. It is even comfortable for someone of my large size on longer rides. That was something that was very positive from the start. For the long term I would want something with a bit more speed capability and more storage available. If I were to keep this scooter I would add some racks, possibly both front and rear to increase the hauling ability. It would be nice to have room for groceries. The Tank has all this and frankly there is increasing dealer support as well to make it easier to find parts. It will take time but Tank appears to be trending in the right direction with its support. At the end of the day I have discovered I like riding these two wheeled vehicles and will hope to look at more of them in the future!
