So, I'd like to buy a scooter...any tips?

S

SouthAfricanHorn

250+ Posts
I'd like to buy a scooter but have no earthly idea where to start. I think buying a Honda is probably a safe bet considering how well their cars are built, etc...

Are there better brands to start with? I'd like for it to go relatively fast (no faster than 50mph). How many cc's is that? I feel completely lost...
 
Honda's are great, unfortunately their product line is a donut. They have smaller ones (50ccs) and they have maxi-scooters, but not the 125/150/200 sweet spot that a lot of people are looking fore. Every year they promise to start importing something awesome (like a 150cc ruckus), and every year they disappoint.

The big thing is don't get some off brand chinese scooter that you can't get parts or service for. Craigslist is filled with them. They are junk, much like those crappy buggies/atvs they sell at pepboys. Austin has a dealer of qlink (a crappy chinese brand I think) but will service them (very very good price,The Link So thats a good cheap option if your usage isn't too much and you aren't entirely scooter dependent. Supposedly parts for the qlinks are very cheap as well. Stick to honda, yamaha, vespa, aprilia, TnG (if you can find a dealer who does service), genuine and kycomo. Suzuki has a only a maxi (250cc+).

Generally speaking the brands fall into tiers:
Best: Vespa, Honda, Yamaha
Middle: Genuine, Kymco, TnG
Don't: misc chinese crap

You can probably get a 50cc that you can have the dealer derestrict that does 40-45 for under $2200 or so. I hear great things about the Genuine Buddy 50, the Aprilia 50, and the Kymco Super 9. Some of those are real racing scooters, and derestricted can really fly. Note that 50cc are considered mopeds only if you have a restrictor for 30mph on them. Take off the restrictor and you are supposed to register it as a motorcycle and have a motorcycle license. If its just a moped, all you need is the written motorcycle test, which is very easy and takes all of 20 minutes of study to ace.

My biggest problem with the smaller scooters is that they are almost too small for me (5'11", 185).

The yamaha 125 is a good all purpose choice. It will be reliable, hold a lot of value, is fairly cheap, and can operate 2 up (with a passenger).

Another aspect to consider is whether you want the small tires (10 to 12" mostly), or a big tire scooter (15", 16"). The bigger tires should be more stable at higher speed, and handle the little bumps inherent in pavement a bit better. However, the small tire look is definitely the more stylistically appealing (for many) look of old school italian scooters.

Speaking of styles, there are basically three. The big two are italian (vespa/paiggio) and japanese (suzuki, yamaha, honda). Kymco (taiwanese) and a few other brands have a sort of big wheel softened japanese-modern look. More of a hyrbrid style.

Austin area dealers:
Honda/Yamaha are all over
TnG (I think that's the brand) are at Kaisson down south.
TJ Cycles sells Kymco, 51st and lamar.
Scooter Revolution is next to the Parlor (best pizza in austin) on north loop.

I've been shopping around for months now. I still haven't decided. I almost pulled the trigger on a Kymco S200 (I like the idea of 60mph, one could safely navigate major surface streets like Lamar or Burnet with that speed potential, and therefore get around Austin nearly too everywhere), but lost my nerve. The Buddy 125 and 150 are great, but they are a little small to me. The Vespas are basically out of my price range. I might end up with the Aprilia 50 (the one with the free trunk) or the Yamaha 125.

Finally, take the motorcycle class. MotoFun in austin will let you take the course with a scooter. I signed up with them because of that, but at the last minute took the course with a real motorcycle. I figured if I could pass the test with gear shifting, a scooter should be easier.

One other thing holding me back is that there are a lot of 250cc and 500cc motorcycles that are modestly highway capable, used for less than the price of a similarly equipped scooter with a lessor top speed. I'm also torn between something that will get me to the grocery store and the bus stop (50cc would be fine), and something that would let me drive down Lamar in a pinch. Or even just let me drive the scooter to the shop for the oil change and maintenance.
 
you asked about speed:

most 50ccs will max out around 35 to 40 if derestricted.
many 125/150s will touch 50 or 55
200cc will go 60
250cc can hit 65, this is the smallest size that can legally travel on a highway
400cc+ highway cruising.

You can google the top speed of a model you look at. Note that 2 strokes (there are only a few left on the market) will generally go faster than a similar sized 4 stroke. Genuine Buddy's have a reputation for being pretty peppy, while the Yamaha 125 is thought to be pretty slow for its size.
 
I understand from a friend in the business (Global Motors Imports) that most scooters are manufactured in the same Chinese facilities -- only the names and prices are different. You can buy a 49 cc scooter directly from GMI in Houston for as little as $800! Alternatively, call GMI and get the contact information for their Austin dealer(s).
The Link 800-706-0093
 
Wear a helmet just in case of...

brickwall.gif
 
(for austin) If you want cheap, go with the qlink at Scooter Revolution or the TnG at Kasson Yamaha. There may be something to the china parts theory, but dealer support is important. If it breaks down, there aren't aren't a bazillion little auto shops that can repair it.
 
Get an old Honda CT-110 Street & Trail.
Mine topped out a little over 50 and got 65mpg. I put a passenger seat on the rack & installed an extra set of pegs so it could carry two.
Not as girly-lookin' as a scooter.

CT110.jpg


One of my kids still has my 1980 CT.
 
the 2009 lineups are just coming out. This is the scooter that I want:
The Link
125 Yamaha Zuma
can ride 2-up
125cc fuel injected means probably decent top speeds (mid 50s? might touch 60?)
space enough for a full face helmet
I like the rugged fat tire look
bigger seat allows a larger rider to sit back a bit.
 
My suggestion is that you don't do it. Scooter are for fat people and chicks. Are you a fat chick?

Get a bike and pedal.
 
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