Anybody know anything about Scooters?

by Terry 24 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  rebel8

  I was thinking the same thing, Terry, a few yrs ago. I started a thread about it then. Someone from here actually sells them and they deliver.

  He actually discouarged me from getting one. I am thinking they are probably appropriate for urban environments. Here we have lots of snow, trucks and hills. No one has scooters here, so drivers are not savvy enough to pay attention to a scooter. He felt like it would be too dangerous.

  Plus with the hills...they don't have very good "oomph" to climb.

  Also...here lots of animals run in my path in my morning commute. And I am a terrible bike rider! I have bad depth perception.

  So I think it all depends on you/your skills, where you're going to drive it, etc.
• 

  ScenicViewer

  Years ago I rode a Vespa scooter, and have since ridden motorcycles of all sizes. Scooters are very easy to ride, and will zip you around town, and in and out of your driveway and parking spaces very easily. Even a small car will seem cumbersome in comparison.

  You are vulnerable on any kind of motorcycle. Always be defensive. Never assume other drivers see you. If you are about to cross the path of a car at a stop sign, make eye contact with the driver to be sure he sees you and to determine his intentions. Same thing if a driver is about to turn left in front of you (you are driving toward him). Many, many accidents happen is these scenarios because the driver just didn't see the motorcycle.

  A helmet is a must, whether it's the law in your state or not.

  Among the machines I've had was a Honda 110cc trail bike...light, maneuverable, good on gas, not that different from a scooter. Wish I still had it.

  If you are careful, cautious, defensive, you will have fun. Happy riding.
• 

  irondork

  I bought a scooter in February and I love it. Beats feeding the Ram truck a zillion gallons of money every week.

  I learned:

  Don't buy a cheap one. I paid $999. for mine and I've had a few problems with it. Fortunately I bought it from a store that was really great about honoring the warranty even after it expired. They were problems that never should have happened to a new bike; bearings, fuel leaks, lights, etc. Spend a few hundred dallars more and get a reputable brand.

  DO NOT BUY ONLINE - NO MATTER HOW GOOD THE DEAL LOOKS!!! You are going to have maintenance issues. Easier to get them taken care of at the local store you buy from. I've heard nightmare stories about people trying to get the mail order companies to make good on their bikes.

  Cars can't stand to be behind a moped. Doesn't matter how fast I am going, there is something in the minds of car drivers that rebels against the idea of being behind a moped. I got a 150cc moped that tops out at 65mph. I can more than keep up with traffic and usually ride 5mph or so over the speed limit just to make sure I'm not the little moped that holds up traffic. Cars will still pass me and then slow down again. The important thing is THEY MUST be in front and will run you off the road to get there.

  I'm still riding mine back and forth to work. The mornings here in South Carolina are beginning to dip into the 50's and that makes for an uncomfortable ride to work. But the ride home...

  Wonderful!

  You're going to love it.
• 

  WontLeave

  Chinese internal combustion engines? While many engines include Chinese parts assembled elsewhere or for a non-Chinese company, there is a huge difference between name-brand Chinese and off-brand Chinese quality. If you buy some no-name scooter, you can count on it being a piece of junk. It will break faster than you can imagine and parts will be impossible to find. Just hope the part that breaks isn't one that its failure will kill you. Low-end Chinese quality is not a good deal. It may be half the price, but it will last 1/10 as long and be 10 times the headache.
• 

  brizzzy

  I used to own a scooter and a motorcycle (both Hondas, both ran forever, never had a problem). The scooter got about 65-75 mpg, motorcycle got 50 mpg. Liked the motorcycle more because it could go faster (safer on the freeway) and felt less flimsy than the scooter. Scooter is probably safer around town and surface streets. If you need to go on highways for any reason, the slight dip in gas mileage for a motorcycle is still worth it.

  Scooters do take less time to learn to drive than motorcycles, because they tend to be automatic. But I took a CHP course to learn to ride my motorcycle and it was two weekends, about 5 hours per day. After that it becomes rote. It's a lot like driving a stick shift car in theory, but your hands and feet are doing different things.

  Also had a friend who had a moped. It got 150 mpg. Con was that it only went about 35-40 miles per hour, even with only one person on it (add a second and it gets even slower). Again, nice if you just need it to get around town on surface streets. Not freeway legal, though.

  I love Vespas, though I've never ridden one. But when buying bikes, I tend to stick with Honda since I've had such a good experience with them. No oil leaks, breakdowns, mechanical issues, nothing.
• 

  talesin

  I have a friend who's buying one, and has been looking at pros & cons (he's not too internet savvy, so I was helping him research). Like others say above, it's good for him, as it will all be in the city.

  He figures that as an experienced bicycle rider, he will apply the same 'rules of vulnerability'.

  [Where I live,] one big benefit of a scooter (if it's the right fit) is that they are not licensed by the RMV (no registration fees), and no driver's license required. That's the difference between a Vespa and a 'lighter' scooter. (Vespas must be licensed & you are required to have a mototcycle license.)

  You don't have to buy Chinese - there is a Canadian manufacturer in Toronto. Daymak.com (not trying to promote anything, just a heads-up that there are certainly Cdn options if not even good 'ole USA, there's quite a range)

  tal

  EDIT: forgot to say,,, lol @ dontplaceliterature It ws there! how could you not? ahahaha :D
• 

  St George of England

  Does anybody here actually RIDE a scooter?

  I can ride a bicycle. How far will that take me in my learning curve?

  I have ridden a Vespa and also a Lambretta in the distant past. These days I stick to a motorcycle, much safer. The current machine I have has a top speed of 105mph, (according to road test) will cruise all day at 70 and still return 70mpg.

  Riding a bicycle is a good start but still get some professional training. Here in the UK we have CBT (Compulsary Basic Training) before you go on the road.

  George
• 

  talesin

  Riding a bicycle is a good start but still get some professional training. Here in the UK we have CBT (Compulsary Basic Training) before you go on the road.

  sound advice

  took mine thru the Canada Safety Council

  t
• 

  MoneurMallard

  Terry,

  Scooters are great. They are very simple to work on too, unless you have to rebuild a carbeurator, but if that be the case, on those little chinese ones the cost of a new carb every now and then will be less than you spend in fuel in your Honda each month anyway, most likely.

  However, if I were going to make a suggestion, got a Honda scooter, you will still get close to 65-70MPG in fuel, and you will be able to go a little faster, they are street legal on some Intrastate highways, not sure about Texas, but my old Elite 80CC I had tweaked out to reach 65MPH on I4 here in Orlando. Having said that though, I4 is the one exception in Florida since it links many of our suburbs within the area, it was a must for me to get on it. In regular street traffic, they are so versatile and you will NEVER have an issue finding a parking space again, since they are legal to park at bike racks, or on sidewalks, unless a sign is posted.

  Check with the Texas DMV though, my knowledge of Texas is limited to Yosemite Sam, George W. Bush and the Rangers.
• 

  Terry

  Thanks to all for wonderful informationa and prudent/practical advice!

  I made up my mind after deep reflection:)

  I'm repairing my Honda and skipping the scooter.

  I'm not ready to die and when the weather turns nasty I like a roof and heater!!

  JWN is a good resource for everything, isn't it? !!