I may be changing over to commuting by train instead of by car. We live a 15 min walk from the train station, which isn't far/bad enough to justify the monthly parking fee. BUT...bikes and scooters (but not motorcycles) park free. So, what kind of low $$$ scooter should I be thinking about? As I told SWMBO, its for practical purposes, of course, but you guys also know its a legit excuse for a new little project. Should I rock the Vespa and practice saying "ciao" or would that just frustrate me?
Any beat up old Honda Elite 150 (or 250 if you can find one) from the '90s. I got my sis one and went over it completely for just about $600 including tires.
It can run 55mph all day, starts, runs on the first push every time and the best part is that it's so ugly no one would ever bother to steal it. I think it gets infinity miles per gallon.
As far as I know Vespas are on the high $$$ end of the scooter kingdom. I concur that older Hondas are a good choice.
Avoid the cheap Chinese scooters. As mentioned an older Honda Elite would be a great scooter and easily handle 55mph. If you're in town only and can deal with 40mph, look for a Honda Ruckus or Metropolitan. The Ruckus looks cooler but the Metro is still a good ride and has a Vespa look if you like that style.
Another one for honda. Cheap, reliable and capable.
How far is a 15 minute walk - one mile or so? I'd go for the cheapest used Chinese scooter I could find. Even if it breaks down you can still walk home in a few minutes.
15 minute walk.. I would be considering a bicycle
In reply to ManhattanM (fka NY535iManual):
Chinese scooters are fine once they're sorted and broken in, but if you just want to ride a maintenance free appliance they probably aren't for you. I like them though.
Yamaha Rivas turn up pretty often for cheap, C3s, Vinos and Zumas are good, but hold value. Genuine scooters are regarded as better quality than Chinese, the early Stella models being essentially an Indian built Vespa. Kymco is from Taiwan, and a completely legit brand. TGB is also from Taiwan, and considered good, but I think they left the US market market when 2 strokes were phased out, so you might not find one of those.
You said that scooters part free, but motorcycles have to pay. In most states a scooter over 50cc is registered as a motorcycle, so that's something to keep in mind.
Something else to keep in mind is that big bore kits, and other hop ups for 50cc Gy6 (Chinese) scooters are stupid cheap.
The only way to maintain a Chinese scooter is buy 2 and strip one for parts. Buy a Honda and be done with it.
Buy a good chain and lock
Here in FL anything over 50cc needs a motorcycle license too so I'm having a hard time the train depot considering that a scooter. Another +1 for a cheap road bike from craigslist.
Otherwise my Yamaha Vinos have been great.
I had a Yamaha Zuma 125 for a few years and it was perfect for the very short commute I had at the time. Got about 85mpg over it's lifetime. It could cruise at 55mph all day too. When you say scooters park for free - do they need to be under 50cc or are bigger scooters OK too? They have made a 50cc Zuma forever as well, both two strokes and four strokes depending on the model year. Depending on the year those are good for 35-40mph as well and easy to mod for more speed too.
A buddy of mine picked up a pair of Chinese scooters last year for like 1/10 of Challenge budget combined. They're cosmetically rough, but have been running just fine for him and he's a complete neanderthal when it comes to mechanical ability. Seems like there's a half decent parts supply on eBay, too, including the aforementioned hop up kits. And if something does terminally break, or the thing gets stolen, who cares? Cheap enough to be disposable.
49cc's are not enough cc's for survival, at least with a four stroke.
I have a Yamaha C3 that I love but don't necessarily need. Not sure I'd part with it though, as it's a riot for pit vehicle and occasional street riding. 49cc means no insurance or registration needed, will do 38mph on flat roads with 330# of me on it. Struggles on hills though, lol.
I also have a Yamaha C3 that we love. Exactly what CRX Mike said, we use ours as a pit ride most of the time but did just register and insure it and it is huge fun to bomb around our little town with, and can be used for light shopping with the big trunk it has. These are fuel injected so it always starts up right away and runs well even when cold.
I have a 49cc scooter (2009 Sym MIO) I picked up last year when I couldn't drive due to my Achille's tendon rupture, and put well over 1k miles on it since. It's great for short distance commutes where it's not practical or advisable to be riding my bicycle. Mine was $900, but it also had less then 300 miles on it and was in great shape- for what it sounds like you'll be doing, I'd agree that getting the cheapest running Chinese scooter you can get should do the trick just fine. That or get one of these- a co-worker has one to get the half mile or so between the lot he parks in and the garage.
This may date me alittle but I had a Yamaha Razz "back in the day". Thing wasindestructible.
I thought this was about Scooters, not a Canoe
Be aware there are 2 models of Honda metropolitan, the standard one and the metropolitan II. They are both 50cc and same set up but the 2nd is limited to 30 mph by a couple different restrictions.
What do you want out of it? And do licensing laws matter to you?
My picks in a few categories:
50ccs baby!
It's not a bike with pedals, more like an electric scooter. I got one to have with the RV. It's super light, easy to ride and maneuver. 20" wheels give a good ride. Goes 10-12 miles easily on a charge. They sell a carrying case to carry it over your shoulder.
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