Any scooter riders?

Anybody out there right a scoot? I've been very tempted by getting a Honda Ruckus..

this is all I have to say about scooters.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=KRVyZZXBICA

and this,

Europeans take their scooters very seriously.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lOwAd4Ae0rY

motogpfan wrote: this is all I have to say about scooters. http://youtube.com/watch?v=KRVyZZXBICA

Ha! Luc Besson. The 5th Element is still one of my favorite movies.

Oh yeah, cool scoot riding too!

I recently bought a moped, but i'm pretty sure that doesn't count.

I've never heard of those taxi movies before. Looks like a french cross between Ronin and Fast and the Furious.

i never actually watched the movie, I just thought the intro was pretty cool.

Best use of a scooter...EVER! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTy_LASO6Mk

I actually just bought a scooter a couple of weeks ago to commute to work with and to tool around town if I need to run errands. It's a 1989 Honda Elite 50cc, and it only has like 900 miles... anddd its got pink decals.It's a complete blast to ride... I've got a giant grin the whole time I'm on it.

I'm thinking I might actually sell it if I can find an 08' Ninja 250 for sale anywhere nearby. I never realized how much fun it is on 2 wheels and I'd like to have a bike that'll go faster than 35mph.

This semester at college would be perfect for me to have a small scooter or bike to learn on. My thing is, I don't want to spend more than $1000 if I don't have to, but I may save that amount in gas!

You can regularly find smaller scoots for $500-$800. Even new china ones(150cc) are under $1k(if you feel lucky). I just picked up an old(1977) KZ400 for Mrs Mini and Jr Mini to learn on and puttin' around town. It is in excellent shape with 11k on it. Asking price was $600 and I bought it for $400. Needed only a front tire to pass inspection. If you search, you'll find them.

I bought a Yamaha BWS50 (Zuma in US?) last year for my wife. She never got around to using it, so I did. It was great for errands, and even the odd commute to work. My commute is 90km each way, but it was the funnest 1.5 hr commute I've ever had. Nothing is more fun in town than a scooter. My advice, if you're looking at 50cc 2 strokes, buy something that you can get parts for. Mine was piped, and weighted, and would do 80km/hr in most situations, and still get about 90 MPG.

do you need a motorcycle license for a scooter?

It varies from state to state on needing a motorcycle license for a scooter. In PA, anything 50cc or smaller, you just need a regular drivers license. Anything over 50cc requires a bike license..

In MA its the same deal... No bike license required, no insurance, no license plate... You just have to pay $40 to the DMV to get it registered for 2 years and they give you a little sticker to throw on the back.

92dxman, I just replied to your PM.

I ride my sister's when I am San Fran. It is the only way to travel in that city! Really quite fun and practical. Stick a basket on the back and you can use it for 80% of the trips you make in your car.

Mad Machine, it looks like New Jersey requires you to have a motorcycle license to ride a scooter.

http://www.dmv.org/nj-new-jersey/other-types.php

VA is the same. Scooters are covered under the moped law, which defines a moped as under 50cc. No DL required, but you have to be 16yo and eligible for a DL (ie can't ride a scooter/moped if your DL is suspended). Until this year, scooters also had to be restricted to 30mph, but I think they dropped that provision.

pinchvalve wrote: I ride my sister's when I am San Fran. It is the only way to travel in that city! Really quite fun and practical. Stick a basket on the back and you can use it for 80% of the trips you make in your car.

What size is the engine on that thing? I can't imagine that a 50cc scooter can handle the hills of San Francisco.

914Driver wrote: Mad Machine, it looks like New Jersey requires you to have a motorcycle license to ride a scooter. http://www.dmv.org/nj-new-jersey/other-types.php

See the moped section - under 50cc is considered a moped. That's a small scooter, but they are available and perfectly usable in urban and tight suburban areas.

I picked up a $25 Puch a few years back. '78 model Austrian build quintesential '70s moped. Pedal to start.

Ended up putting an ebay engine on it (the old one took many tons of pressure to get the piston to break free) and have done a few things like replace the petcock and rebuild the carburetor (many times).

It's incredibly unreliable...but just fun to ride. I don't take it anywhere I "need" to go...but it is useful and fun. I really want a motorcycle though. 30 mph is just not very comfortable to be dicing it up with cars and trucks.

Clem

A buddy of mine has a late 70s Puch. Compared to my honda its loud, unreliable and slow... but they're just as much fun to ride. For $25 you got a complete steal, I see them go for at least a couple hundred. When my buddy put his up for sale on craigslist for $400 he had 15 emails within a day asking about it.

Yep,

Folks love the vintage factor. I can't believe that I actually get compliments on it. Folks ask me if it's any fun and I want to say, "Well...it's kind of like dating a fat girl." But I'm just way to pc to say that in public conversation...you know ;)

Here in MO, if it's under 50cc and can't go more than 30 (I think) MPH, it's classed as a "motorized bicycle" and is exempt from Registration, Insurance, Helmets, and Motorcycle endorsement.

That is to say, you can have a vehicle to get around on that has almost NO costs associated with it. Granted...it likes to rain and snow and get bitter cold here...but when the weather allows...scooters are a reasonable way to get around.

Clem

I found a 99 Derbi for sale that needs an inspection for a decent price.. Upon some research it seems to be of European background. Does anyone know anything about Derbis?

I'm thinking about a Ruckus, too, but it sounds like they're really slow in stock form. I live at the top of a big hill, so that may just suck the fun right out of it.

I'm seriously thinking about getting one and attempting a 250cc engine swap.

Check these sights for Ruckus info: http://battlescooter.proboards27.com/ http://totalruckus.com/phpBB2/index.php