Small Scooters

[Duppers]

Anyone have any good info to share on these? Any recommendations?

Something inexpensive and small for trips less than 7 or 8 miles one-way?

And nope, I don't want a bicycle, sorry. (I have a bad knee.)

[Floogeldy]

1. Here

http://www.combattiva.it/scarabeo/50100ditech/ditechframeset.asp?menu=3&lin=2

[Duppers]

2. thanks

that's helpful. :)

[Susang]

3. The Scarabeo is pretty expensive

What's your price range? Do you really want to spend several thousand dollars?

[Duppers]

5. you're right, it's too expensive for me

I can only spend $1200 or less. I need to shop used, I suppose.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

11. This is in your price range. A friend has one and likes it.

http://www.egovehicles.com/

[Susang]

12. It's hard to find a good used scooter

Most people hang onto their scooters, rather than sell them. If you buy used, ask a lot of questions, especially about if the scoot has ever been in an accident.

There are a lot of Yahoo scooter groups that have a lot of information, Twist 'n Go Scoot being the largest 4 stroke group. I'd check them out. Good luck!

[democracyindanger]

4. Better to have more power than you need

than not enough. The first scooter I ever rode was the old Honda Spree, at 50cc, and I didn't weight much more than a buck. Didn't take long to realize it had no power. Generally, I'd recommend no less than 150cc for an adult to ride regularly in traffic, and think 200-250cc is probably the best.

[Duppers]

6. good info. thanks.

I do not plan any highway driving, only in-town, so speeds under 40 will suit me fine. But you still think the 50cc is inadequate for my purposes?

Thanks.

[matcom]

7. i echo the above

50cc's ain't gonna cut it

here is mine:



Honda Reflex 250cc

yes it will go on the highway but what you want it for is the ability to get out of traffic when you need it.

[democracyindanger]

8. It's not speed

that's important--it's torque. 50cc for a full grown adult with, say, groceries, just won't cut it. You'll probably be doing a Fred Flintstone every time you leave from a full stop.

Torque is important because the quicker you can get away from trouble, the better. You may never go above 40, but a scooter that *can* go above 40 will have more than adequate torque in lower speeds.

Do you live in a tourism town, or are you going on vacation soon? Because scooter dealers don't generally have demo rides, it might be instructive to rent one of those little scooters for an hour.

[Susang]

10. 50ccs are not a problem for most adults

I ride a 50cc Honda Metropolitan in Chicago, buy groceries, etc., with no problems. The scooter I own is the best selling scooter in Tokyo. Not everybody needs that much power, Americans just think they do.

BTW, I work for Harley Davidson, so it's not like I don't know what I'm talking about. A rider should be paired with the bike that's right for them, not buy more than they need or can handle.

[democracyindanger]

13. But

how much do you weigh? Admittedly, I haven't been on a scooter for years, and the kind of bike I ride is all about torque, but weight-to-torque ratio should definitely be a consideration. If somebody doesn't think their ride provides enough torque to squirt them out of the way of a cage driver cutting them off, then their ride is not safe.

Using Tokyo's fave ride as a comparison is iffy. The riding environment is completely different.

I don't disagree that the rider should be paired with the bike that's right for them, but based on the OP's original query, it's better to recommend more power that they think they need than less. And it's not like I'm telling him/her to get a Hayabusa.

[riderinthestorm]

9. We have a Honda Spree we use on the farm.

The kids play with it. It is utterly harmless because it doesn't have a lot of power. It has never been on the road, we got it for less than $200 used (I don't think it had more than 1000 miles on it but it has been at least a decade since we bought it, the details are fuzzy).

The Yamaha Riva is a 150cc. We commute 18 miles with it, one way, daily in good weather, either my husband or I. It gets up to 50 mpg easily. We picked this one up used for $1000, with about 1000 miles on it.

Wear safety gear! Drive defensively! People just don't see you on these things so it is up to you to ensure you have enough bike underneath you to "scoot", plus the safety gear in case you fall.

[grasswire]

14. are there any motor bikes or scooters that don't require...

...a drivers license to operate?