49 cc scooters

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A good (not cheap Chinese) 150-250cc scooter will cost you $2K. You could buy a second beater car for as much, too. Insurance should be about the same on both.
 
I have a 67cc motorized 2 stroke bicycle and 750cc real motorcycle.

The motorized bike tops out at 28-30 mph (more with a regear) and is scary on the shoulder. Faster than side traffic thinks a pedal bike can go, so they pull in front. Slower than real traffic. Plus bozos honk at it thinking it's illegal, when my state allows motorized bikes without license plates or lights or anything!

If you get a scooter get a 150 cc one, way more pep. The little wheels don't take potholes that well. The motorcycle license is easy enough to get and shouldn't be a stumbling block.
 
Originally Posted By: kb01
My biggest concern with a scooter is having to (?) ride in the traffic lane and a concern that the tiny wheels might not be the steadiest platform in the event of hitting a stray piece of road gravel.

There are models available which have larger diameter wheels, if that is really that big of a concern. Most people fail to recognize the maneuverability advantages that a scooter/motorcycle has. Avoiding a pothole, or an obstruction in the road, is far easier to achieve on a two-wheeler than in a car. As long as you're allowing yourself a proper following distance, that is.

Take a look at Just Gotta Scoot. They offer some great reviews and recommendations, based on "hands-on" experience with a wide selection of makes and models. There are also a number of links to suppliers which have a positive track record.

Ride On!
 
Having a couple of 49cc scooters, I can say they are practical and a lot of fun. 95% of them attain 40-mph with no problem and are as stable as a motorcycle. You will pay more for a Honda or Yamaha - about twice what a Chinese scooter would cost you - but there's a reason that they cost more - Quality and Reliability.

People on TotalRuckus are getting 25k + miles out of the little Honda motors before touching them. Not bad for 49cc's.

Getting 100-mpg is a big bonus too, I can cruise all day and not break the bank. My personal favorite is the Honda Metropolitan, but Yamaha makes equally good scooters as well as Aprilla, Vespa, etc.

Another bonus is storage space - scooters have a remarkable amount of storage space built-in - add a trunk and it is even more practical.

With a little TLC and wrench-turning even the Chinese scooters (retail for $1000) can give 10k miles without any major problems. In most cases, the motors are fine - it's the little stuff that is an aggrevation.

Oh, and don't worry, 10" wheels are no problem - they have been used for quite some time now on scooters. My Metropolitan hits it rev-limiter at 43-mph and is perfectly stable at 20 or 40 mph.


Rob

P.S. - my commute is 14-miles round trip. The scooter makes it much more enjoyable, I hate driving the car to work now.
 
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Originally Posted By: kb01
She works part time and I work 10 hour days and right now, she either rides her bike or grabs an occasional ride with friends to work.

About a 1/2 mile of the trip is on a fairly busy city street and one of the advantages of a bike is the ability to ride along the shoulder. My biggest concern with a scooter is having to (?) ride in the traffic lane and a concern that the tiny wheels might not be the steadiest platform in the event of hitting a stray piece of road gravel.

In all likelihood, it will probably be a decision between a scooter and buying a much better bicycle than what she has now.


Sorry to bother you with that again, but that got me interested so much that I may do that myself (I have a 10 mile commute but the hot summer in a underground metro is not too much my thing, especially at peak hour):

Pushing forward my research on electric scooters, I found that you could transform your bicycle into an electric bike with an motor wheel, either in the front or at the back (leaving only 5 speeds instead of the usual 10 speeds).
The advantage of that is that the bike is lighter than the scooter, so with a 500W motor (you can go up to 1000W), you should go way faster than 32KPH, and it is still a bike so no problem with police using bike tracks.

To get some ideas, check ebay with key words "electric scooter" or more specialized "electric conversion kit".

Hope this help.
 
Get a Yamaha Zuma, the two strokes are quicker than the four strokes. Piaggio/Vespa or Kymco has some 49cc two strokes as well. The Honda Ruckus is cool, but slower acceleration as it's a four stroke. Stay far away from Chinese scoots.
I personally have a 2006 Aprilia SR50 Factory. 49cc, two stroke, direct fuel injected, liquid cooled, etc.. about as high tech as it gets. De-restricted it will top out out 51-53mph (indicated) and takes off really well for such a small motor.
I ride for fun, but the 94mpg on the Aprilia makes for a cheap commute when I'm too broke to put gas in the car.
 
Originally Posted By: Loobed

I had an Aprilia RS50. Great scooter/race bike.
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I got the same bike three weeks ago for my wife. Mine is a 1999 with an 80cc BBK with Mikuni 24 and MK exhaust. It can do an honest GPS verified 80mph on the straight.
 
Originally Posted By: jimvegas
Get a Yamaha Zuma


2nd

New about $2000, there's one on craigslist right now in my arear for $900. The 2 stroke will probably be more fun and sound fun too and @ retail it is $900 less than the 125cc model. And according to Yamaha it get 34mpg better. Win, win , win situation there.
 
I have to admit, the Zumas are pretty cool. If I come across the right deal at the right time (how often does that happen) i'll pick one up just for the heck of it. De-restricted i'll bet they're a lot of fun.

While my Metropolitan is not exactly a speed-demon, de-restricted it's not too bad. I still have the rev-limiter topping out at 43-mph, but the engine is spinning at 8800 rpms so no need to go any higher.

I'll have to say - the Met is the smoothest riding/most comfortable scooter i've got. Long rides = no choice for me as to which one to ride. Just blasting around town = my little 2-stroke Sundiro is a lot of fun.


Rob
 
One of my favorite subjects. Zuma's rock. Probably one of the most reliable 2 stroke entry scooters out there. Top speed, about 32 in stock form. Warmed up with a little work, 50 is possible. But for a great ride on a substantial scoot, you need to look at Piaggio. The Piaggio Fly is a 50cc 4 stroke, gets 100MPG, and will run about 38 out of the box. For less than 300 bucks, you can get an 80cc cylinder and piston, and run a little over 50. Check out the comparison to the Honda Metro here: http://dealers.piaggiousa.com/ExtranetDocuments/PiaggioVespa/PV_SalesTool_09_January.pdf
If you are into 2 strokes, Aprilia offers the SR50R, a 50cc 2 stroke DI. Derestricted, folks have seen the high side of 60MPH. Most dealers will derestrict before delivery, removing a plate in the intake,, remapping the FI curve, and removing the speed limiter. Check out the AF1 Racing forums for more info. Google AF1 racing.
 
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