80+ mpg and fun too! Does anyone here ride a scooter?

[Donk Yore]

I just ordered one that I intend to use for most of my around town trips. Great mileage, and cool looks.

It ain't a Harley, but I will love it just the same!

Seriously. I bought a car that is getting 40 mpg, and thought this would be better for getting me around town.

Anyone on the same wavelength?

[AlCzervik]

1. i know many here do, check this out and enjoy your new ride.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=393

[Donk Yore]

3. thanks!

I'll talk again after I get the bugs outta my teeth!

:toast:

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. It would be nice, but the climate I live in is not conducive to scooters

for about half the year.

[Buzz Clik]

4. How does it handle 8 inches of snow?

[Donk Yore]

5. I'm a desert rat

and it will be too, so we'll never find out!

[Buzz Clik]

10. That's a good thing. We've had a solid week of single digit temps....

followed today by 8" of snow.

Damn.

The only people on scooters are now frozen solid somewhere under a snowbank.

[Donk Yore]

11. Just wait

Come the spring thaw, there will be a plethora of wild eyed, semi frozen scooter enthusiasts taking over your town!

[Buzz Clik]

13. Just like frogs -- they emerge from the frozen mud as it thaws.

I really woudn't mind getting one myself. But, I should really just get off my butt and ride my bicycle.

[htuttle]

6. I've been riding a Bajaj Chetak since 2002 -- 105 mpg...

...if I don't have any fun when I ride. Probably get 80 mpg the way I usually drive...:evilgrin:



"Seats two, carries a nation"

:hi:

[Donk Yore]

8. that is too beautiful!

mine is just a run of the mill cheapie.

Congrats on doing your part for the environment and having fun at the same time!

[Buzz Clik]

12. Only two? In Taipei, that's preferred transportation for a young family of four.

The guy drives, wife on the back, one or two kids huddled at their feet. In heavy traffic. Terrifying.

[htuttle]

22. LOL...

If ya gotta get somewhere, ya gotta get somewhere.

[Buzz Clik]

58. Five on a scooter? India has Taiwan beaten by 25%.

Yikes.

If he hits a pothole, all three on the back will be in the street.

Notice that dad is all dressed up.

[burythehatchet]

61. This is how I was transported to school in New Delhi until the age of 10 n/t

[Smarmie Doofus]

7. I had a moped/scooter twenty yrs ago. Does that count?

Top speed 30mph. I loved it.

Had a couple of near spills on it. These days a serious spill would do serious damage so I don't think I'll be doing that again. But they are *great*.

[Donk Yore]

9. You get many points just for being ahead of your time!

:hi:

[Warpy]

14. Mine is an electric

that has a range of 25 miles and top speed the same. It draws a whopping 40 watts at full charge. I've had it for almost 4 years and used it for all short shopping trips when I don't have to haul more than 2 canvas shopping bags home, although I've managed to put an addition of a couple of cases of soda on the footrest.

It's perfect for a southwestern city.

[Donk Yore]

15. I came very close to getting one like you described

I probably should have, and may in the future!

[tuckessee]

16. Yep. Kymco P-50, Honda C-70 Passport & Honda PA-50 Hobbit.

Don't get to ride them as much as I would like to. Have lots of junk & non-running ones too.

[doc03]

17. I bought a scooter last summer

a 2007 Suzuki Burgman 400, it averages 65 MPG, on my best tank-full I got 77 MPG. I bought it June 21 and and put 3500 miles on it, if I hadn't been sick for several weeks I would have put another 1000 on it. Its supposed to get into the 40s a couple days next week and I hope to get in a few miles. If its nice out I have to take the scooter it's fun. Check them out, they have a nice trunk and you have storage space to run errands like grocery shopping and such. Another great thing you can park them anywhere.

on edit; In my state (Ohio) you can get a learners permit to ride for 1 year. On the permit you are required to wear a helmet, can't carry passengers and can't ride on interstate highways. After a little practice you can take the motorcycle test, it's not that hard especially with a scooter.

[Donk Yore]

18. that's what I'm talkin' 'bout!

I had to order the storage trunk extra, but it only cost an extra whopping $29.

I can't wait for the miles to go by.

[doc03]

21. Welcome to the club

here's a link to my scoot.
http://www.suzukicycles.com/Products/AN400K8

[awoke_in_2003]

55. I am being serious

take a motorcycle safety course. No joke. When I took mine several years ago, there were 3 people in the class who would be riding scooters. Most courses are set up to handle both. But even if your local doesn't have scooters, go ahead and take the course anyway. The motorcycles they use are small, and the principles are the same. In my younger days I rode a lot, just had been off 2 wheels for 15 years. I learned a lot, and the knowledge will keep you alive (and save you money on insurance :) )

[doc03]

68. I hear ya would like to, but the closest class

is in Columbus 130 miles away it is for two days Friday and Saturday and I work weekends. I tried to get in last fall when I was on vacation and they were booked. I may try again this summer. There is no doubt you have to be careful, a friend of mine wrecked his Harley last summer. He was going around a turn and there was semi stopped in the road and cars coming from the opposite direction. It was a right hand turn and there were bushes and trees blocking his view, there was nothing to do but put the bike down or hit a car head-on. It turned out the truck driver had stopped in the road to take a phone number off of one of those storage buildings. My friend got a couple broken ribs and road rash.

[awoke_in_2003]

72. Yeah, I hear ya about weekends

I work Saturdays, so I had to flip flop my schedule around to get it down. And they book up far in advance- I scheduled mine in a December, and the first class I could get was the middle of August. The middle of august, all day for two days, in Texas. Since you never got going fast, you never got cooled off. It was hell, but still fun :)

[paparush]

19. We have a Kymco People. Nice little ride for puttering around town.

Would love to have a Vespa or a Stella, but the Kymco is a nice little machine.

[Donk Yore]

20. Nice ride

a 150?

wanna trade?

[paparush]

23. Hi! No..its 50cc.

Doubt my wife would let me trade it.

[Donk Yore]

24. okay

that's a great ride. Wives can be too scooter-grabby sometimes, I think.

:o

[tridim]

25. I'm selling my Fiat in the spring and buying one

Lots of research to do.

I've seen the 50cc models struggling on our 45mph streets, but I don't really want to have to get a motorcycle license. Any suggestions what I should look at?

[Donk Yore]

26. I won't give any specific sites, but

will encourage you to definitely do some research.

I saved buckets of money on mine after checking into about 25 different sales places.

Of course, check to see they are reputable, have been in business for some time, maybe have their own warehouse for replacement parts...you get the picture.

Good luck!

[tuckessee]

30. Check out the Kymco 50cc models.

Some of them, once de-restricted, should do 45+ mph. I believe the Super 9 is the best candidate. If you're a Yahoo Group member there are some really good groups for Kymco owners & the curious.

I avoided the motorcycle license thing until I came across one of these Honda C-70 passport models. They're 70cc & require a motorcycle license & insurance.

That series, the Honda Cub or Passport, is the largest selling motorized transport in the world. Reliable & durable.

[awoke_in_2003]

56. Motorcycle license is not painful

i recommended this upthread, but take a motorcycle safety course. Most also have provisions for scooter riders, and provide the equipment. The skills you learn can save your life, you don't want to learn them the hard way. Plus, you get a savings on insurance.

[tridim]

71. I have many many hours of motorcycle experience and never had a license.

That's the only reason I don't see much of a point. That, and I don't really have a full day to spare right now.

There really should be a scooter only test IMO.

[XOKCowboy]

27. Please be careful. Even minor road rash can kill...

Please don't take this as a slam. I've ridden over 100K miles on motorcycles and that's why I post this. You're now competing with totally unaware people driving multi-ton deadly missiles. You have to ride like every one of them is out to get you or doesn't even see you. Please ride safe and aware. It's all part of the riding experience. Just always remember that even if you're in the right, you always lose in a crash with a car.

It is fun isn't it? :)

[Donk Yore]

28. I hear what you're saying

and thanks for the reminder. It probably has to be in my head every time I start to go for a ride.

[htuttle]

29. When I'm on my scooter, I just remember what my Driver's Ed teach taught me decades ago...

..."Pretend that you're completely invisible to other drivers."

I think about this as a pedestrian now, too, since the worst accident I've ever been involved in was when I got mowed down by a minivan while walking across a cross walk (with the WALK light...).

[Richard Steele]

31. Yup. I just got a Honda Metropolitan for Christmas, and I'm loving it.

I put gas in it for the first time yesterday. :)

[Donk Yore]

32. woo hoo!

6 dollars a month for gas sounds good to me!

[Richard Steele]

62. I seem to be getting around 80 mpg, so just on gas savings alone...

...compared to our Chrysler 300, the scooter will
pay for itself at the 23,000 mile mark (at $3.05 a gallon).

Of course, if I consider the insurance and yearly taxes we'd
pay for a second car, the scooter pays for itself in 2.5 years
no matter how many miles I put on it.

So any way I look at it, it's saving us some serious $$$.

[Quantess]

33. It's new, right?

I had a boyfriend who insisted on ONLY riding vintage Vespas, but preferably Lambretta scooters, no newer than 1975. NO cars. No motorcycles. ...okay possibly he would settle for a vintage Triumph, but he never found one for a good price. He sneered in derision at new vespas. He was kind of a bore.

[htuttle]

34. Yah...

The biggest difference betweeen old scooters and new scooters is 2-cycle (old) versus 4-cycle (new) engines.

Two-cycle engines have a slightly more pronounced acceleration curve (faster off-the-line), but also put out as much pollution as a city bus (since you mix the oil with the gas).

Four-cycle engines have a flatter acceleration curve (not as 'zippy', but better on hills) but are FAR more efficient.

I'll take a 4-cycle every time, personally. My 4-cycle still beats Corvettes off the line (for 100 yards or so...).

[Donk Yore]

35. But can you do a

wheelie?

[htuttle]

36. I've done several inadvertantly...

But only about 6 inches worth.

It's when the front wheel hits the ground again that the real fun starts... :o

[Quantess]

38. Ohoo. So that's what he talked with his dorky friends about

2-cycle vs 4-cycle. I just yawned the whole time. We only dated about 6 weeks.

[Donk Yore]

39. Many years ago I had a friend

He had a 2 stroke Suzuki, and I had a woeful 4 stroke Kawasaki.

He had to mix the gas and oil, but beat the pants off me in any competitions.

4 stroke is good for stability and longevity.

2 stroke is like the one person you met and immediately fell in love with, but found out later that he/she didn't care for you.

[Quantess]

40. LOL! In this case, he had the 2 stroke scooter, fell in love with it

and had no room in his heart for anyone else!

[CRF450]

50. Two cycles, faster off the line? Dunno about that.

I dunno about scooters, cause I mainly ride dirtbikes. Theirs a huge difference in the power curve between the two. The 2-strokes have a very week low end while 4-strokes are low end torq monsters. 4-strokes have a very smooth power curve, they can pull hard from very low rpm's up to redline. A 2-stroke struggles to accelerate when in low rpm's, but when they get in their power band, they pull like a bat out of hell! 2-strokes were the engine of choice for motorcross dirtbike riders, for one thing there lighter than a 4-stroke dirtbike, and another advantage (huge one too) for them is they're very easy to rebuild! But lately bike manufacturers have been phasing them out for 4-stroke models because of the EPA pushing for less pollution on them. Its a good and bad thing, good for the environment, but 4-stroke dirtbikes are alot more expensive than the 2-stroke models. Honda just released a CRF150R to replace the CR85. The CR85 costs around 3 grand, and the 150 is a whole 1 grand more! The CR85 is now out of production but other bike makers havent produced a 4-stroke mini-motorcross bike yet. The full size 2-stroke bikes are now completely phased out.

The new 4-strokes are more than half as pollutant as the 2-strokes and burn through half the fuel. I could get about 80 miles from a full 2.5 gallon tank of gas on my CRF450, and thats not even riding on the street.

[bean fidhleir]

67. You beat me to it on the 2-cycle/4-cycle difference

Anyone considering a 2-cycle really needs to re-think their priorities. As you point out, they are HORRIBLE polluters.

[alfredo]

37. I have a friend who repairs and restores old Triumphs.

He's a good guy. I was stationed with him in Africa.


http://www.brcycles.com/

At least, get him this:

http://www.brcycles.com/tshirts.htm

It's inspired by this:

[Donk Yore]

42. I once owned a Triumph

it was on its last legs at the time, but tried to get me from here to there faithfully.

memories.

[alfredo]

43. I had a Ducati 250 Diana MkIII It was a one lunger and very fast.

Here's one a couple years older than mine.

[Quantess]

45. Really? Every other scooter fanatic seems to be inspired by Quadrophenia

[alfredo]

65. Yeah, but they talk funny and call French Fries "chips."

[alfredo]

41. Honda hybrid scooter.

This is a prototype

http://world.honda.com/news/2004/2040824_02.html


Here's the Honda Ruckus. It's not hybrid, but I like the old school look.

[WCIL]

44. My son has a Honda Ruckus

He's 17 and bought it last October. He rides any day it gets over about 45 degrees. It's perfect for the quick trips he needs to make around town, and he's getting about 80 mpg.

[alfredo]

66. The hardware around the seat reminds me of the old Cushman

[CRF450]

46. Scooters are fun? Sorry, I'd rather take a real motorcycle! But not a Harley.

Someday I'll probably find me a nice 06+ Yamaha R6. I'v pondered over the idea of turning my dirtbike into a street legal bike. Like going from this http://www.bikepics.com/pictures/1131797/ to this http://www.bikepics.com/pictures/545327/ I think I'll take this R6 anyways http://www.bikepics.com/pictures/977986/ They do get around 50mpg, but I wouldn't buy a motorcycle for strickly gas savings.

[Donk Yore]

47. Scooters ARE fun

and there are many to choose from.

Power, baby.

Scooters have it.

(not mine, but others do)

[CRF450]

48. Maybe they are to you, but not me. Nope,

Different strokes for different folks.

[kineneb]

49. Mom won't let me get one.

Not after Little Brother had to be re-assembled, after losing in a car vs. motorcycle accident... right after he got married. Does not matter that I am going to be 50 on my next birthday, no Vespa for me. Dang.

And Step-father won't let Mom have a Harley.

So...I am refitting Hubby's "comfort" bicycle for grocery shopping.

[tomreedtoon]

51. BEWARE of buying low price scooters!

There are a lot of cheap ones out there. Here's a guide from eBay - admittedly, an opinionated one - about what scooters to buy.

http://reviews.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Scooters-The-Good-The-Bad-and-The-Ugly_W0QQugidZ10000000001886648

I suggest you take this guy's advice and one more; buy from a local dealer who will back up what he sells. Check his parts and repair department; if he doesn't have one, when your bike inevitably breaks you'll never find parts to fix it.

[ikojo]

52. I LOVE my scooter!!!

Can't ride it in the snow but I do ride it when it's cold.

Scoot on!!!

What kind of scooter did you get? I have a Vespa GT 200L.

[MadHound]

53. Whenever I can

I picked up a Bajaj Chetak in the fall of '05 and absolutely love it. 100mpg, 55-60 mph. Love the four stroke engine, no oil mixing, less pollution and the four speed manual transmission, faster off the line. I live out in the country with a thirty-four mile round trip commute, and it is an utter joy riding through the back roads on a scooter.

[TheCentepedeShoes]

54. Hubby has one

It's a 2004 Eton Beamer (from Taiwan), gets about 90 mpg, cost about $1900.
Good for small trips to the supermarket and other places around the neighborhood. Not really crazy about him taking it to the VA for dr visits because of the traffic, but he doesn't do that very often.

[ThomWV]

57. I ride a Harley Davidson FXSTD/I Its fun and it get 44 mpg.

And I love it.

(FXSTD/I = Harley Davidson Softail Deuce, fuel injected version)

[MountainLaurel]

59. We have a Piaggio Fly 150

My husband took it to work from May into October, which isn't bad for Maine. We're onthe verge of moving farther south, however, and we'll get to ride it almost year-round.

[burythehatchet]

60. Here's my baby! Can't wait another month to crank her back up again.

[haydukelives]

69. my wife and I

both have LX50's, we love them

Think sunshine

[ikojo]

76. Beautiful Vespa!!!

What kind is it? How many miles do you have together? I just traded in my 2006 LX 150 and she had 18,275 miles. What a good scooter it was. I now have a Vespa GT 200L. I've not had much of a chance to ride it on account of snow, but I do look forward to getting to know that scooter.

[burythehatchet]

78. The GTS 250ie, what a machine.

Way too much fun. It was in the 50's here today and I put another 100 miles on her.

[Robb]

63. I'm getting about 78 mpg on the 250cc

...although right now it's under a tarp and a buncha snow.

It's sort of dirt-oriented, which is perfect for my little one-paved-road county, but it's street legal and can do freeway speeds when necessary. Nice option to have.

Plus, it's the quietest thing I've ever ridden that burns gas. Sneaks up on wildlife in the high country all the time. :)

Here's Mrs. Robb riding it in, ah, early season last year. :rofl:

[CRF450]

73. Hey, a fellow off-roader. Is that a Kawasaki KXL250?

My CRF450 would prolly get half the fuel milage your getting, since its a full on race bike.

[Robb]

77. It's the Sherpa

Sips gas. Now, the KTM is another matter altogether. :evilgrin:

[robcon]

64. Wrong 'wavelength.' Not practical if it rains or is cold.

I live in NY

[bluestdogest]

70. I don't get 80 mpg, but I'll bet my Honda CRF250R is a hell of a lot more fun.

[fascisthunter]

74. I May Get One This Summer

It sure as hell will save me money and it will leave a smaller carbon foot print.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

75. My ambition is to get an electrical assist bicycle

That being said, I have noticed a lot more scooters out and about in Minneapolis now that gas prices are getting scary.