BobDiaz
The Professor
I wrote this FAQ for a Scooter Forum, but thought with rising Gas Prices, maybe others might want to consider a motorized scooter in place of a car...
As gas prices climb higher and higher, motorists are looking for cheaper ways to get around. No surprise that scooter sales have increased dramatically. Unfortunately, many of the first time buyers don't know what they really need in a scooter and may end up buying the wrong thing. The paper addresses the key points a buyer should know before buying a scooter.
WHY CHOSE A SCOOTER OVER A MOTORCYCLE?
With a scooter, there's no clutch, no gear shifting, and no choke to play with. It's very easy to drive; just twist the right hand grip and go. While a motorcycle has an exposed engine, the scooter looks neater and has those parts covered up. For beginners, the ease of use of the scooter is an important point.
Your average scooter tends to have a smaller engine than your average motorcycle, thus the MPG (Miles Per Gallon) is more likely to be higher in a scooter than a motorcycle. In addition, most scooters are lighter than motorcycles, making them easier to handle.
WHAT MPG (MILES PER GALLON) DOES A SCOOTER GET?
The MPG will vary with the size of the engine, the speed you travel, and how you drive, if we break scooters into 3 different engine sizes; small, medium, and large, a rough MPG range would be:
Small Engine (49cc - 50cc) 100 - 125 MPG
Medium Engine (124cc - 250cc) 60 - 90 MPG
Large Engine (350cc - 650cc) 40 - 50 MPG
As we go from a smaller engine to a larger engine, the MPG is reduced. Selecting the right engine size is a balance between finding out how much power you need vs. getting the best MPG. In most cases, getting a bit more power than what you think you might need is the best choice.
WHAT'S THE MAXIMUM SPEED FOR SCOOTER?
WHAT SIZE ENGINE DO I REALLY NEED?
For the person who has never ridden on a scooter, it's hard to understand how big an engine they'll need. That depends on how fast you want to go, whether you need to ride up hills, and how much weight you want to carry.
With many scooters, it's not good to run them at full throttle for long periods. Having the extra power will allow you run the scooter without having to continually run at full power all the time. Scooters can be broken down into 3 different engine groups:
SMALL ENGINE (49 - 50cc): A 49cc scooter can go 40 MPH on flat ground, but going uphill the speed will drop to around 25 to 30 MPH. This type of scooter is good for streets with slow moving traffic, with a 25 to 35 MPH speed limit. Trying to take this kind of scooter on streets where the traffic is moving at 45 or 55 MPH is foolish and dangerous. If you must travel on streets like this, consider a more powerful scooter.
There are a few scooters with engines in the range of 80 - 110cc. These Small Engine scooters offer a bit more power than the 49 - 50cc engines and should go about 5 to 10 MPH faster than the 49 - 50cc engines.
MEDIUM ENGINE (124cc - 250cc): At the low end of this range, a 124cc engine will go 55 MPH on flat ground and about 35 to 40 MPH uphill. The 124cc engine is considered the minimum for driving on normal city roads with a speed limit of 45 MPH or lower. Selecting a slightly larger engine, like 149cc will provide a little more power that you'll need to go 45 MPH.
Some have said that a 125 or a 150cc engine could be used on roads with a 55 MPH speed limit. While possible, the acceleration performance would be poor and hills will pose a problem. This could put you at risk when impatient drivers tailgate and try to pass when it's not safe.
At the upper end of the Medium Engine scale, is the 249cc engine. On flat ground a 249cc engine can go 75 MPH and about 45 to 50 MPH going uphill. For normal city traffic with speed limits of 45 MPH or lower, the 199 to 250cc engine offers very good performance.
At freeway/expressway speeds of 55 to 70 MPH, a 199 to 250cc engine will go that fast on level ground, but it takes a while to come up to the top speed. Should you have to drive up a hill, your speed will drop down to 45 to 50 MPH. This would be a minor problem with traffic moving at 55 MPH and a major problem with traffic moving at 70 MPG.
In considering a Medium Engine scooter for highway/freeway/expressway speeds, you have to consider driving conditions. Is the ground flat or are the hills making it hard for you to keep up with the flow of traffic? If you can not keep up with the flow of traffic, how easy will it be for cars to pass you and how much traffic will be passing you?
There are some roads where the traffic is light and there are other lanes to pass. This might be OK for a Medium Engine. However, on hilly ground with major traffic and limited passing lanes, a Large Engine is the only logical choice.
LARGE ENGINE (350cc - 650cc): When doing long trips of 55 MPH or higher, the Large Engine scooter is the best choice. With a single rider, the Burgman 400 with a 385cc engine provides plenty of power to reach speeds greater than 80 MPH. Those who tried it with 2 riders said that the extra weight made it a bit sluggish.
If you must take someone with you, a scooter in the range of 460cc or higher will be needed. The greater the combined weight of the 2 riders, the higher the power should be. Another important consideration is what it the maximum weight the scooter will carry?
DO I NEED A SPECIAL LICENSE OR MOTORCYCLE LICENSE TO DRIVE A SCOOTER?
The laws vary from state to state, so be sure to check with your local DMV to see what the requirements are. Some states require a motorcycle license for any motorized scooter and other states may require a license when the scooter is 50cc and larger. That's why there are so many 49cc scooters, because people don't have to bother with getting an addition to their driver's license.
Getting a motorcycle license isn't that hard, just pass the written test and take the Motorcycle Safety Course. Even if your state does not require you to do the extra steps to drive a 49cc scooter, you will be better off to have the additional training by studying the motorcycle book from the DMV and taking the Motorcycle Safety Course.
Note: Some states do not offer the MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) courses and instead offer their own version. You can find out about their version of the course by using a search engine (Google or Yahoo) and searching for, "(state name) Motorcycle Safety Course".
WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR IN A SCOOTER?
First, get a scooter with a 4 stroke engine and avoid the 2 stroke engines. With a 2 stroke engine, you must add oil the the gas and the 2 strokes are very dirty as far as air pollution.
Second, if you plan on carrying things, is there some sort of rack or place to carry things? Also, find out how much weight the scooter will carry. This maximum load minus your weight will be the maximum weight you can carry.
Third, find out how many and where the service centers are in your area. Most scooters require service every 2,000 to 4,000 miles. This is likely to be an oil change and inspection. If your dealer is the only service center in town and they go out of business, where will you have to go and how far to get parts and service?
WHAT SHOULD I AVOID IN A SCOOTER?
Avoid buying a cheap, poor quality scooter; you get what you pay for and the super low priced scooters are poorly made junk. Here are a number of red flags to watch out for:
(1) The price is way lower than similar scooters. We expect to see the prices of similar scooters vary +/- by a few hundred dollars, but a price that's close to 1/2 the typical price or less is a dead give away that the manufacturer is cutting corners to reduce costs.
(2) You search the internet in scooter forums, and find a high number of messages saying it's junk compared to those saying they love the scooter.
(3) You can't find any dealer, in any major city near you, who is an authorized service center.
(4) The only way to buy this scooter is through mail order or internet.
WILL I NEED SAFETY GEAR TO RIDE?
The most important safety gear you can have is the Motorcycle Safety Course. Knowing how to properly ride will protect you from making a major mistake that leads to an accident. The proper training you will receive is well worth the cost and time.
While some states do not require wearing a helmet, wearing one is still important. Motorcycle helmets come in 1/2 (top half coverage), 3/4 (3/4 of the face), and full (full protection for the head). Beyond the safety training, the helmet is the minimum safety equipment you should use.
Additional safety equipment that would be very helpful are: Gloves (to protect the hands if you fall), Motorcycle Jacket (to protect the upper body), and Good Shoes (to protect your feet).
HOW MUCH WILL A SCOOTER COST?
A rough estimate to the prices for good quality scooters would be:
A 49cc scooter will sell for around $1,800 to $2,500. There are some deluxe models that sell for over $3,000.
A 124cc scooter will sell for around $2,500 to $3,000 and higher.
A 149cc scooter will sell for around $2,800 to $3,500 and higher.
A 199cc scooter will sell for around $3,000 to $3,600 and higher.
A 249cc scooter will sell for around $4,000 to $5,500 and higher.
The 350cc scooters and larger sell for around $5,800 to $8,000 and higher.
WHAT MAKES OF SCOOTERS SHOULD I CONSIDER:
Some of the scooters to consider are: Aprilia, Genuine Scooter Company, Honda, Piaggio, Suzuki, Vespa, and Yamaha. This list is not complete; there are other additional scooter companies that should be added, but I was unable to gather and cross check all the user comments to verify the maker's quality.
I JUST GOT A SCOOTER, NOW WHAT?
First, taking the Motorcycle Safety Course is the most important thing to do before you go for a ride on the streets. Safety should be your highest priority.
Second, practice at low speeds, like 15 to 20 MPH on neighborhood streets with limited traffic and lots of stop signs. You'll want to practice starting, stopping, and making turns at slow speeds. If there's a business park or high school parking lot near you, try practicing there during off hours. This practice will help you build up your skill level.
Third, once you feel comfortable with the basic moves on the scooter, increase the speed to 25 MPH. Once that's mastered, try moving up to secondary streets with a speed limit of 35 MPH. Get used to making all the basic moves at higher speeds.
Forth, assuming you've spent around 5 to 15 hours building up your skill level. Try driving on a major road with a speed limit of 40 to 45 MPH. You may wish to pick an off hour, when the traffic isn't heavy.
Last of all, each step is practice to help you be ready for real traffic. Start with short trips and get ready to have fun...
As gas prices climb higher and higher, motorists are looking for cheaper ways to get around. No surprise that scooter sales have increased dramatically. Unfortunately, many of the first time buyers don't know what they really need in a scooter and may end up buying the wrong thing. The paper addresses the key points a buyer should know before buying a scooter.
WHY CHOSE A SCOOTER OVER A MOTORCYCLE?
With a scooter, there's no clutch, no gear shifting, and no choke to play with. It's very easy to drive; just twist the right hand grip and go. While a motorcycle has an exposed engine, the scooter looks neater and has those parts covered up. For beginners, the ease of use of the scooter is an important point.
Your average scooter tends to have a smaller engine than your average motorcycle, thus the MPG (Miles Per Gallon) is more likely to be higher in a scooter than a motorcycle. In addition, most scooters are lighter than motorcycles, making them easier to handle.
WHAT MPG (MILES PER GALLON) DOES A SCOOTER GET?
The MPG will vary with the size of the engine, the speed you travel, and how you drive, if we break scooters into 3 different engine sizes; small, medium, and large, a rough MPG range would be:
Small Engine (49cc - 50cc) 100 - 125 MPG
Medium Engine (124cc - 250cc) 60 - 90 MPG
Large Engine (350cc - 650cc) 40 - 50 MPG
As we go from a smaller engine to a larger engine, the MPG is reduced. Selecting the right engine size is a balance between finding out how much power you need vs. getting the best MPG. In most cases, getting a bit more power than what you think you might need is the best choice.
WHAT'S THE MAXIMUM SPEED FOR SCOOTER?
WHAT SIZE ENGINE DO I REALLY NEED?
For the person who has never ridden on a scooter, it's hard to understand how big an engine they'll need. That depends on how fast you want to go, whether you need to ride up hills, and how much weight you want to carry.
With many scooters, it's not good to run them at full throttle for long periods. Having the extra power will allow you run the scooter without having to continually run at full power all the time. Scooters can be broken down into 3 different engine groups:
SMALL ENGINE (49 - 50cc): A 49cc scooter can go 40 MPH on flat ground, but going uphill the speed will drop to around 25 to 30 MPH. This type of scooter is good for streets with slow moving traffic, with a 25 to 35 MPH speed limit. Trying to take this kind of scooter on streets where the traffic is moving at 45 or 55 MPH is foolish and dangerous. If you must travel on streets like this, consider a more powerful scooter.
There are a few scooters with engines in the range of 80 - 110cc. These Small Engine scooters offer a bit more power than the 49 - 50cc engines and should go about 5 to 10 MPH faster than the 49 - 50cc engines.
MEDIUM ENGINE (124cc - 250cc): At the low end of this range, a 124cc engine will go 55 MPH on flat ground and about 35 to 40 MPH uphill. The 124cc engine is considered the minimum for driving on normal city roads with a speed limit of 45 MPH or lower. Selecting a slightly larger engine, like 149cc will provide a little more power that you'll need to go 45 MPH.
Some have said that a 125 or a 150cc engine could be used on roads with a 55 MPH speed limit. While possible, the acceleration performance would be poor and hills will pose a problem. This could put you at risk when impatient drivers tailgate and try to pass when it's not safe.
At the upper end of the Medium Engine scale, is the 249cc engine. On flat ground a 249cc engine can go 75 MPH and about 45 to 50 MPH going uphill. For normal city traffic with speed limits of 45 MPH or lower, the 199 to 250cc engine offers very good performance.
At freeway/expressway speeds of 55 to 70 MPH, a 199 to 250cc engine will go that fast on level ground, but it takes a while to come up to the top speed. Should you have to drive up a hill, your speed will drop down to 45 to 50 MPH. This would be a minor problem with traffic moving at 55 MPH and a major problem with traffic moving at 70 MPG.
In considering a Medium Engine scooter for highway/freeway/expressway speeds, you have to consider driving conditions. Is the ground flat or are the hills making it hard for you to keep up with the flow of traffic? If you can not keep up with the flow of traffic, how easy will it be for cars to pass you and how much traffic will be passing you?
There are some roads where the traffic is light and there are other lanes to pass. This might be OK for a Medium Engine. However, on hilly ground with major traffic and limited passing lanes, a Large Engine is the only logical choice.
LARGE ENGINE (350cc - 650cc): When doing long trips of 55 MPH or higher, the Large Engine scooter is the best choice. With a single rider, the Burgman 400 with a 385cc engine provides plenty of power to reach speeds greater than 80 MPH. Those who tried it with 2 riders said that the extra weight made it a bit sluggish.
If you must take someone with you, a scooter in the range of 460cc or higher will be needed. The greater the combined weight of the 2 riders, the higher the power should be. Another important consideration is what it the maximum weight the scooter will carry?
DO I NEED A SPECIAL LICENSE OR MOTORCYCLE LICENSE TO DRIVE A SCOOTER?
The laws vary from state to state, so be sure to check with your local DMV to see what the requirements are. Some states require a motorcycle license for any motorized scooter and other states may require a license when the scooter is 50cc and larger. That's why there are so many 49cc scooters, because people don't have to bother with getting an addition to their driver's license.
Getting a motorcycle license isn't that hard, just pass the written test and take the Motorcycle Safety Course. Even if your state does not require you to do the extra steps to drive a 49cc scooter, you will be better off to have the additional training by studying the motorcycle book from the DMV and taking the Motorcycle Safety Course.
Note: Some states do not offer the MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) courses and instead offer their own version. You can find out about their version of the course by using a search engine (Google or Yahoo) and searching for, "(state name) Motorcycle Safety Course".
WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR IN A SCOOTER?
First, get a scooter with a 4 stroke engine and avoid the 2 stroke engines. With a 2 stroke engine, you must add oil the the gas and the 2 strokes are very dirty as far as air pollution.
Second, if you plan on carrying things, is there some sort of rack or place to carry things? Also, find out how much weight the scooter will carry. This maximum load minus your weight will be the maximum weight you can carry.
Third, find out how many and where the service centers are in your area. Most scooters require service every 2,000 to 4,000 miles. This is likely to be an oil change and inspection. If your dealer is the only service center in town and they go out of business, where will you have to go and how far to get parts and service?
WHAT SHOULD I AVOID IN A SCOOTER?
Avoid buying a cheap, poor quality scooter; you get what you pay for and the super low priced scooters are poorly made junk. Here are a number of red flags to watch out for:
(1) The price is way lower than similar scooters. We expect to see the prices of similar scooters vary +/- by a few hundred dollars, but a price that's close to 1/2 the typical price or less is a dead give away that the manufacturer is cutting corners to reduce costs.
(2) You search the internet in scooter forums, and find a high number of messages saying it's junk compared to those saying they love the scooter.
(3) You can't find any dealer, in any major city near you, who is an authorized service center.
(4) The only way to buy this scooter is through mail order or internet.
WILL I NEED SAFETY GEAR TO RIDE?
The most important safety gear you can have is the Motorcycle Safety Course. Knowing how to properly ride will protect you from making a major mistake that leads to an accident. The proper training you will receive is well worth the cost and time.
While some states do not require wearing a helmet, wearing one is still important. Motorcycle helmets come in 1/2 (top half coverage), 3/4 (3/4 of the face), and full (full protection for the head). Beyond the safety training, the helmet is the minimum safety equipment you should use.
Additional safety equipment that would be very helpful are: Gloves (to protect the hands if you fall), Motorcycle Jacket (to protect the upper body), and Good Shoes (to protect your feet).
HOW MUCH WILL A SCOOTER COST?
A rough estimate to the prices for good quality scooters would be:
A 49cc scooter will sell for around $1,800 to $2,500. There are some deluxe models that sell for over $3,000.
A 124cc scooter will sell for around $2,500 to $3,000 and higher.
A 149cc scooter will sell for around $2,800 to $3,500 and higher.
A 199cc scooter will sell for around $3,000 to $3,600 and higher.
A 249cc scooter will sell for around $4,000 to $5,500 and higher.
The 350cc scooters and larger sell for around $5,800 to $8,000 and higher.
WHAT MAKES OF SCOOTERS SHOULD I CONSIDER:
Some of the scooters to consider are: Aprilia, Genuine Scooter Company, Honda, Piaggio, Suzuki, Vespa, and Yamaha. This list is not complete; there are other additional scooter companies that should be added, but I was unable to gather and cross check all the user comments to verify the maker's quality.
I JUST GOT A SCOOTER, NOW WHAT?
First, taking the Motorcycle Safety Course is the most important thing to do before you go for a ride on the streets. Safety should be your highest priority.
Second, practice at low speeds, like 15 to 20 MPH on neighborhood streets with limited traffic and lots of stop signs. You'll want to practice starting, stopping, and making turns at slow speeds. If there's a business park or high school parking lot near you, try practicing there during off hours. This practice will help you build up your skill level.
Third, once you feel comfortable with the basic moves on the scooter, increase the speed to 25 MPH. Once that's mastered, try moving up to secondary streets with a speed limit of 35 MPH. Get used to making all the basic moves at higher speeds.
Forth, assuming you've spent around 5 to 15 hours building up your skill level. Try driving on a major road with a speed limit of 40 to 45 MPH. You may wish to pick an off hour, when the traffic isn't heavy.
Last of all, each step is practice to help you be ready for real traffic. Start with short trips and get ready to have fun...
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$5 for two weeks of transportation is a sweet deal!
