Comments on: 2008-2009 New Scooter Buying Guide

By: marcus

marcus — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:03:33 +0000

nice article. well written and very informative. thanks.

By: David Reese

David Reese — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:55:12 +0000

Enjoyed your overview very much. Do you have any advice about windshields? I have a 2007 Vespa GTV with original flyshield. I have had it up to 70, but much above 50 and wind becomes a real issue. I wear full-face helmet. I plan some touring to other states next summer and will install a larger windshield, at least for the trip. I am tempted to get a cut-down from a full-size Vespa windshield, available from Seattle dealer. Midsize Vespa windshield is not made for GTV, but there are third party vendors. I’d prefer to stick with Vespa parts if possible. Any thoughts? Many thanks.

By: Nathaniel Salzman

Nathaniel Salzman — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 14:08:06 +0000

Those are both fine scooters, Steve. Of the two, I’m partial to the PGO Metro because it’s 2-stroke and will give you more power than the Jazz. The Honda Metropolitans we have here in the states are adorable little bikes, but they, and their Ruckus brothers, are very underpowered. You can’t go wrong with either and both will be very, very reliable. The one advantage the Honda has over the PGO is that there are likely a lot more Honda dealers around if you ever need service. However, the PGO Metro is a little bit bigger and there are lots of accessories available for it.

By: Steve

Steve — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 04:57:00 +0000

We have been looking at a PGO Metro or Genuine Buddy 50 south of the border and A Honda Jazz I think my american brothers call them Metropolitin’s. any recommendations? My wife is a newbie and wants a sccoter for some practical transportation

By: Nathaniel Salzman

Nathaniel Salzman — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:53:22 +0000

Hey Toma,

Finding torque in today’s 50cc scooters is a tall order no matter the wheel size. With emissions standards so much higher these days, the restricted 50cc class bikes are almost all 4T and subsequently pretty weak in the power department. The only 50cc scooter that I’ve heard of being pretty punchy is the SYM Mio. That’s not a big-wheel bike, but it’s something in that class that — especially if de-restricted — should get you around just fine. Bluecat Motors, the local SYM dealer, tells a story about doing errands 2-up on a Mio. That said, the Mio is not a big-wheel scooter.

If you simply must ride a big-wheel scooter in that size class you’re somewhat stuck with the Kymco People or People S. Both come in a 50cc size, but I’m afraid I can’t testify as to the torque of either. I am told, however, that the People S 50, which is the same chassis as its larger 250cc sibling, is laughably underpowered, even for a 50cc. Aprilia has the Sportcity One with 14″ wheels, but unfortunately no torque info. One thing you might think about is the Sachs MadAss. It’s sort of a moped on meth and I’m told by reliable sources that the motor is bolt-for-bolt Honda and can be impressively tuned. (I saw one such MadAss at Bluecat Motors in St. Paul earlier this year and must admit, I lusted after it)

But if I may be so bold, if you’re looking for something with some of the charm and character of the Bravo, big wheels, but better power, I’d have to point you toward SYM’s newly released Symba. It’s literally the reincarnation of the iconic Honda Super Cub, just with SYM’s first rate fit and finish. You can get a lot of great information on the Symba from David Harrington’s Just Gotta Scoot podcast. Search for it on iTunes. It’s a free download and everything you’d ever need to know about the Symba from folks who really know it well. If I had the cash laying around, I’d buy a Symba almost sight unseen.

Hope that helps!

By: Toma

Toma — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 09:03:54 +0000

Nathaniel, GREAT & USEFUL work. Thank YOu !!!
I have a “really hard question” for you. I love 50cc scooter class. Now I have an old Piaggio Bravo 50 cc, 2T (16″ tyres). Please tell me from the new models (yours favorites)which has the biggest tyres vs the best torque. Fly from Piaggio has 6.7Nm but just 120/70-12″ ….When I found something with big tyres (ex. Malaguti Centro, 50 cc, 4T, 100/80-16″ rear tyre )..the torque is weak…I’m a little overweight for my 5′ 8 “, and on a 10″ ..12..13″ tyres…I look ridiculous…. THANKS !

By: David Marrow

David Marrow — Fri, 01 May 2009 14:48:16 +0000

Nathaniel,

Thank You So Much

David and Donna

By: Nathaniel Salzman

Nathaniel Salzman — Fri, 01 May 2009 07:49:38 +0000

bob : while there is a large tuner community for the ruckus; there are very few performance options that will make a ruckus go considerably faster. a ruckus will never ’scream’. the vast majority of the upgrades are merely cosmetic. though if one lives in an urban area, and the bike never needs to break 60 kph; the ruckus is super cool; and looks awesome with a few mods…

Sure, that little 50cc is doing about all it will do from a power standpoint. I'd love to take a Ruckus and do an engine swap up to 150cc. I saw one guy online who took the 250cc engine out of a Honda Silverwing and Frankenstein fit it onto his Ruckus. Oh my!

By: Nathaniel Salzman

Nathaniel Salzman — Fri, 01 May 2009 07:29:40 +0000

Hello, We are Seniors and having a very hard time finding a scooter for my wife, can you help us please.

Hi Donna and David,

With your specifications of seat height and 250cc engine size, I’d actually recommend you take a look at a used Honda Helix. Honda has only this year stopped making them, so there are plenty of late model examples available if you check your local Craigslist or eBay. The Helix has a seat height of 26″ and a 250cc engine.

If you must buy new, a clone of the Honda Helix, called the Fashion, is produced by CF Moto. CF Moto is what I’d consider a second tier manufacturer that although they’re a chinese bike, they actually have a decent dealer network and I’m told the bikes are very reliable and parts availability is good.

By: david Marrow

david Marrow — Fri, 01 May 2009 05:27:01 +0000

Hello, We are Seniors and having a very hard time finding a scooter for my wife, can you help us please. We already lost money with dealers. My wife is short 4″11 in seam about 27″.The Yamaha Morphous would be great
for her with a seat height of only 25 inches. That is exactly what we need, but the scooter is too long. We need a 250cc for our needs of were we wnt to travel. The Kymco ( 2009 ) Grand Vista has a seat height of 30.3 inches and it is a nice scooter. Her riding shoes have a 1 and 1/4 inch height that brings the seat height down to 29 inches. We need 3 more inches more for her to feel safe and touch the ground. We tried Corbin Seats but the don”t make a custom seat for the Kymco Grand Vista 250. WE need a scooter with 250cc, are we looking at the wrong scooter, we don’t know anymore, we are in our 60″s and want to ride again, Can you please help us. Thank You so Much.

Donna and David Marrow / Central Florida / seapirate300@gmail.com