Buying a used scooter...

I was just speaking to an old friend a few hours ago, and he indicated that he is thinking of buying a used 150cc scooter for $750. I looked up the brand name that he gave and and found that, sure enough, it is a Chinese Scooter imported by a company in Texas.

So, here are my thoughts on the purchase of a used scooter. Some may disagree with me, but these are merely my opinions based upon my own reading and experiences.

When purchasing any vehicle, the only way to ensure that no one else has abused the vehicle is to purchase new. On the other hand, purchasing a new vehicle has its own issues, most particularly, depreciation.

With a scooter, as with any used vehicle, it is a good idea to have the vehicle gone over by a qualified mechanic prior to purchase. It's also important to look at things like mileage, model year, and make.

For the most part, a Yamaha, Vespa, or Kymco (to name a few), with low mileage (under 2000) would be interesting. I would be cautious of Chinese scooters of any age or mileage, but a used Chinascoot with extremely low mileage would be suspect. The reason for my suspicion would be that many folks purchased Chinascoots last year through the Internet or through brick and mortar dealers that were not properly prepped prior to riding, or that were simply junk from the outset. Unsurprizingly, these scooters show up on Craigslist for temptingly low prices with sometimes less than 100 miles/kilometers on them. They should probably be avoided, unless the buyer is either willing to waste several hundred dollars, or is very sure of his or her mechanical abilities. It can be very difficult to find support and parts for Chinascoots as well. Few motorcycle shops will service them.

I'd recommend that if you are buying a used scooter, look for a well known brand with a proven track record. I'd also recommend that if you are not mechanically inclined that you should look for a brand that has a good dealer support network, with a dealer or mechanic in your area who will service the scooter for you. Honda, Yamaha, and Suzuki have dealers all over the country. Dealers for other brands, such as Genuine, Kymco, and SYM, are becoming more common.

As time passes, support for Chinese scooters may become easier to obtain. Resources like Scootdawg.com can be invaluable, but may not be enough for a mechanical neophyte.

To sum up, my recomendation is simply that if you wish to purchase a used scooter, you should know what you are getting yourself into.

2009 Scooter Rally!

My son and I attended the New Holland Scooter rally last night and today. It was highly enjoyable. Last night we met and the Hollander Motel in New Holland, then went to eat at Sal's Pizza. My son and I went home from there.

This morning, we met the rest of the folks at Shady Maple Smorgasbord for breakfast. After breakfast, we rode around eastern Lancaster counter, and Chester county, and I think we may have gone down into Maryland. We ended up at Cyclemax outside Honeybrook.

Here's a nice little slideshow of the pics I took.

Unfortunately, I had a couple issues with what was apparently vapor lock. I started to accelerate after having the scoot turned off, and suddenly my throttle was mush. After opening the fuel tank and adding some fuel cleaner as a precaution, the problem has not returned.

Summer's coming...

And with Summer, comes lots of questions posed to scootsters about their rides. It must be a seasonal thing, but last year, I had lots of people asking me about my scooter until around October. Suddenly, within the last two weeks or so, the questions have started up again. This could be due to the nicer weather, or perhaps the recent upswing in gas prices.

The questions vary, but generally I get the following:

• What kind of gas mileage do you get on that thing?
• How fast does it go?
• How much did it cost?
• Do you need a license for that?

Most readers of this blog will be aware that scooters deliver superior gas mileage. The only gas operated vehicle I know of that gives better gas mileage than a 50cc scooter is the Honda Passport (Cub). This is due to the manual transmission. The Honda Rebel also gives superior fuel economy, though it tends to be more on par with a 125 or 150cc scooter at around 75 to 80 miles per gallon (though I've heard claims of up to 100mpg).

Asking about the speed of a scooter makes sense from the standpoint of a commuter, but if the vehicle is purchased for joyriding, speed will probably be less of a factor. A commuter doesn't want to be late to work, and will most likely be in traffic which will not take kindly to someone putzing along below the speed limit. A joyrider, well, joyriders really aren't as likely to care when they reach their destination, though that will vary based upon the individual.

Initial out-of-pocket expense is always a concern. I know it was for me. Additional costs, such as insurance, maintenance, repairs, and so on, also factor in.

The question of licensing interests me most. I was initially among those who chose a 50cc scooter because I did not need a motorcycle license to operate it. Over the past year, I've come to understand that this may be a mistake. I've never shared this before, but on my first ride on my Yamaha Vino, despite having ridden a Honda Elite so many years ago, I lost control of the scooter when turning onto the main road out of my development and almost ran into a curb. Thankfully, I regained control, but that experience taught me to respect the power of the vehicle I was riding.

If you are considering a 50cc scooter for yourself or perhaps your teenage son or daughter, I highly recommend that you take (or have them take) a rider's safety course. Here in PA, it's free.

The point I'm trying to make is this, making the choice to purchase a 50cc scooter rather than something with a bit more power, and therefore more ability to coexist with traffic, based solely upon avoiding the additional cost of a motorcycle license, is not recommended. Getting a motorcycle license isn't all that difficult, and getting rider's safety training isn't terribly hard either. It may take a little time out of your schedule, and may cost a little more (PA charges $46.00 every four years for a CM class license, as opposed to $26.00 for a class C), but the amount is not prohibitive in any state as far as I am aware.

Riding in the woods

I love woodlands in the spring just after a rain. The sound of water dripping off the leaves. The sun filtering through the trees. Flowering trees and shrubs everywhere one looks. It's all very peaceful.



I was riding up in the northern part of the county this evening and happened to be caught in a storm, and was therefore able to view the splendor of the post-rain woodlands.



The woods here seem to be full of dogwood. I've always found them to be beautiful. The flowers, or what we percieve as the flowers, seem so pristine.

On my way through Manheim, I saw this moped on a front porch.



One of these days, I will have to pick up a moped of my own. I find them very intriguing. Sure, they are slow, but I love the way they sound, well, the two strokes at least. Some day I will have to get one.

2009 Mid-Atlantic Scooter Rally - Reminder

The New Holland Scooter Rally will soon be upon us, as mentioned in a previous post.

I plan to be there with my son. I've already asked for the time off. I hope to see a lot of folks there!

Full details can be found at http://midatlanticscoot.com/