Scooter/Vespa/Moped Anyone?

[1Q84]

I've been trying to make do with taking the bus in LA but it's starting to really wear me down. I love having an hour to read and relax (when possible) but other times it can be an absolute nightmare depending on the time and occupants.

 

More distressingly, it's limiting my engagement time since I basically have to dash for the bus right after class in order to get home before 11 PM.

 

So I'm looking to pick up a moped of some kind. Anyone have one that they use for regular transport want to share some tips?

 

Obviously the 50 cc ones are cheapest but I've read they can only max out at 35 mph, which seems... inadequate, especially for LA streets.

[csibaldwin]

I bought my wife one of the bulkier cheap chinese brands (but still cheap plastic), a new 150 cc for 1, 000 in the Chicago area in 2009. She went on the highway with me when I rode my motorcycle. It got up to about 60-65 mph - it was a little shaky at 65 (vibration).

[1Q84]

I bought my wife one of the bulkier cheap chinese brands (but still cheap plastic), a new 150 cc for 1, 000 in the Chicago area in 2009. She went on the highway with me when I rode my motorcycle. It got up to about 60-65 mph - it was a little shaky at 65 (vibration).

 

That's crazy. I didn't know scooters were allowed on the highway... and does she still like it? I hear lots of bad things about the cheap Chinese ones..

[danieleWrites]

Some taxonomy, perhaps?

 

Mopeds generally refer to two wheeled vehicles that run the gamut from a bike with a motor on it to a "scooter" with an engine less than 50ccs. Mopeds generally do not require a motorcycle license to ride and rarely get above 35 mph.

 

Scooters are step-through motorcycles. That means you don't have swing your leg over the seat to get on. They are motorcycles. Their engines are 50cc and larger, up to 840cc. You must have a motorcycle license to ride one in the US. How fast they go depends on the size of the engine. Honda makes a scooter called a Silverwing, which many people are choosing to use as a touring motorcycle instead of the Goldwing. It's large, goes over 100, and can carry a lot of weight. Scooters like the Silverwing have been made into trikes.

 

Motorcycles, as we generally understand them, are the 50cc or greater bikes you swing your leg over. They come in several varieties, dirt bikes, cruisers, baggers/touring/dressers, trikes, cafe racers, sport bikes, sport touring, dual sport, and a few others. We'll skip that.

 

Before you buy one of these things, do yourself a major favor: take a motorcycle safety course. These things are not bicycles and I see too many idiot college morons zipping around on mopeds as if they're a bicycle messenger. Get to understand the limitations of these things. You live in LA, and since you're talking about lengthy bus rides, I imagine you're talking about a commute of some distance through traffic. The primary difference between scooters and motorcycles, safety wise, is the size of the tire. Tires heat up and expand on the road and scooter tires can't handle as much pressure. The faster you go or the more heat you encounter, the less safe you are. Scooters also seem to come in mostly road-colored paint (grays, beiges, and so on). Not a good plan, even if it does hide the dirt.

 

Another issue, and this is personal preference on my part, is the drive. Most of the motorcycle family is chain or belt driven. A very few of the larger motorcycles have a shaft drive. If you purchase a chain drive, you have to oil and adjust the chain every 500 miles, more often if you do a lot of stop-and-go or move through dirt. If you get a chain drive, learn how to maintenance it. I prefer belt drive. Motorcycles have to be maintenanced every 5,000 miles and it's more expensive than oil changes in cars. This depends on model and the shop you go to. Tires are replaced more often, usually in the 10 to 15 thousand mile range. My kid's scoot hit 14,000 miles and the service, plus repair, is costing just under $1000. My motorcycle's average service was in the $300 range. My spouse's is just under $200 (yay Victory!). Factor in insurance and whatnot.

 

Do not buy a tiny scooter, like a Vespa unless you're traveling short distances where there isn't much traffic. If you plan on using the thing to do much moving around, get something with a larger engine. We got my son a 400cc Majestic by Yamaha. It holds his backpack and full face helmet under the seat, gets up to 70 (but that's not a safe speed for his particular scooter), and gets about 60 mpg. It will hold two people plus some baggage. We put a set of corbin saddlebags on it and he uses it for shopping as well as commuting to school. It's road colored. He's nearly been hit a few times. We bought him a motorcycle jacket that's the kind of reflective, neon green you see on some firetrucks/road signs. Anyway, we picked up used for half the price. I used a motorcycle to commute, it was more expensive, but it was nice on the Interstate.

 

Hit up the Motorcycle Safety Foundation website. Invest in learning to ride.

Edited October 10, 2013 by danieleWrites

[csibaldwin]

Yes they are allowed if they are 150 cc or larger in certain states, this was Illinois. We sold it because we were moving to two different states to go to separate grad schools. Yes, the cheap Chinese ones are not made well. Regarding the classification, yes in Illinois it went by engine size, so hers was technically a motorcycle for licensing purposes.

Edited October 12, 2013 by csibaldwin

[1Q84]

Some taxonomy, perhaps?

 

Mopeds generally refer to two wheeled vehicles that run the gamut from a bike with a motor on it to a "scooter" with an engine less than 50ccs. Mopeds generally do not require a motorcycle license to ride and rarely get above 35 mph.

 

Scooters are step-through motorcycles. That means you don't have swing your leg over the seat to get on. They are motorcycles. Their engines are 50cc and larger, up to 840cc. You must have a motorcycle license to ride one in the US. How fast they go depends on the size of the engine. Honda makes a scooter called a Silverwing, which many people are choosing to use as a touring motorcycle instead of the Goldwing. It's large, goes over 100, and can carry a lot of weight. Scooters like the Silverwing have been made into trikes.

 

Motorcycles, as we generally understand them, are the 50cc or greater bikes you swing your leg over. They come in several varieties, dirt bikes, cruisers, baggers/touring/dressers, trikes, cafe racers, sport bikes, sport touring, dual sport, and a few others. We'll skip that.

 

Before you buy one of these things, do yourself a major favor: take a motorcycle safety course. These things are not bicycles and I see too many idiot college morons zipping around on mopeds as if they're a bicycle messenger. Get to understand the limitations of these things. You live in LA, and since you're talking about lengthy bus rides, I imagine you're talking about a commute of some distance through traffic. The primary difference between scooters and motorcycles, safety wise, is the size of the tire. Tires heat up and expand on the road and scooter tires can't handle as much pressure. The faster you go or the more heat you encounter, the less safe you are. Scooters also seem to come in mostly road-colored paint (grays, beiges, and so on). Not a good plan, even if it does hide the dirt.

 

Another issue, and this is personal preference on my part, is the drive. Most of the motorcycle family is chain or belt driven. A very few of the larger motorcycles have a shaft drive. If you purchase a chain drive, you have to oil and adjust the chain every 500 miles, more often if you do a lot of stop-and-go or move through dirt. If you get a chain drive, learn how to maintenance it. I prefer belt drive. Motorcycles have to be maintenanced every 5,000 miles and it's more expensive than oil changes in cars. This depends on model and the shop you go to. Tires are replaced more often, usually in the 10 to 15 thousand mile range. My kid's scoot hit 14,000 miles and the service, plus repair, is costing just under $1000. My motorcycle's average service was in the $300 range. My spouse's is just under $200 (yay Victory!). Factor in insurance and whatnot.

 

Do not buy a tiny scooter, like a Vespa unless you're traveling short distances where there isn't much traffic. If you plan on using the thing to do much moving around, get something with a larger engine. We got my son a 400cc Majestic by Yamaha. It holds his backpack and full face helmet under the seat, gets up to 70 (but that's not a safe speed for his particular scooter), and gets about 60 mpg. It will hold two people plus some baggage. We put a set of corbin saddlebags on it and he uses it for shopping as well as commuting to school. It's road colored. He's nearly been hit a few times. We bought him a motorcycle jacket that's the kind of reflective, neon green you see on some firetrucks/road signs. Anyway, we picked up used for half the price. I used a motorcycle to commute, it was more expensive, but it was nice on the Interstate.

 

Hit up the Motorcycle Safety Foundation website. Invest in learning to ride.

 

Wow thanks for all the great information.

 

I'm guessing a moped would not suffice on LA streets, which is a shame because I don't really need anything with that much horsepower. I do not intend to take it on the highway at all, just to get to and from school and maybe pick up some groceries.

 

My school is also situated on a gigantic hill. Do 50cc engines handle hills pretty decently?

[danieleWrites]

Can 50cc engines handle hills decently? That depends on the model and the load. My school sits on top of a hill I call the Alps whenever I walk up it. I've seen 200 pound guys with backpacks on the Vespa sized scooters. They go up the hill, but I can hear the engine lug and some of them noticeably slow down. A car can go uphill well, put 1,000 pounds of human being in, and the uphill starts getting more difficult for the car.

 

You can get 150cc scooters that'll go just fine in regular city traffic without running a lot of horsepower. In fact, there's not much difference feel-wise between a 50 and 150 until you get over 30 miles an hour. With a 50cc, you can really feel the lack of engine power. Like any other vehicle purchase, it's a test ride them to figure out which one is for you kind of a thing. Eagle Rider does scooter rentals if you want to do a longer test run (and have the money to pony up for a rental). You will need a motorcycle endorsement on your license, however, to test ride anything or rent anything. If you're in the I'm-not-really-sure-a-scooter-is-what-I-need camp, renting one for a day or two can save you money if you find out it doesn't suit your lifestyle. If you're pretty sure, test riding several should be enough. Don't just test ride one, though. Visit multiple dealers and ride multiple scooters. They all feel different, even between similar models. Find the one that fits you best. You can always come back and get it later.

[Purplescarves]

A motorcycle endorsement isn't required in every state to drive a scooter. The state I purchased my scooter in did not require it. Now that I'm in CA, it's required and I'm in the process of getting it. For right now I have the permit, which limits me to only driving during the day.

 

Check out Genuine Scooters. They have a variety of engine sizes, models, and are very well made. You can even visit modernbuddy.com to talk to other owners, get advice, and more. I have a 50cc and drive throughout Berkeley and go up and down hills en route to school/home. I do slow down going uphill. How much depends on what it's in my backpack. I get about 90 mpg, but that is also dependent on various variables. The company typically says 100mpg. I've been riding for several years now and it's been a great vehicle, especially in the city landscape. I wasn't sure if I was going to bring my scooter with me, but I'm sure glad I did. Test ride before you purchase. I was able to do this, but that's because the state didn't require the M endorsement.

 

DO NOT take your safety for granted. I have a lot of gear from Corazzo, including a padded jacket. Most people wonder why I wear such a serious jacket or big helmet. My response is always that I love my life, I love my limbs, and I'd like to maintain all of that. I also don't wear sandals on my scooter. I did take the safety course on my scooter, which helped me get more familiar and comfortable on it when I first made the purchase. 

[danieleWrites]

It depends on how you decide to define the word "scooter", purple. Licensing laws tend to define scooters as vehicles that require a tag and a motorcycle endorsement. Mopeds are vehicles that do not. Most dealerships have to maintain their insurance at as low a cost as possible, and in order to do that, no one test rides without a motorcycle endorsement. Generally speaking, however, 50cc and up requires a motorcycle endorsement, 50cc and down is a moped, not a scooter (for legal definitions), and grown men underpower mopeds. As you said, states and dealerships vary.

[Purplescarves]

I was clarifying a point that was made earlier, in which you stated that a scooter is a step-through, 50cc and up and requires a motorcycle license in the US. That is incorrect information.

 

It very much is about the varying definitions of scooter, moped, motorcycle of each state, no disagreement there. I am less interested in the actual varying definitions and more so just highlighting that these varying definitions lead to varying requirements in the states.

 

I am also not really interested in what dealerships can or cannot do in the state of CA (as I already have my scooter), but I am a proponent of test riding prior to purchasing regardless of the requirements.

[1Q84]

I forgot to say, I'm really looking for something low-key, nothing too fancy. 50cc would probably do for me because I don't ever plan on going on the freeway with it (even if I had the horsepower, I would be deathly afraid).

 

Does anyone have any recommendations of models/brands?

 

I was really interested in this electric scooter but it seems to have gotten some crap reviews unfortunately.

http://www.bravoelectricvehicles.com/Electric-Scooters/Bravo-EVT-168/

[Purplescarves]

http://genuinescooters.com