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Buy a name brand for sure. I have my third Honda scooter. I had a 150 and then a Helix that is a 250. I now have my second Honda Helix which is a 250 and get over 70 per gallon. I have never had a problem with any of my scooters. I am starting my third summer with this one and have 8500 miles on it. It will go 65, I don't go that fast but I can keep up with traffic if I need to. The center of gravity is low so you don't feel like you are holding it up when you stop. The seat is very comfortable also. I always, always wear a helmet and safety equipment.
It is worth taking a safely class and learn as much as you can. I always watch out for the cars and assume they don't see me.
I belong to a retired scooter group and all but one wears a helmet. One of the guys bought an off brand and when he was traveling once he could not find anyone who could fix it. At least with a name brand you know you can always get parts.
Good luck and be safe
Something like this looks about right, but I am guessing it would be considered a "non-name" brand.
Buy a used Universal Japanese Motorcycle (UJM) between 250 & 500 cc and use the rest of the money saved to get it tuned up and a new set of street tires. Then ride it to work. Nothing is cooler than carrying groceries in a milk crate bungee corded to the back of the seat. It simply screams frugal.
So, to get a motorcycle license/endorsement, do you typically have to take a driving test on the scooter?
IN maine you have two options - take an 8 hour class for permit, then driving test or an all weekend class.
I teach the 8 hour permit course. At the end of the course you have a permit to ride. No passenger, helmet required, no night and in-state only. You will have to setup a driving exam with the state for the actual license. Permit is good for two years. Driving exam is driving around town with someone following you and beeping their horn to have you turn left, right and stop. Easy.
Weekend course is best. It is the 8 hour course I teach plus 8 hours of hands on instruction. The use 250cc motorcycle. End of weekend you take a short driving test on a course and get license if you pass. This is the best way to learn.
In Maine anything larger than 50 cc technically requires a motorcycle endorsement, thus you would need to do a driving test.
The motorcycle tests depend on the state. In OH you have to take a written and practical test. Actually now it may only be the practical test, I got mine probably 20 years ago. If you take a safety class you can just go ahead and get an endorcement on your license. Once you have it, it will always be there when you renew.
I think it is worth getting at least a 150. The smaller ones just don't have any pick up. I had a 150 and it stained going up hills and couldn't keep up with traffic. The 250 is great and has all the power I need at this point.
Most state offer a basic class which starts from how to shift and general safety. Then you can take an advanced class which I took last summer and really got a lot of great tips from it. It was about six hours of work in a parking lot. Lots of great skills presented and I have noticed a big difference on my going around curves. The instructor made some minor changes to my head position which really made a big difference. I would like to take that every few years.
... Nothing is cooler than carrying groceries in a milk crate bungee corded to the back of the seat. It simply screams frugal.
For whatever reason, that last sentence just tickled me pink!
On another note, will a 250cc hold two people? What about less? I'm thinking about getting a scooter too, as it would be very convenient for where I'm moving.
IN maine you have two options - take an 8 hour class for permit, then driving test or an all weekend class.
I teach the 8 hour permit course. At the end of the course you have a permit to ride. No passenger, helmet required, no night and in-state only. You will have to setup a driving exam with the state for the actual license. Permit is good for two years. Driving exam is driving around town with someone following you and beeping their horn to have you turn left, right and stop. Easy.
Weekend course is best. It is the 8 hour course I teach plus 8 hours of hands on instruction. The use 250cc motorcycle. End of weekend you take a short driving test on a course and get license if you pass. This is the best way to learn.
In Maine anything larger than 50 cc technically requires a motorcycle endorsement, thus you would need to do a driving test.
Other states do similar - check with your DMV.
Thanks. I'll check up on that. I was wondering how the testing worked since you can't take the test administrator with you. Plus, I was thinking "how do you practice without a license? Buy, practice then test? Test then buy?"
You can put two people on a 350cc Honda but you can’t go very far. Back in the day (1970’s) my wife and I would take a 70-mile trip on the CL350 and arrive buzzing. It was quite uncomfortable. Somewhat later after we bought a BMW R-75 we could take a 200-mile Saturday morning drive and still be comfortable. Heck, I rode across the country in 10 days on one - San Fran to NYC via Albuquerque, Denver and Saint Louis. Believe me an old BMW is near the top of my things to buy list.
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