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Scooters and motorcycles have been banned in many of the major cities in China because they are such bad polluters. It is hard to walk the roadways in many cities in Europe and Asia because of the small engine exhaust. I sure don't wish masses of small motor bikes on this country.
Those are most likely the cheap 2-strokers. You add oil directly to the gas and ..oh boy .. do they puff out the smoke I rode one while going to college back in the 70s, during the embargo. Most scooter sales today are of the 4-strokes where oil is a separate part of the bike.
I've been a scooterist for over 10 years, starting with an 80cc Elite, moving up to the 250cc Helix, and now ride a 2002 Silverwing with sidecar attached. We also have a Can-Am Spyder, but I haven't had much of a chance to get around on that puppy.
Sales of scooters always surge when high gas prices occur; that MSNBC article was linked to a previous article from 2005. Sales and ridership drop when gas prices do, that has always meant good deals on used scooters because folks garaged them once they were able to go back to driving their SUVs. Since gas prices look like they are bound to stay high, I imagine we might see a steady amount of riders, at least in good weather.
Personally, I'd stay away from the little 49cc-ers, unless your rides are short. You will invariably be hugging the shoulder of the road as drivers pass, many times with a disgruntled honk or hand gesture. Something with an engine size of 150cc or greater would be best. You don't need a big 600cc like mine unless you plan really long rides. I've taken mine x-country and know of one Silverwing rider who has done a Florida -> Alaska jaunt each year.
My highest recommendation would be for a Honda Helix.
250cc, so you can do ~60-65 tops. I always got somewhere around 50mpg on mine. Extremely comfortable to ride. They ain't called a Barcolounger on Wheels fer nuthin' Low to the ground so those who are inseam challenged can flat-foot it easily. Best of all, it has a large trunk on the back. The back end drops down on a hinge to display a very capacious storage space. Also, the passenger handles make good bungee points for strapping things down. I used to buy 25lb bags of kitty litter and haul it home tied down behind me. The Helix has been around for ~20 years, so used ones can be found all over and parts/maintenance are easily managed. Basic maintenance is a cinch as well. I kinda wish I hadn't parted with mine.
As always, SAFETY is a must. Full-face helmet, clothing designed for motorcycle use (leather is best. if it's lined with Kevlar, even better), gloves and over-the-ankle boots. I've seen riders out with the proverbial flip-flops, shorts and T-shirt and, frankly, if I saw one of those people go down, I'd stop to help, but have the thought that they deserved the road rash. Dressing like that is just damned stupid
To me, the better gas mileage has always been a bonus. I get a chuckle at the people who pay out the b*tt for gas hoggers. What they spend in a month, now, can fuel my bike for 1/2 the year. Mostly, though, I enjoy riding. Absolutely nothing beats being out in the wind, versus being wrapped in a car cage
I was riding home from work yesterday and noticed a few scooters and a lot more motorcycles, I've rode most of my life so it's no big change for me and because i do ride all year it's not really saving me money on gas on a normal basis. Maybe a scooter is the next step
My 150 scooter will carry a 5 gallon bottle of water, a weeks worth of groceries for the family and my, not exactly, svelte self keeping right up with traffic at 70 MPG. Sure makes chores and going to work more fun
If the majority of vehicles on the road were scooters, then yeah-I might ride a scooter, but fact is most of the other vehicles on the road are big SUVs, minivans, huge trucks, cars mostly driven by IDIOTS! When I drive my Miata I feel like I'm going to be road kill-no way I would be on a scooter. haha.
If the majority of vehicles on the road were scooters, then yeah-I might ride a scooter, but fact is most of the other vehicles on the road are big SUVs, minivans, huge trucks, cars mostly driven by IDIOTS! When I drive my Miata I feel like I'm going to be road kill-no way I would be on a scooter. haha.
Have you seen the scooter traffic in Asian countries? Talk about combat driving There doesn't appear to be any sort of rules - no traffic patterns, concerns for safety, consideration for other riders .... I'd definitely feel safer in a cage, being surrounded by those buzzing menaces.
Have you seen the scooter traffic in Asian countries? Talk about combat driving There doesn't appear to be any sort of rules - no traffic patterns, concerns for safety, consideration for other riders .... I'd definitely feel safer in a cage, being surrounded by those buzzing menaces.
Its not like that in ALL asian countries. Places like thailand,laos, etc its like that. But not in Japan, Singapore, etc. Strange but I really didn't see a lot of scooters in Japan maybe I wasn't paying attention.
Italy looks kinda like that though. Heh
Last edited by nitokenshi; 05-18-2008 at 06:23 AM..
The Wall Street Journal had an article about the rising popularity of scooters on May 21. In the most recently available year, 2005, the death rate for scooter riders was 129 per million scooters registered. That compares with a rate of 78 for cars and light trucks. On the other hand, the rate for motorcycles is quite a bit higher (645), according to the WSJ.
The article went on to say that it costs about $300 per year on average to insure a scooter, compared with about $600 for a motorcycle and $1,400 for a car.
Another article (I'm tempted by the Vino and its low price).
i was talking to a local motorcycle dealer and he said that scooter and motorcycle sales are record high. so that is good,alot of people are conserving fuel. MY BIKE WILL ALSO HAUL A WEEKS WORTH OF GROCERIES.
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I rode one while going to college back in the 70s, during the embargo. Most scooter sales today are of the 4-strokes where oil is a separate part of the bike.
Low to the ground so those who are inseam challenged can flat-foot it easily. Best of all, it has a large trunk on the back. The back end drops down on a hinge to display a very capacious storage space. Also, the passenger handles make good bungee points for strapping things down. I used to buy 25lb bags of kitty litter and haul it home tied down behind me. The Helix has been around for ~20 years, so used ones can be found all over and parts/maintenance are easily managed. Basic maintenance is a cinch as well. I kinda wish I hadn't parted with mine.
Scooter safety
