looking to buy a scooter to travel to work on. No idea what I'm looking at so anyone have any recommendations or pointers on what I should be looking for when buying! Looking to spend around $1500 ideally.
trouser,
Feb 12, 7:26am
Honda dio or sym dd50.
topherino,
Feb 12, 8:22am
thanks for the recommendation - had a look at those models, the prices seem to vary a lot. Is there anything I should be looking out for!
thejazzpianoma,
Feb 12, 9:01pm
I would suggest you consider a larger scooter even though it may cost more and you need a license. Being able to travel with the traffic is much less stressful and considerably more safe than being pushed to the side where you have to battle with people opening car doors etc.
If you really want to stay with a 50 you may find a nice example of an older scooter that is registered as a moped. Some of the older ones like the Honda 50 4 stroke like the C50 will likely have enough go to travel with traffic in town.
Because of their simplicity older scooters are not necessarily going to be less reliable either, many of the older ones are significantly better built than the new stuff. Worth some thought anyhow.
In a new scooter, my pic would be the Piaggio Liberty which you can get secondhand for your budget, Piaggo are the original scooter company that make Vespa so are well respected. The Liberty has nice big wheels which make it safer especially if you have to take evasive maneuvers up a curb, ditch,pot holes etc.
noswalg,
Feb 13, 12:20am
If you are a scooter novice I would recommend something a little more mainstream, The R4 is a newer (but still basically the same) model to my Vento Zip R3i. While they are a good scooter parts are very hard to come by in NZ, I get all mine from the states or UK, even tyres can be a pain in the arse to find. I would suggest you buy something that has local dealer support unless you enjoy spending hours online looking for parts then hours in the shed fitting them. Also the ABS system is not real ABS, its a system that relieves pressure above a certain setting, so brake to hard and the relief valve opens and drops pressure to caliper. This has never worked on my scoot and I can still lock the front up with ease.
thejazzpianoma,
Feb 13, 12:28am
+1 Even if you were a scooter expert cheapie no name stuff is a pain in the bum and there is no point given you are paying proper scooter money for it.
The hard part for a novice is figuring out what is good quality, common Japanese or Italian stuff and what is Chinese rubbish.
The Liberty is still my pick for what you are doing in a late model scooter.
noswalg,
Feb 13, 12:45am
The Vento's are all of the above, in short they are a parts bin mongrel. Mine has a 90cc minarelli engine in it, try finding parts for that in NZ! Fun to ride though!
cassina1,
Feb 13, 2:00am
I agree bigger scooters are safer. While a 75km/hr top speed may be breaking the speed limit around town it can often be safer than being limited to 50-60 km/hr which you are stuck with in a 50 cc. My Honda was a 80cc 2 stroke that I could do up to 75km/h on. Getting a scooter with larger wheels will be safer if you hit a pot hole and if you must get a 50cc you can get them with bigger than normal wheels.
topherino,
Feb 13, 6:55am
Thanks guys - you have definitely educated me a lot more!
kestrel43,
Feb 13, 7:19am
Be aware that a larger scooter will cost a great deal more in annual licensing fees than a moped. $407.11 vs $165.50. You also need, at least, a class 6L drivers license.
thejazzpianoma,
Feb 13, 7:23am
Cost difference is about 65c a day, its not hard to reap that back with a more capable vehicle by saving on a few more car/bus trips. Not to mention what your life is worth. Fuel economy differences between scooters may even account for 65c a day!
I have ridden and paid for both, absolutely no question which I would have again.
thejazzpianoma,
Feb 13, 7:27am
+1 50km/h is 50km/h the road doesn't care whether you came off a scooter or a motorcycle it will grate you up like cheese just the same.
hamtostie,
Feb 13, 8:06am
Honda Dio, Yamaha Jog or Suzuki SJ50 are probably your most common and reliable 50cc scooters. They have hardly ever changed through the years as they are simple bit good machines. I'd try find a late 2000 Yamaha Jog for $1200-$1500.
johnf_456,
Feb 13, 8:10am
Excellent advice, get the best safety gear you can afford. You do not get any 2nd chances in life to wind back the clock.
topherino,
Feb 13, 8:58am
It will definately be a 50cc - I will only be travelling on residential roads and I dont fancy sitting any sort of licence test (too many other commitments at the mo). One thing I definitely wont compromise is my safety, so I'll be decked out in boots, pants, jacket, full face helmet. Yup - I like my teeth too much! On my home tonight I saw two people on scooter in shorts and jandals. WTF!
topherino,
Feb 13, 9:08am
I did look at the suzuki but read the storage is terrible, cant even fit your helmet under the seat! Ideally would like the Jog but there isnt any decent ones on here at the mo. Spoke to a couple of scooter shops today and they recommended the piazzo so that might be the go.
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