Motor Scooters

[RichZ]

With the price of gas at $4.20/gallon, here in upstate New York, I've been thinkling of getting a motor scooter for my 46 mile round trip commute to work ( at least for the warm weather). Being farmers, my wife and I have 2 full size pick ups and a full size cargo van. Our best mileage is our GMC cargo van which gets about 20 mpg on the highway. So the economy of a motor scooter appeals to me.

I had a close call on my friend's Harley back when I was 19, and haven't been on a motorcycle since, but somehow a motor scooter seems wimpy enough not to scare me. Does anyone know anything about motor scooters? What are good, but cheap brands. Does anyone know if you need a motorcycle license to ride a motor scooter in New York State?

Thanks for any info!!!

 

[jdbower]

It's gotta be a pink Vespa if you need a scooter.

I would probably look more seriously at a motorcycle. Scooters are fine for city driving, with a 50 mile commute I'm guessing you've got some highway there. Motorcycles tend to have larger wheels which increases the angular momentum - the principle that keeps you upright. Personally I'd hate to be going at highway speeds and hit a bump in something with only two of those tiny wheels, but I've never driven one myself so I don't know if it's really an issue.

If you want better mileage but don't want a motorcycle you can look into a small car. My wife's Prius isn't that much worse mileage-wise than a Harley, she gets almost exactly 50mpg. It'll run you a little more in the beginning, but you can use it all four seasons (well, as long as the roads are plowed) and I'm guessing insurance is better.

 

[RobS]

I went through the same though process Rich and ended up with a small, fuel efficient car instead. My logic was that I'd want something I could use regardless of the weather, with two exceptions. On nice days (and some not-so-nice) I ride my bicycle to work and on the worst of the winter days I still have my 4X4 truck. I went from 11 to 31 mpg and have been smiling ever since. Best part is, I smile even when it's raining.

The scooter is certainly an attractive option but don't forget about the weather!

 

[RonMar]

I had a head resurfaced at a machine shop last week and was chatting with the owner while he did the work. He says he has been overhauling/repairing a metro a week, as people have been resurecting broke ones in droves due to gas prices and their nearly 50MPG highway mileage...

 

[Wombat125]

I would probably look more seriously at a motorcycle. Scooters are fine for city driving, with a 50 mile commute I'm guessing you've got some highway there. Motorcycles tend to have larger wheels which increases the angular momentum - the principle that keeps you upright. Personally I'd hate to be going at highway speeds and hit a bump in something with only two of those tiny wheels, but I've never driven one myself so I don't know if it's really an issue.

I'm with jd on this one. Little bitty tires translate into really quick steering. Driving 23 miles each way will take 30-40 minutes at scooterspeed. You'll really have to be on the ball during the whole time lest you hit any little anomoly in the road. Plus you probably won't have any surplus power to evade traffic "situations".

If you're set on two wheels, I would look for something with a little more mass and a lot larger wheels. Unless you're riding in a heavy urban area, it should be a lot more comfortable and safer.

If I were me, I would look for a used dual sport bike like Honda XL, Yamaha XT, or Suzuki DR. They will get great fuel economy and are way too fun to ride.

 

[chili]

I have a big scooter which is a Suzuki Bergman 650. It is automatic and is fun to ride. It has plenty of power and will take you over 100 mph if needed. It gets about 45-50 mpg. Suzuki also has Bergman 400 that gets about 60-65 mpg and plenty fast to keep up highway speeds. Honda has a 600 Silverwing and Yamaha has a Majesty 400. The smaller scooters are good on gas but only get to about 35 mph which would be ok for town driving. I live in Arkansas and required to have a motorcycle licence. Not sure about your area.

 

[ragkar]

I've had both a scooter and 700cc Honda shadow for about eighteen years. I ride the scooter much more often because of its convenience.
It's true that the smaller the engine, the better the gas mileage. But with a small engine you get lower top speeds. Even if the roads that you travel have a speed limit of 45mph, there are times when you have to accelerate to 60mph. There are also hills that have to be climbed.
A 50cc moped won't do more than 35mph. A 150 cc might do about 55-60mph(60-80mpg). I'm running a 250cc Honda Elite (1989) with 15,000 miles on it and I get 70mph and 70mpg. That's an honest level road, no wind figure and day in and out gas mileages. My Honda 700cc shadow gets 49mpg.
At 250 pounds and auto xmission my scooter is very convenient as a fair weather machine. Come winter with snow and ice on the roads, you won't see scooters or motorcycles.
I have to disagree vigorously with Chili's big scooter. In my opinion it has all the disadvantages of a full motorcycle (size and weight) and the disadvantages of a scooter (small wheels). The salesman won't tell you, but you can expect only 4-6 thousand miles on the rear tire of a scooter and 8-10 thousand on the front tire. That's because of the small circumference of the tire.
On my previous machine, also a 250cc Honda scooter, I got 43 thousand miles before a major xmission failure made me junk it.
In Pennsylvania, a scooter is considered a motorcycle and the driver must take a test and get an endorsement on his license. However there is a a no-test learners permit available for one year duration. In this state you need an annual inspection, insurance and must wear eye protection. Helmets are not required for motorcycles.
I've had my scooter on the interstate lots of times but it's a bit hairy due to the light weight and passing heavy trucks. I'd much rather use my heavier motorcycle then.
I was at my Honda dealer today and they are completely sold out of scooters with people waiting in lline.
As far as the brand, you have to approach it like an auto purchase. Who will repair it? Where do you get parts or tires? My suggestion is to browse the usenet group alt.scooter for comments from users. If you don't have a usenet reader, you can go to google groups for info.
I have to disagree with the guys bad mouthing tiny wheel performance. I have no problems with it at all. Frankly it's a bit more difficult transitioning from a scooter to a motorcycle than from a motorcycle to a scooter. Because of its low center of gravity, a scooter is a lot easier to learn than a bicycle. But you do have to watch out for the deeper and bigger pot holes with your smaller wheels.
I still get laughs from the cage (auto) drivers when I park my scooter. But they stop laughing when I say "70 miles per gallon".

 

[jinman]

I love Vespas, but not on slick roads. A small rainstorm producing slick streets is suicide. My brother had a Vespa when I was about 18. I borrowed it one day and it started raining lightly. I was all over the road trying to control those small tires. I would only consider riding a scooter anymore in guaranteed dry weather.

 

[MikePA]

At least with the two Suzuki Bergman 650s, they have motorcycle class engines and decent sized tires 15" (F) and 14" (R). Only 1" less than some of Suzuki's Touring bikes. So, not all scooters have tiny wheels.

 

[ragkar]

The bergman is a motorcycle in all but frame configuration. Instead of straddling the gas tank, you have a gap. It's sort of like the difference between boys and girls bike. But you have none of the scooter advantages of light weight and fuel economy. The Bergman weighs 524 pounds and will get 45-50 mpg.
As far as newly rained on slick roads, they're a hazard to motorcycles and autos too. The theory is that the first rain brings the road oils to the surface.