I've been looking for a new scooter. By mikeb (Read 707 times)

[mikeb]

I've been thinking about this for a while and want some input. You have two scooters made by different companies. Visually they are very close. Scooter B is about 400-500 dollars more than scooter A.   Both dealers have many satisfied customers with dealer B having the edge. Who do you buy from and why?  I don't have a scooter yet and am trying to solve this question in my own mind. Yes, I am new to this forum.

[cyborg]

Chinese?,,,Taiwanese ?,, my call a sym or kymco,,for automatics ,,, genuine Stella 4t 200 for a manual bike,,, that's where my money goes these three have 2 year warranties,,, fast and with very little trouble

[mikeb]

Thanks,
Its like buying a Chevy or GMC clone  made in China over the internet and having to go over all the nuts bolts and fluids.  The PDI may or may not be thorough.  I have bought plenty of made in China things and have made internet purchases without a problem.  If a PDI is done there seems to be no standard and that is a problem.    I was a fair wrench 40 years ago and had CZ and Yamaha dirt bikes we took home in the crate and sat up.  Scooters don't seem so different.  My most recent bike was a Sportster and no way I wanted to work on it.   see a filling a need to get out in the air without the weight of a sportster or the work peddaling abicycle.  100-300 miles a week is doable on a bicycle.  It should be on a scooter regardless of where it is made, right?

[cyborg]

Hey don't get me wrong,,if i bump into a great deal on a scoot made in china i'd grab it,,,but i'd rather have a lightly used Sym or kymco or stella,,,one member on here just got a yamaha s max,,,,155cc,,,it can go over 80mph,,,and it isn't even "broke in "yet,,,BUT you pay for that quality,,,around double for a chinese scoot,,,and harder to get parts for,,,thank goodness you don't need them often,,,chinese parts are everywhere,,,and for good reason,,they need them with alarming regularity,,,on the other hand if you look at the buy in price of a chinese scoot vs taiwanese the $1000 to $1500 difference buys a he!! of alot of parts,,,if you are mechanically inclined and don't mind working on your own stuff chinese might just be the way to go,,,some members on the forum and on others have astounding miles racked up on their chinese bikes,,,in the tens of thousands,,,on the other hand i bought a very lightly used et4 150cc vespa with under 90 miles on it ,,,(the so called premium brand),,,nothing but trouble and after 1300 miles or so i couldn't wait to get it sold and out of my life,,,i have a genuine stella now and i've had a few little nittling problems early on once it got sorted out it's been great and at better than 90mpg,,,but the buy in was $3200 out the door with a hefty discount cause it was a leftover,,,if it was my money,,it would be taiwanese if i wanted an automatic,,,i went stella made in india of all places because i like a metal scooter and it's a manual shifter bike which i prefer,,,

[cookees]

My vote is for a used SYM, Kymco, Honda PCX, or a Yamaha Vino 125. Trust me on this...been there : done that.

[mike6736]

worth the extra money Cookes

Nagoo

[Alleyoop]

May 9, 2015 19:58:37 GMT -6 mikeb said:

I've been thinking about this for a while and want some input. You have two scooters made by different companies. Visually they are very close. Scooter B is about 400-500 dollars more than scooter A.   Both dealers have many satisfied customers with dealer B having the edge. Who do you buy from and why?  I don't have a scooter yet and am trying to solve this question in my own mind. Yes, I am new to this forum.

Why so secretive, many of us know scoots and dealers and which scoots are better than others that also goes for dealers as well.
So put up the links for the two that you are considering and we can better tell you which one we would go with.
Alleyoop

[jerryscript]

The only parts I've had to replace on my Q50 are the R/R and headlight bulb (a result of the R/R being bad). My nephew has a Rocketa Peace 50cc, and has not had to replace anything. Both are still under 5k, no record, but promising! I have just under 2k miles in four months on my 150cc, and no issues yet other than the exhaust valve being zero tight on delivery. I realize older Chinese scooters had major issues, but newer ones seem much better quality. On a price value basis, you cannot beat a brand new Znen IMHO.

[cyborg]

Yes I believe you are correct jerry,,,the new scoots from China are way way ahead of their predecessors ,,,I was giving the zongshen rx3 250 cc dual sport the very long look,,, if it was a 350-400 I'd have gotten it ,,,but it's too close to my dr,,,in three to five years the Chinese will be as good as anyone,,,but the msrp will be as high as everyone also or very close,,,,

[solanocycle]

We sell KYMCO, SYM, Genuine, Adly, chinese, and just about everythinget else. Chinese are getting better, but the quality is still inconsistent. You might get one to last 20k, but most will dispose of it before 10k. A typical KYMCO, SYM, Genuine, or Lance will last 2 or more times as long as a typical Chinese bike And will have a lower cost of ownership during it's life. Eg. Chinese 50cc belts snapped around 3-7k km. KYMCOS at 12k. Same is true for about all the other components. A Chinese bike is about $900, KYMCOS and Lances (aka SYM) start at 1500 But come with real 2 yr warranties. Our taiwanese buyers are more satisfied than our Chinese scooter buyers.

[cyborg]

For an automatic its Taiwan ,,,manual its India with the Stella ,,,,

[mikeb]

I want to thank everyone for their comments. I have been offered an opportunity with Icebear as a dealer. There are none even close to Wichita. My research in Wichita indicates a definite need for a dealership that is top of the line of Chinese.  We have dealerships that cater to the DUI crowd on one hand(within walking distance of a work release facility.) On the other hand there are motorcycle dealerships selling $3000 to 10,000+ scooters.  There is less that half of 1 percent moped to total vehicles registered in the county.  In order for me to do this I would need to be or hire salesmen, mechanic, parts and counter help.  Probably the most difficult would be the role of Pied Piper to show the fun of owning a scooter by actions not just words.  There is a lot of fun things to do in Wichita thanks to a great bicycle club.  Several rides every week.  I would like to make that happen here with mopeds/scooters.  To see a rider last weekend in traffic hunkered over with a kill me now look on their face doesn't help.  I can no longer put the miles on a bicycle I used to.  There is nowhere in Wichita that I have wanted to be that I couldn't go on a bicycle and a scooter rider should have the ability and confidence to do the same.  Now I have a scooter to buy.  Thank you again.  Now I have some decisions to make about a scooter purchase.

Mike