My daughter wants one By Smorkle (Read 1,130 times)

[Smorkle]

I'm thinking about getting my daughter a 50cc scooter. She turns 13 in December. Of my 2 daughters she's a lot more stable and well balanced and mature (yes, than the 18 yr old) and I'm not afraid of getting her started out on a scooter.

My question here, and perhaps just a subject of discussion, should children that young be let loose on the streets on a 50cc scooter? According to Lanny's Cycle World in Hot Springs, AR the state says they're ok to ride one at 12.

Obviously she needs a helmet and gloves but I dunno what kind of jacket to start her out with. I'm relatively sure she'll be laying the thing down some to begin with. I'm concerned that she may grow out of a jacket within a year and I don't want to spend $150 on a jacket that she will outgrow really fast.

Also, she lives with her mom in AR and I live in MO so I need to get her a scoot that wont be breaking down every 15 minutes as well. Lanny sells Kymco scooters and they looked pretty maintenance free. 2 cycle with automatic oil mixing. Everything that is maintainable was WAY easier to get to than my Roketa was. Maybe a Honda, but I'm not sure. I don't want her to get 10 miles from home and get stranded. Quality is very important here. From the 50cc crowd, any suggestions as to the most reliable ones?

Just looking for any input from you guys, good or bad.

Thanks.

[jct842]

mature at 13 is one thing, but putting a 13 year old out on the streets is an other thing. I believe I would think that one over a long time. she is not going to wrench on one so I would look toward one that a local shop could take care of as honda or yamaha. there are all kinds of options as far as clothing goes. at 13 she has a long time to go before having a real need for transportation and I would be dragging my feet on this one. an other factor is kids want to hang out with the rest of the crowd and if non of the others in her crowd have a scoot do you want her hanging with the older kids? liability for another 13 year old friend who wants to try it out and gets hurt? john

[Bashan]

Initially I was thinking yeah he should let her have one. Then I read John's post and I gotta agree, you know darn well a kid is going to bend to peer pressure no matter how mature they are. Her friends would insist on riding it and some showoff would spill and probably hurt themselves. Then the parents would be calling you all bent out of shape. It reminds me of when my son was 13 and I let him take a 14' aluminum boat out with ONE friend to fish when we lived on a lake. After he got out of sight he somehow picked up TEN friends. They capsized of course and one of them damn near drowned. That was the end of that boat and his privileges to boot. If you do decide to get her one, I also agree with John on the make. Did you read that guy's thread in 50 to 200cc about the Kymco? The CDI was $80.00+ and the schematic looked like the space shuttle. Rich

[kz1000st]

Moped. Tomos. It's a bicycle with an engine.

Or this.
www.scootersus.com/lazer.html

It's got the same engine my Cub Clones have and they've been trouble free.

[Smorkle]

Well I guess I should have said that I was thinking about something more towards next summer or later. Used to be in AR (back when I lived there) that a kid could get a motorcycle license at the age of 14. I figured at 13½ she could start getting used to a small one and get the feel for it before she went on to something better later on. One of the reasons I'm even considering this is because this particular daughter is not a "go with the crowd" kinda person. She's sort of a loner and less likely (yes I know that doesn't mean NOT gonna happen) to be out letting a bunch of friends ride it.

I don't want to get her a moped cause they're just idiotic looking in my opinion (and hers) and she'd end up never riding it and it'd be a waste of time and money.

I've told her not to hold her breath cause it ain't happening this year for Christmas. But it's something she's very interested in. Thanks all for your input.

[kz1000st]

I don't want to get her a moped cause they're just idiotic looking in my opinion (and hers) and she'd end up never riding it and it'd be a waste of time and money.


Sorry, but I must respectfully disagree. These mopeds have 17" wheels, ride like small motorcycles and don't need NASA technicians to get through the plastic panels to change a spark plug or adjust the valves. They also look like Honda Cubs, outrun most "stock" 50cc scooters and are much more stable at any speed. I bought mine (with four speed centrifugal clutch transmissions) for my two teenage sons and one has now acquired his bike license with the skills he learned on it.

[Smorkle]

Sorry, but I don't want her outrunning anything. Was thinking about maybe getting a governor on it to keep it under 30mph. That bike you posted is clearly not something she wants nor something I want for her.

[ce]

I turned my daughter loose on a 50 when she got a job at 14. It enhanced her independence and faciliated her entry into adulthood.

She abandoned the first one when the petcock failed, and had the second one stolen. The third one served for another year, then she sold it to buy a car.

She sold the car to buy a Stella 150, and now she has a car and a scooter. I bought the car, of course, and paid for half of the Stella.

Still, I'm helping her because she makes continual progress, and it started when she got her first scooter.

[89newbie]

Nov 7, 2011 9:02:12 GMT -6 ce said:

I turned my daughter loose on a 50 when she got a job at 14. It enhanced her independence and faciliated her entry into adulthood.

She abandoned the first one when the petcock failed, and had the second one stolen. The third one served for another year, then she sold it to buy a car.

She sold the car to buy a Stella 150, and now she has a car and a scooter. I bought the car, of course, and paid for half of the Stella.

Still, I'm helping her because she makes continual progress, and it started when she got her first scooter.

LOL when they start to drive Dads end up owning vehicles they dont want rofl. Been there and have a T shirt! You go dad!

[ccprof]

My wife wants a little 50 to ride around the lake. Is it safe to let a 63 y.o. out on a scoot? LOL!

[silverfox96]

I have to believe that it's as safe as you getting out on one, or me for that matter, as I'm 71.

[silverfox96]

The law in the state in which I live one has to be 15 years old, wear a helmet, no passengers and no riding between sundown and sunup, but I live in a small town of about 8000 people and the local law enforcement enforces nothing! 12 and 13 year olds ride here all the time. As a matter of fact it was only a week or two ago that three boys (that's right, three) went flying by my house on their scooter. (take note 3 boys on one scooter!) Happens all the time in this town!

[jct842]

the thing that bothers me lots more than a 13 year old on a moped is those who let their 7 year old child compete in mini motocross racing. that is child abuse 1st class. In Ar. I think you have to be 14 to ride a moped and have to take the drivers tests etc too. john

[Smorkle]

I was told by Lanny of Lanny's Cycle World in Hot Springs that it was legal for them to ride at 12. Granted, he has a vested interest in selling them, but I've known him for a couple years and I don't think he has a reason to lie about it. I was told by JR that AR required a kid to be 14 yrs old and to pass a drivers test as well. But my question is, if you don't need a license to ride a 50cc scooter anyhow, how can they then turn around and say well you have to have taken the drivers course and be 14. That seems like an impossible thing to enforce.

Like I said before, It's not something I'm planning on doing right away. She turns 13 in December so it's just something to think about in the not-so-distant future.

[Smorkle]

I just looked up the answer on Google and it looks as if everyone who has told me anything is flat out wrong.

www.dmv.org/ar-arkansas/other-types.php

"If it has less than 50 cc, and has an automatic transmission, it's classified as a motorized bicycle."

"Motorized Bicycles

To operate a motorized bicycle, you'll need to be at least 10 years old and have a Motorized Bicycle Certificate. (You don't need to have this certificate if you already have a Class A, B, C, D, M, or MD license, or an Intermediate or Learner's permit.)

To obtain this restricted certificate, you'll need to pass the vision, knowledge, and skills test. If you've passed the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Riders Course within 90 days of your MD license application, you won't need to take the skills test."

I believe that is the definitive answer.