My Ride For The Day

"Chuckles" (chucklesw37) 08/03/2019 at 10:53 • Filed to: Two Wheels Good, Two Wheels Scary

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This is my first time riding a powered two wheeled vehicle. This should be interesting. 

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Chuckles 08/03/2019 at 11:02

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wear a helmet at least

and dont use the front brake in turns

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Chuckles 08/03/2019 at 11:04

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Is that powered by a 150cc gy6, or a 50cc?

/Slightly familiar with  taotao and related scooters

Chuckles > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 08/03/2019 at 11:22

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It is a 50cc. I'm just renting it for a few hours at the beach.

Chuckles > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 08/03/2019 at 11:23

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I am wearing a helmet, although they didn't have a full face helmet that fit me.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Chuckles 08/03/2019 at 11:25

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make sure the chin strap is tight or it will come right off

Chuckles > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 08/03/2019 at 12:15

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Oh it's tight. 

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Chuckles 08/03/2019 at 12:20

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They’re solid enough little motors in their own right. They wear out fast, but replacement parts are ludicrously cheap, even to the point of whole cylinder + piston + rings + rod + bearings for like $40.

The 150cc are more fun, obviously.

shop-teacher > Chuckles 08/03/2019 at 12:32

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Have a good time and be safe!

Those Chinesium scoots aren't nearly as good as a Japanese scooter. So, if you like that one, you'll like a good scooter even better!

Chuckles > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 08/03/2019 at 14:11

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Honestly, on flat ground, the 50cc was enough for me. I think I may buy a 50cc of some sort in the fall. I could see myself wanting something bigger in a few years though.

Chuckles > shop-teacher 08/03/2019 at 14:13

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Hour 1: I’ve made a terrible mistake.

Hour 2: I think I’m getting the hang of it.

Hour 3: I need to buy a scooter. 

shop-teacher > Chuckles 08/03/2019 at 14:43

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Yeah, that sounds about right.

One of us! One of us!

shop-teacher > Chuckles 08/03/2019 at 14:45

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You'll want a bigger one in 2-3 weeks. Get a 125/150.

Chuckles > shop-teacher 08/03/2019 at 15:06

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Someone near me is selling an Elite 110 that has me interested. But I'm not ready to buy yet anyway. Still working on losing a few pounds. 

shop-teacher > Chuckles 08/03/2019 at 18:25

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That would be a good one too.

Keep up the good work getting that weight off! :)

Chuckles > shop-teacher 08/03/2019 at 19:17

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Thanks. Down about 12 so far, another 21 to go.

shop-teacher > Chuckles 08/03/2019 at 20:28

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Excellent!

Chuckles > shop-teacher 08/04/2019 at 08:07

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So I definitely need to look for something with a low seat height. On that VIP scooter, I could not have both of my feet flat on the ground at the same time. I was on my toes at a stop, or I could just lean slightly and have one foot flat on the ground. The internet tells me that the seat height was 28.5 inches. So I should probably avoid scooters with a 30 inch+ seat height. 

Chuckles > shop-teacher 08/08/2019 at 13:40

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Here is a random scooter question for you to ponder if you’re bored. W hich of these two would you rather have:

2009 Genuine Buddy 125 at a dealership, or

2010 Honda Elite 110 private party sale. Top case isn't included. 

shop-teacher > Chuckles 08/08/2019 at 22:06

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Honestly, whichever one you liked/are most comfortable on would be the answer. My personal taste would likely steer me towards the Honda, and they hold their value better than a Genuine scooter, but they’re both really good scooters.

One more thing I forgot to mention about seat heights. There is no standard way to measure seat heights, so you really can’t go by the number on the stat sheet. You have to just try them. My Super8 150 had a taller height listed than my Zuma125, but I was able to flat foot both feet on it, whereas with the Zuma I’m either on both tippy toes, or leaning over onto one flat foot. If I’m at a long stop light, I’ll slide forward on the seat a bit , and then I can get both feet flat. It's no big deal, I'm totally used to it.

Chuckles > shop-teacher 08/08/2019 at 22:10

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Thanks the tip. I'll definitely try to sit on a few different scooters. I just thought it was interesting that these two popped up next to each other for virtually the same price. I kind of like that tangerine paint on the buddy, but I expect both to be sold before I'm ready. Basically I'm just trying to avoid getting fixated on any one scooter. 

shop-teacher > Chuckles 08/08/2019 at 23:15

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That’s smart to keep your options open. The nice thing about buying private party, is you can usually test ride it. Whereas many dealers will not allow that. An actual ride can show you much more about how you fit and feel on it, than sitting on it in a showroom.

If you can meet your goal by this fall, especially late fall , that’s when the private party deals start showing up. The riding season is winding down, and a lot of people decide they're done with the scooter and want to get rid of it before they have to deal with storing it for the winter.

Chuckles > shop-teacher 08/08/2019 at 23:17

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I signed up for the MSF course the first weekend in November. That gives me 12 weeks to get in shape. If I hit my goal before that, I will start really shopping around. Last weekend I was at the beach so I gave myself until this Friday before I step back on the scale again.

Chuckles > shop-teacher 08/08/2019 at 23:18

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This one is a private party sale with the top case. I’m digging the tangerine:

https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/mcy/d/doylestown-buddy-125-scooter/6945137874.html

shop-teacher > Chuckles 08/08/2019 at 23:20

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You can do eeeeeeet!

shop-teacher > Chuckles 08/08/2019 at 23:22

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That’s a nice one! I dig the racks on  the front and back.

Chuckles > shop-teacher 08/08/2019 at 23:23

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It's been up for 10 days so maybe it won't sell? Who knows. If it does, I'll find another. Gotta earn it first. 

shop-teacher > Chuckles 08/08/2019 at 23:32

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They made a lot of those and they're still cranking them out , so yeah, there will always be another one.

Chuckles > shop-teacher 08/08/2019 at 23:36

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I have a bit of a track record of getting fixated on as particular item for sale when I'm looking at used stuff, as if it was the last one ever made. I'm trying to avoid that. In a few days I'll be looking at probably nothing but Zumas. It keeps changing.

shop-teacher > Chuckles 08/08/2019 at 23:45

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Hahaha! Keep an open mind. There are a lot of good scooters out there. When I bought that Super 8 t hose weren’t really on my radar, but one popped up for a great deal, so I went for it.

Chuckles > shop-teacher 08/08/2019 at 23:53

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Here is a Vespa near me around that same price point:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/200100040628339/

shop-teacher > Chuckles 08/08/2019 at 23:58

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Nice! That’s the same scooter I bought my wife last year. I got a killer deal, and only paid a grand. $1800 seems a little strong with that bit of damage, but not too bad if a deal for a great scooter. That thing soaks up bumps like an old Cadillac .

Chuckles > shop-teacher 08/09/2019 at 00:00

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I think they were originally asking 3 grand. By the time I hit my goal it might be a bargain!

shop-teacher > Chuckles 08/09/2019 at 00:05

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Yeah, the text of the ad says $3k, which is a hilarious crack pipe of a price. Around here a modern Vespa  150 in good shape is an $1800-2000 scoot. That one is a bit rough, although it has super low mileage.

Chuckles > shop-teacher 08/09/2019 at 00:17

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New Vespas seem to be pretty expensive around here, so I imagine there's a lot of "well I paid 6 grand for it so it has to still be worth a lot" going on.

shop-teacher > Chuckles 08/09/2019 at 00:21

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Yeah, sounds about right. Right now on my local CL, people are all asking mid 2's for 150 Vespas ... But those aren't selling. They've been asking that all summer. It's when they drop below $2k that they actually sell.

Chuckles > shop-teacher 08/09/2019 at 00:23

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If you want low mileage, how about a 1985 Honda Elite 80 with 222 miles on it?

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1313775188771052/

shop-teacher > Chuckles 08/09/2019 at 00:36

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Nice!

Chuckles > shop-teacher 08/09/2019 at 00:40

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I just hope it doesn't still have 1985 rubber on those wheels.

shop-teacher > Chuckles 08/09/2019 at 08:47

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I bet it is!

Chuckles > shop-teacher 08/09/2019 at 08:48

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I'm all for vintage scooters, but vintage tires sound like a bad idea.

shop-teacher > Chuckles 08/09/2019 at 08:58

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https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/632424270589284/

shop-teacher > Chuckles 08/09/2019 at 08:58

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Yeah, very bad.

Chuckles > shop-teacher 08/09/2019 at 09:03

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Well if it's good enough for John Wayne, it should be good enough for me. Getting it home from Chicago would be a challenge. 

shop-teacher > Chuckles 08/09/2019 at 09:04

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It would be a long ride, but a good one ;)

Chuckles > shop-teacher 08/09/2019 at 09:06

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That's a long ride for someone with a total of 3 hours of scooter experience. 

shop-teacher > Chuckles 08/09/2019 at 09:18

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Yeah, but you'd be really good at it by the time you got home! 

Chuckles > shop-teacher 08/09/2019 at 09:18

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If I ge t home.

Chuckles > shop-teacher 08/09/2019 at 09:32

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Here’s an odd one:

https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/mcy/d/lebanon-vespa/6933257245.html

shop-teacher > Chuckles 08/09/2019 at 11:00

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I mean, you're probably going to get there ... Eventually

Chuckles > shop-teacher 08/09/2019 at 11:00

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I'd probably break down somewhere in Ohio and just be stuck there forever.

shop-teacher > Chuckles 08/09/2019 at 11:02

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That's entirely possible.

shop-teacher > Chuckles 08/09/2019 at 11:04

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Ewww ... Diet Coke with Lemon promo scooter?

1981 my ass. More like '01, and that's a 50cc that looks horrible. Even the Coca Cola collectors wouldn't want that.

Chuckles > shop-teacher 08/09/2019 at 11:11

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Yeah, not sure who the target market is for that one.

He re’s another scoot with interesting graphics:

https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/mcy/d/scranton-2005-stella-fireball-2t-scooter/6952578055.html

shop-teacher > Chuckles 08/09/2019 at 11:49

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I’d pay them $500 for the DC one, and strip off the graphics.

I kinda like that one! Decent price too.

Chuckles > shop-teacher 08/09/2019 at 12:47

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I am just a little skeptical of "needs a little work."

shop-teacher > Chuckles 08/09/2019 at 13:17

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Yeeeaaahhhhhh, that could be a problem.

Chuckles > shop-teacher 08/09/2019 at 13:23

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This is also the part where I tell you that despite being a car enthusiast, I don’t really have much experience working on my vehicles. So even if I buy something that runs well it will be a learning experience. 

shop-teacher > Chuckles 08/09/2019 at 13:38

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Understood. No judgement here. A big part of why I bought the Zuma initially, is I wanted something I didn't have to work on. I just wanted to ride.

Chuckles > shop-teacher 08/16/2019 at 09:26

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If I was at my goal today, I’d be going to look at this:

https://allentown.craigslist.org/mcy/d/kutztown-scooter-for-sale/6957571301.html

But realistically, I'm still a month away.

shop-teacher > Chuckles 08/16/2019 at 11:50

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My first scooter was exactly the same one! Mine was a 2011, but otherwise identical. Overall, it was a great little scooter. I sold it to buy the Zuma 125, but if I could have afforded to have both, I would have kept it.

If you do ultimately go out to buy one of these, there is one important thing you need to check for. These have a design flaw in the exhaust system. The muffler hanging off the back is really heavy, and not particularly well supported. As such, the pipe between the engine and the muffler tends to crack. Bring a wrench (it’s either an 8mm or a 10mm, but a small crescent wrench will work fine ) to pull off the little heat shield and inspect it to make sure there are no cracks. Do that before a test ride, so you don’t burn yourself. Replacement exhausts are expensive, I learned that the hard way. A stock replacement was almost $300, and the only aftermarket option was a fancy expensive carbon fiber job, which if I recall was something like $450-500. Even though the motor is GY6 based, the mounts are different, so the litany of cheap GY6 exhausts that are out there will do you no good.