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Post by SylvreKat on Aug 12, 2014 7:51:20 GMT -5
That one's a bit tougher, chimer. I believe full gear is always best. But having written that, I did drive my first year without motorcycle pants because I just didn't have any more money. I found a couple pairs of heavy-duty pants at the thrift store. Saved up my money for the year then bought a pair of grey mesh pants that came with the windbreaker and quilted liners.
So my advice would be if money's getting tight, go ahead and skip the riding pants for now. Your legs ARE more protected by the scooter than they are on a motorcycle. But keep saving and do buy a pair when you can afford them.
It's not the speed, it's the slide. I went down on my school's asphalt track, trying to keep up with a pair of sprinters. The school nurse happened to be attending the little meet, and took me to her office so she could pick out bits of asphalt from my knee. Yes, it hurt. And I still have the scar from it. Anyone good with math? My best mile time was about 8 minutes. Subtract a bit for running fast as I could for only 110 yards instead. How fast was Kathy probably going? Nowhere near 30mph, that much I can figure.
In other words, yes, at some point get a pair of motorcycle pants. And boots that go over your ankles and that fasten (tie, velcro, snap--slip-ons can slide back off if something bad happens). And all the rest of the gear. You might feel a bit silly overdressed, getting on your "little" scooter (I do). But you won't feel like that if the bad happens and you ever go down.
>'Kat
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Post by rocketman on Aug 13, 2014 11:28:35 GMT -5
I have a China scooter and it has been perfectly fine, other than having to readjust the valves which took a minute to figure out. This is a very common occurrence as the scooter dealerships often do not properly pre-inspect the scooters before delivery like they are supposed to do. The thing to remember is, China scooters are a lot cheaper to fix in as far as, parts are concerned. Plus, you can find loads of helpful tips and videos on how to repair any issues that arise which are normally very minor with the typical GY6 motor. The GY6 is your base engine and as far as I am concerned one of the best if not the best scooter motor going. Parts are readily available for any repair issues or performance modifications you would want to do, and at very affordable prices, but always shop around. Check the availability of parts and read the fine print of any warranties prior to purchase. I took 3 months to decide which scooter to purchase, and it was the best one for the money and performance, as well as the reliability that I found.
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Post by rocketman on Aug 13, 2014 11:51:17 GMT -5
 rocketman > I live in Moultrie, Georgia which is in the southern part of the state. Shorts and a Tee plus some flip flops with a Helmet to protect my noggin is all I need. The short distances around town for groceries and doctor visits plus the occasional pleasure ride don't really require so much gear. During the winter months you will need a jacket and gloves however, they are just too hot during the summer, spring, and fall unless it's chilly out. Just be very aware of the other drivers and drive very defensively. I have a 49.3cc Rocketa YMC-16K-50 which I have made some slight modifications to. High Performance Carb. $40.00, High Performance CDI $30.00, High Performance, Coil and plug wire $25.00, High Performance plug $18.00 plus, I only run  Octane fuel and got it to increase from 35mph to 43mph around town, which is plenty fast. I average between  and 125mpg depending on where I am and what the conditions of the terrain and roads are. My scooter is also a 2 seater with a 330lbs weight load. I have under the seat storage as well as a large trunk. Check out a smaller scooter if you don't need to go any faster than 35 or modified to go a bit faster.
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Post by chimeric on Aug 14, 2014 9:11:44 GMT -5
I have no experience riding motorcycles, so I'll err on the side of safety. I think it would be a lot safer if I weren't in a city. Cars everywhere and people here love to play chicken with traffic. At least I'll have lots of practice driving defensively =P
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Post by SylvreKat on Aug 15, 2014 7:38:48 GMT -5
I have no experience riding motorcycles, so I'll err on the side of safety. Good plan. Before getting my scooter, I had ridden on a motorcycle twice. Once was a cousin's big Goldwing-type super-cruiser. Does that even count? Rather like riding in a car, without the roof  .... And I just remembered, I did ride behind my friend on her little Honda (probably a 50cc) one time, shortly after she got it. In hindsight, there's a scary thing! So maybe that's why I'm such an advocate of ATGATT. Or maybe it's 'cause I just like my skin where God put it, and I REALLY dislike pain. As for bad drivers, a tip I learned from the MSF class--watch the front wheels of stopped cars at any type of intersection. If the car starts to creep, the wheel is the first thing to show it. I do it driving my car, too, and saved a hard braking several times when their creeping turned into "Screw it I can beat her." Drive defensively, car or bike, and try to always watch out for the other guys. 'Cause yeah, they're all out to get you. Unless you wear a pink jacket on your bike...  >'Kat |
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Post by rockynv on Aug 17, 2014 22:08:53 GMT -5
I have a China scooter and it has been perfectly fine, other than having to readjust the valves which took a minute to figure out. This is a very common occurrence as the scooter dealerships often do not properly pre-inspect the scooters before delivery like they are supposed to do. The thing to remember is, China scooters are a lot cheaper to fix in as far as, parts are concerned. Plus, you can find loads of helpful tips and videos on how to repair any issues that arise which are normally very minor with the typical GY6 motor. The GY6 is your base engine and as far as I am concerned one of the best if not the best scooter motor going. Parts are readily available for any repair issues or performance modifications you would want to do, and at very affordable prices, but always shop around. Check the availability of parts and read the fine print of any warranties prior to purchase. I took 3 months to decide which scooter to purchase, and it was the best one for the money and performance, as well as the reliability that I found. In truth my Lance 150 cost me more in 4,000 miles of ownership to maintain than my Aprilia 250 in 24,000 miles. I really wanted it to be otherwise but the Business and Financial Expert J Maxwell's law of the price tag applies in most cases and held true here also. Sooner or later you are going to have to pay it in full and the longer you put it off the more it is going to cost. You have to decide if you can get by with a bike that has no oil filtration at all but instead just a very course screen to prevent the larger pieces of metal and plastic that fall down into the crankcase from getting sucked through the oil pump. A bike that really needs the oil to be changed every 500 miles and the valves checked/adjusted every 1,000 or one that has a full flow oil filter and requires an oil change every 6,250 miles and the valves checked/adjusted every 12,000 miles. I ride daily year round to commute to work and run all my errands so the Lance required two oil changes and one valve check/adjustment a month while in the same usage the Aprilia requires two oil changes and one valve check/adjustment a year. The Lance GY6 I had went though 1 variator, 1 clutch, 2 belts, 2 heads, 1 brake cylinder sight glass, 1 starter motor, 1 muffler, 1 cdi, 1 coil, 1 set of gear box bearings and 1 ignition pickup in 4,000 miles while the Piaggio 250 in the Aprilia has required nothing but regular scheduled maintenance with no real down time and zero breakdowns on the road in 24,000 miles. If you only ride one to two thousand or so miles seasonally a GY6 is a good starter however for more heavy duty daily year round commuting a Piaggio based 150 or 250 like a Genuine, Aprilia or Piaggio may be a better value despite the higher initial cost. Even Suzuki is starting to market a 200cc Burgman as a city commuter for those that need a more reliable year round ride than a GY6 is capable of providing. I know many get emotional about these things however the typical GY6 150 is really not designed for long term high mileage daily use and is far from the best scooter engine out there. It is what it is and good for light to occasional medium duty use but no where near to being the best. I liked my Lance for what it was however it was not a good fit for my usage as a daily ride to fully replace an automobile. |
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Post by rockynv on Aug 17, 2014 22:29:09 GMT -5
I have no experience riding motorcycles, so I'll err on the side of safety. I think it would be a lot safer if I weren't in a city. Cars everywhere and people here love to play chicken with traffic. At least I'll have lots of practice driving defensively =P Good plan since even just losing your balance while standing still on a small scooter without basic riding gear can be enough to put you in the hospital and potentially out of work for a number of days to weeks. Saying that ones defensive driving skills are enough is just wishful thinking and has no real bearing in reality. Riding in the country or rural areas is not safer as you never know what may run out in the road in front of you, You will many times find a flock or turkeys or even a tractor with a wagon across the road coming out of a blind corner. Sliding and going down avoiding a turkey even at 10 to 15 mph is going to leave a mark and can cripple or kill you if you are not wearing a helmet and some basic gear. Kid at the local Tiger Direct store found that out near the outskirts of the city on his way home from work at dusk when a deer ran across the road. At least he was going slow and had a helmet on but the multiple skin grafts took a long time to take and it was a long time before he could use his ungloved hands well enough to return to work. Roads outside the city are many times extremely course chip roads and much more brutal to fall on too. Don't listen to the naysayers about it being too hot to wear gear either as its simply not true. I ride year round in Semi-Tropical Florida on muggy roadways that are over 100 degrees most of the year and there is enough low cost mesh armored jackets and gloves to keep you safe and comfortable. Good quality full face modular helmets are available for reasonable cost too so there is no good excuse to ride without one which you can use with the face shield left open and just the inner sun shield down during the heat of the day. Medium height boots are also available for less than most pay for a pair of running shoes so there is no excuse for going without them either. Another thing to consider is that if you get hurt, disabled or killed riding a scooter or motorcycle without the minimum gear mentioned above a growing number of medical and accidental death/disability insurance carriers will view it as extreme activity that is excluded from coverage and that includes a number of company health/disability/death plans and all branches of the US Military along with certain State and Local branches of the Government so you can end up on your own to pay the bills. |
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Post by chimeric on Aug 27, 2014 13:10:35 GMT -5
Picking up my scooter from the dealer on Saturday! Going to ride around a bit, before taking it home. I'm trying to find a route that keeps the speed limit under 40 mph, but I really am having a hard time. Is it really bad if I go 45mph on the first day?
So, I found the route the owner suggested. The speed limit is 40 MPH and it's going to take an hour to get back, I think that's probably the best I can do. It also eliminates a lot of the stop and go traffic.
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Post by SylvreKat on Aug 27, 2014 22:30:31 GMT -5
   BIG congrats on almost having your bike! Oh hon', these next couple days are gonna' be the absolute longest you've ever lived through. Worse even than when you were little waiting for Christmas. Be sure to post pics when you get it! >'Kat
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Post by chimeric on Aug 28, 2014 10:05:07 GMT -5
Omg, yeah it's terrible. I bought all this riding gear, a top box, and saddles. I'm so ready to roll. 48 hours until I'm officially about that scooter life!
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Post by SylvreKat on Aug 28, 2014 17:12:19 GMT -5
I told Danno this, maybe it'll help you too. Gear up, then sit on the arm of your couch and make putt-putt noises while you pretend you're riding your new scooter.   Yeah, Danno didn't go for it, either.  (that last will be you exploding from waiting one more whole day!) >'Kat |
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Post by chimeric on Aug 31, 2014 12:28:00 GMT -5
Finally picked up my first scooter =). Had a nice route planned to drive home, then I accidentally ended up on the highway  . So much for the gentle break-in... the muffler was smoking when I pulled over, so I waited 15-20m before getting back on the road. I've learned that I am very reliant on GPS to keep me from taking wrong turns lol. Followed my girlfriend the rest of the way, and had a nice relaxed ride. Here's the scoot  |
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Post by SylvreKat on Aug 31, 2014 23:18:38 GMT -5
Look at you, with your nice safety yellow and your scooty all tricked out with saddlebags and everything!  Good looking ride! Congrats on it, and congrats on making it to pick-up day without your head exploding! >'Kat |
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Post by ghcoe on Sept 10, 2014 22:04:17 GMT -5
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Post by lynzac on Sept 29, 2015 21:59:05 GMT -5
I have a China scooter and it has been perfectly fine, other than having to readjust the valves which took a minute to figure out. This is a very common occurrence as the scooter dealerships often do not properly pre-inspect the scooters before delivery like they are supposed to do. The thing to remember is, China scooters are a lot cheaper to fix in as far as, parts are concerned. Plus, you can find loads of helpful tips and videos on how to repair any issues that arise which are normally very minor with the typical GY6 motor. The GY6 is your base engine and as far as I am concerned one of the best if not the best scooter motor going. Parts are readily available for any repair issues or performance modifications you would want to do, and at very affordable prices, but always shop around. Check the availability of parts and read the fine print of any warranties prior to purchase. I took 3 months to decide which scooter to purchase, and it was the best one for the money and performance, as well as the reliability that I found. do you know where I could find a headlight for one? |
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Octane fuel and got it to increase from 35mph to 43mph around town, which is plenty fast. I average between 
and 125mpg depending on where I am and what the conditions of the terrain and roads are. My scooter is also a 2 seater with a 330lbs weight load. I have under the seat storage as well as a large trunk. Check out a smaller scooter if you don't need to go any faster than 35 or modified to go a bit faster.
