Do manufactures suppress any bad reviews/negativity?  By  baronvon (Read 997 times)

Like just about anything else, you really should think about what you are willing to invest
into an endeavor. It is no different for scooter ownership.

1 ) Your $$ budget & new or used -
How much you are able and willing to spend - New is going to cost more than used. See
the hierarchy list above - New Japanese is going to be more than used and used may (or
may not; depending) still be more than new Chinese. New Taiwanese is going to be more
than used and used may (or may not; depending) be about the same as new Chinese.
(honestly I'm speculating on this one, but seems a reasonable guess.) Others here may
correct me on this.

2 ) Time and wrenching skill -
Will you do your own repair & maintenance and do you have the time, skills, (or the
willingness to learn how) tools and available space? (even if it isn't your own space) or
will you be able and willing to pay others to do it for you? If you will be having others do
the work, how will you get it there and will it be close enough to be convenient? 
(knowing or learning how to do your own work is far less expensive than paying others
to do it for you and personally rewarding.) Learning how is generally not that hard to do.
these are relatively simple machines... and fear not, there is lots of encouragement and
help here if needed. Generally speaking, Japanese, Italian and Taiwanese tend to be more
reliable than Chinese and maintenance frequency usually less than for Chinese scooters
but parts for the Chinese scooters are usually much less expensive and as far as I can tell,
relatively easy to get.

3 ) What is your intended use for the scooter? -
Will you be using it as a frequent form of commuting? Dependability will be important or a
willingness to do more frequent repair or maintenance as needed to keep it road worthy.

4 ) What kind of roads will it be used on and speeds needed? -
If higher speeds and/or load carrying for more than just yourself or riding on mountainous
or hilly roads are a requirement more than just occasionally, then a scooter of appropriate
engine size will be necessary for your safety and comfort.

A pitfall to avoid is getting a scooter that may not be very large with the idea of "boosting
performance" with upgrades. My advice - don't do it; especially if you are not familiar with
the procedures and the possibility of degrading the usable life of the bike. If it is not big
enough to do the job as is, then save yourself from the grief and frustration and just get a
bigger bike that is appropriate to the task. However, performance parts that actually
increase reliability would be OK though.

That's pretty much the important stuff to consider. Things like style, color and accessories
are just secondary. Decide what will really be best for you to get by making your decision
based on the guidelines above. Others here may have other things I may have missed that
you may use in your choice of scooter. Get the important stuff right the first time (or as
much as possible) and you will be more likely to be satisfied and successful with your
choice. That means less chance for frustration, regrets and wasted or lost time and money.

My suggestion would be to make a list of where you would be with the 4 guidelines above
and present them; then members here would be more informed and could offer suggestions
for scooters based on your parameters.

I would say good luck, and it sometimes helps, but luck is too often not as reliable as good
decision making.