Can I get what I want in a bigger scooter ?  By  4950cycle (Read 3,612 times)

The JCL MP250A is 422 lbs and has a low capacity of 385 lbs. The motor is low power at only 16.6 hp.

A Sport City 250 is almost 25 hp but only weighs 326 lbs and has a higher 460 lb capacity.

A Piaggio BV500 is about 425 lbs wet, has a 460 lb capacity and 39 hp.

A Piaggio BV350 is about 400 lbs wet, has a 460 lb capacity and 33 hp.

A Majesty 400 is about 450 lbs wet, has good carrying capacity but only 35 hp.

A Burgman 400 is about 420 lbs wet, has a good capacity but only 32 hp.

A Burgman 650 is about 540 lbs wet, has a good capacity and 55 hp.

On the weight to hp the Piaggio/Aprilia are hard to beat with the BV350 having a very good balance of both along with getting about the same fuel economy as a 250cc bike.

Check out Craigs List and Cycle Trader looking for dealer advertisements and play Goldilocks sitting on the bikes to see which one has the balance that is good for you. If you are a mature rider with no tickets or accidents some dealers will let you take one for a test ride. Some Piaggio/Vespa dealers may even have some BV's available for a weekend rental so you can really see what the bike is like for more than just a 1 or 2 mile test ride.

Be mindful that double the horse power does not mean double the top speed once you get past about 40 mph as aerodynamics now becomes the big obstacle to deal with.

An 8 to 9 hp 150 can get you to about 50/60 mph while a 16 hp 250 won't get you much more than an extra 10/15 mph.

My bike is about 25 hp or around triple the hp of a 150 and will tap out at just about 100 mph with a good sport fairing on it while a 33 to 39 hp bike might get you more solidly to 100 and maybe 110.

An Aprilia Mana 850 has 75 hp and tops out at around 130 mph even though it has three times the horse power of my Sport City.

JCL MP250A Lihai 257cc powered / Thank you for all the concern and info. But I would rather have 20 hp with someplace to put my legs. I need to size up more models. My problem is again, I want to stay fairly light weight , Be able to go about 75 mph, But still have room for my relitivly short legs for my 6'3 self. The Syms and Kymcos are a No go. Made for midgets. From what I've seen, As long as you cut that plastic from right behind your bum in the seat pan my Reflex clone has more legroom than anything besides maybe 650s and such. The 295 cc big bore kit for my Linhia motor will only add barely noticable power, No ? But non of the scooters in the mid 300s low 400 lbs. range have any leg room that I know of cept the one I'm riding. I guess I'm religated to going 65-68 mph top speed. I don't think the scooter I am looking for is even made by anyone as far as I can tell so far. I will check the Kymco Grand Vista out despite what I have said and see if one could be modded a little like mine to get a pinch more leg room.

The seat on the bike can make a big difference. Many seats have a small hump in them that limits where you can sit, and therefore the leg room. I have a Burgman 400 that has an adjustable backrest for the driver. However, the adjustable backrest has been cut down to allow more seating space, and enough legroom for my six foot frame.

See if you can find a local shop that does custom seats and talk to them to see what they can do to help a scooter fit you better.

Have you actually tried sitting on a Piaggio BV series? I'll grant that my legs are probably lots shorter than yours (5'5" here) but I have tons of ample leg room. Plenty of space above my knees before the handlebars. And I can put my feet anywhere on the floorboards, forwards to tucked under. Seat height is just barely short enough for me--I'm on the front halves of both feet, a little more now with my new men's workboots that have a little taller sole than my old hiking boots had.

But don't the Kymcos tend to higher seats? Which logically would mean longer legs required?

How's about an old Morphous then? With a body that long, it must have GOBS of leg room!

>'Kat

JCL MP250A Lihai 257cc powered / I went and looked at all the angles on the Sport City on the interweb once you were touting it Rock. It looks aweful short lengthwise for a larger frame human to me. But you sure do feel strongly about it. I know when I argue a point to that degree it's because I'm right. I will have to organize a scooter dealer tour of Tampa and/or Gainsville to Brauden my Scooter Horizen. But like a lot of folks I just acn't go out and blow 4-5 grand on a scooter. I will have to find a deal on what ever scooter I settle on.

You have to sit on one and see. The Sport City is only $4,000/$5000 to the misinformed along with the price gougers as they sold for $2,999 new and used with low mileage can be had for $1,500 (remember asking a ridiculous price on Craigs List is not getting it).

Before judging by deceptive pictures and such you really have to go out and visit dealerships to play Goldilocks and sit on the various bikes to see for yourself what does and does not work. You may find as taller and heavier riders with longer legs than either of us have that a taller bike with a more upright riding position can be shorter in wheel base and yet provide better ergonomics so they work out just fine unless you are dead set to get a low slung ride with a cruiser style riding position.

You really need to do more than look at pictures and instead get out there in the flesh to touch, feel and sit on a variety of bikes and then keep a watchful on both Craigs List and Cycle Trader to see which ones come up at a price that fits your budget.

I knew before I picked up my Sport City that they were too expensive, too much like a Vespa, not roomy enough for a big body like me, etc until the day I walked into an Aprilia dealership and sat on one. The 6' 6" 300 + lb finance manager asked me to stay till he got ready to leave and when he did he handed me the keys to his bike to take a ride and that was what sold me. What a solid sport bike like ride that was compared to any Chinese scooter I had every ridden and for less than $3,000 when the Chinese 250cc scooters were selling for only a few hundred dollars less locally at $2,699 to $2,899.