I prefer to not strain the motor and lower the rpm to rum at speed.(Better for longevity)
Always puzzling why NOT initially selecting a scooter with sufficient engine cc's to CRUISE at desired speed preference appears to be a
"denial issue"? The 50cc 4-stroke crowd seems to expect their 35mph scoots should go 50mph . . and 150cc 55mph scoots should go 70mph!
Tortoise... GOOD post! Have a bone on the Old Chopper Guy!When old age and arthritis made it too difficult to get on and off the big bikes, I remembered how much I liked scooters in my youth. So... I got a Chinese Xingyue 150 off the Internet, expecting it to be a 45 to 50-mph ride like the scooters in the sixties.
Once I worked out all the typical Chinese bugs, that is exactly what it was. No surprises.As local streets got redesigned, and speed limits went from 35 to 45-mph, and traffic went to 50-55-mph, I tried like so many others to get that elusive "extra 10-mph".
The engine had plenty of rpm, and the only mods I made were to improve running and tuning. These included a good CDI, coil, plug and full-diameter exhaust. The engine ran great, with just a teensy bit more power.
The real performance increase came from playing with the roller weights. I finally got the 150 to retain decent acceleration and hill-climbing, and top out at an honest 62-mph. BUT... THAT speed was on the flat, with no wind.
"Realistic" WOT "cruise" up and down hill and with some wind was slightly over 55-mph. Excellent for a Chinese 150 GY6, but still worthless on a freeway or even on 50-mph speed-limit surface streets where traffic regularly runs 60 to 70-mph.
I traded that Xingyue 150
(whomever bought it got the best running Chinese 150 in Texas... LOL!) on a used Kymco Grandvista 250. It's a totally outdated 2007, carbureted and water-cooled with the old "workhorse" water-cooled 250 motor still found in ATV's.
The performance increase over the 150 is nearly unbelievable. On local streets, from a red-light, it actually has
"frisky" acceleration up to 50, making it a real pleasure on normal surface streets. Top end
(again, on the flat with no wind) is an honest 80+. "Realistic" cruise up and down hills and with some wind is 65 to 70-mph. Unfortunately still NOT NEARLY fast enough for safe freeway use around here, where traffic often exceeds
-mph, BUT fast enough for the occasional shot down the Interstate when necessary to get from one town to another.
I just have to be VERY careful and "watch my six" to avoid being rear-ended by a soccer-mom in an Escalade going 100+...
Moral of the story is, Tortoise is RIGHT. Scooters are in general, 45 to 55-mph
(or less) city transportation at best.
If you need to regularly ride the freeways, and still prefer a semi-step-through "twist n' go" ride over a motorcycle, then you need to get some SERIOUS displacement. And, when scooters grow to 600-800cc they get as large and heavy as touring motorcycles, losing that great nimble city handling.
For riders like me, who just want to be safe
(not a "rolling road-block") on surface streets, most any 250 or 300cc ride is fine. Some of the newest smaller-displacement scoots are even adequate, but pricey. Also, the mid-sized ITALIAN scooters are F-A-S-T and affordable too!
If you live in an area where 65-mph will actually work on the highway, most any 250 will do. And, you can get them used, in mint condition VERY affordably.
You can never have too much power, only not enough. So I strongly suggest test-riding MANY possible choices before buying, AND always consider used scooters. The 250 class is disappearing, and truly mint rides can be had for very little money.
Once you ride even a modest, old larger-displacement scoot, you will probably be mighty pleased to see it run much more capably than even a highly-modified typical low-tech 150.
"There's no replacement for displacement"...
Whatever you ride, do ride SAFE!Leo in Texas