Think I am done  By  Jarlaxle (Read 2,424 times)

Chinese scoots are great for those folks that have mechanical ability and the tools
Japanese scoots are great for those who don't

Save your money this winter. sell the chinese, pool the money and buy Japanese

Yea, I wasn't gonna go into all the alternatives, was just throwing the concept out there

Not big enough. If its not highway-capable, I don't want it.

rocky'll tell you to get the Aprillia 250. It's VERY highway capable!

My advice is like Dave's. Save up over the winter and keep an eye out for a good deal on CL. Try selling yours now, but if it's not getting interest near the price you're asking then wait for spring. Sadly, the opposite goes for buying, I think the better deals come now from folks not wanting to mess with storing their bikes over the winter. Which selling your scoot would help the purchase of.

The good thing is you've experienced a bad bike. So you'll have some idea what to look for on a used CL bike.

And stick with the big guns. SYM. Kymco. Piaggio etc. Honda. Yamaha. Like my Harley friend told me, you need something that's reliable and doesn't require mechanical skills from you. And typically that will not be Chinese.

Just be patient, and the right bike for you will come along at the right price.

>'Kat

Onewheeldrive,

My own story is a little like yours. True, I got tired of wrenching my Chinese GY6 150, but... I did finally get all the bugs worked out. Then, local traffic changed, and like yourself, the 150 wasn't capable of highway speeds that I had to reach now.

So... Indeed, I saved my pennies over the summer. I sold some personal possessions (long-treasured firearms I seldom used anymore) and by season's end I had $2,500 on-hand. I decided after a LOT of researching and test-riding to settle on a used Japanese, Taiwanese or Italian 250 scoot. They cost in the same ballpark as a new Chinese 250, and have a rep for being less troublesome, even with some "miles on the clock".

Arthritis mandated a flat-floor, step-through version which limited me considerably. I ended up with a 2007 Kymco Grand Vista 250 with 13,000 miles on it. It drives VERY nicely, even though it's a "dated" 2-valve, carbureted 250, while many newer scoots have 4-valve fuel-injected mills. It still will accelerate with fast traffic, and run up to near 80 mph, and cruise at 70+mph. A great combination of small-wheel city scooter, and smooth highway runner.

My in-depth search found almost UNLIMITED supplies of Honda Reflex & Silver Wing, Suziki Burgman, Piaggio, Vespa, Aprilla, Kymco, SYM and such. All in the 250cc to 650cc class, and all in the $1,500 to $2,500 price range. Most of these are water-cooled, and carbureted. Not the latest technology, but all will run on the highway and give 40 to 65 mpg.

If I could use one with a "hump" I'd probably have gotten a Honda Reflex, or a BEAUTIFUL Kymco 500 "Exciting" with fuel-injection I came across. Like I said, right NOW the supply is endless! THIS is THE time to buy, when so many are selling to avoid winter storage, OR to take advantage of dealers closing out the 2013 models at giveaway prices.

I won't knock Chinese scoots, they ARE good values for the money, BUT are definitely prone to need more repairs, and "tweaking". Of all the used scooters I examined, I found I had a slight favoritism toward the Italian models, and the Kymco offerings. Just me, but they seemed just a little bit heavier-duty, but nobody can argue with Japanese quality.

I'm enjoying this old Kymco so much that it makes me feel a little guilty... LOL! It may give me some trouble (only time will tell) but well-worn bikes like these still seem to be more reliable over the years than their Chinese counterparts.

Certainly Chinese bikes have come a long way in the last few years, AND are still VERY inexpensive. A new Chinese 250 is tempting, but after test-riding nearly 100 used scoots from other countries, compared with minty Chinese rides, I have been impressed with the fit and feel of the non-Chinese scooters, even when they have lots of miles on them. Yes, I know Kymco (Kwang Yang Motor Co.) is technically "Chinese" but don't tell them... They still think Taiwan is its own country, with higher standards... LOL! And there IS a major difference in quality.

I would DEFINITELY check out ALL the alternatives before giving up on scooters... Also, you mentioned motorcycles. There are SO many good used ones out there of all makes and models, it opens up still another world of possibilities!

Don't give up yet... Your ideal ride is still out there!

Leo in Texas