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Post by justin313 on Feb 3, 2016 17:28:56 GMT -5
Hi all- I'm looking to buy a super hornet as my first scooter. I have a few questions...
1. Do you have recommendations for where to purchase this? I have primarily been looking at this website: www.super-pocket-bike-scooter.com/catalog/item/4381554/150cc-super-hornet.htm The only contact info they have is their phone number, and when I call it's just a recording talking about getting free gift cards and other promotions... it definitely doesn't feel like an actual business number. they have no email list or any other way to contact them, so I've very skeptical.
2. This is a Chinese made scooter apparently. I've some horror stories about getting them registered, especially when buying from certain dealers. Is that something I should be concerned about?
3. Does anyone have or had this scooter before? Any feedback on what it's like, how dependable it is, etc.??
Thanks in advance, Justin |
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Post by dollartwentyfive on Feb 3, 2016 19:39:53 GMT -5
chinese scooters aren't for the timid.
you MUST be prepared to get your hands dirty, and know what you are doing.
some chinese rides give you no problems at all, you can ride the wheels off the thing and just do the regular "car type" of maintenance (change the oil, keep an eye on tire pressure, brake fluid, that sort of thing).
then there are the ones that leave you screaming in agony, wondering why you ever bought it, or wishing you never did.
but don't despair, the second type can be whipped into shape with enough coaxing from you.
i've had one of both types, so i pretty well know what to be prepared for when getting a used scoot.
i had no problems with licensing my 250 in the state of indiana, although the clerk had to ask someone else what to do.
this could have been the result of the chinese brand, or she never registered a motorcycle before.
if you are willing and able to work on your ride, then by all means get it.
there are knowledgeable people here for all types and sizes of chinese rides.
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Post by justin313 on Feb 3, 2016 21:53:00 GMT -5
Thanks for the reply. It's nice to hear unbiased opinions. Every scooter shop that sells more expensive brands like to tell you that you might as well just give your money away than waste it on a Chinese scooter.
Honestly I'm wanting this particular scooter because it's one of the only ones I can find that have the look of a regular motorcycle. I've always wanted a scooter, but personally can't get past the look of the traditional styles.
So let me ask this. Are scooters difficult to work on? If you have some basic mechanical knowledge can it be figured out? I would imagine there are manuals that walk your thru those types of things?
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Post by dollartwentyfive on Feb 4, 2016 3:29:39 GMT -5
the mechanical aspects of scooters are simple.
especially the traditional step through design.
i haven't seen any chilton type of service manuals for scooters except for the 244cc and the 257cc
even these manuals aren't specifically written for the chinese scoot.
i'm afraid i cannot answer your question of "are they difficult to work on", because i consider myself as fairly adept at mechanical stuff, i know my way around an engine block, and know the difference between a camshaft and a driveshaft.
BTW, that's a nice looking bike, i only wished it came in the 350cc range.
i suggest you post some of your questions in the 150cc forum, i'm sure there are people there that can help you.
if you think the warranty will help you, then you need to open a dialog with the company about it.
what exactly is covered, and what exactly must be done to get it fixed.
chinese warranty service is nowhere near american standards, they certainly WILL NOT provide you with a loaner scoot while yours is being repaired, and will most certainly be you that's doing the service
also, you won't go to napa (or some other parts house) and get parts for your bike.
sure, some parts can be gotten like that, spark plugs, bulbs, fuses, tires (maybe), batteries, but most of your replacement parts will be purchased online unless you deal directly with a brick and mortar dealer.
this is why i said you must be prepared to do it yourself.
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Post by floridagull on Feb 4, 2016 12:42:47 GMT -5
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Post by oldchopperguy on Feb 4, 2016 17:18:26 GMT -5
Floridagull,
Nice find for the new member! Have a bone!
These scooters styled like sport bikes are something new, and very appealing. They certainly don't LOOK like regular scooters. Many sport bikes "crotch-rockets" have fairly small wheels, so these masquerade pretty well... Unless a rider is HUGE, he/she would look pretty good pulling up on one of these!
The 200cc model is particularly appealing. I doubt it's a true 200cc, probably more like the 163cc Kymco "200" but still it's rated at 14+ hp. Even if the stats are a tad exaggerated, I definitely like it! Very cool little mini-crotch-rocket...
The CVT tranny versions are truly SCOOTERS, but with 13" wheels and big-bike styling they offer an interesting downsized-motorcycle look and feel. These which you found (the two with CVT drive) show over 14 hp. Maybe... LOL! But if so, they would be much more lively than the typical GY6 150 of a few years ago.
Definitely a buyer should purchase from a known dealer with at least SOME credibility. And, while these latest models may be better than the Chinese scooters of years ago, the buyer must realize some tweaking may be needed.
All in all, they look like an attractive alternative to the more common scoots.
Worth checking out for sure!
Ride safe!
Leo in Texas
PS: I just looked these up on the internet. The Hornet is available from other dealers, and the similar 200cc Ninja-style is also. I found a couple of videos of them, and while they definitely ARE smaller than their big-bike siblings, they are also VERY cool.
Anyone wanting scooter performance, and big-bike appearance would probably go NUTZ for these! If I was 40 years younger and 75 pounds lighter, I'd have to check one out... LOL! |
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Post by wheelbender6 on Feb 4, 2016 21:08:52 GMT -5
Super Hornet sounds like a great scoot for somebody that does not want a conventional step-thru scoot. As said above, you need to be willing to do some maintenance and trouble shooting yourself.
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Post by oldchopperguy on Feb 5, 2016 11:30:17 GMT -5
I did some searching and found numerous "You Tube" videos on the Hornet. Most riders were happy with it, with some minor complaints that any vehicle might generate. One was impressed that his did 77 mph... Obviously his has a speedo registering in KPH... LOL!The advertising seems amazingly "honest" with the engine size of 150cc, horsepower of 9,4 and top-speed of 59 mph (if the wind is right, your horoscope sign is correct and you are no bigger than a jockey...)... LOL! Doggoned refreshing honesty I'd say!  The Powerride Roma 150 seems to be the EXACT SAME bike, right down to the decals, but they list the 150 engine at over 14 hp. Same as their "200" Street-Ninja. HMMMM.... Something fishy there.I think the Hornet 150, the identical Roma 150 and the Street-Ninja 200 most likely all use the same 150cc GY6 motor. The only real difference I see is the "Ninja" looks taller, with a mono-shock rear suspension. The "Hornet" and "Roma" 150 look more "crotch-rocket-credible" in their squatty cosmetics, with an interesting, up-scale rear-shock setup. The Ninja is listed as being made by Roketa, a major Chinese name. The Hornet and Roma don't show the manufacturer, but searching the Hornet shows the parent company is big in ATV's. Possibly a good sign. I'd bet the farm that all three scoots are typical GY6 150's with that honest 9.4 hp rating... with 50 to 55 mph top-speed, at best, out of the box. Maybe 60-62 mph if the rider really learns his Chinese and tweaks the motor and CVT. But... for the new rider, that may be more than enough. 50 mph is a lot for under 10 ponies... I happily rode a Chinese 150 for almost seven years and I was used to a Harley!
I think the new rider who wants a unique, and SHARP TWIST N' GO SCOOTER, and to learn the basics of Chinese tweaking would be quite happy on one of these. They surely must embrace the newest Chinese quality since they are a new "genre" of scooters that don't look like scooters. So the rider gets all the low-cost, easy maintenance of an affordable 150, yet looks mighty cool pulling up to the bar, Hooters, Wally World, high-school... WHATEVER his/her destination. Lots of class for the money! Serious-looking "mini-sport-bikes"... Something for the new 150 rider to definitely consider as an alternative to the cookie-cutter Chinese 150's out there...  Ride safe!Leo in Texas
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Post by justin313 on Feb 5, 2016 17:40:04 GMT -5
Thank you so much for all the feedback. oldchopperguy that was some great research and I feel a whole lot better about this scooter. I went ahead and ordered from Power Ride Outlet: www.powerrideoutlet.com/pro-street-ninja-mcr-06-150cc-roma-sports-bike-fully-automatic.htmlGrand total shipped was $1,623.47 plus another $150 for registration. I'm a California resident (san diego) and they are based in California (Upland) so in order to even sell me the bike they said they had to register it. If it saves me a trip to the DMV I guess that's a good thing. I spoke with them on the phone, then ordered online. They called me to confirm my order and to collect the registration fee. Although brief, my experience ordering with them was good. They said I should have the scooter by early next week. I'll let you guys know how I like it. I CANNOT wait for it to come in! |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Feb 5, 2016 19:54:51 GMT -5
Thank you so much for all the feedback. oldchopperguy that was some great research and I feel a whole lot better about this scooter. I went ahead and ordered from Power Ride Outlet: www.powerrideoutlet.com/pro-street-ninja-mcr-06-150cc-roma-sports-bike-fully-automatic.htmlGrand total shipped was $1,623.47 plus another $150 for registration. I'm a California resident (san diego) and they are based in California (Upland) so in order to even sell me the bike they said they had to register it. If it saves me a trip to the DMV I guess that's a good thing. I spoke with them on the phone, then ordered online. They called me to confirm my order and to collect the registration fee. Although brief, my experience ordering with them was good. They said I should have the scooter by early next week. I'll let you guys know how I like it. I CANNOT wait for it to come in!
Justin313,
You're most welcome! That's what we're here for at It Is The Ride... Have a bone on the Old Chopper Guy!
If I recall, the Roma you ordered is the exact same scoot as the Hornet you originally found, right down to the decals. Considering these new-style scooters have some really nice "extra" sport-bike features over the typical GY6 scooter, even the price seems fair.
These newer Chinese scooters are better than the older ones, and should be less troublesome. You still may have some issues, but most are EASY fixes. I'm an old Harley guy, now sold on scooters in my "senior years"... And I really did enjoy my first Chinese 150 for nearly seven years. And, it was one of THE WORST of the old breed, requiring a LOT of tweaking... Not hard to do though. Whomever bought "Lil' Bubba" from my dealer got the sweetest-running Chinese 150 in Texas!
The 150's are darned near perfect for everyday riding for absolutely everything except highway speeds... They are at their best around 45-50 mph on faster surface streets.
While checking these out, I never thought about them being "California legal". Sounds like your dealer has you covered with registration, title, etc. VERY GOOD!
You may be the FIRST member to get one of these sport-scooters, so please do keep us informed of how you like it! If it's half as good as it looks, it's gonna be a barn-burner!
After you get used to it, you may want to make some simple mods, just to get the most from it. I changed out some things (carb-jetting, CDI, air-filter system, exhaust and variator/roller-weights) on mine and got it to pull a little harder, and top 60 mph on the flat, with no wind... But that came after I got used to riding and wrenching on it. These are easy to work on, and affordable parts abound!
The only reason I upsized to a 250 was because local surface-streets had gotten re-done and traffic now runs 55-70 mph (even where the speed limit was 40-45...). You'll love the great gas mileage, cheap insurance, nimble handling and ease of maintenance on your new mini-crotch-rocket. And, judging from how they appear in You Tube vids, you'll like the head-turning looks, too! These new scoots make you look GOOD pulling up on one!
THESE are DEFINITELY the 1950 "Mustangs and Cushman Eagles" of 2016... Wow, I just realized how long I've been riding... Cheesh! Time flies...
Keep us posted, (lots of pix, please!) and...
RIDE SAFE!
Leo (lovin' the looks of those new sport-scoots) in Texas
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Post by justin313 on Feb 25, 2016 16:53:57 GMT -5
Hey everyone- I haven't forgotten about you guys. It just took forever for the scooter to come in. PowerRideOutlet said the one they had in stock had too many issues, so they had to return it for another model. Hopefully they didn't just send this one even with issues just to get the order off their plate. Then the shipping company took over a week to ship even though I'm an hour away from the seller. They told me that PowerRide had not paid them for the shipping timely, so that was part of the delay. But - the scooter is finally here! Got dropped off this morning and I'm going to be fiddling it with it after work. I have to stop and get gas to put in it, and there's some minor assembly required. I cannot WAIT to ride it though. I have some pics of it in the box but Here are a couple of pics I snapped of it still mostly in the box:   |
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Post by floridagull on Feb 25, 2016 19:19:29 GMT -5
Looks pretty nice! Did you pay them for their assembly/PDI/testing, or are you doing that yourself - or both? Edit: Oh - I see from the link that their assembly/PDI is FREE on this bike - it must come in from the factory that way...  Seriously, though - let us know how it came in, assembly-wise; and it would be nice if you were to post in the "dealers" area regarding Power Ride Outlet and your experience with them...  Did they get your registration correct? Did that paperwork come with the bike/scoot? |
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Post by justin313 on Feb 25, 2016 19:57:07 GMT -5
They did the PDI / testing there (supposedly, haha). They also changed the oil. Funny thing actually - I asked the customer service rep if she could tell me what oil they use. I wanted to know if the brand they use was any good. She said she didn't know, but "any oil you want to use will be fine". Ah...... well that kinda answers my question! I'll be switching out the oil asap!
I didn't notice a scuff on the side of the bike when I was unpacking. I wiped it with my finger and I think it's going to be unnoticeable. I'll have a closer look in about 15 minutes when I get home from work.
One thing to note as I've been looking at the instruction manual, is that it's very obvious it was written by non English writers. The translations are atrocious and the spelling errors are everywhere. I'll have to put some quotes from it on here... the way they explain something as simple as needing to put gas in it is hilarious.
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Post by floridagull on Feb 26, 2016 14:24:51 GMT -5
I have the original manual for my Baccio VX 150 (2008), and it can be quite amusing - especially the references to "great doom" and "the possibility of slip and fall great horror may result"...  |
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Post by justin313 on Feb 26, 2016 16:36:17 GMT -5
 Here's a pic I snapped before work this morning. I took the bike out around the neighborhood last night and it was awesome! The first time I've ever been on a scooter or anything like it and it was a thrill. I equate it to riding a bicycle that can go way faster that you can pedal. Ok guys so I have a real newb question. Take a look at the following pic. Does that piece of foam belong in that tube, or is that part of the packaging? It was in when I rode the bike. It breathes pretty easy so I'm not sure it's some kind of filter or if should be left off.  |
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