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Post by rockynv on Nov 15, 2016 0:58:22 GMT -5
thanks for all these great hints. I'll follow up. Thanks It Is The Ride for a great resource. Will the bike be for your own use with a potential passenger or to be shared with children and other adults? Myself I have a motorcycle license so I just put a $89 motorcycle hitch rack from Harbor Freight on the back on my Motor Home and carry a 150cc or larger scooter with me. The best 49cc moped is only going to be marginal with two passengers unless one is a small adult and the other a child especially on a country back road. Even 150cc or 250cc scooters you have to watch out for as many do not have even a 300 lb load capacity which can bottom out badly on a camp road when there are 2 adults on it. Do the weight issues on rough roads I tend to lean toward used Aprilia scooters as their 125cc and larger models all have a 460 lb capacity and 15 to 16 inch wheels. A small 150 to 250cc CVT drive adventure bike may be a good choice to if you need to do much off road riding. |
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Post by rockynv on Nov 14, 2016 12:57:46 GMT -5
Depends on the state - mopeds (gas) require a driver's license here in FL...  . And a number of other States while they allow unlicensed riders there has to be an adult with a drivers license present within so many feet of the unlicensed rider even on a moped. |
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Post by rockynv on Nov 14, 2016 5:19:15 GMT -5
There are choices out there now in the big name brands to fit every budget. It looks like they have taken notice of what people want now along with what they are buying from India and China.
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Post by rockynv on Nov 14, 2016 5:11:55 GMT -5
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.
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Post by rockynv on Nov 13, 2016 8:34:35 GMT -5
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. JCL MP250A Lihai 257cc powered. / I think that is the only genuine solution. Only problem with that is I will have to wait for someone else do it first. I'll be darned if I'm going to go out and buy any certain model 300 or so scooter ln hopes of a seatmaker will be able to make it fit me. Then I'm stuck with however it turns out. No, I'll just have to wait it seems for someone else to come up with a scooter / seat combonation that can fit someone with a 32 inch inseam with size 14 1/2 shoes. And hope I meet them by happenstance and they let me sit on their bike to see if it fits me. I have listed a number of more powerful Piaggio bikes that 6'6" riders with 36/38 inch inseams and similar shoe sizes to yours ride daily. You really need to go play Goldilocks and sit on a few. It may take a while to adjust to the more upright instead of lounge chair riding position however once you do its really great to be on a bike that has the handle bars close to you yet high enough that they easily clear your knees even in the tightest of turns while still keeping your arms in a neutral position while cruising. The Sport City has floor boards designed with a well for the rider to lock the toes of their boots into so their feet stay more planted for very spirited riding on the twisties and there is plenty of room to lock in the 12/13 EEE Widths I wear with additional space for a few sizes larger. The MP250A most definitely is not the only choice for someone with relatively short legs like you. A person with short legs with a 32" inseam should not need to have the seat modified to fit their legs on any of the upright riding position bikes with a 31/32" seat height from Piaggio. |
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Post by rockynv on Nov 12, 2016 0:18:22 GMT -5
A lot of interesting new bikes coming out. Here is Popular Mechanics Top Ten List for 2017: Yamaha SRC 950 - $8,700 (I could see Steve McQueen on this)  Suzuki Vanvan 200 - $4,600 (This works although a little under powered. Maybe a 300 next year? )  Triumph Street Cup - $10,500  Honda CBR500R - $6,500  Kawasaki Z125 Pro - $3000 (Look out Grom)  Victory Octane - $10,000  Ducati SuperSport - $13,000  Moto Guzzi V7 Stone II - $9,000 (that vtwin sounds great and is very high in tourque plus has abs/atc etc plus a 6 speed)  Harley-Davidson Road Glide - $19,000 (least expensive Harley and has the all new 1753cc Milwaukie Eight V-Twin)  BMW G310R - $5,500 (est.)  Full article: www.popularmechanics.com/cars/motorcycles/g2309/best-motorcycle-buys/ |
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Post by rockynv on Nov 11, 2016 23:52:14 GMT -5
I had to double check. We had a 59 but it had the 287 and from the previous model years and not the newer 389 so it was very good on gas and still a very sharp looking car. Similar to this one in Aqua with the Cream White Hard Top.  |
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Post by rockynv on Nov 11, 2016 23:33:05 GMT -5
4950Cycle - The Sport City 250 is ridden by much taller and heavier people than you as are the BV350 and BV500. I too find most of the current Kymco and Syms too tight for me but have no issues on the Sport City 250, BV350 or BV500. The Scarabeo 500 IE however I do find a bit tight.
The finance manager of the local Honda Mega Store rode a Sport City 250 as his daily ride for years and he is a few inches taller and about 50 lbs heavier than you are being well over 300 lbs yet cruised the interstates on the bike at 75 mph. He did this when he was in his early 60's so it's not just a young kid that I am talking about plus this guy could have chosen just about any bike made since the dealership sells just about every brand as a factory dealership. Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, CanAm, Aprilia, Piaggio, Vespa and KTM were under one roof at the time.
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Post by rockynv on Nov 11, 2016 12:33:12 GMT -5
GM needs to reincarnate Ed Cole (designer of the original small block Chevy that debuted in the 55 Belair). Was that the 289 or was that in the late 50's Pontiac Catalina? |
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Post by rockynv on Nov 11, 2016 5:38:25 GMT -5
Thanks, rockynv, have a bone!I'm not so hot for an iron push-rod car motor in a bike unless maybe a Boss Hoss... LOL!I did like some of the few Corvair-powered bikes from the sixties... The lightweight aluminum air-cooled flat-six actually LOOKED like a bike motor, and seemed to have some frisky performance... Some had around 200 hp. These days, it seems a motorcycle SHOULD have a motorcycle engine... And a scooter should have a, ah... well... an ATV engine I guess... LOL! I still feel the "Iron Duke" is best left to the era of shuddering, shaking "econobox" monstrosities of the dismal past... Ride safe!Leo Thankfully Gelbke didn't use the Iron Duke which was initially the new engineers failed attempt at automotive design. They slapped that one together quickly to distance GM from the failed Teflon coated aluminum Vega 4 cylinder engine debacle. Looks like GM will be having another round of mass layoffs now. Lee Iacocca was smart and pulled the engineers who designed the Slant 6, 318, 383, 440 and Hemi's out of nursing homes to design the new blocks for Chrysler. Those blocks are still the foundation of all the engines they use today though most designs that Mercedes came up with as replacements have been scrapped. |
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Post by rockynv on Nov 11, 2016 0:50:23 GMT -5
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.
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Post by rockynv on Nov 11, 2016 0:18:20 GMT -5
Parts would be a big consideration on this one. Tomos since they are still being manufactured by the same factory in Europe and still for sale new probably has the largest stock of parts across the US. Personally I like the Motobecane Mobyette as I had one back in the 1970's which I purchased new and it was very good even with two adults on it going up hill due to its variator design however parts would be more difficult to get for that limited production French model.
Why does it have to be a 49cc pedal moped? A 150 to 200cc scooter with large wheels or a small motorcycle would also be available in your price range and light enough to carry on the back of a camper. I rack mount an Aprilia Sport City 250 on the back of mine which gives me better service especially when you have to travel longer distances to get to stores and supplies.
A DOT approved 150 and above would be plated and insured so you would not have concerns about different pedal moped regs across the country since your registration makes you street legal in all states.
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Post by rockynv on Nov 10, 2016 5:12:41 GMT -5
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.
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Post by rockynv on Nov 10, 2016 4:42:51 GMT -5
Usually the real Dr Pulley sliders tend to close up the variator so much that you have to put an extra 1mm washer between the boss and the drive face to deal with that. I am only around 10 less than you are and the 6'4" 310 lb finance manager of the local Honda dealership road his 250cc Aprilia Sport City daily on the interstate at 75/80 mph but those are higher compression and come with a OEM 4 valve head.
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Post by rockynv on Nov 10, 2016 0:46:45 GMT -5
Leo - The 153 engine is entirely different from the later Metric Pontiac 151-cubic-inch (2.5 L) Iron Duke, but the two are often confused. The 153 is more of a commercial engine and was used by Willies in the Postal Jeep and Mercruiser in their marine out drive units.
Gelbke chose it since it was a proven engine for cross country touring and since it was a common engine used by the Postal Service parts would be available just about anywhere that had a US Post Office nearby. He was an aerospace engineer so it looks like he did his homework to find an engine that would be reliable and chug along down the highway for the long haul.
The 153 is still in use as a GM Vortec 3000 Marine/Industrial 4 now fuel injected and bored out to 181 cu in. In the original 153 configuration its still used in forklifts, pumps, welders and generators.
To be fair GM finally sorted out the Iron Duke and it ended up in a number of S10 pickups and Grumman used it in their Postal Delivery Vehicle.
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