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There it is I enjoyed my Tao Tao ATM50-A1 for what it was, a cheap beginner scooter just to test the waters and see what I thought. Yeah, even from mile 1 I was fiddling around with things but I learned a lot about a new machine to me. That was invaluable experience. I beat the living crap out of the thing without any remorse, there's something to be said for that. Eventually I got it running pretty solid and performing up to the standards I needed at the time. However there really seems to be a natural progression if you're going to be serious about scooting. As your distances grow farther, rides grow longer, trips become more frequent, speeds get higher, etc the value of a better quality product goes up tremendously. If you're only going to use a scooter for 6 months for local trips there's almost no reason NOT to get a Chinese bike. Once you factor in all the time & money it takes to keep a cheap scooter going over the long haul it probably won't be cheaper than the $3,000 upfront for an Aprilia or Honda or similar. Not to mention that little voice in the back of your head everyday "I wonder how many bones I'd break if the front tire fell off right now?". Bottom line get a machine that matches your needs and understand 96% of the time not skimping up front will pay off the longer & harder you ride.