Motorcycle And Scooter News

[sc00ter]

I rarely buy scooters used. Come to think about it I've only owned 3 used scooters.

I bought the old Scooter Rider Magazine shop KYMCO People 250 scooter. It was in EXCELLENT condition with zero surprises.

A powder blue Buddy 125 from a dealership. It was fully serviced at the selling dealership and was also mint. I still miss that scooter.

SYM CityCom 300i off a friend/coworker. The price was really fair but wow, so many annoying "surprises" like stripped screws and such. Prior owner was heavy handed!

I don't count 50cc mopeds as I've owned way to many to count. All of them were extremely cheap to purchase and mostly it was to flip or breakdown for parts.

If I sell a scooter the price is usually low because the scooter will have crazy miles on it. My wife noted that I always replace a scooter every 3 years. That would be 30,000 miles minimum. But now that I'm trying to avoid technology I'll just keep my simple Buddy 125. I don't want/need:
EFI.
ABS.
Traction control (TC).
Bluetooth connectivity.
Keyless ignition.
Anti-theft ignition if it has a chipped key.
Electric adjustable windscreen and/or seat.
Key fob opening seat/trunk/gas cap.
Screaming factory alarm system.
Rider mode selection like rain/normal/sport.
Ride By Wire throttles aka servo controlled.
Push button gear selector (usually servo controlled).
Proprietary ECU computer readers.
I'm older and like simpler.

[kz1000st]

Originally Posted by sc00ter

I rarely buy scooters used. Come to think about it I've only owned 3 used scooters.

I bought the old Scooter Rider Magazine shop KYMCO People 250 scooter. It was in EXCELLENT condition with zero surprises.

A powder blue Buddy 125 from a dealership. It was fully serviced at the selling dealership and was also mint. I still miss that scooter.

SYM CityCom 300i off a friend/coworker. The price was really fair but wow, so many annoying "surprises" like stripped screws and such. Prior owner was heavy handed!

I don't count 50cc mopeds as I've owned way to many to count. All of them were extremely cheap to purchase and mostly it was to flip or breakdown for parts.

If I sell a scooter the price is usually low because the scooter will have crazy miles on it. My wife noted that I always replace a scooter every 3 years. That would be 30,000 miles minimum. But now that I'm trying to avoid technology I'll just keep my simple Buddy 125. I don't want/need:
EFI.
ABS.
Traction control (TC).
Bluetooth connectivity.
Keyless ignition.
Anti-theft ignition if it has a chipped key.
Electric adjustable windscreen and/or seat.
Key fob opening seat/trunk/gas cap.
Screaming factory alarm system.
Rider mode selection like rain/normal/sport.
Ride By Wire throttles aka servo controlled.
Push button gear selector (usually servo controlled).
Proprietary ECU computer readers.
I'm older and like simpler.

I have bought used scooters. My Fashion has been with me for twelve years. My two crate scooters were new and a Lance Charming and Kymco Like 50 were bought used to flip. I had a Big Ruckus for a year but it was a headache. It turned out it was in a flood so i ditched it.

My scooters and bikes are all carburetored. The Fashion is the only water cooled model. I would really like a Royal Enfield 650 if only for the air cooling but it is fuel injected. Yes, simple is better. Ask the Vespa guys with all the failing fuel pumps.

[sc00ter]

Almost all of the new/current Royal Enfield bikes are nice looking! My wife and I stop and look at one every time we see one in the wild. Shame we have zero dealers remotely close to us or I'd seriously consider one. A air cooled 650 would be plenty for me. I LOVE the Continental GT 650! The Royal Enfields always get good reviews as well.

[kz1000st]

Here's a story that supports my claim that it's the owner, not the scooter that's a problem. When bought the Kymco Like 50 it came from a young lady who claimed it had an electrical gremlin and wouldn't start. I bought it for $300 to flip.

After testing every circuit I could find it became obvious the starter motor was burned out. After replacing it the problem became obvious. No compression. It would start after spinning the starter over for three minutes but there it was. Upon teardown you could see the piston was fried and barrel burned to death. Sometime in its life the little two stroke was run out of oil.

Fixed it and sold it a year later for what I paid for it to a mechanic in a local shop for his Dad. A year later he called me to ask where I got the piston and barrel. Blown again, his Dad ran it out of oil.

Which I feel only supports my theory that in too many cases, not yours QLink made some bad one, it's not Chinese scooters that are the problem. It's Chinese scooter owners. Maybe even Vespa owners too, but that's another story.

[sc00ter]

I purchased a gently used Buddy 50cc scooter to help someone start job hunting. This dumb person KILLED A BUDDY 50cc! One of the toughest scooters ever built! Neglect and just being stupid killed it in 2 years. Stupidity can kill anything!

I have a guy who wants me to show him how to check the valves on his Binelli Scorch 150cc. I don't want anything to do with it. If it wen't 11,000 miles with no valve check then it seems its running fine to me. I told him to watch some YouTube videos. Yup, he has never checked the valves since buying this scooter new.

[kz1000st]

Originally Posted by sc00ter

I purchased a gently used Buddy 50cc scooter to help someone start job hunting. This dumb person KILLED A BUDDY 50cc! One of the toughest scooters ever built! Neglect and just being stupid killed it in 2 years. Stupidity can kill anything!

I have a guy who wants me to show him how to check the valves on his Binelli Scorch 150cc. I don't want anything to do with it. If it wen't 11,000 miles with no valve check then it seems its running fine to me. I told him to watch some YouTube videos. Yup, he has never checked the valves since buying this scooter new.

Killed a Buddy 50??? That is dumb. There''s a video on YouTube of a guy fixing a 50cc Wolf RX 50 by Znen. 2,000 miles and the piston rings are fried. The guy doing the video pulled a quart of Dollar General oil out from the seat.

Yes, the YouTube videos are there. He had to buy the Bintelli from a dealer, they're only sold through dealers. Tell him to take it there.

[kz1000st]

Only sold in Europe and Asia??? I'll bet they could sell a few here. Of course Piaggio won't let that happen.

https://www.rideapart.com/news/72913...q1Xo5nw.VuRQvx

[kz1000st]

Motorcycle? Scooter? Wait and see.

https://www.rideapart.com/news/72957...nture-scooter/

[kz1000st]

Not encouraging news.

https://www.rideapart.com/news/72969...q1Xo5nw.VuRQvx

[sc00ter]

Plus Harley is suffering from the same thing that Budweiser suffered with the Bud-Light drama for being "woke". The employees are the ones that suffer from dumb choices in management. It will be interesting to how, or if, Harley can bounce back from this.

[kz1000st]

Originally Posted by sc00ter

Plus Harley is suffering from the same thing that Budweiser suffered with the Bud-Light drama for being "woke". The employees are the ones that suffer from dumb choices in management. It will be interesting to how, or if, Harley can bounce back from this.

I'll tell you what I think. The new Sportsters and Pan America are in the $10k to $20k class and are new tech. I can tell you, at least through observation at events, they are not selling. I've seen three since they came out....anywhere. Not so Indian Scouts. I've seen dozens.

Harley is into the big V-Twins. All that $20k and up is what they are about. I don't think they give a damn about the Sportsters or Panamerica and sending them overseas to be built is their way of keeping them around but not serious about them. I saw the same thing with the Street models. If I've seen twenty out in the world since they were around, that's a lot. Same with V-Rods.

[sc00ter]

I like the Indians. Only model I have ridden was a Roadmaster. I could NEVER spend Roadmaster money on a bike, I'm not that customer. Now I could get behind a Scout if I got the bike itch again. My only Harley experience was a restored AMF era Harley. It was fun but again, not my thing.

[kz1000st]

Originally Posted by sc00ter

I like the Indians. Only model I have ridden was a Roadmaster. I could NEVER spend Roadmaster money on a bike, I'm not that customer. Now I could get behind a Scout if I got the bike itch again. My only Harley experience was a restored AMF era Harley. It was fun but again, not my thing.

I'm not into Mystique or whatever Harley is selling. A Harley Tour Glide with fairing, saddlebags and rear trunk goes about $30k. A Kawasaki Vulcan Voyager V-Twin equipped with the same cargo carriers goes for $20k. It doesn't have all the electronic wizardry and GPS but I wouldn't care. 10 large is ten large. I've lived with less for numerous trips.

At that the base price of a Honda Gold Wing or BMW K1600 is less than a Tour Glide or any Indian Tour bike.

Crazy money.

I went away for seven days last year on a 1983 Kawasaki Spectre with throw over saddle bags for $60.00 and a $5.00 backpack bungeed to the seat. I had enough to change undies, socks and T shirts nightly, razor and toiletries, Extra pants, shoes and a CPAP machine. 800 miles later I was smiling and had zero trouble.

[sc00ter]

Get out and ride, that's the goal! I ride everyday so I actually look forward to getting in a car on the weekend. But my wife is still kicking around the idea of getting a Ryker.

I joined a bowling league in Washington D.C. yet I lived in Virginia Beach, VA. I would strap the bowling ball to the back of the CBR and blast out to D.C. Friday night after work. Those were fun times! Now that I'm older I don't think I could do more than 100 miles without a loooong break at some point!

[kz1000st]

I get the personal choice argument but......

https://www.rideapart.com/news/73029...hs-no-helmets/