Maintenance costs/most reliable scoots

[KLR]

A dealer near me has a low miles 2008 Burgman for cheap but the clutch slips when you get going - precisely how fast they didn't say but it sounds like the thing needs replacing, so throw in a grand on the sticker price if I have it done or maybe $600 if I get under the hood myself. It'd be nice to have a freeway ready scoot bought on credit (I don't have tons of cash lying around at the moment) but having to replace a major component right off the bat is a pain.

This got me to thinking - what are the annual maintenance costs for scoots? I've read a bit at motorcycle forums on this; generally speaking it sounds like cars need a ton less TLC than 2 wheelers, for whatever reason. And what would you guys say are the most hassle free makes or models out there? I've read how 2008 Burgmans had shoddy clutches, for instance...do smaller scoots require less upkeep than bigger ones, too? I think I'd be happy with 250cc.

[rks]

I would think that the smaller the scoot, the more the upkeep.....or just the opposite of what you stated. Smaller scoots are much more likely to be operated at, or near 100% throttle, most of the time, which isn't a good idea if your interested in your scoot's longevity.

Hassle free?.....go Japanese, but get ready to pony up some bucks. Then there are those of us that feel the tinkering, improving, and maintaining, of a lesser machine....is half of the fun in scooter ownership. My 150cc Chinese scoot is break down free with 9,700 miles operated, but it has been ridden as designed. It is not a highway machine. I know this won't help much. but my numbers look like this, from March 2012 to present.

Total expenses..$ 2212.73
Purchase price.. - 1327.54
Accessories....... - 312.19
Maintainance.... = 573.00

No fuel cost included above, that expense from April 2014 to present, can be found below, by clicking on the Fuelly banner

[KLR]

Thanks, that answers my question about what the mileage for pretty much anything on the road is. Have you had any major expenses with your Jonway, or has it been just tires, air filters, and the like?

I have a line on a late 80s Helix with low miles, that'd make me happy, assuming all the years of sitting around have been kind to it. Price is right, too.

[bandito2]

If it has been sitting around a long time, tires are likely needed. (if the tires are more than 6 years old... no question about that if 10 years or more) If it has not been run or serviced in years then a carb cleaning would be in order. (probably need that just to get it running) Fluids may need changing as well.(brake fluid, engine oil, coolant & final drive gear oil) It may very well need a battery too. Not horribly expensive. Especially if you do most of the work yourself. And when done, you'd be good to go for longer service intervals than a Chinese bike.

[rks]

No major expenses, just normal wear items like you mentioned..... belts, battery, etc. In a few weeks, I'll be crossing the 10,000 mile mark, thought I might replace the scoots' original spark plug (standard,copper core NGK C7HSA).....then I look at the mpg the last tank of fuel delivered, and tell myself, "If it ain't broke...don't fix it".

[Irish]

I worked (many years ago) for one dealer & I just want to tell you that MOST dealers will not let their mechanics spend the time to do things correctly! My Boss was real nice but they don't let the mechanics spend the time figuring that time is money. That's why I told my wife that I would never work for another shop unless I ran it! Irish
P.S. Just trying to tell it as it is!

[kz1000st]

My opinion on this is that you have to decide what you're using the scooter for. I spend a whole lot more time doing maintenance on the scooters than I do on the bikes. Belts, rollers, tires and oil changes come a whole lot quicker on the scooters. If you're going to use the scooter for occasional use it's fine. If you plan on doing daily commutes and racking up mileage quickly a motorcycle will suit you better.

[coreyman]

Why would a clutch replacement cost $1000? I bought mine for $30 on amazon, saw some $70 performance ones as well. Sounds like I need to get into the scooter repair business if there is $930 of profit there for a 10 minute job..... hah.

[Shadowfire]

Least amount of maintenance:
Honda Forza, with its 8,000 service / oil change intervals.
Next least amount of maintenance:
Honda Silverwing, Kymco Xciting 500, or Burgman 400 (4,000 mile oil changes)

Once you start looking at smaller bikes, you're looking at engines which don't have an oil filter and the oil change intervals become <2000 miles.

As for reliability:
Honda = Kymco = Sym > Suzuki = Genuine > Anything made in China at a plant that also runs a line for the Japanese or Taiwanese > Vespa >>> Anything made in any other Chinese plant.

When you put 13,000 miles a year (over 7 months) on your scoot, a 1200 mile oil change interval really starts to annoy.

[bandito2]

Originally Posted by coreyman

Why would a clutch replacement cost $1000? I bought mine for $30 on amazon, saw some $70 performance ones as well. Sounds like I need to get into the scooter repair business if there is $930 of profit there for a 10 minute job..... hah.

Why would a clutch replacement for a scooter cost $1000?
Well, if the Burgman he is talking about is the 650 Burgman, then the total in parts alone is more like $1300. That is just parts and does not include labor. (which certainly could be close to twice the parts cost...) You do know shop time is not cheap... It is not a simple dry centrifugal clutch. It is a wet, multiplate centrifugal type.

The CVT is no simple matter either because the CVT is internal; meaning the engine needs to be dropped and major surgery done to get in there to replace the belt. (which does last FAR, FAR longer than the simple belts most other scooters use.) But it isn't even a simple rubber belt either; metal links on a fiber type loop. And it IS a big job to replace the CVT belt. Total tear down of the bike and multiple days to do the job. YIKES!

And! the energy delivered to the rear wheel is not by a drive belt, but rather via a series of several gears. This is why I would never get a 650 Burgman. It works fine until it doesn't. Then the pocket book takes a huge hit to fix it unless you just sell the rest of the bike for parts to minimize your loss.

Here's a link to a forum where the issue is discussed. Reading the first 2 pages pretty much confirms what I said. (and should scare the hell out of anyone thinking of getting a used older Burgman)
http://burgmanusa.com/forums/15-burg...r-problem.html

I'll stick to the simpler rubber belt CVT and dry centrifugal clutch thank you.
Well, I guess that's more information than you wanted to know.

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E D I T

Well further research shows a modified method where not all of the plastics need to be removed. The engine is detached and lifted some so the clutch can be removed between frame members rather than by removing nearly all the plastic to drop the engine completely out. STILL! it is a big job. But I think the engine still does need to be completely dropped to get at the CVT since it is internal and cases need to be split.