Motorcycle And Scooter News

[kz1000st]

An extra few cc's and all of one horsepower more.

https://www.advrider.com/vespa-gts310-overhauled/

[sc00ter]

Yeah, I'll pass. I don't need Vespa drama on my commuter to work. I'm still in good 'ol Buddy 125 land. Oh, I've since ruled out the following:

Royal Alloy 300. As tempting as it is the price vs. value just isn't there for me.

Keeway Sixties 300. That importer doesn't have their act together. I can only imagine parts are a joy to get hold of.

SYM CityCom 300. I owned one in the past and loved that scooter so much. But since Alliance took over the distribution I no longer trust them to stand behind the products.

Nothing else catches my eye. I like the new Kawasaki Eliminator 500, especially that orange model, but I'm to lazy to ride a motorcycle. Some of the Royal Enfield bikes are snazzy as well.

My wife is still considering a Can-Am Ryker Rally. If she pulls the trigger you know I'll ride it once in awhile!

[kz1000st]

I go through that all the time. My 1983 Kawasaki runs good and strong when I'm on it. BUT...it leaks oil when cold and burns a little when running. I'll still take it to Americade but something new that runs like it would be nice but there isn't anything. All the 650 and 750cc bikes are twins and just don't have the sound or feel of a good running four cylinder.

I get what you're saying about the Royal Alloy. I did the math when a dealer in Albany listed them. When all is said and done it's only a Grand less than a 300 Vespa. The cheapest 300 right now is the Kymco XTown but no one near here carries it and I hear you have to do a deep dive into the web to find reliable parts sellers for them.

A News Flash: I don't remember if you remember the talk of the Freedom 300 scooter which sounded good on Specs and the dealer is a solid guy too. Apparently an Italian design built in China and not cheap. It can be bought online with the Storm name but from not so dependable dealers.

Anyway. Freedom is not selling them or any scooters anymore and moving to motorcycles since the scooter market for larger ones is crashing. He refuses to do Tao Tao type scooters and refuses to pin his name on the cheap stuff that does sell.

[kz1000st]

yes absolutely and the 500cc they also sell in Asia.

https://www.rideapart.com/features/7...united-states/

[sc00ter]

Poor Harley. Fading away from old age along with their customer base. Then, that new guy, Jochen Zeitz, has no clue on his customer base. Harley should base Jochen's pay on the actual sales figures. Bet he'd either get his act together or step down. But that's Harley's problem, not mine. I'd never buy one, ever. I've ridden a few and was not impressed on any level.

I had a guy at work buy a Harley. He used to be a friend but he turned into a bum when he got older. Anyways, he buys this older Harley from the 70's, an ex-police bike. I called him Rod Halford and started singing Breaking the Law every time I'd see him on it. He got so mad! I actually like Judas Priest a bit and could care less about Mr. Halford's private life but this guy at work couldn't handle me clowning him. Come to think about it, we have 2 Rob Halford's at my work. Weird. Have you ever seen the Kids In The Hall "F@G" sketch? Priceless funny!!!

Harley acquired Buell near the end. I actually liked Buell motorcycles. I almost bought a Blast until Buell ran that crushed bike add. But yes, I agree that Harley should import those X series 350 and 500's. I mean, what could they possibly loose at this point?

[kz1000st]

Hey sc00ter. If you want to, take this over there if it doesn't have a thread already. Feel free. Note that Piaggio scooter sales in the U.S. are dropping like flies in the face of Chinese 50cc and 150cc competition.

https://powersportsbusiness.com/piag...onths-results/

[kz1000st]

A fun video about a Zuma clone. Long but worth it.

[sc00ter]

There is a guy a work with a Bintelli Scorch 50cc and:

1) I see it almost everyday.

2) He takes care of it. No crash damage and its not covered in crud.

3) He has over 4000 miles on it in under a year.

I'm assuming the Scorch has been trouble free for him. I've seen the owner from a distance but have yet to meet him. He parks next to my Buddy 125 most of the time. I think he works one of the weird 12 hour shifts, so finding him in a factory of 1000 people will be tricky. I almost got a Bintelli Scorch 150cc because the dealer said he'd sell me one at cost so I could advertise the brand for him. My snobby self got another Buddy 125 instead.

I would love to see the above Zuma clone guy put some real miles on his clone and do a update video.Thanks for finding and posting it. That guy does a good job being honest and describing things in detail.

[kz1000st]

For all the abuse heaped on Chinese scooters you would think they all are crap. The 50cc 39QMB has been a pretty good workhorse engine for many people. I said this before but a young man in Michigan bought a 50cc Scorch, used, and rode it all the way to Key West with no problems. He then tooled around the area before selling it to go to Puerto Rico. He stopped at Bintelli HQ in Florida on the way down and they did a belt and roller change and a few maintenance items before sending him on his way.

The guy wasn't mechanically inclined and ran the scooter all day. Sometimes at 40 mph for long stretches.

[sc00ter]

I think most of the "bad rap" that China scooters get is from the following.

The stupid kid. Parents get stupid kid a scooter to get around on and the kid rides it like a bmx bike. Take it off road, jump it and generally ride it to death. Of course stupid kid denies any abuse when it breaks and the parents think they bought a piece of junk.

Lazy person. NEVER does any maintenance or any service work. Some don't even change the oil!

Not informed people. They buy a scooter for cheap transportation and take it to a dishonest dealer. Dishonest dealers are very bad for a scooters overall health!

Cheapskates. When something wears out or needs serviced they go the cheapest way possible. No name way-to-cheap drive belt from FleaBay or one of the other discount online retailers. Cheapest oil they can find. Skip valve checks because the motor "sounds fine".

So it's not always the scooters fault that it has a bad rap, Heck, I've seen brand name scooters fall apart because they got one of the above for a owner.

Finally, you'd be shocked if you see the number of Honda Ruckus owners that use a Chinese generic GY6 125 to 150 motor for a upgrade. At first I was like "Why remove that reliable but kinda slow Honda motor for a China turd?" only to see these motors not only put out good power with easy mods but be VERY reliable as well.

When I had my Qlink Commuter Helix clone I fell under the Not Informed category. That dealer sucked and half-assed everything just to save time and money on their end during the warranty period. St. John's Carts in North Carolina are a bunch of clowns and they treat your ride like a clown car!

[kz1000st]

I tend to agree with you on all points. The one thing that galls me is people who change the narrative to suit their opinions.

For years Motovista has said things like, "A Chinese scooter won't start the third time you use it and it's done." I replied that my Chinese crate scooter ran for 10,000 miles in eleven years just fine. His reply? "You only did 900 miles a year.That doesn't prove anything." So which is it? That the scooter's history is invalid because I didn't do enough miles in a year to suit him or that a person who knows how to care for a machine can get a life out of his cheap Chinese scooter? Or, heaven forbid, he's just wrong or spewing Italian propaganda because he sells parts to fix Vespas and Chinese scooters are hurting his business.

My second favorite is when I said there, "A Royal Alloy 300 finished the Scooter Cannonball so how bad can a Chinese scooter be?" One forum member replied, "Well the scooter is new and should be able to take it."

Really? Well which is it? Is a Chinese scooter going to let you down all the time or does it need high mileage to prove itself?

It's easy to find fault when you keep moving the goal posts.

Let me rave a little more. According to the informed opinion over there a 250/300 Vespa is cooked at 75,000 miles. Engine rebuild/replacement needed. Hmmm. I wonder how many old 233cc, two cylinder Honda Rebels and Nighthawks go twice that mileage before they need looking at?

I'm betting you'll find it hard to part with the Buddy at 30,000 miles when it still runs like a charm and isn't being a pain in the butt like the Piaggio was.

[sc00ter]

Good points. Only reason I replaced my Piaggio Liberty 150 was because no one local, or afar, knows how to use the P.A.D.S. to diagnose my random power loss issue. Both Piaggio dealers wanted to "Throw parts" at the problem. So I just went back to the Buddy 125. That being said I got just over 30,000 trouble free miles out of that Liberty BUT it didn't wow me enough to upgrade to a GTS 300, and I LOVE those. I just learned a good lesson, either the P.A.D.S. diagnostic tool stinks or the dealers stink. Maybe its both?

I usually replace a scooter around 30,000ish miles. It's very rare I keep one longer than that. So its every 3 to 4 years I start to get the replacement itch. I really hope a quality full electric scooter is out by that time. I'm sick of gasoline and all the related services. My Buddy 125 is still on a carb and its silly easy to service so I'll deal with it. But you know eventually Genuine will quit importing the Buddy 125 because of emission compliance.

Those guys who praise the greatness of new Vespa scooters probably drive a car to work. I picture a weekend warrior type or a retired person who just rides for pleasure. I work for a German company and the 2 most important things are 1) Punctuality and 2) Attendance. I RELY on my Buddy 125 for work commutes, its not for a hobby. I'm pretty sure that the Binelli Scorch 150 would have been just as reliable though and I kinda regret not taking that guy up on the offer.

I also don't think 900 miles a year is a bad thing. You ride, that's whats important. So "that guy" who said that probably does what? Drive a car to his scooter parts business! I just like scooters. I guess I'm just a nerd or something.

[kz1000st]

Not to throw stones at the Piaggio but my mental notebook recalls that it sucked a seal in and filled the rear gear case with water grinding up gears and bearings. Then there was the anti-theft antenna giving up the ghost. European engineering at its best.

And the dealer offered you a Bintelli Flash with 10" wheels. The Scorch has 12" wheels and for you might have been a better choice for tire wear. Neither here or there though. You have the skills and mechanical sense and know your stuff and how to keep it going. Something sorely lacking not just for Chinese scooter owners but too many scooter owners out there.

[kz1000st]

And so I said. Yes, another cash grab and will the DMV spread this statewide? Also will the DMV require insurance?

https://www.rideapart.com/news/74352...and-insurance/

[sc00ter]

I think this whole tags on ebikes stems from the cheap ebikes that have battery fires, aka: non-UL certified. DMV could deny your tags if the ebike doesn't show up on the approved list of UL certified ebikes, and riding with no tags will get your ebike impounded. So I can see this tagging as a proposed "safety net".

I doubt they (DMV) will require insurance but if these super fast over 28mph ebikes keep drawing unwanted attention than insurance might be required. Each state has their own rules regarding ebikes (and mopeds 50cc and under) yet the popularity of ebikes can also be viewed as a money grab, like mentioned already.

So far my state has been hands-off ebike regulations. None of my ebikes go over 28mph. I try to follow the rules and not draw unwanted attention, yet I see a few FAST ebikes running around doing stupid stuff so I guess time will tell.

Good luck to New Yorkers on this proposed bill NOT passing!