Is it worth trading up?

[Girlrider]

I have a couple of mates hankering after buying something bigger, along the lines of a Cheetah Touring 250. I can see the advantage (and attraction) of the speed possibilities, but what else do bigger bikes have going for them?

[amac1680]

Extra weight helps with stability at speed . In general there's more space, both for feet and storage.
The big question is how do you plan on using the scoot. If you have the highway in mind then the added power is needed. Around town it Realy doesn't matter.

All the best.

Be Big,
AMAC

[4getful2]

Depends on what you're driving now.
Bigger bikes normally have a better charging system, so you'll get brighter headlights.
Longer wheelbase, for a better ride.

[prodigit]

For me personally, there's nothing like a small 150.
I'm happy with my evo150, probably would have been happier with a powermax 150.
200+cc's are a pain to work on. Especially when they have fuel injection.
They're complex, they weigh a lot, is almost impossible to get out of a crate alone or mount a front wheel.
Really, a 150 is the max I'm willing to buy online.

As far as performance difference, for the city, a smaller 150 is more nimble. They accelerate just about the same due to weight difference.
The 250's shine when riding with 2 people, on the highway.
On the highway, the 150's peak usually ~60MPH for one person. That's good enough for most people; however if you ever want to go faster you need the extra 100cc's.
Also, if you want to maintain 60MPH (especially with 2 people, or a lot of luggage), get a 250cc.

The 150cc's is good for 2 people cruising 50MPH or below, or a single person upto 60MPH.

[Girlrider]

Thanks for the responses. I know my friends want to do a lot of touring, possibly with a passenger each so I guess that may be what attracts them to a bigger bike. Me, I'm happy with my smaller engine, it serves me well for what I do.

[cheetah]

I would trade up! I love my Touring. I would say the reason I love it is because I can drive it to work. It's cool that it is so great on gas mileage! I also love that you can easily ride with two people on it. Most scooters are only for one person!

[wheelbender6]

Few disadvantages with going to a larger 250cc scoot. They require more space to store and park. Some members don't like them because they don't have a flat floor like smaller scoots.

[prodigit]

Yeah, they're still going to cost you $3000 total, and are much lower quality than a second hand motorcycle (eg: sports motorcycle like a Ninja, or 250cc cruisers from Suzuki, Honda, or Yamaha/V-star). Most of those motorcycles you can find for $5,5k, second hand sometimes lower than $4k.
If fuel economy is what you want, a Ninja 250 can be great at fuel economy, especially when not ridden hard, and a Suzuki TU250x's fuel economy is great too!

Just giving you some other options to take a look at, before you commit yourself to a purchase. Maybe there's something out there that might suit your needs better? (just saying)