Newbie looking to be pointed in the right direction
 

I'm considering buying a 49cc scooter to use for running around town and what not when my wife uses our vehicle. I've never bought or used a scooter before, so I'm looking for some guidance.

Any tips on what I should buy?

I'm looking to buy something relatively cheap (maybe less than $1,000). From my research, it looks like I could buy a nice used scooter, or maybe a low-end new one for that.

What brands should I look at vs what should I avoid?

Any features I should look for? I'm thinking I want 12 inch wheels as it sounds like they are safer than 10 inch wheels.

This brand seems popular in my neck of the woods (Florida). Any thoughts on it? http://wolfbrandscooters.com

I've also seen quite a few used scooters on Craiglist from all sorts of brands - Yamaha, Honda, VIP, TAOTAO, Peace, etc. Not sure what is good and what is bad and what is the best value.

Thanks!

Like you I am also in the market for my first scooter. Only I will be going for a 150cc something thats a little safer scooting around town since I am not in a huge city i live in the suburbs. I am looking at this site www.killermotorsports.com they seem to be the best value I could find.

Not sure about Florida but here in Michigan you need a cycle endorsement for anything over a 50cc. If you have never rode one before like me I would highly suggest taking a motorcycle safety course. I took one with a Harley Davidson dealership. It was about 300 but that covered everything I needed to get my motorcycle license all I needed to do after the course was visit the DMV to get a new license. No test or driving exam cause I did it in the course. I cant wait till the end of this month cause then I will have enough saved up. Im looking at a TaoTao they seem to be reliable as long as you take care of it but thats with most items. I wish you well in your hunt for the best scooter for you.

:scoot:

-Robert

Hi
Welcome aboard
Pleased to meet you
Robert is giving you very good advice:tup:
An MSF course is a great idea
http://online2.msf-usa.org/msf/Default.aspx#&panel1-1
Check out Puma Cycles
http://www.pumacycles.com/Gas-Scooters/
And Bintelli scooters
http://bintelliscooters.com
Imho both are top notch and and are quite a bargin for the quality they have
And if its a 50 cc you want try to find a 2 stroke as thery have more power and are faster then a 4 stroke 50
http://motorscooterguide.net/Article...OR4Stroke.html
Take care and ride safely
Yours Hank

My first scooter was a nice used 09 150cc China scoot. I picked it up for less than $900 including TT and L. So you should be able to easily find a nice 50. Also like stated above, take the msf safety course and always wear a helmet. Good luck with purchase

I bought my scooter from the folks below.

http://www.dallaspowersport.com/150c...-Approved.html

They flat out tell you that yes the engine has a one year warranty, but even if the repair is covered under warranty there will be a $50 labor fee. I read up and I am mechanically inclined anyway so I pulled the trigger and got the 150CC TaoTao EVO ATM. Basically they charged me $799 plus tax title, license and make ready . Out the door price was just shy of 1100. If you buy 'mail order' I think you can expect to pay over $200 in shipping fees to get to your door and then you will have to do the make ready yourself. I have already put over 2300 Kilometers on my bike in a little over a month. Have had one cheap plastic ring fall off the ignition lock and just had a hairline crack in the muffler pipe, near the head. The local muffler shop arc welded that closed for free, took them all of one minute. My advice is what ever bike you choose do some youtube searches on that model and you may find a wealth of knowledge on things you should know as an owner. I recommend that you get a tube of lock-tite and put that on any bolt that is in the exhaust line. Then before every ride look carefully for anything that might have loosed up. If you find something, get it tightened up before the bolt falls out completely and you end up having to spend money and time at home depot looking for just the right size and length metric bolt/screw.

One last bit of advice. When you get on a scooter or motorcycle just assume that no one in the world can see you except yourself. With that in mind you would be surprised how many bad riding situations you can avoid by just staying out of harms way to the fullest extent possible.