250 scooters discontinued?
 

Today I was talking with a dealer, and was informed by him that the 250 scooters are being discontinued because of the EPA. I had not heard this before, and being new to scooters, I am wondering about because I was planning to purchase one around spring. Is this actually true, or hype?

No market demand, so most dealers do not carry them. Its either a 50cc moped, the occasional 125/150cc scooter or a small motorcycle at 250cc/300cc. I have a Suzuki Burgman 200 and aside from a transmission issue it is a great, fast and fun scooter. My wife and I 2 up on it everywhere and it hauls our outta shape butts around no problem. If you have a Lance dealer in your area look at a Lance Cabo 200i (really a 165cc if I recall). Yamaha S-Max is a nice scoot, if it fits you. A used Genuine Blur 220i is a rad find if in mint condition. Finally, and I hate to recommend it because parts can be a nightmare, is a SYM CityCom 300i. I loved mine but would not take another one for free. Ok, AVOID a SYM CityCom. For some strange reason parts are easier to obtain for its fun little brother, the SYM HD200. I personally love big wheel scooters but the buying public does not. Finally, if you have a Kymco dealer look at a People GT300i. A good review on Just Gotta Scoot website.I rode one, its THAT FAST! And last but not least. A Vespa GTS 300. Ride it BEFORE asking the price, its that fun! The Piaggio BV350 is fun also, but we dont have a Vespa/Piaggio dealer we trust nearby. If we did I would have bought the BV350 instead of the Burgman 200. Just Gotta Scoot did reviews of the GTS and BV also. Check 'em out, great site!

Side note, I work under the EPA and talk to them on a regular basis and the guy knows 1) I LOVE scooters and 2) That I mod the 50cc's for fun. Like I said, its market demand. And its not just the dealers but the manufacturers pulled a bunch of their 250cc(ish) offerings because of lack of demand. Everyone says "If Honda brought the Helix back I would get one!". No they wouldn't. Honda has the 300cc Forza (with its dreadful underseat storage design) and I still see some 2014's models chilling on showroom floors next to the 2014 Suzuki Burgman 200's (with their fragile transmissions). The dealer is going to try and sell you on a 250/300cc motorcycle though, and the EPA didnt stop them from being sold! So yeah, its a combination of both because Americans as a whole dont buy many scooters. Still some nice models out there, just make sure you have good dealer support!

There's nothing wrong with 250s related to EPA. Maybe air-cooled 250s, but not because it's a 250.

There are a few 250 class scooters around, but they're often touted as 300s. (actual 270cc) I think Kymco still makes 250s, and maybe SYM too.

Honda's Forza is advertised as a 300, but I think it's more like 270 or 280cc in actual displacement.

Let's go guys, let's get this forum active again!

The popularity of scooters displacing 170 to 200cc has also hurt sales of 250cc sleds. The 200cc scoots are pretty fast without carrying the weight and girth of a maxi scooter.

Sixty-five percent of scooter sales in this country are 50cc models. Figure all the models from there on up to the biggest scooters and you can see everyone is chasing scraps. Plus most of the online sellers are selling 250cc motorcycles in various models with the solid CG-250 engine developed for the Third World for less than they were selling 250 scooters.

Bikes outsell scooters by 10 to 1. To an online seller and some dealers a pushrod bike with air cooling is much less post sale troublesome than a water cooled, hidden engined scooter.

Still prefer my 250cc Honda Elite over the 250cc Rebel with its engine heat baking my legs in traffic and its need for a higher cog in the trans for highway riding to calm the "buzz" in the frame and handle bars from high engine RPM's. Been on several "iron butt" rides with the Elite and its much more comfortable, quieter and a pleasure to someone with autism to ride over the MC. Mike the Aspie

Keeping in mind that the only contact with the frame a 250 Elite engine has is a rubber bushing it will not buzz as bad as the solidly mounted Rebel engine. I have a CF Moto Helix clone and you're right, it is smoother than my Rebel. BUT. The Rebel is so much faster, accelerates harder in a roll on from 60 mph and feels better planted at highway speed.

In comparison you can feel engine heat on a hot day but I've felt worse. My 750 Kawasaki with two more cylinders and 500cc more engine is a leg cooker.

I've ridden a Rebel with one more tooth on the countershaft and it is revving less at 65 mph but it was severely limited in hill climbing ability in comparison to standard gearing. Oddly my 250 Nighthawk with the same engine feels faster, smoother and cooler running. Maybe because you sit higher.

Yes the Rebel did feel better "planted" on the highway, that much is true, but she turned my hands numb after even short rides on the highway. I went to a 500 CC Silverwing(when that was a MC and not a maxi scooter). Baby goldwing, smooth but it would cook your legs and roast me out on the highway. It has the full Interstate package with the factory Vetter flairing like a Goldwing. Was just to heavy of a bike for me, I could barely push myself back into the garage. I hope to get a vintage Vespa to "play" with but for depedability, will stick with a Honda for trips. Just need to replace the rear motor cradle bushings on the Elite, they are worn letting the rear wheel wander a bit. She only has 18K miles on her! New bushings, fresh shocks are all in the works.