Hi I'm about to get my first motor scooter and I'm very much in the dark, so I am appealing to knowledgeable OzBargainers.
I am principally concerned with getting good value or just tips on buying. Getting a 2nd hand one does appeal to me price wise but I don't feel I have enough entry knowledge to tell apart a good deal.
I'd estimate my budget at about $4000.
Any suggestions for a good deal? Thinking a 150cc
My GF has gotten a Torino Famosa but I'm hesitant to get a Chinese made vehicle.
They've changed - a big drop in quality since they started making them in China (I know a mechanic who services them for Aust Post). The clutchless gearboxes were always rough to use - big clunk.
"First Motor Scooter Suggestions"
as a motorcycle rider, just don't.
get a motorcycle instead.
.
Have you ever owned a scooter?
As a motorcycle rider, I cannnot agree. I love scooters. If you live close to work and using it mostly for urban commuting, nothing beats a scooter.
I have owned several scooters and looking at buying a new one soon.
friends have had them, dangerous as
.
*cough*rubbish*cough*
Based on what? Lemme’ guess, you don’t drive anything smaller than a Land Cruiser, because anything smaller is “dangerous as”
In tight, urban environments, scooters are a much more sensible and safer alternative. They handle very well and are quite quick off the line.
What do you ride? I’m guessing Harley or some big bore hyper sports bike.
friends have had them, dangerous as
@Nugs: The friends or the scooters?
If you're not doing any highway driving, get a Honda Grom. Looks cool and you'll have lots of fun with it.
https://motorcycles.honda.com.au/Naked/2018_GROM
More importantly, it doesn't look as girly!
I'm hesitant to get a Chinese made vehicle.
Then you’re shit out of luck. Most scooters are made in China, Thailand or Vietnam these days. Not many are made in Italy or Japan, and those that are certainly don’t fit in that price bracket new.
But that being said, it’s like the iPhone. Just because something is made in China, does not automatically make it bad. It’s all about standards and material expected from the brand that gets things made in China.
Stick with brands like Honda or Piaggio. Pretty hard to go wrong and you should be able to get a really good used one with low km’s at your budget.
If you wanted new, try Kymco or Sym scooters. They are pretty cheap, but are good quality for this price.
Good points all, thank you
SYM or Kymco are great. I've had a Sym vs150 for a few years and it was a great little zippy thing.
A friend of mine as a Kymco Espresso and it's also great
Also, DO NOT get Torino
Can you elaborate with Torino?
Torino is one of those brands when you make a reference to “Chinese made motorcycles”. They are “ok” but more towards the lower end of the market.
I've had few mechanics telling me to be very aware of Torino. Some of them don't even want to fix them because they keep falling apart
If you get 125 or less, the cost of registration is half (well, it is in Tasmania). My partner has a suzuki across 110. It cruises easily on 80km/h. It has a low seat height, and lots of storage space beneath the seat. It is made in Indonesia I think, but it is well made. I service it. I have several motorbikes and use a honda cb125e to ride with my partner - her bike eats it. We have universal type tyres fitted and have done many 4wd tracks - she is able to stand up in the attack position on the pillion pegs for off road. It's real weakness on lesser roads is ground clearance - not much at all. Some other advantages: 1. my partner was and is good on an mtb. With the scooter she was able to learn much quicker - brakes are set up the same, no clutch and no gears to worry about. This meant she could focus on traffic more. 2. She is very small. Because this scooter is a tru step through, it is easy to slide off the seat and stand up - both feet on the ground. 3. Very low centre of gravity. 4. very light; much lighter than my 125. 5. more power than equivalent motorbikes. Generally beat everything at the lights - being out front is safer than in amongst the cars. 6 storage. 7 if you ever travel to any asian country, scooters are cheap to hire. We rode around Thailand - including through Bangkok several times. We've also hired scooters on Flores (Indonesia), and in Bali. Although I don't take that lightly - I lead and she follows. My whole focus is avoiding trouble - when it happens, we're not there :)
It very much depends on what you want to use the scooter/motorcycle for. For small trips to the shops or small commute, a scooter will be fine. We have a Sachs Amici (125CC) scooter and its a joy to ride to the shops etc. We bought it second hand for $1500 at a dealer. If you want to do longer trips, or highway riding, get something more powerful (250CC or more) (e.g. Honda VTR250, but perhaps out of your budget). This can be scooter or motorcycle. If you want to do even longer trips, get something comfortable and (semi) powerful.
Also, it depends what size you are, perhaps a small scooter is not the best choice for you if you are tall. You also need to be able to reach the ground at the lights.
Also, don't spent too much money on the scooter/motorcycle until you know you like riding it and will keep doing it. However, don't skimp on protective gear like jacket, boots, helmet, and rain gear. And don't forget insurance. If you still like the riding after two years and have your full license, upgrade to something you really want.
Great advice, thank you
One other thing; if you're on rough roads try to get bigger wheels. Bigger wheels roll over obstacles a lot easier, are more comfortable for you, more stable at the high end of the speedo, cruise easier at speed. Another option with gears and clutch and an awesome bike to learn on, however slower than any of the scooters I suspect, is the Honda CB125e. I use it as an adventure tourer and take it places where I never see Adventure tour motorbikes (they're back on the road) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JuOq7sGNpE I bought the honda new, registered for $2000. Honda (as do all the manufacturers) often has a deal on these. You have to keep your eyes open.
Big thanks for the tips Pooh
postie bike. they seem to be the corolla or whatever of bikes. they wouldnt be in public service if they werent reliable, which also means there should be a flood of second hand ones around to pick from.
plus you get to look like a postman which is super cool and can also be used as a disguise to
creep aroundspy on things like james bond which is double coolseriously though i dont know much about bikes but these would basically be my default choice of first bike if theres nothing else i particularly liked. my bro had one and it was kinda lame but seemed pretty solid
if you can get them from auction or wherever auspost dumps them itd be around $1000. check pickles