So here I am…posting again…work is so slow, but I am thinking about things…I spend so much money in my truck driving back and forth between work and other places…(I work two jobs on opposite ends of town (east and west), live about a mile out of town to the north, and go to school at the southern tip of the corp limit…) Especially in my truck…I drive a 95 F150 and need it for hauling things, but a care would be nice to drive around town. The only problem is, cars are expensive and maybe there is a better way, so I thought about mopeds…
My girlfriend has a Nissan Altima (95) that is wonderful on gas and we use to travel out of town, unless there would be a reason to need the truck. Mostly, I ride my bicycle to the college and one job, but it would be geographically difficult (read: too far uphill at once) to get to the other and is sometimes more trouble than it is worth.
I am spending a bit looking on ebay at different kinds of scooters…one claims about 90mpg (it’s bike-like with just a small motor, no pedals)
Hopefully, someone will give me the information they have…haha…because everyone here seems incredibly intelligent.
How practical could this idea be? How much gas would I really use? any less (seems obvious but…)?
After a small handful of DUI’s I bought a Moped. $450 IIRC. It looked just like a mini motorcycle with the top tank.
Keeping in mind that I was 20 at the time, it was kind of fun. I used it to get to/from work (which was a fair distance away) and for all my bee-boppin around. I think my top speed was about 30-35 mph.
But, all was tossed out the window when I got another DUI on the damn moped. Gosh that’s embarrassing. Oh well.
Served the purpose (BAD in the rain!) pretty well and was great on gas.
Cops tended to take a strange stance on these with adults riding them. One said rather harshly that I couldn’t use the bike lane, another said sure, use the bike lane if it’s safer.
The gas mileage claims are probably based on ideal conditions, such as a 70-pound driver, a steady speed, no stops, and maybe a tail wind. Stop & go driving across town, up that hill is going to cut down on it. However, it will still be a lot better than your pickup truck.
I’ve heard insurance for a buzzbike is cheap because you won’t make a very big dent in anything.
How fast do you want to go? Many mopeds top out at 35 mph or less.
Then there’s the image matter. An adult on a moped makes a lot of folks think “no license.” After that, they think “DUI or dirt poor.” If that doesn’t matter to you, it doesn’t matter.
One more thing. Make sure it’s street legal. Lots of shops sell “pocket rockets” that look like either tiny race bikes or shrunken choppers. They are cute toys, but you can’t legally drive them on the street.
Many moons ago I used to commute in Chicago with a '61 Vespa 150 (mine was red w/windshield + radio). It got great MPG, got through any traffic jam, was easy to park and all in all the perfect city vehicle, as long as it’s not raining. I think I bought it for $900, but the fun alone was worth more.
45 mph was practical top speed, above that, it felt a little unsafe.
This is 150 cc, a light motorbike, so depending on your location, insurance, tax, registration and how you can use it will differ. Do your homework.
Also, don’t be afraid to buy a vintage Vespa or Lambretta. Before they started making their scooters in plastic, they were almost indestructible.
Also, being a big guy myself, I can tell you it never felt stupid riding around on the thing. On the contrary, a lot of girl asked me to take them on a ride, because it was “so cute”.
I rode a Yamaha 180cc scooter in college. I think my mom paid about $800 for it. Great ride and lots of fun. It did up to about 60, so I could take it on the highway and everything. Room for 2 riders, and I often strapped my art portfolio to the side, balanced on the second footpeg, with my purse and toolbox in the milkcrate on the back. Because of the size and speed I had to get a motorcycle endorsement, but it was well worth the trouble. It got about 70 mpg as I recall. Took regular unleaded gas.
Unfortunately it developed starting problems, which I now know is a documented, well-known problem. I’ve printed out what advice I found online and ordered the factory service manual, and Mr. S hopes to get his brother the mechanic to help him get it running.
In the meantime we bought two 1978 German-made mopeds (a Sachs and a Puch) last fall. The Puch is still in the shop, but we have the Sachs up and running. Whee! Tops out at about 35 mph, and one drawback is that they both require oil added to the gas, so no gassing up on the fly unless you have the oil with you. Haven’t ridden it enough for a mileage check, but the seller claimed 90 mpg.
It’s too far to Mr S’s job for him to use one for commuting, and I work at home, but I’d like to use them for trips to town (about 5 miles) and little errands. Plus when we have both running we’ll probably go riding just for fun.
As for the Yamaha, if we get it running we might have to buy another of comparable size/speed for riding together, as Mr S sold his Honda 250 last fall.
I have a 64 Vespa GL. It’s the best thing for riding around town. Parking? No problem! Gas mileage? I have a P-200(cc) motor in mine and still get anywhere from 50-65 miles per gallon.
Not sure where you are from, but a Stella from Genuine scooters might be right up your alley. They are new so everything works, and they are a pre mix engine, so you don’t have to mix the oil and gas each time you gas up. They can be sold in Calilfornia, but that is the only state I’m sure of.
My wife has a stella and gets between 70 and 80 mpg out of the 150 engine.
I don’t know mopeds but I know a bit about motorcycles. Here’s how I’d break it down.
Pros:
-Gas mileage (although if you’re only getting 50MPG, that’s doable in a car.)
-Cheaper insurance
-Cheaper taxes
-Probably cheaper to maintain
Cons:
-You’re often invisible to traffic. Always assume other people don’t see you.
-2 wheels less safe than 4
-Less cargo capacity
-Bad in the rain, cold weather
-A bit more hassle to run errands in, have to take helmet on and off, etc.
Overall if you think you’d like being out in the elements, I’d say go for it. Definitely cheaper to run than a car.
I love my scooter. It’s a Qingqi with a 50 cc two-stroke engine. Gets me between 60 and 75 MPG, and tops out at around 35 MPH. As far as whether your state requires a license or not, you can check it out here. Unfortunately, most states now require some sort of license, either a motorcycle license or a specific moped license. Virginia, where I live, is one of the few states left with no licensing or insurance requirements other than to carry a valid state-issued ID.
I ride a 1000cc sportbike, and have ridden proper motorcycles since I was ten. (Started on minibikes when I was five.) But if I lived in a crowded city, and not too far from work I’d consider a scooter. To address control-z’s points:
[ul][li]Gas mileage: My R1 gets almost 40 mpg. My 600cc XJ-600 gets 50 mpg. So IMO a 600cc motorcycle is better (mileage vs. utility) than a scooter.[/li][li]Cheaper insurance and taxes. I agree.[/li][li]Cheaper to maintain than a car. Hm… Modern cars require very little maintenance. Motorcycles require more maintenance. Not sure about scooters. Depending on where you live, shop charges can be around $60 or $70 per hour.[/li][li]Often invisible to traffic. This is true for motorcycles, and doubly so with scooters.[/li][li]2-wheel vs. 4-wheel safety. Can be true. But IMO you have more options on a single-track vehicle. For example, you can go between cars to keep from being hit from behind if you’re paying attention. (I’ve done this.)[/li][li]Less cargo capacity. True, but how much to you normally need? I can get a week’s worth of groceries into my daypack, and you can attach bulky items with bungees.[/li][li]Bad in rain/cold. Yup. 'Nuff said.[/li][li]Hassle. Yes and no. I’ve found my helmet makes a nice little shopping basket, as does my daypack. On a motorcycle it’s recommended to wear leathers. Not really an issue while you’re running the errand, but it can be a pain to get suited up and taking them off when you get home. I rarely see anyone wearing full-on protective clothing on a scooter. If you don’t, you’re taking a risk. But at slow scooter speeds you’ll probably be all right with just a helmet and a protective (leather or synthetic) jacket. I used to wear full leathers, and they saved me once. I don’t now, since I’ve gained some weight and they don’t fit. Every time I ride I’m very aware that I lack proper protection, and I adjust my riding style to reduce the risk as much as I can. The hassle more or less depends upon how much risk you’re willing to take.[/ul][/li]
[nitpick]
‘Pre-mix’, as I’ve heard it used, means that you do have to mix the oil and gas. But I know what you meant. My first motorcycle of my very own was a Yamaha 100 Enduro that had ‘oil injection’. That is, it had an oil tank and the oil was mixed with the gas automatically before going to the engine. The bike I learned to ride on – dad’s old '64 Yamaha 80 – used pre-mix. That is, it had no oil tank or mixing mechanism. We had to mix the oil and gas in a five gallon can and fuel it that way.
D’oh! That is exactly what I meant. The Genuine Stella’s are oil injected. My scoot is a pre mix.
I will agree on the maintenance issue. Scooters, especially vintage ones need almost constant maintenance. If your not comfortable tinkering with engines, carbs, electronics or wheels and tires, maybe you should look into a newer motorcycle. On the other hand, you will learn more about the two stroke engine than you ever thought possible!
You had a five gallon can? Why when I learned to ride on Honda MR-50 I had to mix the fuel and oil in my mouth and slowly dribble it into the carbureator while I was riding! That was a great bike…
Well, to attempt to add for more conversation about something I am enjoying the idea of more and more…I live in Ohio, so I’m gonna check out the laws tonight (I just got to work…darn night shift…) also, everywhere except this job (ie, other job, grocery store, school, guitar shop, just out running) I already take a bicycle, so not only am I invisible, I’m 400000000 times slower and more annoying than anything, at least that is how motorist act here. I live in a town where two 4-lane highways cross to make downtown (it’s not very big…a college town really) so people are often just on their way to columbus or something and are annoyed by anything in the town…
I am looking forward to the vote to make a bypass around our little town…hopefully it will pass and get rid of some of this outside commuter traffic…
but anyways…The bicycling also has gotten me used to carrying a backpack instead of leaving things in my car…at any time, it has everything I need…(two bottles of water everyday, mp3 player always full of great tunes, school books, a little “el casho” and my medication…yes I leave it in there so I always remember it, it’s a routine thing)
I’m not to worried about what people think of me riding it. I mean, I already shop at goodwill, so I don’t worry much about the way I dress (not that I shop there to be trendy, but because it’s inexpensive and I can find warm clothes)…Its not like I’m going to be going out to pick up chicks on this moped or anything…but I am looking for functionality more than anything…
35-40 is a great top speed, as I don’t get much faster than that in the truck anyways…but the 70 pound driver comment worries me…j/k…but I am 5’11"…and almost 200 lbs…
on a different note, I did look at a few scooters on ebay…particularly enjoying the thought of an older vespa that I found…maybe I’ll look into Lambretta tonight…
I also looked at a few made by suzuki…I enjoy suzuki…I used to own a sidekick…which I loved, and would have drove forever until I accidentally took a wrong turn, and trying to miss a deer, hit a ditch and bent the frame…the repairs would have cost more than the car was worth…so I sold it to some kid for 500 and started looking for a truck…
I also enjoy that the vespa I looked at comes in flat powderish blue…like the classic car color…because it’s a great color…haha
I’ve got a Kymco People 50cc. It’s a 2-stroke that gets ~90mpg and goes ~55mph. You can park it at public bike racks and only need a regular drivers license. I love it.
I cannot confirm but have heard through the rumor mill that if whatever you get cannot go faster than 19mph you don’t need a license.
Having a license is not an issue…I have my regular driver’s license, it would be getting the motorcycle endorsement that I wish to avoid…too much trouble and cost
From my experience with a series of mid-late 80’s Suzuki FZ-50s, there’ not bad little bikes. No matter what you buy though FOR GODS SAKE LOCK IT UP!!!
I had a bicycle stolen last year (on campus nonetheless) and say Hah! to all you bicycle thiefs…as I currently ride mine, and use two combo locks and a keyed lock…yes, it takes a lot of work, but it’s worth it to know it’ll always, always be there…and also since I live a few miles from campus, it is too much to walk without a bike…so I figure I’d be safer than sorrier…but I imagine I’d do the same, at least, with a moped/scooter…
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