My boyfriend doesn'r drive, and has a bit of a complex on autos. Also, gas and insurance are skyrocketing, and we are but humble college students. We live in KC, so I thought getting a scooter might be a cheap and fun way to get around town. He's still not 100% convinced... can anyone on here share their thoughts? fall and bust ur *** and u save gas they save on gas but they look gay and they dont go as fast as a car. Advantages:
*fast, easy to get around
*good transportation, cute
*price is good
*you control it & can move around on it
*all-around fun transportation
Disadvantages:
*small wheels (I once went over a walnut and fractured my arm)
*small platform-too close to the ground
*arent't too safe they are dangerous as far as I'm concerned, you still have to have a regular drivers license under 50cc, motorcycle if over, at least in CO. you can't use them on the normal streets becuase it's not licensed as a car or bike. you can't use it on the side walk becuase it's a motorized vehicle. only allowed on some campus grounds. hard to find allowed parking spots for them. can't lock down. and you look retarded riding one. not stable. not worth it. get a bike. Scooters come in many sizes from small 50cc to motorcycle-like 250cc. I'll restrict my answer to the 50cc variety since that's what I have and that's what I know.
Pros: fuel efficient (70-100mpg depending on conditions and loading)One of my favorite things to do is to go storming into work complaining about how "I had to spend almost FIVE WHOLE DOLLARS on gas this week!" I always get dirty looks but I just can't help myself.
versitile-I can park almost anywhere and can carry a surprising amount of stuff on it. My record so far is 13 bags of groceries, a small charcoal grill, and a medium bag of charcoal.
regulations- where I'm from I don't need a motorcycle endorsement, insurance, or license plate. Laws vary widely from state to state so check your local regs.
style-there are so many different designs that you can find one to suit your fancy. Retro to modern and everything in between.
inexpensive-I changed the rear tire after about 3500 miles and it cost me a whopping $18. I brought it to the dealer for it's first tune-up and they charged me $60-that included parts, supplies, labor, and the fact that I was a pain in the a**(I need it NOW!). I've done subsequent tune-ups myself and it *might* cost me $20 depending on what I'm replacing and what I'm just inspecting.
I could go on and on but moving right along....
Cons: weather-bad weather sucks no matter how good your rainsuit is.
carrying capacity-not suitable for moving furniture(as if you have to be told)
some drivers are a**holes- this is true no matter what vehicle you drive; my experience has been that if you ride courtiously other drivers will respond likewise.
performance- my top speed on level ground is 37 mph, uphill or headwind speed drops to 30mph, uphill WITH a headwind brings me down to 25.
not time efficient-I takes me 80-90 minutes to go 45 miles. It's a fun ride but damn is it long.....
security-people like to try and steal them-get a bike lock and lock it to something. I've ridden (owned) everything from 50cc moped (scooter) to 400cc starter bikes to 700cc sports bike to 500cc low rider / cruiser. Small 50cc scooters are fine for getting around town. It is great on gas (sometime like 70 MPG - yes I said seventy). The down side is that you can't ride it in bad weather (you'll be surprised how often the weather is bad when considering riding a scooter / motorcycle). I know because I live here in NYC.
When I live in Maui, it was a different story. I just got up in the mornng and got riding. Never have to check the weather or plan for the weather (afternoon weather).
Small scooter are not allowed on HWYs. They are too slow. Some of the newer scooters are bigger and faster and they are HWY legal. Motorcycles are legal on all public roads but they are heavier and harder to ride.
Another thing to consider is that scooters / motorcycles are more dangerous (by far). Motorcycle riders say that "it isn't a matter of IF, but WHEN will the rider get into accident." Ex: You have a panic stop. On a car you slam on the brakes and pray. Most of the time that good enough. On a motorcycle, if you slam on the brakes, you WILL lose control and spill out.
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One final point - some people think that scooters look goofy. But lately I've been noticing that here in NYC, I'm seeing more and more scooter riders. It's almost getting "city" chick. Advantage: cheap to operate.
Disadvantage: when you hit a stationary or moving object, you die. Advantages, you die quickly in an accident.
Disadvantages you are a hazard to other road users. | 