scooter observation

What one sees isn't always there.

I have seen hundreds of mopeds, motor scooters and motorcycles on the road. They're having their fun; I imagine most of the riders send their vehicles to the shop for repairs.

Like you, I like to build my own rides. Mine might start as a kit, but it's the same thrill.

Keep doing what you're doing, deacon.

Just my two cents, but most of these people don't learn anything when owning a scooter. Not unless they're REALLY into it, or they're poor (you learn basic mechanical skills real quick that way). Building your bike is a learning experience. I wouldn't trade it for the world!
A guy who works across the street from me has a beautiful two-tone Honda Metropolitan. One day I saw him out there trying to start it. I squatted down while he cranked, but I didn't smell gas. I asked him how much fuel he had when parked. He said he didn't know. Didn't remember checking. I told him to start there, as it's a cheap fix. He grinned and said "No, a spark plug is cheaper than gas these days." I said "Not if your scooter still doesn't start." He had to agree there. I can't say for sure still, but I bet he just ran out of gas.

I know what you mean, Deacon. But envy can be a strong motivator. For example, I bought my wife a Yamaha Vino for our anniversary so she could ride with me when I take my MB out. It came standard with electric start, turn signals, fuel gauge, huge storage, water cooled engine, and bright lights. Pretty fancy for a 50cc scoot. For the first year all I saw was her tail light as she darted away and jumped to 40MPH. I got tired of playing catch up so I yanked my Huasheng and rag joint off and installed a Homelite and Nexus 3-speed hub. Guess what? The envy is gone and now the Vino is often in my mirrors!!! Like most folks on this forum, I enjoy the challenge of the build as much as the thrill of the ride. But there are a lot of people, like your neighbor, who want bullet proof reliability and creature comforts without any hassles, and they are happy with a cooky-cutter ride. The Japanese metric scoots are perfect for them, my boot-scootin' wife included.

2door said:

The only thing about those little scooters I envy is how darn quiet they are. If I could get my bikes to sound like that I'd be thrilled.
Tom

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Methinks it's the muffler.

I ride with a buddy who has a Yamaha Zuma scooter. It's a pretty nice ride, with the CVT it will run circles around any single speed MB. His is the 50cc model which he bought used and clean for $1200, about what goes into a good MB I figure. For a 50cc 2 stroke, the thing sure is quiet, it's got a whisper exhaust note. I've been looking it over and short of taking a cut off wheel and opening up the muffler heh, best I can figure is: the muffler is welded steel, big and heavy, probably weighs 8-10 lbs and has the looks like a straight expansion pipe. Having the resources of a big manufacturing facility behind them must be nice to build it quiet but also tuned to not be overly restrictive for performance.
Of course it also has an airbox built into the scooter cowling so the intake is quiet also.

Only real downside on them for me is weight, and like I tell my bud, if it breaks down you ain't pedaling home, lol.

I have a Burgman 650.

639 cc DOHC 2 cylinder fuel injected continuously variable transmission centrifigal clutch step through frame scooter.

Yeah, no foot pedals. Nothing for the feets to do at all. Top speed 105.

It is not as loud as my happy time.

When I bought my house 11 years ago there was a dead scooter parked in the garage. I bought the contents of the garage with the house, inherited the scooter in the process. (with title and key) They guy that sold me the house said "I rode the **** out of it in college until the engine seized up on me". I tried to start it once, electric starter was no go, I tried the kick starter and it wouldn't even turn over kicking it, so it seemed like the motor was toast like the guy said.
I was curious so I pulled the spark plug to get a new one (still couldn't get her to turn ever by kicking with the plug out). On the way to get the plug some lady on a cell phone ran a stop sign and plowed me off the road head on into a tree! My car was totaled, never did see it again or the spark plug for the scooter that was on the front seat! Since the scooter motor seemed seized, spark plug missing and I was now battered up from a car accident that was all she wrote for the scooter.
10 years later I pick up the motorize bicycle hobby. Put my first motor on a mountain bike this summer and have about 800 miles on it so far. Cleaning the garage I unearth this scooter. Wipe it off a bit and notice its not a crappy scooter, its a HONDA. A classic 1987 Honda Elite 50! (50cc) Fiddling with it a bit I got the kick starter to come loose and got the motor to kick over once, then it jammed again. Hearing the compression stroke (with plug removed) encouraged me, sounded like the engine was working properly and not seized up like I had been led to believe.
I guess working this summer on the china girl 2-strokes and re-kindled my interest in this scooter. I figured why not pull it apart and see whats going on here, at very least I can steal a bunch of parts for my motorized bike projects. So I pull the crankcase, inspect/clean/lube the starting mechanisms, when I put it all back together what do you know, she kicks over nice and smooth! I got myself a new spark plug, air filter, drained the 11 year old fuel, cleaned out what looked like the stuff from a drain trap from inside the carb!!! Put her all back together and what do you know, I got her to fire! Talk about smoke, I thought the Pink Floyd laser show was about to start in my garage! LOL
Last night I got her together enough to take my first ride. Really nice! HONDA!!! Compared to my motorized mountain bike this thing is like riding a magic carpet. Talk about smooth, man is the ride smooth! It has way more pull than my MB since it has a trans and makes almost no noise. It sounds like I am riding a vacuum cleaner or something, it doesn't really sound like a motor running. Top end speed is about the same I guess, spedo goes to 35 but isn't working right now, rusted cable I guess.
I never thought about owning a scooter, but since this one dropped in my garage I might end up registering and plating it after all....

Good little there story on the Honda Elite, a bonus that was just waiting there for you, lol.

I ride a sv650 daily, although sportbikes are a blast I get bigger kicks out of riding the MB. I think it's cause it a bigger head turner than a monster truck on the road and there is something exciting about pushing a small motor harder than a bigger motor, and I've had my crotch rocket at the drag strip. Oh yea I've also owned a scooter, it was my first motor vehicle, y'all are right. I think people who own scooters don't get to wrench in them that much. It was a 150cc Honda helix clone, still miss it. Sold it to buy a 50inch Sony tv, I'm big into xbox.

i own 2 different piaggio's. a vespa ET-4 & a LT.
both have the exact same 150cc 4stroke "leader" engine.

i rather drive my vespa any day over my motorbike.
i have had many many girls ask to ride on the back of my vespa. half of the men are afraid to ride my motobike by themselves.

i have over 300k o my vespa & 100k on my LT.
i have had the vespa over 80mph & the LT 75mph.

scooters shouldn't have to be worked on as much as a motorbikes.
i just have to replace the rear tires & variator belt a lot.
i also have broken two variators & an exaust.

i can leave every harley & ricer @ a light for @ least the first 25 yards w/o having to rev the engine.
usually @ the next light the bike will pull up next to me & ask what mods have i done. truth is that it's stock.

i am on a scooter forum also but i don't post there much.
they tend to talk about problems that only pertain to people with money.
also i notice here people that start out as noobs. then after a while, they begin to help others.
on the scooter forum there are less giving back.
i also never saw any one mentioning having to save up for a part.
that is what hooked me here.
people like me. people that need to think about how much a part cost. people that are innovative & creative.

Acraze said:

I ride a sv650 daily, although sportbikes are a blast I get bigger kicks out of riding the MB. I think it's cause it a bigger head turner than a monster truck on the road and there is something exciting about pushing a small motor harder than a bigger motor, and I've had my crotch rocket at the drag strip. Oh yea I've also owned a scooter, it was my first motor vehicle, y'all are right. I think people who own scooters don't get to wrench in them that much. It was a 150cc Honda helix clone, still miss it. Sold it to buy a 50inch Sony tv, I'm big into xbox.

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Guess I'm not the average scooter owner, cause so far I've been all wrench/no ride! LOL. Got a good ride in today though, I noticed the same thing about how people look at you. On my MB everyone stops and stares, big smiles, and a good percentage of people are trying to wave me down and find out what the **** I got here and where they can get one! On the scooter it's a total different deal, nobody is interested or impressed in the least by the scooter...