Frequently Asked Motor Scooter Questions

• How do I justify to my spouse or parent the purchase of a motor scooter?     

The payback point at which the price of the scooter will have been matched in fuel savings comes remarkably soon with one of the more affordable scooters.  Our Motor scooter Return On Investment calculations given below will tell you how much you will save per mile, per month and how long it will take for your scooter to pay for itself.  

-After about 5000 miles it will have paid for itself

-There is a good argument that scooters are safer than motorcycles

-With the payback point being what it is, a scooter is one of the most justifiable investments any driver with significant local traveling to do can possibly make.

-Besides being a gas saver, it’s also so much fun!

 Here's how to explain it to your spouse, parents (or children):

Each mile in an SUV costs in gas PPG/MPG where PPG is the price per gallon and MPG is the mileage of your vehicle.  If the price per gallon is $3.00 and your vehicle gets 12 miles per gallon, 3/12 = a cost of $0.25 per mile.

Now calculate cost/mile for a scooter, guzzling gas by the teaspoon and getting 85 MPG (it has been calculated that both bianca and alfeo 150ccs get apx. 90mpg): 3/85 = about $0.035 – about three and a half cents a mile.

With these figures, it is simple to see that each mile on a scooter costs $0.215 less than it would in an SUV.

Thus, you can see your savings on your scooter's odometer.  When it reaches 5000 miles, you will have saved 5000 * $0.215 or $1075.00.  It is clear that, if you have gotten a great deal on a scooter that before your scooter registers 10,000 miles, it will have paid for the cost of the scooter and insurance, and be keeping significant savings in your pocket – even if your car gets a good deal better than 12 MPG.

•  Now I have the scooter, what else do I need?

There are a number of items for handling fog, fuel, flats, and other foibles of scootering; items which can make scooter driving and ownership safer and more pleasant.  You might be interested in taking a look below at our Essential Scooterist Kit in an attempt to provide these essentials all in one place.

Essential Scooterist Kit:

The collection of scooterist support equipment featured on this page is the result of extensive research and testing. Products are chosen specifically for their appropriateness for the scooterist, as well as function and price: helmets, insurance, fuel equipment, navigation, puncture prevention, roadside assistance, clothing, repair manual, and scooter enthusiast's reference, to mention a few. You may not need all of them, but it's far better to have them just in case, than to need them unexpectedly.  Items are being added as they prove themselves to be outstanding additions to the Essential Scooterist Kit. 

Know a scooterist? A well thought-out kit makes a great present!

Fueling:

Wilmar Deluxe Siphon Pump:
Price: $6.99

Fueling a scooter at a gas/petrol station can be kind of awkward.  Normal gasoline/petrol pumps pump too fast to fill a scooter tank easily without spillage.  In some cases, one must pump in brief spurts to avoid overflowing.  It is also uneconomical to buy five liters of petrol with a bank card as even a minimal surcharge will effectively raise the price by a substantial percentage.  If one also drives a car, it is much easier just to fill the scooter's tank from the car's tank, though in some cases it can be hard to position the siphon in tanks with anti-siphon features.

The Wilmar Deluxe Siphon Pump is just the right size to fit comfortably into a scooter storage compartment and will easily handle the volume of fuel needed for a scooter. Also, if you are out of gas, most motorists will happily share a liter with you if you have the equipment to get it.

1 Gallon Self Venting Fuel Container/ Gas Can
Price: $8.54

This fuel can is a real find for scooterists at a reasonable price.  Amazingly, it gives you space to carry one gallon of gasoline, "plus" 4 ounces for oil mix for your classic gas powered motor scooter.

Navigation:

The Rand McNally GPS Navigator is simple enough for everyone to use, and this exclusive price is lower than you'll find anywhere else!

Finally, there is now a GPS for your new gas or electric scooter.  Not specifically designed for them but small enough and inexpensive enough to qualify.  At a size of 4.5" W x 3.2" H x 1.4" D and weighing only 7 oz. (less than 0.5 lb.), this unit can be mounted on the console in a number of ways.

Insurance:

Get Instant Insurance Quotes at 2Insure4less or See more insurance sources.

 Roadside Assistance:

Breakdowns on scooters can be a problem, particularly in view of the fact that roadside assistance for two-wheeled vehicles is not necessarily included in most club memberships and requires an extra fee.  Some roadside assistance programs do, however, cater to scooter and motorcycle drivers.  One service that does handle scooters, and, in fact, concentrates on smaller vehicles, is the GE Motor Club, whose prices are also very competitive.

From the GE Motor Club Manual: Whenever you, a secondary member of an associate member has a problem with any disabled car, motorcycle, or small truck or RV under one (1) ton capacity, help can be obtained through your Membership.

From the web application page: When you enroll online, you will be billed only $9.99 a month/$104 a year (save over $15 a year) for Premier membership $7.99 a month or $79 a year (save over $16 a year) for Standard membership; you may cancel at any time.  If you cancel and you are being billed monthly, you will no longer be billed; if you are being billed annually, you will receive a prorated refund of any membership fees you paid for the period remaining in your membership.

Please Note: The GE Motor Club is not available in CA, MD, and WI.

Another roadside assistance service this does seem to be available in all states is Partspro Direct.  At $85 for two years, it is fairly reasonable but their website is abysmally uninformative.

Helmets:

It is an unfortunate fact that the freedom of helmet-less wind-blown hair as one tours the countryside has vanished in compliance with current helmet regulations in most countries; Italy having been one notable exception until safety regulations of the European Union became universally applied.  One needn't however wear something that presents the image of a hog-rider or dirt-biker.  Subdued elegance is more suitable on a motor scooter, or perhaps something very personal and idiosyncratic.  Here is one simple suggestion:

Jafrum DOT Motorcycle Scooter Bike Helmet
Priced: from $28.95

Sizing Chart:

Use a cloth tape to measure the circumference of your head one inch above the eyebrows, or at whatever point gives the maximum dimension.  Some directions state: "If you find that your measurement falls between two sizes choose the smaller size," while others say "Choose the larger size”.  It's not clear which is best.  In ambiguous cases perhaps it is best to soak your head and measure again.

XS - 20 1/4 - 20 7/8" ( or 52-53 cms)
S - 21 - 21 5/8" ( or 54-55 cms)
M - 21 3/4 - 22 3/8" ( or 56-57 cms)
L - 22 1/2 - 23 1/8" ( or 58-59 cms)
XL - 23 1/4 - 24" ( or 60-61 cms)
XXL - 24 1/8 - 24 7/8" ( 62-63 cms) 

• What are some tips for the new scooterist?

  Things to do Before You Start:

If you are new to scootering, or even if you aren't, the You and Your Scooter found at http://www.msf-usa.org/manual  from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation is an excellent place to start.

Battery Charging

Make sure the battery is fully charged.  Most scooters use 12 volt batteries.  Having a charger handy is advisable.  Be sure to keep your motor scooter battery healthy!

The battery in a motor scooter is unlike the one in car.  It has relatively little capacity, is constantly drained by alarms and headlights, and does not charge as readily as a car battery does.

The Problem:

A motor scooter battery may lose significant charge if the scooter has not been run for a week or two, and it usually takes more than a short run to charge it.  One tends to see dead scooter batteries in winter when scooting is at a minimum.  Also, Chinese scooter batteries are clearly inferior, but domestic ones are not much better.  The always-on headlights, together with the on-by-default alarm systems on most scooters both contribute quickly to dead scooter batteries.

The Solution:

Keep your battery charge up, with a charger if necessary!  Of course, it is usually possible to kick start your machine, but, particularly if the plug gets wet, it can take a good bit of fast cranking to get it going again and the kick starter can't seem to do the job (kick starting can also be painful, depending on the design.  You have to ride them very consistently to keep the battery up, so a trickle charger is almost essential equipment for a scooterist who does not ride on a daily basis.

Watch Out, don't jump it!

If your scooter won't turn over with the electric starter, a jump-start is not necessarily advisable.  Even with the car engine off, a jump from a car battery can overpower the scooter electrical system, blowing fuses or worse (I've done it…The headlight fuse blew!).  Keeping a fully charged battery is a much better solution.

Starting the Scooter

Many online scooter customers have problems getting the scooter started for the first time.  This is due to a number of factors.  Firstly, although most scooters are started and tested before shipping, fuel is not put into the tank.  This is because a tank that has been used to hold fuel is not legally shippable.  They use an external temporary fuel container connected directly to the carburetor.  Secondly, there are a number of little things that must be done correctly before the scooter can be started.  Here is a checklist:

1.  Check the fuel line for connection problems and kinks.  Because this is the one part of the system that has not actually been tested before shipping, it is the most likely place for problems and many have difficulties.

2.  Fill the gas tank.  Gasoline must get through the system for the first time.  Apparently, a full tank helps a lot in this process.

3.  When starting, the key must be in the start position, the shut-off switch must not be in the shut-off position, and the left brake handle must be depressed.  Failure of a scooter to start is overwhelmingly due to one of these three things not being done.

4.  If necessary, it is usually possible to use the kick starter.

If your scooter still doesn't start after doing all of the above, check them all again.  Then check for presence of spark and fuel or resort to support from the dealer or local mechanic.

The Oil Change

The manual admonishes one with: "Please replace the oil and keep the usage too long" which probably means that frequent oil changes will improve the longevity of the engine and is not likely to be a suggestion that one run as long as possible between oil changes -- however much it might sound that way.

Your modern inexpensive scooter will be ready to drive if you go to a dealer, or, if shipped, may arrive assembled, or require some assembly.  The assembly process takes a couple hours and at least two people.

Change the oil right away.  The oil generally supplied with new scooters is often of low quality. On a scooter or motorcycle, your proximity with, and direct feel for, the state of the motor are far more poignant than they are in a car -- you can tell when it is running well or badly just by feel.  Treat yourself and your vehicle by immediately replacing the oil with a high quality synthetic brand -- Synthetic 10/40 is good, but always use weight recommended by the manufacturer.  Also, use high quality gas -- not just premium, but gas of a better brand.  Shell or Chevron are best.  BP has been fine in the past, but after its merger with ARCO (which is not) who knows?  The slight difference in price is so insignificant when the tank holds only 1 1/2 gallons, and the performance differential is dramatic.

Change the oil frequently.  Most motor scooters official instructions state: first oil change should be done after 300 Km and then every 1000 Km thereafter.  Note: these are kilometers.  Most American drivers are not used to changing oil every 625 miles but these are small engines and they run hot.  It is worth the extra bother and expense. 

The oil changing process is just a bit tricky. The drain plug underneath when unscrewed will release the stream of oil -- together with a spring and a filter screen that extends down into the helical spring from the top.  Don't lose them, and put them back as they were.

The oil fill is on the right side of the engine and is not really accessible to be poured into without a funnel.  It takes less than a quart -- measure with the dipstick periodically while when filling.

Tire Maintenance

Only vary few top-of-the-line brands of scooter carry a spare tire and many tire stores will not touch scooter tires.

One quick and obvious solution to flats is the "Slime" flat deterrent.  “Slime” has a long-standing reputation for being able to seal punctures up to 1/4 inch in diameter automatically and prophylactically.  Note: Slime will not prevent nor repair side-wall tire damage.  Scooter tires are not likely to last much more than 10,000 Km, so be prepared to replace them regularly.

Visibility and Safety

Treat your face shield and eyewear with water repellent (on the outside) and anti-fog (on the inside).  Visibility is critical and easily impaired when there are no wipers, no defroster, and you are breathing directly on the surface that is being cooled by outside air and possibly precipitation.  There are some excellent products available that will keep your face shield/goggles/glasses clear and we have found the best deals on the best products.  

Local Regulations

Be sure to check local regulations to determine what scooters are legal in your state (they differ greatly), what kind of license you are required to have, and what the insurance requirements are.  See both government requirements and individual State Laws.  

• Which is preferable, the two-stroke, or four-stroke engine?

The two-stroke engine was the standard for classic, manual transmission, European scooters.  It is, mostly for nostalgic reasons, still the favorite of devoted classic scooter enthusiasts.  However, the four-stroke engine with its superior emissions control and longevity has won out in most modern scooters.

• What distinguishes a motor scooter from a motorcycle?

If it can be mounted and ridden in a tight skirt without discomfort and without compromising one's modesty, it is a scooter.  The scooter has a step-through design that permits mounting without swinging one's leg over.

• Has anyone driven coast-to-coast on a 50cc scooter in the US?

 Yes -- with many side trips and excursions during summer 2004, his name is Laird VanDyck.

• What are the advantages of a motor scooter over a motorcycle?

There are many advantages of motor scooters, not the least of which is the motor scooter image.  The modern, inexpensive motor scooters with their step-less transmissions are very affordable and extremely easy to drive.

• How do I store two helmets on a scooter?
  

The scooter has many storage options not available on motorcycles.  All scooters have storage under the seat, and most motor scooters are compatible with trunks.

• Is it true that a scooter is recommended as the ideal natural disaster evacuation vehicle?

 Recent events have demonstrated that mass evacuations using the existing road systems are doomed to failure.  Many of those who attempt to evacuate a major metropolitan area find themselves riding out the disaster in their vehicles rather than in their homes as major arteries become jammed parking lots. The bicycle, moped, scooter, motorcycle evacuation options are probably the only ones that would work.  The bicycle would be a good choice only if the driver is alone, uninjured, in excellent shape, and if food and water are in good supply. The moped is most versatile and does not rely entirely on a fuel supply.  Fuel, however, is not likely to be a significant problem when highways are clogged with abandoned vehicles, if one carries a siphon pump.  Meltdown, dirty bomb, chemical or biological attack, natural disaster -- or simply the rumor of same -- all are likely to end up with impassable roads stopped up with abandoned vehicles.

• What is a Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT)?
  

The step-less automatic transmission used on most modern scooters requires no attention at all from the driver, and no manual shifting is involved.