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Post by scoot19 on Feb 21, 2020 18:20:24 GMT -5
Are Honda Metropolitan scooters worth the difference in price compared to these Chinese cheaper scooters?
I can get A 2018 with "0" miles on it from a Honda Dealer for 3000- out the door with a luggage trunk I would need. BUT 3000 <
I have a hard time with that. IS the difference in quality really worth the $2,000
difference in price?
I know there are some nice differences like fuel injection & having a liquid cooled engine But the cost difference?
Is a liquid cooled engine a benefit? or detriment?
IF it is worth it we can do it. BUT I can get 3 scooters for the price of just 1 Honda.
The name "Honda" seems to equate to quality, is it really worth it??
your thoughts?
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Post by jmkjr72 on Feb 21, 2020 19:47:44 GMT -5
Being of is well worth the extra money. Efi is worth extra also. Heck I went as far as to convert my air cold Yamaha2 stroke to liquid cooled and added efi. The Honda will have far less issues then a China scoot shipped to you in a box. I’ve got an 85 Honda 150 of scooter thta has 65000 miles on it without a rebuild
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Post by 90GTVert on Feb 21, 2020 20:39:59 GMT -5
Value is sort of subjective. I would trust a new Honda a whole lot more than a new Chinese scooter. It should be capable of long stretches with nothing more than routine maintenance. That is what's expected of a Honda/Yamaha/Piaggio and so on. It's a bit of luck if a Chinese scooter goes a long time without issues.
If I were going to use a scoot for commuting to work or as my only vehicle, then I would absolutely think the Honda is worth it because I would expect that it starts up and runs well for me for a long time. With a Chinese scooter; maybe I'm late for work or have to find another ride on occasion. Not to say they're the junk that some make them out as, but they aren't something that I'd want my job to depend on.
If I were going to ride occasionally and/or had another vehicle, then the Chinese scooter starts to seem like more of a value in my eyes. It also depends if you work on it or if you have a trustworthy dealer/mechanic and things like that.
Speaking of mechanics; you may want to investigate the costs of maintenance on the Honda. I have never owned one or had one serviced, but I do know that Honda shops around here were charging $80-$100 per hour for labor the last time I checked. They may have more reasonable set rates for oil changes and routine maintenance, but I had some customers with top brand scoots that used to come to me because the difference in my prices vs the dealers were huge.
EFI and LC are good things when it's a good brand. If it were Chinese, I'd be a bit leery. They help to improve reliability, fuel economy and more. They can also increase what it costs for service, simply because they are more complex than old school carburetors and air cooling.
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Post by scoot19 on Feb 21, 2020 20:56:03 GMT -5
I am retired and use the scooter purely for entertainment. I drive about 500 - 700 miles a year. We have friends that we scoot around with and go downtown, around the large lake and occasional lunch and picnics. It will be garaged and well cared for.
Knowing that we ride so little & don't like breaking down, perhaps the Honda would be a good pick, BUT not riding daily like going to work or taking long trips, perhaps a good GY6 (cheap) $1,000 scooter may be a smarter choice?
I don't want to sacrifice reliability for cost & I do not want to go on the cheap and be disappointed to find my scooter in the shop because we cut corners and went "generic"
I also realize I can buy 3 scooters for the cost of just 1 Honda. I also do not like these big Honda dealers charging """""""""""fees""""""""""""""" and adding them to the cost.
I looked for a new low mileage preowned but none are out there.
$3,000 tax and title work all fees delivered for a 2018 with "0" miles didn't seem too bad.
It is STILL $2,000 more than a cheapie new Chinese GY6
maybe take a chance? save 2 grand? or just go for it, get a quality Honda metropolitan?
We are still debating.
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Post by pinkscoot on Feb 21, 2020 21:42:20 GMT -5
Having never owned a Met I can only speak to the one I have ridden. They are nice handling scooters compared to a Chinese scooter. I can speak to Piaggio scooters vs Chinese scooters. The Piaggion scooters are much better built and quite solid. You will probably own 3 Cinese scooters in the time you would own one Piaggio with far less down time. Its your choice but you will probably be happier with a Japanese or Italian scooter.
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Post by Zino on Feb 21, 2020 22:03:11 GMT -5
In the winter season if you watch facebook /craigslist you can come across honda mets or yamah vinos for about 1000 -1500 with low miles in the great white north.
Patience will reward you .
I have drove 4 hours one way to buy a pair of low mileage scoots .
Kymco,Genuine are scooter brands that have dealers and are very reliable also .
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Post by geoffh on Feb 22, 2020 10:58:06 GMT -5
1k scoots are "entry level" just get the Honda enjoy it,learn how to look after it,and you can leave it to charity,or the kids.1k scoots? You have to pay to have them removed.
Geoff
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Post by lilpinny on Feb 22, 2020 15:41:10 GMT -5
As a previous stock ruck owner, I can tell you that those scooters are just like their cars and lawnmowers: They always start and can run forever. They have some killer engineering in them...
But... As soon as you start monkeying with them (the engine, the exhaust) they become less stable. If you keep it stock, it'll always work. To me that's worth something.
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Post by scoot19 on Feb 22, 2020 16:10:59 GMT -5
I wish that Honda made a more modern looking 49cc scooter. I am not a real fan of the retro look. It is ok, I don't like the rukus as it looks more like a dirt bike. I like the modern look of my JiaJue gator 50. I wonder why Honda does not make a more modern looking 49 cc?
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Post by lilpinny on Feb 22, 2020 17:14:44 GMT -5
I wish that Honda made a more modern looking 49cc scooter. I am not a real fan of the retro look. It is ok, I don't like the rukus as it looks more like a dirt bike. I like the modern look of my JiaJue gator 50. I wonder why Honda does not make a more modern looking 49 cc? I dunno. The met is a met for sure. I don't think it looks like a retro Vespa or anything, just like a met. Maybe that's just me. Think of a Ruckus like a blank canvas. No one keeps a ruck stock. You can do all sorts of stuff to it, so they keep it that way. Heck, it still has a carburator. I should add that I think Chinese scoots don't look modern, rather I think style is not their stong point... Putting it lightly. |
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Post by christopher on Feb 22, 2020 17:30:31 GMT -5
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Post by scoot19 on Feb 22, 2020 18:03:53 GMT -5
I am in the Lakeland Florida Area. I have a Chinese one it's my avatar pic. I am looking to upgrade. We only pleasure ride. We usually ride about 60 miles a month. I may keep what I have & do some maintenance and keep it. I really wanted one with efi. Carbeurators can be finicky. Aside from a few maintenance items, The JiaJue Gator 50 has not caused issues. It just turned 1000 miles. So it will go in the shop for a few things unless we decide to upgrade. They do make a newer version of my Jiajue it has 12-inch tires which I like and has the look of a modern scooter. I just don't like carburettors . I do though think this newer version of the JiaJue looks nice. I just question the reliability. This one we have now has been really trouble-free. So I am not sure yet what we will do. The new version of the Gator scooter pictured below at a cost of 450 IF I trade mine in. OR 1100 total IF I dont want to trade.  |
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Post by bluegoatwoods on Feb 24, 2020 13:53:52 GMT -5
I'll praise both the Metropolitan and the Chinese scooters. But I don't need to be too wordy about that since our administrator......90GTVert........said pretty much anything I might say a few answers back. So did others.
We have bot a Met and a few Chinese scooters. The Met is actually my wife's bike. But I've ridden it and worked on it quite a bit. It's a great machine. It has Quality. But I do think the price is a bit high.
I also have two Honda dealers within a reasonable distance. I've found that neither are very interested in really working on them. I tried the second one just before Christmas. I took two scoots........the other one being a Kymco......into there and asked for a pretty thorough 'evaluation' and maintenance. I said things like, "Imagine you were fixing up an old scooter for your teenage daughter. That's how thorough I want you to be". And, "I understand I'm not going to get out of this for the price of an oil change". The guy even acknowledged that last one. Nodding his head up and down.
Yet they still did a slap-dash job. I'm done with those guys. I'll only go back when I absolutely must. Or I'll give up on the bike.
The Honda is a beautiful machine. But I'd vote "Thumbs Down" on actually buying one.
From the sound of your riding style, I'd say you probably don't want a cheap Chinese scooter either. Though I love them, they need a master who's willing to work on them. You can count on component failures.
Maybe you ought to consider a Genuine Buddy or the equivalent Lance, Kymco and so on. They have a reputation that's just about as strong as Honda or Yamaha. And I think the Buddy lists at about $1600. I don't think it'll be far from that.
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Post by fugaziiv on Feb 24, 2020 14:10:35 GMT -5
Here's my .02
If you don't plan on modding, if you're just riding and you want your bike to just work, if and 30-35mph is fast enough for you, if you can afford it... then buy the Met with no reservations.
If you need or want more of a bargain bike there are options, however Mets are brainlessly good bikes overall to just ride and to me that sounds like the end goal here regardless of cost.
Matt
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Post by scoot19 on Feb 24, 2020 14:52:41 GMT -5
The company I got my JiaJue Gator 50 said they would trade me for the newer GY6 version of the same scooter for 200. I think I may try it because it has 12-inch tires and is a bit bigger scooter. If it stinks and we don't like it we will sell it & go with a fuel-injected Buddy, Metro or Yamaha. We ride so little and purely for pleasure it is hard to get the thought of spending 3000 or so for a scooter. 200 and trade sounds much better. IF the new one is anything like the one we have now I would think it will be a decent scooter. 200 is a lot less than 3000. We are waiting to hear back as we said we would trade for 200. So, will see The scooter we will get is pictured below  |
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