Need some guidance, buying first scooter

[civicegguy]

Hey guys/girls, I'm currently in the market for a scooter. I've been looking and researching for weeks now. I just can't find much information to what's good and what's bad.

Here's a little info about what I'm looking for in a scooter.
49cc two stroke, not name brand like honda, yamaha, etc.
Something that can be modified with plenty of available parts boring kits, exhausts, trans, etc.

I'm not into vespas and that sort of styling or the bicycle looking mopeds.

I'm hoping to be pointed in the right direction, and look forward to being an active member on the site. I'm sorry if this is wrong section for my topic.

[90GTVert]

civicegguy.

Sounds like you want a minarelli / jog clone (1E40QMB) powered scooter. They are the most common two stroke Chinese scooter engines. Lots and lots of parts out there for 'em. Most of us here with two strokes are using that engine platform or it's big brother the 90cc minarelli. Can't buy 'em in the US with the 90cc unless you get lucky and find one used or something, but they aren't common.

E-Ton, Keeway, Vento, CPI, Benelli, and others make scoots you'd probably be interested in. If you are comfortable doing maintenance and mods yourself, you can pick one up wherever you can find a deal. If you'll be wanting someone else to do that stuff, look for a local dealer so you might have better support.

As far as what's good and what's bad, if you're looking at Chinese scoots they are usually fairly similar. Don't expect high quality body work or premium grade tires or hoses on pretty much any of them. That's not to say they're junk, but they aren't on the level of the Yamaha, Honda, and Kymco scoots, but you can't expect that they would be for the price difference in some of them.

[reveeen]

On the other hand this "old guy" (with 22,000 miles on a Zuma) *thinks* you gets what you pay for..... buy yourself a used 2 stroke Zuma.

[90GTVert]

That's also a good idea. Same engine platform. Parts/maintenace support at your local Yamaha dealer.

[reveeen]

And, at the very worst, you will get a Zuma the seat has gotten slammed into the handlebar cover, and you will have to give your Yamaha dealer a whopping $30 for it.

The Yamaha plastics are about 200% better/stronger than any Chinese scooter.

I have both, a Yamaha, and generic scooter #3, in the long run you are better off with the Yamaha.

[49ccsofdestruction]

i have no complaints with my T N G LS 49...

[jmkjr72]

yeah im a big yamaha fan with over 15,000 on the clock of my 08 zuma

but after i get it all going again the only thing yamaha about it will be the frame plastics and forks

but i also have ashiftey 2 stroke and several 2 stroke peds

my second choice for an hm scoot would be a genuine rough house

tgb and hyosung run morini engines

[tango]

The plastics on my 2003 Yamaha Axis (90cc Minarelli 2 stroke, built in Taiwan) are garbage. They positively HATE to be removed for any reason and I usually see a piece of plastic fall to the floor whenever I take the dashboard off (to put the indicator buzzer back on its clip, or change a headlamp bulb, etc). I've taken to using zip ties wherever a screw can no longer fit. <sigh>. That said, forgive me if I'm not as enthusiastic about Yamaha. You do get what you pay for though. My neighbour had THREE 150cc Chinese scooters that were all garbage. Cosmetically and mechanically. After 4 years they have been through 3 of them and now none of them work. She finally bought another 150 the other day that is showing some promise.

But I digress. If you want a machine that has lots of parts you can't go wrong with a Minarelli-based engine. They are the defacto standard in 2 stroke scooters. Mine has been pretty bulletproof, though I have some carb issues...which reminds me...I need to go look for some parts while I'm in the US.

[civicegguy]

Mislead the title a bit, meant first new scooter. Owned a used sunl 49cc and used 149cc sunl that both took abuse but held up well for the year I owned them, that was 4 years ago.

Thanks for the suggestions, much thanks. I havn't heard much of the scooters you've all suggested but will be looking now. I've looked at taotao, hyosung and sunl scooters.

[jmkjr72]

if you want a brand new 2 stroke then your very limited
becuase of smog many of the big names ahve stoped bringing in 2 strokes and im sure we will see it happen on the clone market too

hyosungs are good but they run the morini engine so perfromance parts are not as common as the hm engine

have you looked at genuine the rough house and buddy are both hm 2 strokes
kymco might still have a 2 srtoke or 2 in there line up