Propel Scooter review.

[stevec]

i decided after a lot of thought to post a review on propel scooters.
i have tried the Del-Ray and Malibu and i own a Daytona.

i have done work on Propel scooters and the only defects i have come up with is one bad carb and one bad rectifier in the few months i have had them here, there is a dealer near me that just started selling them so there are a few on the road now including mine.
one is a 2013 Del-Ray that goes everywhere, he is always on the thing and it never quits.

the Malibu looks just like an ATM-50 but does not ride like one.
has a 138QMB engine that is super quiet and smooth.
no vibration, good tires, rims aren't bent, and they are very quiet.
they cost a little more than the taotao but if you ride one you will see why.
top speed stock is around 35 to 40mph.
front disc and rear drum brakes.


the Del-Ray also a 50cc has a great look to it with a nice fit and finish.
has the long case 139QMB engine and 12 inch tires.
no vibration, super quiet engine and great handling.
front disc and rear drum brakes.
also a little pricey but you pay for the quality.


the Daytona is a 150cc with a 157QMJ engine, has a unique CVT cover design.
Timsun 13 inch low profile tires on aluminum alloy rims that are durable.
front disc and large rear drum brakes can stop on a dime even from high speed.
no vibration, superior handling, super quiet engine, great fit and finish.
looks just like the taotao evo 150 but sure doesn't ride like one.
they really move without doing any mods, very comfortable too.


the Catalina is a 150cc with the 150QMJ, has a nice retro look and nice colors.
it is the Cadillac of the Propel line, very durable, no vibration, very comfortable.
13 inch wheels that hold the road very well, super solid build quality.
front disc and large rear drum brakes that stop on a dime.


all propel scooters come with very comfortable seats, speedometers are MPH not KMH.
nice colors to choose from and they look sharp.
take any model for a test ride and you will love them.
6 month warranty on the scooter and 1 year on the engine.


i have a 2013 red Daytona 150cc that i have put a lot of miles on in a short time.
i go on 100 mile rides with it and always make it home.
i love the comfort and the fact that you don't get the typical vibration normally found on chinese scoters, tires hold the road well and the scooters handles the pot holes with ease.
where i live that is all there is, more pot holes than pavement.
it flies, when i say flies, i go 0-40 in seconds and it cruises at 50mph without effort.
i beat cars off the line and have had cars that had a hard time catching up because i got so far ahead so quickly.

i have some issues with the scooter, you can have issues even with the top of the line vespa.
one issue was a misfire and pinging which was resolved with a carb adjustment, a better spark plug and tightening everything down, took me a while to pin it down but with the help of the great people on this site i got it done.
the belt broke on one of my rides and i upgraded to a bando belt, problem solved.
the speedometer broke, it is not a fault of Propel it's just a defect from the factory.
i installed a new one and all is good.
i have a engine that is on the way out, like i said i have put a lot of miles on it in a short time and a lot of it WOT, i could have gotten a new one from the dealer but i waited too long and the warranty ran out.
it has piston slap at idle and a rattle which is hard to pinpoint, sounds like it could be the oil pump chain because it is coming from the center of the engine not the variator like i thought.
it still rattles when the variator is removed and the timing chain is tight with no wear on the guides.
i do not blame Propel like i originally did, it took a lot of thought to come to the conclusion it is just a defect and not a company wide issue, no more than buying a new mercedes with a defective transmission means all of their cars will have the same problem.

i will be buying a new 200cc engine from scrappy dog scooters when this one gives up the ghost.
even with the racket it makes it still performs very well.
i just hope the new engine is as smooth and quiet as this engine was before it started to go.
i will be using the stock carb and exhaust since they are both good.
i might upgrade in the future but probably not.

there is another red 2013 daytona across town from me with quite a few miles on it and it is still very smooth and quiet with no issues and the kid always has someone on it with him.

i would buy another Daytona as long as there is a dealer near by that sells them.
i would definitely get a blue one next time, they look sharp.

thank you for reading my loooooong post and i hope it was informative, please send me a message if you have any questions or ask them here in the thread.


 

[stevec]

traced the racket to a very loose oil pump chain, i put in a new chain and it is all good.
just need a better carb and a variator and it is like new again.
Propel engines can still run even with defects, i am surprised at the power it has.
i raced a 150 roketa today and passed him like he was riding a 50cc.

[stevec]

My engine blew today at 2:30.
Still like the Propel ride and handling.
just a defective engine.

[dan50]

Nice write-up. Nobody in my area sells Propel scooters.

[jmkjr72]

I have had met and dealt with the owner out of depre wi and just from those dealings I would never deal with him

The company also got in trouble for trying to advertise them as made in the usa

[stevec]

it would make sense to have parts available for your products you sell without having to go through a dealer especially since so few dealers will sell them and the one near me has yet to order any more and he sold the last one a while ago.

i read the warranty and you gotta read this lol it is copied direct from the propel site.

Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, normal wear, expendable parts, and other “Wear Items” are not warranted by Propel. For purposes of this Agreement, the phrase “Wear Items” shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, plastic parts, glass parts, rubber parts, cables, normal expendable accessory items, such as outer plastic parts, batteries, tires, stickers, cowlings, spark plugs, fuses, brake shoes, bulbs, belts, filters, piston rings, bearings, clutch pads, shields, helmet boxes, wind shields, axle parts, bumpers, floor mats, luggage carrier/baskets or seat gaskets.

pistons, rings or bearings so basically the only parts that actually fail in the engine.
WTF else would go? i have to send my engine back, the crank broke in half? lol

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws_v_IOcTFw

the ONLY dealer in RI lol, the ONLY dealer in CT isn't ordering any and has NO PARTS!.

i need an engine for mine so i can sell it, i won't get anything for it with a blown engine.
glad i took the time to read the warranty today before i gave the engine to the dealer to ship back to propel.
hind site 20 20 ALWAYS read the warranty BEFORE you buy a scooter.

i thought the warranty had run out but apparently the dealer was still going to send it back under warranty EVEN THOUGH propel wouldn't have sent me a new one anyway because the bad parts are not covered.

[90GTVert]

Even with that list the wear items are "not necessarily limited" to just that. Basically it's got a bumper to bumper warranty exemption.

I've never been a fan of the idea of expecting warranty from Chinese scoots. Bought my first from a local dealer and it was a name that had support from the manufacturer, but the "mechanics" at the dealer were amateurs and all the support in the world is useless without the guy working on it knowing what's up. The more common scenario is that the dealer doesn't care and just wants to make a quick buck off of cheap scoots. Some can't even figure out how to get parts, or at least won't bother. A local dealer said they couldn't even get 669 18 30 drive belts... prob the most common belt there is with all the little short case 139QMBs running around. And then you have these cases where the dealer wants to help but the "manufacturer" (distributor... re-badger) isn't willing. Buying a Chinese scooter with a warranty that is really worth anything I feel is the exception more than the rule. There are some good folks selling these that will warranty them even when the manufacturer won't as I've heard, but in general you have to be prepared to be on your own when buying Chinese. It seems like your best chance for getting help is if it's damaged at delivery. After that it's a crapshoot.

[stevec]

Propel doesn't even cover damage from delivery, my scooter came scratched up and they wouldn't send new plastics.
i think i am pretty much done with chinese scooters, i can try and sell mine and buy a used japanese bike.

[90GTVert]

At a real dealer you can complain if the thing isn't waxed before you ride away so it's a lot different experience. Sorry this has not gone favorably for you, but if you get a new scoot in any form let us know about it. I think the newer EFI 125+cc scoots would be nice for daily riding.

[stevec]

i listed it for $600 which is a third of what i paid for it.
if someone has a good 150 engine they can have a nice scooter.

[jmkjr72]

Aug 13, 2014 11:59:19 GMT -5 stevec said:

Propel doesn't even cover damage from delivery, my scooter came scratched up and they wouldn't send new plastics.
i think i am pretty much done with chinese scooters, i can try and sell mine and buy a used japanese bike.

This has a lot to do with the owner and his business practice
Even in the town where he has his warehouse people only sell his scoots for a season or 2 because of him and his lack of support

Even if you get a Japan or taiwan scoot you will find that the dealer will try to find a way to back out warranty they don't make money on warranty repairs and even many times looses money on them

[stevec]

i posted a complaint on pissed consumer just now.
i'm sorry but it is very upsetting, i am on disability and paid $1,800 for the scooter for only a couple months use.
i cannot even afford to buy an engine to get it running again, i'm trying to sell it to get back some of the money i lost even though what i can get for it is nowhere near enough to get another scooter.
i can't even afford an ATM 50 and that is bad.

[stevec]

i dropped off the crank shaft with the piston frozen to it off at the dealer, he wasn't in so i left it there with a note that says this is what propel does NOT cover under warranty, are you still going to sell their shit?
i have a feeling he will drop them and then there will be no propel dealers in CT.

[stevec]

i decided not to sell it and to fix it instead, i earned a few bucks for parts.
i have to replace the top end and the crank to get the engine to run and also the variator because it got severely damaged from the engine stopping while the scooter was moving at 40mph while clutch was engaged.
luckily i have a bando belt and it did not suffer any damage and the clutch is also fine.
right now i have the engine apart and i have to wait on new parts to get it back together again.
did i mention how much fun the kickstart gear is to remove from the crank without a puller?

[stevec]

www.propelimports.com/models.html

pretty interesting, they are still looking for people to open dealerships to sell their scooters but they are still selling the 2013 model year, other companies are already shipping the 2015 model year.
there is only 1 dealer in CT and i don't know if they are even selling them anymore.