Advice on a Scooter for the misses.

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My GF wants to buy a scooter to commute to work on (3-4 miles each way). She currently uses the bus, and this costs her just under £900 a year and is unreliable.

She has a car license, but believe she can ride a 50cc ped on it as she took her test before a certain date. So no CBT needed?

If she was after a motorbike, I'd be happy to choose a suitable one for her, but she wants to keep this as cheap as possible and therefore needs a scooter/moped. I know nothing about them myself, so was hoping for some general advice.

I'm pretty good with a spanner, so sure any maintenance/repairs will be an absolute doddle - but I'm looking for an easy life so a reliable one that will last a while is what we're after!

She was hoping to spend around £500 - is this realistic? Hell, you can buy a reasonable car for this sort of money these days.

What can I get for her money?

Cheers

C

[yambabe]

Firstly she can ride a 'ped on her car licence but unless she passed before Feb 2001 she will still need to do a CBT.

Next, Sym are by far and away the most reliable peds if you can get one in her price range.

If you're going to stay on top of maintenance look at the chinese ones, Lexmoto aren't too bad these days.
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Sod falling in love, I wanna fall in chocolate.

[goto10]

I know it's not what you asked, but I'd certainly push her into getting a 125 and doing her CBT - 50s are plain dangerous.
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'12 NC700S & '12 CB600F Hornet [Stolen by some dickless twat] Suzuki GT500 shed

[Aff]

IIRC if she passed her car test before Feb 2001 she can ride a Moped without L's.

What is the commute like though? 30mph on any 50+ roads is just dangerous IMO. I would never commute on a moped after some of the dodgy overtakes I see every morning of the scooter riders on my commute.
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Current Bikes:Honda 929RR Fireblade, Honda CD200 Benly (Project), Stomp Z2 140
Electric Bike Project

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Please, her commute is pretty much 1 grid locked 30MPH road in and out of the city - a moped will be more than powerful enough.

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What sort of mileage should I be looking at here also? How often do they need a piston?

[Snorty]

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This looks OK https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sym-Jet-50-Scooter-50cc-1999-2-Owners-Warranty-Very-Good-Condition-/160970396935?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item257a955507

Anyone know anything about these?

[Snorty]

[Rogerborg]

Regardless of the typical road conditions, I wouldn't send my worst enemy, or even Warped, out on a ped.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

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Would you send then out on a push bike?

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What about an Aprillia SR50? https://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-motorbikes/aprilla-sr50-2001-for-sale/1010085417 a bit quicker perhaps! But also a 2T - 6k on the clock, how long before it needs serious engine work?

[Snorty]

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[Wonko The Sane]

Even if she's able to ride without, it could be worth doing the CBT just to ensure basic handling skills and how to position a scooter on the road as well as giving a bit more confidence when going out on her own?

I'm sure a friendly local training place would be able to just do something that isn't officially a CBT to sort out the basics.
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Looking to pass your CBT / Bike tests in Bury Lancashire? try www.focusridertraining.co.uk Would recommend.
They're also on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Focus-Rider-Training/196832923734251

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It's a fair point and I'll suggest it, but ultimately I think she just wants me to teach her just riding up and down our street, it's very quiet.

That sym has gone, but this one looks good

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sym-SYMPLY-50-/170986412625?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item27cf959a51

[Rogerborg]

[sickpup]

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[bezzabsa]

I'd personally get her one of those C50 rip off's that are around, think Piaggio do one, larger wheels etc so bit more stable, or one like Jamie oliver had - cant think of the name...
Def stick with 4T no oil for her to get messy with..also get a top box as a lot of peds say they have space under the seat for a lid but very few lids actually fit..
3 to 4 miles a day and she'll be ok...just make sure she has headlamp on at all times, and get her a hi viz jacket..better to be seen than be SMIDSY'd

Good Luck and keep us informed of any progress

[Jefr0]

Piaggio/Gilera are the higher end of the scale like Honda for example. Piaggio Zip is a good little bike and they also come in pink standard!

Another thing to think of is security, with that Sym mentioned, I wouldn't be too worried but scooters in general are targets.

They are all very easy to work on, I'd favour a 2 stroke personally for working on.

Don't be worried too much with the milage, piston replacing is at least 20 to 30k miles if treated right. The milage she will be doing it wouldn't cross my mind.

Just top up the oil/change then when the bike feels sluggish take the transmission cover off, check if 'rollers' are worn (every few thousand miles I changed mine) and if belt needs replacing (if worn)
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Rides: Honda XR 125 ('03) Honda CBR 600F ('91), Ducati 916 Biposto ('95)

[Wonko The Sane]

[Recluso]

If she gets into the ped and would like something a bit quicker down the line, I would heartily recommend Honda's Ps125i. I had one and it was lovely as well as being lots of fun. It looks suitably girly too without having to shell out a butt-ton for a Vespa as something that doesn't look like a Chav mobile.

Also suggest she might benefit from a CBT, that or perhaps you set up a mock CBT yourself? Rather than just have her running up and down the road, take her up an empty estate for a day and set up junctions/slaloms etc like you would in a real one? That way she can get used to handling it round circuits etc rather than just up and down in a line. Plus it means you wouldn't have to run out of the way every time a car comes along.
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'Just erotic. Nothing kinky. It's the difference between using a feather and using a chicken.'
Honda PS125i > Yamaha YBR125 > Yamaha XJ6 Diversion > Yamaha Tracer 900

[Kwakki Si]

3-4miles!!! ever heard of using your legs or a pushbike!
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MOD1 passed 26/01/12... MOD2 passed 08/02/12
My current ride: ZX6R NINJA G2, The GREEEEN one!
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's a mother fucking motorbike!

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No, not heard of either. We are both completely ignorant about using our legs, or what a pushbike is.