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I was a scooterist for >20 years. Being into recreational riding as well as commuting, I bought one of the first Honda Silverwings imported to the US in 2002. It was awesome fun.
Every time gas prices go up, people talk about scooters. That's guaranteed. Then, prices drop and they go into the back of the garage or storage building. It's a cycle I've seen over and over. Keep in mind that if the bike won't be a consistent mode of transport, you probably aren't saving that much if the urge to go back to car driving is revived once the gas prices drop. Also, proper riding gear is not cheap. That's an additional cost. Another cost is maintenance. Tinkering with a bike shouldn't be as complex as a four wheel vehicle, but I still found the hourly rate to be between $60-80. You'll save money if you take on simple things like oil changes yourself.
I'd stay clear of anything Chinese. They just don't have a good reputation. Just about any Japanese brand, if cared for properly, will last into 5-6 digits of miles. One person on the SW group bragged about having a scooter that racked up 100K. So, check out the used bikes. And looking at a bike that is said to get up to 55 mph? That means top end. You'll be riding with the throttle pulled all the way over. That gets tiresome.
Keep in mind that commuting with a bike means arriving at work with the likelihood of helmet hair, bug splatter on your clothes, picking up road grime or being splashed by passing cars. I wore Frogg Togs, both coat and pants, when commuting to work. They are almost paper weight and protect your good clothes.
Last - don't be surprised if what is intended as a commuting vehicle may end up just being plain fun. You may find yourself wanting to take it out on the weekends. Keep that in mind when thinking about engine size. You will want to have a little more room for speed.
I was a scooterist for >20 years. Being into recreational riding as well as commuting, I bought one of the first Honda Silverwings imported to the US in 2002. It was awesome fun.
Every time gas prices go up, people talk about scooters. That's guaranteed. Then, prices drop and they go into the back of the garage or storage building. It's a cycle I've seen over and over. Keep in mind that if the bike won't be a consistent mode of transport, you probably aren't saving that much if the urge to go back to car driving is revived once the gas prices drop. Also, proper riding gear is not cheap. That's an additional cost. Another cost is maintenance. Tinkering with a bike shouldn't be as complex as a four wheel vehicle, but I still found the hourly rate to be between $60-80. You'll save money if you take on simple things like oil changes yourself.
I'd stay clear of anything Chinese. They just don't have a good reputation. Just about any Japanese brand, if cared for properly, will last into 5-6 digits of miles. One person on the SW group bragged about having a scooter that racked up 100K. So, check out the used bikes. And looking at a bike that is said to get up to 55 mph? That means top end. You'll be riding with the throttle pulled all the way over. That gets tiresome.
Keep in mind that commuting with a bike means arriving at work with the likelihood of helmet hair, bug splatter on your clothes, picking up road grime or being splashed by passing cars. I wore Frogg Togs, both coat and pants, when commuting to work. They are almost paper weight and protect your good clothes.
Last - don't be surprised if what is intended as a commuting vehicle may end up just being plain fun. You may find yourself wanting to take it out on the weekends. Keep that in mind when thinking about engine size. You will want to have a little more room for speed.
I’ve been down the motorcycle road before, last bike was an ‘09 Harley Nightster. I’m not looking to have a big power roadtripper or anything. Strictly utilitarian and enough to commute or do light errands. I don’t pay much attention to fuel prices as I drive an old Civic which averages around 45mpg, so it won’t be a cyclical toy as fuel prices rise or fall.
55mph is a comfortable top speed as there’s nothing I would use it for which has higher than a 55mph speed limit. Most roads here are 35 or 40mph PSL, so that’s comfortably within what a 150cc scooter can tackle.
Infortunately, the higher prices of the Japanese models will more or less kill any clear financial incentive to ride one, which is why I inquired about electric ones. Looks like that’s not much of an option either as they seem to be pretty intensely range-limited.
I was kinda hoping to stick to around ~$1k. Honda’s are (deservedly) more expensive than that. I can’t even attempt to economically justify a $2-3000 vehicle when that’s what my current car cost and gets 43-48mpg on the regular.
So that’s kind of where I’m asking, take a chance on a Chinese scooter, or go electric?
I was kinda hoping to stick to around ~$1k. Honda’s are (deservedly) more expensive than that. I can’t even attempt to economically justify a $2-3000 vehicle when that’s what my current car cost and gets 43-48mpg on the regular.
So that’s kind of where I’m asking, take a chance on a Chinese scooter, or go electric?
8 miles each way plus any errands makes an ebike a bit too much of a stretch. It would be okay if all I did were errands, but taking that to work and back is too much of a stretch. It’s got to be a street-legal scooter, even if it’s not a big performer. I’m not that dedicated that I’ll take the time to use an ebike to make that kind of a haul twice a day. And 30 miles minimum range also takes into account that what I’m going to do might involve picking up curbside meals, etc, so I can’t just be slow in getting back home.
First do some simple arithmetic--Calculate the miles you'll drive on the scooter (remember weather conditions may limit that) and the cost of gas you'll save, and compair it to the price of the bike (+ additional licenses & insurance), then decide if it's worht it.
Eg- say gas is $4/gal and your car gets 30mpg and the scooter costs $3000-- 3000/4 = 750 gal
750 x 30 = 22,500 miles is your "break even" point (not counting additonal insurances/licenses/repairs).
8 mi comute x2 = 16 mi /d; 22500 mi / 16 = 1406 days...If weather limits you to only 90 rides a year, then it'll take you 15+ yrs to break even....
...and gas price will come down as soon as The Deep State is voted out in 2 1/2 yrs.
Hondas won't be the absolute cheapest option, but they are well designed and have good build quality and reliability, so the value is there. Plus, Honda shops are everywhere. The PCX comes with CBS and ABS is just a $200 option, and it's just gone through a redesign for the 2022 model year.
Sorry, just saw your budget. ~ $1K is a pretty tough bar to clear for most anything I think. Even a decent e-bike starts around $1500, and the extra capabilities and features at $2000 are worth it. As far as the range, a $2K e-bike can do 30 miles at 15-20mph, and, because some models also pedal reasonably well, you can extend that range by providing pedal assist instead of just riding the throttle. Some decent quality e-bike brands that won't break the bank are:
First do some simple arithmetic--Calculate the miles you'll drive on the scooter (remember weather conditions may limit that) and the cost of gas you'll save, and compair it to the price of the bike (+ additional licenses & insurance), then decide if it's worht it.
Eg- say gas is $4/gal and your car gets 30mpg and the scooter costs $3000-- 3000/4 = 750 gal
750 x 30 = 22,500 miles is your "break even" point (not counting additonal insurances/licenses/repairs).
8 mi comute x2 = 16 mi /d; 22500 mi / 16 = 1406 days...If weather limits you to only 90 rides a year, then it'll take you 15+ yrs to break even....
...and gas price will come down as soon as The Deep State is voted out in 2 1/2 yrs.
That’s part of why I need/want to take the discount out of the purchase price...my car is at more like 45MPG. It doesn’t have to make TOTAL financial sense, but I also don’t want to do it on a lark and spend a bunch of money on a trinket that doesn’t have at least some potential for a long-term payoff.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OutdoorLover
Sorry, just saw your budget. ~ $1K is a pretty tough bar to clear for most anything I think. Even a decent e-bike starts around $1500, and the extra capabilities and features at $2000 are worth it. As far as the range, a $2K e-bike can do 30 miles at 15-20mph, and, because some models also pedal reasonably well, you can extend that range by providing pedal assist instead of just riding the throttle. Some decent quality e-bike brands that won't break the bank are:
Eek. It’s a bit much of a commute to be restricted to 20mph. I might as well go 49cc scooter because those ARE dirty cheap. Electric would have to be a boba fide scooter, and not just a bicycle with an e-motor. As far as why I brought up mopeds, I like the idea but not the reality, if I’m honest.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OutdoorLover
Hondas won't be the absolute cheapest option, but they are well designed and have good build quality and reliability, so the value is there. Plus, Honda shops are everywhere. The PCX comes with CBS and ABS is just a $200 option, and it's just gone through a redesign for the 2022 model year.
It’s not that I don’t understand that the value is ultimately there...but there isn’t quite enough of a payoff long-term (see above).
Money no object, I would LOVE a brand new Super Cub.
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At the $3k point I’m starting to think more along the lines of a 250 Rebel or something. ROI is out the window and I can’t justify that.
It’s looking like maybe I’m asking too much for too little. It sounds like my best bet is to just give up on the idea altogether.
Last edited by jcp123; 04-13-2022 at 06:50 PM..
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