Reviews for a 50cc Scooter – Should You Buy One?
When many people decide they want to get a scooter, they first think that they want something that will work well on surface streets and will not necessarily get up to dangerous speeds like a 150cc or larger scooter would. After a little bit of research, they decide that a 50cc scooter would really be ideal for their situation, and then set off to purchase their scooter. After purchasing a scooter, many people end up regretting their decision for one reason or another.
After selling hundreds of scooters at our retail location over the past year our business has been open, I have discovered that there are lots of things that people don’t consider when purchasing a scooter. Many of these things become very apparent in the days following their purchase after it’s too late to reverse the decision. I would like to outline a few things you need to know when investigating your scooter purchase options.
Even though many shop owners say that they can get up to 45 mph, 50cc scooters will really only go 35 mph in almost every case, although it does depend on road conditions and the driver’s weight. If you weigh over 150 lbs, you are likely to not be able to get over 40 even on a steep downhill. You may not even be able to get over 25 to 30 mph on steep uphills. Forget about keeping up with traffic and staying out of the way of other cars that will be keeping up with the speed limit, because it’s pretty much impossible.
Even though 50cc scooters are unable to reach high speeds, they are often exactly what you want to have to get around town. If you plan to drive on slower roads or even just roads that don’t have a lot of traffic, a 50cc scooter is a cheaper option than almost any 150cc scooter and can be a great option. The most important thing is that you are aware of its limitations before you make your purchase.
One thing to also consider is your state licensing requirements. You can be sure that a 50cc scooter costs less to keep registered at the DMV than almost any larger scooter or motorcycle. In addition to vehicle licensing requirements, many states do not require drivers of scooters under a certain size to have a special motorcycle endorsement in order to ride. This of course can save a lot of time and hassle.
With respect to the level of quality of many 50cc scooters, you should also be careful what brands you purchase. The 50cc scooters that tend to have the fewest problems are anything from Europe, Taiwan, India, or from a Chinese manufacturer such as Lance, KMD, and Fly. They usually come with a much better warranty and tend to last A LOT longer. Chinese scooters are usually the cheapest of all of those scooters. Having sold lots of 50cc scooters at our shop in Utah, I can say that the absolute cheapest chinese 50cc scooters are really not worth your money, no matter how cheap they are. They tend to have a lot more electrical problems than larger 150cc scooters do, and they also quite often many of the engine components are not made to last.
If you are thinking about purchasing a 50cc scooter soon, just make sure to take everything into account before you make your decision. Are you going to be able to keep up with traffic on the streets where you plan to drive? Are you making sure that the scooter you are interested in has a solid warranty and is a reputable company with good quality control? Are you going to be able to get around licensing requirements? If you are able to keep track of all of these things, you should be able to make the correct decision and be very happy with your purchase.