Why in my right mind would I want a Honda Ruckus? I already have a DR650 and FJR1300, but find myself strangely attracted to a ruckus? Knowing the zuma 125 is a far superior scoot or even a genuine buddy 125 I just can't get over the looks of the ruckus. The other option I am considering is a old honda ct70 (trail 70) maybe with a lifan 125cc in it.
It is the allure of the Ruckus. You're not alone. I have no idea why I want one so badly. I think there's something evil and subliminal going on. Maybe it's some sort of mind-control experiment going on at Total Ruckus. If so, it's working.
The Zuma 125 isn't nearly as good looking and doesn't quite have the exposed body style figured out, which takes away much of its supposed superiority (however, the fuel injection in undeniably good). The Buddy 125's decent enough, though the 150 is much better and its hard to directly compare the Ruckus to a Ital-nostalgia scooter. Niether your DR or FJR are really that good for city riding or campground cruising and the Ruckus excels at those. The CT70 with a Chinese engine is fun as a project, but any 30 year bike has project potential. The Ruckus' key: A straight stock Ruckus looks great and will get you attention nearly every time you ride. Your custom Ruckus, whether you bought some parts or cobbled them up yourself, also looks great and will get you attention nearly every time you ride it.
Scooters and mopeds are for nerds. The Ruckus, which looks like a mini-bike is much cooler and therefore acceptable. No, I don't have one. Yes, I would like one but have no use or reason to have one.
My Ruckus-lust is a forbidden love. It's something, deep from within my soul, that I know is so wrong...but feels so right. If only I hadn't been deprived of that Rupp Roadster, as a kid.... <input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden">
You too?? Dad told us we had to wait for a big motorcycle and it wasn't long before one was in the garage; a C105 55cc Honda Trail.
I ride my ruckus daily through snow, rain etc. and its never let me down. But by god its dog slow. I once was going up a steep hill when a deer suddenly jumped in front of me. On any other bike there would have been a head on collision. On the Ruckus I merely slowed from my 13mph top speed on the hill and came to a stop eye to eye with the deer.
I actually GOT the Rupp Roadster II in about 1970- something. I am telling you guys, it was SWEET. It was the BEST. Along with you guys, I think it would be fun to have a Ruck as well. I live on a dead end, it would be fun to spin around the 'hood on one. Dad liked me BEST.
My ruckus is the best. Harley guys have rode up next to me and told me how cool they thought it was. Girls tend to think it's cute. Guys who would never ride a scooter think the Ruckus is cool. My wife has a Fly Il Bello, a semi-nice chinese 150cc scooter. Compared to my Ruck it's much nicer (feature-wise), it keeps up with traffic just fine, it brakes a lot better, has storage space, room for 2, etc. When she was out of town for 10 days recently I had a choice of which one to ride... I chose the ruckus. It's so much more fun to me. You can score a used Ruckus on craigslist pretty cheap or you can finance through honda for about $80 a month, insurance is so cheap it's not even a factor. So in conclusion... get one!
After riding motorcycles for a lot of years (now almost 48 years), a few years ago my wife and I bought a Ruckus and a Metro.I rode the Ruck, my wife bthe Metro.Then we decided to, after some training, give the Metro to my college age daughter for transportation around the Univercity where she also lived on campus. Of course she totally wanted the Ruckus,So we got her one. For a couple of years, the wife vand I rode around together. Wer'd throw the scoots in our Toyota pickup, drive to Anacortes, Wa.unload the scoots, cut to the head of the line, and ride onto the fairies, and go to either San Juan, Orcas, or Lopez Island and scooter all over those islands for a few days-having a blast the whole time.100+ mpg is nice too! But the Ruck is heavier and slowewr than the Metro.Also the Ruckus has no storage.You can strap some kind of bag under the seat tubiung.The dual headlights were cool.After a couple years my wife moved on to a SYM HD200 (a great scooter!) and I sold the Ruck. They are slow, but still a fun ride. jon
I've considered one in the past, but I'd have to swap a lifan "big bore" into it to get 45mph. A zuma will do that stock (with me on it). The 2stroke is also really cheap to mod. I think the zumas look pretty cool too.
Some real numbers: The Zuma won't hit 45 stock, it still needs to be deresticted. My Ruckus is the stock 50cc motor and hits 47 with the right variator, CDI and roller weight combination. Yes, it cheaper to derestrict the Zuma than adjust the Ruckus. And, yes, the Zuma gets up to speed quicker, but it needs a fair amount to similar work to break 45 mph. Frankly, I know no one who has a big bore 50/58cc Lifan motor in their Ruckus. There's really no need for Chinese big bore as there's plenty of American motor builders like JC Racing and Chanito that supply big bore kits for the Ruckus at reasonable prices. Lots of full swaps use Chinese motors, but those are generally 150cc GY6's.
pre-'08 The ruckus just feels like you need to get off and run with it up any incline. A zuma with a 70cc kit/carb/pipe and we're stylin'.
Nothing wrong with a kitted Zuma's pulling ability, but stylin' is mostly individual taste. I happen to dislike 2 strokes, which is another reason I like the Ruckus. The nice thing about taste and scooters is that most are cheap enough to allow almost anyone to get what touches their deepest desire.
Just my two cents here, but I think Honda messed up when they dropped the "Big Ruckus" model and went 50cc. I am cool with the chassis size of the 50, it would I think be safer if it went a bit faster to defend itself in potential city-traffic. I wonder if they have a plan for something closer to a 125cc model that us bigger boys could enjoy? Or if it's something like "liability" that is keeping them from releasing something in this line that younger folks would likely pile up? :eek1
If Honda would just throw a fuel injected 125cc in the Ruckus and throw a front disk brake on it they would have a Zuma killer. The other kicker, it would have to be priced the same as a Zuma, none of the above look like they will happen soon or if ever.
I've seen lots of 2stroke converted Rucki on totalruckus. Does anyone know what plant they're using for that conversion? A kitted 70cc 2stroke ruckus would be tits.
People have installed just about everything possible into a Ruckus (Grand Axis engine, Reflex 250 engine, GSXR 600 engine, etc...). The most popular 2 stroke swaps seem to be the 50cc from the Zuma and various 50cc Minarelli engines. 70cc kits are readily available for both of those engines and there are even some wiring and mount kits specifically for the swap. There's an entire 2 stroke section of totalruckus just waiting for your reading pleasure.
The Big Ruckus was a sales flop. Personally, it just didn't have the look down right. They messed up in that Honda has no 250cc model in the US anymore, but I think the Big Ruckus never found a larger following for a reason that has more to do with style than performance. In the last 2 years Honda USA has released new-to-us 110, 125 and 150cc scooters. None resemble the Ruckus or the Metro. If Honda had a bigger engined Ruckus in the plans it would've happened by now. I sincerely doubt liability has anything to do with it.