Honda Urban Express vs "modern" scooters?

[approachbears]

Originally Posted by NameHere

I'm not sure why we anyone thinks a Metropolitan is going to be much (if any) faster than an Express or a Spree.

I've ridden them all, and there's not much noticeable difference in takeoff or top speed. Plus, anyone who has a Metropolitan is convinced they are worth their weight in gold, so you'll pay a premium for it. If you have even passing familiarity with a typical two-stroke engine, they're also super easy to work on and mechanically bomb-proof.

Yes, the Met's acceleration is slow by motorcycle or most 2 stroke standards, but few Sprees topped out much about 30mph even when new. The Met will hold 25-30 mph for most people on small hills and consistently hit 40+ mph on the flats if you give it enough room. These may seem small differences, but they are noticeable enough in the 50cc realm.

I've never really ran into the "weight in gold" sentiment expressed by Met owners. Ruckus owners, of which I am one, yes. Met, not so much. Most I've run into use them as basic transportation prefer the low hassle/high reliability of riding a 4 stroke Honda product. Yeah, they pay a little more for them (though not as much as some think--again, this isn't a Ruckus), but they have good long term reliability.

I'll freely admit that I'm biased against 2 strokes these days. They pollute too much for my taste for such small machines. But, the main reason I'd suggest a 4 stroke for this girl is that it shouldn't need much maintenance or repair work. She really just needs basic, reliable transport. In this case, even easy to work on machines seem a pain to me if they need work more often.

[Kismet]

Only had one Urban Express.

Seemed neat, but even gentle grades in the road reduced speed to a fast trot. Might have been mine, dunno.

Rocketed along at 25-28 mph on a flat, though. Sadly, roads are hilly here.

Were it me, I wouldn't.

YMMV

[HiTechRedneck]

Sheeee-it...a new Met is pretty much as pokey as the Express you're looking at. And the biggest upgrades to the overall system are 12v, 4t engine and a CVT carbie.

55 mph roads are not fun on 49cc scoots, especially in the boonies.

Whereas one part of me is "hell yeah! get the old Honda!" the other part feels your pain and is all too aware of the perils of riding a *slow* scoot on main roads.

But I hafta agree with the poster who suggested an MSF course....that's her best bet.

[deezildennis]

You know this threads 4 years old right?

[JerryH]

And a Honda Express is not a scooter. It is a noped. Same as a moped, but without pedals. Requires a full motorcycle license in AZ, because of no pedals. Also cannot be ridden in bike lanes because of no pedals. Top speed of 30 mph. It's a suicide machine.

[bravada]

It is to slow for today's traffic. At least give her a fighting chance to keep up with traffic for her own safety. If riding for fun when relaxed that is different.

[elite1]

Originally Posted by deezildennis

You know this threads 4 years old right?

[baloneyskin daddy]

She's probably still on her way to work.