Ok, so my nephew lives in the Pacific Northwest. He's 22, unemployed, no college, no drivers license (never bothered getting it), and doesn't know how to drive a car. He's got no real ambition or direction in life but he's up for all kinds of adventures. Here's my plan... Step 1) Purchase a "starter" scoot. I'm thinking something 250CC or less, probably in the 125-150 range. Ideally it will be used and cheap. I recently bought a salvage Yam Majesty but I think that may be too much bike for him initially. (Did those words really just come out of my mouth?) Ideally I'm thinking fuel injected if possible because he knows very little about maintenance. Step 2) Buy ticket for him, fly him out. I told him to get his beginner's permit before he comes. He's willing to do that. I mean, it's just a test right? Hell, I'll even pay for that. I'm thinking next summer timeframe. Step 3) Put him through the MSF locally. Step 4) Take him on a scooter ride. We'll spend 3-4 days on the road together, maybe cruising up to Colorado. Step 5) Turn him loose. Around day 4 on the road with him and once I'm comfortable he knows what he's doing, my plan is to hand him $500, the title, 6 months of insurance on the scooter and say "so long!" It shouldn't take him TOO long to get back to Oregon right? He's got a cell phone and can always buy a bus ticket if things go wrong. Thoughts? Scooter recommendations? I considered a 49CC but it would take just too long for him to get back to Oregon on it plus there's a bit more safety, IMO, in a bike that can cruise at highway speeds instead of just city speeds. He's sort of tall... if I could find/rebuild a salvage SH150i that would probably be perfect or maybe a PCX or Zuma 125?
Honda Helix, Honda Elite 250, or a Yamaha Riva 180 or 200....nice 80's machines that should run forever once properly sorted and parts should be available. Sounds like quite an adventure!
None of my business, but from your description of him, I wouldn't waste my time and money. I've known a few guys like that, they usually get it eventually. I learned to both drive and ride before age 10, got both my drivers license and motorcycle endorsement on my 16th birthday, worked on the farm from age 5, bought my first dirt bike with my own money at age 8, and have been continuously employed since age 18. I did mess up a little bit in high school, hung out with the wrong "friends", and let my grades drop. I still got my diploma, just a couple months late, and had a job 2 days later. I had no choice. I had rent and car payments to make, clothes and food to buy, and would have been on the street real quick without getting a job. I lost the part time job I had when I bought the car when the guys running the place, an auto body shop, all got arrested for selling stolen car parts. My dad made the payments on it till I could get my diploma, and I paid him back, every penny.
I don't get what fuel injection has to due with maintenance. I understand the advantages of fuel injection but how much maintenance a scooter requires has nothing to due with whether it has FI or carbs. What's more important is the interval between oil changes, belt changes, valve adjustments, etc. Ideally what he needs is a cheap, simple to work on scooter that needs a lot of maintenance. Then maybe he'll get off his lazy ass and learn how to work on it. I'm sure you can pick up a cheap China scoot with a GY6 for next to nothing. For a little more you can get him a cheap Chinese tool kit so he won't have any excuses for not working on it.
Oh, geez...I've been in your position, and have done pretty much what you propose doing for a similarly-unmotivated, unaware, aimless young relative, and IMHO and experience, it ain't gonna work. First, going anywhere and relying to any degree on a scooter or motorcycle is directly analogous to traveling on hoseback: Job One is to see to the mount, its care and well-being. A person with no track record for personal responsibility, no matter how likable, will not be able to do it. Secondly, dropping a bagfull of "gifts" - tickets, scooter, training courses, travel subsidy, etc., - on a young person who has shown no inclination or interest in caring for and developing himself is only going to enable him in his unproductivity, as I found out for myself. The motivation, the sense of responsibility have to come first, else your 'gifts' are soon squandered and abandoned. It's a tough situation and hard for families to know what to do - there seem to be more kids out there than ever before who are drifting, afflicted with aimlessness, unconcermed, relying on luck and the good will of others to get by. Simply giving them things and money does not help, and can indeed make things worse. Wish I had something more postive to suggest; I don't think your generosity is going to help this kid.
yeah my Agility went 10,000 miles with zero maintenance 'cept for oil changes (engine / gear), air filter cleaning, and um....thats it. tires. ran and runs like a top. and this guy doesn't sound like he is going to ride as much. so fuel injection or no a scooter is a scooter is a scooter. just start with a decent one and it should be ok, op .
its not a matter of having a track record of doing or having anything to do with character or personal responsibility. but you do have to want to ride. thats about it, though
Hah, hah...the Mongols...not exactly solid citizens, but you make a good point. My point is that the Mongols are if nothing else motivated to ride, and riding takes maintenance. Whatever else they are or are not, 1%ers do spend time wrenching. I truly hope this plan works out well for the OP and his nephew; that the lad rises to the occasion, and that caring for a scoot springboards him into caring about his life.
^ yeah i get your point, too. just being a bit tongue in cheek this morning everyone ride safe and have a good one. and much luck to op and his nephew. if nothing more perhaps 30 years from now they will have a bit of a laugh about it.... ".....hey, remember that time you bought me that scooter, uncle?" "do i? how could i forget!" sounds like good times, to me
If you have the money to spare Jon sounds like a plan. A real nice gesture and one that could yield a lot of memories. That said, I think a lot of the guys are right...your nephew has to WANT to get motivated and on with his life... :huh Doesn't sound like he is there yet. Throwing money at the situation might just enable him to do less for longer... Just my two cents.
Take him to "under a bridge" and leave him there. Never mind of scooter, ticket to fly and sheit. Tell him to go home or come to you on his own, then you may start something with him together. I think you are wanting to do it for your sake. I wish I had a rich uncle like that.
He's been "Liking" every post I put on facebook about my bikes and scooters and when I told him he needed to get his Beginner's Permit he said "No Problem!" I would definitely have him help me change the oil and air filter before he left. He's had jobs before and when he has them, he works hard. He's been applying to Wal-Mart and other places, but without transportation, let's be honest, his options are limited. There is a guy with a GS500 for sale in my town. That might also be an option. My only thoughts were the utility and comfort of scooters might be better than a bike.
One other note about FI vs. carbs....if he's not very mechanical, he has zero chance of learning to fix a FI bike with fuel problems. On the other hand, if he has a carbureted bike, he will be able to bail hiimself out of a problem by doing what everyone else here did when they first started out...getting a manual and learning how to clean out a carb. Probably the easiest first mechanical step for anyone who has to learn. When money is short, motivation comes.
scooter will depend on things like how tall he is, inseam, etc. and availability. and he will need to get it serviced in his area, too. so maybe find out if that will be possible? if a SYM dealer is nearby used HD200's are a great buy and super reliable. and it will easily reach highway speeds. SYM claims 72mph top end, many owners say a bit more. idk what :"cheap" is to you but a good used example with low miles should be 2K give or take, depending on condition and owner and all those variables. i've seen 'em go for $1500. it can handle "adventures" thats a tall wheeled scooter. for small wheels if he has a Kymco dealer nearby i like to recommend my model scooter, the Agility 125. it will "cruise" easily at 50mph under good conditions. anything more will vary accordingly. but this is just my pick for "small" scooter, not as BEST scooter. but its one that can be had well under 2K used and is reliable and durable and fun to ride and good for taller riders. super cheap used or around 2kOTD new with a two year warranty
What the hell ever happened to the work ethic? Or sending spoiled brats off to serve in the military? Sorry mate but your nephew sounds like a loser and personally I think you're plan, generous as it may look to you, is exactly what another inmate said, you're going to encourage [enable] him to continue his shiftless ways. Maybe that's the reason he's the way he is, too much has been thrown his way without having to work for it. But I don't know him, don't know what his history is or anything else about him, I'm just going on your opening statement so maybe there's more to it. The way it sounds though, he's a slacker and giving him money and a free scooter boggles my mind. Where the hell were you when I needed a free scooter and five hundred bucks? LL75
After you send him on his way, the call for help will come from Mexico when the scoot is broke down and he runs out of money. I jest,
Everybody is different and responds differently to different kinds of help. Nothing I have read here is wrong, this idea might work wonders for some people and make things worse for other people. Personally, when I needed help I found what helped me most was a monumental kick up the ass and the threat of imminent starvation, but I have helped others in a somewhat more gentle way and seen it work also. We don't know your nephew so we can't say for sure. I can say I applaud you for trying to help, just keep in mind this may not work or may need fine tuning. Given the kind of jobs he will be getting will be the kind where if you are late to work even once you don't get a second chance, minimum wage type jobs, I would suggest your first criteria be that it is a Honda. Personally I love Triumph and Ducati comes a close second, but I respect that Honda make some of the most reliable, predictable machines you can get, kwaka make awesome bikes but in a rip your face off way, for a first timer Honda would be a good bet. Part of me thinks that what he needs is to be presented with something like a cbr400 in bits, a clean garage and a shop manual. With help he can learn the mechanics (don't forget at that age you still learn very quickly) side of things putting it together and the achievement of doing so will give him a well needed boost. SYM's might be a good idea but at the right price, I nearly bought one myself. GY6's, they're cheap,easy to work on, they aren't horrendous by any means but they need a lot of love to keep them reliable. I had one for 18 months, I was shocked how good it was, but rarely a fortnight went by without it being tinkered with. It only ever let me down once, but given the amount of time spent on it compared to what many people expect they should have to spend on it, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who doesn't love tinkering. I would strongly suggest that if you want to do this, you bear in mind that if you make him work for it somehow, you will be more likely to achieve what you want and what is best for him. If he has to 'earn' the bike by rebuilding it or working for free for a friend or yourself, whatever suits your situation, it will leave him feeling like he has achieved something and deserved it. This alone will probably be a bigger gift than the bike \ scoot. He has my full sympathy for how crappy the employment situation is these days, but there is work out there, you just have to be prepared to do anything for anything, but its tough to keep getting back up when you are constantly knocked down. Having a look at semi local to you craigslist listings (only one honda really caught my eye) http://lascruces.en.craigslist.org/mcy/3363114998.html http://lascruces.en.craigslist.org/mcy/3362525997.html http://lascruces.en.craigslist.org/mcy/3362367039.html http://lascruces.en.craigslist.org/mcy/3340784456.html Honda shadows seem to last pretty well and can be had cheap used, dual sports are another option (cheap, basic, plentiful, not too powerful). With some time and patience he should be able to learn to ride one and again the sense of achievement probably won't hurt him any :)
i think its funny so many have life lessons not for the young man, but the UNCLE. a grown man who knows exactly what he is doing and he is gifting his nephew a cheap scooter, not a mansion or Porsche or a trip 'round the world. and he is spending some quality time with him and being a positive influence by learning him how to ride. he sounds like a good young man, this kid. as well as his uncle people are simply too political these days. this is FAMILY! politics ruins the soul, divides people, and tears families apart. such a shame buy the guy a scooter, unconditionally, and be done with it. unconditional love and giving, i remember that being a value once. and it is good for the soul of the giver. guess its too hard for many to get past the "left and right" thing, though. pity...,