New to scoots, trying to find an LA commuter.

Hey all,

I've been lurking around the forum for a while now, getting tons of good stories and reviews on bikes and scooters. I thought I'd finally tip my hat into the ring and ask for some advice.

For a little while now I've been looking for a scooter to commute to school and around town. I live in LA so it's stop and go traffic, mostly under 40 with some local two lane highway roads in the mix that get up to 55 or so. I'm going to be moving by the end of May to a new place that's about 3 miles away from school and that really sold me on a scooter.

From the research I've done, I'm leaning toward the 250-300cc range, my current temptress being the BV Tourer 250. I like the Ruckus too, but I'm a big dude and need a little more than 50cc to get out of trouble (or into it, as the case may be) plus the big ruckus styling just doesn't do it for me. I'm more into the classic Italian and general European stylings than the more angular Korean and Chinese stuff, but any good scoot is up for suggestion.

So, in essence I'd like a new rider friendly medium sized engine scooter that can get a big dude up to 45ish. Stepthrough design is a plus, but not required and enough cargo space for a big helmet would be a huge selling bonus because my head is comically large. Price is up in the air but I'm shooting for the 3-4k range, which sadly puts a lot of pretty Vespas out of the running, at least new ones which is what I'm going for.

Any additional questions or advice is greatly welcomed.

Have you checked out the Zuma 125?

The various Kymco People models are good, too, if you don't mind the styling. (I love the Ruckus styling, so chances are you're into the stuff I'm not into.)

For Los Angeles Traffic and Lousy Pavement Quality I reccommend a Honda Reflex. Plus it can handle Mulholland.
I found this one on Craigslist in the Inland Empire for $2700 - 2004 with 6900 miles.

A 150cc is nearly perfect for the situation you describe. The problem with going bigger is the loss of nimbleness and zippy feeling. I ride my 50cc Ruckus (albeit with a few performance modifications) all the time on 40-45mph roads. But if you don't like pushing a 50cc to its limits, you need not worry about having to go huge. My 150cc Vespa ET4 really has no problems at all on 55-60mph roads. It can beat most cars off the line and has plenty of get and go to spare above 50mph.

I'm not sure why you don't want to consider used scooters, there are some real deals out there on used Vespas and Aprilias in the size and price range you want. But, if you're going new and want a classic look, definitely consider the Buddy 150's, the KYMCO's People 150 and 200, and the SYM Fiddle 125. Those are all reliable brands for $3k or less.

Thanks for the suggestions.

The only real reason I'm weary of used is that I have no clue what to look for as far as wear and tear goes. Going new would give me time to get used to servicing everything and replacing stuff. I just sort of figured that whatever money I save getting a used scooter would be eaten but by having to replace things sooner, but i could be wrong.

You think a 125 would be ok for those speeds? I'm like 275, but I guess I have seen people get away with that. The Zuma was one of the first scooters I looked at and I do really like it. And I love the prices at that size. Hmm, more things to ponder now.

I would say 200cc minimum for LA. its not the top speed you need but the torque and quick get up. plus you don't want to climb any hills with 125ccs or less.

look for used vespas in the 200-250cc range and be as cool as this guy

You might want to PM this guy and see if he still has his vespa. He sorted everything out after he bought it and documented it here in BattleScoots.

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=12675234&postcount=43

Test riding is the only sure fire way to know what works for you. I've ridden the Zuma 50, but haven't yet ridden the Zuma 125. The couple of people I know who bought them are very happy. Unfortunately, none are as big as you.

Buying used can really vary. Sure there are dogs and worn beasts, but not all require a lot of cash for repairs. Scooters aren't like cars--there are more couple year old used ones out there with really low miles and no repairs needed apart from an oil change. Consumables like a belt, rollers, air filter or spark plugs wouldn't even cost you $50 in parts for many models.

Buy a Genuine. The buddy 150, rattler 110, or stella 150 are all in your price range and amazing bikes. the rattler is the most fun though haha

yup, the buddy's are cool scoots. Good resale too, but in your price range and the 150 cc is great . There are literally tons of scoots that fit your needs tho. Test ride if you can or even rent. I live in phoenix and there is a scooter rental place in Scottsdale. Keep in mind a few things. Stay away from Chinese, no matter what you are tempted by. Used scoots are not to your liking, but I KNOW you would save in the long run, even paying for maintainance. Earnest t said the reflex, but I don't think it fits your styling needs. What a great scoot though. I myself and a big fan of honda passports so I would tell you to look at the sym symba. Keep your mind and your eyes open.

Yeah, Buddy's and Stella's are definitely an attractive style for me. Stella's more so, but I can certainly appreciate the Buddy for simplicity. Looking at their site as well that Blur SS 220i looks REALLY appealing to me. Disc brakes, automatic shifting, and fuel injection for like 3900. I do believe I could get away with 150cc, but the 200 range seems to be the approved standard for LA and being a big guy I have to agree.

I don't have to go back to school until Wednesday, so I think a trip to my local scooter place is in order.

Thought I'd give a little update. Couldn't make it to the store today, but tomorrow is a definite. My local store is this place called NoHoScooters and from what I can tell they only sell new Genuine, Sym, and Kymco. I'm hoping they have some used Vespas or Aprilias because they have parts and work on those Genuine/Vespa/Aprilia type engines (GY6?) Regardless, there should at least be a couple different scoots that have my interest there, so it should be a lot of fun. Edit: After some more searching I found this two or three block strip of Lincoln Blvd that has Susuki, Vespa, Honda, just about ever other scoot makers and a place called Route 66 Modern Vintage that sells mainly Genuine and SYM, but also some insane vintage Vespas and others (1961 Lambretta LI 150 & 1970 Lambretta Jet 200! Plus a Stella with a sweet ass side car.)

Any advice on trying them on for size? Like whether a forward leaning position or more straight is better in the long run? What sort of practical stuff should I keep in mind?

I know you have looked at all kinds of things. They will all start to mush together in your head.

The things I started looking at when I bought are things that transcend the brands. Things like big wheel vs little wheel, flat floor vs bump floor, metal vs plastic, gas in the dash vs gas under the seat, new vs old.

NoHo seems like a pretty reputable shop based on what I hear.

Yeah, I plan on going there next. I spent a few hours today checking out the retailers nearby. I took a look at some Kymcos (People S 200 and Super 8) And had a seat on some SYM's. They had a factory fresh 2008 HD200 for like 3k with all the tags and stuff. I liked the seating position of the HD200 and I felt like the GT250 might be a little more than I'm looking for. They unfortunately don't have the Blur 220i, but I'm hoping they do by the time I bite the bullet.

They had some nice preowned Vespas, a nice '05 GT200 with custom stereo A crap load of Buddy's that looked nice but not enough power. And I want that Stella with the sidecar! It's bright orange and marvelous. And my god, the most amazing '72 Lambretta 200.

But yeah, getting a feeling for the size of the bikes, I feel like something in the 175-225cc range will be my sweet spot. And there's some damn good prices to be had, so things are looking up.

The Buddy 125 is sometimes described as a GY6 variant. The Vespa's and Aprilia's are most definitely NOT GY6 engines. Basically Gy6=Chinese. Although the Chinese places claim they're a Honda motor, you won't find one anywhere in Honda's lineup.

The more know...bing bong biiiiiing.

That's good to know. I'm sure I'll pick up this stuff along the way.

For what it's worth, I live in the LA area and have no trouble with traffic with a Zuma 125. Most of the time I holeshot traffic and get well in front. I like small scoots as they are fun and nimble. I go on the biggest streets with no problems at all.

The only time I felt outgunned was on the 210 freeway. I got waved on during the station fire due to road closures and who am I to argue I drafted a semi and stayed right behind him for about 5 miles until I reached my off-ramp. If it wasn't for the semi it would have been scary...but drafting it was fun

Hah, that must have been a trip. I do like the idea of a nimble little scoot, but the with my build I think anything less that 175 and I'm gonna be full throttle at cruising speed.

Depends. I'm 6'4" and about 300 lbs, and my 150cc (GY6-swapped) Ruckus gets me around just fine. Going wide open throttle is kind of the norm when you ride a small scooter, but you'll be pulling up to speed on city streets just fine.

helix 250 , refelx 250 you ll find one on craglist