Nothing wrong with Taiwan made scoots. But just like the Japanese started farming out production to Taiwan, Taiwan is now doing the same thing with mainland China. BUT. I have not seen any evidence of quality issues because of this. It looks like the Taiwan companies run a tight ship, and have excellent quality control. My Vino 125 and Zuma 125 were made in Taiwan, and my former Kawasaki Eliminator 125 and KLR650 were made in Thailand. All are indistinguishable from Japanese made bikes. There are very few vehicle manufacturers that do not use Taiwan and Chinese made parts, even Rolls Royce.
And now a Korean and (to a lesser extent) Chinese assault on the automobile industry... (a holier grail profit-wise than PTW production I assume)
You might want to consider finding a new old stock honda pcx 125. Even though it's 4 years after the bank melt down there are still a wack of old new stock out there. 2 dealer where I live have at least 8 yahama c3 sitting around. The deals cost in 2011 for a pcx125 was 3069 bucks. you can see them list here for 2700 new pcx 125 and 3 grand for the 150. http://www.cycletrader.com/search-results?model=Pcx&schemecode=AD&sort=price%3Aasc&type=356953&&modelkeyword=1& Just watch the shit with the fees. they can add 250 to 800 bucks depending If you go used consider the honda helix that are 800.00 to 2 grand used. Also there's a host of others to consider. Eg a couple of honda elite that range from 80cc to 250 cc. They run from 500 to 1400 bucks depending on what they are. Nice thing is if something happens to an old scooter your not going to go #($)* for more then a day. <table class="summary" width="64" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" height="23"><tbody><tr><td class="image"> </td> <td class="msrp money">$ </td><td class="invoice money"> </td></tr></tbody></table>
This is similar to my history/experience and why I held out for a PS250 (also towed behind our Winnebago). Have fun with whatever you choose.
Getting close. I am waiting for one more dealer to respond to my request quote (they are closed on Sunday and Monday); they didn't respond on Saturday (sent the request on Friday afternoon). If I don't hear from them, I'll know they simply aren't interested, and make my decision. I have responded promptly to all who gave me a quote... seems to me to be the polite thing to do. Thanks again for the comments and suggestions. I'm hoping the whole idea of a couple scooters is going to be as much fun as we think. Reading through this forum has been enlightening. All these years on two wheels, and until recently, this wasn't on my radar. Captain Jim
I have a 1984 Honda 125 Elite that has never needed a valve adjustment, or anything else, except for clean out work when it sat for 17 years without running. The tailpipe is rusted. It runs like the day I bought it, except for the chinese enricher I put in it. It only starts when the temp is above 45 degrees. Only 12,000 miles on it. I don't like working on it, but the quality is remarkable. This is the scooter that started it all (modern twist and go).
Done deal. We pick up two PCX 150s tomorrow. I'm satisfied with the price (especially after getting offers over $1,000 per bike more:huh), no pressure, no BS add-on charges. I down-loaded the manual last night, and I'll deal with the valve adjustment intervals. My thanks for the responses and recommendations here (esp JerryH for the PMs). We're looking forward to running these around! Best wishes, Captain Jim
We have LOTS of riding gear... 1348 miles from where we are right now. We'll get a couple helmets and gloves and go with what we have here. I didn't think there'd be any reason to bring my Savannah (BMW jacket) on this trip, since the only "bikes" we brought are the kind you pedal.
We picked up the new scooters today. The dealer is about 40 minutes (if traffic is flowing well on the Interstate) away, so instead of making two trips, we picked up a U-Haul trailer on the way there and got the bikes back in one trip. We did pick up new helmets, and got some time on the scooters this afternoon. On a guitar forum where I participate, someone recently said, "You can't be sad when you're playing a ukulele." Apparently, the same thing can be said about riding a scooter! After 4 1/2 decades of riding motorcycles, my left hand and both feet felt like they weren't doing their part in this ride. But, we both had big ol' smiles on our face. Not the "flatten-your-eyeballs" kind of acceleration of some bikes, but these things are peppy... and fun! We got used to the feel of the bikes and the controls on some back roads instead of mixing it up with city traffic. We took turns in the lead. Yep, I think we're going to enjoy this next chapter. We are in the desert (Phoenix area) to visit with our daughter and son-in-law. We are in an RV resort not far from their home... we enjoyed the ride there. Showed off the new scooters. After a nice meal out, rode back to our place in the dark. Yep - fun! Best wishes, Captain Jim
Nice. A black one and a red one. I know from experience that the black one will be a lot harder to keep clean than the red one. I was planning on a white 2012 model, but got a white 2012 Zuma 125 instead. Hopefully you will not have to be here in the summer. It's pretty nice now, but it will be an inferno in the summer. I'm stuck with it year round.
Hi Jerry, No, we don't plan to be in the Phoenix area in the summer. We travel quite a bit, and try to stay where "the weather suits our clothes." We plan to be in the San Juan Islands (Washington State) for the summer - these little Hondas should be fun for island hopping on the ferry. The Blonde got to have first choice on which one she wanted. I currently have a black V-Strom, so the red was my choice anyway. It is dusty here in the Valley of the Sun; and these will be sleeping outside since we are in our RV while here. I have a small California Duster that will get a workout on both bikes. With one day of scooter riding under my belt, I think this is going to be a lot of fun. Hoping that isn't the novelty of it talking. http://captnjim.blogspot.com/2013/03/just-like-its-supposed-to-be.html Thanks again for your suggestions, especially regarding Western Honda. Good folks. Buying these was as easy as riding them. Best wishes, Jim
One more thing: I am pretty sure we are going to want taller windshields on these. I looked at the Givi online. Any other brands we should consider? For reference, the last time I had a motorcycle without a windshield was 1982. That little black bump on the front of the PCX looks great... doesn't do a darn thing to keep wind off your torso and face, though. You might say I'm getting soft in my old age; I'd like to think I got smarter when bought that first dresser in '82.
Nice rides Jim. Enjoy. Speaking of ukeleles, my 14 year-old daughter just completed an RPM Challenge (10 original songs in 4 weeks) all done on ukelele. Check her out if you're interested. http://rpmchallenge.com/index.php?option=com_comprofiler&task=userprofile&user=11511&Itemid=296 And this is some of her wackier ukelele stuff. http://youtu.be/2ZFTkSydmoQ
Great music! You must be very proud of that young lady. I've been playing guitar longer than I've been riding motorcycles (well, by a few years) - your daughter sounds like a ukulele playing version of Taylor Swift. Give her lots of encouragement - when she becomes the next sensation, she can shower you will all kinds of two-wheel fun! Best wishes, Captain Jim