Mopeds - What's out there for a 14 year old?

[techguy]

YES
Zuma
Ruckus
Agility

NO
China POS
Honda Metro (slow)

Just my 2 cents

[seraph]

Originally Posted by techguy

YES
Ruckus

NO
Honda Metro (slow)

But they're the same.

[SCQTT]

[quote=seraph]Zumas are great, you can find used ones for under $1,000 all the time and they have huge parts/aftermarket support. If I were buying a 50cc I'd pretty much go straight to the Zuma. The earlier Vino 50 was also a 2 stroke and a little "cuter" if she's that type of girl.

+1

Zumas are hard to beat. I use mine as my "get around the races bike"
Holds a cooler under the seat and the rear rack handles a folding chair.

That said...............I just picked up a 72 Honda CT Trail 90. It is about a million % cooler that the Zuma in a dorky sort of way.
You can buy pretty clean, running versions for $1K.

Depends on your kid........What would SHE dig?

[approachbears]

Originally Posted by techguy

YES
Zuma
Ruckus
Agility

NO
China POS
Honda Metro (slow)

Just my 2 cents

How exactly is the Honda Metro slower than the Honda Ruckus? They share the same engine and basic drive train, the Metro is lighter weight, and the Met has lower rolling resistance tires. They have the same ECU controlled top speed, but the Met is quicker off the line if both are stock. Perhaps you're thinking of the time prior to 2007 when Honda sold a Metropolitan II alongside the regular Met. The Metro II was a factory restricted version for sale in places that required a sub-35mph top speed.

[Howzit]

Originally Posted by seraph

...I've heard good things about Tomos' mopeds but not their scooters. Any Italian ...brand is a safe bet ...

I had not even thought of Piaggio or Aprilia. They make great scooters!

Piaggio Fly 50


Aprilia Sportcity One 50


...thanks for the input so far!

[approachbears]

Personally, I think the Italian scoots are a bad choice. And that comes from currently owning an Aprilia, owning a modern Vespa earlier this year, and knowing many, many serious Vespa rider friends. Too large of a price, too many horrendous waits for parts, too much crappy interaction between the dealers and the company. Vespa's are OK if that's your thing and they scratch a real itch. That's perfectly acceptable in the world of scoots since so many vehicles are more than just ways to get around. But is your 14 y.o. a real fanatic? He'll probably be very satisfied with something else and if he really gets the bug he's still got time to aspire to a Vespa and its attendant hassles.

[2speed]

Everything you listed except for the Tomos is not a moped. I would seriously ask the DMV, what they SPECIFICALLY accept as a moped.

Pedals are sometimes required, automatic trans is sometimes required. What the law says and what the database of acceptable bikes on the DMV computer can be two different things.

[mac66]

Hey, we are talking about a 14 year old girl here. A slightly used Honda Metro would be perfect.

[approachbears]

Originally Posted by 2speed

Everything you listed except for the Tomos is not a moped. I would seriously ask the DMV, what they SPECIFICALLY accept as a moped.

Pedals are sometimes required, automatic trans is sometimes required. What the law says and what the database of acceptable bikes on the DMV computer can be two different things.

The Iowa regulations were posted on the last page. Moped has nothing to do with pedals in the eyes of the law in that state. IIRC, Iowa doesn't have a database of acceptable vehicles. Instead, it's up to you to show that it meets the requirements (2 or 3 wheels, saddle, 30mph top speed as listed on the MCO) when registering. I don't think that part changed when they wrote the new law in '06 that got rid of the 50cc limit.

[tortoise2]

Originally Posted by 2speed

Pedals are sometimes required

For those states that require operational moped pedals . . the Lazer may be an option.

[seraph]

Originally Posted by Howzit

You guys are right. A 14 year old girl is all about fashion and style and the Honda Metro is a little more girly than the bug-eyed Zuma.

...I'll buy her the Zuma then keep it for myself when she refuses to ride it - then I'll have to get her a Metro or whatever.

If you get the old 2-stroke Vino 50 you can have it both ways - drivetrain of the Zuma and looks like a Metro.

[Howzit]

Originally Posted by seraph

If you get the old 2-stroke Vino 50 you can have it both ways - drivetrain of the Zuma and looks like a Metro.

Yamaha Vino looks sweet!

[lilolita]

The Honda Metropolitan is really cute, and your daughter being, well, a 14 year old girl, cute may be a factor in the decision-making process.

The Metropolitan is also really low so if she's short, she'll have no problem flat-footing it, and it is very lightweight. I absolutely loved my Met.

There's also the Sym Mio which comes in cute, two-tone colors, and it's also lightweight with a low seat height.

If she's into vintage, a Honda Cub / Passport would be cute, lightweight, and cheap. You can never underestimate cuteness.

[Big Steve]

My daughter is now 16 but she has "owned" a Honda Metropolitan II for a few years.

It was immediately de-restricted and it will hit 40 downhill.

We also have a regular "Met" and it does fine as well, topping out at a little over 40.

The Met II used the same gearing as the Ruckus, so it actually can beat a Met "1" off the line and up to a certain speed, but thanks to the gearing and a racier cam, the Met always wins the race.

Honda's are water cooled 4 strokes that can live a long time if the oil is changed every 500-1000 miles.

Pretty darn bulletproof, we've also got a Ruckus, no complaints on any of them.

[Howzit]

Originally Posted by h9r

My daughter is now 16 but she has "owned" a Honda Metropolitan II for a few years. ...Pretty darn bulletproof, we've also got a Ruckus, no complaints on any of them.

Anyone else use the BIKEZ.com and their scooter comparison tool?

...the Zuma, Ruckus and Metro are top rated scoots!