[Zuri Griffith]

i’m looking for a decent 50cc moped that looks like a motorcycle that won’t fall apart while i’m riding it. i’m 16 in nc and need something to get to and from work, i don’t have a license or anything just want something to look cool and ride around on. anyone know of any?

 

[Juan_Banjovy]

Low mileage used ones are pretty cheap. Stick with known brands; Honda, Yamaha, Sym, Kymco, Genuine, Lance, Vespa & Piaggio. Avoid cheap Chinese scooters you might see under $1,000 new. They're junk, no parts or support when they break. 2 strokes usually do 40-45 mph, 4 strokes 35-40.

 

[Ray'ssporty1200]

I cant tell ya how many times I have heard this about Chinese $%^&, No 2 ways about it,
Buy Chinese anything and you'll want to %^&* .

 

[Miss Mercedes]

I think the disdain for Chinese products may be a bit overblown nowadays? Maybe it's my rosy shades again. Like South Korea did ten years ago, China's finally figuring out quality control. Remember the late 90's early 2000s when South Korean cars were considered to be a joke? Nowadays they're giving those same manufacturers that were laughing at them a run for their money. China's on that path right now. There are nearly 100,000 Americans driving a Chinese-built Buick today and the vehicle is actually well-received. Their motorcycles/scooters are following the same path. Despite being only four years apart, the build quality of my 2008 Bashan vs my 2012 Jinlun is staggering. And my Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 has been one of my favourite Android phones, and I've had top spec Galaxy phones before.

Indeed, they aren't going to be as good as a Honda, Yamaha, or a Vespa, but they also cost a third of the price. Unfortunately as a thorn in the side of this comment I'm making, there are about a million companies (exaggeration) building bikes and scooters in China and not all of them are improving at the same pace or even at all. So YMMV. If you go Chinese, stick to the bigger brands like TaoTao, Icebear, Lifan, SSR, or Venom. Parts aren't hard to find for the big brands and the parts are cheaper than a dinner at a mediocre restaurant.

 

[snoopdog6502]

I have a 50cc 2007 Honda metropolitan got it used for $800 , I ran it all summer and it now has a total of 5,400 miles on it.

I put a new back tire on it, battery, oil change and held it wide open hauling my 240 pounds around all summer long.
Fires up and runs great.,

I trust Honda, from lawn mowers, boat motors, scooters, bikes. I say its money well spent.

 

[Unkle Krusty]

Ditto above. Honda, Yamaha, Piaggio, Kymco.
Piaggio makes scooters under a variety of names. I think I would stay with Honda or Yamaha in that size.
There are many quality products made in China. Unfortunately for me, I have not purchased any. About 80 to 90 percent of Chinese products I have bought, have failed. A set of electric hair clippers for $14.95 have worked well for years. Sanders, angle grinders, post hole diggers, and so much more, have failed quickly.
My 1000 watt cheap generator still runs. Amazing.

UK

 

[Porky]

We have a HUGE trade deficit with China so why give them more of our BIDNESS:surprise:

I have had LOTS of scooters and still have a Burgman 650 but the first one I bought was a new 2002 Yamaha ZUMA 49cc, 2 stroke fun machine, just for tooling around the country side! I had a 2000 Honda Valkyrie Interstate and a KTM 640E Adventure bike also but the Yammie was fun, up to 40 mph---down hill:wink2:

Today, the 49cc Japanese offering are all 4 strokes:smile_big:

Sam:nerd:

 

[Ray'ssporty1200]

I have a 50cc 2007 Honda metropolitan got it used for $800 , I ran it all summer and it now has a total of 5,400 miles on it.

I put a new back tire on it, battery, oil change and held it wide open hauling my 240 pounds around all summer long.
Fires up and runs great.,

I trust Honda, from lawn mowers, boat motors, scooters, bikes. I say its money well spent.

I'm with you on that ! Had a couple of Honda bikes, never any trouble friend has had generators, always
fired up and gave the power, yeah Honda is a pretty good brand. I guess China could come up with a good
bike but I think it's a matter of who buys first. Like the guy up a street a few doors, your neighbor, he buys
a Chinese bike and you see him all over the place riding, like every day, looks a lot better for the Chinese
than if he is out in his driveway wrenching.Then and only then would his neighbor possibly consider a bike
built in China, if his neighbor is riding all over hell on it.

 

[Skyway6]

He wants a "moped" (<grumble> DOES IT HAVE PEDALS? no? then it is a scooter!!! <grumble>) that looks like a motorcycle and is cool.
Not sure how the rules are where the op is but a scooter here is usually a low speed bike <50cc with engine behind rider and a flat floor.

Not sure if you can get them anymore but the Sachs MadAss looks pretty cool. And looks like a motorcycle but is 50cc

 

[Porky]

I like the little scoot, even more than their evolved counterparts like the Honda GROM but, according to the owners, the 125cc version is very slow, so imagine the 50cc version. Apparently, the quality is terrible and the thing falls apart quickly. What would you expect from just another cheap product made in China. This is from a web-site discussing the Madass:

https://www.productreview.com.au/p/sachs-madass.html

"out-source to China to manufacture this piece of rubbish!"

By deceitfully using the name 'SACHS,' a legendary German name, the consumer sorta- kinda thought they were getting quality:surprise:

Ya puts ya money down and ya gets what ya pay for:grin:

Sam:nerd:

 

[Skyway6]

Too bad about the Madass. If i was buying a scooter i would consider the Yamaha BWs 50cc. Yamaha quality. Liquid cooled, Fuel injected. 3 valve head.

but i somehow think the op has done a driveby post. Joins and posts question in August. Three months have gone by and no replies from op.

Zuri, did you get a new bike? You say you do not even have a drivers license? Do you not need one to ride a scooter? Get your license and get something like the Honda Grom
or Kawasaki Z125 Pro. Small like a scooter but look like mini sportsbikes. Fast enough to keep up with traffic.

 

[Porky]

KYMCO, a very large Scooter, motorcycle and 4 wheel ATV mfg, amongst other products, has some very good quality offerings and a great website too, plus a good dealer network. :smile_big:

I had anew 2010 Kymco exciting 500RI ABS and it was built like a tank, fast, smooth, handled great and with that 500cc injected single, it really moved:grin:

It wasn't quite as fast as my past Yamaha T-MAX 500 nor my past and current Suzuki Burgman 650's but it was close:wink2:

KYMCO has made the majority of small engines for Honda and others for maybe 30+ years:smile:

Sam:nerd:

 

[Unkle Krusty]

On my Island, and in Victoria BC, it is scooter city. Victoria is mostly flat, so it is also the pedal bike capitol of Canada. They have a major scooter event there the week before US Memorial Day. I will try and take my Trail 90.
My Island is hilly with one long steep one. 50 cc scooters do not go that way. There is a hill from the exit of the ferry dock. I get to hear the trucks pulling up the hill while waiting to board. The small scooters that manage the hill the best, look and sound like Yamaha 2 strokes.
Out on the flat parts the better scooters can manage around 35 mph, which is just under the speed limit of 40. Most folks in cages are doing a bit more than 40. BUT, often I encounter a small scooter that is doing about 20, and that would seem to be a bit slow to me. The battery powered bicycles and tricycles seem to go faster.
I have seen a few of the Chinese copies, but not for long. They must go somewhere to die. Quite a few of the Suzuki Burgman about. Same with Vespa, Honda, Yamaha, Kymco.
Folks here ride bikes and especially scooters, for the ferry. Ticket costs a lot less, and we are first on and off, with no long waits in the lineup. 50 cc does not require a bike license, just a cage license. Non registered 2 wheel units with pedals, pay the same price as a bicycle. Zero. If the Insurance Company requires it to be registered, the fee is the same as a motorcycle.

UK

 

[122178]

I'm still fuming over the Chinese "SACHS". As well as Chinese "Coleman" mini-bikes. Ask any good bike wrench...Pure JUNK.

Taking a once revered name like SACHS and using it to push caca. :sad:

 

[Unkle Krusty]

I'm still fuming over the Chinese "SACHS". As well as Chinese "Coleman" mini-bikes. Ask any good bike wrench...Pure JUNK.

Taking a once revered name like SACHS and using it to push caca. :sad:

My Rickman dirt bike came with a Zundapp motor, which I drowned. Instead of fixing it, I swapped it for a Sachs motor, which had more giddy up, and we were quite happy for a long time. I met Sheldon Coleman around 1974. I almost knocked him in to the hotel swimming pool.

UK

 

[Skyway6]

I do really like the Kymco brand. They make fine quality bikes. The thing is around here is dealer support. There >was< only one Kymco dealer here (Vancouver) and they have now closed.
So i was concerned with getting bike serviced and if doing work myself how to get parts. I would have loved to get the Kymco Spade.
So i stick with the big name well established brands like Honda/Kawasaki or Yamaha. As for Piaggio (Vespa) there is also only one dealer here. Really like the BV350 but there is the service and parts thing again.

 

[Ray'ssporty1200]

I guess some have different needs but WHY buy a scooter or moped? Due to the low hp you would be prohibited from
riding on any fast road. 50 c.c. what's that come out to in horsepower anyways. Why even bother? At least with a 100
c.c. or 125 c.c. you can get up to around 60 mph.

It seems like a frame for such a dinky sized engine would be way too small for any real kind of ride. Hell maybe it
is part of a new hobby,"What you can do with 50 c.c.

FWIW, the title for my Honda CL-360 rated the horsepower at 33, So if you take 10% of 360 which would be 36 c.c.
could you say the HP is = to a bit less than that? That SL-125 I had, 10% would be 12.5, would it be fair to say the
engine was about ten hp? just curious.

 

[122178]

I guess some have different needs but WHY buy a scooter or moped? Due to the low hp you would be prohibited from
riding on any fast road. 50 c.c. what's that come out to in horsepower anyways. Why even bother? At least with a 100
c.c. or 125 c.c. you can get up to around 60 mph.

It seems like a frame for such a dinky sized engine would be way too small for any real kind of ride. Hell maybe it
is part of a new hobby,"What you can do with 50 c.c.

FWIW, the title for my Honda CL-360 rated the horsepower at 33, So if you take 10% of 360 which would be 36 c.c.
could you say the HP is = to a bit less than that? That SL-125 I had, 10% would be 12.5, would it be fair to say the
engine was about ten hp? just curious.

I live in a small town of 6,000 people. Many 25 and 35 mph streets here. It's becoming all the rage for people to get 100mpg going to the local stores and coffee shops in vintage small displacement scooters and mopeds. I've always had large bikes, but I can see the attraction. I love to see old bikes on the road...no matter the size. We have one guy who rides his 70's Honda trail 90 more than his car. :smile:

 

[122178]

My Rickman dirt bike came with a Zundapp motor, which I drowned. Instead of fixing it, I swapped it for a Sachs motor, which had more giddy up, and we were quite happy for a long time. I met Sheldon Coleman around 1974. I almost knocked him in to the hotel swimming pool.

UK

Oh no! German Zundapp motors are great motors! Hope you salvaged it.

 

[Ray'ssporty1200]

Well I can say I had a damn fine time with that Honda SL-125, lots of back roads, and I learned a lot about riding a bike on
that 125, before I got the CL Scrambler 360. So good luck and have a good time.