This may sound.....strange

[Sheresh07]

I was in here a while ago, ( I think about year+ ago) looking at starting into bikes, but I never really had any money to do so. Just recently after working for a few months I bought a 1985 Honda CRX for a daily driver and my plan was to save up on the side and eventually buy a bike for nice days. Problem was, after paying $300 on my first payment (way more then I needed to) the timing belt broke. At which point I got it into the machanics and he told me that I needed a new belt AND a new water pump, totaling 500$.

THEN he think I may have a bent valve, but he needs to put on the new stuff to be sure, and sure enough ALL of my valves are bent to the point where the car is considered totaled. Now I have to commute about 10-15 miles a day round trip to get to work, but I dont have the cash for another ride that I WONT have to sink money into to keep it running and I dont have enough yet to get a bike to start on, and I honestly don't trust used anymore. So my friend suggested to me that I check out a scooter. After MUCH nagging/convincing I agreed to go look at some and found one I actually liked.

The Kymco People 2005 50/150cc. After test driving both I decided that the 50cc would be perfect for me, because quite frankly I wasn't comfortable with the speeds that the 150cc could reach on a mopad. So I'm seriously thinking about buying the 50cc, and my question to you all is, is a mopad even remotely like a bike? Would it be all that silly to start on this and then move up to something like a Honda Nighthawk after I got my MSF cert?

I know this is a bit weird, and if yall dont know then, oh well. But I was just curious about your thoughts. Oh and I would be getting a fully DOT compliant full face helmet.

EDIT: Thought I might add some more information about this "bike".

Engine - 2 Stroke Oil Injected
Displacement - 49cc
Bore x Stroke - 39 x 41.4
Cooling - Forced Air
Ignition - Electric/Kick
Drivetrain Transmission - CVT Automatic
Suspension Front/Rear - Telescopic Forks/Mono Shocks
Tires Front/Rear - 80/80-16" / 100/80-16"
Brakes Front/Rear - Disc/Drum
Dimensions (L x W x H) - 72.85" x 27.5" x 42.5"
Wheel Base - 50"
Claimed Dry Weight - 210.5 lbs
Seat Height - 31"
Fuel Capacity - 1.53 Gallons
Estimated MPG - 88
Estimated Top Speed - 45-50 (Since I live in the rockies, at the altitude I'm at, the dealer removed the govenor, otherwise the top speed is 30mph)
Instrumentation - Speedometer, Odometer, Fuel & Low Oil Light
Warranty - 2 year Factory

Grand total is 2700$.

[aussieidiot]

mate. if you think you'd enjoy it then go for it. personally i enjoy abit more speed but the few times i've ridden a scooter its been a blast. even able to wheelie one once.

my only concern with a scooter would be given that bikes are smaller than cars, i'd like to be able to get out of the way of an SUV driven by a soccer mum whose attention is on a screaming kid in the back seat other than the pedestrians on the footpath she's chosen to drive down just to get to the hairdresser's sooner to get her free soylattedecafemochachino.

[Sheresh07]

i'd like to be able to get out of the way of an SUV driven by a soccer mum whose attention is on a screaming kid in the back seat other than the pedestrians on the footpath she's chosen to drive down just to get to the hairdresser's sooner to get her free soylattedecafemochachino.

Lol, yea I was looking around online last night for some cruiser learner bikes and came across the Honda CMX250. It's still in my price range new, and had considerably more speed then the mopad, but at the same time, I need to pay to have it registered, and pay for the MSF course, and tags and plates and alot more on gear, especially since I would need not only a Full Helmet but a rider jacket too just incase I did go down.


And thats the other thing, the mopad guy said he would throw in a full helmet of my choice if I payed with cash.

[jeffcoslacker]

The Rebel (The Honda 250 you saw, I think) is a great beginner bike. Bulletproof motor, lightweight, easy to flatfoot (new riders love that) good power for size, excellent fuel mileage, is actually way more capable in twisties than larger cruisers, and you can find them used dirt cheap all the time.

I'd do that before a scooter. Esp a 50cc scooter. That's barely even a vehicle. I have lawn equipment with bigger motors....

[jeffcoslacker]

http://adcache.cycletrader.com/5/9/4/83905294.htm

Here. A '99 with under 1100 miles for under $1500.00. There's lots more where that came form...

[Sheresh07]

Yea I'm going out today to look at some.

EDIT Found this one, its only a few miles away, I think I'm gonna go look at it. Any advice?

http://adcache.cycletrader.com/5/9/3/83866593.htm

[DealsGap]

Originally Posted by Sheresh07

...and alot more on gear, especially since I would need not only a Full Helmet but a rider jacket too just incase I did go down.

Don't make the mistake of thinking you are any safer on a moped than a motorcycle in traffic. In fact, you are probably even less so. This is the reason I never commute on motorcycles. People suck at driving, and the motorcyclist is the one that pays for it. I was hit by a car twice in my first 3 years of riding. Please take the advice of those of us that have been there and BUY GEAR if you are going to ride. Gear is expensive, no doubt. You can sink over $1000.00 in gear without even thinking about it, but I would hope your body is worth that to you. Protect whatever parts of your body you want to have a fighting chance at keeping. A jacket is a good start, but what about your legs? Blue jeans certainly don't offer any protection from either impact or road rash. What about your ankles? Hands? Feet? Spine protection? A lot of this stuff may be inconvenient, but at what cost? It's something that needs very serious consideration. And please don't make the mistake of thinking that crashing isn't going to happen to you. Almost all of us will do it at some point at different levels of severity, especially if we ride for any length of time. It's not a matter of if, but when. I don't mean to be a buzz kill, but a reality check could be a lifesaver.

[Sheresh07]

Originally Posted by DealsGap

Don't make the mistake of thinking you are any safer on a moped than a motorcycle in traffic. In fact, you are probably even less so. This is the reason I never commute on motorcycles. People suck at driving, and the motorcyclist is the one that pays for it. I was hit by a car twice in my first 3 years of riding. Please take the advice of those of us that have been there and BUY GEAR if you are going to ride. Gear is expensive, no doubt. You can sink over $1000.00 in gear without even thinking about it, but I would hope your body is worth that to you. protect whatever parts of your body you want to have a fighting chance at keeping. A jacket is a good start, but what about your legs? Blue jeans certainly don't offer any protection from either impact or road rash. What about your ankles? Hands? Feet? Spine protection? A lot of this stuff may be inconvenient, but at what cost? It's something that needs very serious consideration.

No I definitely wouldn't skimp on gear, infact I got extra on my loan so I COULD buy a helmet and a jacket at the very least. If I end up going with a bike thats in traffic, not in the bike lane, then pants/boots and gloves too. But no I definitely wouldn't skimp on gear, there are actually a few guys around here who do feel they are safe riding in shorts, no shirt and flip flops, I for one think thats just retarded.

EDIT: Oh I forgot to add that I would have the moped in actual 4 wheel vehicle traffic very little, I live in a town in colorado that is very bike conscious, I can literally get to just about anywhere in town, including my job without ever getting into the 4 wheel lanes. And although I realise that still doesnt guarntee ANYTHING, I do feel that I am relatively safe considering that I use the bike lanes, and am legally not actually allowed to ahve the moped in 4 wheel vehicle lanes.

On a second note, any advice on what to look for on that bike that I just posted above this response.

[jeffcoslacker]

Don't wanna bust your bubble, but that's Colorado, not Connecticut.

Long drive to check out a bike...unless you've moved since your profile was written...

[jeffcoslacker]

Originally Posted by Sheresh07

Yea I'm going out today to look at some.

EDIT Found this one, its only a few miles away, I think I'm gonna go look at it. Any advice?

http://adcache.cycletrader.com/5/9/3/83866593.htm

The best advice I can give you is to take someone along who really knows bikes. It's pretty much the same routine as looking at a used car, but there are some subtleties to a bike that aren't real obvious.

Of course the big stuff, tire condition (look real close in between the tread blocks for signs of rubber fatigue, splitting, etc, very common on bikes, even when tires appear in great condition), brake linings (your front disc brake you can usually see the pads, the rear drum brake usually will have a "pointer" on the pivot lever that operates the brake. Push the pedal down, and if the pointer goes outside of the index on the housing, the linings are shot), fluid leaks, strange noises, smoke on start up, etc. Lights all work, horn, etc. No badly bent or kinked handlebars.

I usually tell them I wan't the bike's engine stone cold when I come to look at it. Reason being, too many issues (knocking, smoking, hard starting) can be concealed by simply having it warmed up before someone gets there to check it out.

You probably aren't going to know what level of sound is normal for that motor, another reason to have an experienced ear if possible. Bike engines make a lot of strange noises, some normal, some not.

If it has a center stand, you want to sit on it while on the center stand and lean it back, so the front wheel is off the ground. Put the handlebars dead center and they should drop to one side or the other with very little or no provoking. If there's a "notch" in the center, the head bearings will have to be replaced. Also give them a shake and make sure the steering stem feels tight.

Brake hoses should be flexible and show no cracks, drive chain should have just a little play in it, not tight or floppy. Too much either way can be a problem.

While it's still on the center stand, have someone hold the front still and try to move the rear wheel side to side. If the swingarm bushings are good, no movement will be allowed. A sloppy swingarm feels like somethings wrong in the front end of the bike, and makes it want to wander and chase ruts. Very disturbing.

Shifting and clutch operation should be smooth, no kinks in the clutch cable or lever, a nice linear feel to clutch engagement. Just about all bikes will crunch a bit when being put into gear from nuetral, but any ratcheting noises or extreme jump on being dropped into gear can mean clutch or gearbox trouble. Upshift to top gear, checking for shift quality, then at low speed (30 mph or so) pin the throttle hard in top gear, to check for clutch slip.

When you are riding, watch that the front end tracks straight, if it's been dropped ever the handlebars might appear slightly off when going straight, and that's probably OK, just as long as the triple clamp (the parts the fork legs go into on the top) and fork legs all appear aligned.

While it's on the centerstand (if it has one) spin both wheels and look for bends or wobble. Watch the tread surface and make sure it runs true. Brakes should not drag, and watch the chain as you do the rear, a chain with a tight spot (normal play disappears and it becomes very tight at one point) is ready to break. All the links should move fluidly around the sprockets, none trying to hook on a tooth or stand up.

Look at the front forks where the larger tube and smaller meet, there is an oil seal there (forks are fluid filled). There should be no trace of oil left in a ring around the tube when you compress and release the forks. If so, a seal job is in the future (but not always right away) Ideally you should be able to run a finger across the smaller tube near the seal and detect just a slight feeling of oil. If you are making a track you can see, the seals are shot.

If the battery is easy to access, take a look and see that the cells are full and the cables are tight, and the connections are clean. Look for any signs of fuel leakage around the tank, lines and carbs.

Make sure you get down low and look up at the bike. There's a lotta things you can miss from a standing view. Frame damage (kinked up or flattened), cracks in engine castings, leaks, etc. Look real hard for signs of leakage around the shifter, case covers, etc, and any evidence it has been dropped hard. Lots of times you can't see that standing next to it. look for anything that might make you suspicious that the frame had been bent and bent back, marks on paint and such...

A bike like a Rebel, being a stater bike, it's not unusual to have some minor dings and scratching on lower case covers or handlebar end, or tank dings, because face it, new riders drop them at least once, and that's a beginner bike. So don't be too critical, as long as it's minor and doesn't affect anything. Chances are you'll drop it once or twice too...

The Rebels seem to have been engineered with that in mind, it's pretty hard to do any serious damage with a low speed or no speed drop on them.

[jeffcoslacker]

http://adcache.cycletrader.com/5/9/3/83782593.htm

Did you see this one? Hell if that were anywhere near me, I'd buy it just for some cheap transport around town...

[Sheresh07]

Originally Posted by jeffcoslacker

http://adcache.cycletrader.com/5/9/3/83782593.htm

Did you see this one? Hell if that were anywhere near me, I'd buy it just for some cheap transport around town...

No I didnt see that one, as I live in colorado, so the one that I linked to is the closest.

[jeffcoslacker]

Ahh...I get it. You're profile said Amhest NY.

Going to CSU?

[Sheresh07]

Originally Posted by jeffcoslacker

Ahh...I get it. You're profile said Amhest NY.

Going to CSU?

I might be starting this fall yea, but I moved out here about a year ago because my fathers mother had cancer, actually twice she did and survived both so.

[Sheresh07]

Well i went ahead and bought it. It certainly is a blast. I dont think it handles anything like a bike but I think this can still count as some seat time, and by that I mean just learning to deal with traffic and pedestrians and other motorists. So there are lessons to be learned. I think I'm going to take the MSF Introduction to Scooters.

Anyways if yall wanna see it I'll post some pics up.