Scooters

[surfdude]

my son has just got himself a KYMCO . lovely little bike . Kawasaki have just bought into the firm so the standard of the bike has gone up . as some others have said for £1000 i would be looking at a second hand named bike and avoid the Chinese rubbish

 

[cyberknight]

Not on Toyota Island. Part of the reason I got rid of my Peugeot Speedfight was the Corolla T-Sport stunt driving display team.

I go out of my way on the bike to avoid the island by using the a38 cyclepath,I do know what you mean as about the standard of driving on the "circle of death"

 

[gbb]

my son has just got himself a KYMCO . lovely little bike . Kawasaki have just bought into the firm so the standard of the bike has gone up . as some others have said for £1000 i would be looking at a second hand named bike and avoid the Chinese rubbish

I hired a kymco a few years ago in Greece...125cc, awesome thing.

 

[mybike]

Many years ago I used to do a 12 mile commute into London on a 125 monocoque framed 2 stroke scooter. It was fine for that as the speed limit was 30mph. It had poor lights though and I suspect that any small bike will have less powerful lights than a bigger bike. Country lanes need decent lights.

For a while I lived in Tring and again commuted into London. I bought a 200cc 4 stroke motor bike. The difference was very noticeable, but it wasn't really up to the distance I was doing so I ended up with a 400cc bike.

Consider the route, what sort of power required, what sort of surface and who else is using it.

You will be doing 150miles a week, that means maintenance. I used to swap chains every week but I was doing ~450 miles a week.

 

[NorthernDave]

An acquaintance bought a 50cc scooter to commute.
Within 6 months he'd upgraded to one of those BMW C1 125's (with a roof!).
Within a year of that he was riding a 650cc bike to work and he now has a Fireblade.

it seems the need to upgrade is just as bad with powered two wheelers as it is with bicycles...

 

[MarkF]

You will be doing 150miles a week, that means maintenance. I used to swap chains every week but I was doing ~450 miles a week.

With respect, a scooter will have either direct drive or an enclosed belt, insulated from the weather. People have ridden 2 stroke Vespas around the world and modern 125's are much more advanced, albeit harder to fix..............

Honda PCX125 Euro tour.

 

[ChrisV]

Been working on the sums.

Currently have 06 Xsara Picasso. Paid up two years ago. Still in decent working order but needs a few bits and bobs. Hitting 100k but worried things will start to go wrong.

Current cost

£27 per month insurance
£11 per month tax
£100 per month fuel
Total £138 per month

Brand new Honda PCX 125cc

£79 per month cost of purchase (3 years)
£1.25 per month road tax
£20 per month fuel
£30 per month insurance
Total £130.25 per month

Now here is the master plan!

The Picasso costs £38 per month to keep if it doesn't move (insurance and tax). So, I keep it for emergency or bad winter use, so I am not stuck when the black ice descends. £38 is not a killer to have a car waiting there.

So cost for both vehicles is £168. I extend the life of the Xsara Picasso and keep it for another 3 years while I predominantly use the Honda PCX. I buy brand new so it is reliable, and in 3 years it'll still be worth about £1800 by the look of things. I can then get a big massive BMW car, or a motorbike, or whatever!

I had a look at Arnold Clark. To match this scenario, I'd have to take the £27 insurance and £11 tax as well as let's optimistically say £80 fuel away from the £168, leaving £50 per month for the car payment.

£50 per month over 36 months gets you nothing.

For £62, over 5 whole years, I could get this:

So, basically a scooter with doors and a roof. For a full 60 months.

It's beginning to look like a sensible idea, not just an excuse to drive about on a scooter and relive my youth!

 

[MarkF]

Go the whole hog.........

 

[Drago]

Man up and get a nice 4x4, annoy the peace hippy lentil munchers.

 

[screenman]

Both of my Picasso's did 180,000 each with very little servicing.

 

[ChrisV]

10 months, and it's like £28 or something. For a 125cc.

Confused myself now ...

Can get a proper wee silly car, like a Citreon C1, 62 plate, 15k miles, no road tax, 65 mpg, take the payments up to £145 but only over 2 years!!

2 years man, that's awesome.

 

[ChrisV]

There was a quote for £156, but it came with an £1150 excess

The insurance on a wee silly car goes down to £17 a month!

 

[mybike]

With respect, a scooter will have either direct drive or an enclosed belt, insulated from the weather. People have ridden 2 stroke Vespas around the world and modern 125's are much more advanced, albeit harder to fix..............

Honda PCX125 Euro tour.

I know, my scooter had an enclosed drive train. But then I used suburban roads, country lanes are quite different. And there is still maintenance to do.

 

[Brandane]

Forget the silly wee car, you just know you will grow to hate the thing!
What you NEED is a Honda CG125 bike. Old bullet proof technology (or lack of it, more to the point). Pretty much maintenance free, 90 mpg, etc..
The problem being as you pointed out in your OP, you WILL love it and will want to move on to bigger and better things. I started off buying a 125 to commute on in 1983. Now on a Honda VFR 800 and STILL loving every moment of it . I am actually seriously considering getting a wee CG125 as a winter hack type thing.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Forget finance..hp
a personal loan will cost a lot less and you will Own what you buy.
5k over 60m is around 100 quid
over 36 it will be 150 ish..