Scooters 125cc vs. 50cc

[TorontoRider]

Review of the Ruckus:

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/127/38...le/2009-Honda-
Ruckus-Scooter-Review.aspx

Would seem that at your size and weight the 125 is the way to go....

[jarodseto]

Totally agree...
I can lose weight and get a 50cc...
or not lose weight and get a 125
I'm not losing weight.

[David.stylemaster]

I've got bikes and scooters.

Only upside of the 50cc is they are cheaper.

Downsides:
- acceleration is poor. You will piss cars on even in the city and they will be right up on your tail. Even worse give your size/wt.
- top speed tends to be around 60/70 kmh, again, even in the city that is not enough. Cars will try and get around you which is not safe. Even worse for you because of size/wt
- people buy them to avoid the M requirements thinking this is an upside. Without having to take a basic course from what I have seen they have no riding skills. Most accidents happen in a city, not on a highway. So rider skill is even more important.

Small tires and suspension means you have to be far more careful of street car tracks and the poor condition of many of Toronto's terrible roads.

But they are a lot of fun. Light weight and size makes for great maneuverability.

Have fun with it.

[psycho44]

you mean insurance probably for 50cc and it's not much different than insurance for a 250cc. I've had both simultaneously insured before.

A 50cc scooter is not cheap either. A new one can cost you around $3000. A used one at least $2000. The only cheap 50ccs are the mopeds. With that amount of cash you can get a decent motorcycle.

[Android Cat]

One thing to check with a 50cc is if it is restricted to "a maximum attainable speed of 70 km/h or less" as a limited-speed motorcycle. If it is (not all are):

Limited-speed motorcycles can be operated on roads in Ontario.

A limited-speed motorcycle is:

1. a motorcycle that:
   
   1. can attain a rate of speed of more than 32 km/hr on level ground within a distance of 1.6 kilometres from a standing start;
   2. has a maximum attainable speed of 70 km/h or less;
   3. has steering handlebars that are completely constrained from rotating in relation to the axle of only one wheel in contact with the ground;
   4. has a minimum seat height, when the vehicle is unladen, of 650 millimetres;
   5. has a minimum wheel rim diameter of 250 millimetres and a minimum wheelbase of 1016 millimetres;
   6. has a maximum engine displacement of 50 cubic centimetres or less; or,
   
   
2. if the motorcycle was manufactured on, or after, September 1, 1988, it must have affixed a compliance label required under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Act (Canada) that identifies the motor vehicle as a limited-speed motorcycle.

A limited-speed motorcycle must meet vehicle requirements as defined under the federal Motor Vehicle Safety Act (MVSA). However, in order to use a limited-speed motorcycle, the driver must comply with the operating requirements of a motorcycle under provincial regulations. A limited-speed motorcycle has a maximum attainable speed of 70 km/h or less.
http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dan...rging/#limited

Now, there are tons of kits and howtos to de-restrict them, but I don't know what's involved to make it legal with the MTO. (Anyone?) Not that there's much chance of getting caught unless you zip past a cop at 90+...

[psycho44]

what you mean legal? Once the bikes registered you can do whatever modification you'd like on the bike.

For a moped like the one I have pictured to the right you don't need a UVIP or a safety certificate to get it registered. I just added a performance exhaust and increased the jetting hole to make it go above 70 km/h.

[Android Cat]

what you mean legal? Once the bikes registered you can do whatever modification you'd like on the bike.

For a moped like the one I have pictured to the right you don't need a UVIP or a safety certificate to get it registered. I just added a performance exhaust and increased the jetting hole to make it go above 70 km/h.

Don't they get a special LSM plate, or have they dropped that? Personally, I could see just peeling off the compliance sticker, and registering it as a non-limited speed motorcycle, but that's too simple for the government.

[psycho44]

yeah a LSM motorcycle gets a green plate while a moped gets a red plate.

How is it any different than a sport bike getting performance modified? As long as the cc is below 50 I don't think the above 70 km/h speed matters. Just say the wind pushed you.

[jarodseto]

Quick question,

With my fat butt on the 125 Vino, It tops out at 70km...
Is this correct?

[UrbanPoet]

As far as modifications...
Its not heavily enforced. As long as the bike was manufactured as a 50cc Limited speed motorcycle its all good...

You could put 70cc kits on it, de-restrict them, and they'll go pretty fast.
Some models like the 50cc CPI GTR50, Kymco Super9, and Aprilia SR50 can hit 85-90km/hr with de-restriction and a 70cc kit. Some have been known to break 100 with ideal conditions...
E.g. derestricted with a 70cc kit, down hill, and quite a bit of wide open throttle.

Quick question,

With my fat butt on the 125 Vino, It tops out at 70km...
Is this correct?

Yeah... Probably. You said you were 200lbs+?
The max capacity of these things is usually just a bit over 300. So it might feel like your 2 upping.

I've got bikes and scooters.

Only upside of the 50cc is they are cheaper.

Downsides:
- acceleration is poor. You will piss cars on even in the city and they will be right up on your tail. Even worse give your size/wt.
- top speed tends to be around 60/70 kmh, again, even in the city that is not enough. Cars will try and get around you which is not safe. Even worse for you because of size/wt
- people buy them to avoid the M requirements thinking this is an upside. Without having to take a basic course from what I have seen they have no riding skills. Most accidents happen in a city, not on a highway. So rider skill is even more important.

Small tires and suspension means you have to be far more careful of street car tracks and the poor condition of many of Toronto's terrible roads.

But they are a lot of fun. Light weight and size makes for great maneuverability.

Have fun with it.

Hmmm.. well. Long gone are the days you could ride a 50cc scooter or moped with only your car drivers license. You actually have to have a M2 with L restriction.

You need to get a M1, then take a M1 exit test... or complete an approved safety course.
The only difference with LSM is that theres no M2 exit... Its not necessary b/c they aren't highway capable.

[jonl]

Ruckus looks neat, but no decent storage.

50cc scooters are so slow that IMO they are dangerous in Toronto & the GTA. At 210 lbs, on most 50cc scooters you might get 50 kph (downhill) out of it (and indicated is less than actual).

My wife had a 2-stroke Yamaha Vino. It was a nice scooter, but she got tired of having big vehicles right on her bumper, all the time, and not enough power to pull away. For some reason, drivers of larger vehicles seem to feel the need to tail-gate and then pass scooters, even when they're about to turn. She sold it after 4 weeks, and got a 250 Ninja, which she felt was much safer in traffic.

Personally, even for city-only use, I would not get anything smaller than 125cc.

[psycho44]

last Tuesday we did a twistie ride with a bunch of Harleys and high cc's bike. There was one first year girl rider on a Piaggio Fly 150 that kept up pretty good and these guys weren't going slow pace too.