150cc vs. 250cc scooter and other questions

[pengyou]

OK...now for all of your smart *ss's out there, I know it is a difference of 100cc What is likely to be the difference in fuel economy? top speed? total weights of the bikes?

What is the difference between a scooter and a cycle? I know that scooters have built in trunks for storage...anything else? Are there any scooters for sale that have 14" or larger - rims? As the size of the engine goes up - near 200 and past, do most of the larger bikes/scooters come with disk brakes?

[Abacus]

Scooters might look like they are for sissies but in the city they are a lot more convenient imo. Especially when it's raining (shoes stay drier and you can wear a poncho) or when you want to grab some groceries. But I wouldn't get rid of my motorcycle. I have a 150cc Hartford and there is very little reason to upgrade (up front cost) to a 250cc motorcycle. Maybe if I was heavy and it bogged down going uphill but I've ridden with a passenger (130kg total) up and down mountains with little trouble. I also don't need to go faster than the 90+km/hr that it will do. Most of the roads are not safe at those speeds anyway.

just my two cents typed quickly - probably borderline incoherent

[Stian]

I don't see the point of the 250cc scooter.
It's heavier and less easy to manover in the Taipei trafick and you just pay extra for that and still can't drive it on the highway.
In my mind the 200-500cc range is not worth bothering about.

[loaker]

Scooters might look like they are for sissies but in the city they are a lot more convenient imo. Especially when it's raining (shoes stay drier and you can wear a poncho) or when you want to grab some groceries. But I wouldn't get rid of my motorcycle. I have a 150cc Hartford and there is very little reason to upgrade (up front cost) to a 250cc motorcycle. Maybe if I was heavy and it bogged down going uphill but I've ridden with a passenger (130kg total) up and down mountains with little trouble. I also don't need to go faster than the 90+km/hr that it will do. Most of the roads are not safe at those speeds anyway.

just my two cents typed quickly - probably borderline incoherent

Hey, Abacus--I rode a Honda 650 Nighthawk for years in the U.S. and I'm considering getting something on two wheels here, keeping to the 150cc range to keep the price down and the mileage up--not to mention the space issues. I've sat on the Kymco Jockey, G5 and Racing 150, and I've also sat on the SYM Fighter 150. Of all of those, the Fighter had the most knee room. We rented a Kymco Duke 125 and it was okay, if a bit small. That's the only motorized 2-wheeler I've ridden in Taiwan so far. The most comfortable bike to sit on was the Hartford 150 Sirius. As Goldilocks said, it was "just right." I actually felt like my 183cm body fit on it properly. Very comfortable.

My wife and I are bout the same 130kg total, so we think 150 should be enough, even for trips from Beitou over Yangming Shan to Yilan and back. I'm curious about two things;

1) Do you have a scooter, and if so, do you find yourself using it more than the motorcycle because of the storage, convenience, etc.? If you don't have a scooter, how do you manage storage?
2) How is the Hartford working out for you? Do you have any maintenance issues? They have very few locations for sales or service and they've not been around as long as Kymco or SYM.

We'd like to take the bike on longer trips into the mountains, so a bigger tank would be good, and I really prefer the motorcycle riding position, etc. The Fighter 150 seems to go for about NT$85-86K, but you can get a good Hartford 150 with a 14L tank for NT$69k. http://shopping.pchome.com.tw/?mod=item&func=exhibit&IT_NO=CGAE3E-A49441695&SR_NO=CGAE0G&ROWNO=5

Your thoughts? --loaker

[ktk_ace]

get a kymco V2 150 , 10" tires are dirt cheap in Taiwan.
or if you prefer more stability, the New fighter 150 by SYM is a nice choice. 12" tires, a long wheelbase and a very well balanced chassis.
Stay away from Kymco's Racing/G5/MEGA5 and yamaha's Cygnus, one isnt properly balanced and one has a pump problem which can leave you stranded.

[Abacus]

1) Do you have a scooter, and if so, do you find yourself using it more than the motorcycle because of the storage, convenience, etc.? If you don't have a scooter, how do you manage storage?
2) How is the Hartford working out for you? Do you have any maintenance issues? They have very few locations for sales or service and they've not been around as long as Kymco or SYM.

I don't have a scooter and I've never enjoyed the rentals that I've had. I have a box and would take a backpack (or bungees) if I needed extra storage. But I bought a cheap car this winter for grocery getting and touring Taiwan. My Hartford is just a town commuter now.

The only issue that I've had is losing power during rainstorms. There's another thread about this difficult to diagnose issue. This is not a Hartford issue since several scooter owners are having problems also.

I doubt you'll need a bigger tank since you'll be able to go 150+ kms on the stock Hartford tank.

[adrian]

I currently have both - scooter and motorbike(s). If you like driving (some don't), then get a motorbike. You can get a scooter on the cheap for your shopping errands and rainy days.

[trapjaw]

There's a 250 scooter by SYM that's not shaped like one of those huge, inconveniently-sized monstrosities. I'm not sure if this model is still in production, it looks like an early 00s kinda model perhaps. Front and rear disc brakes, only a little bigger than your average 125 scooter, and it hauls ass, at least the one I tried did (140kph on the speedo and great pulloff acceleration from standing start).

Can anyone here name this specific model and how much a 2nd hand one would cost these days? Sorry I can't be more descriptive, it's been a while and you don't see many of them on the roads. It's got big sorta triangular twin headlights up front. Seems like a rocking scoot that happens to be conveniently sized too.

[richard11]

Thank you, I was looking for this information.

[sulavaca]

I've owned both scooters and a motorcycle for Taipei riding.
I would say that the scooter is overall more practical, but that the fuel efficiency is nowhere near a decent motorcycle.

Scooter pros:
lighter
more maneuverable
can load bags onto the footwell
requires less skill to ride
easy to park

Scooter cons:
More expensive to purchase
smaller wheels don't like potholes
more limited suspension ability
comparatively low fuel economy due to gearbox-clutch arrangement.

Motorcycle pros:
Very good fuel economy (my example is an SYM Wolf, which manages at least 50% more than my scooter)
Cheaper components (on my example)
Greater major component life
large wheels, and tall suspension which deal with the bumps more effectively.

Motorcycle cons
Heavier to maneuver
Longer, which can make parking difficult
Lack of protection from the elements for the rider
Lack of luggage space.
Potentially more difficult to unmount in the case of an accident.

If I had to purchase another bike again, I would still likely go with my SYM Wolf again (125cc) . I really love the fuel efficiency and low cost running of this bike. I love that I can leave it in typhoon rain and floods, come back, and start it up. I can leave it an antire summer without starting, kick it over a few times, and it starts. It's old, its rusty, it isn't cared for much, aside from proper servicing and lube from time to time, and it has never failed me.
You only need to change it's cables periodically, before they decide to fail when in the middle of nowhere. Everything else is all good.