“I bought a scooter, what should I do next?” — 10 tips from experienced people

Is it worth buying a Chinese scooter?

Chinese scooters began to appear on the Russian market even before the Alfa moped. For a while they were even popular and outperformed the moped market. But then Russian residents shifted their preferences towards mopeds for some reasons, since they were considered more universal equipment on the market. Despite this trend, scooters are still being sold.

Choosing a used scooter on the Internet is not so easy. There are not many specialized points where you can buy used equipment in this segment.

Better used Japanese than new Chinese . Statistics show that used Japanese scooters are sold in smaller quantities today. New Chinese models account for a large share of the market. And all this despite the fact that the price of the former is an order of magnitude lower. There are several reasons for this. For example, many people simply do not want to purchase used vehicles. In addition, choosing a used scooter on the Internet is not so easy. There are not many specialized points where you can buy used equipment in this segment. Another reason is the quality of Chinese technology. Today it costs much higher than 10-15 years ago.

Better a moped than a scooter . In general, a moped is a more versatile vehicle. Previously, it was even called differently - a motorcycle with a pedal drive. This is a lightweight motorcycle with large wheels and a gearbox. Such design features make it suitable for traveling over rough terrain.

But the scooter also has some design features that put it over the top. The equipment offers a variator - no need to squeeze the clutch and change gears. Here's a simpler landing. The scooter has a floor where you can put your feet. The front and rear brake levers are located on the steering wheel. A scooter is a vehicle for smooth roads.

For tall people, you should take equipment with 12 or 13 inch wheels

Chinese scooters are small . Most often, scooters with 10-inch wheels are purchased on the market - they are much cheaper and suitable for most people. But if a person’s height exceeds 180 cm, such transport will be small and not comfortable. For tall people, you should take equipment with 12 or 13 inch wheels.

Poor quality . Many people doubt the quality of equipment from China. To the surprise of many, today this country produces reliable vehicles, including scooters. Of course, the quality here is not the same as that of Yamaha, but the price is appropriate. The structure, engine and all other elements last a long time if they receive the necessary maintenance.

All scooters are supplied to the US market from the same factories from where they are sent to Russia

Equipment in this segment is supplied to the US market, where strict quality requirements are imposed on scooters. All scooters are supplied to this market from the same factories from where they are sent to Russia. Therefore, it is not advisable to doubt the quality of Chinese products in 2021. These manufacturers have even risen in the automotive industry. At the same time, over the past few years, their products have begun to appear in the rankings of the most popular cars.

Bottom line .
Chinese scooters are still sold in large volumes on the Russian market. Future owners have many concerns that are not supported by evidence.

“I bought a scooter, what should I do next?” — 10 tips from experienced people

The day before, representatives of the Perm PROscooters community shared their experience of registering an “iron pony”. Several community members have already gone through the procedure of registering their small-capacity equipment with the MREO and know exactly “what to do, where to run, what to be afraid of.” Read the story about getting a license plate here.

The conversation with representatives of the PROscooters community did not end there. They talked about what a novice scooter driver might need and gave some tips.

Tip #1. Park securely.

You need to place equipment in the yard so as not to disturb anyone and have the opportunity to “catch onto something,” even if it’s a trash can. “When thieves drag your moped along with the trash, they will at least feel uneasy,” explain the scooterists. You can “cling” to lamp posts or high, stable supports, but the best solution in any yard is to weld the structure for fixation. This is especially true where several scooter or bicycle owners live or work. Try to come to an agreement. Many buildings in Perm and some office centers have indoor bicycle parking.

Of course, it is best to leave the equipment in a guarded parking lot so that a live person can observe. However, there is a problem here: not every paid night or day parking in Perm agrees to accept motorcycles. “No, we won’t take them, they are often stolen,” the guards at most paid parking lots usually refuse. A paradox, no less.

Tip #2. Protect as best you can.

Alarm system - any motorcycle alarm and always with feedback. Without feedback, it’s just a “squeaker”, the sound of which no one will ever pay attention to. StarLine motorcycle alarms are highly respected here; they are quite expensive, but effective. There are many “Made in China” offers, the price range is from 2–3 thousand to 5–7 thousand.

A good fastener is either a chain, a metal rod, or a cable. The rigging chain is not enough; the swindlers quickly saw it off with a hacksaw. You need a specialized motorcycle chain, it costs from 500 rubles. The motor cable has proven itself well, but the bicycle cables can easily be snapped.

One without the other is useless: you need both a signal and the ability to “get hooked.”

The bright color of the equipment potentially helps against theft or theft. Such a scooter is more noticeable both to eyewitnesses of a crime and during search activities. The situation is always on the side: “Such a beautiful little red one? That’s where we went” and against “Dark gray? No, we didn’t see it.”

License plate - if you have license plates, you will have additional peace of mind. “The thieves will take a look and think, and they’ll steal the one next door, without license plates,” joke representatives of the scooter community.

Tip #3. Don't neglect safety.

A helmet and gloves are a must without any discussion. A slight fall is most often caused by braking your own body with your palms. Thick denim pants almost always save legs when falling at a speed of 20–30 km/h while braking, but they rarely survive. Store salespeople or online reviews will help you choose a helmet, gloves, and, if necessary, special clothing.

Tip #4. Fight the rain and wind.

A cover for equipment at night is completely optional, our interlocutors are sure. Even after a rainy night, simply wiping the seat is enough. What is more important is your own clothes.

Do not freeze. When you drive at a speed of about 60 km/h, the sensation of air temperature changes. You need to subtract about 10 degrees from the current temperature and choose clothes taking this result into account. So, if it’s +20 outside and you can walk in a T-shirt, then for the trip it’s worth adding at least a windproof jacket to your clothes.

Don't get wet. It is worth keeping rain clothes with you, and such that they cover not only your back and arms, but also your legs. If you have to drive in heavy rain, then after a few minutes you are completely wet. If on a motorcycle the engine is located in the front, dries and warms up the rider, then on a scooter the engine is not so “successfully” in terms of heating; it is shared with the seat by the trunk space. Therefore, waterproof pants and a jacket or overalls are essential. Rain overalls, yellow ones with reflectors, are popular - in the rain, in poor visibility conditions they will help you be more visible on the road.

Tip #5. Place the case.

The trunk of the scooter is quite spacious and can accommodate a motorcycle helmet. The case is just a useful accessory. In it you can put rain protection, a jacket, gloves, the necessary tools, a first aid kit and, if desired and in sufficient volume, much more.

Tip #6. Monitor the condition of your equipment.

The electrical system must always be in good working order. Many novice scooter riders do not pay enough attention to the lights on their equipment: “It doesn’t light up, but that’s okay.” This is a big mistake, even if the equipment is used only during daylight hours. At any moment, a situation may arise when you have to drive at dusk or in the dark, and there is no need to talk about sudden rain.

Lights, turn signals, signal, battery - all this must be carefully checked. Electrics must always work, because otherwise the consequences can be severe and extremely severe.

Equipment needs to be serviced every thousand kilometers traveled. During the season, even if you drive very actively, you will cover a little more than 10 thousand kilometers. Maintenance on a scooter costs much less than on a car - from 500 rubles. However, if you ignore maintenance and come to the service center in a very neglected state, maintenance can cost between five and eight thousand rubles. Or they will simply tell you: “This is rubbish, nothing can be done with it.”

Tip #7. Use your scooter according to the season.

The season can begin in the second half of April, when the roads are completely free of snow and ice. If you have little driving experience, you should first drive a few laps in a safe area, in courtyards, and remember your driving technique. You have to winterize your scooter in mid-autumn, it all depends on the freezing and icing of the road surface.

“There are also those who stud scooter wheels for the winter and keep it in a warm garage, buy snowmobile equipment and continue riding. But such fans, as you understand, are very few. If you look not in the city, but in the villages, old Soviet scooters like “Electron” or “Tula” continue to drive all winter,” our interlocutors say.

A scooter has to winter in the same way as any motorcycle. Conservation and garage, preferably warmer.

Tip #8. Don't forget about taxes.

Let us recall the current transport tax rates in the Perm region.

* established by the Law of the Perm Region (as amended on December 11, 2012 No. 161-PK).

Tip #9. Don't skimp on insurance.

Even if the motorcycle is not registered, you can try to take out a DSAGO policy, voluntary liability insurance. By its nature, DSAGO is similar to compulsory motor liability insurance; it also allows you to avoid the costs of compensating for harm caused to someone through your fault. True, most insurance companies have recently refused to insure motor vehicles of the 50cc class according to DSAGO.

When registering motorcycles, you can no longer do without compulsory motor insurance. You can purchase a voluntary liability insurance policy just in case if you still feel not too confident as a motorcyclist driver.

Tip #10. Connect with like-minded people.

More experienced owners of small-capacity equipment will give any advice regarding the maintenance of the scooter, its operation and legal issues. In addition, you can simply ride with them in a group in any format - from club meetings to long-distance travel.

It may seem that owning a scooter or scooter is much more difficult than previously thought. Not really. Usually, in the first season, a beginner covers about 2 thousand kilometers, so maintenance doesn’t break the bank at all. Again, a raincoat is only necessary if your equipment will be used daily and/or as the only mode of transport.

“The real must-haves: protection, chain, alarm, good parking and a mechanic you trust to do the maintenance. Everything else, as well as tuning and upgrades - as “madness” appears, the guys from PROscooters assured.

Why I bought a used Japanese scooter

When I was inspired to get a scooter, I began reading information on this topic on the Internet. Of course, to begin with, I looked at online stores for new scooters and determined for myself a price of around 40-50 thousand, which I can pay for a scooter. And then I began to study what exactly I should buy so as not to waste my money.

And there were two options: either a new Chinese scooter or a used Japanese one. In principle, I don’t see anything wrong with used equipment if it is in good condition. Since I was planning to buy something that I wouldn’t mind damaging, the scales began to tip in favor of used. And in scooter forums, most participants recommended an old Japanese moped rather than a new Chinese one.

Now we had to choose the type of engine.

I read about the advantages and disadvantages of two- and four-stroke engines. I learned about the principles of their work - after all, all this was new to me. In favor of the two-stroke was its power and simplicity of design, and in favor of the four-stroke was less noise, fuel efficiency and increased environmental friendliness. Of course, my brain at that time was incapable of mastering all sorts of valves, camshafts, chains, etc. But I immediately wanted power that was understandable to me, and the two-stroke engine got a plus in the choice - although with a few doubts.

So, I already have the idea in my head that I want a used scooter with a two-stroke engine. Now it was necessary to choose a manufacturer and model. I again read on the Internet what is popular, and it turned out that the list of worthy manufacturers is small - these are three Japanese companies: Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki. And of these three, the highest authority belongs to Honda scooters, and the most common model is called Honda Dio.

So I got to the final stage: choosing a specific model. This is where it turned out to be more difficult. I looked at the prices of Honda scooters, and was disappointed to find that they cost in the range of 22-30 thousand rubles. According to my standards, it was very cheap, and I thought that for that kind of money you could only buy dead rubbish. Reluctantly, I continued my search. After looking through the forums, I learned that there are three popular lines: Dio AF-18/AF-25, Dio AF-27/AF-28 and Dio AF-34/AF-35. Of course, I needed the most expensive one.

I went on reconnaissance to an office selling scooters. I looked and the scooters looked far from ideal. Moreover, it turned out that the scooters were very old – from the 90s. Only Dio ZX was from 2000. Somewhat discouraged, I went home to think until the weekend.

Still, I needed a scooter for the dacha, and Dio was described everywhere as a scooter for asphalt. So I shifted my focus from the Dio to the Honda Lead and Tact models - they have a swing-arm front fork that is more suitable for off-road use. But the Lead was too big for me, so I ended up choosing a Honda Tact AF-31 with a disc front brake.

Having bought it, at first I was a little upset, since the scooter was clearly not new, scratched, there was rust, dirt, etc. Although he drove briskly. However, later, in practice, it turned out that the Honda scooter has only advantages:

• excellent quality, many parts were 18 years old and were in perfect condition - for example, cylinder, brakes, carburetor, gearbox
• the scooter is very easy to repair, and any spare parts are available for sale
• plastic of excellent quality - does not crumble when dropped, like Chinese
• excellent driving characteristics, dynamics superior to any Chinese
• the scooter is available for tuning

Over time, I read about the problems that Chinese scooters have that my scooter does not have, and I was finally convinced that I made the right choice. And I quickly brought my Honda Tact into excellent condition.

How did you choose your scooter?

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Advantages of mopeds

1. If you do not want to go to the service center every time there is a breakdown. Certain shortcomings that surfaced during operation can be eliminated on your own, using the advice of experienced drivers.
2. Many owners note that it is many times more familiar to sit on a moped (almost like on a motorcycle) than on a scooter. But some people don’t care at this point.
3. The wheels are quite large. Accordingly, there will be no problems with cross-country ability. Scooters really don't like potholes. Even the most modern and large scooters are most often used only on good roads.
4. As for refueling, to some, a tank under the seat seems absurd - it’s all individual. In the case of a moped, you don't have to raise the seat every time - to some extent, that's also a bonus.
5. You can carry more luggage with you than on a scooter. But here you need to take into account the specific model of the moped or scooter.

Advantages of scooters

1. If you want to avoid spending a lot on fuel. Here it is worth saying thanks to aerodynamics and certain technical nuances of the internal combustion engine.
2. The design has a high level of ergonomics. We're not talking about aesthetics now. It’s just that the scooter doesn’t “blow away” so much in sharp and serious gusts of wind.
3. The scooter's tank is located under the seat. But there are no nuances when draining fuel, which is especially convenient for those who have never encountered such equipment before.
4. If you buy a modern scooter from a reputable manufacturer, it will have an automatic transmission. It hardly makes sense to describe the advantages. This makes driving easier - for some this is the most important point.

Two or four bars?

Although the song for two-strokes is considered to be "sung", there is a large aftermarket for them. In addition, many Chinese companies still produce models with such engines, because the advantages of two-stroke engines cannot be abolished by law. These include: higher specific power (that is, power divided by the working volume of the cylinder), low weight, and simplicity of design. Such an engine simply has fewer parts, since gas distribution and lubrication systems are either absent or much simpler than four-stroke ones. At the same time, the engine can be easily tuned, with the help of which you can significantly increase power, as well as switch to a larger cubic capacity. The advantages of “four-stroke” engines are quiet operation, smooth traction, especially at low speed, and approximately one and a half times less gasoline consumption. Oil costs are lower than for two-stroke engines - it is changed only during maintenance, while two-stroke engines “eat” oil constantly, even despite the separate lubrication system. As for the price, Chinese two- and four-stroke scooters of the same model cost almost the same in Russia, so when choosing, you should be guided by other criteria.

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In terms of functionality, small-capacity bikes are not very different from motorcycles with increased power. The only difference is in the engines, acceleration dynamics, and fuel consumption.

This allows you to use mopeds and scooters for the following tasks:

• drive around the city;
• go to work;
• visit shops;
• carry out delivery;
• transport small-sized cargo;
• go to the country;
• transport passengers;
• go fishing.

The main advantage of this technique is that it allows you to safely and quickly master skills. With their help, it is easier to switch to more serious two-wheeled vehicles.

Equipment for everyday trips

Every day, urban residents usually ride motor vehicles. For those who need to travel to work, as well as on other business within the city.

A good and correct solution here would be a scooter with an engine capacity of up to 125 cc.

Its advantage is low fuel consumption, basic maintenance, as well as attractive appearance and simple operation.

And the prices are quite reasonable.

If you plan regular trips to the country, then it is better to take an Alpha or Delta moped. A good choice for a beginner who needs a motor vehicle with improved cross-country ability. With an engine capacity of up to 110 cubic meters, as well as with a manual gearbox, fuel consumption will be insignificant.

What to pack for travel

Travel is a long but relatively infrequent trip.

Both a scooter and a moped are potentially suitable. But if the main part of the journey is paved roads and tracks, choose a scooter. The moped is suitable for long-distance off-road conquerors, as well as for broken roads.

The priority for travelers is equipment with the following characteristics and features:

• engine capacity from 125 to 200 cubic meters;
• comfortable seat for 1-2 people;
• soft suspension;
• spacious trunk;
• effective braking system.

Based on these parameters, you can choose an excellent model.

Before you decide to buy

Legal subtleties are a pitfall that any vehicle owner can stumble over. Before you rush to choose a new scooter in joy, check out a few nuances that you need to keep in mind just in case.

Rights

Depending on the legislation of your country, for a scooter with an engine of a certain size you need to have a license of the specified category (for example, A1 with an engine capacity of up to 50 cm³ and A - if this indicator is exceeded). Before purchasing, make sure you are legally allowed to drive such a vehicle.

Registration

It is necessary for those who plan to drive on state roads or travel outside the city. Therefore, if you are full of travel zeal, register your “stallion” in advance.