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Ride Green Orlando Scooter Buyer's Guide

Motor Scooters Orlando Central Florida

Find the right scooter to fill your needs

There are many considerations when buying a scooter; the two most important are usage and budget. While each person determines his budget differently, most people will agree on the usability of scooters based upon engine size. Below is a list of common displacements, and typical top speeds with some notes to help you determine which class is right for you.

50cc	30-40 mph Useful for around the neighborhood, small errands on residential streets. Not recommended for passengers.
125cc	45-60 mph Cross-town riding, casual weekend excursions, light passengers on flat terrain for short distances.
150cc	55-65 mph Acceptable for inter-town travel, good for weekend trips not involving extended high-speed periods. Suitable for a passenger.
200cc	70-80 mph Great for inter-town travel, and weekend trips. Suitable for most freeways. Does well with passenger on hills.
400cc or higher	80-100 mph Long-distance touring, designed with long-term comfort and for carrying a passenger.

When determining what scooter class is right for you, remember that you should be able to keep up with the flow of traffic on your typical route. You shouldn't feel as if you are holding up traffic or that you can't get to your destination in a timely fashion. For example, if your typical commute is 10 miles each way with periods on an expressway or freeway, then a bike 125cc or under may not be the right scooter for you. Conversely, you may only need a 50cc if you are taking small trips on city streets where the speed is generally 25-35MPH.

When you decide what engine size will best fit your needs, it is time to narrow your choices by comparing the bikes to criteria such as fit for your body type, carrying capacity, and cost of ownership.

To determine the bikes fit, sit on it, test ride it and practice using the center stand or side stand, pushing it, and parking it. When sitting on a bike, do your feet comfortably touch the ground? Are the controls easy to use? Can you control the bike and its weight when parking and pushing it? The goal is to be sure that you can adequately control the bike.

The Fuel Question

One of the top reasons that Americans have recently turned to scooters is the vehicle's high fuel-efficiency. Some scooters get better gas mileage than others. If gas mileage is of utmost importance, a smaller displacement scooter will sip gas, yet all scooters get far better gas mileage than even most hybrid cars. Check the specs on the scooters for fuel capacity. Scooters that use more gas or are made to travel longer distances will have larger gas tanks. Smaller scooters will have smaller tanks. If you are deciding between two bikes with the same engine size and similar features, you may choose the bike with a larger tank of you expect to be riding frequently and want to avoid the gas station as much as possible.