[Desert Rat]

My single 22 year old daughter is asking me if it's okay to get a small motorcycle or scooter 150 cc or so. She has only been a passenger never ridden before. Beside the safety class & gear which I know about what kind of bike should I recommend she look for. :?: She lives in Sioux Falls S.D. Nice thing is she's asking Dad what he thinks.

 

[Duster]

I think I'd be looking for an older Honda Elite, or maybe a
Yamaha Zuma...125cc version. Get some skills on something
smaller...& some confidence.
The scooters from SYM & Kymco may not have any service
available in your area. And avoid anything from CFMoto.

 

[tonymarchman]

Get her a Honda Reflex. They are very solid and dependable, great gas mileage and low maintenance.
Tony in Tn
I put 43k on a reflex before moving up to a 400.

 

[Mike337]

Stick with the big names, Honda, Yamaha, Kymco, and she'll have a nice dependable ride. No China stuff.

 

[InfernoST]

Stick with the big names, Honda, Yamaha, Kymco, and she'll have a nice dependable ride. No China stuff.

+1

 

[Noth]

I started with a Piaggio MP3... look for a 250 (the smallest).. The 2 front wheels do inlock and you do lean around corners, but the 2 wheels do add more braking .. One negative may be dealer acess so check that first... The bike will fall over... a lot of folks think the 2 front wheels are locked when moving.., not so..

 

[Houndguy]

I have to go with a Yamaha Zuma 125. It's a good solid ride that can get up to 55 mph (suitable for most roads) and will go off road if needed.

It's also pretty popular and common, so repairs and parts should not be an issue. A good wrencher can easily work on it.

 

[MacDoc]

Depends on the riding.
Honda has the 125 CBR on sale new just now and that's a great starter machine as opposed to a city scoot.

 

[IntRunner40]

My vote is for a Honda PCX 150, it's small and light and easy to handle. Gets great gas milage and has OK underseat storage which can be supplimented with a topcase and will top out at a little over 60 mph which should allow her to travel most urban roads. Plus, a few used (low miles) models of these are coming available as the first time riders are upgrading.

 

[model28a]

And avoid anything from CFMoto.

I had a Helix clone made by CFMoto and put over 18,000 miles on it. It was probably the most comfortable scooter I've ever ridden. I rode it down to Key West and up to Georgia with no problems. It was sold to a friend who put another five or six thousand miles on it then he sold it and I don't know the mileage now but the shop that does the maintenance on it said he don't ride much but is real happy with it. I agree that if I was to recommend a scooter it would be a Japanese brand but that Helix clone was one good ride.
Just thought I would add a link to an interesting discussion on the Helix clone.
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=849434

 

[Marv]

Any scooter you suggest that is about 150 CC she will out grow within 3 months. I would suggest a Burgman 400. It's light enough and she will probably not out grow it. We have a scooter club in our area that is sponsored by a Vespa dealer. A third of the group are female. For group rides they must be able able to keep up. Vespa makes a 300 CC that will do 80MPH! They are nice bikes but expensive.

 

[TheReaper]

I would find a scooter that was banged up and cheap because chances are she will dump it a couple times .

TheReaper!

 

[soc714]

Hello. When it comes to the first 2 wheel ride it is a matter of when not if the first crash happens. I know you love her, keep that in mind.

 

[Muse]

I would recommend a 250cc scooter from one of the big names as the way people speed in the US she will feel safer keeping up with traffic flow than risking being constantly passed by irate drivers.

 

[Spwoody]

I would suggest a Kymco Grand Vista 250. They stopped making this bike, but you can find some good used ones for sale around. It is easy to ride and enough power for all but the fastest roads. It holds its value well too. I bought a used 2009 in 2011 for $2500 and sold it almost two years later for $2500. The bike is also easy to work on and service yourself.

 

[Jeff_MdR]

Have her check out Genuine Scooters (genuinescooters.com). They are American made, include the Buddy and Stella brands (from 50cc to 220cc), lots of models/styles/color/accessory choices, strong dealer network and are priced right.

I rented the Buddy Blur 220 on Maui earlier this year and rode, 2-up, nearly every paved road on the island (including the 'Road to Hana'). It performed great and I found it more comfortable than the MP3 I rode on a previous trip.

These are 'scooter' scooters, not maxi-scooters.

BTW, my wife loves her Vespa, it's fun to ride, performs well, but it's had some maintenance problems (CVT related) that I think should never have happened. Plus they are over-priced.

 

[Yosh70]

So what did you get? My eldest daughter is asking as she just got her learners.

I like the PCX150 for her but she wants something bigger....forza maybe?

 

[v8eyedoc]

I taught a 21 yo woman to ride my 400 in a school parking lot in about an hour...... She took to it like a fish to water........ GO FOR IT..!!!!

 

[ErikDK]

Have her check out Genuine Scooters (genuinescooters.com). They are American made,

Since when did PRC become one of the united states of America?

 

[suziblu]

I agree with many of the above suggestions. My thoughts, in priority order are:

1. First, insist she complete a full MC course before she is allowed on one. Riding a two wheeled machine is very different than driving a car. She may discover she doesn't like it which will save you money and grief.
2. Get a lower cost scooter that has been dropped/scratched as it is likely a first time rider will do the same with it. You can always trade up later once she's mastered her riding skills.
3. Get a brand name ... higher reliability, better parts and service availability and easier to sell down the road. You can't go wrong with the big Japanese names.
4. I suggest a 250 cc is ideal ... powerful enough to do everything she'd probably ask ofit but not so much power as to get carried away
5. Four Honda's come to mind that would be ideal. An older Elite (negatives are parts are harder to find if necessary); a Helix, low to the ground and easy to ride; Reflex - probably the ideal blend of urban and secondary road touring capability ... -plus they look great and ; a Honda Big Ruckus .. harder to find but a dream to learn on and ride.
6. Last, insist on her wearing full riding gear (helmet, gloves, riding jacket, ankle height riding boots) all of the time plus a high visibilty (like a construction) vest when riding after dusk or in the rain.

Good Luck. Started her out on the right road will keep her safe and help her enjoy the ride. ~ Bugjr ~