I'm after getting a second hand scooter/moped for my 17y/o son Ideally not too expensive and one that he can take apart/put together and get parts for From my youth.... the lads had yellow Yamaha FS1E's and the old people had red Honda 50's Any suggestions/advice gratefully appreciated Wanted to spend say about £500 Many thanks Mark
Bugger just seen this http://thelatebay.com/index.php?threads/anyone-know-about-mopeds-scooters.29780/ ? Honda 50 then
Fizzies an Suzuki APs etc. cost a fortune these days....it's the retro tax. I had a few 50s when i was about your lad's age, most of them taken apart and rebuilt, several times. Anything will do for a run around...even these 'Scooter' type scooters (if you know what I mean) Underneath all that plastic there's still an engine to mess around with...easy to de-restrict as well (which was always high on my list of proirities
My understanding was that the chinese imports fall to bits so was after something a few years old that didnt. Just looked at ebay for FS1E's and they are bleedin expensive .... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Yamaha-Fs...es_Manuals_Litterature_ET&hash=item3f2c32bc15
Whilst it'd be great to have a nice retro 50, if your son is going to be using to get to work etc. and he needs to maintain it, then getting hold of parts for older bikes could be an issue, plus what was cool to us back in the day , may be anathema to a 17 year old nowadays. Most of the lads I see knocking around are on Piaggios, Aprillias and similar. Four stokes tend to be a bit quieter...for when he's sneaking in late at night
if you're limited to 50cc then i think a scooter type is probably your best bet...up to 125 and you're into different territory...there were some great 125s made in the 80s, which set the benchmark for much of the modern stuff today....minters will cost a premium....just saw an RD125LC for £2k but you could probably pick up a cheapie and restore it...top, top bike for a young lad
50cc yes Dont think he'd last long on a 125 Scooter hunt it is then Met up with @Top Banana Racing in the Summer .. didnt realise he was a bike man ?? something like this ??? No idea what they are worth though! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PIAGGIO-V...7533800?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item1c3920c768 Many thanks
Can't beat a good Vespa, vw of the scooter world, I've got an lx 50 and I love it, never fails, cheap parts and even when I fall off it (which is quite hard to do on these) it dosent hurt, it's that good
Vespa et 50 is the older model to the lx 50, so you can get these a bit cheaper, same engine and stuff
When I was a kid, it was an AP50. Had 5 gears you know! Now, I have a vespa, old school style, which I use every day to get to the station and back. I love it, it's air cooled, with a fan! What more do you want!!
Get a twist'n'go moped, NOT CHINESE!!!!! Avoid the fuel injection versions as they're a pain, look for something that hasn't been 'tuned' by it's owner. Retro is Ok, parts availability is pretty good on most mainstream bikes. Italians now make pretty good ones, if it was me I'd go for a Honda but they're expensive. Vespas are actually quite good now.
Ta Top B Any models in particular and any idea of ball park price pls Many Thanks ps this is pretty local http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PIAGGIO-V...7533800?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item1c3920c768
650cc motorbike and sidecar, thats what i did for my first bike, none of that messing about. Oh you cant ride em on L plates anymore.
They're certainly one of the better ones. Opinion will be divided I suspect as to whether it's 'retro cool' or 'gay'. Tell him Jamie Oliver rides one!
Right further investigation goes like this:- (prepare for a sermon) IF you can find a decent Peugeot Speedfight or a Gilera then get it, they are at the bottom of the market now but and it's a BIG BUT (unlike @Mrs Top Banana Racing's) it has to be unmolested and completely standard, otherwise walk away. Vespa (piaggio) will be reliable and spares plentiful but less cool and less 'tuneable'. Retro is fine but you'll be lucky to find anything worth having in your price range, a good Yamaha FS1-E will command £3000-5000 with ease! A modern 4-stroke 125 will do 80 m.p.h. so I'd suggest sticking with smaller capacities unless (or until) he's more confident. There are SOME reliable Chinese bikes out there and they can be had for as little as £850 new BUT quality is ridiculously variable even between what appears to be the same models and price is NOT necessarily an indication of quality. They're on 5th generation now and much of the poor build quality has been ironed out, basically the newer the better but check MANUFACTURING date as opposed to registration date as many importers buy old stock and register it as new. Baotian are reckoned to be the best of the Chinese manufacturers. They look like this. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Baotian-BT-49-QT-9D-/181255750993?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item2a33af4551 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2007-56-R...9933613?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item3387b22ead You want the 4-Stroke one if you go this way. If you can find out the supplier rather than the dealer it needs to be from Lex-Moto. (They all claim to be Boation but their factories vary vastly). Hope you're not MORE confused now! I'm happy to look at anythingyou find in this area if you like. Finally if you decide to go down the new Chinese route then speak to me 1st as I can probably get one at Trade from an importer but still with the year's guarantee. (Probably 20% off)
I'm still looking as well (have booked my CBT; going to go for a 125cc, based on advice on the thread I posted). My main indecision now is due to budget - buy new on finance or buy secondhand ....?!
