Personal Picks: Scooters and motorcycles

Summer has arrived, bringing with it warm days and elevated gas prices—conditions that make riding a scooter or motorcycle more appealing. If you are looking to buy your first two-wheeler, there are many things to consider, such as licensing, safety, and model choice. See our scooter and motorcycle report for buying advice, ratings, and safety information. 

For our report, we tested several small scooters (50cc), large scooters (125-150cc), and motorcycles (250cc). We have to confess, the staff enjoyed donning helmets and riding these bikes on our track and real-world streets. Through the process, everyone learned something about entry-level bikes and which they would choose.

Here’s we share personal picks from the test and editorial staffs.

Eric Evarts: There’s no question, the Kawasaki Ninja 250 is great fun to ride. Corners feel invigorating, as you lean the bike into turns, crouched over the handlebars. The little engine screams to redline, which comes up in a flash. And the brakes haul you down like you rode through glue. Best of all, the Ninja costs less than some of the scooters we tested.

For me, though, the best use of a motorized two-wheeler is in not taking a 3,500-pound car on simple, local trips to town for shopping and other errands. And for that, a scooter would work a lot better (providing your errands don’t include a week’s worth of groceries for a family of four). They have a lot more storage space, plus the easy step-through seating and lack of manual gear-shifting makes riding a lot easier. And by far the best scooter of the bunch is the comfortable and capable Kymko People. Its big wheels mean not every pothole is a menace, and it responds more like a motorcycle in curves.

It’s an axiom around here that riding a scooter makes everyone look like a dork. And that may be true. But if we could just man-up the Kymco’s color a little bit, it could feel a bit more righteous, rather than embarrassing.

Mike Leung: The Kymco People was the only scooter I’d consider of the group we tested. It was quick enough, went fast enough and felt the most stable in a corner (I’d remove the kickstand that scrapes on hard cornering, though). Plus, I’d choose a different color.

The Vespa 150 was nice enough in terms of comfort, but its cost is prohibitive and the performance was sub-par for that price tag.

The Honda Ruckus would be good as a pit vehicle at the race track.

Gene Petersen: A lot of people consider purchasing a scooter to save on fuel, but with overall mileage of many being not much better than a hybrid car, I wonder if they make sense. Still, if you’re going the scooter route, there are only really two that we tested that can be used for practical transportation: the Kymco People 150 and Vespa LX 150. Both feel substantial enough to ride securely around town and have just enough power to keep up with the flow of traffic typical of city and suburban roadways. I like the Kymco over the Vespa for its lower leg reach to the ground when at a stop, and the larger wheels bridge over cracks in the road to make for a smoother ride.

Before giving up four wheels for two, I think that anyone considering a scooter should take a scooter/motorcycle safety course.

Mike Quincy: I’ve had a great time getting reacquainted with two-wheeled motorized transportation. Like many, I used to ride but got sidetracked by houses, kids, and getting older. I’m glad to be back.

I like the classic looks of the Vespas we tested, but I can’t get past the price. Over $4,000 for the LX 150? You’ve got to be kidding. These things are supposed to save money.

I think if I spent the summer on Block Island, Martha’s Vineyard, or Nantucket, I’d get a Honda Ruckus. It seems nearly indestructible, has a classically-Honda smooth engine, and a no-nonsense attitude. I’d get it dirty, leave it out in the rain, ride it on the beach, and not worry a bit.

But for all-out fun, nothing comes close to the Kawasaki Ninja 250. It’s so unbelievably easy to ride and more comfortable than it looks. It could be the best bang-for-the-buck of anything with wheels and an engine.

Gabe Shenhar: As a former motorcycle rider, I came in to this test with the notion that scooters are by definition inferior to motorcycles. But now, after testing a bunch of scoots and as a middle-aged man, I discovered that scooters can be fun, a whole lot easier to ride and yet without hurting one’s masculinity. (Ahem – Ed.) They are easy to get on and off, have an upright riding position, under-seat storage, and their CVT automatic transmissions work well.

So with all the sex appeal of motorcycles, for me it’s “been there – done that.” Among the scooters we tested, we were quite surprised with how well the Kymco performed – quick, quiet, stable and sparing with fuel, but I could never see myself on one because it is just sooo ugly. That leaves only the Vespa LX 150 as a viable option – it’s quick enough, comfortable with a just-right riding position, wide and comfy suede seat, and of course, its classic charm.

Jim Travers: I’ve always felt more at ease and in control on motorcycles than scooters. Some may find the high, chair-like seating position of scooters more comfortable and their step-through frames easier to get on and off, but I’ve always felt like I’m perched high atop a scooter, rather than being an extension of it. You use your legs and body to help lean and control a motorcycle much more than you can a scooter, and a motorcycle’s larger wheels and tires add to that feeling of stability.

That said, my pick is the Kawasaki Ninja 250, hands down. The frame fits my own 6’2” frame much better than the Honda Rebel, and the ride is surprisingly comfortable. The Ninja is nimble, with precise handling, and the brakes are terrific. And there’s something about running the sporty, affordable Ninja up through the gears to that 13,000-rpm redline that never gets old. All this, and decent fuel mileage, too.

Comments

[Susan Levitt]

Why are all the testers male? A female opinion would round out the mix a bit better, especially with small scale bikes like this test features. And what the heck does "man up" mean, adding a neck tie motif to the upholstery? Is it "manning up" a sports car to add a hood bra?

[Eric Evarts]

Susan,

You're absolutely right that women's opinions are vital in getting a thorough look at a product. Several of our female testers did ride and rate the scooters. But writing the personal picks is strictly optional, and none of our women engineers apparently chose to weigh in on this one.

Eric Evarts

[Marc]

Here in Virginia anyone who loses their license for DWI gets one of these. Now we have drunks on scooters menacing our roads.... I hated these noisey and polluting things on our Europe trip. I hope these don't catch on here.

[Dan]

There are so many models that you could have tested but were left out. Honda has a new 150cc direct-injection large wheel scooter that I'm sure would have killed that carbureted Kymco and Vespa!

What about a 250cc or 500cc scooters? How come those weren't tested? They can easily get up to highway/interstate speeds with ease, have larger wheels and are more charachteristic of a motorcycle. Take a look at the Yamaha T-Max which blends elements of scooter and motorcycle into something really unique and interesting.

And what about the Piaggo MP3 series of three-wheeled scooters? I'm sure most Americans haven't even heard, much less seen, any of these! They take all the best attributes of scooters and add two wheels up front for added safety and stability. And unlike that god-awful CamAm, they use an ingenious technique of cambering the front wheels so you still actually lean with the bike. It is an engineering feat and I'm sure would bring a lot of riders over to the market who are apprehensive of riding a two-wheeled vehicle.

I didn't feel like the addition of two 250cc motorcycles was that helpful. It did nothing but confirm a bias for preference of motorcycles. Like all mainstream scooter reviews, it was written by motorcycle enthusiasts instead of scooter enthusiasts. Hybrid cars generally get the same bias applied as most automobile writers prefer sport-oriented cars and aren't that into the same passions that would inspire somehow to buy a hybrid. (Take the recent article on the 2009 Prius vs. Insight comparo in the June issue of Car and Driver as a perfect example.)

I feel like this was a halfhearted attempt and not really that great or even an informative article. I always hope to see better than this at Consumer Reports.

[Rebecca Ballard]

I have to agree with severl others. I have looked up "motorcycle" and all I EVER get is scooter information. I don't WANT scooter information, I want REAL MOTORCYCLE info.

I just received my renewal notice; I think I shall just wait to see a good MOTORCYCLE review before I resubscribe my hard copy or net copy of Consumer Report.