1. Because you can get it for $700 on Ebay
Buying a scooter is like buying a car. There will always be deals that are too good to be true, and this is one of the worst. You can’t test ride it to make sure it’s comfortable or even to be sure it works, and a lot of dealers refuse to service these cheap Chinese no-name scooters.
2. When there is no local dealership
Do your research, and choose a scooter that a dealership near you will service. Not only will they be more familiar with your particular scooter, it will be easier (and cheaper) for them to get parts for a brand of scooter they already service. Many of the brands out there are just as good as each other — so if you like two scooters equally, go with the one that will be easier to have serviced.
3. If you have trouble focusing on driving
Riding a scooter or a motorcycle takes a lot of focus. Since your vehicle is so much smaller, a lot of drivers will not see you, and you need to be paying attention so you can get out of their way fast. It can also be tiring holding the throttle open or fighting the wind.
4. If you can’t afford the gear and insurance
Besides the purchase price of the scooter (and tax/title/registration), you also have to pay for property tax, motorcycle insurance (yes - even if it’s a 50cc engine, you need motorcycle insurance), and riding gear. A bare minimum is a helmet that fits properly ($90+), a good pair of riding gloves ($20+), and sturdy boots ($35+).
You ought to be wearing a protective jacket, too, and that will set you back anywhere from $80 to 300. You might be able to get by with a used jacket, if there are no marks from previous accidents.
5. If you can’t really afford it
Scooters are affordable, but unless you want to start out on a used 50cc scooter to ride around streets with a low speed limit, you’ll be looking at at least a $2,000 purchase price (plus the other expenses above). With fuel prices low again, you can’t really justify owning a scooter just because it saves gasoline.
It’s better to save your money and start out on a 125cc to 250cc engine if you know you want to go 55 mph or higher. If you jump too soon on a 50cc, you’ll be very disappointed because it will slow down to 30 mph on many hills, even if you start out at full throttle.
6. If you need to carry a lot of stuff
You may be used to a small car, but storage on a scooter is like storage on a bicycle: there’s not much of it. Scooters typically have enough room under the seat to hold your helmet, some have a glovebox (and by “glovebox” it really means only one pair of gloves will fit), and that’s about it.
You can buy a trunk (a.k.a. topcase) for many scooters which will hold an additional helmet or one to two plastic grocery bags. You can also purchase saddle bags in some cases. But keep in mind that adding any extra storage changes the weight and feel of the scooter. You’d be surprised how much differently you have to lean when you have a couple of bags in a trunk, versus having no trunk.
7. If you can’t test ride it
A Kymco People S 250 on Craigslist for $1500 may sound really enticing, but unless you can test ride it before you commit to buying, it’s just too good to be true. (That particular scooter should sell for over $3000 if it’s in good shape.) Ask if you can see the service log to make sure the owner changed the oil every 500 miles and performed other routine maintenance.
Also keep in mind that for anything above 50cc, you will need a valid motorcycle license in order to test ride. Dealerships won’t let you take a test ride without it, and most private sellers won’t either.
8. If you’re not willing to practice and take a safety course first
You wouldn’t want your 14-year-old to drive right out on the road when he gets his first learner’s permit. And the rest of us don’t want you to buy a 400cc cruiser and just jump straight into traffic. Even if you have previous riding experience, scooters take some getting used to.
The best thing to do? Before you buy a scooter, take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation basic rider course. Some locations provide scooters for you to go through the course, but even if you have to go through on a motorcycle, you’ll get a feel for how to lean into turns and stop safely. After you take the course, keep that scooter restricted to parking lots and less-traveled roads until you get a feel for it. And try riding with a local scooter group — they’ll give you some great tips.
9. If you’re only buying a scooter to save money
As mentioned above, you’ll be paying quite a few costs besides the basic purchase price of your scooter. If you’re really set on saving gasoline, check out “Will a scooter save you money?” on MSN. Make sure you include safety gear, dealer prep, tax, title, and registration in the “price of the scooter” column to get the whole picture.
10. If you think a scooter is just a toy
A scooter is a vehicle. It needs oil changes, it needs brake adjustments, it needs all sorts of TLC. It’s also more than just a really fun vehicle: it can be dangerous. Even if you ride responsibly, there are thousands of other drivers out on the road who may not be paying attention. You really have to keep your guard up at all times.
It’s not that you can’t have fun on a scooter. Actually, having fun is the main reason to but a scooter! You experience an awesome sense of freedom when you’re not enclosed in a big vehicle, and it can be really enjoyable to ride with a scooter group. But please keep in mind that while you’re out there having fun, you need to be careful too.
Make sure to read 10 reasons to buy a scooter for the bright side of scooting.