Story Comments

I'm surprised that the author has completely ignored electric scooters, which use no gas at all. Check out these reviews:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/06/7-best-electric-scooters-prototypes-production-models.php
http://www.metaefficient.com/electric-bikes/the-best-electric-scooters-of-2008-a-review.html

Granted, some of these are useful only for short trips to the mini-mart or local around-town errands, but in many cases, that's all that a lot of people need. I'm encouraged to see things like the Vectrix, which is essentially an electric motorcycle... from a US company besides.

Until I can afford a Tesla roadster, one of these may have to suffice :-)

Hey Blueeyed- way to be part of the problem. It's a shame your 9 kids can't have a better role model when it comes to preserving the environment and reducing our dependency on oil. They're the one's who will suffer, not you.

Hey Blueeyed. I agree with you. Any pointers on how to make money in crude? Thanks.

I love the current energy situation. I have made enough money in the crude rally over the last couple months to purchase a new new Ford Expedition EL, as well as all the gas I could ever use.

I live in the rural midwest and one of these scooter thingies is not going to help me transport my wife and 9 children when we need to travel 40 miles to the closest family restuarant, help me herd cattle from field to field, or even drive safely on the gravel roads where I live.

In addition to the money I have made as an evil 'speculator' I appreciate all the inconvience all the 'green' people are absorbing so my gas is cheaper as others reduce their consumption.

I'm not an 'Energy Victim' as all you greenies lust to be.

I bought the Buddy 2 years ago, and after 7000 miles of commuting on it, I love it (and the money I save on gas) so much that I got rid of my car for good. It's fast enough (65+ MPH) that I can get anywhere I need to go, has one of the best I've seen for gas mileage (90 MPG), is small enough to park at bike racks, and cheap enough ($2700) that the gas savings will make back the entire purchase price fairly quickly.

Unfortunately, this article contains nothing practical, like mpg, top speed, accessories for carrying groceries, etc. If you're going to compare such VERY different scooters, at least compare why each class of scooter would be better/worse depending on what you need. As scooters go, you're trying to compare everything from a Hummer to a SMART car, but acting like they're both mid-size sedans. The Buddy is not the best for larger individuals or those who HAVE to take a freeway. I hear Piaggio is coming out with a trailer for the MP3; that would give you an option fo...(Read more of this comment)r transporting larger items, but I'm not sure the scooter is small enough for a short rider. How about some useful, knowledgeable info, rather than the random opinions of someone used to motorcycles that apparently wants a big, expensive bike and not a small, useful scooter?(Show less of this comment)

As with any vehicle choice, a scooter might not be for everyone. Nor will the opinion of any one columnist or product reviewer mesh with the thoughts and experiences of an entire audience.

That said, this article was light on research and heavy on heavy-handedness.

I spent the better part of two years researching scooters, blogging about them and talking to shop owners, manufacturers, scooterists and motorcycle riders.

From this two-year informational journey I learned that scooters are as personal as cars. You're not going to convince everyone that a Jaguar is a good vehicle or that a Smart Car is a smart choice for them.

In my opinion, the scooters that are being sold today stack up like so:

Vespa - good build quality, easy to work on, requires a good measure of car, costs a lot, lasts for a long time, sturdy, good MPG, nice resale value.

Genuine Scooter - best warranty in the industry, good build quality, not so easy to work on b...(Read more of this comment)ecause of the design, half the price of a Vespa, easy to ride, great MPG, good resale.

Yamaha - bullet-proof designs, easy to work on, good MPG, good build quality, same price as Genuine, shorter warranty, well-supported dealer network, good resale.

Honda - lasts forever, great resale value, bullet-proof, some models are too small and underpowered, good dealer support, pricey for what you get, outstanding build quality, good gas mileage.

Suzuki - larger models mostly, solid build quality, long-lasting designs, fair gas mileage, more comparable to automatic motorcycles.

THE REST. The other brands are on-the-whole, knock-offs from China. If Vespa is a 10, Genuine, Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki are all eights. The others are threes and fours.

I wish the tester knew more about scoots, had taken some motorcycle safety courses to see how to get the most from any two-wheeled vehicle, and was more specific in the comparison of like models to like models.

I wish the columnist/reporter did a little more research so that he got more info from the tester.

In disclosure, I was mere moments from buying a Yamaha but was convinced to purchase a Genuine Scooter based on owner comments and the two-year warranty and free year of roadside assistance. The two bikes I was comparing were priced identically. Yamaha only offered one year warranty and no roadside.

You can read more of my commentary, columns and rants at any of the following sites:

http://www.jeffcutler.com
http://www.tdf08.com
http://www.bowlofcheese.com
http://www.thingstoworryabout.com

I will be posting my entire comment at jeffcutler.com this week.(Show less of this comment)

Strange article. We'll set aside what Gunner Wright knows about scooters. Why did you choose to write a comparison article by picking scooters and maxis in 4 different classes that have little to do with one another and then criticize them because they are not the same? The Silver Wing and the Morpheus are similar bikes, but even calling them scooters is a stretch. They are really CVT motorcycles - and our man Gunner liked them. The Piaggio MP3 is a class of its own and you either like it or you don't. The Vespa 250GTS is the most expensive and most powerful true scooter on the market - nice scoot but lots of money. Now the Buddy. The only real small frame scoot in the bunch - and the best selling scoot in the US at the momemnt. Half the price and twice the gas mileage of the others. Gunner doesn't like it. With all due respect, who cares. It's still a great little scoot and anyone interested in scooters should give it a look.

Kedon obviously phone in his review of the Buddy 150 Italia. I have one and it does 70 mph. How fast do you need? Gas mileage is 90 mph and it's half the cost of the Vespa. Built like a rock. You can't kill this thing.

Ignore him and get on the huge waiting list at your local dealer.

Your comparison of the Genuine Buddy to the rest of the scooters you had is like comparing apples to oranges or Gunner Wright to Paul Newman. Your not even in the ballpark. It's half the cost of everything else you tested and also a 150cc. I sell scooters, and the Buddy is one of the products we sell. Most dealers have a waiting list for them because the demand is far greater than the supply. Gunner Wright may have never heard of the Buddy before,but that's OK I've never heard of him. Check out owner reviews on the Buddy and you will see Gunner will be hearing about them for a long time. Hope we can say the same about him.

The Silverwing gets about 35 mpg. Where is the fuel advantage? Doesn't the Kia come close to that?

$8000 scooters eh? If the price of gasoline doesn't kill you, the price of the scooter will. Hey, SmartMoney, thanks a lot for nothing!

Not all scooters are that expensive. When I started looking for a scooter I knew I didn't want to spend a lot of money because I wasn't sure my back(2 surgeries) could handle it and the fact that I hadn't ridden a motorcycle since I was in my early 20's and I'm now in my late 40's. I found a Bali 150cc for $1400.00 total delivered to my door. Some people do not like the Chinese scooters but I researched different ones and thought this would fit my need the best. Where I live I could not find any one around me that sold ANY scooters so I was forced to shop on line. I love it! I can go approx. 63 mph and I get 76 mpg, so when I fill up once a week and spend around $7.17 (premium) I'm that much happier.

If the new price seems scary, check on CraigsList for a used scooter. Typically, they can be found with low milage when the novelty fades for the previous owner (or the learning curve feels hazardous). Start with the smaller guys: cheaper and more fun, if you stick to city streets. Be aware that scooters are fun, but you get road-rash if you get careless, even at low speed. Always wear protective clothing and the obligatory helmet!! 250cc is the minimum engine size if you're expecting freeway travel, 400cc+ is for the experienced, only. Sign up for a motorcycle ed/safety class offered by your state DMV.
I have ridden scooters for 6 years now, currently ride the best, a 250cc Honda Reflex, a visual twin to the Yamaha Morphous. It's an '02, good for 75 mph and 70 mpg. Unfortunately, '08 is the last production year for the Reflex: look for an improved (how?) model in '09. Hope this helps.

I have a Jetta TDI that gets 45 MPG at 80 MPH. Why would I want to put my carcass in danger on one of these things? If you wreck you die is the watchword here. I went through over 10 different scooters/cycles when I was a kid but traffic is much more 'ignoring' and dangerous now. I have been to Taiwan and other countries where everyone is on a scooter or moped. (I have actually seen a family of six on one moped in Taiwan). That is okay when everyone on the road is either on the moped or bicycle.

I am astonished at how expensive these scooters are. At those prices I would want 300MPG. I would stick with a little used Corolla or similar.