Careful, you might be riding a counterfeit Chinese scooter
Scooter use has skyrocketed these last few years due to the ever-present concerns over fuel mileage and vehicle emissions. Chinese manufacturers have stepped in to provide many of the machines that are currently available for purchase and are often offered at very low prices. Those low prices make them attractive to people who have never owned a scooter before and are not aware of the diverse brands already on the market. One fact which is often overlooked is that Chinese manufacturing companies come and go with some regularity, and the same scooter could be badged with a different manufacturer logo every day of the week.
The ever-changing Chinese scooter business causes problems when it comes time to register the scooter, as this story very clearly bears out. Randy Bearup purchased a Chinese scooter branded as a Ricardo, and was able to register the scooter for a short period before he was contacted by the DMV, at which time his license plate and registration were requested back. It seems that the scooter, although labeled as California approved, was not in reality ever tested by authorities. Since this particular model of scooter had never been tested, nobody could be sure whether or not it met California's emissions requirements, or any other standards for that matter.
It's important to realize that not all Chinese-made machines are of low quality, and not all are horrible polluters either. But it is difficult to know which brands and machines are properly certified and which ones claim to be one thing but are in fact another To quote the often-used phrase "buyer beware," make sure that the model you are looking to purchase comes from a reputable dealership which carries reputable brands. A little searching on the internet can go a long way towards saving yourself from a major headache later.
[Source: CBS13.com]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Phil L. 9:41AM (2/20/2008)
Note that the scootdawg.com site linked in the article appears to be dead - but you can get to their useful forums here:
http://scootdawg.proboards59.com/index.cgi
Reply
yoinkers 10:22AM (2/20/2008)
Interesting that people would be interested in scooters due to "emissions" concerns. You are aware that scooter emissions are many times more polluting than an automobile with a catalytic converter right?
You guys should know that by now and quit propagating the myth that scooters are greener than cars. Only when scooters and motorcycles embrace catalytic converters on a large scale can we claim they are truly greener than cars.
Reply
scootinoldskool 11:35AM (2/20/2008)
You are aware that scooter emissions are many times more polluting than an automobile with a catalytic converter right?
@2, your generalization is incorrect. All of Vespa's modern scooters, and those of most reputable manufacturers are powered by 4-stroke engines and meet California emissions standards.
I always tell people if they're going to buy a scooter, approach the purchase the same way you would if you were buying a car--look for an established brand with a franchised dealer network. And make sure the dealer is a stable business with a good service department.
__Orin
http://www.scootinoldskool.com
Reply
Jeremy Korzeniewski 11:46AM (2/20/2008)
scootinoldskool is right, most new scooters from reputable brands are four-stroke and are forced to meet emissions requirements. Many require catalytic converters to do so, and they are in fact fitted with them. This article in specific is referring to cheap chinese scooters which have fake emissions tags.
Even if you care nothing about emissions, scooters definitely are gas savers.
Reply
jon 1:14PM (2/20/2008)
not all modern, low-emissions scooters are four stroke. aprilia and vespa both have direct injection two stroke engines with catalytic converters that are better than four strokes in just about every way.
shopping for scooters based on dealer support is a VERY good idea. i second this.
some good brands you can count on: vespa, yamaha, honda, suzuki, kymco, genuine, bajaj, aprilia, derbi. i'm sure i left a few out.
Reply
janet 7:22PM (3/24/2008)
THIS IS A GREAT ARTICLE. BUT, YOU DON'T MENTION ANY NAME BRANDS TO AVOID OR TO BUY. I AM PLANNING TO BUY A SCOOTER WITH THE NEXT MONTH, AND QUITE HONESTLY, AFTER 1.5 WEEKS OF SEARCHING THE INTERNET, I DON'T KNOW WHICH TO CONSIDER AND WHICH TO AVOID. CAN YOU HELP??? I CALL THE DEALER AND OF COURSE, THEY TELL ME THEIR CYCLES ARE TOP RATED. I ASK THEM TO COMPARE TWO DIFFERENT NAME BRANDS AND THEY TELL ME THEY ARE BOTH ABOUT THE SAME AND BOTH GOOD. ANY INFO YOU CAN SEND MY WAY WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
THANKS JANET
Reply
Ready2Roll 10:59AM (4/02/2009)
Are you mechanically inclined? Do you know someone who is a cycle mechanic? If yes...buy Chinese.
I purchased a Tank Touring 250DE (Chinese) brand new from a dealer who gave me the run-around and bounced into thin air. That's right! I'm not mechanically inclined. Therefore, if you are like myself, take into consideration of a Yamaha. The Kymco scooters have been receiving positive reviews. I agree with Phil L, Scootdawg forum is an excellent source for information. Good luck!
Reply