6 Reasons Why You Should Buy a Scooter
If you’re not ready for a motorcycle yet but are still looking for a fun, easy and affordable ride that offers a similar experience, a motor scooter might be a valuable fit for you.
Now, motorized scooters are essentially motorcycles (at least in spirit), but true motorcycle riders scoff at the notion that a scooter is a “real” motorcycle. That’s largely because motorcycles are much harder to ride. They’re faster, heavier, and much more complex and powerful than their scooter cousins, which are very basic, easy to master lightweight two-wheelers that top out at low speeds.
Ease of Use
If you’re looking for a two-wheeler to hop around on for short commutes, scooters are a great option. Their light weight and simplicity makes them easy for people of all ages to enjoy.
While not considered true motorcycles, scooters still offer a similar open-air riding experience, but much easier to handle. They have a smaller wheelbase than motorcycles, which makes them easier to maneuver. Scooters are popular in high-traffic areas, as well as with beachgoers, college campus kids and food delivery service workers.
They also have automatic transmissions, which makes them much easier to master than manual clutch system motorcycles. So for those who eventually want to learn how to ride a motorcycle, starting off with a basic scooter is a good way to get comfortable riding a two-wheeler before graduating to a more complex machine.
Affordability
Whether you get one new or used, most scooters are pretty affordable to buy. In general, you can buy a brand new low-end scooter for just over $1,000, while good used scooters can often be found for less than a grand.
Unlike with motorcycles, which call for plenty of riding gear for full-on protection and can be very expensive to acquire, for riding a compact, slow-acceleration scooter you need little more than a helmet and gloves as far as protective gear goes.
Besides the great value they provide and the minimal protective gear required, two other factors make scooters affordable alternatives: fuel efficiency and low maintenance.
Fuel Efficiency
Scooters are fuel efficient machines due to their smaller engine sizes, so if you’re on a budget or simply need a fun means of transportation to get around town on the cheap, they’re a solid choice for saving money.
Low Maintenance
Also because of their smaller engines, scooters require very little maintenance to keep them running. Unlike motorcycles, which are larger and have many complex components, scooters typically only require basic maintenance like oil changes.
Because they’re designed for riding short distances at lower speeds, scooters don’t get pushed as hard or take nearly as much punishment as motorcycles. Smaller tires also means less expensive replacement tires. Of course how much maintenance and repairs your scooter will need largely depends on how you treat it. In other words, if you push your scooter beyond its limits, that abuse could invalidate its affordability in maintenance and repairs. Otherwise, the upkeep of a scooter shouldn’t cost you much over time.
Convenience
As mentioned, scooters are an easy and fun means to get around town on the cheap, which also makes them convenient. For starters, scooters can be parked just about anywhere for little to no charge, which takes away the hassle of having to look for and possibly pay for parking.
Because of their compact size, scooters are also easy to store when not in use, as they don’t take up too much garage, yard or street space. As for actual space on the bike itself, scooters usually have plenty of it. Because of their wide front carrier, they typically offer plenty of comfortable legroom and storage space as well.
Eco-Friendliness
If environmental concerns influence your purchasing decisions, then another benefit of riding a scooter is their eco-friendliness due to their small, fuel-efficient engines. Scooters burn much less fuel than a car or motorcycle would to get from point A to point B, so doing your part to reduce your carbon footprint is just one additional benefit of owning a scooter.
Whether you’re looking to transition to a motorcycle or not, a scooter is a great little side vehicle to have just for kicks. Also, scooters make awesome presents for college-bound high school graduates, or for those who are about to enter the local workforce for the first time. Keep that in mind if you’re not quite ready to give your kid a car as a present, but want to give them an affordable vehicle to get around on.
