extremescooters.biz versus scootersfactory.com

[csalopek]

Does anyone have any experience with extremescooters.biz (not to be confused with extreme-scooters.com)?

I was looking at purchasing a Lance GS-R 150 this week. I have contacted both companies to get a feel, but both sound great.

The only difference I can tell with extremescooters.biz is that the Lance GS-R 150 is $200 cheaper, and when I asked them about shipping they told me where the product would be shipping from, which just happens to be the same location as Scooters Factory.

So, I guess it comes down to who would provide the best after purchase support should I have any problems.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Chris

[Aerostudent]

Not sure about EXScooters, but I know that SF has very good after sales support. Here's my thread about the experience I had with scootersfactory, all in all they have pretty good support.

Aero

www.scootdawg.proboards59.com/index.cgi?board=questionable&action=display&thread=1187581909

[csalopek]

Thanks Aero,

Yeah, I have been following your thread for a while now. I finally broke down, and bought the exact same one as you from SF based on all of your great experience with your Lance GS-R 150.

I really like the looks of the GS-R 150. I was torn between it and the Lance Interceptor. I went to my local scooter shop and checked out the Roketa MC-30, which is identical to the Lance Interceptor. I really liked it, but the GS-R appeared to have a little large storage trunk, which I thought might be handy.

I'm sure I will need to pick your brain at times once I receive my GS-R. I went ahead and paid for the PDI so there will be that much less I need to do once I receive it. Of course, I'm sure I will still check every nut and bolt anyway to make sure they are tight even though that is what the PDI is supposed to take care of.

Anyway, thanks for your great write-up on your GS-R. I have enjoyed reading your experiences with it. I hope I have just as much fun with mine.

Chris

[countryscoots]

We have bought two scooters from Chad at extremescooters.biz and have been happy both times. The last one required a part that was damaged in shipment. I sent him a pic and I had the part three days later. They are located in Wisconsin and I received both scoots in Ohio in Two Days. Based upon my experiences alone, I rate them at the top of the list.

[Aerostudent]

Congrats on the new scooter! Glad to be of help anytime, just ask and I will answer to the best of my knowledge! I am sure you will enjoy the GS-R. It is just a tad heavier than some other 150cc scooters out there, but it is also very peppy and fairly well made. You will get plenty of people either asking about it at the gas station or following it a full 180* as they drive past, just make sure they don't stare too long (target fixation). Shhh, you can mod them too ;D [see signature]

Aero

[ty]

POSTED A VERY SIMILAR POST ON ANOTHER THREAD: on that post some said not to nitpick about price but after looking around a bit found $700 difference on a Lance Vintage 150 (2,099 @ scooterfactory; and 1,399 at both scootersarecool.com and extremescooters.biz) Plus "factory" -if i'm reading it right- charged for assembly where the other two send the bike "fully" assembled. extreme says they ship free MCO. SAC doesn't mention either way (or i just missed it)
Does anyone have input between these two sites and which might be recognized by most as better? Are these two just dropship dealers for scooterfactory? seems i read that too somewhere in here. Thanks for all the helpful info on everything. This has got to be the most helpful forum site i've visited on scoots!

[Aerostudent]

I believe that S/F is the US distributor for Lance and that anyone else selling Lance is a dealer(through S/F) but I may be wrong. S/F used to be much more competitive in their pricing and recently bumped priced up in up to $1000 increases (pretty close to 100% increase). Some is probably due to the summer rush, some due to the declining US dollar, some due to the fact that Lance prices went up some from the factory, mostly just bad sales practices, I think they will be back down some soon.

I'm not too sure about the EXscooters VS. SAC, but do a little more searching around here and you should be able to find the reputation of one or both of 'em. S/F does charge a bit for the PDI, but I am not sure about any of the other sites mentioned. I'm sure you can find some info from those who do know by doing a little searching. Good luck!

Aero

[ty]

EXscooters says it offers, among other things, (and I quote)

Pre-Delivery Inspection: Now Free!
PDI is no longer an option, it now comes free with the purchase of your Lance scooter. This prevents any issues that may arrise with a factory direct shipped scooter making it ready to ride. Your scooter will go through our 18 point Assembly Checklist and 20 Point Pre-Delivery Inspection Checklist so you can fill up and go the minute you receive your vehicle. (still want to take time to do pre-ride personalized inspection i'm sure)

18 Point Assembly Checklist:
1. Front Fork Pinch Bolts - Check Torque
2. Install Front Wheel and Axle - Check Torque Bolt/Nut
3. Front Axle Cotter Pin - Install as needed
4. Controls - Check Operation and Cable Route
5. Handlebar Holder - Check Torque on Bolts
6. Keys - Check Locks For Proper Operation
7. Wiring Connectors - Check Routing and Connections
8. Nuts and Bolts - Check Tightness
9. Front Brake Cable - (Drum Brake) Install
10. Engine Mounting Bolts - Check Torque
11. Master Cylinder - (Disc Brake) Install
12. Steering Head - Check Torque
13. Brake Pads and Rotors - Clean
14. Rear Swing Arm Shaft - Check Torque For Smooth Movement
15. Instruments - Install and Route Cables
16. Axles and Wheels - Check Torque
17. Brake Caliper Bolts - Check Torque
18. Engine, Transmission and Gear Case Drain Bolts - Check Torque

20 Point Pre-Delivery Inspection Checklist:
1. Mechanical Brakes - Check and Adjust Operation and Free Play
2. Hydraulic Disc Brake - Check Master Cylinder Fluid Level, Free Play and Operation
3. Tires - Adjust Air Pressure According To Manual
4. Spokes - Check Tightness
5. Fuel Tank - Fill Tank. Check For Leaks And Proper Operation.
6. Carburetor - Adjust As Needed
7. Idle Speed - Check For Proper RPM
8. Throttle Operation - Check Free Play, Cable Routing and Operation in All Positions
9. Mechanical Clutch - Check and Adjust Free Play
10. Engine/Transmission Oil - Check Levels
11. Drive Chain - Lubricate and Adjust (Align Rear Wheel)
12. Electrical Components - Check Proper Operation of Battery
13. Head Lamp - Check and Aim for Proper Operation
14. Tail Light - Check for Proper Operation
15. Stop Light - Check for Proper Operation of Front Lever and Rear Pedal
16. Turn Signal - Check for Proper Operation
17. Indicator and Instrument Lights - Check for Proper Operation
18. Engine Stop Switch and Horn - Check for Proper Operation
19. Foam Air Filter (FOR OFF ROAD ONLY) - Service and Grease Mating Surface
- most on various postings have just said to get rid of this anyway right, impedes cooling or something and shortens life of CVT belt?-
20. Engine Start - Check To Ensure Proper Operation Of All Systems.

(and NO I did not type all this, God Bless Copy and Paste)

I mean, it SEEMS pretty thorough, but of course even if all this true it still means NOTHING if there is no real aftersale service. How have they treated all you who have bought from them?

[newc77]

Our bikes came from SF last year and our experience has been very good. Yeah, they are the importer of Lance and other sellers are likely distributors. The SF bump up on prices is unbelieveable but distributors are holding the line as far as I can see. Congrats on that new Lance!
Tom

[lucas2840]

I have something to add about my experience with extremescooters.biz that is more of an FYI than anything. I had decided to go with the Lance GS-R scooter mainly because of the digital dash which I thought was really cool and unique. All the pictures and advertisements of the scooter on other sites showed this particular scooter with the digital dash. I went with extremescooters.biz because of their good reputation even though they did not advertise the scooter with a digital dash nor did the pictures shown on their site show the scooter with the dash being visible. However, since every other picture and video I saw showed the scooter with the digital dash, I assumed they were selling it with such. Unfortunately when I received the scooter, I immediately noticed the crummy analog dash. But since their site doesn't advertise the scooter coming with a digital dash, there's not much I can do or say about it to them. I'm kinda stuck. Also, the floor mat that mine came with was not the aluminum one I expected to get, is just a plain rubber floor mat. I had thought I might have received an older version of the scooter, but I found that the scooter is stamped with a manufacture date of February of 2008. So I'm not sure what happened with mine. I'm not too concerned about it anymore though because as soon as I got the scooter on the road and started driving around a bit, all my frustrations over the lack of a digital dash melted away. So far the scooter has been a blast to ride! Just a slightly low idle is all. So if you're looking at getting a Lance GS-R because of its cool digital dash, you might want to find a different site to purchase it from, one that advertises the scooter as such!

[scooter3oy]

lucas2840, from what i was told by Chad at extremescooters.biz, the 2007 model year Lance GS-R had the digital dash and aluminum floorboard, but these features were not included in the 2008 model...not sure why the digital dash was not offered in 08, but supposedly there were issues with the fastening of the aluminum floorboard, so that's why that was done away with...i do agree that they should state all of this on their site, or at least update the product pictures

before ordering my GS-R a couple of weeks ago, Chad advised that they still had some 2007s in stock, so if i wanted the digital dash and aluminum, i was to put that in the comments box when placing the order...i actually preferred to get the newest model, so i specifically said i wanted a 2008 in the comments box...my scooter was also built in 02/2008

my experience with extremescooters.biz was very positive....the scooter shipped within a few days of ordering, and it got to Houston less than a week later....the shipping company even offered weekend deliveries, so i received the scoot on a saturday....the only thing is i never received a tracking number from ES, so when the shipping company called telling me the scooter was in Houston and they wanted to set up a delivery date, i was somewhat surprised....but in a good way ;D

also, even though i filled out the MSO request form on their website as soon as i received the scooter and got the VIN, i was pleasantly surprised to find that they had already mailed the MSO the same week they shipped the scooter, so the MSO was already sitting in my mailbox (i do need to check my mail more often )

i'm also glad i finally ordered when i did, since it looks like the price of the GS-R went up $100 a few days after i pulled the trigger

[lucas2840]

Thanks for the info scooter3oy, after posting that reply I found out that I didn't get the digital dash because I got the newer model. I'm happy with the scooter I got though, so far its been running great except for one of the headlights burning out during the scooter's first ride. So far my experience with extremescooters.biz has been very good. I ordered two new headlights a few weeks ago and after waiting two weeks and still no update to my order, I contacted them via email. The next day I received an email telling me that the bulbs were on back order and that he would be happy to refund my money if I so chose. Otherwise, he said he would look around and see if he could find any in stock. I told them that I would just wait until he found some or until they got another shipment. About a week later I received my order. So far, they've been great and customer service has also been great, I've had absolutely no problems contacting them, whether through email or through their live chat. Great service!