Self Intro and Q regarding weight

[astroscoot]

Greetings. Am new to this and to scooting. would like to intro myself, and ask a question (or should the question belong elsewhere?)

First: 50 yo male, married, 2 kids. I have a confession to make:

I have never ridden a motorized two-wheeler in my 1/2 century of life.
I have long been a bicyclist, commuting to school, work, etc., even in Minnesota's winters.... (I love to see people give me a second look when I ride by in -10 F)

Over the last several years, I have started to grow a yearning for the little motorized things that have whizzed by me on the road. There are just too many times when a bike isn't practical, is too slow, is too far, need to carry too much, or need to carry a passenger. So my Mazda B2300 gets way more use than I like. Especially with kids in high school, needing rides all the time.

My problem is that every time I manage to save up the money to take a decent whack at a scooter, whoops, something else more important comes along and takes a higher priority....

with the advent of HIGH fuel costs, and some concern about global climate change, I have seen a lot more of these little things on the road in the last year or so, fueling (he he) my desire even more.

I have been trying to rationalize the concept of financing one: save money on fuel, reduce pollution emissions, save wear and tear on the Mazda, have fun, etc. But before I take the plunge, i need to figure out what to get.

3 options in my little community of 40K people: Honda dealer (49 cc for over $2 grand); Yamaha dealer (never even looked); and a little shop that just opened 6 months ago selling TNGs.

I was going to get a TNG from him, when I finally got to the point, but went down yesterday to check it out and he is phasing out TNG. the scoots he is favoring now are the CFMoto Fashion (250); the ECharm (150) both well over 2 grand. I hear the fashion is a good scoot, but it is bigger than i really want. He's also got a couple Baron's that don't look that great.

So now am in a quandary. Not an experienced mechanic, but that is more a lack of motivation than aptitude. am tempted by Mr Bandit, but don't really like the whole long-distance relationship thing.

I guess I'll just have to figure out my options, but this forum has been very helpful in educating myself a bit. Any additional suggestions Welcomed.

Sorry for the lengthy intro. I guess I just felt like blabbing.

One quick question: Nearly all the scoots I have looked at, from 50cc to 250 cc have maximum payloads set at around 330 lbs. How serious is that? I am not a big guy but its not hard for me to weigh 185. If I give my 15 yo kid a ride, we would easily be pushing 360 to 380 between us. Is this a big problem? Can the scoots handle that? Is there a solution? Its hard for me to imagine two average sized adults staying under that range....

Thanks for any comments.

JD

[Aaron]

JD welcome! For short distances I think the weight thing is not an issue. I weigh 250 so any passenger will cause an overload with me on it too. Don't speed or hit crazy bumps ect. The specs are CYA for the manufacturers. Most 250's can handle 450-500 easy except those on a 150 frame. Any of the Helix clones like the fasion should be able to do it. As to the what to buy question... it's the constant returning dilema. I can't choose for you but will say this, if you doubt your ability or desire to repair at all, go with a unit a dealer will support. A used Honda or Yamaha could be a great choice for you as it will be cheaper, have a good reputation, and dealer support.

Aaron

[astroscoot]

Thanks for the info, Aaron.
I have looked for used Hondas or Yamahas, but they are popular enough that they are hard to find. I actually went to the local honda dealer a couple years ago to look at their "metro" or "elite80" models. the $%^& sales person acted like he didn't have much interest in selling me anything. He seemed to think that there wasn't much commission for him in selling such a small ticket item, and didn't want to waste his time on it. I think they carry their scooter/moped line only out of obligation but are really only interested in selling bigger motorcycles or cars. they have too much product line at that dealership. I never went back to Honda, even though I like their cars. Never checked at Yamaha. That's why i am looking at cheaper little chinese jobs.

Thanks again.

JD