What are the most reliable scooters: what to look for
It is necessary to approach the choice of an “iron horse” with special responsibility. After all, by purchasing a low-quality product, you risk harming not only your health, but also the health of the people around you. In addition, riding a poorly assembled moped will not bring you proper pleasure.
The motor is the first thing you need to pay attention to. After all, almost everything depends on the choice of the type of internal combustion engine: from the durability of the device to its behavior on the road in dense traffic.
Power is also an important indicator, on which not only speed, but also the level of its maneuverability depends.
Manufacturer. A brand is an indicator of the quality of parts and their assembly. Well-known bike brands closely monitor each assembled unit, so defects in their products are extremely rare. It often depends on the manufacturer whether you will use the equipment for a long time, or whether in a month you will put it in the garage or sell it for spare parts.
Consumables and spare parts. High-quality and more expensive consumables and spare parts guarantee a long service life.
Scooter chassis
Such technical characteristics of scooters
as a chassis, it includes: front and rear suspension, brake mechanism and wheels.
There are 3 scooter suspension options:
- lever, - telescopic fork; - pendulum. The latest models are equipped with either a telescopic fork or a wishbone front suspension. The telescopic fork provides comfortable driving on city roads and relatively good riding on country roads. The wishbone suspension is more reliable and improves the scooter's handling on rural roads. The disadvantage is the strong roll during sharp turns.
Most scooters are equipped with a swingarm, spring and shock absorber system.
Inexpensive units are equipped with simple drum mechanisms. On advanced scooters, a mixed brake mechanism is often found, when there are disc brakes on the front wheel and drum brakes on the rear wheel. And only powerful scooters are fully equipped with disc brake systems.
We reviewed the main technical characteristics
, which will help you choose the most suitable scooter for you. There are also overall dimensions, but everything is individual and depends on the height, weight and age of the driver.
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Engine markings for Chinese scooters! Let's sort it out piece by piece.
Each motor of “rice” scooters has its own marking, which encodes the features of a particular unit. During scheduled scooter repairs (or unscheduled ones), many owners encounter some difficulties in finding spare parts, because they search for the main parts by the model name and not the engine marking. To do this, I recommend that you carefully examine the scooter’s engine, and after washing it of oil and dirt, find engraved numbers and Latin letters there. Most often, the location of these inscriptions is in two places:
- on the crankcase, underneath the cover, in the area of the front variator
- engraving in the gearbox area, also located on the engine crankcase.
Quite often I see how on forums and thematic groups on social networks, fans of the Chinese motorcycle industry argue that, for example, 152QMI and 157QMJ are different engines in principle. Let's figure out what all these numbers and letters mean. The first digit “ 1 ” ( 1 39QMB) in the marking will indicate that the engine has 1 cylinder. If you suddenly see the number “2” - go nuts, the scooter’s engine is two-cylinder. The letter “P” (1P39QMB) indicates that the cylinder is in a horizontal position. If the letter “P” is missing, then the cylinder on the scooter is not necessarily horizontal. So 139QMB and 1P39QMB, whatever one may say, are the same engines. The next two digits in the designation are “39”, “ 52 ”, etc. (1 52 QMI) denote the internal diameter of the cylinder liner, and accordingly the diameter of the piston and rings in the piston group. The first letter speaks about the scooter’s cooling system: “F” (139FMB, 1P39FMB) - air cooling of the motor occurs by free flow;
“Q” (139QMB, 152QMI, 157QMJ) - forced air cooling, there is a blower casing on the cylinder. If the letter is missing, the engine is most likely water-cooled (172MM - CH250). The second letter is the engine type: “M” (139QMA, 139FMA) - motorcycle engine. The third letter in the marking corresponds to the working volume of the cylinder-piston group of the scooter: “A” - up to 50 cubic meters (139QMA) - “honest” fifty dollars); “B” - up to 70 cubic meters (139QMB) - the most common, “almost honest” half-shock, which according to the rules should be labeled as 147QMB or even 150QMB;
"G" - up to 100 cubes; “H” - from 100 to 125 cubes (a rare variety of the GY6 family);
“I” - from 120 to 130 cubic meters (152OMI);
“J” - from 150 to 155 cubic meters (157QMJ);
“M” - up to 250 cc (172MM) - Chinese dropsy clone of Honda Spacy / Freeway with CH 250 engine.
Engines of the ARN family are also often found, with markings such as 153QMI, 157QMJ-H, 158QMI. Such engines are installed on Keeway and Stels scooters. They are often confused with the GY6 152QMI and 157QMJ family, both in the cylinder-piston group and in the cylinder head and all other parts of the engine. Although they are visually similar (152qmi-153qmi and 157qmj-158qmj), when purchasing spare parts it is worth checking these details with the seller. Concluding the “debriefing” on the dispute about 152QMI and 157QMJ, I would like to add on my own behalf that the engine data differs only in the cylinder displacement (52.4 mm and 57.4 mm). And such engines can also be called 1P52QM and 1P57QMJ.
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Which Chinese motorbike is better to choose?
Those who do not have the opportunity to buy an expensive unit from the land of the rising sun can choose a scooter from cheaper Chinese products. But it is very unlikely that it will serve you for very long.
SYM is a fairly common technique. Among other brands, China is distinguished by its durability and level of reliability.
KEEWAY is an inexpensive representative of the Chinese motorcycle industry. The key to long-term operation lies in choosing good fuel.
Irbis is a bike with an aggressive, sporty design. Inexpensive to maintain.
Why you shouldn’t choose 2t mopeds from China
As mentioned above, Chinese bikes do not have a high level of build quality. Therefore, during their operation, mopedists constantly encounter problems. In addition, there are several factors that will constantly haunt you when using such products:
almost complete lack of engine thrust;
increased fuel consumption;
constant need to clean and replace spark plugs;
reduced overall resource of the internal combustion engine.
The maximum speed at which the scooter can accelerate
An important technical characteristic that interests every buyer. Here you can estimate at a glance: compact scooters can reach speeds of up to 50 km/h; average up to 80-140 km/h; Maxi models can accelerate to 150-180 km/h.
Transmission
Today there are three types of transmission. Which one is installed on the scooter you have chosen?
Good budget cars are equipped with a single-stage
transmission, which has a simple and reliable design.
On modern European, Japanese and Taiwanese models, a belt-driven variator is often found, which ensures uniform and smooth shifting. The semi-automatic
transmission allows the driver to change gears independently.
Which scooters up to 50cc are best to buy: 8 best
In this review, we have collected models of scooters popular in Russia, varying in price and characteristics.
- Honda Dio AF68;
- Suzuki Lets5;
- Yamaha JOG RR;
- Irbis LX50;
- SYM ORBIT50;
- Stels Skif;
- Stels Taktik;
- Racer Meteor RC50QT–3.
Let's look at them in more detail:
Honda Dio AF68
The Japanese scooter first appeared on the market in the 80s of the last century. Today, the fifth generation of the vehicle continues to delight thousands of two-wheeled transport enthusiasts around the world. You can buy a classic for 160 thousand rubles.
According to the owners' reviews, it is unpretentious in maintenance, maneuverable, and economical (1.25 liters per 100 km). Equipped with a 4-stroke engine and a durable frame. The disadvantages include the rather high cost and lack of space for a passenger. Japanese parts, such as piston rings, are also expensive and difficult to obtain.
I've been dreaming about a scooter for a long time. I decided not to save money and buy a quality model. I liked the Honda for its small size and economical fuel consumption. Now I get to work twice as fast.
Honda Dio AF68
Suzuki Lets5
Small in size, maneuverable Japanese with an excellent design. In demand among young people and middle-aged people. It noticeably outperforms its competitor Honda in price - a new one costs 75 thousand rubles. Equipped with a 4-stroke engine, strong frame and excellent brakes. Disadvantages: difficult to find spare parts, dim headlights.
Before buying a Suzuki, I rode a bicycle around the city, became very tired and decided to replace it with a scooter. I was looking for an inexpensive but reliable model. I bought a used Lets5 a couple of weeks ago. While it copes with all the tasks, it drives smoothly and quietly. I hope for Japanese quality and that it will last for many more years.
Suzuki Lets5
Yamaha JOG RR
Rounding out the top three undisputed leaders is another Japanese two-seater scooter. Equipped with a 2-stroke, but no less powerful and reliable engine than its competitors. Frisky and with good handling, holds speed well, designed for two passengers. The disadvantages include the price - 90,000 thousand rubles, expensive spare parts.
Japanese two-wheeled motorized vehicles are legendary, so the choice was obvious. I liked the model because it had a passenger seat and high power. Perhaps problems will arise when parts are needed, I think this will not happen soon.
Yamaha JOG RR
Irbis LX50
A Chinese brand that is very popular among motorcycle enthusiasts due to its aggressive design and advanced equipment. With large dimensions, in comparison with its Japanese counterparts, it easily accelerates to 90 km/h. It can comfortably accommodate 2 people. Disadvantages include a 2-stroke engine and reduced maneuverability. Price – about 60 thousand rubles.
I wanted to buy a simple, powerful and inexpensive scooter. The LX50 fit all the criteria. It holds the road well even with poor quality surfaces. Parts are easy to order from China. Worth the money.
Irbis LX50
SYM ORBIT50
Produced in Taiwan. It has a powerful 4-stroke engine with a consumption of 2–2.5 liters per 100 km. At a price of 60 thousand rubles . Quite comfortable, manageable and rarely prone to breakdowns.
Orbit50 was recommended by a friend. The price suited me, the characteristics also suited me, and I decided to buy it. I drive it a couple of times a week and around the city. Handles the road well and is fairly quiet. There were no breakdowns for a couple of months.
SYM ORBIT50
Stels Skif
Another bright representative of the Chinese automobile industry. For 35 thousand rubles, the buyer receives a maneuverable scooter designed for two people with an acceleration of up to 70 km/h. Due to the rigid suspension, it is designed for driving on asphalt. The disadvantages include frequent breakdowns and increased fuel consumption.
I was looking for the cheapest model. I use it rarely and only in the city. It is convenient to avoid traffic jams. The parts are easy to get, so I don't have to worry about breakages.
Stels Skif
Stels Taktik
A brother of the budget Chinese scooter described above. At a cost of 35–40 thousand rubles . has a 2-stroke engine of 4.9 hp. Weight – 90 kg, quite maneuverable, accelerates to 70 km/h.
Fast and cheap Chinese scooter. Well worth the money. Suitable for the city only. Repairs are inexpensive and accessible.
Stels Taktik
