1st Timer - Am I on the right track?

[dridge11]

Ok, I've been doing a ton of reading over the last 2 days and think I'm headed in the right direction. Let me know if you think otherwise:

The Purpose:

Commute to and from work, 7 miles each way, zip around town a bit, get good fuel mileage, be comfortable, able to reach 50mph at times, I don't want to modify (maybe later), need some reasonable storage space, and not spend a fortune. I also don't intend to get on the highways/interstates.


The Candidates:

Yamaha Vino 125 - Quality seems fine, may be some availability challenges and the price is on up there, but not sure the top end speed is going to cut it. I've read different reports on stock top speed. Certified dealer is local, Yamaha is a big company, decent financing options, etc. $2549msrp

Kymco Bet and Win 150 - Quality seems to be there, speed should be, price certainly is. This is the most expensive one I'm even considering, certified dealer local. Seems like I read there was an Agility 125, but that may not be in the US. $3499msrp

TNG DR150 - Price is good, have a certified dealer not TOO far away, quality seems to have improved recently, except for a few posts in here. TNG came highly recommended from another forum, and looks wicked in black. $2395msrp

TGB R9 Laser - Seems to have a low repair percentage (as reported by the manufacturer) but there is also not a dealer in TX. Closest place is OK. Price is not bad but service after the sale is a concern. Would have to talk to the distributor, Cobra Powersports, about that. $2699msrp

[Rippinyarn]

That sounds about right -- I might add the Genuine Buddy to that list. I'm in the same boat (except want to do it with 50cc and want to tune a bit), and I do think that you are on the right track. Keep learning and do yourself a favor and beg, borrow or steal rides on these scoots. It's also a good way to determine the "coolness" of a shop. I've had 100% better luck with dedicated scooter shops than mixed cycle/powersports/scooter dealers. After all that I'm still considering a used scoot with tweaks, so we'll all see together where we wind up. Cheers mate :raf:

BTW - first post :dunce:

[dridge11]

I've been doin quite a bit more research and this weekend went and looked at about 6 different ones. I too, have found the Scooter stores are better to deal with than the Motorcycle shops that also happen to sell a scooter or two.

My candidates have changed, but not too terribly much:

1) Genuine Buddy 125
2) Kymco Agility 125
3) TGB Laser 9

I'm leaning toward the Buddy cause of all the great press, amazing warranty/roadside assistance, and cool mix of old school/new school styling. But, Kymco is running a 0/0/0 for 5 months financing deal thru the end of the year. So, that is tough to ignore.

[dalek]

Hey,

I'm a new member here. My wife got a Buddy 125 a few weeks ago and loves it. I just bought a Vino 50 2 stroke to ride along behind so we cab go out on weekends and not have to double up. Not having ridden other scooters besides these 2, I can definitely say the Buddy is a nice ride regardless - good acceleration, can go pretty fast and handles and rides nicely.

That Kymco deal is pretty sweet if cash is an issue though...

Good luck!