49cc mopeds

[Tommunist]

Originally posted by: MovingTarget
Come to think of it, if you like the look of the Ruckus, and aren't averse to buying used, you way want to check out the Big Ruckus. They discontinued the model, but it had the same styling with quite a bit more power (250cc engine). You may find that more to your liking.

I saw one of those online - looks kind of neat. I would however like to keep the displacement below 50cc.

 

[sandorski]

Tint the Windscreen, add a Super Charger, get some NOS. Then say helooo to da laaaadieeees.

 

[hoope11]

Originally posted by: Tommunist
This is a nice looking ride. Any idea what the fuel consuption is like? The price seems a little higher than I'd like though (around 3 grand new)...

EDIT1: Does $2400 for a used 2006 with 1300 miles seems fair? That seems really pricey to me compared to 600 dollars more for a brand new one.

EDIT2: In general - how long can one expect a 49cc engine to last? For instance I kind of assume most car engines can make it to around 200k without any HUGE issues. Would expecting a life of maybe 50k be reasonable? 60k?

1) This link [mpt.org] has a short review of the SR50. They claim 112mpg. I recall one of customers getting around 100mpg. These things sip fuel. They are direct injected and very efficient. And there's no premixing fuel and oil. There is a separate oil tank under the seat, all the mxing is done for you.

They are a bit pricey, but the Japanese companies don't sell anything comparable at the same pricepoint. You migh also check out scooters from Piaggio, another Italian company (but I am less familiar with them).

2) The blue book retail value on a 2006 is $2085. $2400 is definitely overpriced, considering you could pick up a new one for $2750 or so. Check around on cycletrader.com and craigslist.

3) The motor itself should last for quite a while, as it is in a relaxed state of tune (i.e. it is not stressed like a pocketbike or motocross bike). Plus, being a 2-stroke, a top-end rebuild should be relatively inexpensive (no valvetrain to worry about). Only problems I ever saw with them were a few electrical gremlins. I can't comment on how many miles you'd get out of it with basic maintenance.