Should I buy a Chinese Motor Scooter???

Here is my advice on buying a Chinese Scooter for those people who have asked me...

Well, I must tell you straight out--unless you can work on the scooter, or know somebody who will do it for free, you should not consider buying a Chinese scooter online. Go to a local dealer if you've got one. Now, with that being said, there is a wealth of information and people to help you troubleshoot if you don't know anything SPECIFICALLY about scooters, but you know which end of the screwdriver is which. Where are you looking to get a scooter? Local, or online? In your research, include such sites as

http://scootdawg.proboards59.com
http://powerscooters.org/cgi-bin/discuss/YaBB.pl
http://www.scooterforumonline.com/smf/
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Chinese_scooter_forum/
http://www.oregonvintage.com/Scooter.html
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/tankscooters/

I have had a lot of luck with these resources. Its a LOT of really kind helpful people are at these sources to help answer questions and trouble shoot.

Word of warning: Whatever you do, DO NOT show your face at a site called scooterbbs[dot]com asking ANYTHING about Chinese-made scooters. There are a LOT of hateful people there who will do NOTHING but make fun of you for considering a Chinese scooter. They are completely biased, and should not be considered helpful for those of us wanting to own a Chinese Scoot.

Keep in mind, there are people who will debate this, but the Chinese scooters have come a LONG way in quality in the last two years. When you look at opinions, be sure to check the dates if available. The first people who purchased chinese scooters were a violently unhappy bunch. That's because their scooters (regardless of the sticker on the side) were pretty much crap with lots of little problems and even a few big ones. Do not get an older scooter. Get one made late 2007 or later. If you get something from 2006-2007, you will likely have more problems. I have just 2000 "miles" on my odometer, and mine did have some problems in the beginning, but they were not costly to fix, required no extra money to fix. I am probably lucky...
If you want to know everything I've been through, you can read through this blog from the beginning.

Keep in mind this one thing: You are not ordering a Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Piaggio, or Vespa. Chinese scooters cost 1/3 to 1/4 the price of these brands, and you can not expect the same quality. My seat is hard to latch. Some of my body panels do not fit together seamlessly. It takes 3-4 pushes of my starter button to get the scooter running. The lock on my trunk got jammed. There was a rattling chrome cover on my muffler. My radio is pretty useless. My alarm malfunctions so I don't use it. These are problems that could be solved if I put the effort in, but you know what? It starts, I can ride it, and I am getting around 50-60 miles per gallon. Also, it is FUN! Going to work was never FUN before!

Order online if you must, but seek out a local dealer. If the prices online are what is hooking you, consider the extra $300-$500 a local guy may charge as well worth it. I could have saved myself a LOT of headache if I'd bought from a local guy, and made my problems HIS problems. It would have been worth the extra $500. I bought my scooter from Valley Scooters for $1999. If I had purchased from a guy about 30 minutes away, it would have been more like $2500. I am satisfied with how i've been treated, and where I'm at now. But it was a bit of a rocky road!

Any specifc questions, you can more than likely find answers most efficiently at the links I gave you above. Last word of advice...if you DO get a Chinese scooter, brand is irrelevant because the same parts are used and much of the time assembled in the same plants. Don't let anybody tell you that one Chinese scooter brand is better than another. The main factor to having a good scooter, regardless of the sticker on the side, is to do your Pre-Delivery Inspection and be THOROUGH as HELL. Drain and replace ALL fluids. Check all hoses, lines, and wiring. Expect problems and be proactive. This will save your butt from any catastrophic failures. Change your oil OFTEN--more often that you think you should.

Good Luck!