Alan Seeley
C Alan Seeley 2004 Alan Seeley has assened nis right to be Identified as the author of this work. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or med"lanical, including photocoPYing, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher
First pubbshed in September 2004 British Library cataloguing-in-publication data· A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Published by Haynes Publishing, Sparkford, Yeovit Some~t BA22 7JJ, UK Tel: 01963442030 Fax: 01963 440001 Int. tel: +44 1963442030 Fax: +44 1963440001 E-mail:
[email protected] Website: 'NV'IW.haynes.co.uk ISBN 1 844250954 Library of Congress cata og card number 2004104457 Haynes North America Inc. 861 lawrence Drive, Newbury Park, California 91320, USA Designed by Simon Larkin Printed and bound in Great Britain by J. H. Haynes & Co Ltd
the ~ Everythj ng you need to know about owning , enJoYing and maintaining your scooter
Alan Seeley
Which scooter? Scootering's recent
~pularity
explosion is m ore than a mere renaissance. Everyone from the thrill-seeking teenager to the jaded commuter is realising the freedom and independence that the two - wheeled world 's most practical machines have to offer.
If you were tOld you coula slash yOl,''- cornmu1lng t mes and transport bills, do your OWII ::;1) IdII IJdII for the environment and park up eas Iy when you reached your desbnatl()l1, you'd be pretty
interested, if a little SCBpIl:;aL But all at the above IS true. A scooter can cut car commuting ti'l)e by two-thirds or more, and eight can be parked in the space required by one car, usua,1y for free . The v'mo~e experionce is also ra ther more enJOyaba Iran having your personal space invaded by strangers on a crowded train or your b lood pressure pushed sky high in traffic jams.
-
Choked commuter routes, crowded publk; transport land delays) and congestion charges -
a reality in some lol,vrls already - are sending
City
type s to the scooter showrooms In droves. Many commuters are finding that they can cover a week's travel for little more than the cost of a
couple of days' congestion charge, and certainty for far less than the cost of a train or bus season ticket.
The sCCXJ\er was born out of necessity in a posl -Worlj War Tvvo Itaty desperate for cheap transport. But the reliability and performance of modem mach nes have laid to rest the reputaton of the oily putt-putts of old. Nowadays, 100mph
Peugeot Lndix basic transport at a low pnce
performance is attainable on large super scooters. At the other em of the spectrum even a cheap restricted 50cc fr~one of the many factories i, China or Korea will beat most cars or public transport across town. Ease d riding is another key attraction of the
scooter. With few excepllons tOOPlY's sr.ontPffi !'IrA automatic - no manual clutches or gearshifts to worry aocut. Anyone 'Nho is hatfiNay competent on a push bike can ride a scooter - the brake levers are even in the same place. Twist and go' they call it and that's exact~ 'Nhat you do. A twist of the right handlebar-mounted throttle grip and you·re off. Some scooter manufacturers have even been thoughtful enough to link the brakes so you don't use too much of one or the other. And did we mentlOO fun? W'here once teenagers saw scooters and mopeds as something they had to endure until they were old enough and affluent enough to dnve a car: tOOay's ::;lyli::;11 ::;~ts scooters all3 fashion icons in their own I1Qht lhere's no shortage of teenagers tearing u(: the tarmac on scooters long alter they're old enough to be tearing around in hopped up hatchbacks with bellowing exhaust pipes. A new generation of young people has discoverEd the pleasures of riding everyvvhere nat·out at 30mph - on a 50cc - or quite a bit more once the magic of derestriction has been worked and the joys of aftermarket performance parts exp or8<j, They used to say that scooters were little better than a bus pass - not nowadays , In between the extremes of the time-strapped executive and the teenager going no'Nhere fast and loving every minute of it. lies a whole world of scootering. Its universal appeal can be seen in the sheer diversity of scooter riders: the busy student heading for her lecture; the shift worker for whom the scooter·s convenience is Vif1thout parallel; the elderty gent plotting a l e i sure~ route from A to B; the proud customlser on a gleaming state me n~ of his individuality. Scootenng moves the world This book Will help you choose the right scooter for you, get you on the road in the right 8C1uiprnent and help you get the most from your scooter. Freedom is pages away.
Gilera Runner available in a vanety of capac/lies
Piaggio Uberty available in a variety of cap<JClt/es on a fetro top
Yameha Majesty go large With a superscoot. again in various capacllics WhIC h 5COOter?
9
a scooter
B
Having decided that scootering is for you, the next task is to choose one to suit your needs, experience , budget and d riving licence . Deperding on where in tre world you I va, there may be certan laws dictating t-roo dd you have to be to nde a scooter on the road and the type of traf1ng and Iceree Y"vU need. Au tr€O there may be fl.rther restriCtOl"'S en the SiZE of scooter you CW1 nde and the arrount of p:::>'v'P-I' it makes depending on yo;..r age and ~. See pages 36-40 lor the rules in YOI$ country. No matter whiCn class of scooter you opt for. !here is a bewiIcIeong a'T8Y of dmices. So before you sign on the do:ted line, here are some Important issues to CCOSider The high cJernan1 for scooters IS g:xxI news for p.11 yes, derestriclion . Performance IS capped for many markets to make 50cc scooters legal for those countnes ' age and 'icence restrictions . ottidal ~ liml1ing top speeds to no more than 30mph (48kph). True speeds can in fact be anyth'ng from just below 30mph to 45mph. In derestricted form a 50cc scooter can do any1hing from 45 to 50mph (72--80kph) and perhaps more. Remember that if you derestrict a scooter you may breach the terms of your licerlCe and insurance. noad legality mlght be compromised too . as "..nat is legal ~ acceptable in terms of light n9 and the like on a rest ric1ed scooter mgh1 not be up to the standards reqUired for t'NOwheelers capable of travelling above the restricted speed. You might also Inva lidate your marufac1urer's warranty. I-VIlich lS 'I'Ihy most dealers are reluctant to take on derestriction work.
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Piaggio Zip 50
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