have been looking around for a forum just like this for a while so am delighted to join up.
Have had my first scooter for about 2months now, a humble little black piaggio zip 50cc.
When I collected from the store and rode it away, I had the biggest grin ever on my face. Why I never got one of these before now I’ll neve know. Riding a Scooter is just SO much fun.
I bore people about how good it is, the difference in money between the running of the bike for the year all inc and the cost of an annual (6 zone) travel card. But you lot already know that!!
Part of me has a nagging regret that I didn’t opt for the 100cc or a 125cc bike now, whilst the other part (more dominant at the moment) keeps reminding me that what I have for now is perfectly adequate for commuting.
It’s a restricted model still…but I’m mulling whethere or not to get it de restricted when I take it in to have work done on it over the christmas period. It somehow fell over in the garden (building work going on + now evident uneven surface = toppled bike!) and now have a cracked mirror and the horn doesn’t work.
Any advice or suggestions on pros/cons of de restricting it?
Hello and welcome, do you have the manual for your scoot as I have a spare one kicking around, actually just put it in the bin but can retrieve it for you if you are interested. Let me know asap. Oh back to the point welcome…
If it’s 2, just need to cut resonator pipe and remove ring in variator. Then begins to get expensive if u wanna tune it further.
Please correct me if i’m wrong, but I believe with a 4-stroke, this involves removal of flanges in the exhaust, along with the ring in the variator (carb mods as well i think)… I read somewhere if it’s got an ecu, this might need reprogramming…
If it’s brand spanking new, as Ginge said, this may void your warranty…
Having ridden a Zip 50 for far too long in the past, they are incredibly cheap to run and great fun, but they are not very safe. Derestriction is one route, but they need the carb tuning to avoid terrible flat spots if you just go for simple and easy stuff. Doing it legally is a pain, insurance, CBT if you are doing it on the P classification on your car license (and buying the dreaded L plates!) informing DVLA that it is no longer a restricted 50cc etc etc.
A dealer will probably do the whole conversion, including the rejetting of the carb for you for about £80-£100, but you will be left with a small nimble bike that is a deathrap at 40mph plus becasue it will get thrown all over the road by the wind and any irregularities in the road and has little spare braking energy.
The Zip was what got me back on two wheels, and I am glad I had one, but rather than derestrict I would recommend you move up to 100 or 125 if at all possible (althogu uthe idea of a Zip 125 scares me stupid having hit 45MPH on my 50) simply on grounds of safety, never mind it being much more fun!
Thanks Giuliano, have been speaking to my brother-in-law about it too. He had one a while back and advised against getting it done. Whilst there’s all the legal aspects of it to deal with, he simply said, if you come off at 30miles an hour you’ll probably break a bone or two, but if you come off at 50…
Also, I’ve got to be honest with myself and ask do I really need it on this bike? I bought it to get me to & from work and as such does that a dream so why “fix it if it ain’t broken” I guess.
Think I’ll plough on with the Zip50 for a year or so and then maybe upgrade to either a 100 or a 125 and do it all the proper way, as in buy a bike that’s meant to go whatever speeds it’s meant to go.
