…when making thr choice.
New to scoots, been biking for 10+ years but think that a scooter might be the way forward for me as I’m about to start the London Taxi Knowledge.
I’m going to have to sell my bike to fund this so I don’t want something that’s completely shite. I can’t see myself on a C90. It’s got to at least be a little fun.
What scooters do you recommend??
I don’t really need to do ton plus speeds, but would like some poke & pref some comfort.
If it is for mainly riding round london doing the knowlege a 125 like a Honda Dylan would be ideal. They have a reputation for being every economical and bullet proof. Many couriers now use them, as do people doing the knowlege. Unfortunatly they have been replaced so are not available new. The Honda SH series ae meant to be good also and available in a range of engine sizes up to 300cc.
If you want to be able to do 70mph in some comfort and a better ability to overtake non-stationary cars then a 250cc maxi would be better. For poke look at 400+500cc maxis like the Piaggio X8/X9/Evo and the Yamaha Majesty, but the running costs of these will be much higher if mainly used in the city.
When you say ‘much higher’, what sort of mpg do the maxi scooters return??
My Peugeot Satelis 250 gives me 82mpg on a mix of roads for my 27mile commute.
But I reckon the bike that would most suit you is a Gilera Runner 200VXR. It’s the same size, maybe a little bigger, than a Vespa but has 21hp and tops out at 85mph or thereabouts. Not the most comfy, but fun? Oh yes.
On the other hand, if you want a bit more comfort, then there is a choice of Nexus 250, Xmax, x8, Satelis, X9 250, etc etc. Which you would want of those is going to depend more on budget and availability than anything else. But they will all do what you need.
I think most X9 500 riders get about 55mpg so there s a considerable difference between the 250s and the 500s. The newer 400cc and 250 bikes tend to have 6000 mile service intervals. BTW, the Pug Satelis bikes have the same Piaggio engines as the latest Piaggio/Vespa/Gilera models.
Thanks for the info guys. 
So, is it agreed then that a 200-250 is probably the best engine size for what I need?
If so, I’ll start to have a look around to see what I can find for sale.
Also, if anyone knows of any dealers in South London and surrounding areas with demo bikes please can you let me know?
Except for the 125’s - including the Supercharged one!
Didn’t know they did a 125 Satelis.
One of the best scooter dealers is Thompson’s in St Albans - it is a good place to go for test rides and good quality well maintained seconhand bikes. People travel there from a lot further than south London such is their reputation.
