by G. Kunkel

Created on: June 21, 2008   Last Updated: August 17, 2010

Scooter purchases have risen dramatically in the past year. They are a fun, economical form of transportation. With so many brands and models to choose from, how do you make a decision? After owning, riding, and maintaining a scooter for the past seven years, I've come to know the pro's and con's of scooters and their purchase. Here are some tips that will help you save time and money from the start.

Purchasing a scooter is similar to buying a car in many ways. A scooter is a vehicle and has similar features and maintenance. The purchase price should be only one consideration in making your final decision. In general, new good quality scooter prices start around $2200.00 and can go up to $10,000. Used scooters can be purchased for significantly less.

The most basic decision is to decide where you are going to ride the scooter. This will determine your engine size requirement. For simple commuting on 35 mph city streets, a 49cc size engine should be sufficient. If you need to reach highway speeds of 55 mph or greater, you should consider purchasing a scooter with an engine size of 150 cc or larger. If you have hilly terrain or need 75 mph highway speeds, you may want to purchase a 250 cc engine. If you do decide to get a larger size engine, this will most likely require you to obtain a motorcycle endorsement and insurance.

Are you comfortable driving an automatic or a manual transmission? Like cars, scooters can come in both types. Most new scooters on the market today are automatic transmission scooters. Automatics require less maintenance and the cables don't break as often as on manual transmission scooters. Two-stroke manual transmission scooters also require you to add two-stroke engine oil to the oil tank every few fill ups. If you are not mechanically inclined, I recommend going the automatic transmission route.

Should you buy new or used? Like a car, new scooters come with a warranty. The warranty is only as good as the dealership. Check out the dealer just as you would a car dealer. How long have they been in business? How long is the warranty? Do they service the scooter? Can they get parts for the scooter? A new scooter can quickly become useless scrap metal if service is not available. While there are many reputable dealers, the current popularity of scooters has flooded the market with disreputable ones.

Used scooters can be budget friendly and reliable transportation. It is possible to find low mileage modern scooters on eBay and Craigslist. Before

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