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 th e ~ Everythj ng you need to know about owning, enJoYing and maintaining your scooter Alan Seeley W h i c h scooter? Scootering's recent ~pularity If you were tOld you coula slash yOl,''-cornmu1lng explosion is more than a mere t mes and transport bills, do your OWII ::;1) IdII IJdII for the environment and park up eas Iy when you renaissance. Everyone from the reached your desbnatl()l1, you'd be pretty interested, if a little SCBpIl:;aL thrill-seeking teenager to the But all at the above IS true. A scooter can cut car commuting ti'l)e by two-thirds or more, and jaded commuter is realising the eight can be parked in the space required by freedom and independence that one car, usua,1y for free. The v'mo~e experionce is also rather more enJOyaba Iran having your the two-wheeled world's most personal space invaded by strangers on a practical machines have to offer. crowded train or your blood 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 types 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 Peugeot Lndix basic transport at a low pnce 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 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 Gilera Runner available in a vanety of capac/lies 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 Piaggio Uberty available in a variety of cap<JClt/es on a fetro top parts expor8<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 leisure~ route from A to B; the proud customlser on a gleaming statemen~ 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. Yameha Majesty go large With a superscoot. again in various capacllics WhICh 5COOter? 9 a scooter B Having decided that scootering is many cases Ire price listed, and no more, ~ what you pay to get a machine CfI the road, This is for you, the next task is to choose espeoDl1y truo of fTICl{';t European scooter manufacturers, But some other makes ailoW one to suit your needs, experience, dealers to set separate charges for the pre-delivery budget and driving licence. IIlspectlon, licence/number pk3tes, road tax duty, delrvef)l, and even the fuel aOO oil the machine is Deperding on where in tre world you I va, there suppled With. And Vvtlile trey might not charge for may be certan laws dictating t-roo dd you have to the 8lr !fl the tyres, they CClJld lheo"etcal~ ctlarge be to nde a scooter on the road and the type of lor the hme it takes the lTlEChanic 10 pump them traf1ng and Iceree Y"vU need. Au trO€ there may up. So get all ~ costs ard charges lad 0\..1 in be fl.rther restriCtOl"'S en the SiZE of scooter you black and whit9'-i.)efore a:xnmil1ing 10 the deal. .A.rd CW1 nde and the arrount of p:::>'v'P-I' it makes remember thai everything IS negotiable, depending on yo;..r age and ~. See pages A funner consideralon is parts back up, born in 36-40 lor the rules in YOI$ country. No matter whiCn terms of price and avallabl ty. Mosl consumables class of scooter you opt for. !here is a bewiIcIeong are generic lIems ard, thErefore, widely avallable a'T8Y of dmices. So before you sign on the do:ted bJlOO, t'yTeS, brake pads a'd tile like, A tJJogel line, here are some Important issues to CCOSider scooter from a COlIltry likE Taiwan or Korea may be The high cJernan1 for scooters IS g:xxI news for cheap \0 buy inltla.lry, but \l'Jhat happens .../ hen pans p<ospect va b.JyerS. Dealers 'hill often diSCOlJ(lt to wear out or txxtyvvak sus:ains damage? The clinc.:n a sae. Even v..t\ere the r13f'Ufacturer <Y componems may rot be expensive, oot they may 'T'pcrter forbids dlSCOJnting. C8llny deaers may have to go OnlO a back order. whiCh coukj keep offer oth"€ Ircentrves. such as free or discounted you off me road for weeKS, So quiz ltle dealer clothing, accessories. finance. training and aboJt parts back up, and price up some typical insurance. In son,e cases mamJaclurers get in on Items f<Y lhe sake 01 comparison. In some coontries there are alternatwes to the act 100, with finance jea!s, discounted t:uy ng 'official' machlnos f-om manufacturer Insurance and free breakdoW'll r3COvery, But be wary of 0'1 the rood (OTR) ct1arges, In app:)ll1ted dealers, 'Parallel' and 'grey' imp)rts tend • 10 n
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