Ditching my dying car for a 125cc scooter? Some thoughts.
Ditching my dying car for a 125cc scooter? Some thoughts.
My car is on its last breath, at least according mandatory safety inspection results anyway. Repairs are supposed to cost more than its worth. Though, I'm getting a second opinion from another workshop soon. I only commute about 6 km a day, get groceries and doctor visits, entirely within the city.
So I’ve considering switching to a 125 ccm motor scooter instead of getting another used car. The idea of no more parking costs, looking for parking spots, low fuel usage and low fixed costs (insurances, maintenance and taxes) are very appealing.
I'm on the fence due to the one true downside, though. Winters. At least 3 months of likely cold weather, rain and wet snow. The kind that could make you question your life choices when having to ride to work at 6 am. I'm located in Northern Europe with winters with avg +4 to -4 °C. Since I have an alright public transport connection to work and in the city as fall-back it will be best to put it in hibernation. That I can do under a cover in a courtyard, if I'm lucky half covered under a balcony. What do y'all think?
Moving larger or a bunch stuff in one go will be more complex too. Even with services like car sharing, rentals or asking a buddy here and there in exchange for gas money and take-away food.
As for specific scooter, I'm looking for high reliability, durability and at best ABS and disk breaks for both the front and rear wheel. A high permitted weight would be great too. Models that fit my criteria are Yamaha NMax, Honda PCX, Honda SH125i and Piaggio Medley. Going to Dealers for test drives soon. :)
For a new one, all in all I'm calculating 6000 to 6500 EUR initially including extra features (top case, windscreen, heated handles), taxes and insurance. There are decent used cars for comfy winter rides. Though, perhaps I can score a lucky deal for a barely used motor scooter one as season is going to an end. By the way, a 50 ccm scooter is out of question for me personally, I'd want more power under my seat. ;-)
Anyone here made the switch? Regrets? Is micromobility really a year round solution?
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I only ride bikes and sometimes skateboards, but micromobility can be a year round solution in a lot of places as long as you dress for the weather and the weather isn't too extreme (though even in extreme weather, sometimes people still do it).
I have no regrets except for trusting a shitty budget bike and breaking my arm last year (ENGWE EP2 Pro had a faulty front fender with no safety features, good times :(). Just allow for adequate time, wear protective gear, and ride with a visible camera. Those are my main suggestions.
Having good infrastructure makes this a lot more doable, but it's still possible with shitty-to-no infrastructure at least sometimes.
Good luck!
Hey, thanks for getting into the question and I hope your arm healed up alright.
Camera suggestion is a good one! I'm using a dashcam in the car, so why not do the same on a motor scooter!? Decided to go for some test rides at some dealership, when I have the time. Good luck too and be safe.