Modern Vespa

In march Im planning on getting a LX 50. The manufactors spec says it has a top speed of 39mph. Being 160 pounds (mostly beer belly) will the 50cc have enough power to get close to the rated speed. 35mph is as fast as I need it to go.

You should be able to do 35 ok

You might consider a 4-valve S50 instead of an LX50, as it will have more pep, though probably not a higher top speed.

A used ET2 is another option which will have more pep, though it is a 2-stroke engine so you won't get the same fuel economy you would with the 4-stroke

hope this helps!

You would want to get the 125 after a week!

You might be able to get to the max. speed of 35 mph, but it'll take you some time to reach that speed and you'll be holding up traffic behind you which is never a safe situation to put yourself in. If you're needing to safely ride in traffic that is actually going 35 mph or more, I'd upgrade to a 150 cc LX.

IMHO 50cc scooters are dangerous beasts because of their slow acceleration and the fact that everyone will be wanting to pass you, so forcing you to ride in the gutter with all the debris. They are only sold here as 'transition' transport for 16yr olds going from a pedal-cycle before they are allowed a 125 at age 17.

Seriously, get the 150.

Bah humbugs! Not all 50cc are dogs. A stock ET2 flies up to 35.

The key thing is that the LX50 is a more pokey model than a 2-stroke like the ET2 or a 4-valve like the S50. That is why I made those recommendations.

However, there is truth in what Benny says - you should be very honest with yourself about what speeds you will be traveling at. For example, we have a road nearby which has a posted limit of 35 but everyone goes 50. I do not go on that road with the ET2, even though 35 is more than attainable.

Conversely, for the majority of the proper city streets the traffic actually goes more around 35. On the city streets, my ET2 is MORE than sufficient. Honda metropolitans are as common as can be, and I never see them dead on the side of the road.

Just be clear with yourself where you want to ride and how you want to ride. I do recommend a 2-stroke or the newer 4-valve 4-strokes, however, so that your acceleration is more competitive.

I have no problems at all - but it's because I drive where I will have no problems at all If you want to take one of those roads where it is posted at 35 but people go 50... think again. It's too dangerous and not worth your life to avoid the 3 stop lights you would have had to deal with on the alternative road you could have taken.

If you NEED to ride on a 35 where people actually drive 50, don't get a 50cc.

Hi
I agree with the poster who said get a 125/150.
My experience is that alot of people want to upgrade very soon after getting a 50 just because they want to go faster, and be part of the traffic flow rather than having it go around them.
Anyway whatever Vespa you get, your life will be better!
Matthew

You don't want a 50cc if you can afford something bigger

Believe me, I bought four scooters last year, each one a bit bigger, and I started with a 50cc

Depends on your priorities.
If you want to ride w/o a license or tags or park at a bike rack, some municipalities allow that for 50cc scooters. In CA, and many other places, you need a motorcycle license, registration and insurance to ride anything (despite the cc's), you can't park anywhere else a regular motorcycle can't, so it makes sense to get the bike that meets most of your immediate needs to start with. You can't give away 50 cc bikes around here. They are slow, cost almost as much as 125/150's, and have the same legal requirements.
If you are concerned about learning to ride, buy a used bike, take the MSF and practice. My car does not have a max speed of 65 mph, so I can take it on any road I may end up on.

i think you would do best to eather get an s 50 or get an lx 125 insted. The s 50 will have a tiny little more than the lx 50. but if you have the funds i would get the 125 so that the power is there if you ever need to use it.

but at the end of the day it is wat ever you will fell most conftable on

If you need to get a 50 cc scooter for licensing purposes be realistic about where you can ride, you don't want to endanger yourself because of your limitations of speed. As well, it would be better to get the new four valve S 50 rather than the LX 50 as it is much faster with the new four valve engine in the S 50. Or you might look into buying a two stroke 50 cc scooter either new or used if you can find one where you live. The two stroke scooters are often much faster in acceleration and top speed than the LX 50.

Amen to that.
And there is a monumental difference between the LX50 and the Honda Metropolitan that someone mentioned. When I first got into scootering, I thought that a 50cc was all I wanted/needed for running around town on and I went and test rode the Honda Met 50cc and the LX 50. I think it took 3 city blocks to get the LX up to speed... it was pathetic. For whatever reason the Honda was very peppy and would just take off, it was a lot of fun for zipping around. The Vespa was painful and frustrating, you just wanted to kick it like a horse to get it to move. I bought the Honda and had fun... for a while, then like everyone says, before long you start longing for bigger and better, you want to play with the cool big kids. Soon the Honda started to make me feel like an adult with a DWI record and no drivers license privileges. Then you start to imagine that everyone is speculating and laughing at you, like the circus clowns on the tiny bikes. I have had my 150 ET4 for a few years now and it really serves me fine, but I will have a 250 or 300 just as soon as the right deal comes along - the longer you scooter, the more distant places you find you want to explore and ... speed is addicting. Use the time between now and March to test ride everything you can, it could be fun and you'll be satisfied with your choice.
What are those sayings... "Buy the best, buy it once" / " Go big or go home" ?

+1 - Totally agree!

I have an lx 50 and with a cylinde kit and a power cam I go like 60 top speed and I get great acceleration. Before I modified I was in traffic hell as Jim C mentioned. The no tags no insurance no licence law in my state is the reason I got this scoot. All that said , I often dream of a bigger bike, but I need more experience

my story (short):

I bought a Kymco People 2T 50cc. I kept it for 9 months in order to learn how to ride bikes and after that I bought a Piaggio Mp3 250cc LT - had never driven a bike before-.

The Kymco was great for short distances or in heavy traffic BUT it was really dangerous to drive around on big-open roads. Poor acceleration might get one into trouble!The 2T engine could reach speeds up to 80Kmh but it consumed alot of gas and i hated the 2T smell on me.

Even the 250 cc vespas have the acceleration along the lines of an entry level family sedan car. I find I regularly get up to speed (let's say it's a 35mph road) on my ET2 on par with or before the majority of the traffic. I have heard rough things about stock LX50 acceleration, but my 2T ET2 experience is that it flies up to 35 as well as I could want, and I've heard good things about the 4-valve S50 engine. I'm quicker to get up to speed than on the P200 because I don't have to shift (unless I really ring her out, but I'm breaking a new cylinder in on it and don't want to).

As was mentioned, if you have "moped-class" permissions for scooters in Cleveland then a SIGNIFICANT benefit to 50cc is the parking. MA is trying their best to get rid of these benefits (for money in my opinion), but I can tell you that riding the ET2 around downtown Boston is like night and day relative to the P200, because parking is an absolute nightmare and is not cheap either.

My firm opinion is that the ET2, at least (never owned an LX50), is more than capable for the speeds it is rated for, and is a valuable option if parking is limited and you truly will be taking it on appropriate roadways (say downtown city streets).

My vote is be honest with yourself about what you will use it for. I consider the parking and greater fuel economy to be big pluses to a 50cc. I dunno, I cover most of this in my second post, but just don't let anyone TELL you what you need. None of us know. Just use our experiences for your best. It does sound like if you really know you want a 50cc for whatever your reasons, an S50 or ET2 might be better, since folks seem to be quite critical of the LX50.

Good luck!

Don't buy a 50 you will wish you didn't. Better to have the 150 and not need it than need it and not have it. I have a 150 and there are times I could use more. Good luck
Chris

50cc scoots are ok, in my town, but not in Pittsburgh, where there is hardly any flat land!
I started with my Typhoon 50cc 2 stroke, ran it for a year, and I put on a 70cc Polini Corsa kit on it in the winter....cost around $500, with a pipe and kit....
It goes faster than my 150cc GL, now....55-60mph....
4 strokes are harder to convert, got to break the case open for that cam, and still my 2 stroke will out run it....
I can go up the largest hill in my town, from a dead stop, and go 35-40 mph, and still would be accelerating at the top.....
4 stroke, go with a 150; two stroke, you can convert to a 70cc, after learning to ride for a year....
That's what I did....

My thought exactly, when I rode a 50cc it seemed that the car saw me as a target to force me into the gutter area of the road, I got myself a ET4 150cc soon after that(2003) and loved each and every ride on it. That ET4 took me to 25,000 miles without a breakdowns, I bumped up to a GTS250ie after 4 years of the ET4. Please for our sakes get an 150cc Vespa. In this way we will hear from you for years to come.

I started out on a S50 and would have been fine for awhile but for the huge hills in Seattle and my weight plus gear, etc.

So, it's a really good scoot for people who weigh 100lbs, are riding a few miles over residential streets in flat cities to go to school, etc.

To minimize your exposure if you feel you may upgrade is to get a used 50 that you can trade in for the larger scoot when you get your endorsement.

Thanks for the replies. Id need a motorcycle license in Ohio either way I go. I can afford the 125 or 150 so that seems the better way to go. Thanks again.

Good decision - and let us know how you get on.

Sounds like the best choice then Post some pics when you get it!

I'll be in Cleveland in April and expect to see you cruisin' the streets on your LX (or S) 150. I'm partial to the LX myself.

You can purchase a nice used ET4, which is the predecessor to the LX150, for less than a LX50 cost. Hell, a used LX150 is cheaper then a new LX50 for that matter.

I always buy used.

I always did with cars - brilliant value. My very last car was a Volvo 740DL estate that cost me GBP450 with 120,000 miles and lasted 5 years with 20,000 miles added for virtually no extra cost over the usual annual charges.

Binned in the end though, I found I never used it.

Buy the 150. 2 weeks after you get the 50 you will want more. The 150 is a nice bike.


My 300 is starting to feel underpowered.



Come on Vespa, bring me a 400.

Heh. Damn the rest. I love 4T 50s. Preference thing.

Then again I have a fair selection of bikes to choose from.

Hi Ted, and welcome to MV, lots of good people and tons of info

It is good to hear you will be getting the 125 or 150. Here is a point I did not see above. Even if you got the LX50 up to 35 and rode it around alot that way... Your pushing it's engine all the time, always up against that top end, with nothing left. Granted these little engines like to run top end, but you want to have something left incase you need to get out of a bad situation, and those happen every day riding in traffic.
So please do get the 125 or 150, even if you never have to go over 35, they will get there as fast as you need, and after your confidence grows, you will want to go on group rides if you can find a club near you.

So the Answer is No, Virginia... a 50cc is never enough....

Get out the gutter and get into the suburban traffic flow with a 150

and a 250 after two weeks...

at least, I do...

Try as many as possible if you can before you buy. I had a 50, and within a DAY I wanted something bigger. A used GT 200 came my way and I'm pleased as punch with it, and don't really want a bigger model than that.

From someone who lives in Pittsburgh...Amen to that!

To the OP:

I would highly recommend you get a 150cc. I had considered a 50cc way back when I bought my first scooter. I bought a 150cc instead and I am so very glad I did. I wouldn't be able to do much more that a grocery run around here on a 50cc and even then, I would be dragging it up a few steep hills as a rolling roadblock.

Roads that are marked 35mph are likely to have cars that go significantly faster the 35mph...unless everyone in Cleveland never exceeds the speed limit. It's no fun not being fast enough to keep up, stay ahead, or if you get a hill, going so slow that you can't get out of your own way. If it's no fun, you won't enjoy your riding, and if you don't enjoy riding, you won't ride.

In time (probably a very short time) you'll want to ride out further and further as you get into the fun of it...and you'll want a scoot that can take you there. A 150cc will get you anywhere but the high-speed interstates.

Try this: Take your car and drive the routes you intend to use your scooter on...speed limits of 35mph...and do not exceed the posted speed limits. Remember to slow down if you are going up a hill. You'll get an idea of your riding experience on a 50cc.

BTW: I ride up near your area on my scooter about once a year so I can have lunch at Eddies Grill in Geneva-on-the-Lake. It's just something I do. 8)

Buy your scooter once. We bought 150cc scooters in May and by October had a GTS300 and GTS250.

Buying a 50cc scooter in most instances is throwing money away.

While it may get 39mph, it won't be right away and one does not want to be riding at top speed and wide open throttle the whole way all day.

If you are confident that you only want to ride surface streets and won't ever be on a freeway, get yourself a 150cc scoot and ride that at 39mph. You and everyone else on the road will be much happier.

i ride an lx50 in london. A 50 cc is perfectly capable of dealing with any situation here seeing as the average speed is about 7mph and you spend most of your time filtering etc. I'd say the only thing would be to upgrade to a larger bike if you're thinking of carrying a passenger quite a lot of the time.
i find that the performance deteriorates dramatically whenever i carry someone but for a solo ride it's absolutely fine. i get about 45 mph on a flat, i'm not sure why it goes so fast.
i think in a big busy city, getting where you need to go quickly is less about speed than positioning and just having the experience to not just sit with the traffic.
in england we have the law that if you carry a driver's license you can ride a 50cc and carry a passenger but any engine size bigger than that you need a full motorcycle test. i think the rule is frankly ridiculous.
if you live in a city where the traffic is at a standstill most of the time, get
a 50 if you want but if the cars flow freely and there are lots of big roads on your journey, get something bigger

I ride a 50cc 2-stroke scooter (LXV50) here in the flat Christchurch city, New Zealand. It does everything I need speed-wise and a little bit more (speed limit here in the city is 50km/hr or 30mph). I'm very happy with the scoot, she looks absolutely gorgeous and is happy to purr all day with 2-stroke goodness.

I understand you can't get 2-stroke 50cc bikes in the USA anymore, is that right? I wouldn't get a 4-stroke 50cc scooter as it'll probably be too slow to accelerate and keep up with the traffic. Used to have a Piaggio Zip 50cc 4-stroke and I get an unbelievable 40km/L (94mpg US) mileage but it tops up at just above 30mph and took forever to get there.

That depends on the usage, local law and ride you have to make.
Having both a LX50 and GTS250, I preferred the LX for my commuting ride and small city trips, also for infrastructure/law reasons.

My LX50 does an avarage top of 40 mph (60 kmh), depending on wind direction.

The LX150 i.e. should be coming out this spring,
Maybe you'll get a deal on the older LX150's that don't have i.e.

Good Luck!

Dave

I got my LX50 first, and eventually got a GTS250 for riding 2-up with my wife. We actually tried 2-up on the LX50 for a spell--vastly underpowered! I do ride the LX quite often, though. It purrs right along. The mileage is super, quality is great, and I can get around Minneapolis well on backroads, residential streets and parkways. I can always figure out a way to get where I need to go. Just be ready to ride WOT all of the time. I also like legally parking on sidewalks in Mpls/St.Paul--it's got a moped plate. So--I'd say it depends on where you live and what you need to do with it. The LX50 is a great scoot for certain applications! Whatever you get, have fun!

To be safe, you need to have some headroom in terms of available power/speed. It'll depend on the type of commuting that you'll do.

Here in Southern California (Orange County), I commute in "city streets", where there are sections that the traffic speed is 60-65mph, and these city streets are 3 lanes each way. Obviously, with a 50cc you're suicidal, even my previous S150 was marginal. So, I've upgraded to a GTS250 and it is a world of difference.

Again, it depends on the area that you'll be riding. If it's like NY city, Boston, or London, you can get away with a 50cc, as the traffic congestion prevents the cars from going, let alone sustaining 40mph. But even in those scenarios, I would still recommend the 150cc class, as it will always provide for "get-out-of-a-situation" power.

Good luck.