Scooters And Engine Size

[j0hnga1t]

I was just in Thailand for two weeks (going again in May ) I noticed that the scooters are small...125cc?  Do they sell 250cc or 500cc scooters???  Is there some law against large engines on scooters?  OR is it a question of fuel economy?

Just curious

[Pattaya46]

Hi j0hnga1t,

I do not have "the" answer but I think that :

1- when bigger it's more expensive

2- why would you need a big one when most people use them for short travels and/or city travels and drive most of time at about 30 or 50 km/h ?

[hkt83100]

2- why would you need a big one when most people use them for short travels and/or city travels and drive most of time at about 30 or 50 km/h ?

Well, a friend of mine did Phuket-Bangkok-Ubon Ratchathani-Nong Khai-Chiang Rai-Mae Hong Son-Bangkok-Phuket on a ten years old Honda Dream (100 cc) in 3 weeks, so far about the city travels

(Edit: Wrong value for cc corrected)

Edited February 28, 2009 by hkt83100

[samuibeachcomber]

2- why would you need a big one when most people use them for short travels and/or city travels and drive most of time at about 30 or 50 km/h ?

Well, a friend of mine did Phuket-Bangkok-Ubon Ratchathani-Nong Khai-Chiang Rai-Mae Hong Son-Bangkok-Phuket on a ten years old Honda Dream (100 cc) in 3 weeks, so far about the city travels

(Edit: Wrong value for cc corrected)

his bum now would be like cow hide.

[noahvail]

I was just in Thailand for two weeks (going again in May ) I noticed that the scooters are small...125cc? Do they sell 250cc or 500cc scooters??? Is there some law against large engines on scooters? OR is it a question of fuel economy?

Just curious

Suzuki make the Bergman models of scooters: 250, 500, and 650cc. Somewhere on Youtube there's a video of Rossi, the big-bike multi-year champion, doing a wheelie on a 650 Bergman around a track. Fun to watch!

The prices are ridiculously high...oh, and only the 650 comes with 16" wheels, the others are smaller. I sat on a 650 before coming to Thailand, and after riding big bikes, I really wouldn't want to own that kind of scooter - or any kind, for that matter. Dangerous little buggers...

[j0hnga1t]

Pattaya46,

I understand what your are saying.  For me, I was on a scooter on Koh Larn with my gf and we couldn't make it up a steep hill.  I can see that for the most part BKK and out in Pak Chong (where I'm building a house) is flat, but I'd like more power if I have a passenger.

I currently have a Piaggio MP3 250cc in San Francisco (lots of hills here)

[jackcorbett]

Pattaya46,

I understand what your are saying. For me, I was on a scooter on Koh Larn with my gf and we couldn't make it up a steep hill. I can see that for the most part BKK and out in Pak Chong (where I'm building a house) is flat, but I'd like more power if I have a passenger.

I currently have a Piaggio MP3 250cc in San Francisco (lots of hills here)

That must have been a scooter that's either 100 c.c's or less or there was something wrong with the engine or you and your girlfriend are pretty heavy. I've often rented scooters at Ko Larn Island. Once rented a 125 c.c. Wave with no problems on the hills but every other time (six times or so) I've rented the 110 c.c. Airblade and always had my 44 kilo girlfriend behind me. I weigh about 78 kilos so combined that's 132 kilos. All the Airblades i rented handled all hills at Ko Larn just fine with my girlfriend and I going up them two up. I now own the Yamaha Nouvo 135 c.c. Elegance that's good for about 25 % more power than the non fuel injected Air Blades and 115 c.c. Nouvo's and I'll sure it would handle any hill at Ko Larn with aplomb.