Seeking Advice on Which Scooter Is Best For Me?

[paz]

Just bought a 2012 click after lots of research and very happy with it. By far the nippiest 125cc scooter I tried - very economical. It does have really small wheels,

Actually tire size is perfectly adequate on the click 125 at 80/90 front and 90/90 rear.

[MW72]

My advice. Buy local. Don't get too caught up in product. A dealer nearby could possibly be the most important thing about buying your bike. Especially if your Thai lady friends have any trouble while you are out of town. Get it serviced there once in a while and it will be great piece of mind, and you are showing your respect for the community.

If that dealer is a Suzuki dealer, it is usually the lowest priced non-Chinese product there is. I priced out a Yamaha Spark 115 with elec start at a dealer for 39900 cash price. Thought the price was awesome until my friend's dad up in Issan bought a Suzuki Smash Revolution for what she said was 20,000 baht. I assume that it was the non elec, w/o front disc brake, and the price was more like twenty something thousand baht, but you get the picture. You will not likely be able to negotiate that, but full list price in 2012 was only 34500.

http://www.motorcycle.in.th/staticpages/index.php/Suzuki_Motorcycle_Price_List

Want Off pavement performance and bullet proof reliability? The shifter models are the way to go.

You make a very good point about buying local. I've only been in the town a few times and didn't get to look around the local bike dealer but I've been on google street view and he has a big Suzuki banner outside the shop. He may sell other makes also so I'll have to see once we get back there. Buying from the local guy will be the most preferred option. As you say it is showing a bit of respect for the local community and will be best for after sales and servicing.

[MW72]

whytey13... I agree with you . I would go Japanese as well. But I sort of thought that the cheaper Chinese bikes would be a good idea for the original OP. There are some good cross-over ones as I said. I actually have had a Keeway for a while now (TX) and it has not given me any problems at all. Other than the usual servicing... nothing has broken or has the engine, clutch, fuel system, or anything else give me any issues to contend with. As a matter of fact the only things I had to 'fix' were the tightening of a few bolts that help on the non-major parts (mirrors, pinion foot rests and the like). Seems that those are put on here in Thailand. As for the Lifan... I know quite a few people that have them and they have reported only very minor issues but nothing that caused a headache. They are just decent cheap bikes that if taken care of will do the job. That is really all I was trying to get across. Their price will also mean that when your journey is done and you are on the way home, leaving it behind will not break the bank and will give you good memories rather than the possible guilt of leaving behind such an expensive motor and the hassle of finding someone to buy the thing. Hell... with a Lifan... just give it back to the dealer and say thank you it is all yours for free. I know 2 that have done just that after riding through Thai and Cam. It is like leaving that banger you got while traveling in OZ and leaving it in airport parking with the keys and note saying "help yourself".

I really don't fancy the Lifan. it's Japanese all the way for me. I appreciate what your saying about not laying out too much cash so that when my journey is done I am not losing too much but hopefully this is just the beginning of my Thai journey and fingers crossed it will be a very long journey. I expect we will have the bike for a good few years and if we replace it or upgrade I am sure one of the girl friend's many nieces or nephews will be more than happy to take it off our hands for free.

If things go drastically wrong for me and I leave the country then I'll have more to worry about than what the bike cost me

Thanks all the same.

[MW72]

I'll let her have some input but she's not getting to chose on which one is the prettiest colour.

Happy wife, happy life

A very accurate statement. I'm glad you see the funny side of my statement as someone else didn't

I know deep down that regardless of what I like we will get the bike that she wants. As it will be her everyday transport and something for me to have fun on from time to time then I think that's only fair. At least with all the advice I have been given we can make a more informed choice.

[roly]

I've not read all the posts so sorry if it's already been covered. I noticed some questions about Suzuki bikes. I bought a Suzuki Hayate last year. Great bike - 125 cc, twin shocks, alloy wheels. Very well made bike. 55k new. For me being tall it was a toss up between Nuovo SX and the Hayate. Next time I'll probably go for the Yamaha just for a change, but the Suzuki, Nuovo and PCX are the best scooters out there. After having ridden the single shock clicks hundreds of times, I'd say they're not as suitable for a farang.

[paz]

I've not read all the posts so sorry if it's already been covered. I noticed some questions about Suzuki bikes. I bought a Suzuki Hayate last year. Great bike - 125 cc, twin shocks, alloy wheels. Very well made bike. 55k new. For me being tall it was a toss up between Nuovo SX and the Hayate. Next time I'll probably go for the Yamaha just for a change, but the Suzuki, Nuovo and PCX are the best scooters out there. After having ridden the single shock clicks hundreds of times, I'd say they're not as suitable for a farang.

Suzuki Hayate (Thailand) is a underbone, not a flat foot footrest as per OP desire.

Edited February 5, 2014 by paz

[AllanB]

Having just ridden around Kho Summed, my advice is forget autos, off-road they are a nightmare with no engine braking and many with front/rear brake interlocks. If you must have scooter get some off-road tyres, as the tourists were dropping like flies on the slippery bits, including my missus.

I would personally buy an Enduro, (day two on the island I hired a Kawasaki 150 Enduro thingy, very stable) or on a lower budget get a Honda Wave or similar and have a leg either side of the bike and get some grippy tyres too. Also I like big wheels for Thai roads.

That's my two penneth....

[MW72]

I just got back to work after 3 brilliant weeks in LOS. I thought I should update you all on my quest for a little bike to run around the local area.

Firstly it is amazing what you don't see when you are not looking. I thought there was only 1 bike shop in the town but it turns out there are 6 which is a heck of a lot for such a small place. In saying that they are all tiny little places and are selling the exact same product except for the Suzuki shop which didn't have much I liked. A couple of shops just sold Honda Waves and 3 of them had about 10 - 12 Waves and a couple of Clicks. I had decided I was going for a Click as many of you have recommended them and I like the look. I'm not into the classic look of the Scoopy and others. Being the technical sort of guy I am I wanted to buy the blue tune up model for no other reason than I like blue or failing that the white and orange idle stop model which the gf liked. None of the shops had either of them and the one shop that claimed to be a Honda dealer (not on Honda's website) could not get one in until 21st April and I was due to fly out on 22nd so that was a no go. I ended up getting the bike from the shop across the road which sells bikes and TVs and washing machines which didn't fill me with confidence however, on speaking to the staff they told me they could have one to me by Sunday morning from the Honda dealer in Lampang. This was Friday afternoon so I was impressed. The following morning they called the gf to say they could not get the idle stop model but could get the blue tune up and we agreed to go for it. Turned up the following morning and the bike was there even though this was the first day of Songkran they came up with the goods so I am most impressed.

As for the bike, I had a great time on it. Brilliant little runner, comfortable enough, felt stable enough on the little country roads and was a lot of fun. It can hit 100 KM/H on the flat which is more than enough for the country roads I was on. I only managed about 200 Km on it as being Songkran there was a lot of drinking to be done with the family but when I go back in a few weeks I intend to get the kilometers in and get the 1,000 KM service done.

Before I left Bangkok for the North I managed to visit the accessory shop recommended by SDM0712 and I have to thank him for the suggestion. It was a great shop with lots of good gear. I got a great SHOEI moto cross style helmet which cost almost half the price of the bike. My gf thought I was nuts but I know it is a good buy and when it comes to protecting the head money is no object.

Thank you all again for your advice even if I chose to ignore it. I appreciate it