Good Used Scooters and Other Fantasies

[phoenixdoglover]

By way of introduction, I'm new on the Forum, but intend to be active. My wife is Thai. We are both working in the Middle East. She is from a village west of Khon Kaen, and we (she, with my help) recently bought a house in Muang Khon Kaen.

My wife's sister and granddaughter will live in the house while the granddaughter goes to school in the city. We will be there 2 or 3 times a year for visits. The family has a pickup truck and a Honda Wave, so I'm thinking we need a twist-n-go scooter to round out the fleet, and to give me an easy excuse for puttering around the back roads.

Now I am a cheapskate. And I figure the majority of guys in my situation are also frugal. So I am always inclined to look at used vehicles before I look at new. Although I did wander into the Triumph dealership in Khon Kaen, and spent a few minutes eyeing the Tiger 800XC. I think the quoted price was 800,000 thb; just a wee bit above my budget.

So, two related questions:

- Is the used vehicle (scooter) market inherently more risky in places like Khon Kaen, with respect to unscrupulous sellers and lousy vehicles?

- With the various shops in Khon Kaen that sell used bikes, does anyone have any experience, good or bad?

Any and all offers of advice or consolation on my circumstances are welcome.

[losworld]

you should be fine these hondas will go 40 or 50k with no problem and very little maintenance... even if you have to change belts and brakes you are still looking at only a few thousand in repair costs... tires maybe 1500 to replace two... personally I would look for an older airblade if you want value for around 15-20k or if you want to pay a bit more get the 125cc honda click runs only 30-35 used. not much can be wrong with these bikes. you should be fine buying from a reputable dealer or even private just make sure there is a green book and the bike is currently registered with tax paid minimum last couple years.

Edited May 11, 2014 by losworld

[Pinot]

The Honda Click is the way to go. A fairly new one should run around 30k for a used one in great condition. Plenty available at the auctions in Bangkok for that price. Body panels are cheap and easy to repair if it has a few scratches. Many friends have bought them there and had them shipped.

I buy new because I want to know how the bike has been serviced and they're cheap! You're not buying a Ferrari.

The new Click 125 is very quick, by the way.

[phoenixdoglover]

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I'll have a look at the Click when I get a chance.