Modern Buddy

After coming back from a trip in thailand/asia and riding scooters almost exclusively while there, it really rekindled my desire to own one myself. Used to live in Utah and thought about getting one while going to school but didnt have the money. Now I live in Boston and a scooter would be really great here, plus I finally have money! Likley my wife will occasionally ride with me (Together we are about 280 lbs) so it would be a nice benefit if she could comfortably come with.

I would be going tops around 50-55 mph roads and that would be more of a rare case. When I lived in Utah I went to a genuine dealer and loved the overall look and power of the Hooligan 170i.

I have tried doing some research of my own and have seen recommendations for the hooligan, Kymco brand (specifically the Like 200I, and Super 8 150X), as well as Lance Cabo, and Zuma 125.

The hooligan is at the tip top of my budget range so please dont recommend anything much more expensive. Thank you all!

I know the Hooligan is a good scoot, just hear about the occasional overheat issue (been resolved?), accessory rear rack breaking frame brackets and a few windshield failures. Plus side is it has excellent support and they are durable/reliable.
New/current Zuma 125. Slow motor but backed by a good network. Quality accessories.
Lance Cabo 200i. Limited support but nice scoot. Friend has one. Accessories are out there. You need a local dealer if you plan on letting them do service work. Friend got a great OTR deal on his 200i.
Kymco's are nice but hear some bad things about the Like's. You will need a local dealer just like the Lance.
Honda PCX. Honda quality. Bit cramped for taller riders. Try before you buy to see if it fits 2 adults.
No experience with Piaggio products.
Someone else will chip in with models I forgot about and second opinions.
Good luck on you search and purchase!
And also look into good locks! Theft sucks and ALL scooters are on the theft list!

The Vespa is a great scoot, but unless it's going to be your "summer car" I'd look at something else. Piaggio Fly or Liberty, big wheels, should be good scoots, too, but with (almost) any scoot, a good local dealer is a good thing to have.

My experience with a Hooligan in Texas was that it was a great bike. I rode it for long periods of time at WOT in hot weather and never had any issues. It was a very stable and easy riding scooter. My wife also enjoyed riding it and used it as a daily commuting scooter at times. I sold it only because I needed the money more than the scooter (I have a pair of Piaggio MP3s, a Buddy 50, and a Black Cat 50 and the Hooligan was bought used in order to fix up and resell (I made about $800 profit on the resale of of it)). If I had the money I would buy another one or maybe two.

blackice5674 wrote:After coming back from a trip in thailand/asia and riding scooters almost exclusively while there, it really rekindled my desire to own one myself. Used to live in Utah and thought about getting one while going to school but didnt have the money. Now I live in Boston and a scooter would be really great here, plus I finally have money! Likley my wife will occasionally ride with me (Together we are about 280 lbs) so it would be a nice benefit if she could comfortably come with.

I would be going tops around 50-55 mph roads and that would be more of a rare case. When I lived in Utah I went to a genuine dealer and loved the overall look and power of the Hooligan 170i.

I have tried doing some research of my own and have seen recommendations for the hooligan, Kymco brand (specifically the Like 200I, and Super 8 150X), as well as Lance Cabo, and Zuma 125.

The hooligan is at the tip top of my budget range so please dont recommend anything much more expensive. Thank you all!

After 10 years of owning and riding all sorts of scooters and small MCs from Adly to Yamaha I can honestly say the Genuine Hooligan has been the best of them all. In fact, I sold a Like 200i to buy my '15 Hooligan. That should tell you something.

Bill in Seattle

skipper20 wrote:

blackice5674 wrote:After coming back from a trip in thailand/asia and riding scooters almost exclusively while there, it really rekindled my desire to own one myself. Used to live in Utah and thought about getting one while going to school but didnt have the money. Now I live in Boston and a scooter would be really great here, plus I finally have money! Likley my wife will occasionally ride with me (Together we are about 280 lbs) so it would be a nice benefit if she could comfortably come with.

I would be going tops around 50-55 mph roads and that would be more of a rare case. When I lived in Utah I went to a genuine dealer and loved the overall look and power of the Hooligan 170i.

I have tried doing some research of my own and have seen recommendations for the hooligan, Kymco brand (specifically the Like 200I, and Super 8 150X), as well as Lance Cabo, and Zuma 125.

The hooligan is at the tip top of my budget range so please dont recommend anything much more expensive. Thank you all!

After 10 years of owning and riding all sorts of scooters and small MCs from Adly to Yamaha I can honestly say the Genuine Hooligan has been the best of them all. In fact, I sold a Like 200i to buy my '15 Hooligan. That should tell you something.

Bill in Seattle

the hooligan has the same engine as the buddy 170i correct?...is there an advantage the hooligan over the buddy since the hooligan costs a little more?...just curious

Kymco makes great scooters however despite the looks that I find appealing the ride was disappointing, under powered.

Boston streets suck. The 12" tires on the Hooligan are better than 10" tires for the rough roads. The long seat on the Hooligan is also better for 2-up riding than most seats.

sc00ter wrote:I know the Hooligan is a good scoot, just hear about the occasional overheat issue (been resolved?), accessory rear rack breaking frame brackets and a few windshield failures. Plus side is it has excellent support and they are durable/reliable.
New/current Zuma 125. Slow motor but backed by a good network. Quality accessories.
Lance Cabo 200i. Limited support but nice scoot. Friend has one. Accessories are out there. You need a local dealer if you plan on letting them do service work. Friend got a great OTR deal on his 200i.
Kymco's are nice but hear some bad things about the Like's. You will need a local dealer just like the Lance.
Honda PCX. Honda quality. Bit cramped for taller riders. Try before you buy to see if it fits 2 adults.
No experience with Piaggio products.
Someone else will chip in with models I forgot about and second opinions.
Good luck on you search and purchase!
And also look into good locks! Theft sucks and ALL scooters are on the theft list!

thanks for all the details! I just am nervous about getting the wrong scooter for me haha.

k1dude wrote:Boston streets suck. The 12" tires on the Hooligan is better than 10" tires for the rough roads. The long seat on the Hooligan is also better for 2-up riding than most seats.

Luckily I live about 40 minutes west of boston so the streets arent AS bad but yeah thats a good point. I should probably take note of the tire size and what not.

Just Gotta Scoot has real world reviews. Go over to their site and read away. I personally have a fetish for big wheel scooters-Piaggio Liberty/BV series, KYMCO People scooters, the rare Honda SH150. Heck, even my poorly supported SYM CityCom gets a nod. The SYM HD200 also. But the wife liked the seating of the Burgman 200 so thats what I purchased. Keep us posted on your choices as you narrow them down!

sc00ter wrote:Just Gotta Scoot has real world reviews. Go over to their site and read away. I personally have a fetish for big wheel scooters-Piaggio Liberty/BV series, KYMCO People scooters, the rare Honda SH150. Heck, even my poorly supported SYM CityCom gets a nod. The SYM HD200 also. But the wife liked the seating of the Burgman 200 so thats what I purchased. Keep us posted on your choices as you narrow them down!

^^^this...

http://www.justgottascoot.com/reviews.htm
http://www.motorscooterguide.net/

Alright I think I have "narrowed" it down to the following 5 scoots. Any pros/cons from anyone who has ridden them or know someone who owns them? I came to this list after reading reviews on justgottascoot and motorscooterguide, so would like to know any real world experience or heresay

1. Hooligan - my top choice i think still
2. Honda PCX 150
3. Piaggio fly 150
4. Lance Cabo/PCH 200i
5. Lance Cabo 150

I do have decently close dealers for all 4 brands near me so support will be no problem!

Lance Cabo has my vote.

The new Kymco Like 150 got my attention recently - top end scooter for a bargain price of $2,599

RoaringTodd wrote:Lance Cabo has my vote.

The new Kymco Like 150 got my attention recently - top end scooter for a bargain price of $2,599

Which Cabo? And any reasons why you would pick it over the others?

The Lance Cabo 200i (really a 163?cc) is a hella bargain compared to others in its class. But if you dont have a local dealer handy, thats IF you plan on letting them do service work on it for you, would be the only drawback. The PCH rear rack fits the Cabo and seems much better designed then the Hooligan rear rack. If it were me I would pick a Cabo over the Hooligan because the dealer is close to my house and I trust their service bay. My local Genuine dealer is not the best with service work.

blackice5674 wrote:Alright I think I have "narrowed" it down to the following 5 scoots. Any pros/cons from anyone who has ridden them or know someone who owns them? I came to this list after reading reviews on justgottascoot and motorscooterguide, so would like to know any real world experience or heresay

1. Hooligan - my top choice i think still
2. Honda PCX 150
3. Piaggio fly 150
4. Lance Cabo/PCH 200i
5. Lance Cabo 150

I do have decently close dealers for all 4 brands near me so support will be no problem!

Go with your top choice. You will not be disappointed. It's by far the best under 200 cc scooter out there. If anyone tells you different, it's because they've never ridden one.

Bill in Seattle

skipper20 wrote:

blackice5674 wrote:Alright I think I have "narrowed" it down to the following 5 scoots. Any pros/cons from anyone who has ridden them or know someone who owns them? I came to this list after reading reviews on justgottascoot and motorscooterguide, so would like to know any real world experience or heresay

1. Hooligan - my top choice i think still
2. Honda PCX 150
3. Piaggio fly 150
4. Lance Cabo/PCH 200i
5. Lance Cabo 150

I do have decently close dealers for all 4 brands near me so support will be no problem!

Go with your top choice. You will not be disappointed. It's by far the best under 200 cc scooter out there. If anyone tells you different, it's because they've never ridden one.

Bill in Seattle

I'd put the SYM HD200 (171cc) at the top, but that's just me.