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We get a lot of enquiries about various aspects of scooter riding,
so to try and help we thought an FAQ page might be of use. But if anything isn't covered here or anywhere else on the site,
contact us and we will endevour to assist.
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- Two stroke or four stroke?
Which is better?
Fundamentally there are advantages and disadvantages to both. Most vehicles on the road these days have
4-stroke engines. They are more efficient, quieter, last longer, generally have longer service intervals and are more
reliable. Almost all scooters on the market today over 100cc have 4-stroke engines.
However, at small
engine sizes, particularly 50cc, a 2-stroke engine will produce much more power than an equivalent sized 4-stroke, which is
why most 50cc scooters on the road today are still 2-strokes. But beware - if you are going to get a 2-stroke engined
scooter, invest in something of a decent quality, otherwise you might find that the reliability issues that you can find in
cheaper engines might catch up with you at inopportune times.
- Do I still have to pre-mix oil with my fuel for my 2-stroke?
Nope. Modern 2-stroke
scooters use a direct oil injection system which delivers the right amount of oil directly to the engine. Not only does this
stop a lot of hassle when you fill your petrol tank, but actually increases efficiency as you need to use a lot less oil.
Just fill your petrol tank with petrol, and your 2-stroke oil tank with oil, and your scooter will do the mixing for you.
The oil tank on most scooters is big enough for over a litre which will last roughly 1000k.
- How often do I need
to get my scooter serviced?
All our brands strongly recommend regular servicing of their vehicles - indeed if you don't
you may break the rules of your warranty. The details of periodicity differ depending on brand, however at least one
running in service should definitely be undertaken, and thereafter at the distances determined by the manufacturer, or at
least once a year.
- What kind of brakes are best?
Disc brakes are certainly more powerful than drum brakes,
but cost a lot more too. The majority of braking takes place through your front wheel, hence why most scooters have the combination
of disc brakes on the front, and drums on the back. For scooters that are set up for one, drum brakes front and back are perfectly
up to the job - they wouldn't pass Australian compliance standards if they weren't - but they aren't as powerful as disc brakes.
The value of disc brakes on the back? Well clearly for more powerful scooters, additional braking capacity is
highly desirable, but for most small engined scooters drum brakes at the back are more than adequate.
- What kind
of license do I need?
The WA law states that you can ride a two-wheeled vehicle that is under 50cc, fully automatic,
and restricted to a top speed of around 60kmh on a normal car license. Unfortunately federal laws stipulate a 50cc scooter
(an LA class vehicle) should be restricted to a top speed not exceeding 50kmh.
If you are 16 you can apply for
an R-N license. This requires you to take a online test at the Licensing centre which if passed allows you to be issued with
L plates. You can ride your scooter on L plates as long as you are accompanied by another rider with appropriate licensing
(ie car or motorbike held for at least two years). This rider must either be riding pillion, or accompanying you on another
scooter or motorcycle - following in a car does not qualify.
Once you have adequate tuition you can sit your test
which will allow you to be issued with P plates. Note that you cannot take a passenger when riding with P plates.
To ride any scooter larger than 50cc will require you to have a motorbike license. You need to be at least 17 years old.
If you take your test on an automatic scooter, then you will be issued with an automatic motorbike license, which restricts
you to automatic motorbikes. However without clutch and gears, and no foot pedals to worry about, the co-ordination required
to ride a scooter compared to a motorbike is much, much simpler. To get your learners permit you will need to do an online
test at the licensing centre. Thereafter you can take lessons, or practice accompanied by a person who has at least the level
of license being taught for at least four years. Most riders will develop the requisite skills to pass the automatic
motorbike test within 3 or 4 lessons. Simple.
If you want to pass your motorbike test, or just want some more experience
on a larger machine before you decide on what scooter would suit you most, then give us a call as we can help you with the
loan of an appropriately sized scooter for customers who commit to a deposit on one of our scooters.
- How can
I go faster on my scooter?
This is easily the most common question we get asked, particularly regarding 50cc scooters.
Well the best, and most honest advice, is if you want more speed, then buy a bigger engined scooter - and if that means you
need to get a "scooter" license, then from both a personal safety, as well as for financial/legal reasons, it's
the best advice we can give.
Manufacturers put multiple devices into 50cc scooters to slow them down to meet Australian
Design Rule (ADR) requirement of a top speed of 50kmh. Removing these will increase the scooters speed, usually to between
60 and 75kmh. The scooter will still operate within the safety margins, particularly regarding chassis strength and braking,
as determined by the manufacturer. Removing these devices will not affect manufacturers warranty if done by an authorised
technician (ie authorised dealer).
The other way to improve top speed is to modify the vehicle. Some modifications
are low impact (eg adding a sports exhaust), whilst others are more significant (eg changing the engine to 70cc). Most
modifications cannot be carried out in isolation - often new variators and belts are required so that gearing matches the
increased power, or different weight rollers to ensure pick-up is still good at low speed. Bigger carburettor jets are
usually needed, as well as air filters with better throughput. And you might find yourself having to remember to add
2-stroke oil to the petrol every time you fill up with fuel. Get it right, and significant speed improvements can be
attained. Get it wrong, and your scooter won't last too long. What's more you've negated any warranty you might
have had, and you'll be lucky to get any joy or compensation from the dealer who did the work. And also remember - will
you be also improving the handling and stopping power of your more powerful vehicle?
We will not service any scooters
modified by another dealer as we will not cover the risks of any future problems attributable to the modification, being in
any way attributable to work we have carried out.
Finally, if you have an accident on a scooter which has
been derestricted or modified, and the increased speed is a determinant in any acciden you may have, you could find any insurance
(either voluntary or government) is no longer valid. Even if you have a full motorbike license!
Any customer
requesting derestriction or modifications will be required to sign a disclaimer stating that these changes are not for road
use. If a customer is under 18 they will require the signature of a parent or guardian.
So before you decide on the path of performance enhancement, make sure you fully understand the implications of your decision.
And understand why we will always recommend that if you want more power, you should buy a bigger engined scooter!
- Petrol
- A topic of much debate
What is the best petrol for my scooter? Well, we have customers that swear that they get an
extra 5kmh or more if they use premium (95 RON), particularly BP Ultimate (98 RON), and others who say that they can’t
see any difference from using regular unleaded petrol (ULP - 91 RON). So we suggest that you try them out, and find out what
works best for you - (although check your users manual, as a number of our performance scooters require higher octane fuel).
Consider - if you don’t expect to use your scooter regularly, we recommend that you use normal unleaded (ULP), as the
additives in premium fuels can “go off”. If they sit around in your tank and engine, they can foul up your sparkplug,
which in turn may give you starting and running problems. Recently we have seen some "experts" suggesting
that 2-stroke scooters should only use normal ULP because Premium fuels mask water which can affect the efficiency of 2-stroke
oil. To date we have seen no evidence that would suggest that this is the case, and most manufacturers recommend fuels
between 91 and 95 RON (ie ULP or PULP).
- Road Safety
Your safety is paramount to us, and whilst we
recognize that for holders of full car licenses instruction is not compulsory, getting some sound advice on good motorcycle
roadcraft is something that we would strongly encourage. Not only will you be a better rider (and driver!), you’ll be
less likely to aggravate the rest of the road-going public. The Drive Safe handbook provided by the Road Safety Council is
a good reference for basic advice, however we believe some practical advice from an expert is money well spent, and we are
delighted to be able to recommend a number of instructors who can provide expert advice and tuition from $60 an hour.
Give us a call, and we can let you know an instructor near you - or take advantage of one of our schemes and base your lessons
from our showromm.
And don't forget to wear protective clothing. It sounds obvious, but even when the weather
is at its hottest, keep as much of your skins as possible covered up, and wear covered shoes or boots. Tarmac burns
are never an attractive look.
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