Your Guide to Buying Used Mopeds and Scooters

With the economy in a downslide and gas prices on the rise, used mopeds and scooters are looking more and more attractive as a way to get around town. Buying 50 cc used mopeds, or buying used Honda scooters, are a good way to get some cheap, reliable transportation. The classic Vespa scooters, too, should be considered a coup if you can find them.

Here are some things you should keep in mind when you're looking for used mopeds and scooters.

Do your research

Many times, you can find decent used mopeds or scooters at a good price on eBay, or in the classifieds. Don't be afraid to do a search online and find someone near you with 50CC mopeds secondhand or Vespa scooters for sale. However, often you will have enough listings on eBay to be able to compare prices and figure out what is cheap and what is not.

Know what you're spending

Before you just simply pull out your wallet or checkbook (or credit card), though, do some research. Find out how much the brand you are looking at is going for when it's second hand. Be advised, too, that you might have some competition these days for your scooter search, since they are a very attractive alternative, indeed, to cars and other gas guzzling vehicles. You should find out what the ballpark figure is, currently. This can even change day-to-day, so you're going to have to do research and keep abreast of what current prices are considered reasonable. Once you decide on your spending limit, you can always put in a bid on an online auction.

eBay is good for this, as it allows you to put in your maximum bid and leave it. You see, even if you put in a high maximum bid, it will only outbid the current highest bidder by a few dollars.

Buy local

You may not want to buy something unseen, but buying online is not necessarily the same as buying unseen. If you do choose to shop eBay, for example, and you find something you think you like, make sure the seller is local to you so that you can go take a look before you buy. eBay has the local search available to make this possible.

Things to look for in used mopeds

Take a checklist with you, and make sure the moped or scooter passes inspection in these areas -- or that you get a very good price commensurate with the repair the moped or scooter is going to need:

Has the moped or scooter sat for a while? If so, it's likely to have some decay peculiar to unused vehicles. Check:

1. The motor.
It should be in good shape, and if it's not, it will need to be replaced.
2. The muffler.
If this needs replacing, do it. It might seem like it's a small thing, it but it's going to affect your scooter's performance.
3. Brakes.
Usually need replacing, and not worth risking it for the $20 or so you're going to pay if you replace them yourself.
4. Tires.
These are usually worn on a used moped or scooter, and will cost between $35 and $40 apiece to replace.
5. Shocks.
Again, these will probably need to be replaced, and are worth the cost of doing so for a safe ride.
6. Cables.
Again, these will need to be replaced if the moped or scooter has sat for a while, but it's worth the cost (and your safety) to do so.
7. Body condition, including paint.
It might seem like a little rust isn't such a big deal, but be careful. It can significantly impact how roadworthy your scooter is.

Again, this is not to say that buying a used moped or scooter is a bad thing. You just have to be careful, know what you're looking for, and to know that some things are probably going to have to be replaced especially if the moped or scooter has been sitting in storage for a while. That said, though, do some research, decide what you're willing to pay for used (including the repairs you have to pay for or do yourself), then go out, find the moped or scooter you want, and roll up your sleeves and get to work. Once that's done, you can watch gas prices climb to four dollars a gallon or beyond and still know that you are riding a good, gas efficient, roadworthy vehicle.

Oh, and one other thing. Get insurance. It might seem like a small thing and it might not even be required in your state, but do it for safety's sake. And above all, of course, have fun -- safely, of course.

Why Buying a Very Cheap Moped Could Be The Answer For You

Once again, you find yourself at the gas pump filling up your family size car and spending more money on gas than you do groceries weekly. Since there seems to be no real end to the rise of gas prices what other options are there? A small investment into a very cheap moped is one great option that so many people have taken advantage of.

While you may never actually see a second hand scooter for sale lot like you would a used car lot, you will find better prices when you come across a used scooter for sale. By purchasing a very cheap moped you will find that you no longer need to swing into the gas station two and three times a week for gas. On average, you might only need to purchase gas two to three times a month depending on the amount of traveling you do on the back of your very cheap moped.

Did you know that a well-maintained scooter can go about 80 miles before it even uses up one gallon of gas? With that in mind, wouldn’t you rather speed along at 30 miles per hours and save several hundreds of dollars than to be roaring down the highway at 70 miles an hour and spending a week’s worth of wages on your gasoline bill? In today’s market of rising gas prices most people are thankful for any little bit of money they can save on their gas budget and with a very cheap moped, you can do just that.




There are several other great benefits to buying a very cheap moped. A scooter is a more “green” option for those who are looking to get out of the main stream and be a little nicer to our environment. If you want to be even more “green” you can opt to purchase a used scooter for sale that runs off electricity. While you may pay a little more initially for an electric scooter, for the long haul electricity is much cheaper than gasoline so you will still be saving even more money with a very cheap moped.

When riding your new very cheap moped make sure that you take the precautions to be safe. Even though this is a small item, it can still go up to 30 miles an hour so invest in a helmet for your own safety. You can usually find good helmets anywhere you can purchase a used scooter for sale or at any motorcycle shop.

So if the rising gas prices are eating away at your monthly budget and you are just plain sick and tired of shelling out money to fill up a gas-guzzling vehicle such as a SUV then you might want to take the time to crunch some numbers. This way you can see if searching out second hand scooters for sale might be a viable option for you. The next time you fill up think about how much money you could be saving if you purchased a used scooter for sale, then find out where to get a cheap moped and start saving money!