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am now officially a scooter man - having bought my first scooter, the TGB 303 RS 150cc.

fresh into this, it may be also interesting for others wanting to get a scooter to know how this story goes...

i bought the scooter WITHOUT actually riding anything beforehand HA! i based my decision entirely on specs, cost, and dealership location/attitude.

let's see if that was a mistake...

but in my favour goes many weeks of thorough research, checking out each potential scooter in person, talking to experienced people (not just dealers), and reading chunks of internet reviews. i wanted to make the right choice, and have a scooter ready for when i get my motorcycle licence next month.

hey, i figured one thing - as long as the seat is comfy and i can reach brake levers - she'll be right! and if owners say it goes well, that helps too.

ANYWAYS - what was i looking for in a scoot?

1. handle 80km/h EASY (that's the speed limit on the majority of my commute)

2. start for me EVERY day without fail

3. cost at around $4000 all up

4. long warranty

5. decent range ( trip to work is 66km per day)

at first glance the following scooters considered themselves worthy, and i didn't mind their look and size -

1. VS125 (SYM, BOLWELL)

2. BUG AGILITY 125

3. SYM EURO 150

4. YAMAHA BEE WEE

5.  TGB 303RS 150

6.  SACHS DASH 150

7. SACHS MADASS

8. VMOTO MONTE CARLO

then, i compared them taking into account price, warranty, performance, reliability, engineering and aesthetics. their country of origin was also important.

yamaha bee wee is known to be almost unbreakable, especially true with the 2 stroke engine - BUT, mechanics recommended a 4 stroke for the longer journeys. and 66km every day is long for a small scoot. so, i abondoned 2 strokes.

the sachs madass has so much charisma and style it would be stupid not to get one. i didn't get it, because it had no room for a helmet storage, or storage of any type. shame really

the shachs dash 150- i didn't feel any quality...

Vmoto looks good and all, but the wheels are too small.

bug agility and vs 125 both fantastic value for money. the vs is large - which is good on the road, and packs of storage. price is unbeatable, and warranty the best. easy to see why its the best selling scooter - but, not enough power in that 125cc for me. the agility - this came highly recommended by a mechanic friend of mine who used to import them. it is reliable, quick, and the most economical in its class. the only thing i didn't like about it was its small wheels, and side profile - looked a bit cheap. but peanuts really - remembering the 4 year warranty and intital price of $3200 on road! and you could haggle in a top box too.the sym euro also came highly recommended engineering wise, but that wasn't enough to offset the outdated look and boring presence of this machine. for the same price, you could get a european made scooter (better? open to discussion).

throughout all this, the TGB was sitting there, with its specifications modestly waiting for my attention. the 4 stroke engine TGB makes is used also by some European scooters. it puts out 10horsepower which is the highest in this bunch, and has a weight of 122kg. a very decent power to weight ratio, meaning i can still accelerate up hills at 80km/h. it has a tank of 6.8 litres giving me a range of about 200km, meaning i will fill up every third day, which is OK compared to others. the wheels are 13 inch, with great tyres, giving a good compromise between high speed stability and city maneuverability. it has a three year warranty, good internet reviews, and looks - each to their own i guess, but what is important that the scooter is visible in traffic. so i picked the one with yellow wheels.

Cityscooter in Woolloomooloo TRIED for my business and got it.

so that's all to report for now - i pick the scooter up next month. will let you know if i made a good decision later ;)

FT


 

Good to hear you are on two wheels. I have a black/red 303RS 150 and I'm happy with it. I've had it for about 18 months now and it hasn't missed a beat.

Let us all know how it's going in a few months time.

Terrific post filski... Great to hear about how you went about buying your first scooter.  I think it's terrific that you worked out exactly what your needs were in the first place and then went about eliminating those scooters that didn't fit in with your needs.  Good stuff.  Even though you didn't test ride the 303RS first, I do hope it turns out to be heaps of fun.

Jimbalaya!

Good report Filski

                           I'm too looking at the TGB 303 or a BEEWEE,hope it goes well for you and don't forget to fill us in on how it's all going.

Is there any other BeeWee / TGB 303 owners in Melbourne who can give a report on their scoots!!

                            See ya Timmey

 Great post Filski

I love the way you approached the process and emliminated those that did not meet your various requirements & preferences.

ciao

 The TGB 303RS 150 is a reliable and very under-rated unit and should be on the shopping list of a lot of potential scooter buyers.  Rock sold reliablity and 13 inch wheels with a decent sized fuel tank.  Great choice!

 the little machine has arrived....looks better in real life than on the screen i tell ya!

doesn't sound half bad - actually similar to a full sized motorbike. i can't stand the sound of those annoying, high revving 50cc engines!

i fired it up in two ways - the electric and kick start - cool to have both.

love the red lighting around the speedo dials.

and my worries about the light being too weak are no longer - the single globe puts out a strong lighthouse beam.

the seat is a little on the loose side, if you jiggle it with your hand. it's as if it needs a couple more retention points with the body. but, it doesn't move about when sitting/riding on it. some minor panel misfit issues i picked up, easily snapped back into position - probably due to pre-delivery mechanic.

scooting around the basement, i noticed a big difference in brake power and actuation between front and rear. this is because of the rear drum / front disc set up. i hope the rear brake will be ok on the open road.

first impression is that overall it is very rugged, and stable. i really like the engine sound from the 150cc, and that it fits in my little garage - together with the 4WD!

i am content with my decision, so far....

let's see how it goes with its first 500km...

thanks goes to Jason from Scooter City - it was a pleasure buying from him.

f 

I had the chance to see one of these babies up close tonight in the blue colour with graphics and bright yellow rims and I gotta say.... it looked terrific!

(I tried to do a picture attachment but it didn't work, so check it out here:

http://www.scootersales.com.au/NewScooters/tabid/54/mid/399/ctl/details/adid/1042/Default.aspx  )

Enjoy filski!

Jimbalaya!

Well helllllo... Success!  It did work after all.

Jimbalaya!

I pre-delivered one for a customer last week. The colour is a bit hard on the eyes

http://www.melbournemotorcyclerepairs.com.au/blog/

 Early Sunday morning ...streets are empty - i donned the helmet on the noggin, fired up the new TGB machine and set off...round the BIG BLOCK

how awesome... i love it, never ridden a motorbike before, never been too keen for them  - but this is gonna grow on me.

even with 5km on the clock, the TGB hammers. it doesn't take much to get you to 70km/h and then the CVT evens out and you can just cruise...it had so much more to give too.

some potholes in our dodgy australian roads let me test the front and rear suspension. must say - its a sporty ride. not as soft as i imagined.

used together, the brakes are ...well, they stop you without going head over turkey. the front disc is strong, i didn't find its limit, but the rear drum is used  to the max during a sudden brake.

it will take a while to get used to everything. good, i just can't wait for the next ride...i am hooked

f
 

 Glad you enjoy your new ride.  They are a great scoot.  The rear drum will be a little woody at first (so will the front disc).  Once you have clocked up 1000km, you will really notice the difference with the brakes, both will have a lot of stopping power after bedding in.

hey hey i said i would report on how its going with the first 500km on the road,  so here it is ...
 

super!

that's the end of the report!

ok ok, no major issues with the scooter, except a cold engine idle problem. apparently due to the engine being new and tight, it won't stay alive during idle for the first 30 seconds of starting from cold. does this rectify itself ?

all else is functioning very well. fuel economy started at 4L/100km, now its down to 3.5L/100km and dropping.

engine power is exactly what i had been told it would be - i can accelerate uphill from 80km/h. (but only without strong headwind!)

i am having a ball riding this little machine, although am cautious out there. STAY AWAY FROM TRUCKS. i realise my own immortality...NOT

its been a great change from the big 4wd, commuting to work on the scooter. glad i got into it and i recommend it to anyone that has a 'maybe' in the back of their minds when sitting in traffic jams staring at the dashboard. with the money saved on fuel ( around $60 a week ) i enjoy my weekends a whole lot more!

let's roll

YO!

the TGB has pulled off 1700 k's now

had its first two services, and is well on its way to being run in properly.

performance has improved. a very enjoyable ride. i got a problem with turning the key to lock position though. have to jiggle it for a fat while before it goes through. 

took my jerry can with me and did a run-till-konk-out-dry test. it has managed exactly 198Km on its 6.8 L tank. that gives it a fuel economy figure of 3.4 L /100km or 29.4 Km / L @ mixed riding style.

that's not bad for a 150cc. but to tell you the truth i would be really stoked if i could get 50km/L....is there a 150cc like that out there ? surely, WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY (?)

 how many km's are yous getting on your 150'z ??

I've just bought the red/black one of these and am picking it up tomorrow . I went down to a dealer last weekend to check out the 101R, but decided this had more personality, a better finish & the seat was more comfy! I also found out they are no longer going to be importing the 101R into Australia & that the 303RS will be TGB's 150 baby. I took this for a test ride & apart from being a bit noisy on take-off, I couldn't find anything I liked better for a learner bike. I tried many other scoots & had more money to spend, but I was sold. The only thing I didn't really like is that my full-face heImet doesn't fit under the seat, but handily, the scoot came with a free top box! I can't wait to give an update on this scoot, looks like it should meet or exceed my expectations. Will re-post when I've done a few kms.

Question, does it look more like an alien or something Batman would drive?