Perhaps it's a Tao Tao is the reason why you had problems I dunno but I bought a 150cc scooter the "Razor 150" in Blue from RedFoxPowerSports for the sticker price of 969.00, and I Love it. You should Always change the oil and gear oil First before you start it because they just put enough in for shipping and it's Low quality oil. This is one of the things they tell you when buying a Chinese scooter online if you do your research. There are plenty of videos of assembles to help folks out. My scooter runs Great using non ethanol gas which is what you should run too as these GY6's were not designed for use with ethanol. If you cannot find non ethanol gas in your area it's easy to remove ethanol from your existing gas by mixing it with water, letting it settle then draining the liquid that looks like water back off of the pure gas. This works because gas and water don't mix but the ethanol absorbs water and mixes with it. There are videos on this you can find. Since they use ethanol to boost octane which is one reason why it's in your gas to begin with, you may want to add a non ethanol octane booster to the gas to give it back some of the octane it lost. Most modern Chinese scooters say to use 91 percent octane and up.
For those who are curious, these are likely made for countries in Europe like France where at the age of 14 you can get a 50cc scooter with a limited speed of just over 25mph (45kph) which is why it feels sluggish at full throttle. The small metal piece that limits the speed can easily be removed though (they generally go about 45mph (75kph) after that piece is removed although this scooter looks dangerous so...
I own one of these a 2018 model I bought it secondhand for $550 had 200 miles on it (now 550) the guy before me put bigger jets in the carb it’ll do 35 or 40 on the level up to 55 downhill. I absolutely love it!!! For me and where I live it’s awesome for short trips in town down to the store or along the beach. The only thing I’ve had to do to it so far and I’ve had it for a year is change the oil and put a new battery in it. They are absolutely great for where parking is an issue and hills aren’t! If you think you’re going to buy this and go cruise the interstate on your way to climb pikes Peak you’re only kidding yourself!!! But if you forgot to grab a gallon of milk or a pack of smokes on the way home from work these are great fun for running down to the convenient store!
I bought a Taiwanese made "Genuine" "Buddy 50", which was presented to me derestricted, allowing me a very fun 45mph. It is what is referred to as "bullet proof". It had a two years warranty and two years of free road service - never needed. I use it for quick, local, small item pickups from stores, having zip-tied a plastic milk crate to the rear luggage rack. Incredible fun making fast, leaned turns on it! Can't go on a highway with it, but that's why, for my 74th birthday, I bought a Kawasaki 2018 Ninja 400 KRT ABS - and LOVING IT 2.5 years later.
I have a friend who shared a Buddy 175 I think it was, with his wife like every other day. I used to make fun of them when they would ride it cause I thought it was some cheap ass scooter. Yes, it is rather inexpensive to buy but they're pretty decent little scooters. In fact, because of their history with it I too am in the market for a Buddy now.
William Diaz The “Buddy” is manufactured in Taiwan (NOT to be confused with freakin’ Chinese bikes which many mechanics simply refuse to work on) by “PGO”, one of the premier scooter manufacturers. I compare it’s reliability and fit-factor to products made by Honda (and for my upcoming 77th birthday, I bought a Honda Grom, btw - great fun/giggles per mile. YES , Taiwanese products have always maintained great quality control- had a Craftsman Contractors scroll saw made in Taiwan - and it was reliable for decades. Go ahead and enjoy a Buddy!!!
I had this scooter here in Texas. Ran fine, got me from point a to point b no issues. just be aware it's very light and it doesn't take much for someone to be able to pick it up and steal it.
Happened here Friday night, lived here 25 years, NEVER had anything stolen, wheelbarrow, lawnmower etc left out, moped parked out front the last 13 years, then someone stole it, it weighs 250 pounds and the kick starter was broken, and these require a key to start it
After 2 years and 4,000km i sold my taotao thunder 50. Its a great bike and the upgraded model of this. The 12 inch rims gave it a nice ride. Its the perfect starter bike and will teach you how to work on them cause they will break down due to cheap parts but the knowledge gained is priceless. I did multiple 85 mile round trips with my scooter. 45 miles is an awesome ride. Mine would easily hit 40-45. Screaming at 7k + rpm. If you want something cheap for in town use get this scooter.
These are actually great scooters. I've fixed a lot of these cheap China scooters. Lots of info about them online and very easy to work on. That model of scooter is used as a daily commuter for millions of people. Mostly they are out together with not much care, if you go through it yourself and you'll be fine. Most of them I find for like 200$ and I'll have them running within 5 minutes usually. Sometimes as simple as a wire in the killswitch grounding out. Easy 500$ for me 😂 most people have zero mechanical skill whatsoever. Take that into account when reading reveiws.
I have a brain full of those skills and i didn't buy mine off the internet i bought mine from the last guy that kept it in pretty good shape with only 8 hundred somw miles on it other than some cracked plastic broken tail light cover the headlight wire was unplugged because they zip tied all the wiring to the steering that when they turned it unplugged the head light so that little problem is fixed I would buy a few more of these if i could just to save for later but not many people sale um out in they're yards
@@henbe ua-cam.com/video/pfU5f3Q186s/v-deo.html a moped with 95cc cylinderkit. probaly around 40hp. Kids in europe tuning 2 strokes mopeds like these at 15
As a 13-15 year old I rode one of those beasts 14,000 km, installed a bore kit, proper jetting and a variator at 7,000 km. I got big into scooter repair for a few years and I’ve had about 20 scooters since. These are not bad scooters, but they are not anywhere close to Japanese quality and are notoriously neglected.
@@sakuraxkimiko2134 I got a Honda Ruckus as an 8th grade graduation present so I was 13. Rode it on back roads for years. I now ride a 636. I guess you should arrest me too.
I had one of these for a while back in 2012, I enjoyed it! I had it shipped to local motorcycle/atv/scooter shop and paid them to put it together and make sure everything was good (nuts and bolts tightened to spec). They also de-restricted it by putting in a custom computer. It would get up to 45mph (granted there was no headwind). I lived in a suburban part of town and it was perfect for commuting to work, going to friends places, and sometimes grocery shopping. Yes it was cheap, but not scary cheap. It took harsh weather just fine and never failed to start for me. The gas tank was a little over a gallon and took premium, with regular use I would get around 115 miles per tank. Filling up at the time cost me about $2.50 so it was very economical. In conclusion, he's right, if you want to put a little work into something this is a great fun little project.
@@CrowsBrother on these engines it is a simple ignition source. It doesn't control fuel injectors or anything. It just picks up a charge from the magneto/stator and then sends a spark to the plug. Not a computer
It's a GY6 engine, you can totally tune this, de-restrict it, change the clutch, gearing, get a 80cc big bore kit, get lightweight flywheel weights, these engines are very reliable but the factory of this listing have skimped on labor etc..
I never liked the idea of replacing the cylinger with a big bore kit, the engine is designed for the size piston it has, putting a bigger one and cylinder on greatly increases the forces on the crank, bearings and everything else, couple that with going 45 mph with the engine screaming is begging for throwing the rod or some other problem. I did that when I was a kid after I replaced the governor spring with wire to go faster, threw the rod going downhill with a friend on it with me.
Way back when, when Sears and Roebuck was mostly a catalog business, they sold motorcycles, cars, and even houses through their catalogs. They were actually the Amazon of their day.
I only meant that they were the Amazon of their day in the way they could provide nearly anything you wanted in one place, I was not comparing their corporate philosophy. I always used to love going to Sears and when we moved to a small town in Texas back in the early ‘70s, a Sears catalog store was the best way to get things.
The "horrible noise" is the center stand scraping the asphalt on turns. The retention spring is not strong enough to hold it up all the way when riding. Even high dollar scooters have this problem at times.
Thats taking a hard left turn,my issue was wind would blow the scooter over, in part because I ibstalled a windshield. I wound up fixing the issue by removing the center stand, heating it with a torch and spreading the two legs out about 3/4" each for a wider base of support, and never using the kick stand
I’ve bought the EXACT same scooter from a dealer ($900) and have had 4 years trouble free motoring!! Of course it may need some initial adjustments (dealer did mine before sale) but once dialed in and broken in, it does 35-40 mph on flat streets. You can buy an entire big bore kit for less than $100 and increase engine from 50cc to 100cc! It is a great little scooter!!
Wrong those Hunter cc's are crap the only things that are good for you in the 100 cc is not the Big Bore Kit with the goodies that come with the Big Bore Kit The Big Bore Kit is a Chinese made Big Bore Kit and reality is not a hundred cc is like an 86 or an 80cc the Taiwanese one is actually what you need you get what you pay for I got mine off of Rolling Ridge I paid $245 for a 94 CC and I made it into a hundred cc by adding to the engine buying high performance parts for my bike and reality the engine the 80cc engine you'll be able to go like 50 almost 60 with the 94 engine most likely you'll be able to go 70 and if you put the final Gear Drive in it and you'll go 15 times faster so that's like freaking 85 and then when you change the rollers and change the whole CVT inside the bike you be able to go at least 90 or 100
Especially if you put a high performance crankshaft in it and high performance engine starter like I did in going to do but by the Taiwanese high performance crankshaft cuz you're paying more money for your paying almost $200 for it don't buy the cheap Chinese stuff like they say you get what you pay for
@@marineboy4181 you don't know what you're talking about those engines are bulletproof I've worked on them for 50 years they're even better than the Honda 70 engine as far as the can change not wareing out . Yeah the switches and the plastics are junk but the engines and drivetrains are bulletproof
Depending on your elevation and air density usually a good valve adjustment carb tuning (low speed mixture), a 90 main jet and uni pod filter helps a lot but fuel consumption goes up a bit
Hey, just came across your video on "escooters" and I must say, you've really captured their versatility and convenience. As an ebike user, I recently discovered a new project called freebeat's Morph 2-in-1 e-Bike, and I couldn't be more excited. The fact that it's dual-mode, allowing for indoor charging, is a game-changer! And with its powerful motor, suspension, and puncture-resistant tires, it's perfect for tackling any terrain. The Smart Saddle Detection+ feature is impressive too, providing valuable insights and keeping me motivated. Can't wait to see more about this crowdfunding venture! Keep up the amazing work!
Bought one of these about 5yrs ago in yellow. Here in New Zealand it was called a sunny.Engine ran very well.I did 10000kms on it.like this one it was quite tinny.Its a good idea to remove the restriction in the exhaust.Mine was good for 40mph.
I bet a 250cc scooter like this would've actually been an interesting scooter. I wouldn't even consider this thing as a scooter to run errands around town but with a bigger engine probably taken from the other Tao Tao bikes and modified for the city, I don't see this as a very bad deal. I can somewhat see people buying these scooters JUST for making deliveries with around town and making a good profit from delivering stuff I guess....
it uses a GY6 engine based on a honda engine its used in the honda ruckus and a bunch of peugeot bikes they do a 125cc motor from amazon that just swaps right in and a bore kit to 150cc is only $100 and takes an hour to do all the work
There's a special place in my heart for these scooters, because I owned 2 of them when I was broke, and even though they suck it was enough to make my wife fall in live with riding
LOL well really they don't suck I have one and if you have money and put money into anything they're good yeah when you first get them they aren't that good but if you put Taiwanese Big Bore Kit in it and buy quality high performance parts they actually could be better and actually will be better than the higher in Bikes their budget bikes so they're not going to be like the higher in bikes but once you put money into them most likely they will be like and I high end bike I'll make a video on my other UA-cam channel cuz this one I'm using is for music I make music off this one bro. And I'll show you my bike my bike used to be a 49cc but I turned it to a hundred cc got a Taiwanese engine paid 245 for it and I just bought me a Taiwanese crankshaft a shift crankshaft high-performance spent almost 200 on it 196 so is high quality
You have to tune the carburetor(gas and air mixture ratio) adjust your idle screw on the carburetor... Also make sure your intake and exhaust valve has the correct valve clearance... Intake valve (.003) and exhaust valve (.005)
thesr chinese scooters are pretty common in finland, they are sold as baotian, fude, and keeway, people take all the plastics on and ride them as skeletons with no front light
I had this in red in college. Got it from a friend for helping him move but it wasn't running for years. After closer inspection there was a little green wire under the plastic that was unplugged. Fired right up after that.
My husband bought 24 of them for $250 each. Sold them for $750 each. He knows motorcycles and went over each bike. They are cheaply built but if you run the right oil, they will last a few years. He had the option of a free trunk or free helmet with each bike. He picked the trunks. He sold out in less than 2 months.
Those "trunks" they claim is something like a "$125 value" are a laughable piece of junk, the first one I had- you mount it with the 4 bolts provided, the bottom cracked out around the bolts, I just took it off threw it away, the next TaoTao I got I threw the trunk away on day one, it's worth more like a $5 value
I own one of these! It’s a 2018 model, bought it second hand with 1616km (odometer is in km since it’s straight from China). Paid $250 for it. I’m over 1,000km (650ish miles) into it. Had a brake switch go out but pulled and fixed it in 5 minutes for $0. I get 25mph on up hills and 35 on flat road. Have brought it up to 50 on a nice downhill. No upgrades. Would never pay and buy one new but you can’t go wrong for $250 lightly used.
These were sold here in South Africa as Zest scooters and came with 125cc engines. With top speed of 80-100 depending how big you are. Mine has about 30000km on it but currently has an electrical issue which I'm too lazy to fix (and I'm a motorcycle mechanic lol). Honestly I just couldn't be bothered.
It's funny how so many places have low power scooters as beginner bikes, but then people over there in a America calling a 400cc street a beginner motorcycle
most Chinese motors are a GY6 motor, they are pretty easy to work on. thing to know about Chinese scooters is you have to replace the gas-lines and exhaust lines because anything rubber is extremely prone to rubber rot, so upgrade the lines to double walled insulated line rated to handle -40F temperatures, upgrade the lights to LEDs (seriously, the stock lights are crap and low lumen, you will see a big difference in the dash and visibility at night and in cloudy weather), replace the carburetor with a new one (i got mine for $15) because the head of the screws are broken off and ground flush and the air/fuel screw is capped over with a bronze cap for some dumb reason, replace the air filter with a cone style filter, change out the drive chain for better quality chain, replace all of the hose clamp pins with actually hose clamps, replace the stock oil(should anyway) after the motor is broke in and check the oil filter(can be found on the underside of the motor), and make sure to organize and zip tie the wires so they don't get in the way. the way to check the Air/Fuel ratio is to just check the spark plug if it is golden brown it is tuned properly, if it is black too rich and if it is white then too much air, also make sure the fuel injector pin is set properly in the center, install an oil cooler on it because GY6 motors are air cool via a side fan and coat the screws in rust resistant coating. overall, Chinese scooters are fix m' up vehicles, but are cheap for replacement parts with most ranging up to $30 or less.(most expensive being the whole motor, the oil cooler, and the muffler). NOTE: never bring a Chinese scooter to a motorcycle shop, they will laugh at you and say "no" even though they are easy to work on, because they don't know how to work on Chinese scooters.
I have this scooter and I think people need to keep in mind this is not for the first time owner or someone who is not mechanically inclined nor refuse to do trouble shooting. My advice to any owner (I'm the second hand owner of mine) is to adjust the valves, brakes, and align everything on it. What you save for the wallet on this vs a better name/rep scooter you will have to make up for it with sweat equity. While much of it the corners were cut, anyone who is willing to put some labor into it will get it to work reasonably and usable. Over time you will have to change things other than maintenance like the electric starter, cables, and lines but other than that it's pretty good imho. PS: Mod the carb and get a better free flowing air filter. Unrestrict it and add a different CDI and it's actually pretty fun and usable as a backup vehicle in good weather.
Can get a decent older Japanese scooter for 500 or less. Will run for life if maintained. This however, may or may not start and has a possibility of lasting a year
Not to say smth overkill, but you get a Keeway superlight 125cc for 800 US dollars in my country (Just an example from the top of my head) So kinda goes crappy scooter vs 125 cheap working bike 🤔
For 800 you can get used piaggio, gilera, aprillia scooters which will last you almost forever, have more security features and better performance. This chinese ones are never worth it and they wont resell for more than half the original price
I bought a Taotao Quantum Titan 150CC for $739 and $239 shipping. I've had it for just over 2 months so far it seems to be a good scooter. And according to GPS it'll run 65 mph, but over 58 it tends to be a bit squirelly. It's good for city and 2 lane hwys.
@@delmoreanderson5820 I bought it from Superior Powersports dot com, but I can't reccomend buying from them as it took them 2 months to get me my bill of sale and mco so that I could title and tag my scooter. You dan find lots of other sellers online though.
Looks the same as our TaoTao 50 (I guess they are the same, except for the brand name.). We got it from a website, not from Amazon. But they did the same thing with the color. We wanted black or yellow, or green. We ended up with gold... (I also ordered a black dirtbike, of course, they sent me a red instead...) The scooter is awesome, it needed a 20 mins fix though, I had to switch the carburetor. But since then it runs fine. I did put almost 1500 miles in it. 🙂 More expensive doesn't mean better. I got another one for twice the cost. The issue with the blinker, the engine is less trustworthy, stopped working for a few months, then it started to work again. It has the same GY6 engine, just better parts and it's heavier and stronger, etc. But is it more trustworthy? Not really. Űthe handlebar gave us issues when we assembled it. It was wobbly, we had to figure out what to do with it. - I don't even bother with the battery. I just use Kickstart, it works well. I ride alone, but sometimes with 75 pounds of stuff, so 275 pounds with me. Yet, it can run up to 42 or so mph on a good day. You have to change the carburetor though, the factory one is just giving up on you. Also, you have to tune it. Just turn it up to a higher RPM. It was bogging down all the time, then I turned it up, and wow, huge difference. No more bog-down... I absolutely love it, riding it in nice weather gives a strong freedom feeling. lol - - - The one in the video is kinda strange. As if it's a TaoTao 50, then why is the writing missing from its side?
I bought each of my early 2000's kymcos for less than this. One is water cooled, does 45 mph, and starts with one squirt of starter fluid after sitting outside all winter. The cheap dirtbike I get, but these are like disposable cameras. An older Taiwanese or Japanese scooter will be infinitely more reliable and comparably priced.
@@chopchop9382 ehm remove Peugeot cause there V-clic is the same scooter as this the Pony 50 lmao... (all there new scooters are tho) Derbi is owned by Piaggio and i've yet seen a Keeway that was any good..
From the Geezer desk. I can remember seeing Allstate motorcycles in the Sears catalog as a kid (I'm 72). Our grandmother would cover a old Sears catalog for a booster seat at the dinner table for the really young grandkids. I still have one of them. Bet there are some good prices
Sir, I said something quite unkind about one of your other videos (Predator powered Harley); I should have expressed my opinion differently. When you do a video like this, it's a solid review and I got a lot of good info from your experience. You actually did a pretty good stress test and put it on camera for all to see. For that, I thank you. I still believe the Harley project was pretty hazardous, tho.
Bought an older model for $45 from some dude moving to Florida, little thing wasn’t messed with for years. Changed the carb and it didn’t fire then adjusted the valves and she fired good. Haven’t had a problem with it since then. Look idc what anyone says if the little scooter is able to take the torture from me and the boy’s jumping it every time they come over than it can go through just about everything
I bought a similar one for my younger sister to get back and forth from work (she lived in town and didn’t have a car) and it got her back and forth for over a year until she saved up for a decent car. The only major issue she had was the kickstart went out.
KIKI ; I don’t know a ton about vespa’s. I personally own a Honda ruckus. And before that I owned one of those Chinese Tao Tao’s (same as one in this video). The ruckus is much nicer then the Chinese scooter I had.
I bought the same one but on a different website speedo broke within a week because the cable rubs on the tire the jets in the carb were lean I had switch the carb to a unsealed one to make it run and when I was done fixing it up it still only Reached 30mph I’ve since made it an 80cc and it now reaches 50mph
I have always been told that tao tao IS Honda. Also you paid way too much on Amazon.. I paid less than $500 for 2 new tao tao and exactly $500 for 1. Dude has good intentions with video, but inconsistent information.
It is very true, i used to race Enduro then i Went racing Motocross for 3 years. The Honda and Yamaha engines are beasts. The key to making a vehicle last is by taking proper care of it. Hell i still have my 2014 Honda CRF 250. I give my Nephew rides on it and i use it to check on cattle from time to time. I spend about 40 minutes to an hour every day on maintenance. But that was when i was racing. Also i have a scooter/moped or whatever it's called and i can't seem to identify it. It's a B09-R 2016 or 2017. My brother in law gave it to me when i broke my leg. The only other vehicle i had at the time was my 2003 Honda CBR 600RR. And my left leg was broken so i couldn't shift at all.
@@lowellfink9292 I like kawasaki had my 07 kx125 for 8 years now, all i had to do was rebuild my carb, now the motor is blown but i rode that thing non stop lol
Fellow scooter rider myself. Have a 2008 Vespa LX 50 I paid $500 for and put $500 worth of parts and my TLC into it. Runs great. No license in my state. Loved the video.
Here in the Netherlands, these are a scooter driving license with a legal top speed of 45km/h or 30 mph and helmets are mandatory. Then there are also scooters without helmet requirements which drive 25 km/h or 15mph legal top speed limit. So if you think yours was slow, imagen driving around on one of these ;p
It's kinda the same in the US. The slower scooters are not "street legal" and are essentially considered toys. You can ride them on the street in some states and are more or less treated the same as a bicycle
Lol, considered as toys. The Netherlands gov is thinking about making helmets mandatory for the slower scooter as well since there are happening alot of accidents with scooters and cyclist. I find it very unusual to hear that the US think that 25km/h isn't that serious and calls it toys.
@@Diablo97810 most states do not require helmets it's the riders choice. Most states also don't regulate toys or bicycles much. I mean I can pedal my bicycle far faster than 15kph and I am not aware of a single state that requires bicycle riders to wear a helmet, I never have. And remember your not really supposed to ride it on a busy street.
I work on GY6's and I can solidly say that these things are some of the easiest things to maintain but require you to keep track of your parts heavily also your oil.
I have a blue one from 2017. Still running to this day. My son rides it everwhere. I only took off the emissions, put an air cone filter on and a straight baffled exhaust and a 19mm aftermarket carb. . My son can get up to 42 MPH.
Hey! I’ll be honest, looking at this scooter to use for work as our primary car is used mostly for a family member who frequently goes to a doctors. Do you think this bike would be okay for someone needing to drive about 1 mile each way for work? I normally walk it but the summer heat is killing me.
I bought a Scootstar Racestar (they’re all pretty much the same) in October of 2021. Just hit 1,000 miles on it. Only issue I’ve had was little bits of rubber in the fuel line from a manufacturing defect ruined my carb but I actually got it replaced under warranty! Removed the limiter and can hit 45mph on a downhill. Eventually I’m going to attempt some small mods to make it faster and more reliable in the long run.
Man I just wanted to thank you for being a family friendly motorcycle UA-camr because I am 10 and all the other UA-camrs videos are practically the f word on loop so thank you.
I have always ran the Tao tao 50cc Chinese scooters like this one.ive bought it new 5 years ago.i have 15,000 miles on it and it runs like a dream.only replaced the tires/drive belts and one coil.THATS IT.people who give Chinese scooters bad reviews are usually the people who take it straight out of the box.never change the oil and put low grade fuel in it.my little Chinese scooter has never let me down..you put in junk.you get junk.its just that simple.and another thing.this guy can't even install a headlight and a couple panels right on a cheap scooter.why would you just cram random bolts were they don't belong and break the scooter.id never buy a real bike from this tool.
I just sold my 2020 taotao thunder 50. I got it new and changed the oils before i even started it. Ive replaced a stator cdi box and voltage regulator, carb, but overall it was nice for the trips ive made on it. Still ran great when i sold it.
I had one of those scooters about 10 years ago. Endless problems mostly with the carburetor. You got to replace the jets (2) with different sizes (I don't remember what sizes). After that they will get up to 40 MPH, and run ok. If you are not a guy that will work on your own stuff, don't even think about getting one.
In Germany its well known as "Rex Rs 460" a 50cc scooter. There are many which looks like that because its a big "Scooter Factory" who builds them but different sellers so they get another names.
@@Marooo92 they all use the same engine but Baotian are much better quality. The best quality of Chinese scooters maybe. And Baotian is pretty bigger than this one
Check and set the valve clearances (0.007"), remove the "wedding ring" in the front variator, remove the CDI rev limiter (either cut the pink wire or replace CDI with a non restricted one). Check airbox for intake restriction "tube". replace exhaust silencer with one not restricted. Sometimes the drive belt is too short. this should do 45mph if fully derestricted
Should have bought the 150cc scooter I bought one to haul on the back of my rv figured if something happened to it I wouldn't be out much. Cost right at $1000 dollars has plenty of power will go 50+ mph. Have put about 350 miles on with very few issues.
My cousin has had one of these for about 2 years. It used to be his dailey and it treated him pretty well. He bought a truck last year but still uses it for grocery runs.
I actually bought a VERY similar product via Amazon. Short story: Paying to get it assembled once it arrived ($150) Getting it tuned and the carburetor replaced with one that works ($50) So yeah, expect to do at least those two things.
Next time when they ask you what color you want, tell them your back up color. Then, then they say “that’s not available”, tell them the color you actually want. 🤣🤣🤣
Had two buddies that had this model. They are only safe on roads 30mph or below. Some 50cc scooters can get up to 42mph but this one topped at around 27mph. Be safe on these because they can not keep up with traffic.
I worked at a non-chinese scooter shop for 5 years and even I have to admit it's pretty impressive that you could get a street legal vehicle for at that time $600. They can be made to work with enough knowledge and elbow grease but like I still wouldn't rely on one to get me anywhere important. The 150's are pretty cheap and fun to modify if that's your thing
I loved "Kung Fu", my Dad and I watched it every week. We moved and had to sell almost everything. Dad took me to a pawnshop and we bought a cheap little B&W tv so we could keep up with David Carridine...
I worked with a guy that never missed Kung Fu, every week. I would ask him, did you watch Chung-King? He would get soooo mad. It's KUNG-FU, he would yell!!!!
The manual that came with mine says you have to check the spark gap, throttle play as well as the idle aside from changing the motor oil and gear oil Before you try to ride it. I'm betting this was part of your problem.. you didn't read the manual and do a proper post shipping inspection.
Saw a Couple people assembling one, they were having problem getting Steering and Front Wheel on. Helped with that, comes with a CD, looked like an Expansion Chamber, Assuming 2 Stroke. Called the Support Number, they said it was a 4 Stroke, meaning no Oil needing to be added, IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT!!! It comes with Shipping Oil. Support said 1 Quart, Dip Stick said .75 Litres. A Quart is too much. I Got them 2 Quarts Penzoil 30 Weight. Drained Shipping Oil, put in the Penzoil, Suggested to Run it for a bit, then Change again. May seem like a Waste, but believe it will Extend the Engine's Life. Also, when Removing drain plug, a Screen filter and Spring fell out. Putting Drain plug back with spring pressure not straight forward, a little tricky.
Ive had a bunch of 50s, including one of these.. the whole “no license” thing is mostly a myth. Last I checked, there was one of two states that didn’t require one. The only thing they don’t need in most states is the motorcycle endorsement. However, these things aint bad if you take basic care of em, ive put over 10k km on two of them. The odometer is metric. Its also common for them to require a valve adjustment. Very easy, especially on this particular model. They mostly all use the same engine but some are harder to get to
batsonelec C i could be wrong but I only remember one or two states that basically treat them like bicycles last time i checked. Id still say that at least half the scooters i see in denver aren’t registered though. Ive been ticketed for it myself actually.. here, you pay $5 for a sticker which is valid for three years but you’ll also need a drivers license and insurance. I relied on scooters for a few years at one point and the whole “liquor cycle” thing always just bugged me lol.. i don’t even drink and they basically require everything a car would but i Always knew tons of people were thinking i must be a drunk to be rocking it.
@@jseden I know a few ppl here in SC who lost their license, 50CC and under and max speed of 25 allows them to need nothing but a tag ( state still wants their money and to know who owns the scooter ) If you have a MC endorsement ( like I do ) you can ride whatever you want at whatever legal speed. If you drive over 25mph and have a MC license, you are fine but DUI folks can't get any form of license so 50cc and under 25mph is their life. 1 idiot down the road from me got 9 Dui's before he lost his license ( luckily no one ever hurt ) but he lost it for 10 years. The law was 30mph here until 6 or 7 years ago when they lowered it to 25 max if no license. At 25mph, it is basically treated like a bicycle. It was the same law in Alabama and I know only cause I bought a RV from a guy ( he lived in it for awhile ) that wanted a 50cc scooter for him as he was mentally unfit to get a regular license and in Alabama
I have one of these and I've had it for 3 years. Fun to ride and mine hit 30 on flat and about 22 on a hill. After a 60cc bbk and a carburetor tune I can hit 40 on flat and about 25 to 30 on a hill.
@@Wasabi5000 I used to ride my 2hp Briggs and Stratton flathead mini bike 12 miles over a mountain pass with tools to get to my job. It's amazing I'm still here. That motor was amazing though, it would run out of steam at the very top of the pass and I would help it by scooting because the thing was so small and light, then over the crest and zoom down the hill. I had it on a 68 Taco 44.
That's a bike with many names, Pulse Scout, Baotian scout, Lexmoto Echo, I had a 2012 model for 3 years as a work commute, only thing that went wrong was drivebelts wear out after about 6000km, which I could get for £6.99, the crankshaft seal in the gearbox costing £2.70 and the clutch because the oil from the failed crank seal ruined the clutch, which cost a massive £17.50. I honestly couldn't fault the bike for the £100 I paid for it as a non runner (broken wire was all that was wrong). these bikes are slow as hell, 32mph tops but it was economical and fun.
Those reviews always crack me up . It blows my mind that people always think they are going to get a great deal on the cheapest thing they can find then they always complain when they realize it's junk. The big thing to remember when buying a Chinese brand anything if they do not follow the normal patent and copy right laws and it will be beyond cheap I bet you that thing only cost them like 35O usd to make. Since alot of Chinese companys make alot of products for the usa these Chinese company will usually buy the the used molds once they get tossed or will buy a knock off mold that the company that's making the real product will make a cheaper knock off mold to sell illegally to other Chinese companys. That's why they can produce them for so cheap
The OG scooter this is based off is the Baotian BT49. The engine is a chinese GY6 and there are $40 80cc kits for these which make them run much better and actually be decent uphill as well. At the begining you can see a connector at the end with a wire bridge in it; the factory alarm sits there on the baotians. It has a lock/unlock feature and a remote start.
@@hallowlol here in Holland you need a license and then you can drive up to 50cc and if you get a car license you get the moped license for free but it's still only up to 50cc and depending on the plate you can drive 15 mph withouth a helmet and with a blue plate and 27 with a yellow and helmet. The police also regularly sets up tests with rolling road if they are able to go 2mph over the limit (so not even getting clocked at) you get a fine and have make them go slower and get them inspected by the DMV to check if you've actually made them slower.
You can buy an ELECTRIC dirt bike from Amazon!
ua-cam.com/video/qqsdSJXuwp4/v-deo.html
Yes
Can I have you'rs as a token as one of your fans
Perhaps it's a Tao Tao is the reason why you had problems I dunno but I bought a 150cc scooter the "Razor 150" in Blue from RedFoxPowerSports for the sticker price of 969.00, and I Love it. You should Always change the oil and gear oil First before you start it because they just put enough in for shipping and it's Low quality oil. This is one of the things they tell you when buying a Chinese scooter online if you do your research. There are plenty of videos of assembles to help folks out. My scooter runs Great using non ethanol gas which is what you should run too as these GY6's were not designed for use with ethanol. If you cannot find non ethanol gas in your area it's easy to remove ethanol from your existing gas by mixing it with water, letting it settle then draining the liquid that looks like water back off of the pure gas. This works because gas and water don't mix but the ethanol absorbs water and mixes with it. There are videos on this you can find. Since they use ethanol to boost octane which is one reason why it's in your gas to begin with, you may want to add a non ethanol octane booster to the gas to give it back some of the octane it lost. Most modern Chinese scooters say to use 91 percent octane and up.
Honestly WTF did you expect. You went out to buy the cheapest product and then are surprised that it feels cheap?!?! SMH…
Toss the biggest Harbor Freight engine that will fit in it and see what it will do.
For those who are curious, these are likely made for countries in Europe like France where at the age of 14 you can get a 50cc scooter with a limited speed of just over 25mph (45kph) which is why it feels sluggish at full throttle. The small metal piece that limits the speed can easily be removed though (they generally go about 45mph (75kph) after that piece is removed although this scooter looks dangerous so...
India has the highest market for scooter
@@sylvestershadap3484 yo fellow one piece fan and I was wondering if Canada is one of the countries that allow to ride 50cc at 14
in denmark its 30 km/h when 15 but everyone just removes the limitations :D
IT doesnt Go 75kmh.. unrestricted about 60kmh .
@@vitusemil4900 😂
I own one of these a 2018 model I bought it secondhand for $550 had 200 miles on it (now 550) the guy before me put bigger jets in the carb it’ll do 35 or 40 on the level up to 55 downhill. I absolutely love it!!! For me and where I live it’s awesome for short trips in town down to the store or along the beach. The only thing I’ve had to do to it so far and I’ve had it for a year is change the oil and put a new battery in it. They are absolutely great for where parking is an issue and hills aren’t! If you think you’re going to buy this and go cruise the interstate on your way to climb pikes Peak you’re only kidding yourself!!! But if you forgot to grab a gallon of milk or a pack of smokes on the way home from work these are great fun for running down to the convenient store!
I bought a Taiwanese made "Genuine" "Buddy 50", which was presented to me derestricted, allowing me a very fun 45mph. It is what is referred to as "bullet proof". It had a two years warranty and two years of free road service - never needed. I use it for quick, local, small item pickups from stores, having zip-tied a plastic milk crate to the rear luggage rack. Incredible fun making fast, leaned turns on it!
Can't go on a highway with it, but that's why, for my 74th birthday, I bought a Kawasaki 2018 Ninja 400 KRT ABS - and LOVING IT 2.5 years later.
You bought a crotchrocket at 74?? My hats off to you good sir
Certified badass
I have a friend who shared a Buddy 175 I think it was, with his wife like every other day. I used to make fun of them when they would ride it cause I thought it was some cheap ass scooter. Yes, it is rather inexpensive to buy but they're pretty decent little scooters. In fact, because of their history with it I too am in the market for a Buddy now.
William Diaz
The “Buddy” is manufactured in Taiwan (NOT to be confused with freakin’ Chinese bikes which many mechanics simply refuse to work on) by “PGO”, one of the premier scooter manufacturers. I compare it’s reliability and fit-factor to products made by Honda (and for my upcoming 77th birthday, I bought a Honda Grom, btw - great fun/giggles per mile.
YES , Taiwanese products have always maintained great quality control- had a Craftsman Contractors scroll saw made in Taiwan - and it was reliable for decades.
Go ahead and enjoy a Buddy!!!
@@cyberoperator9889
And for my upcoming 77th birthday, in 2 months, I bought a Honda Grom. Sh*ts and giggles!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Looks adequate for those needing to pickup their alcohol from the local store.
Meth...Heroin and Fentanyl couriers concur!
Nahhh u can just walk
Chicky's too you got to pick up the chicky's
I see guys that look like harly drivers on them....they lost thier Licence.
Or doing some simple groceries
I had this scooter here in Texas. Ran fine, got me from point a to point b no issues. just be aware it's very light and it doesn't take much for someone to be able to pick it up and steal it.
Happened to myself in college
Happened here Friday night, lived here 25 years, NEVER had anything stolen, wheelbarrow, lawnmower etc left out, moped parked out front the last 13 years, then someone stole it, it weighs 250 pounds and the kick starter was broken, and these require a key to start it
After 2 years and 4,000km i sold my taotao thunder 50. Its a great bike and the upgraded model of this. The 12 inch rims gave it a nice ride. Its the perfect starter bike and will teach you how to work on them cause they will break down due to cheap parts but the knowledge gained is priceless. I did multiple 85 mile round trips with my scooter. 45 miles is an awesome ride. Mine would easily hit 40-45. Screaming at 7k + rpm. If you want something cheap for in town use get this scooter.
These are actually great scooters. I've fixed a lot of these cheap China scooters. Lots of info about them online and very easy to work on. That model of scooter is used as a daily commuter for millions of people. Mostly they are out together with not much care, if you go through it yourself and you'll be fine. Most of them I find for like 200$ and I'll have them running within 5 minutes usually. Sometimes as simple as a wire in the killswitch grounding out. Easy 500$ for me 😂 most people have zero mechanical skill whatsoever. Take that into account when reading reveiws.
I have a brain full of those skills and i didn't buy mine off the internet i bought mine from the last guy that kept it in pretty good shape with only 8 hundred somw miles on it other than some cracked plastic broken tail light cover the headlight wire was unplugged because they zip tied all the wiring to the steering that when they turned it unplugged the head light so that little problem is fixed
I would buy a few more of these if i could just to save for later but not many people sale um out in they're yards
It’s called “Pony” because it only has one HP. The two HP high performance sport model is called “Ponies”.
You mean PONYS
lol my scooter is about to have 20 hp
@@speedgames8523 I highly doubt that
@@henbe 70cc 2-stroke cylinder kit and a bigger karburator and you'll prob have around 12-20 hp.
@@henbe ua-cam.com/video/pfU5f3Q186s/v-deo.html a moped with 95cc cylinderkit. probaly around 40hp. Kids in europe tuning 2 strokes mopeds like these at 15
As a 13-15 year old I rode one of those beasts 14,000 km, installed a bore kit, proper jetting and a variator at 7,000 km. I got big into scooter repair for a few years and I’ve had about 20 scooters since. These are not bad scooters, but they are not anywhere close to Japanese quality and are notoriously neglected.
stop the cap bro you aren't even allowed to ride one till you're 16 so you broke the law.... you just admitted to a crime
@@sakuraxkimiko2134 I rode it off-road lolol
@@sakuraxkimiko2134 I got a Honda Ruckus as an 8th grade graduation present so I was 13. Rode it on back roads for years. I now ride a 636. I guess you should arrest me too.
@@sakuraxkimiko2134 maybe not in America but you totally can in most European countries
@@sakuraxkimiko2134 also bro could be from Canada or another country lmao even then it can get provincial/state
I had one of these for a while back in 2012, I enjoyed it! I had it shipped to local motorcycle/atv/scooter shop and paid them to put it together and make sure everything was good (nuts and bolts tightened to spec). They also de-restricted it by putting in a custom computer. It would get up to 45mph (granted there was no headwind). I lived in a suburban part of town and it was perfect for commuting to work, going to friends places, and sometimes grocery shopping. Yes it was cheap, but not scary cheap. It took harsh weather just fine and never failed to start for me. The gas tank was a little over a gallon and took premium, with regular use I would get around 115 miles per tank. Filling up at the time cost me about $2.50 so it was very economical. In conclusion, he's right, if you want to put a little work into something this is a great fun little project.
Ttierwtt ty Priestleytytewot
Um... They have zero "computers" in them. Maybe carb work or even variator changes would make it a bit quicker
@@jakeflowers7371 yeah you’re right. They probably swindled me on that labor/parts charge lmao. Oh well.
@@jakeflowers7371 CDI
@@CrowsBrother on these engines it is a simple ignition source. It doesn't control fuel injectors or anything. It just picks up a charge from the magneto/stator and then sends a spark to the plug. Not a computer
It's a GY6 engine, you can totally tune this, de-restrict it, change the clutch, gearing, get a 80cc big bore kit, get lightweight flywheel weights, these engines are very reliable but the factory of this listing have skimped on labor etc..
I never liked the idea of replacing the cylinger with a big bore kit, the engine is designed for the size piston it has, putting a bigger one and cylinder on greatly increases the forces on the crank, bearings and everything else, couple that with going 45 mph with the engine screaming is begging for throwing the rod or some other problem. I did that when I was a kid after I replaced the governor spring with wire to go faster, threw the rod going downhill with a friend on it with me.
I got one for 699 assembled and actually quite well assembled. Lasted for years
Today on; Scoots and Beards
Scoots and staches
Way back when, when Sears and Roebuck was mostly a catalog business, they sold motorcycles, cars, and even houses through their catalogs. They were actually the Amazon of their day.
Wrong. They paid good wages to their employees. I worked there and it was a good company. Nothing like Amazon at all.
I only meant that they were the Amazon of their day in the way they could provide nearly anything you wanted in one place, I was not comparing their corporate philosophy. I always used to love going to Sears and when we moved to a small town in Texas back in the early ‘70s, a Sears catalog store was the best way to get things.
And the amazing Kenmore sewing machine washing machine and other things that Sears went into business with other manufacturers it's so interesting
Little engines are tough if it's a GY6
Getting a ready to build house in the mail must be an amazing thing especially for those thinking about their manifest destiny
The "horrible noise" is the center stand scraping the asphalt on turns. The retention spring is not strong enough to hold it up all the way when riding. Even high dollar scooters have this problem at times.
Thats taking a hard left turn,my issue was wind would blow the scooter over, in part because I ibstalled a windshield. I wound up fixing the issue by removing the center stand, heating it with a torch and spreading the two legs out about 3/4" each for a wider base of support, and never using the kick stand
I’ve bought the EXACT same scooter from a dealer ($900) and have had 4 years trouble free motoring!! Of course it may need some initial adjustments (dealer did mine before sale) but once dialed in and broken in, it does 35-40 mph on flat streets. You can buy an entire big bore kit for less than $100 and increase engine from 50cc to 100cc! It is a great little scooter!!
Wrong those Hunter cc's are crap the only things that are good for you in the 100 cc is not the Big Bore Kit with the goodies that come with the Big Bore Kit The Big Bore Kit is a Chinese made Big Bore Kit and reality is not a hundred cc is like an 86 or an 80cc the Taiwanese one is actually what you need you get what you pay for I got mine off of Rolling Ridge I paid $245 for a 94 CC and I made it into a hundred cc by adding to the engine buying high performance parts for my bike and reality the engine the 80cc engine you'll be able to go like 50 almost 60 with the 94 engine most likely you'll be able to go 70 and if you put the final Gear Drive in it and you'll go 15 times faster so that's like freaking 85 and then when you change the rollers and change the whole CVT inside the bike you be able to go at least 90 or 100
Especially if you put a high performance crankshaft in it and high performance engine starter like I did in going to do but by the Taiwanese high performance crankshaft cuz you're paying more money for your paying almost $200 for it don't buy the cheap Chinese stuff like they say you get what you pay for
@@marineboy4181 you don't know what you're talking about those engines are bulletproof I've worked on them for 50 years they're even better than the Honda 70 engine as far as the can change not wareing out . Yeah the switches and the plastics are junk but the engines and drivetrains are bulletproof
@@marineboy4181 you're talking way over your head
@@marineboy4181 Gee. Not a single period. This was atrocious to read
Depending on your elevation and air density usually a good valve adjustment carb tuning (low speed mixture), a 90 main jet and uni pod filter helps a lot but fuel consumption goes up a bit
Hey, just came across your video on "escooters" and I must say, you've really captured their versatility and convenience. As an ebike user, I recently discovered a new project called freebeat's Morph 2-in-1 e-Bike, and I couldn't be more excited. The fact that it's dual-mode, allowing for indoor charging, is a game-changer! And with its powerful motor, suspension, and puncture-resistant tires, it's perfect for tackling any terrain. The Smart Saddle Detection+ feature is impressive too, providing valuable insights and keeping me motivated. Can't wait to see more about this crowdfunding venture! Keep up the amazing work!
Bought one of these about 5yrs ago in yellow. Here in New Zealand it was called a sunny.Engine ran very well.I did 10000kms on it.like this one it was quite tinny.Its a good idea to remove the restriction in the exhaust.Mine was good for 40mph.
I bet a 250cc scooter like this would've actually been an interesting scooter. I wouldn't even consider this thing as a scooter to run errands around town but with a bigger engine
probably taken from the other Tao Tao bikes and modified for the city, I don't see this as a very bad deal. I can somewhat see people buying these scooters JUST for making deliveries with
around town and making a good profit from delivering stuff I guess....
it uses a GY6 engine based on a honda engine its used in the honda ruckus and a bunch of peugeot bikes they do a 125cc motor from amazon that just swaps right in and a bore kit to 150cc is only $100 and takes an hour to do all the work
250 cc in such a small scooter that just gonne be a death maching a 125cc would be better
There's a special place in my heart for these scooters, because I owned 2 of them when I was broke, and even though they suck it was enough to make my wife fall in live with riding
Well then it didn’t suck…
LOL well really they don't suck I have one and if you have money and put money into anything they're good yeah when you first get them they aren't that good but if you put Taiwanese Big Bore Kit in it and buy quality high performance parts they actually could be better and actually will be better than the higher in Bikes their budget bikes so they're not going to be like the higher in bikes but once you put money into them most likely they will be like and I high end bike I'll make a video on my other UA-cam channel cuz this one I'm using is for music I make music off this one bro. And I'll show you my bike my bike used to be a 49cc but I turned it to a hundred cc got a Taiwanese engine paid 245 for it and I just bought me a Taiwanese crankshaft a shift crankshaft high-performance spent almost 200 on it 196 so is high quality
@@marineboy4181 are there options where it comes that way from the factory?
Can I get her number ?
@@365fightproductions5 🤣🤣
You have to tune the carburetor(gas and air mixture ratio) adjust your idle screw on the carburetor... Also make sure your intake and exhaust valve has the correct valve clearance... Intake valve (.003) and exhaust valve (.005)
As a child, that would still probably be so fun to ride around like a parking lot 😅
Innnit
thesr chinese scooters are pretty common in finland, they are sold as baotian, fude, and keeway, people take all the plastics on and ride them as skeletons with no front light
Ikr (I’m 9)
I ride like a yellow dirt bike and we plan on modding it😂
@@joonahartikainen7706 interesting idea. explains why they show KM insead of miles.
I am so glad you actually reviewed the instructions
I had this in red in college. Got it from a friend for helping him move but it wasn't running for years. After closer inspection there was a little green wire under the plastic that was unplugged. Fired right up after that.
I had a moped going to high school and felt like a big man. Watching this brought great memories back. Love the video's guys.
My husband bought 24 of them for $250 each.
Sold them for $750 each.
He knows motorcycles and went over each bike.
They are cheaply built but if you run the right oil, they will last a few years.
He had the option of a free trunk or free helmet with each bike.
He picked the trunks.
He sold out in less than 2 months.
So your husband is dishonest
@@Mike-su8si No , hes a businessman
did he use the common china sourced websites on Google forthe seller?
I wish I knew someone living in china or family ties in China@@dhairya9029
I'm with the IRS, I have some questions about your tax return.
Those "trunks" they claim is something like a "$125 value" are a laughable piece of junk, the first one I had- you mount it with the 4 bolts provided, the bottom cracked out around the bolts, I just took it off threw it away, the next TaoTao I got I threw the trunk away on day one, it's worth more like a $5 value
I own one of these! It’s a 2018 model, bought it second hand with 1616km (odometer is in km since it’s straight from China). Paid $250 for it. I’m over 1,000km (650ish miles) into it. Had a brake switch go out but pulled and fixed it in 5 minutes for $0. I get 25mph on up hills and 35 on flat road. Have brought it up to 50 on a nice downhill. No upgrades. Would never pay and buy one new but you can’t go wrong for $250 lightly used.
Awesome
What brand is it because I can't buy one on Amazon in the UK
These were sold here in South Africa as Zest scooters and came with 125cc engines. With top speed of 80-100 depending how big you are. Mine has about 30000km on it but currently has an electrical issue which I'm too lazy to fix (and I'm a motorcycle mechanic lol). Honestly I just couldn't be bothered.
It's funny how so many places have low power scooters as beginner bikes, but then people over there in a America calling a 400cc street a beginner motorcycle
I would have done the table cloth trick on the grass
most Chinese motors are a GY6 motor, they are pretty easy to work on. thing to know about Chinese scooters is you have to replace the gas-lines and exhaust lines because anything rubber is extremely prone to rubber rot, so upgrade the lines to double walled insulated line rated to handle -40F temperatures, upgrade the lights to LEDs (seriously, the stock lights are crap and low lumen, you will see a big difference in the dash and visibility at night and in cloudy weather), replace the carburetor with a new one (i got mine for $15) because the head of the screws are broken off and ground flush and the air/fuel screw is capped over with a bronze cap for some dumb reason, replace the air filter with a cone style filter, change out the drive chain for better quality chain, replace all of the hose clamp pins with actually hose clamps, replace the stock oil(should anyway) after the motor is broke in and check the oil filter(can be found on the underside of the motor), and make sure to organize and zip tie the wires so they don't get in the way. the way to check the Air/Fuel ratio is to just check the spark plug if it is golden brown it is tuned properly, if it is black too rich and if it is white then too much air, also make sure the fuel injector pin is set properly in the center, install an oil cooler on it because GY6 motors are air cool via a side fan and coat the screws in rust resistant coating.
overall, Chinese scooters are fix m' up vehicles, but are cheap for replacement parts with most ranging up to $30 or less.(most expensive being the whole motor, the oil cooler, and the muffler).
NOTE: never bring a Chinese scooter to a motorcycle shop, they will laugh at you and say "no" even though they are easy to work on, because they don't know how to work on Chinese scooters.
life has really been sticking it to me lately... watching your vids helps me forget my troubles for a few minutes each day
Hey, hope you're doing better there! World is still going crazy 6 months later.
Yeah just going into a UA-cam rabbit holes made me forget I have COVID-19
Keep your chin up....things will get better
Hope you’re good. All things pass.
@@boojaado everything ends in sadness
I have this scooter and I think people need to keep in mind this is not for the first time owner or someone who is not mechanically inclined nor refuse to do trouble shooting. My advice to any owner (I'm the second hand owner of mine) is to adjust the valves, brakes, and align everything on it. What you save for the wallet on this vs a better name/rep scooter you will have to make up for it with sweat equity. While much of it the corners were cut, anyone who is willing to put some labor into it will get it to work reasonably and usable. Over time you will have to change things other than maintenance like the electric starter, cables, and lines but other than that it's pretty good imho.
PS: Mod the carb and get a better free flowing air filter. Unrestrict it and add a different CDI and it's actually pretty fun and usable as a backup vehicle in good weather.
Everyone: this scooter is bad quality.
Me: it's a 800 dollar scooter ffs
Can get a decent older Japanese scooter for 500 or less. Will run for life if maintained. This however, may or may not start and has a possibility of lasting a year
Yes but considering you can get a motorized bicycle that actually works considerably better $800 is a very bad deal.
Not to say smth overkill, but you get a Keeway superlight 125cc for 800 US dollars in my country (Just an example from the top of my head)
So kinda goes crappy scooter vs 125 cheap working bike 🤔
Exactly lol
For 800 you can get used piaggio, gilera, aprillia scooters which will last you almost forever, have more security features and better performance. This chinese ones are never worth it and they wont resell for more than half the original price
I bought a Taotao Quantum Titan 150CC for $739 and $239 shipping. I've had it for just over 2 months so far it seems to be a good scooter. And according to GPS it'll run 65 mph, but over 58 it tends to be a bit squirelly. It's good for city and 2 lane hwys.
I don't know where the Titan part came from, but I had a '14 Quantum, it was an awesome bike. I want another one.
Where u buy?
@@delmoreanderson5820 I bought it from Superior Powersports dot com, but I can't reccomend buying from them as it took them 2 months to get me my bill of sale and mco so that I could title and tag my scooter. You dan find lots of other sellers online though.
@@ItsDaJax It's just a name that the Chinese added to the 2020 Taotao Quatum line of scooters
Looks the same as our TaoTao 50 (I guess they are the same, except for the brand name.). We got it from a website, not from Amazon. But they did the same thing with the color. We wanted black or yellow, or green. We ended up with gold... (I also ordered a black dirtbike, of course, they sent me a red instead...) The scooter is awesome, it needed a 20 mins fix though, I had to switch the carburetor. But since then it runs fine. I did put almost 1500 miles in it. 🙂 More expensive doesn't mean better. I got another one for twice the cost. The issue with the blinker, the engine is less trustworthy, stopped working for a few months, then it started to work again. It has the same GY6 engine, just better parts and it's heavier and stronger, etc. But is it more trustworthy? Not really.
Űthe handlebar gave us issues when we assembled it. It was wobbly, we had to figure out what to do with it. - I don't even bother with the battery. I just use Kickstart, it works well. I ride alone, but sometimes with 75 pounds of stuff, so 275 pounds with me. Yet, it can run up to 42 or so mph on a good day. You have to change the carburetor though, the factory one is just giving up on you. Also, you have to tune it. Just turn it up to a higher RPM. It was bogging down all the time, then I turned it up, and wow, huge difference. No more bog-down... I absolutely love it, riding it in nice weather gives a strong freedom feeling. lol - - - The one in the video is kinda strange. As if it's a TaoTao 50, then why is the writing missing from its side?
I bought each of my early 2000's kymcos for less than this. One is water cooled, does 45 mph, and starts with one squirt of starter fluid after sitting outside all winter. The cheap dirtbike I get, but these are like disposable cameras. An older Taiwanese or Japanese scooter will be infinitely more reliable and comparably priced.
Kymcos are pretty reliable
yamaha vespa-piaggio keeway peugeot derbi suzuki❤️ all good scooters🔥
@@chopchop9382 ehm remove Peugeot cause there V-clic is the same scooter as this the Pony 50 lmao... (all there new scooters are tho)
Derbi is owned by Piaggio and i've yet seen a Keeway that was any good..
You realize kymcos are still gy6 bikes?
@@ItsDaJax 139 QMB - for 50cc and Gy6 is the 150cc
Imagine having a DVD player in your car lol
I do
Matthew Flips most Jeep cars do have DVD player
Ikr
I have a factory one in my second row and after market in my dash
Lol. I had a dvd in one of my cars since 2002. Use to watch Simpson’s over on fox sitting in LA traffic. Good times
From the Geezer desk. I can remember seeing Allstate motorcycles in the Sears catalog as a kid (I'm 72). Our grandmother would cover a old Sears catalog for a booster seat at the dinner table for the really young grandkids. I still have one of them. Bet there are some good prices
Sir, I said something quite unkind about one of your other videos (Predator powered Harley); I should have expressed my opinion differently. When you do a video like this, it's a solid review and I got a lot of good info from your experience. You actually did a pretty good stress test and put it on camera for all to see. For that, I thank you. I still believe the Harley project was pretty hazardous, tho.
Bought an older model for $45 from some dude moving to Florida, little thing wasn’t messed with for years. Changed the carb and it didn’t fire then adjusted the valves and she fired good. Haven’t had a problem with it since then. Look idc what anyone says if the little scooter is able to take the torture from me and the boy’s jumping it every time they come over than it can go through just about everything
I bought a similar one for my younger sister to get back and forth from work (she lived in town and didn’t have a car) and it got her back and forth for over a year until she saved up for a decent car. The only major issue she had was the kickstart went out.
Vespa’s are more like $4K starting price new.
And that's for one of their cheapest ones
Ethan Are Vespas's worth it? i am searching into it And i love ridding Extra Super Fast
KIKI ; I don’t know a ton about vespa’s. I personally own a Honda ruckus. And before that I owned one of those Chinese Tao Tao’s (same as one in this video). The ruckus is much nicer then the Chinese scooter I had.
Ethan Is the Tao Tao’s fast? And Is it An Electric start-up? Or Gas ⛽️?
the best is to Buy a used Good condition Yamaha aerox tune it or Buy a tuned One and you got a 120kph scooter
I bought the same one but on a different website speedo broke within a week because the cable rubs on the tire the jets in the carb were lean I had switch the carb to a unsealed one to make it run and when I was done fixing it up it still only Reached 30mph I’ve since made it an 80cc and it now reaches 50mph
One of those was my first scooter, bought it for 20€, still have it 7 years later. That thing can do 40 if set up right :)
13:29, "Save your money and buy a Honda, even if it's 14 years old." Great quote.
I have always been told that tao tao IS Honda. Also you paid way too much on Amazon.. I paid less than $500 for 2 new tao tao and exactly $500 for 1. Dude has good intentions with video, but inconsistent information.
It is very true, i used to race Enduro then i Went racing Motocross for 3 years. The Honda and Yamaha engines are beasts. The key to making a vehicle last is by taking proper care of it. Hell i still have my 2014 Honda CRF 250. I give my Nephew rides on it and i use it to check on cattle from time to time. I spend about 40 minutes to an hour every day on maintenance. But that was when i was racing. Also i have a scooter/moped or whatever it's called and i can't seem to identify it. It's a B09-R 2016 or 2017. My brother in law gave it to me when i broke my leg. The only other vehicle i had at the time was my 2003 Honda CBR 600RR. And my left leg was broken so i couldn't shift at all.
I just bought a 21 year old Honda scooter, a Helix. Glad I did. Buy once, cry once.
@@lowellfink9292 I like kawasaki had my 07 kx125 for 8 years now, all i had to do was rebuild my carb, now the motor is blown but i rode that thing non stop lol
Yes! I have a 9 year old yamaha 100 and a 22 year old Piaggio. Both 2 stroke and never skip a beat.
Fellow scooter rider myself. Have a 2008 Vespa LX 50 I paid $500 for and put
$500 worth of parts and my TLC into it. Runs great. No license in my state. Loved the video.
What state
@@rosko1326 North Carolina
These are actually great scooters! I am so glad you actually reviewed the instructions!
Here in the Netherlands, these are a scooter driving license with a legal top speed of 45km/h or 30 mph and helmets are mandatory. Then there are also scooters without helmet requirements which drive 25 km/h or 15mph legal top speed limit. So if you think yours was slow, imagen driving around on one of these ;p
Same in sweden but you need to have helmets on the 25 kmh
It's kinda the same in the US. The slower scooters are not "street legal" and are essentially considered toys. You can ride them on the street in some states and are more or less treated the same as a bicycle
@@dimesonhiseyes9134 i use a 25km/h schooter but i tuned it to go 45-50 but if thr police stops me iam kinda fucked
Lol, considered as toys. The Netherlands gov is thinking about making helmets mandatory for the slower scooter as well since there are happening alot of accidents with scooters and cyclist. I find it very unusual to hear that the US think that 25km/h isn't that serious and calls it toys.
@@Diablo97810 most states do not require helmets it's the riders choice.
Most states also don't regulate toys or bicycles much.
I mean I can pedal my bicycle far faster than 15kph and I am not aware of a single state that requires bicycle riders to wear a helmet, I never have. And remember your not really supposed to ride it on a busy street.
Alot of people drive this here in Belgium. its one of the cheapest scooters here and good for people with a low budget.
Jup we had 2 of them its a great thing! Hahah
Yes nothing wrong with small scooters, great for getting around on. I had one years ago.
You're talking about any kind of 50cc scooter nut this exact one right?
This scooter is trash it's not good for anyone. Motorized bicycle works better than this thing.
Low budget and a nimble fingers around wrenches and screwdrivers.
I work on GY6's and I can solidly say that these things are some of the easiest things to maintain but require you to keep track of your parts heavily also your oil.
Respect putting verse of the week, my man. Keep it up!
Great video Sean, the part when you're reading the reviews had me dying.
*I find it kinda spooky that you can buy both bikes AND beards on Amazon.*
I have a blue one from 2017. Still running to this day. My son rides it everwhere. I only took off the emissions, put an air cone filter on and a straight baffled exhaust and a 19mm aftermarket carb. . My son can get up to 42 MPH.
Hey! I’ll be honest, looking at this scooter to use for work as our primary car is used mostly for a family member who frequently goes to a doctors.
Do you think this bike would be okay for someone needing to drive about 1 mile each way for work? I normally walk it but the summer heat is killing me.
@@pigeonfeathers2217as long as it's not 1 mile on the highway.... On 35 mph streets where everyone goes 45 you might be ok......😂
This isn’t cheap for someone who can’t afford anything better, it’s actually really nice!!!
I bought a Scootstar Racestar (they’re all pretty much the same) in October of 2021. Just hit 1,000 miles on it. Only issue I’ve had was little bits of rubber in the fuel line from a manufacturing defect ruined my carb but I actually got it replaced under warranty! Removed the limiter and can hit 45mph on a downhill. Eventually I’m going to attempt some small mods to make it faster and more reliable in the long run.
What I think it needs to run properly is slightly larger sized main jet in the carb. For like less than $5 it's probably worth trying.
Mine basically looks just like that one, only it has white on the rear sides, well maybe after running it through a few mud puddles!
Man I just wanted to thank you for being a family friendly motorcycle UA-camr because I am 10 and all the other UA-camrs videos are practically the f word on loop so thank you.
I have always ran the Tao tao 50cc Chinese scooters like this one.ive bought it new 5 years ago.i have 15,000 miles on it and it runs like a dream.only replaced the tires/drive belts and one coil.THATS IT.people who give Chinese scooters bad reviews are usually the people who take it straight out of the box.never change the oil and put low grade fuel in it.my little Chinese scooter has never let me down..you put in junk.you get junk.its just that simple.and another thing.this guy can't even install a headlight and a couple panels right on a cheap scooter.why would you just cram random bolts were they don't belong and break the scooter.id never buy a real bike from this tool.
I just sold my 2020 taotao thunder 50. I got it new and changed the oils before i even started it. Ive replaced a stator cdi box and voltage regulator, carb, but overall it was nice for the trips ive made on it. Still ran great when i sold it.
You get what you pay for regardless where it's from. There are a lot of good products like DJI, Olight, WE ect that are made in China.
ua-cam.com/channels/f5U7zqpEX20XBL7-5zUTKA.html
I had one of those scooters about 10 years ago. Endless problems mostly with the carburetor. You got to replace the jets (2) with different sizes (I don't remember what sizes). After that they will get up to 40 MPH, and run ok. If you are not a guy that will work on your own stuff, don't even think about getting one.
In Germany its well known as "Rex Rs 460" a 50cc scooter. There are many which looks like that because its a big "Scooter Factory" who builds them but different sellers so they get another names.
It has a MILION of names worldwide
In Croatia it was sold under the name of "Baotian" . It was shit :)
China Böller hin oder her
Malaguti malbo line dvd in italy with some mods
@@Marooo92 they all use the same engine but Baotian are much better quality. The best quality of Chinese scooters maybe. And Baotian is pretty bigger than this one
Check and set the valve clearances (0.007"), remove the "wedding ring" in the front variator, remove the CDI rev limiter (either cut the pink wire or replace CDI with a non restricted one). Check airbox for intake restriction "tube". replace exhaust silencer with one not restricted. Sometimes the drive belt is too short. this should do 45mph if fully derestricted
Atleast one person knows what he's talking about.
Hi. What is the front variator. A Cooling fan? When cutting the vid pink wire. Does it allow more advance. Or just remove rpm limit?
I really like the real life examples you gave at the end 😂 2 big men, the table🤣
Take the restrictors out. One is in the variomatic and one with the CDI unit.
There might be additional restrictions in the carburetor fuel pump
In america hoeven ze geen begrenzing te hebben
@@autoshitnl2852 Joa maar zou er nog best in kunnen zitten vanuit de fabriek.
@@autoshitnl2852 Denk niet dat de Chinezen veel versies hebben gemaakt voor verschillende markten.
@@rick9364 vaak wprd in nederland achteraf ingezet door de winkels zelf
The oil needs to be changed that’s shipping oil
I too watched Garret Seesing's Tao Toa videos, though they were a lot less racist than this one.
Shocked how little this dude knows about anything ?
Fish oil
@@richarddegen6184 It's from China. So yes Fish oil.
Ud think a mechanic would know that. Hmmm
Some Chinese factory worker with a VPN is watching this and laughing his arse off.
Should have bought the 150cc scooter
I bought one to haul on the back of my rv figured if something happened to it I wouldn't be out much. Cost right at $1000 dollars has plenty of power will go 50+ mph. Have put about 350 miles on with very few issues.
My cousin has had one of these for about 2 years. It used to be his dailey and it treated him pretty well. He bought a truck last year but still uses it for grocery runs.
I actually bought a VERY similar product via Amazon.
Short story:
Paying to get it assembled once it arrived ($150)
Getting it tuned and the carburetor replaced with one that works ($50)
So yeah, expect to do at least those two things.
another great video
Thank you for beating the brain dead "first comment" spam :D
Yep
Next time when they ask you what color you want, tell them your back up color. Then, then they say “that’s not available”, tell them the color you actually want. 🤣🤣🤣
I bought a Tao Tao 150 scooter & have loved it for over 4 years
Hmmm, project bike.
Performance mods!
Performance mods!
Performance mods!
Get rid of the stock restrictive airbox do a good carb tuning and CVT and it should do at least 35 I've messed with these bikes before
Had two buddies that had this model. They are only safe on roads 30mph or below. Some 50cc scooters can get up to 42mph but this one topped at around 27mph. Be safe on these because they can not keep up with traffic.
I bought 2 from China years ago. You might get 6 months use. Then carb. Belt battery etc.
I worked at a non-chinese scooter shop for 5 years and even I have to admit it's pretty impressive that you could get a street legal vehicle for at that time $600. They can be made to work with enough knowledge and elbow grease but like I still wouldn't rely on one to get me anywhere important. The 150's are pretty cheap and fun to modify if that's your thing
I loved "Kung Fu", my Dad and I watched it every week. We moved and had to sell almost everything. Dad took me to a pawnshop and we bought a cheap little B&W tv so we could keep up with David Carridine...
I worked with a guy that never missed Kung Fu, every week. I would ask him, did you watch Chung-King? He would get soooo mad. It's KUNG-FU, he would yell!!!!
Pony in east London UK means crap "pony and trap" sounds about right for this moped
You have got to make a cool movie with just you guys, I think everyone would watch it. God bless
The manual that came with mine says you have to check the spark gap, throttle play as well as the idle aside from changing the motor oil and gear oil Before you try to ride it. I'm betting this was part of your problem.. you didn't read the manual and do a proper post shipping inspection.
Saw a Couple people assembling one, they were having problem getting Steering and Front Wheel on. Helped with that, comes with a CD, looked like an Expansion Chamber, Assuming 2 Stroke.
Called the Support Number, they said it was a 4 Stroke, meaning no Oil needing to be added,
IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT!!!
It comes with Shipping Oil.
Support said 1 Quart, Dip Stick said .75 Litres. A Quart is too much.
I Got them 2 Quarts Penzoil 30 Weight. Drained Shipping Oil, put in the Penzoil, Suggested to Run it for a bit, then Change again. May seem like a Waste, but believe it will Extend the Engine's Life.
Also, when Removing drain plug, a Screen filter and Spring fell out. Putting Drain plug back with spring pressure not straight forward, a little tricky.
"I'm not 100 persure if that's how it's actually supposed to go" 🤣
Ive had a bunch of 50s, including one of these.. the whole “no license” thing is mostly a myth. Last I checked, there was one of two states that didn’t require one. The only thing they don’t need in most states is the motorcycle endorsement. However, these things aint bad if you take basic care of em, ive put over 10k km on two of them. The odometer is metric. Its also common for them to require a valve adjustment. Very easy, especially on this particular model. They mostly all use the same engine but some are harder to get to
No license or insurance needed at all for
batsonelec C i could be wrong but I only remember one or two states that basically treat them like bicycles last time i checked. Id still say that at least half the scooters i see in denver aren’t registered though. Ive been ticketed for it myself actually.. here, you pay $5 for a sticker which is valid for three years but you’ll also need a drivers license and insurance. I relied on scooters for a few years at one point and the whole “liquor cycle” thing always just bugged me lol.. i don’t even drink and they basically require everything a car would but i Always knew tons of people were thinking i must be a drunk to be rocking it.
@@jseden I know a few ppl here in SC who lost their license, 50CC and under and max speed of 25 allows them to need nothing but a tag ( state still wants their money and to know who owns the scooter ) If you have a MC endorsement ( like I do ) you can ride whatever you want at whatever legal speed. If you drive over 25mph and have a MC license, you are fine but DUI folks can't get any form of license so 50cc and under 25mph is their life. 1 idiot down the road from me got 9 Dui's before he lost his license ( luckily no one ever hurt ) but he lost it for 10 years. The law was 30mph here until 6 or 7 years ago when they lowered it to 25 max if no license. At 25mph, it is basically treated like a bicycle. It was the same law in Alabama and I know only cause I bought a RV from a guy ( he lived in it for awhile ) that wanted a 50cc scooter for him as he was mentally unfit to get a regular license and in Alabama
None required in VA.
I have had scooters for years, my last one has 50k kilometers. Maintenance is key
All these videos have started my new fun hobby
The cheapest collection.
I can totally see myself owning multiple bikes some day, they sure take up a lot less room than cars!
Truth, I have been bitten by the minimoto bug!
I have one of these and I've had it for 3 years. Fun to ride and mine hit 30 on flat and about 22 on a hill. After a 60cc bbk and a carburetor tune I can hit 40 on flat and about 25 to 30 on a hill.
i suspected they would take well to a good modding
You probably need to derestrict your variator
Just get a ruckus
You can get way more out these things
Had one which hit 50mph
daddy can i have a pony?
we have a pony at home.
pony at home:
I mean its better than a plush
My super cub just broke the 70mph barrier
It sounded like Bam Margera when he said " Im only going ten miles an hour up hill. 12:38 hahah
I would love to see someone ride that back and forth to work everyday this summer and see what happens.
They wouldn't have a job after the second week when they couldn't make it to work
Well they sure as hell are gonna be late on that thing..but with that color at least people will be able too see you...as you are pushing it home
I use to drive my 50cc to work, but I was only 3 miles away...lol. On neighborhood roads not a hwy. Don't ever try riding it on the hwy...lol
@@Wasabi5000 I used to ride my 2hp Briggs and Stratton flathead mini bike 12 miles over a mountain pass with tools to get to my job. It's amazing I'm still here. That motor was amazing though, it would run out of steam at the very top of the pass and I would help it by scooting because the thing was so small and light, then over the crest and zoom down the hill. I had it on a 68 Taco 44.
@@herbienbrian2 all I can think about when I read you reply is Dumb and Dumber where they are riding that tiny mini bike...lol 😆😆
That's a bike with many names, Pulse Scout, Baotian scout, Lexmoto Echo, I had a 2012 model for 3 years as a work commute, only thing that went wrong was drivebelts wear out after about 6000km, which I could get for £6.99, the crankshaft seal in the gearbox costing £2.70 and the clutch because the oil from the failed crank seal ruined the clutch, which cost a massive £17.50. I honestly couldn't fault the bike for the £100 I paid for it as a non runner (broken wire was all that was wrong). these bikes are slow as hell, 32mph tops but it was economical and fun.
Those reviews always crack me up . It blows my mind that people always think they are going to get a great deal on the cheapest thing they can find then they always complain when they realize it's junk. The big thing to remember when buying a Chinese brand anything if they do not follow the normal patent and copy right laws and it will be beyond cheap I bet you that thing only cost them like 35O usd to make. Since alot of Chinese companys make alot of products for the usa these Chinese company will usually buy the the used molds once they get tossed or will buy a knock off mold that the company that's making the real product will make a cheaper knock off mold to sell illegally to other Chinese companys. That's why they can produce them for so cheap
Did Amazon really ship a spider from China into the US?
The OG scooter this is based off is the Baotian BT49. The engine is a chinese GY6 and there are $40 80cc kits for these which make them run much better and actually be decent uphill as well. At the begining you can see a connector at the end with a wire bridge in it; the factory alarm sits there on the baotians. It has a lock/unlock feature and a remote start.
What exactly are people expecting? 1 star reviewers have fillet mignon taste with a hamburger wallet
A 14year old kid: heheheheheh now I can be a rider with that bike
My state it’s legal for a 14 yr old to ride a 50cc moped
Trappinthisway in Ireland it allowed only in daylight
Trappinthisway what State is it? I wanna Move ti there
@@hallowlol here in Holland you need a license and then you can drive up to 50cc and if you get a car license you get the moped license for free but it's still only up to 50cc and depending on the plate you can drive 15 mph withouth a helmet and with a blue plate and 27 with a yellow and helmet. The police also regularly sets up tests with rolling road if they are able to go 2mph over the limit (so not even getting clocked at) you get a fine and have make them go slower and get them inspected by the DMV to check if you've actually made them slower.
kid prob better off on a second hand grom
I bought my TaoTao Quantum 150cc off Amazon .. have it for going on three years it runs great and never had any big issues with it.