Thread: Motor Scooters.

Living in Panama gives us the opportunity to buy motor scooters at much cheaper prices than in the US. After much research I just purchased a Kymco Juron 110cc scooter for 850 dollars brand new. This scooter is not the usual step-thru frame scoot that we are used to in the US. It is called an "underbone" frame. Very popular in Asia. This scoot is chain driven and has a 4 speed semi-automatic transmission. It is fast off the line and well made for the price. An exact copy of the Honda Wave. Scooters are perfect for anyone who lives in the interior. I was shocked at the quality we can buy here for such a low price. And, the scoot comes with a helmet. Totally fun.

poller i hear what you are saying , i owned many a scooter in canada from vintage 70cc honda passports to the biggie 650 cc burgmam , and they are all fun to ride . and from all the bikes I owned, sport bikes to goldwings the burgman was the most fun to ride . but we must remember what they say . ride a scooter is like dating a fat girl , its fun until your friends see you . jajajaja , just kidding I love scooters .

I like fat girls.

Originally Posted by Pollerkeeper

I like fat girls.

well that works out great , I like scooters LOL

How does one find parts for a Chinese scooter or motorcycle in Panama? If parts can be bought easily then the < 1/2 price of Japanese ones might be worth it.

Originally Posted by jonr

How does one find parts for a Chinese scooter or motorcycle in Panama? If parts can be bought easily then the < 1/2 price of Japanese ones might be worth it.

just go to the dealer that is selling that brand of bike and they should be able to get you parts , i know kotomi was able to get me all the parts i needed after i crashed a dual purpose street/ dirt bike , and unlike north america the parts are cheap , they have not learned how to rape the customer on parts like up home , i just love panama

There really is no such thing as a Japanese scooter anymore. The ones we can buy are either made in Taiwan or Mainland China. And of course we can buy a Vespa which is Italian. Sometimes it is hard to determine where a scoot is made. The Kymco I bought is primarily a Taiwan maker of scooters but they also assemble them in Mainland China. You just have to look at the scoot and pretty much take a chance. The dealer I bought mine from has a supplier of parts. A truck goes to Panama City once per week so if you need parts they will order it for you. The good thing about Panama is that once you find a decent mechanic you can have the scoot serviced for extremely reasonable prices. My opinion is that you should buy a simple design so that maintenance is as easy as possible for the mechanic. Keep it simple.

I hear that Lifan is relatively well built and it popular enough to find parts more easily. Also supposedly many Honda parts work in them. Has anyone been to this place:


LIFAN PANAMA
Vía Argentina, Diagonal al Rest El Prado
Panamá - Panamá, Panamá
Teléfonos : (507)2656560

Or

Lifan
Vía Porras Final, Fte a Farmacias Metro, San Fco
Panamá, Panamá
Más Tel: (507) 3045500

Lifan is just another Chinese made bike. Not Taiwan made. I would consider buying a chain driven bike like a 125cc model of some kind. Either a traditional motor cycle design or an underbone design with semi automatic transmission. They are simpler and easier to maintain and keep on the road than the scooters with CVT style fully automatic transmissions. Just a thought. Katana or Suzuki 125's are very popular.

True, but Lifan is one of the largest China motorcycle exporters, so combined with some Honda interchangeability, should be better for parts than some rare brand. I want a dual-sport for some of the bad dirt/mud/gravel roads I go on. Larger wheels and more aggressive tires are necessary. Even for potholes on paved roads, larger tires are better. 125 or 200cc should be fine.

You will be fine with the Lifan. Especially if you get a chain driven model with the bigger tires. You will have some problems with the thing at first but you will iron them out and have a good motor cycle. Panama is set up for these cheap bikes. The shops work on them cheaply so you can keep them on the road. You might have to be patient occasionally to get parts, but that is just like everything else here. You could buy some extra parts for the moto once you figure out what goes wrong with yours. Chino scoots have poor quality fit and finish and the plastic fades and the chrome rusts but no one seems to mind. 125's are very popular here and practical.

Why not looking for an used Yamaha BWS? You may find either a 100cc 2cycle or a 125cc 4cycle at very good prices. You can check at www.encuentra24.com . I bought a 2008 BWS 100cc few months ago and I cannot be more pleased with it. jonr, you can give it a try taking in consideration the BWS is a well-built unit.

saludos!

I prefer motorcycles over scooters because the larger wheels handle pot holes a little better.

Originally Posted by Pollerkeeper

Living in Panama gives us the opportunity to buy motor scooters at much cheaper prices than in the US. After much research I just purchased a Kymco Juron 110cc scooter for 850 dollars brand new. This scooter is not the usual step-thru frame scoot that we are used to in the US. It is called an "underbone" frame. Very popular in Asia. This scoot is chain driven and has a 4 speed semi-automatic transmission. It is fast off the line and well made for the price. An exact copy of the Honda Wave. Scooters are perfect for anyone who lives in the interior. I was shocked at the quality we can buy here for such a low price. And, the scoot comes with a helmet. Totally fun.

Hello
Where did you get the Kymco Juron 110cc scooter for 850 dollars brand new?

What about bigger scooters as 250cc, 400cc or something like that?

Best

Originally Posted by Thomasjefferson

Hello
Where did you get the Kymco Juron 110cc scooter for 850 dollars brand new?

What about bigger scooters as 250cc, 400cc or something like that?

Best

i am answering this for him as i dont know if he is on that much anymore , he got it in chitre and conavan across the street for super carne food store

I like the better reliability and greater parts availability of a name brand (Honda, Yamaha, etc) but the prices are so high - about 3x the cost of a Chinese one. I could buy two and keep one for spare parts.

Anyone know of a Lifan dealer in Santiago?

Strangely enough, while the Panamanians like the Chinese bikes, the Japanese seem to complete dominate outboard motor sales.

Originally Posted by jonr

I like the better reliability and greater parts availability of a name brand (Honda, Yamaha, etc) but the prices are so high - about 3x the cost of a Chinese one. I could buy two and keep one for spare parts.

Anyone know of a Lifan dealer in Santiago?

Strangely enough, while the Panamanians like the Chinese bikes, the Japanese seem to complete dominate outboard motor sales.

Scooter is not what I have interested me most for in life, but I checked a little to get one here in Panama.
For the most recognized Japan brands (meaning Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha etc.) I found that the Honda Elite 125 to be the best deal for 1700 dollars ink a bicycle helmet in Honda shop in Costa del Este.

They told me that Honda produces their scooters in China as well. Did not really check more about it but is seems like a lot of brands are using Chinese factories for production, but probably use their own quality control.

Originally Posted by Thomasjefferson

They told me that Honda produces their scooters in China as well. Did not really check more about it but is seems like a lot of brands are using Chinese factories for production, but probably use their own quality control.

This is true as I understand it for anyone producing goods in China that gives a crap about quality or reputation. We once imported single-serving coffee makers made in China that would either scald or electrocute you. "Quality control" does not translate to Mandarin.