This is my 4th scooter- I've owned all Hondas- a '79 express, 85 elite, and a mid 70's trail 90. This is easily the best of the lot- I loved the elite because of it's 55mph top speed and passenger carrying ability- I have no complaints about it- but it didn't have the 'fun factor' the ruckus does....
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This is my 4th scooter- I've owned all Hondas- a '79 express, 85 elite, and a mid 70's trail 90. This is easily the best of the lot- I loved the elite because of it's 55mph top speed and passenger carrying ability- I have no complaints about it- but it didn't have the 'fun factor' the ruckus does. When I was a kid in the late 60's early 70's, I dreamed about owning a minibike. There were several companies making minis with tube frames and lawnmower engines, and the ruckus seems to be modeled on that look- it's taken 30 years, but I finally got one! The ruckus' twin headlights and almost 'stripped bare' styling really make it stand out from the rest of the scooter crowd- when I went into the Honda dealer to look at mopeds I was looking for a cheap means of transportation. I was pacing the showroom floor, trying to decide between the yamaha or Honda 'vespa wanna-be's' when I saw a ruckus over by the atvs. At first I thought is was just off-road, but the lights and license plate holder told me otherwise- it took about 1/10th of a second to decide the ruckus was exactly what i was looking for! Hopefully there will be some aftermarket items available in the future that can address my small 'wish-it-had' list- i'm 6'2", so I sit pretty high on it- I'd like to see a seat mod to allow the existing seat to be moved back a few inches and lowered, so it has a 'low-rider' look... if I could do that, I'd put some 'highway pegs' a few inches up the front of the steering column. a windsheild fairing would be nice (there may be one available soon, according to my local dealer). Yes, it would be great if it could do 50mph (tho the '80mph mystery mods' would be dangerous, imho), but then it would be classified as a motorcycle! in the state of kansas, a moped is classified as any two-wheeled vehicle with an engine under 125cc AND (!) with a top speed of 35mph. if the bike meets both requirements (the ruckus as-is does, of course), the need for insurance is waived, tag and tax fees are super cheap, and (great for folks who've lost their license for whatever (reason), there's no driver's license requirement! I'll happily deal with the 40mph top speed of the ruckus when the legal specs are so low! The features of the scooter have been listed above, so i'll just post my mph/mpg results... I'm averaging 85mpg (this is with 300 miles on my odometer). I can do 35mph easily, 40 when I have uninterrupted throttle for a couple of blocks. I weigh 175lbs, so I'm guessing the folks doing over 40 must weigh less? So far (knock on wood), I've had nothing but fun with the ruckus! I tightened the rear brake cable once, and a rattle by the license plate alerted me the wing nut was loose, but other than that, it's been fantastic! Way to go Honda!!!1
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