What are the points to consider while buying a scooter

The scooter has always been the common man's mode of transportation. While the world has been struggling with finding innovative solutions to coping with soaring fuel prices, Indians have always relied on a 'Humara Bajaj'. Now, with more urban youth preferring to opt for the budget means of transport, scooters are undergoing a revolution in design to incorporate more lightweight elements and a more stable riding experience. If you are looking for a scooter to buy, whether now, or a few years later, the following points will help you pick out the right one for your needs:

1. Fix your budget: This is the most imperative of points when buying absolutely anything under the sun. Always fix a budget, inclusive of any indulgence in feature that you would like to allow yourself, and don't move from it. The market is always full of products and features to attract an unsuspecting customer and unload a huge of taxes, sub-taxes, extra charges and what-not in the name of these additional features. So, when you begin a venture, in this case, buying a scooter, fix a budget, first.

2. Look for good mileage: Know what you are going to use the scooter for; it's good to know. Are you going to ride the scooter only between work and home, or is it going to serve as a secondary pair of legs for every small errand you must run? While all scooters available in the India market typically have a mileage within the same range, it's always good to know if the scooter can actually deliver the mileage it promises. It would help you buy a scooter you like if you knew how often you would use the scooter, typically. In this time of rising fuel prices, a good mileage always helps.

3. Weight of the scooter: Who is the scooter for exactly? Is it for your wife or husband? Do you envision your daughter riding it to college or your son taking it for a spin with his friends? If you are not too sure, it would be a good idea to opt for a scooter that is not so heavy that only the men in your family can actually use them, neither so lightweight that they cannot lend a helping hand in times of need. Optimization is the key. If the scooter is only for your daughter, or wife, there are models within brands that serve only women customers' needs, whereas others like TVS Jupiter market only to the male populace, in case your son would like to go for a scooter. As an ergonomic vehicle of the common masses, weight of the scooter matters.

4. The Test ride: I've been researching scooters on their websites for a while now, and I haven't found a single scooter that says, "Well, you may have a problem on rough roads with this scooter", or, "You might want to watch out while taking a U-turn on this baby; she has a tendency to randomly switch-off". So, always, test ride the scooter on tough turns, rough roads, check out the actual pick-up when you're riding it, the efficacy of the breaks, the lights, everything you would not want to have a problem with in the middle of a regular ride. Scooters like TVS Sooty Pep+ are really lightweight and "zippy", and call for slightly heightened control while riding them, on the other hand, scooters like Honda Activa are perfect for regular driving conditions (I speak from experience). So you must take out the scooter for a ride and see if it works for you.

5. Risk of accident: Let no salesman or scooter-fan fool you into believing scooters are safer than motorcycles; there really isn't any scale on which they can be compared without bias. You are as much accident prone on a scooter as you are on a motorcycle. Just because you are in control and cannot possibly hit something in front of you, doesn't mean you cannot be hit from behind (God forbid). The advantage with scooters is that, in case of such an incident, you can be sure to get up and move your scooter to the side of the road. In case of motorbikes, however, your leg has a greater chance of being caught between the bike and road, leaving you highly dependent on good Samaritans to enable you to get up.

Keeping the above mentioned five points in mind is all you need in any day and age to go out there and buy a scooter that is perfect for your needs. Good luck!

Read more about scooters and compare the scooters in India