After much research and very helpful reviews from mouthshut, I purchased a Scooty ES for my wife. It’s not even a week old but I felt like contributing to the community that has helped me make a decision.
Our (my wife and me) decision was based on couple of important criteria.
Parking - we have a very narrow parking, so hunt for a bike that can fit almost anywhere.
Not Flashy - surprised! Well, everyone has his or her needs. You see sometimes if we have a flashy bike like Scooty Pep, etc..people around are tempted to scratch it, fidget with it, and sit on it..to avoid all the tension, look for a not so flashy bike.
Not very fast - We have two kids, so if a bike goes too fast, it’s really going to be problem handling with 2 small kids. So looking for a bike under 100 cc. You might say that driver can control speed--aha! I’d prefer it if that option is not there, so the driver is restricted by technical specs of the vehicle.
Good resale - who wouldn’t want that. After all, we are not looking for long-term relationships with our vehicles.
Ample space for one child to stand comfortable in front.
Competitive pricing.
So considering the above criteria, here are the options that came up, Scooty Pep, Scooty ES, Kinetic Zing and the good old TVS XL50. I say good old because my wife had one and she was very happy with that.
Unfortunately TVS XL50 has stopped manufacturing, moreover it does not fit criteria no.5.
Kinetic Zing also does not satisfy criteria no.5 because the front portion of the bike has got a very sharp angle. Aerodynamics-unfortunately not useful.
Scooty Pep is extremely flashy, very attractive so it fails criteria no 2. It also fails criteria no 3. 75cc with 4-stroke engine can be really fast. It also fails criteria no.6. Now why would I say such a thing? Because another 5K and I could buy Honda Activa/Dio. So it’s a bit steep on pricing.
So what are we left with? Scooty ES Satisfies all our criteria. Its narrow body can fit almost anywhere. Its not very flashy, we bought a silver one. Dealer even gave the front armor guard free. Yeah! It cannot go very fast because with 60cc 2-stroke engine, it’s not meant to be ridden fast. Its a city bike that you can ride peacefully even in heavy traffic. Very good resale as I checked out several ads for old Scooty ES. Just the day before buying I saw a lady riding the Scooty with one child in front and another at the back. Seeing it first hand, I realized it satisfied criteria no.5. The price is decent as I got it for 30K. I don’t feel too bad if I don’t have the Honda or other 100cc.
Another influence in the decision was two second-hand bike dealers. They actually said that Scooty ES was better than Scooty Pep. Well! Reviews at mouthshut, influence from dealers and bike ads in the paper. Maybe I’m giving hints on how to look for a bike to suit your needs.
Have fun while hunting for your ideal vehicle!