Could an overweight driver do a 10 mile commute on a Kymco Sting scooter?

by Wil
(Gainesville, FL, USA)

Hi I am 47 y/o and weigh 315 pounds; I know have to lose weight... but a friend has a Kymco Sting 50cc/49cc scooter for sale and I was thinking on getting it to ride to work every day.


My office is 10 miles away... do you think the scooter can handle it? It is in excellent condition.

ANSWER: Wil, I wanted to try to answer this one for you easily, but it didn't happen. Usually, the manufacturer will put a maximum weight rating on their website. Riders do exceed those weights at times, but you can't be guaranteed you'll be able to get the scooter up to speed if you overload it beyond its capacity, especially with the smaller 50cc scooters.

However, I could not find that info on the Kymco website for some reason. They do state that the scooter can carry two people, so it seems as though it might be able to handle 300 pounds or so. But I'm just not sure. A test ride will give you some idea of how peppy it is with you on it.

The main concern, I think, is whether the scooter will be able to reach & maintain the speeds on the roads you'll need to travel.

Maybe someone else will have a more informative answer...

Comments for Could an overweight driver do a 10 mile commute on a Kymco Sting scooter?

Click here to add your own comments

Jun 11, 2014
Try Before you Buy NEW
by: Brendan O

In short, yes, it's perfectly feasible. I personally run a similar distance on my old 82 Honda 50cc while running errands and for pleasure jaunts into town, and it does pretty well since I am neither the smallest nor skinniest chap around.

My advice, see if your friend will let you try the scooter out for a few days to see if it'll work out for you, and if you do get it, consider leaving early for work so you've got time to enjoy the drive and maybe pull over for a break to let any impatient car users by.

I've had all sorts of jeers and insults even when I'm doing the limit, by the by, but I just smile and wave. Besides, I get the last laugh tootling past the gas stations anyway.

Jun 11, 2014
Try Before you Buy/Be Smarf NEW
by: Brendan O

In short, yes, it's perfectly feasible. I personally run a similar distance on my old 82 Honda 50cc while running errands and for pleasure jaunts into town, and it does pretty well since I am neither the smallest nor skinniest chap around.

My advice, see if your friend will let you try the scooter out for a few days to see if it'll work out for you, and if you do get it, consider leaving early for work so you've got time to enjoy the drive and maybe pull over for a break to let any impatient car users by.

I've had all sorts of jeers and insults even when I'm doing the limit, by the by, but I just smile and wave. Besides, I get the last laugh tootling past the gas stations anyway.

May 01, 2012
Rider weight and scooter size NEW
by: PaulJ

Anyone can ride a 49cc scooter for any distance they want to travel. What you have to consider is that traffic will pile up behind you, and road rage will follow. Rider weight is a problem on any scooter because the handling of the machine and the change in the center of gravity will be affected. Brakes are design to safely bring the machine to a stop within certain designed specifications. The VIN plate will have that information recorded. Tire design is also based on load weight and speed. Most scooters give you a tire pressure range for on up or two up riding. I personally would not exceed the load limit due to safety concerns.

Jan 22, 2011
Trial Ride
by: Artist Bob

If the seller is a friend of yours ask him to loan it to you for a couple of hours riding on a weekend. This is the best way to find out if it is right for you. It sounds a little under powered. I'm a big guy also and I find my 150cc scooter lacking on some uphill pulls. Those car drivers are meciless if you slow them down. You want this to be a fun experience and not one fraught with pressure. Don't buy in haste.

Good luck, Bob

Jan 20, 2011
Easy Does It
by: Jim Zeiser

Kymco makes a superior product and in the Far East people load their scooters up like pick up trucks. If you want it to last you should make it a habit to use no more than three quarter throttle. Traveling at 30 to 35 mph should be easy under those conditions. If that works for you-go for it.

Jan 19, 2011
little scooter, big guy
by: Loosegrit

I own a VIP 49cc scooter. I weigh 280 lbs and carry my wife at 120 lbs. What to expect... 49cc by law should not be traveling over 30 mph which should be no problem. Up grades (e.g., overpasses), you may find yourself slowing down a bit 20-25 mph.

Also you can expect to wear out the CVT belts sooner than the lighter folks. After 17,000 miles on 49cc scooters I am still happy. Hope this helps.

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Scooter Questions - How to Ride a Scooter.

When you're done here, you may also be interested in reading some of these popular pages:


If you like to talk scooters, check out our motor scooter forums!


Battery Tender Junior in package

A battery tender like the Battery Tender Jr. can make all the difference in whether your scooter will start right up each spring, after being stored for months.

Just about every scooter owner needs to have a battery tender, sometimes called a trickle charger. Unless you are lucky enough to live in a climate where you can ride all year long, chances are your scooter will be put on ice, figuratively-speaking, for at least a couple months every winter.

One of the key steps in winterizing a scooter is to protect your battery from draining during its "rest" period. This can – and will – happen if you leave your battery sitting untended in your cold scooter over the winter, even if it's in a garage or shed.

Read our review or go right to Amazon.com to buy this highly recommended Battery Tender Jr NOW...






Attention!

ATTENTION! I have had to delete the Scooter Forum for this site, unfortunately. Despite my best efforts, I could not adequately prevent daily attacks by hackers and spammers. Even though most of their posts did not go public, they still cluttered up my website host's server space, jeopardizing my account. I appreciate everyone's contributions over the past few years and I apologize for having to do this.

Wondering why your scooter question never got posted?

Chances are, there is a good reason. Did you...

If you "checked yes" on any of the points above, then I've deleted your post. Sorry, but I have standards. Feel free to re-submit, following the instructions I have everywhere on the site.

Also... all submissions have to be reviewed by me, and I am currently backlogged. Comments go live without approval, but still take 30 to 60 minutes to show up, so don't repost them, please.

This Week's Highlights

Share Your Scooter Blog Here
Your Help Needed!

We have lots of unanswered questions... can you help? Also, check out our newest eScooter Club members We are growing every week!


Keep Up to Date

Follow us on our Facebook Fan Page Follow our updates on Twitter
Subscribe to my motor scooter blog Subscribe to our RSS feed in your feed reader

Help Us Grow


Support This Site

I support this site by using affiliate marketing and running Google ads. I earn a small commission when you purchase items here, which helps to keep the site afloat. Thank you for your support.







XML RSSSubscribe To This Site

XML RSS
follow us in feedly
Add to My Yahoo!
Add to My MSN
Subscribe with Bloglines