Keeway Venus 50cc Motor Scooter Review

by Don
(Winston Salem, NC)

This scooter is the classic double-edged sword. On one hand, it was cheap ($1495 before tax), it's cute as can be, and is so small and compact it practically fits in the trunk of the car. It really turns heads as it goes by at 35mph.

However, at a standstill you really start to see that you get what you pay for. The parts are all plastic and fairly cheap in both design and quality. It's really almost "toy-like". Right out of the box I had a faulty speedometer, inoperable turn signal, and brake performance better suited to a big wheel than a motor vehicle. No problem, still fun as can be to ride, just leave more room to stop right?

The engine is a self mixing 2 stroke with separate tanks for oil/gas. This self mixing has been the biggest issue thus far. Whenever the scooter sits overnight or for a day or two, the carb apparently fills with oil and if you manage to get it to start, it fills the neighborhood with smoke for about 4-5 minutes. Seriously!

Recently the rear wheel has begun to vibrate at higher speeds which is subtle but just enough to induce serious butt pucker as you imagine the road rash if the wheel falls off at 35mph. The dealer where I bought my bike hasn't been able to fix the smoking issue yet and the bike is in the shop again now (2nd time in 170miles) for the vibrating issue (man I hope they find that and fix it!).

Another issue I have is with the silly remote key fob ignition system. Who in the world thought it would be smart to put remote start on a scooter? I was upstairs in my house one day with the scooter parked in the basement garage. Apparently the key fob button got pushed while in my pocket and the scooter started up on its own and must have been running for 20-30 minutes as the garage was full of smoke!! NOT GOOD! Can anyone say "Carbon Monoxide"!

That said, I knew I wasn't buying a Ducati. The thing is still a hoot to tool around on. But if you're looking for a daily commuter, I would look elsewhere.