Looking for a scooter for short rides in the city: What are my options

Even though I gave up on riding motorcycles, for grocery and short runs, I'm using my wife's TVS Zest 110.

BHPian Kirubakaran_G recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Hi fellow BHPians,

I gave up riding motorcycles due to the cervical and lumbar disc related issues. I even gave up my present profession, but that's a story for another day.

Even though I gave up on riding motorcycles, for grocery and short runs, I'm using my wife's TVS Zest 110. Despite smaller dimensions, I used to stretch my foot on the front apron which opens up some real estate for my feet, and oh boy! Its pretty comfortable and easily manageable for crowded city roads and narrow country lanes. I never liked the scooters since my childhood as it lacks gears, but now I'm a convert. Few things I noted down while riding scooters with my current health condition are:

1. Scooters support my legs really well due to flat footboard instead of foot pegs on motorcycles.
2. The seats of scooters are generally broader, wider and more supportive for the back and buttocks region.
3. The scooter steering is closer to the rider, which reduces the stress on shoulders whereas the motorcycle steering is set away from the rider.

Considering my observations, I can simply say, the scooters are more comfortable than the motorcycles, for atleast my case. So, my conundrum is which scooter to choose?

Needs:

1. 14-inch wheels for better stability and traction at low/moderate speeds
2. ABS is non-negotiable.
3. More power is better. I love peppiness, who won't!!!
4. Shouldn't sag under load. Need comfortable suspension, stiffness is good as I'm heavy around 100kgs.
5. Acceptable pillion comfort.

Other things like larger under seat storage, external fuel fillers and Bluetooth connection are not needed.

Shortlisted:

1. Aprilia SR 160
2. Yamaha Aerox 155
3. Aprilia SXR 160
4. Hero Xoom 160

SXR due to small wheels is questionable for stability.

Xoom 160 is still unavailable in my place. Is it worth the wait, considering Hero's craftsmanship in suspension? Or I shall go with other options?

Experts shed light!!!

Thanks in advance.

Here's what BHPian Boringrider replied:

Depending on whether you're okay with the lack of flat floor board or it is a must have, I would pick between the Aerox and Aprilia SR 160. The downside of Aprilia is higher servicing costs and lower service network. Take test rides before finalizing any scooter.

Stiffer suspension is better for people on the heavier side, although most reviews will speak of it as a negative. You can also look at Ntorq. It has 12 inch wheels but I was pleasantly surprised recently when I took it for a short spin. It's very sporty, the stock exhaust note is probably the loudest on a scooter I've ever heard and TVS has shown itself to be a solid reliable brand.

Here's what BHPian Axe77 replied:

I would also be open to switch my NTorq scooter to something with 14” wheels, is peppier and has a nice suspension. There’s almost nothing immediately that strikes me as meeting all three of these criteria. I’d say what comes closest to your requirements of a nice comfortable scooter despite having 12” wheels is the Suzuki Burgman.

For myself, I am waiting for the Tesseract / River Indie to be launched / come to my city respectively. I’m in no rush and this is a pure discretionary purchase if I were to pursue seriously so not fretting the absence of options either.

Here's what BHPian IshaanIan replied:

The new Suzuki Access/Burgman have the best engines but the worst chassis. Aprillia SR and Yamaha Aerox aren’t really comfortable and I am personally against Scootys that sacrifice comfort in search of sportiness because they never really end up being even a fraction as sporty as a basic 150cc bike yet sacrifice all the comfort and convenience that Scootys are supposed to be known for (lack of leg room, tilted floor board, slanted seat etc.) Aprillia has the worst quality control and will feel like a badly abused Goa rental bike within a year or two. The Yamaha sacrifices the floorboard for not really a good enough reason. Xoom and SXR I have not ridden but in my opinion all ICE scooters currently in the market are severely lacking when comes to making sense as a purchase option.

The right scooter for you is the River Indie. These machines are anyway used for short trips. There has been zero advancement in terms of their belt-driven gearboxes thus sapping any possibility of appreciating a well engineered motor, the extent of their advancement over the last two decades has simply been to get choked by emissions restrictions, and adding Bluetooth functionality. Best to bid adieu to these things and look into electric offerings.

I am not a fan of electric cars however electric scooters are really growing on me. When the throttle calibration is done right, they end up offering such crisp and enjoyable power delivery that is more responsive and easier to modulate than all the CVT driven ICE scooters. And most importantly, a few of them actually feel like they were developed by a brand that cares; maybe not about durability but atleast about the product itself and what it is capable of and whether it is able to distinguish itself on merit in any areas. Ather 450 feels like a dream to ride, River Indie is shockingly good, so is the new Chetak for that matter.

Here's what BHPian fhdowntheline replied:

I have recently purchased the SXR 160 after a LOT of thinking. The Aerox is still in my books the better scooter purely for the driver, but the Aprilia is more comfortable 2 seater. It also has fairly adequate boot space and something in the front if you want to grab some groceries.

The ride quality is stiff, yes, but feels sturdy . The 12 in wheels are wider, so they are a bit bigger than the regular 12 in scooters considering the aspect ratio. And it comes with the ABS , which was for me too, an important aspect. It is a bit long dime nsionally, which makes it less flexible during tight parking, but it is more stable at low speeds in crawling traffic where you don’t have to get your foot down to balance. I am getting about 35 kmpl which is ok for my usage pattern. It doesn’t come with the auto start/ stop option, by the way.

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