49 Scooter

When you are looking to buy a scooter, it’s important to buy a scooter in the right speed range. When you are looking at various scooter styles, you should be looking at the speed range of the scooter that you intend to buy. For example, have you noticed the CC of an engine yet?

This is the Cubic Centimetres, and is often listed after the number. For example, two the most popular engine levels are 50cc and 125cc.

With a 50cc engine, you are getting a bike with around 30mph of top speed. At Direct Bikes, all of our models can reach at least 30mph in top speed. With a 125cc engine, you could be getting something in the 50-70mph range depending on the model type. All of our models at Direct Bikes in the 125cc range will be able to hit a top speed of 60mph.

So, with that in mind, what should you look to find?

We recommend that anyone looking to stay safe and comfortable sticks to the 50cc range. If you are a new rider, then going for a 50cc model tends to make the most sense. 50cc engines are easy to control, simple to keep in command of, and great for improving driving confidence. However, they are most often the smallest engine you can buy for a scooter or bike.

What about if you wanted to go even lower than a 50cc engine? Is that possible?

Can you go lower than 50cc?

For the most part, 50cc engines are the smallest in terms of power that you are going to find for any kind of motorised scooter. However, you can find a 49 scooter. 49cc is more or less identical to 50cc, but that extra one cubic centimetre can make some telling differences. The majority of 49cc engines are going to be a sporty style of scooter, using a 4-stroke engine. This will give you a fast enough little engine to fly around on, meaning you don’t have to miss out on much in terms of thrust or power.

In fact, in terms of speed you should not find any real difference between a 50cc and 49cc engine. They should both broadly produce the same level of top speed for you. So, keep that in mind based on what you have done so far. It will give you a good quality of scooter – a reliable 49 scooter can be the ideal cost-effective alternative. However, on the face of it you might find it hard to tell the difference between a 50cc and 49cc engine.

The biggest change would be when you want to step up to the next tier: 125cc. We’ve got plenty of options in the 49, 50, and 125cc ranges at Direct Bikes, so be sure to take a look!

What is a 125cc engine?

At 125 cubic centimetres, a 125 scooter is often much faster. They are going to be capable of speeds of around 60mph as opposed to 30mph. They are also more likely to be Manual transmission. Just about any typical 50 or 49 scooter will be an Automatic transmission. They are normally driven with a Twist & Go system. This means that you literally just need to tug back on the handles to pick up speed. Keep that in mind, and you can find that driving around with a 125cc engine is pretty easy for the most part.

Stepping up to 125cc might mean you are driving with a Manual transmission. While we do have Twist & Go 125cc scooters at Direct Bikes, all of our 49 and 50cc models are Twist & Go.

You will also find that most 125cc engines are going to be a bit more suited to professional purposes. Since they can be driven at much faster speeds, you could easily go on things like a motorway.You could go on a motorway with a 49/50 scooter, but your top speed can somewhat limit how fast you can drive.

As such, we recommend that you instead look to buy something with a 125cc engine for work purposes. Generally, though, you’ll find that a 50cc engine (or 49cc) should be suited to your day-to-day needs. Just about any kind of inner-city driving can be done on the back of a 49cc scooter.

What can I use a 49/50cc engine for?

• Given their top speed of 30mph or so, you could easily drive around local areas. Keep to residential spots in towns and cities, and you can drive with total confidence.
• So long as you are not in a massive time rush, you could go about doing local deliveries and other delivery jobs using a 49/50cc. scooter. It would be fast enough for inner-city travel.
• So long as you have your full driving license (more on this below), you could give someone a lift with your 49 scooter without too much issue at all.
• You could choose to use this for getting around locally and for taking on small driving circuits. Great for helping you to learn the fundamentals of being a good driver.

One thing that you will notice about getting a 49cc scooter is that it should give you plenty of opportunity to learn. Despite being fast, the top speed is never ferocious enough to put you at any particular risk moving forward. So, be sure to keep that in mind when making your purchase decision.

What do I need to ride a 49 scooter?

To ride a scooter in this particular class, you should look to get the right license. Of course, if you get your full bike riding license then you could drive this without any issue. You could also drive this kind of bike if you got your Compulsory Basic Training (CBT), and your provisional bike riding license.

You can get both of these at the age of 16, so keep that in mind. A 50cc scooter is often aimed at younger drivers. With your CBT, you are limited to driving at 28mph, and you are also not allowed any passengers. Nor are you allowed any particular kind of access to motorways. You also must keep your L plates on at all times. Failure to do any of this could see you lose your license.

So, with the above in mind, you might find it easier to buy a 49cc scooter. They are great for beginners, but even veterans of riding could enjoy having one. Buy from the right place, and you can buy a scooter that is sure to give you a very satisfying experience indeed. From inner city riding to residential driving, you can get a lot of value out of going down the 49cc range.

Need a hand picking out a model? Then contact us today at Direct Bikes. We will be more than happy to show you our complete collection of 49cc scooter models.