Motor Scooters

Another question from a newbie. WalMart has some nice scooters for $800 USD or less. The maximum engine seems to be 150 cc. I see them all about the area and they have no plates.


Are they exempt from licensing?

Do you need to have a driver's license for one?

Can a person now a tourist buy one and register or whatever?

Can a 16 year old operate one with no license?

Is a helmet required?

It looks like it is just a commodity as I see all kinds and numbers of people on them. I am not looking for legal advice, just curious.

They need to be registered and licensed to be legal. No insurance is required on those. You have to wear a helmet and a reflector vest. The transitos prey on the gringos who don't wear these safety items so make sure you do. They don't require a motorcycle license but I'm sure you need at least a valid auto license to ride one on the streets.

You need a resident visa to register one. Given the poor road conditions and crazy drivers I wouldn't recommend putting a young inexperienced rider on one.

Thanks Bob, just another bad idea, eh?

I have had two, and they both fell apart within a year on the cobblestone roads. Now I have a quad ATV and it's really fun.

Does a quad require a tag? A driver's licence? Need a helmet and orange vest? Can a tourist (at the moment) buy one?

To legally be on the street they need to be registered and licensed which means you need a resident visa. Yes to the helmet. Any MC under 250cc requires the rider to wear the reflective vest. I'm not sure if this includes ATV's.

I would avoid as tempting as the price is to buy an Italika scooter. Pay the extra 500 and get Yama/Honda/suz. It will hold up better. All of them make more rugged scooters with taller more rugged kinda knobby tires. If the price does overwhelm the advice you should be in the habit of tightning the bolts and such once a month. If you read the scooter groups online in Mexico they will tell you the same things for hard use and the cobbles here are rugged use. Guads have problems also regarding handling as they can be tippy. I would want a scooter and /or Quad rider to help train one to avoid problems. A 16 year old son riding??? Sure if he is a farm kid or has experience riding anything but a newbie me thinks one should rethink this. Maybe after he watches folks for a year. It also depends on the kid.

Z

Bad idea, and registry does require a residence visa for any vehicle, not a tourist permit.

My son has a bad case of headupassitis and I have decided that one day I may let him drive a car, but I can see he would soon be a wet spot on the highway with a moto or quad.

Thanks again all for the advice.

That has happened to more than one rider on the carretera in the area.

The young tend to have a bad case of believing that they are immortal.
I watched a young waiter who worked for the original Just Chillin' ON A SKATEBOARD hitching a ride on a pick up truck ON THE HIGHWAY. I mean one hand on the pick up, feet on the skateboard, skateboard wheels on the highway... you know, the highway filled with potholes and cracks. YIKES!

ferret wrote:The young tend to have a bad case of believing that they are immortal.

Yes, and the military knows this, that why it does its recruiting at schools and college campuses.