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genuine SCOOTER HELP: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


WHERE CAN I PURCHASE A GENUINE SCOOTER?

Genuine Scooters are sold at every Wild Hogs Scooters location! Our list of dealerships is always growing, and even though there may not be a Wild Hogs near you now that could change really soon. Click HERE to search for the Wild Hogs nearest you.

CAN I BUY A SCOOTER DIRECTLY a GENUINE scooter AND HAVE IT SHIPPED TO ME?

Wild Hogs cannot ship directly to customers. The only way to purchase your brand new Genuine Scooter is to come in to any one of our locations and buy it there. As a Genuine Authorized Dealer we will properly prep and road test your scooter to ensure it's in top running order. We can also advise you on the operation, scheduled maintenance, local licensing requirements, proper protective gear, and how to have a fun and safe riding experience. Worried about riding it home? Don't worry, we offer delivery!

DO I NEED A SPECIAL LICENSE TO RIDE A SCOOTER?

In Florida a standard driver’s license is all that is needed to legally operate a 50cc or smaller displacement scooter or moped. The Genuine Buddy 50, Roughhouse 50, and Venture 50 models are equipped with 49cc engines and comply with the Florida law. In Florida, any scooter over 50cc’s in displacement will need special licensing to operate legally.

HOW DO I GET A MOTORCYCLE LICENSE?

In Florida you will need to sign up for an accredited riding class, such as those organized by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.There is typically a small charge to take the course. Small displacement motorcycles are usually provided, but many riding courses are adding scooters to their fleets. It may also be possible to get permission to use your own scooter. You will need to bring your own helmet, gloves, long sleeve shirt, long pants and over-the-ankle boots. There is usually a classroom session on a Friday night, filled with valuable information on riding safely and skillfully in a wide variety of situations and weather conditions. Saturday usually starts with a short classroom session followed by several hours of riding drills. The drills are conducted on cone courses at low speeds in a parking lot sectioned off from car traffic. The class concludes with a riding test. If you pass, you are awarded a certificate which allows you to go to the DMV and get the endorsement added to your driver's license. As an added bonus, many insurance carriers offer discounted rates for completing a safety course.

AREN'T TWO-STROKE SCOOTERS ILLEGAL?

Two-stroke scooters that comply with EPA and local regulations are legal. Genuine's Buddy 50, Roughhouse 50 feature eco friendly, EPA and CARB compliant two-stroke engines. They are 50 states legal to own and operate, which means you can legally ride them anywhere in the US including Florida!

MY SCOOTER WON'T START. WHAT GIVES?

Because of their small size, scooter engines are much more sensitive to stale fuel and fuel impurities than a car. The fuel passages in scooters are small. Fuel that is perfectly fine for a car may clog up a scooter if it is left sitting for a longer period of time. Scooters are often driven short distances at slower speeds. This type of low RPM stop and riding, coupled with frequent electric starting can begin to drain a battery. A Battery tend and fuel stabilizer can easily correct this. Please contact us for some pointers on proper scooter storage or to schedule storage with a Wild Hogs location.

CAN I RIDE MY SCOOTER ON THE INTERSTATE?

Scooters are primarily designed for nimble, quick, convenient and efficient urban transport. They thrive in places where parking is scarce, roads are congested, and fuel prices are high.

The minimum engine displacement for riding on the interstate is 150cc, therefore most scooters are too small to be legally operated on interstate. Genuine's Buddy 170i and Blur 220i are large enough and can attain a top speed in excess of 60+mph, however, cruising at 65 miles per hour on a 170 or 220cc scooter would be similar to cruising at 130mph in your car. These high speeds will shorten engine life and are not recommend for long periods of time.

In other words, your properly maintained Buddy, Blur or Stella 4T will faithfully zip you along city streets, country roads, bustling boulevards, tree lined parkways, and even pikes. But we'd advise staying off the expressway and the interstate.

CAN I RIDE MY SCOOTER WITH A PASSENGER?

Genuine's various scooter models have a weight capacity ranging from 320 to 340 pounds. But you have to remember that the weight capacity factors not only the weight of the rider and the passenger, but everything else the scooter is carrying.

In other words, the combined weight of you, the weight of your clothing, the fuel in the tank, the oil in the engine, cargo, your passenger, your passenger's clothing, your helmets, any accessories mounted on the scooter, the stuffed animal you tied to the handlebars, etc. must be equal to or less than the weight capacity of the scooter.

HOW DOES THE ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WORK?

When you purchase your scooter, Wild Hogs submits a warranty activation form on your behalf. When Genuine receives your warranty activation, they pass that data along to their roadside service provider. In a few weeks, you will receive a letter in the mail that will include your roadside assistance account information, including a toll free number to call if you need roadside service. The service will cover a tow up to $150 in value, which is roughly equivalent to a 35 mile tow. The roadside assistance account is free for two years and can be extended by you for a small charge thereafter.

HOW DOES THE WARRANTY WORK?

The Genuine Buddy, Roughhouse, Blur and Stella 4T are covered by a 2-year unlimited mile warranty. At the time of purchase, you will receive a warranty certificate with a detailed breakdown of what is covered and not covered, but here's a quick overview!

All warranty work must be performed by an Authorized Genuine Scooter dealer, such as Wild Hogs. Genuine and Wild Hogs will not ship warranty parts directly to the owner of the scooter, or to a third party dealership/mechanic. Warranty work and warranty parts are free of charge, but the costs of transporting the scooter to and from the Wild Hogs is the sole responsibility of the owner of the scooter. Depending on the situation, it's possible you could take advantage of Genuine's roadside assistance program to tow the scooter to Wild Hogs if it cannot be ridden.

If you experience a mechanical issue with your scooter and you believe it is warranty related, please make an appointment with Wild Hogs for an inspection. We will then assess the cause of the malfunction and determine if the repair is covered under warranty.

In a nutshell, consumable parts such as brake pads, cables, tires, bulbs, belts, etc. are not covered. The battery is covered for one month after purchase. All non-consumable components such as the piston, the forks, the frame, etc. are covered for the entire length of the warranty period.

What do we mean when we say "covered"? We mean we'll happily fix your scooter if the failure occurred under normal riding conditions and your scooter has been properly maintained and treated nicely.

In other words, if you break your scooter by riding it into a tree, forgetting to change the oil, attempting to replace the stock piston with a piston from a 1979 Harley Sportster, "seeing what it will do" on a motocross track, wiring a 1,000 watt stereo into the electrical system, or riding wide open throttle to California with a passenger and 90 pounds of gear, that's not nice and therefore that's not covered.

CAN I MAINTAIN THE SCOOTER MYSELF?

We'd strongly advise you have the scooter maintained by your Wild Hogs or any authorized Genuine Dealer. Proof of maintenance and Factory recommended service at the suggested intervals are necessary in keep your warranty in good standing.

Let's be totally honest here. The number of problems we see with customer-maintained scooters vastly outnumber the problems we see with dealer maintained scooters. We're talking like a 10:1 ratio or something crazy like that.

We have special tools that you probably don't have. We have service manuals. Our service technicians do nothing but wrench on scooters every day. The guys at Wild Hogs have cool Wild Hogs shirts we'd bet you don't have. We could go on and on.

If you are bound and determined to maintain your own scooter, we ask you to at least do the following:

Have Wild Hogs perform the 500 mile first service. This is the most important service in the life of the scooter and goes way beyond an oil change. The valve clearances are inspected, the cables are adjusted, the brakes are tested, bolts are tightened, the carburetor is tweaked, and so forth.

After that, if you choose to perform some or all of the maintenance, please make sure to purchase a shop manual from Wild Hogs, all special tools, a torque wrench, etc. Then make sure to closely follow the recommended maintenance schedule, read the instructions before you even think about picking up a wrench, and take your time.

If you do all that, chances are you'll be just fine. But if you do something wrong and your motor starts sounding like a 4th of July fireworks display, it ain't warranty...it's all on you.

IF I INSTALL PERFORMANCE PARTS ON MY SCOOTER, DOES THAT VOID THE WARRANTY?

Your scooter is designed to operate reliably at the factory settings using factory components. In addition, the scooter is only EPA certified (i.e. legal to ride on the street) in stock form.

If you make modifications and/or install performance parts such as big bore cylinder kits, free-flow exhausts, and clutch kits, this not only voids the warranty, but potentially makes your scooter illegal to ride on public highways. On top of that, when you install a performance part, it usually requires additional adjustments (such as changes in the carburetor jetting) that if done incorrectly can cause extensive damage to your engine. if you would like performance parts installed, bring your scooter to us! We will make sure it is done right at that your scooter will keep performing like new or even better!

IS THE WARRANTY TRANSFERABLE?

Genuine's 2 year Unlimited with Free Roadside assistance is valid only for the original purchaser of the scooter and does not transfer if sold. That being said, bring your scooter to any Wild Hogs location and we can do a check up on the scooter before you buy/sell it to make sure that the scooter is in tip top shape so that you will have nothing to worry about down the line.

WHAT GAS MILEAGE DO THESE THINGS ACTUALLY GET?

The answer depends on the size of the rider and the type of riding he or she does.

For example, a 100 pound woman who cruises at 45mph on rural Florida backroads will get better mileage than a 250 pound guy who battles rush hour traffic in Downtown Orlando.

That said, we see riders of all shapes and sizes riding in all sorts of different places getting an HONEST 80+ miles per gallon on a Buddy 125. Some Buddy 125 riders have achieved over 100mpg! Figure that a 50cc model will get 5-10 mpg higher than that. Figure a 150cc model will get 1-3 mpg lower.

YOUR WEB SITE LISTS THE PRICE OF YOUR SCOOTERS. WHY IS MY Invoice over $200 MORE?

We are not trying to rip you off. The price listed on our web site is the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP). That price does not include the money we paid to have the scooter shipped to them or the cost of paying their mechanics to assemble, inspect, adjust, and prep the scooter. Other costs include taxes and state licensing fees. These are real costs that your dealer pays in addition to the cost of the scooter. Just like you, your dealer has a mortgage or rent to pay, utility bills, taxes, etc. They also have to pay salaries to their mechanics, parts and sales staff. Everyone needs to eat, you see.

We're good friends with a lot of our customers, and we know for a fact that most of our customers come to us because they know we love scooters; they know that we believe scooters are easy on the environment and make our cities nicer places, and they know we want to foster a close-knit scooter community in our towns and communities. If we wanted to get crazy rich, we would do something else!

You'll notice that Genuine scooters aren't sold in big box stores, or direct on the internet. That's because Genuine and us at Wild Hogs believe in people paying a fair price for an honest product. We can make buying and owning a scooter a significantly more rewarding experience, and we feel there's a huge value to that.

Also don't worry, we have no dealers fees! You don't have to worry about any junk fees from us!

ACCORDING TO MY GPS, YOUR SPEEDOMETER SAYS I'M GOING FASTER THAN I REALLY AM. IS THAT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY?

Practically all scooter and motorcycle manufactures calibrate their speedometers to read optimistically. This is because several safety studies conducted by the motorcycle industry proved that if the speedometer read slightly fast, accidents are dramatically reduced.

People also have found that their fuel economy goes up because they are traveling at slightly slower speeds, and they are less likely to get tickets for speeding.

CAN I GET A STELLA IN FLORIDA?

Yes. The Stella 4-Stroke, the only modern vintage scooter, is EPA and CARB approved for sale in all 50 states, including Florda.

I REALLY WANT A SCOOTER, BUT I'M AFRAID TO RIDE ONE.

If you really want to ride a scooter, but are unsure about your ability to handle one, we strongly recommend taking a reputable beginning riders course, such as those organized by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. The classes take place in a safe, controlled environment and feature a series of easy drills that progressively get you feeling comfortable on a motorcycle and scooter. In fact, the first drills are done with the engine off and the instructor pushing you!

It's a great way to learn in a relaxed setting, and decide if scootering is for you!

HOW DO I BREAK IN MY SCOOTER?

There is a lot of debate on this topic, and a lot of chatter on the internet. When in doubt, ALWAYS refer to your owner's manual and talk to us about it. The manual was written by the engineers who designed and built your scooter. We'd say that carries more weight than some random guy with an internet connection.

Your manual goes into specifics, but here's a general overview:

The engine in your scooter was run and tested at the factory, but only briefly. So when you're breaking in your scooter, the internal parts of your engine are essentially rubbing together for the first time. The friction points between the various components need time to wear down to a smooth surface.

Among your engine internals, the most important parts to consider are the piston rings. If you break in your engine correctly, you'll create a nice tight fit between the piston rings and the cylinder wall. A tight fit is necessary to create a barrier that prevents oil from leaking into the combustion chamber. You need your oil to lubricate, not to burn!

The best way to break in a scooter is to do a lot of city riding, places where there are lots of stop signs and lots of stop-and-go traffic.

Why is that? As you accelerate your scooter, you're putting a load on the engine. When a load is put on the engine, the piston rings are forced outward, pushing them hard against the cylinder wall. As this happens, a nice, squared off edge forms on the rings. A squared off edge helps the piston ring do its job of creating an oil barrier.

The worst way to break in a scooter is to cruise on a highway, especially if it's at wide open throttle.

If you're cruising at the same speed, you're not putting enough load on the engine. As a result, the piston rings get a rounded edge, and will not be able to prevent oil from leaking into the combustion chamber. Your scooter will burn oil, it won't run very well, and you won't be very happy.

Once you've logged a few hundred miles, your scooter should be broken in. your manual says that you need a 500 mile first service. To be honest, 500 miles is the longest you'll want to wait for this service.

Here's why: All those engine parts rubbing together scrape off tiny shards of metal. These pieces float around in the oil, acting like sandpaper.

Replacing the oil filter and putting fresh oil in your engine therefore, is crucial to a long engine life.

I LOST MY KEYS! WHAT CAN I DO?

Genuine or Wild Hogs do not currently cut keys by VIN.

If you have a Buddy, Rough House, Rattler or Blur, you will need to get a new ignition switch assembly through us at Wild Hogs. We will also be able to install it for you if need be as well.

Have any more questions? Give us a call, we'll be happy to answer anything for you!