Scooter Buying advice - Help required

Hi All,

A new member here requiring advice from other members who are far more well versed and experienced than myself. Apologies my first post is one requesting help before I have made a meaningful contribution here but I am new to scooters for one and have no knowledge whatsoever about scooters, let alone mopeds, motorbikes or cars. I am not sure what valuable participation I can make going forward what with my lack of knowledge and experience but will no doubt stay around as an active member going forward to learn if anything, probably asking more questions than giving answers.

So to my situation I require advice on, I'll try and keep it brief as possible but conscious I also need to explain the situation with pertinent info so the correct advice/opinions can be given.

Why am I buying my first scooter? - I live in a town/city in the outer Kent area but work in London. I live 3.5 miles from the mainline train station and for the last couple of years I use either public bus or taxi to get from home to the station or vice versa. The shift I am on dictates what mode of transport I use to and from the station. If early then a taxi because the first bus doesnt start & pass mine until after the time of the train I need to be on already. The train departs before the first bus even starts its route. On the flip side coming home I get a taxi if on a mid or late shift because I dont get back into the train station until after the bus timetable changes. From the first bus throughout the day until about 6pm they run every 10 minutes. After 6pm they are on a evening timetable service and run only once an hour. This can mean depending on what time I get in, I could be waiting upto an hour for the next bus, as it stands it is normally 40-50 minutes I would have to wait.

The cost of taxis over a month proper adds up, roughly £130-40 a month. Also a monthly bus pass, although cheaper than paying single daily fare, is of no value as I dont get the full benefit of it. Parking for scooters, moped and motorbikes is free at the station. Secondly the bus journey takes 20 odd minutes point to point from home to train station as it goes round the town which further eats into my personal time from an already long day at work and a hour on the train travelling as it is. A scooter would take 8 mins roughly there and back like the taxi saving so much time, also the low cost to maintain one including insurance would save me heaps each month. It would pay for itself after a few months even after the initial outlay of buying one.

So to my dilemma

1. I have found a second hand scooter in the local rag, a Lexmoto 125. (I know people have differing opinions on them as researched them but this is merely to get me to the station and back)
2. The seller wants £875 for it. It is a 2018 model and a year old, pictures show no damage and pretty much pristine. It still has just under 2 years warranty on it which is transferable and no MOT needed for another 2 years also. My extensive research of this model & year being sold elsewhere around the country secondhand shows a market price between £975-1100. - PRICE A RED FLAG FOR ME BASED ON RESEARCH MENTIONED
3. The seller, said he needs a super quick sale as needs funds due to a family issue - ANOTHER RED FLAG FOR ME
4. I done a 54 point check on the scooter based on the reg he gave, it comes back totally clean on everything, Stolen, Stolen recovered, finance, imported, written off or accidents, insurance claim, mileage, registration date matches what he sent me etc etc. Yes I will check the bike VIN registered from the check results incase a copycat/Plate Swap. - NO ISSUES HERE
5. I have arranged a viewing in person asking him if he minded if I brought my friend who is a motorbike mechanic so he can check the bike over, he welcomed this and had no issues with it. Except I dont have a friend who is a motorbike mechanic, I merely said that because if anything wrong with the scooter mechanically which is hidden to the novice buyer he was trying to kid, I would expect them to be evasive, not reply or simply respond that it is sold and wait for someone else. - NO ISSUES HERE
6. I asked him his bottom line that he would take, he asked me what am I prepared to pay. I responded via text that my budget is £600 and £700 top end as could not afford more and am seeing 2 other lexmotos the same year and mileage. He replied his bottom line is £775 but if I decided on his over the others on the day would prob take £750. - EVEN BIGGER RED FLAGS DROPPING £200 ODD ESPECIALLY BASED ON THE RESEARCH I MENTIONED EARLIER

The red flags are a concern even for a novice like me, my dad and neighbour agree. The old adage "if its too good to be true....." rings in my ears here. However the seller is young (18-20ish) and might of lost his licence or something or he actually does need a lump of money urgently. I am inclined to buy it despite the red flags I mention above, as long as the VIN matches. I figure I am covered for the usual issues, stolen, recovered, finance, accident etc you need to be wary of that are included in the 54 point check if one of them is wrong, the check covers me upto £30k. He has no issues if a mechanic comes to inspect and if there are any issues mechanically with the scooter, I am covered under the 3 year warranty which has 2 years literally left. So as I see it I am covered if I buy it for all eventualities and have minimal risk????

Would appreciate your opinions if you stayed this long to read my wall of text as to whether you would or would not buy it and reasons why? Also anything a novice like me has missed or not considered.

One last thing, I see in my research lexmotos with far more mileage and date of registration between 2013-17 attracting a market value of around £400-650. Would that be about right? Would my research that lexmotos from 2018 with warranty left also be about £975-1100 be a right secondhand market price?

Thanks all for reading and any help you can give.

Hello Keyser666 and a very warm welcome indeed! Your post makes for an interesting read. On a personal level I wouldn't buy it because I'm not a fan of Chinese bikes but that's just me being my usual prejudiced and judgemental self. Having said that it sounds like you have done loads of research - far more than I would ever do (I'm very impulsive - my heart rules my head), so if you like it and are happy with it, and feel it's the right bike for you then I would say Go For It and come rain or shine enjoy many happy years of scootering ahead!

milo2025 said:

Hello Keyser666 and a very warm welcome indeed! Your post makes for an interesting read. On a personal level I wouldn't buy it because I'm not a fan of Chinese bikes but that's just me being my usual prejudiced and judgemental self. Having said that it sounds like you have done loads of research - far more than I would ever do (I'm very impulsive - my heart rules my head), so if you like it and are happy with it, and feel it's the right bike for you then I would say Go For It and come rain or shine enjoy many happy years of scootering ahead!

Thank you Milo for the kind response, more importantly thanks for reading my essay! I figured there might be some resistance or comments in respect of it being a lexmoto as I mentioned in my OP. I kinda got that flavour from the research of reviews I done on lexmoto as a whole, they were either all for or all against and figured those on this forum would probably be old school aficionados. As said its only for commuting to the station and back daily, not something I will be doing long distance or touring on

I used to buy impulsive like yourself and over the years either got a bargain and was right or the opposite. I takes nothing these days now to spend some time having a nosey at things but still rule with my gut but at least I have more info these days.

I myself would buy it.
Sometimes people need money more than a bike.
Seems like a good deal to me.
Don't let the whole "Chinese bikes are shit" thing distaste you. Everything is made in China now, even harley parts. And actually in the 60s people said Japanese bikes were crap.

BIG question due to the fact that you will be absolutely dependant on using the garage for the bike maintenance/repairs.

It's a 2018 scooter with 2 years left on the warranty........has the bike been maintained in line with the warranty specifications and the service book stamped accordingly at the dealer who originally sold it or another recognised dealer nearby?????
Warranty firms are very adept at getting out of having to pay for stuff they don't want to have responsibility for.
If it has not been maintained as per the warranty specs, then you will be on your own.

Why not buy a non runner/broken down scooter, that way you wont have to worry about it being an old shed, then restore it to its former glory, i bought two worn out scoots for £180, i look at it as being 300 kilos of meccano and a good learning experience

Ian Robinson said:

Why not buy a non runner/broken down scooter, that way you wont have to worry about it being an old shed, then restore it to its former glory, i bought two worn out scoots for £180, i look at it as being 300 kilos of meccano and a good learning experience

That's pretty much what I always do.
But I'm a mechanic and get things running in one day.

Or buy a scoot this way!

For that money you could get a KYMCO or SYM that would be much better !