7 of the most reliable second-hand scooters

Image credit: Vespa

When buying a scooter, you don’t always have to buy from new. In fact there are many second-hand scooters that are more reliable than you may think, ultimately saving you money.

Here we examine seven of the most reliable you can buy that are perfect for commuting to work or using as a daily runaround. 

Peugeot Django

Image credit: Peugeot

Peugeot is a great choice if you’re looking for a used scooter. They’re already pretty reasonably priced when new, and if you can find one that’s been pre-loved there’s a good chance it won’t cause you any serious hassle. 

The overall build quality is good, and finding spare parts if needed is easy. While any of the manufacturer’s range would be a good choice – and with each of them available in 50cc and 125cc variants a great pick for learners – we’re going for the Django, as its sleek neo-retro design is particularly nice.

Honda PCX125

If you’re looking for a larger scooter that won’t mess you around, this is it. It’s also been one of the best selling scooters in the UK for years, so there will be plenty of pre-owned options out there. 

It has been designed to be easy to maintain and there is a plentiful supply of spare parts. These factors make the PCX ideal if you’re looking for a bike that won’t cause you serious problems.

Yamaha D’elight 

Image credit: Yamaha

Now, the world of scooters is full of pretty awful names. For example, taking Peugeot’s range as a whole, the Django sits alongside Kisbee, Tweet and Speedfight, which together sound like the cast of a 1980s children’s animation.

Yamaha are operating on a whole other level, with the fairly understandable Nmax sitting alongside the definitely trying too hard RayZR and the absolutely baffling comma placement of the Neo’s. 

But the D’elight, despite having a comma, has all the reliability you’re looking for in a second-hand scooter. With its first model being released five years ago, it’s current enough that you’ll have no difficulty finding spare parts, too.

Suzuki Burgman

Another modern machine with a long history, the Burgman has been on sale since 1998, so there are plenty of used models to be found. There’s also a range of engine capacities including 650cc, 400cc and even 125cc if you’re the kind of rider that wants a learner legal maxi scooter. 

And if you do want a bigger, beefier scooter, then a second-hand Burgman should give you years of trouble-free riding.

Sym Jet 125

If you’re looking for a cheaper option then investigating the range of mid-spec machines from Sym could net you a bargain. 

The Jet is a decent example to demonstrate why it’s a good reliable choice. With over a decade on the market there’s plenty of older examples around, and a surprising number of them have very small recorded road miles. 

This is doubtless because they’re cheap enough to be someone’s first bike – and almost certainly sold pretty soon after they stopped learning.

Sym have a good reputation for the quality of their range and if you can find one of those swiftly abandoned models you’re getting something that is pretty close to being new at a fraction of the cost.

Vespa GTS

Image credit: Vespa

In terms of cool brands it’d be tougher to pick a company with a stronger reputation than Vespa. When you’re arguably the first modern scooter and the one that most others since have been taking notes from, for over three quarters of a century, then a second-hand model is going to cost a little more than some of the offerings from other companies. 

But is it worth the expense? Well, if your heart is set on a Vespa, but your budget won’t stretch to a shiny new one, then yes. 

It’s extremely well designed, making it fun to ride and isn’t going to cause you many issues from a reliability standpoint. The GTS is easy to find used, and while it’s a fair whack more expensive than some options, you can be pretty sure that it’ll have many years of smooth running left in it.

BMW C400X

Another of the more expensive on our list, the BMW C400X is known for its solid engineering. 

You can easily find five-year-old models available at around £4,000, which will give you a solid, yet unspectacular urban commuter that’s economical to run. 

But let’s face it, spectacular is rarely a consideration when choosing a scooter, so picking something that’ll keep on going for years with little fuss is often what you’d look for, and the C400X is one of the most reliable second-hand scooters available. 

Ready to buy a second-hand scooter?

If you’re looking to buy one, make sure you have the right insurance to cover you. At Bikesure, we offer affordable scooter insurance – call 0808 588 1218 for a swift no-hassle quote or book a callback at a time that suits you.