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2009 Honda Ruckus Gets Ripped



June 26th, 2009 - Motorcycle USA is beginning to develop a pattern of not quite getting some of America's most loved scooters. It's unforunate, but I can't say I would have any different feelings if I normally tested 150HP+ Yamaha R1s and CBR1000s. First on their chopping block was the Genuine Buddy and next in their sights appears to be the 2009 Honda Ruckus. Needless to say the fellows down at Motorcycle USA didn't have much nice to say about the bike expect for use as a pit bike.

Unfortunately, the review doesn't paint the picture entirely correct in our opinion. While the Ruckus is never going to be anything more than a scooter powered by an air-cooled, 4T, 49cc engine, it is quite unfair to come in with expectation that the bike will be a barn burner. The Ruckus or any 50 for that matter isn't about high performance but something else that quite can't be described.

The other major problem with the review is that they fail to mention about the aftermarket performance potential of this bike. With just an extra $100-$200 dollars put into a few choice performance parts, this bike is capable of traveling between 45-50MPH depending on conditions and rider weight. That ain't too bad for just .05 of a liter capacity. While it is nice to see scooters getting more exposure in a motorcycle publication, there always seems to be something about scooters that die-hard motorcycle guys and gals don't seem to get. In the meantime the review is worth a look. After all you may agree with them.

Ruckus Review

Video Review

Comments  

 
+1 #3 colson 2009-07-08 21:03 I ride a 50cc ruckus without much of a problem keeping up with most traffic. The only thing that slows me down are hills which I might slide back to 30mph if the grade is decent. But for buzzing around streets in the downtown area, no problems keeping up with traffic. But a long-ride-cruiser she ain't. Quote
 
 
+1 #2 Andrew 2009-06-29 13:50 I noticed a lot of Ruckus owners said the example used in that test was exceptionally slow.. then again, the testers have to go on what they've got on hand, not on hearsay. I agree that the machine as they described it seems pretty useless and could be dangerous in some traffic situations.

I owned a 50cc 2-stroke and after about a year I upgraded to a larger machine because 50cc just wasn't enough to venture out of the confined environment of small suburban streets so yes - I generally agree that 50cc machines are basically pointless and potentially more dangerous than the larger ones.

And the specs of the Ruckus are far from impressive. Drum brakes, no storage… it might look 'cute' (to me it doesn't) but there really is little to get excited about. Quote
 
 
+1 #1 Tim 2009-06-27 04:32 As much as I hate to say it, I have to agree with them. If they expect to market the scooter to adults then the machine needs to hit at least 45mph with a full sized adult on board and have disc brakes.

Just so you know, I ride a 1985 Honda Spree to work every day, but that is down one road with a 30mph speed limit. It is just not practical for anything else. Quote
 

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