The fifty is an agile, fast and undemanding way to move around the city covering short or medium distances. Here is a guide to the best 50 cc scooters and mopeds to buy to guide your purchasing choices!
The mythical fifties has been the companion of a thousand adventures for many of us, young beardless in search of first loves and first evenings with friends in the summer heat. However, nowadays it can also be a valid means of transport to go to work or in any case to move around covering low and medium-range routes – as long as they do not include venturing into prohibited roads in short. Furthermore, compared to cars or large-engined motorcycles, mopeds and 50 cc scooters they consume little and maintenance is generally simpler and less expensive.
However, there are different types of motorcycles, designed and optimized for a different audience that ranges from the youngest to the not so young, from the most skilled and adventurous drivers to the laziest and most meek ones. First of all it is therefore good to understand on which criteria the evaluation of the best 50 cc scooters and mopeds is based, we will then illustrate some general tips and advice. We will then move on to the list of selected fifties that you can reach directly by clicking here. And now full throttle!
Best 50 cc scooters and mopeds (fifty): some practical advice
Although the various models enjoy numerous advantages in various fields, it is worth noting that among the best 50 cc scooters and mopeds there is no absolute best buy: you have to evaluate different aspects depending on your needs. So here are some useful tips.
Consumption, usability and safety
All the best 50 cc scooters and mopeds are light, practical and easy to handle compared to their higher engine capacity colleagues, however there are simpler and lighter models compared to others which, however, remain more stable at high speed: depending on the type of road – urban or extra-urban – that you will have to travel, it is better to lean towards one type rather than the other. Also consumption can vary a lot between the different types of fifties in relation to the performance and usability of the vehicle: for example, the fifties with gears are recently making a comeback among the youngest, guaranteeing lower consumption and excellent recovery when compared with the best 50 cc scooters and mopeds with variable power.
Another important aspect to evaluate is the engine which is the heart of your vehicle. There are essentially two categories of engines that power the fifties: 2 stroke and 4 stroke. We will not go into technical details, but we will briefly explain the features. 2-stroke engines are snappier and are often able to deliver more power, however they tend to break more easily because they are more subject to wear; they consume even more and obviously for this very reason they are not friends of the environment. 4-stroke engines, on the other hand, are generally less performing, but more reliable over time and have lower fuel consumption. In general, the very young prefer 2-stroke models because they use 50 cc mopeds and scooters occasionally; if, on the other hand, you have to use the vehicle every day for work, it is better to go with a 4-stroke. In this guide to the best 50 cc scooters and mopeds, we will integrate models with both engines to meet everyone’s needs.
Then there are low models with 13 or 14 inch wheelsgenerally more squat, but also more comfortable to drive thanks to wide and well padded saddles and are often equipped with a large saddle pad and can be equipped with a top case and windscreen for the colder months. Instead, there are models with taller and slimmer wheels that allow for better maneuverability of the vehicle and also allow you to venture a bit off-road because they better absorb shocks due to potholes and bumps (which with the state of many Italian roads is a bit a necessity nowadays). Inevitable in a modern moped is a ABS system which very often can save your skin, especially in difficult conditions such as with slippery asphalt. Other important parameters that have a significant effect on handling are the weight – trivially – and the turning radius which must be as small as possible to allow you to easily manage your 50 cc scooter or moped even with the engines off or backwards.
How much will it cost me?
For a good new fifty the starting price is around 2000 euros, under this price it is difficult to find something valid, however the used market is very thriving. In any case, we advise against going too low under 1000 euros because you risk ending up with an old model or one with many kilometers that you will have to do a lot of maintenance before making it reliable again.
L’insurance it is not very cheap and in some cases it can come close to that of a car because that of mopeds and 50 cc scooters is considered a high-risk category; the starting prices are around 200 euros per year to grow according to your “insurance record”. However, a mild and economic maintenance, combined with reduced consumption, can save you a lot. The main fuel is still petrol, even if some manufacturers such as Piaggio are throwing themselves on electricity, a technology that is still too immature in this category however.
Best 50 cc scooters and mopeds (fifty) | The list
So here we come to the most interesting part of the guide: the list of the best 50 cc scooters and mopeds. This is not a ranking since each model has strengths and weaknesses which make it suitable for slightly different uses and uses. We have therefore selected the best fifties and in the following paragraphs we have summarized the characteristics so that you can choose carefully.
LIST:
- Yamaha Aerox 4
- Aprilia 50 SR
- Aprilia 50 SR Biker
- Piaggio Liberty S 50
- Kymco Agility 50 R16 +
- Kymco People S 50 4T E4
- Wind Drift RR
- Aprilia SX 50
Yamaha Aerox 4 | best 50 cc scooters and mopeds (fifty)
Yamaha’s scooter is one of the most loved by young people, but it fully deserves its place on this list because it is a perfect combination of performance and ease of use. There saddle is wide and comfortable, as well as the footrest, and allows you to easily accommodate a passenger. The underseat compartment it can easily accommodate a helmet or a folded jacket without you having to carry everything with you. The controls on the handlebars are easily accessible and the scooter in general, despite the important bodywork weighs almost 100 kg, it is easily maneuverable both on the road and by hand. The equipment also includes a display LCD to view the information.
The Aerox 4 engine four-stroke is liquid-cooled and dispenses fino and 2.2 kW (3 cv) it can push the vehicle even around 70 km/h (without the “stops” on the exhausts) while always remaining stable even for long stretches. A truly excellent compromise between performance and ease of use. The dual 190mm disc brakes guarantees excellent braking performance. Clearly having low 13-inch tires it finds a bit of difficulty on rough roads, but on the road it is certainly one of the best. The 6 liter tank together with the Euro 4 certification they also allow you to achieve an above average autonomy.
- Yamaha Aerox 4, list price: 2990 euros
Aprilia 50SR | best 50 cc scooters and mopeds (fifty)
Another nice piece of puberty is the Aprilia SR, very similar to Aerox in terms of design and features, perhaps pushing a little more on performance and a little less on comfort and reliability.
Indeed, we find a Hi-Per2 Pro 2-stroke engine with electronically managed carburettor which guarantees superior reactivity thanks to the maximum power output of 4,4 cv. Unfortunately the integrated air cooling is a little less efficient and could decrease the average life of the scooter. We always find 190mm disc brakes and a chain drive more resistant than the belt one. The 7-litre tank and Euro 4 homologation are also excellent, even if the performance is paid for with slightly higher consumption. There is also the Motard version of the Aprilia SR, a little more spartan and cheaper. In any case, it is a moped mainly aimed at young people and above all for non-daily use.
- Aprilia 50 SR, list price: 3449 euros
- Aprilia 50 SR Motard, list price: 2300 euros
Piaggio Liberty S 50 | best 50 cc scooters and mopeds (fifty)
Now let’s move on to a vehicle more suitable for daily and working use: Piaggio Liberty S 50. Designed to be convenient and comfortable, this scooter does not guarantee stratospheric performance, but it will take you anywhere with ease. The glove compartment is very large and can be configured with a USB socket to charge your smartphone and the bag hook is included. Also very comfortable for traveling in two thanks to the large saddle and front padana.
The engine is a 4-stroke air-cooled Euro 4 it delivers 2.4 kW and is equipped with i-get technology (Italian Green Experience Technology) to optimize consumption and emissions. The 6-litre tank allows you to achieve good autonomy. The wheels measure 16 and 14 inches and allow you to move easily even on roads that are not exactly smooth, such as those inlaid with cobblestones or in the suburbs while remaining very stable when driving. We have only one front disc brake, while the front one is a drum: it can be there since it is not a model designed to reach high speeds, but rather to slip through the traffic. The price is among the most accessible.
- Piaggio Liberty S 50, list price: 2290 euros
Kymco Agility 50 R16 + | best 50 cc scooters and mopeds (fifty)
Kymco is a brand that offers a really interesting value for money on its products and for this reason it has captured the interest of many centaurs. For this list, we have chosen a comfortable and functional mid-range model that competes directly with Piaggio’s Liberty.
Approved for 2 people, with a large saddle, spacious footboard and 16-inch front wheel, Agility 50 is one of the most manageable and ergonomic scooters. The handy top box with 12V electrical socket is also supplied. The 4-stroke engine delivers approximately 2.2 kW and it’s air-cooled isn’t the most powerful out there, but it’s sufficient. Especially if we look at consumption: about 45 km/l with a 7 liter tank guarantee over 300 km of autonomy: a whole week of work in practice. Also in this case only the front brake is disc. We also point out the People S 50 4T E4 model, more expensive and more equipped, with a touch more than the Agility 50 R16 +.
- Kymco Agility 50 R16 +, list price: 2,090 euros
- Kymco People S 50 4T E4, list price: 2,590 euros
Vent Derapage RR | best 50 cc scooters and mopeds (fifty)
Now let’s change the cards a bit by talking about a rather particular category of fifties, difficult to define with scooters or mopeds, but which is having great success especially among the younger ones: road motards. Essentially these are very spartan mopeds that have the form factor of the cross bike,…