Scooter or moped with large box on back

[OwlHoot]

I'm shortly moving to a rural location, and would like to buy a scooter or moped as a handy means to shop at the nearest towns, which are a few miles away (a small one three miles away and a larger one about ten miles).

Although I have a car, it would be handy and cheaper to be able to toddle to these towns and back on a scooter, provided the pannier or box on the back is large enough for fairly large shopping loads, and the bike grunty enough to cart them and myself and itself up hills (some of which may be quite steep).

I was toying with the idea of an electric moped like this beaut. But that looks more designed for commuting and might not have the torque for shopping loads or the means to add a large pannier.

I'm emphatically _not_ interested in 250 CC plus power bikes (although obviously one of those would do the job), but in the smallest CC that will adequately do short trips.

Any ideas, for something up to about £1000 ?

[vetran]

Branded delivery mopeds for the takeaway industry - Pizza Peds

making a few quid on the side?

[northernladuk]

Personally I would make sure you have a 125+cc job that can do 60+ Any less than that and you won't have the grunt to get out of trouble and will become a hazard to eejits that get stuck behind you have to pass.

You can get 250cc scooter type things which should give you enough grunt and enough speed to actually do some longer trips for a bit of fun.

Bloody dangerous things if you are looking at something that only does 30-45 mpg IMO.

[OwlHoot]

Personally I would make sure you have a 125+cc job that can do 60+ Any less than that and you won't have the grunt to get out of trouble and will become a hazard to eejits that get stuck behind you have to pass.

You can get 250cc scooter type things which should give you enough grunt and enough speed to actually do some longer trips for a bit of fun.

Bloody dangerous things if you are looking at something that only does 30-45 mpg IMO.

Good point - Now you mention it, to little umph can be as dangerous as too much!

But 125cc sounds about right - I don't want some brute where one twitch on the handle sends it off like Wiley Coyote chasing the road runner (or I'll probably end up the same way!)

[doodab]

But 125cc sounds about right - I don't want some brute where one twitch on the handle sends it off like Wiley Coyote chasing the road runner (or I'll probably end up the same way!)

If you aren't confident controlling the thing you should stick to cars. You can seriously **** yourself up coming off of two wheels.

[northernladuk]

If you aren't confident controlling the thing you should stick to cars. You can seriously **** yourself up coming off of two wheels.

Unfortunately true, particularly on rural roads covered in mud and cow muck with maniac drivers speeding around.... And it's not the size of the bikes that are the danger, it's the rider

[yasockie]

While you specifically asked not to propose that, an enduro type bike such as Honda Transalp is ideal for country roads - loads of suspension means it will eat potholes and forgive you minor errors in handling.
Also people cross Sahara on these bikes so you can fit 3 boxes at the back - should be enough for a little shopping an a lot more that a scooter can accomodate.

[bluetoaster]

I commute on a middleweight (750cc) bike and carry my laptop and equipment in a rucksack. I was also a bike instructor for a while and I am an advocate of having a big enough bike, both physically and power wise, to comfortably keep up with traffic. It is too easy for people on smaller bikes or scooters to be bullied or pushed off the road by larger road users who are in a hurry.

A bike gives more presence on the road and with enough power to keep up with traffic other road users aren't so inclined to push past. Larger bikes are also better balanced and easier to handle than small capacity bikes and scooters.

And as others have said, make sure you have training and can handle it properly. It is a very different vehicle to a car.

edited to say that if you are looking for mpg, I average around 50mpg commuting.

[vwdan]

I commute on a middleweight (750cc) bike and carry my laptop and equipment in a rucksack. I was also a bike instructor for a while and I am an advocate of having a big enough bike, both physically and power wise, to comfortably keep up with traffic. It is too easy for people on smaller bikes or scooters to be bullied or pushed off the road by larger road users who are in a hurry.

A bike gives more presence on the road and with enough power to keep up with traffic other road users aren't so inclined to push past. Larger bikes are also better balanced and easier to handle than small capacity bikes and scooters.

And as others have said, make sure you have training and can handle it properly. It is a very different vehicle to a car.

edited to say that if you are looking for mpg, I average around 50mpg commuting.

Couldn't agree more with this - as an aside, I've been helping a friend get a 50cc scooter running (Needed brakes, the carb rebuilding and a new drive belt - total waste of time IMHO) and I took it out for a test. Holy crap, those things are terrifying - I couldn't wait to get home.

OP - with regards to storage, you're going to be limited on anything small. I've got the biggest Givi backbox they do on my bike and it soon fills up. I can just about fit my laptop, trainers and change of clothes in.

[kyber]

Nice idea, but by the time you are suited and booted you would probably have reached the shops in the car. (Assuming you would wear protective clothing rather than gambling.) that said, I often prefer my scooter for fun and easy parking. Mine would be to large and too expensive for your needs (Piaggio MP3, two wheels at the front incidentally, and nearly 500cc. I fitted a large Givi top box.)