I am very satisfied with my Baotian Monza scooter, and proud of it cause I think is the only one in my country Peru, South America or maybe there are no more than ten. What I would like to know is if there is a kit to upgrade my scooter to more than 150 c.c. cause my weight is around 80 kgs and when I carry an extra passenger the powerfull of my scooter decrease some. Please answer me and send me the several posibilities on this theme, costs and the way to buy this kit.Thank you

Having had over 100 motorcycles and scooters over the years, and now heading into my frail dotage, I wanted something easy to ride, fun to ride, easy to handle etc. I hope that the following observations will be of some use to those of you who are unsure about Chinese bikes etc. please be aware though that this is my own observations and experience, others may differ. Firstly, those who remember the 1970s and the bikes available then will remember that there was often vociferous arguments in the bike press letters pages where British bikes V Jap bikes were a hot topic. I cannot use expletives on this site, even mild ones , but words sounding like Brit slit and and jap clap were commonly used. The reality was never so straight forward. Triumphs produced by the Co-operative at Meriden even when brand new, used to vibrate so much, even at tick over on centre stand that bits fell off and the rev counter rotated in its holder. They were not good, just ask Ted Jupiter of the bike he collected from Meriden for how world trip. For those that could not afford new British or German Bikes, and few could, the choice came down to older British Iron or newer Japanese stuff. (Italian stuff was quite rare then). The poor second hand British bikes that were affordable then, generally had one or two very good, capable and conscientious owners and half a dozen butchers. That is why they gained such a poor reputation, that plus the delights of the electric thumb on jap bikes. Jap bikes of the 1970s were reliable, but required regular oil changes to maintain engine life, and the chromium plate on the mudguards (and everywhere else) would peel off quicker than the skin on an easy peel satsuma. The electrics were not much cop. You might wonder where all this is leading? Well Jap bikes of the 1980s were much improved over the 1970s bikes thanks to better R & D, albeit often unwittingly arrived out by the owner. I would say that the Chinese scooters available today are equal to the quality of late 1970s and mid 1980s Japanese machines. They still require regular servicing in accordance with the owners Manuel,, and it is still easy to give a teenager a new Chinese bike only for them to thrash, abuse and neglect it, and no it then would not last long. I chose a Monza from a dealer who supposedly carried out a full and thorough PDI before delivering this road ready bike. I have a bike lift and placed the scooter on it when I got it and found several panels where there were screw holes but no screws. In fact the lower front panel was meant to have four securing screws and had none. Easily remedied by my putting in self fasteners, but not acceptable. The scooter itself is a joy to use, albeit some might find the seat height high. The plastic panels do seem thin and flex easily, BUT they will never rust. The chrome on the indicators is very poor and pees off like a 1970s bike, but that is the only really negative point. The engine is the ubiquitous Honda 4stroke copy so widely used and is reliable, but do service it as per directed. The tyres are much better than the dreadful things fitted to Japanese bikes of the 1970s and inspire confidence. The Monza is a very good pastiche of a Vespa, and in fact Joe Public is likely to mistake it as such when they stop to admire its lines, which they will. Sorry for the rambling on and I only mention this for comparison sake, but having had Harley's, triumphs, moto guzzis, Zundapp, Vespa, Yamahas, Suzukis, Kawasakis Hondas and many more makes, I believe that the following statement sums up the Monza. It's carries out it specific role as well as any of the other makes mentioned above, carry out theirs. Just make sure you do a search not so much on the quality of scooter, as on the quality of dealer. That is where the difference can lie between a god experience and a rotten one.

Coming to scooters late in a life that has been dominated by motorcycles, I was surprised that most scooters nowadays have no gears! Wanting two wheels with simple construction, storage and weather protection, a scooter was the obvious choice over yet another motorbike. After thorough research of the Internet and a few choice mags (Twist & Go is very good) I was left with only a handful of dealers locally in South Norfolk. After a tour round them, I found the Baotian Monza 125 ticked the most boxes: Economical - on fuel, insurance and purchase cost Good looks and conventional design Storage and weather protection I've ridden nearly 900 Kim's now and following its first service, "Monty” is now going better than ever. I have been getting ~ 100 mpg on mainly the 10 mile daily commute, and have so far managed 58 mph (but I hope to get a few more from the wrist, yet!). The ride is superbly comfortable on the large seat, and with a high position, visibility is excellent. Not having to change gear is a revelation, although once or twice I have forgotten, and have embarrassingly slowed suddenly... The headlight is super efficient in high beam but a bit close on dip at speed. The bike handles exceedingly well and is very nimble in traffic. Altogether, a wonderful little machine (although I have no other scooters with which to compare it). However, I have found one or two little caveats: The seat height is a little high. I'm 5'7" and can only manage one foot down! The rear indicators are weak - but I'm waiting for them to be exchanged under warranty. Some of the plastic parts lack robustness, and the fit is not 100% I can highly recommend this machine. It has looks, power, handling, economy and gives great fun to the rider!

I needed to buy a scooter for daily London commuting and eventually I came accross the Baotian Monza 125cc. After trawling the internet I could hardly find any reviews of this scooter so I thought I would write this review to assist anyone else contemplating a Baotian Monza scooter. Two things attracted me to the Monza, its retro Vespa-like looks, and the price (£1499 otr!!!). At half the price of the Piaggio Vespa I was worried that this scoot would fall apart/rust/kill me (especially as so many people slate Chinese scooters). However six months on and I am very happy with my purchase. The scooter starts every time, drives really well (even with pillion passenger) and still looks good. This scooter needs servicing sooner than more expensive models but oil change and transmission oil change are easy to do yourself. Do make sure you try the scoot for size before you buy, I am 5'10" and I think people much shorter would struggle to touch the floor with their feet. Positives: Very CHEAP :) Stylish retro looks Large seat for 2 people Economical - gets 60-70mpg in central London Lots of storage under the seat as well as a large rear rack and under handle bar storage (holds my helmet, waterproofs and bike cover) The scooter always gets admiring glances and comments! Negatives: Very basic dashboard (speed, fuel, indicators and headlights only) Pillion passenger footrests are very far forward (quite annoying but not terminal) My test instructor said the rear brake lights were feint in bright sunlight. It took a while to get the mirrors properly aligned (they need to be tightedned with a spanner) I definitely recommend this scooter to anyone wanting a cheap, good-looking runabout. I have driven Vespas before and at half the price I would buy one of these, run it around until it dies and then buy another one!