2005 Yamaha Zuma

Pros: Solid construction, nice power for 49cc, disc brake. Lot of community for this bike.
Cons: Cockpit a little cramped for 6'+ riders, but then again it a scooter.

I'd been wanting a scooter for the past few years and looked at a lot of options, but I didn't want to spend (much) more than $2,000. I looked at some of the cheaper brands (TNG/Kymco/etc) but I chose to spend a little extra $$$ for the quality brand. I ...

Pros: Plenty of power, smooth ride, pretty quiet.
Cons: Somewhat cramped seating position for tall riders. Unbelievably long break-in period for the engine.

I am basically happy with this purchase. Does that mean you would be too if you bought one? I have no idea. The Zuma would be a good product for some people and but not necessarily for others. What I wanted was a scooter for riding around a ...

Pros: tires, acceleration, seat, lights, brakes, and gas mileage.
Cons: bottom end performance (but thats what the 70cc kit is for!)

first off i have to thank yamaha for such a great bike. i live in a small town in minnesota where the speed limit doesn't exceed 40, and thought that a scooter would be alot of fun to get around town with, seeing that you don't need a drivers license or ...

Pros: 1 word AWSOME
Cons: cant find any

I purchased my Zuma on the 9th of august 2005 with another good friend of mine . I am now almost into my 200th mile and I am so pleased with it. I had a 1998 I sold to my friend and though same thing the 2005 is a totaly different beast. This one has the ...

Pros: Great mileage, peppy, great looks
Cons: Long break-in period, no regular side kick-stand

I have had motorcycles in the past. I had a 1967 BSA Starfire, and a 1974 Honda XL100...so I do have a bit of experience riding a full-sized motorcycle. Lately I had the urge to ride again...even considering a near-death accident involving me, my BSA, ...

Pros: Gas mileage two-person capable up to 315 lbs
Cons: smells bad seat pitches forward a bit, should be flat

2004 Yamaha Zuma: I have now put over 2500 miles on my 2004 Zuma and have some insights for anyone who needs them: 1. Gas mileage is 73-85mpg even in very hilly areas and even using full throttle over 30% of the time. 2. Tire pressure is important ...

Pros: Good acceleration for the size.Solid handling for a scooter.
Cons: More expensive than other scooters.
Front brake wears quickly.
Needs a little warming up in cold.

I've had this scooter for a few years now, using it as my everyday commute vehicle (about 10 miles round trip) for much of that.  It does a decent job of keeping up with traffic on small roads, and I generally had no problem doing about 35-40 on ...

Pros: Great handling, gas mileage.
Cons: break in period

I bought my Zuma the end of August 05. I live in a city of about 65,000 in the Midwest. It has worked great for me to go to and from work. I ride it every where possible. The break-in period of 600 miles was a hassle.(it took me about six weeks) I can ...

Pros: built quality, power, price, coolness
Cons: Well, it's just a 50cc, so it's not powerful.

We bought this scooter this fall on a bit of a lark, after having ridden a Honda Ruckas earlier this fall. I paid $1100 for it. The Ruckas was cute and fun, but when I first hopped on the Zuma (a 2004 model) I immediately noticed that it had a lot ...

Pros: Brakes, headlights, speedy engyne, unique styling
Cons: seat and brake in period (600 miles)

**UPDATE as of, Friday, January 13, 2006**

To everyone, needing a "work horse" for a scooter, I would deffinatly say, go with a Zuma! I purchased my Zuma in last October, and I have now 3,000 miles on it. It still acts as if it were brand new! The only reason(s) it has been brought into the shop was for all the tune-up stuff you have to go through. All-though this can be a pain (atleast for me, since I live way out in the country) it's worth it! I love the fact, that I can rest assured knowing someone is checking everything out on it. The only two major complaints I must say are dissapointing, are the seat comfort (5/10 stars) and the 'lazy' kick stand that you litterly have to 'kick up'. I have oiled it but, it just didn't seem to help. I then brought it into the shop for a tune-up and all the Zumas' were made with this faulty part. Now, as for the engine, it runs smoothly and I have no complaints at all. The head lights are ausome and infact, have saved me from hitting dear.

Pros: Gas OMG gas, power considering a 49 cc engine, comfort, automatic start and more
Cons: Difficult engine access, heavy weight = tough on brakes, good size for 5' 4" rider

I bought the Zuma in January and already have about 3000 miles on it. I love the the mileage on gas about 60-80 per gallon or a little over 100 miles per tank 1.5 gal. It's a smooth ride and remarkably nimble. It has plenty of power but won't go much over 40, I believe this is due to the gearing ratio. At about 2500 miles the front brake needed to be replace, the disk also needed to be replaced, but that was due to my neglect to replace the pad. What I don't like is it is hard to stop with to riders (150 lbs * 2), however it still gets up to speed fine with two rider and a crap load of groceries (30 lbs ). Also to do maintenance on the engine (jetted at 600 miles) is kind of a pain since almost all panels must be removed. I would recommend this scooter to anyone who needs something for around town.

Pros: Mileage, Handling, Speed, Fun Factor
Cons: Ridge in Seat

What can I say, so far this thing is awesome. I am just about ready to turn 100 miles and so far all is good. I agree that the break-in period described in the manual sounds a little excessive. I ride all speeds, just try to vary as much as possible. I also ride two stroke dirt bikes and after a fresh top end we go easy for about an hour and then let em rip, no problems. Power seems good, remembering that you are sitting on a 49cc motor. I see a Leo Vince pipe on the horizon to tune the motor a little for a pinch more top end. I wont go crazy as I do not want to effect the reliabilty, and besides it will already do 40-43 mph in stock trim. Handling seems good with 2.5" of suspension...and being 6'3" I would like to see the ridge in the seat go away. I love the look of the Zuma with it's "bug eyed" front end, it has attitude. Overall this thing is awesome.

Pros: The engine is a rock and you really can depend on this machine.
Cons: Low stock power & the seat isn't very comfortable during long rides.

I've owned a 2005 Yamaha Zuma (black w/red flames) for about a year now and I must say it's the best for running around a large city like Chicago. I've made a few modifications to it and now it can hit 55mph. That's without installing the 70cc kit that I plan to do this summer. If you do a search for Zuma performance parts on the web you can pick up almost anything to add power to your Zuma. Stock it's not so hot when it comes to top speed. You barely hit 45mph. But with a few adjustments and some performance parts added you can easily get it going 65 mph. I recommend this machine to anyone but if you're looking for a lot more power and you want to ride on the highways....get a real motorcycle.

Pros: Great brakes, big wheels, sporty, lots of fun
Cons: uncomfortable seat, bad tires

The current Yamaha Zuma has been unchanged since 2002. The only real changes has been color selection. The Yamaha Zuma has a 49cc 2 stroke engine that uses a CVT to put the power to the rear wheels. The motor puts out a smooth 3.5 HP and will get you up to cruising speed in a respectable time. the Zuma will top out just over 40 MPH.

The Zuma has nice beefy 10 inch wheels, although the tires are not the greatest they stick to the road and get the job done. Perfect for off road use, and ok for street use. The Zuma's brakes are the most impressive feature, using a nice strong gripping front brake brings you to a fast stop anytime.

The down side of the zuma, is that it does not have lots of power to pass other cars. the front brake pads only last 1800 miles, and the stock tires are not the best street tires available for scooters. And the seat is poorly designed and makes you slid forward all the time.

The good thing is all of these negatives are fixable. There is a huge range of aftermarket parts readily available.

Pros: style, engine power, big bulky tires, headlights, overall quality
Cons: seat inclined, stand

I live in Canada so the US Zuma is called BWS over here. However, it's the same scooter with awesome bulky looking tires and bold style. I noticed that I tend to slip forward on the seat.
However, I love the power of this scooter. I mean when you open the gas oh my God...it goes and it goes and it goes. The headlights are amazing. I never thought they would ever have such powerful headlights on a scooter. Absolutely amazing - better than in my Mazda. The whole bike is a blast. As you know, Canada is a cold country and we can't really ride scooters too much. Every now and then I push my luck and ride it in the cold. It starts everytime even in -6 Celsius (by the way, the water freezes at 0 Celsius LOL). I'm 100% in love with it. It's simply beautiful. I can't stop looking at it. It's marvelous. Love it. As far as reliability is concerned...I have 21.000 km on it (13.125 miles) so you do the math. I never touched the engine and still goes 65km/ hours (about 40 miles).