My official opinion of the 2010
Honda Ruckus 50cc scooter is,
"come on, Honda, are you
kidding me... an MSRP of over
$2k for this?". My personal
thought is, "Alright, Honda,
you tried (sorta), now I can
make it better myself".
My primary dislikes of this
scooter are the underpowered
OEM engine, a weak rear
suspension shock, sacrifice of
storage for aesthetics, and
poor drum braking system.
While it's not woefully lacking
in these areas, it certainly has
room for much-needed
improvement.
Straight from the showroom,
it will achieve a top speed of
around 35mph within about
12.5 seconds on flat
straightaways... a little faster
for light riders of about 150lbs
or less, topping out at around
40mph; and slower for heavy
riders of 200lbs+, perhaps as
low as 30mph.
On moderate hill climbs,
speed can drop down to the
low 20mph's. My disclaimer...
these speeds are roughly
typical of ALL 50cc scooters
with original parts. 50cc
scooters are not
manufactured to be speed
demons. They're built to be
efficient, cost effective
commuter vehicles.
The 2010 Ruckus rear
suspension shock simply lacks
muscle. An average adult
male will sink the shock fairly
deep just sitting on the unit,
even more so for large riders,
or riders bearing added
weight.
Rough roads will cause
increased loss of handling
(greater at higher speeds), as
the feeble shock may bounce
the rider and scooter about
unsafely. Above all, you will
feel the road through the seat
and factory suspension, and
long rides on bumpy roads will
cause fatigue and soreness.
Storage space, simply put, is
none-existent on the 2010
Ruckus 50cc. There is no
storage compartment found
on the factory-made scooter,
though there is a minimal
lockable bolt for the helmet.
This leaves the Ruckus, and its
rider, at a disadvantage where
practical use is concerned.
This also hinders the rider
from storing basic tools with
the scooter itself, which is a
risky venture when away from
home.
The front and rear drum
braking system lacks stopping
power, even more so when
the Ruckus is carrying greater
weights. Braking from cruising
speeds to a complete stop can
be precariously long, making
it necessary for the rider to
consistently assess stopping
distances (and defensive
driving maneuvers) where
stop-and-go traffic is a reality.
This can make the 2010
Ruckus unsafe to speed along
through busy streets where
obstacles (and pedestrians)
can appear suddenly in the
path of travel.
Last, there is no fuel gauge in
place from the factory, no
faring or windshield to reduce
wind resistance or buffeting, a
not-so-ergonomic wide
handlebar, and the factory
tires lack solid traction when
cornering at moderate speeds
and while on wet or debris-
strewn roads.
Now, that was a rough
introduction review to the
2010 Honda Ruckus 50cc
scooter. Alas, here is the ray
of hope found within what I
actually do like about this
scooter.
The engine is one of the best
built 50cc's in the industry. It's
quite solid and should last
years when well maintained.
Use only premium gas and
top-grade oil and fluids for
this scooter.
It will outlast countless other
scooter engines found on less
expensive Chinese and Italian-
made scooters. Furthermore,
it's fairly easy to maintain,
upgrade, and replace parts on
the 2010 Ruckus. Even novice
mechanics can do important
tasks on this scooter. Parts
and services manuals are
readily available, unlike many
other manufacturers.
The frame, too, is rock solid.
Factory rims are hearty and
resilient, the seat is durable
and UV resistant, factory
headlamps are bright and
project well, battery and
ignition are durable and long-
lasting, hand throttle is fluid
and responsive, auto-ignition
comes comes standard along
with a smooth kickstart, and
the rust-inhibited factory
exhaust system purges clean
and quiet as well.
Best of all, it's a street-legal
vehicle requiring only a class-
C drivers license, and no
motorcycle license (in most
states), to operate. It achieves
about 100 mile per gallon with
a 1.3 gallon fuel tank, roughly
130 miles per fill-up.
Furthermore, auto insurance
is quite inexpensive for
scooters.
Most importantly, to me
anyway, is the ability to
"tune" the 2010 Honda Ruckus
with after-market upgrades,
ranging from cosmetic
enhancements to engine
improvements, wherein a
speed gain of close to 50mph
may be achieved. With a few
hundred dollars, parts and kits
may be installed to improve
overall performance and
functionality.
Two of the least costly, and
easiest to do, I feel are also
the most important...
replacing the weak rear shock
and adding underseat storage.
I consider this essential for
operating the Ruckus 50cc
safely and effectively enough
for routine use.
Other worthwhile projects
may include replacing the
drum brakes with a disc brake
system, replacing factory tires
with quality street tires,
upgrading the variator for
speed gain, a new framebrace
with extended footpegs in
place of the footboard, a new
performance carburetor if
desired, an add-on fuel gauge.
The availability of
performance parts for the
Honda Ruckus is broad and
easily accessible from many
vendors, which makes this
scooter one of the most
popular and easily
upgradeable scooters on the
market.
To sum it all up, the factory
release of the 2010 Honda
Ruckus 50 scooter is
somewhat lack-luster and, at
most, underpowered and
minimalist scooter. However,
some basic inexpensive
upgrades can improve
performance.
At higher investment, the
Ruckus may be (and often is)
the scooter of choice for
"tuner" scooters, offering a
wide variety of enhancements
that can craft this two-
wheeler into a true road gem
that should last many years.
