Update: Scooter is still doing great, has 1400 miles on it and I did finally get my registration and everything resolved. The manufacturer was just really behind in getting the NHSTA databases updated. I am however going to be selling the scooter come spring, I still like it and it has no problems but I now work 30+ miles away instead of 3 and I rode it there a couple times and it was just to far for me. 

Update: So as far as the scooter is concerned I still like it and have had no trouble. On the other hand I have had registration issues that are still not resolved! As well through all this mess I have discovered that Ritz-e-Rides is no longer in business and that the scooter they sold me was not a Tank, but a product of Shanghai JMStar. And as the manufacturer they have not updated the NHTSA database in 5 years and as a result of that I can not get my scooter registered until they do. The distributor EVO Sales has said they have been working with JMStar but so far nothing has happened.

I would say buy a scooter from a local dealer, it is not worth all the headache and possibly not even being able to register the scooter just to save a couple thousand dollars. 

Well I wrote a while ago about the many options there are now a days for alternative transportation. I decided to try one out first hand and can honestly say, "I love it". I decided that for my current lifestyle the best choice for me would be a scooter. There are so many options in scooters alone, I will not go into detail on the matter as it is another post all in it own. I will simply say that I decided on the Tank Touring DE 150cc model. The Tank is a chinese scooter that is manufactuer specifically to be sold on the internet. It is a much lower priced scooter than you will find from any of the names you are used to hearing (Yamaha, Honda, Susuki) however I believe for most people it is more than adequite. Well that being said let's get into more specific's about the experience of obtaining the scooter and the scooter itself.

Ordering Process

Well the initial ordering process straight forward, just like any other online purchase. I choose to order through Ritz-e-rides, there are many online retailers who carry these scooters; however you must be careful as some are not on the up and up. The folks were very helpful, and always avaliable at Ritz-e-rides; however it took 6 weeks to receive my scooter. You must relize that the company you order from never see's your scooter, they imported from China to a distribution warehouse and then sent directly to the consumer. The extended delivery time was simply caused by the high demand of these scooters that has been created by high fuel prices. So if you are in a big hurry for your scooter you are better off finding a physical location to purchase on at.

Delivery

When ordering from Ritz-e-rides I received free liftgate service to my door, this is something not all companies offer so you must be careful, and make sure you are prepared for the extra money and work involved in other senerio's. Everything went smooth with the delivery, there was no damage done to the scooter even though there was some domage done to the outside of the packaging. These scooters come in a angle iron frame wrapped in cardboard.

Assembly

Well a large part of this is simply getting the scooter out of the angle iron frame. You will need some tools to unbolt the pieces of the frame. After you get it out of the frame, you simply have to attach the mirrors, trunk, and the windshield. This is overall a simple process and the only piece of the scooter that needs to be removed is the bezel that is over where the windshield mounts. All in all getting the scooter unpacked is a larger part of the process than the minor assembly required. It can all be done in a couple of hours by anyone with a little common sence. The last thing that is needed to be done is to pull the fuel hose off of the carburator and use the supplied funnel/hose to pour fuel directly into the carb. this is needed due to the vaccum in the system. You can fill the funnel about 1/4 to 1/2 full and then start the scooter and run it until the fuel in the funnel is gone. Then turn of the scooter, reattach the fuel hose, fill the tank and you are ready to go.

Registration Process

The paperwork required to obtain all necessary legal document is a Bill of Sale and a Certificate of Origin. These come approx. a week after the scooter. You simply need to take them to the notary with proof of insurance and they will do the rest for you. If the scooter came from a different state than were you are registering it you will need a scraching of the VIN or will need to take the scotter to the notary. The process is very simple unlike many would have you to believe. 

Review of Scooter

The scooter itself in my opinion is great. It is overall good quality, it rides nice, it is quiet, it is comfortable, and let me tell you it is fuel efficient. My first tank I got 81.5 mpg. Which I expect to increase as the engine gets broke in more. The only real complaint I have is that the mirrors are not the best as far as being able to see behind you. I easily resloved this by spending $5 on two blind spot mirrors at Wal-mart. The power of the scooter is suffiecent, and the speed is as well. So far I have had it p to 60mph with no trouble, and expect it will do 70mph (we will see once it is broke in more). This scooter in general is a great buy, and recommend it to anybody.