2014 ZNEN ZN150T-18

Summary:

The perfect bridge between a scooter and motorcycle

Faults:

Front master cylinder leaked from plunger, damaging upper front plastic and some paint. Replaced and fixed plastics with fiberglass.

Turn signal flasher failed, probably due to my letting the seat bracket short across the battery terminals during install (not a manufacturing defect).

General Comments:

The larger 16" wheels and oversized CVT components allow this 150cc to bridge the gap between a scooter and motorcycle. Most of my daily commute is on 45mph roads, with traffic running up to 55mph on some stretches. I never have to go WOT to lead the pack, leaving me enough throttle for those times it's needed. I've been able to cruise on the freeway around 65mph, at WOT most of the time, and have taken it as high as 70mph with the wind at my back. I don't take passengers on the freeway, but I have no problems taking someone for a ride around town, still leading the pack if I want to.

The build quality is good for a Chinese scooter, definitely worth the $1400 I paid during a holiday sale. I got the solid blue metallic paint option, and with weekly use of spray ice wax, it's gotten many compliments, and questions about how much and where can one be bought. The engine and CVT are higher than average scooter quality as well, with a Gates Kevlar belt, oversized variator, thicker crankshaft, taller intake manifold, and clean hoses and solid wiring. And with front and rear disc brakes on the 16" wheels, stopping is never a scary situation.

Nothing is perfect, and this scooter's major deficiency is its lack of storage. The front glove box will hold your paperwork, not much else. The battery is stored under the front of the seat, and the oversized air intake system takes up most of the rest of the space under there, leaving room for a storage compartment that can hold a few wrenches and a couple of screw drivers, and nothing else. My purchase did come with a matching rear trunk, can't close it over a full face helmet, but it does hold a couple bags of groceries.

At the time I'm writing this, I've put just over 2100 miles on this scooter, with only one part failure (front master cylinder leak, easy fix), many compliments, and hours of enjoyment. I would recommend the Znen ZN150T-18 to anyone.

Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th May, 2015

2009 ZNEN ZN150T-18

Summary:

It's a buy!

Faults:

Throttle cable snapped during the winter months in Rhode Island after it rained and water froze the cable (it was really my fault for trying to force the cable loose!).

Coil burned out at 1,000 miles (caused it to idle roughly and cut off after riding it for 3-5 minutes, or when it heated up).

Rust! (it's a Chinese scooter, so it should be expected)

General Comments:

Model was a Znen-18T with the 16" wheels in burgundy and silver... I got many many compliments on this 150CC scooter, and for the price of 1299 it was well worth it. It was cheap, got 74MPG consistently, and the parts were inexpensive.

Now with the inexpensive parts comes more maintenance, and dealing with issues such as a burned out coil within 1000 miles (which may have been covered under the warranty, but who cares). This brand of scooter actually is a better quality than most. This model came with a power link belt and a few better upgrades than your usual Chinese throw away scooters.

Bottom line is, this was my first cheap scooter, and for sprinting around Newport, RI where in the summer the traffic is CRAZY and congested, this is a great first scooter, because it has the power to go 60MPH, but it performs best around 30-45mph without approaching the red line... it is maneuverable and can be parked on the sidewalk without taking up much space... and it's a little larger than a 50cc, but most people don't know it's a 150cc.

Would you buy another motorcycle from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 21st March, 2012

20th Dec 2012, 17:50

Like the review - much appreciated. I will be purchasing same model at the beginning of 2013. What model year was the one described? Where did you purchase for $1299 - most I see are $1599?

Thanks for your help, Jesse.

4th Mar 2013, 07:50

Hmm, sounds like a good scooter. I went ahead and purchased one. I will keep you guys posted and share my experience. Wish me luck!

18th Mar 2013, 11:52

I purchased my scoot from Valley Scooters. He recently raised his price to 1599.00, so I guess I got a real deal. Too bad I sold it... I should have kept it, but I had to move! Hope you enjoy your scoot. Let me know where you decide to get one... I may be in the market to by another one soon... maybe we can get a bulk discount?!