[SS80]

Most of the previous replies have covered the points I had, just one addition.
Buy a lap belt from Amazon or Flipkart, that keeps her stuck to you while riding a scooter.

[Aakash118]

Originally Posted by akhil_007

I m not judging you and the situation you're in but 14 km on a two wheeler for a 6 year old is definitely not a good idea.

Completely agreed with this. 14 kms on a two wheeler with a kid is not safe at all. The fact that good quality helmets are hardly available for kids makes things only worse. I will suggest you to consider buying a used small city car which will be a lot easier to park than Verna. A Nano twist will make plenty of sense for you. You can also consider cars like i10, redigo or alto k10.

[AnAntinspired]

Let me only offer suggestions to your specific question rather than needless advice. For a child, the width and slope of a pillion position on a scooter would matter for comfortable sitting and holding on to.
In my opinion the scooters with impractical width for a childs legs(extra wide) or extra sloped (sporty natured) are - N Torq, Burgman, Jupiter, Maestro, SXR 160, Dio, Ray etc.

From my observation you may want to check out these slightly smaller 125cc petrol scooters that therefore also give better mileage -
Suzuki - Access, Avenis
Yamaha - Fascino
Aprilia - SR 125
Vespa's

I also think the TVS Zest would be capable in every way, as though it's a 100cc, its power to weight ratio makes up. Also, good economy, high practicality and much lower purchase price should feel good. It's a reliable, proven compact workhorse.

[anivy]

Haven't used a scooter regularly since the late 90s (other than the one-off instances in places like Goa) and hence cannot help with scooter selection process. If I may suggest, it might be better if the scooter is used in the morning for drop-off and the car in the evening for pick-up. The kid gets to nap on the way back home and will feel rested after a long day in school.

At the risk of going off-topic, wanted to get a sense of the school bus costs/operations in Chennai and maybe from other places.

Checked how much a not-for-profit school in Mumbai (where my kid goes to school) charges for bus and it comes to ₹ 3,500 per month for a distance of 8.51 kms and above. Since we live less than a 1 km from the school, it comes out cheaper to go and come by auto-rickshaw daily than the school bus (₹ 1,500 per month for a distance between 0.5 to 1 km for the school bus versus ₹924 per month for 22 days of school in a month; auto-rickshaw charges are ₹21 per trip at the minimum as of today for a distance of up to 1.5 km). The bus operations are school-owned and school-operated (SOSO)! The kid did go by school bus pre-pandemic for 5 years when younger.

What are the school bus charges in Chennai charge for a distance of 14 kms? Also, are the school bus operations run by the school or outsourced?

[Turbohead]

We have the Suzuki Access and I would recommend against it if the distance is greater than 10km. Post the 10km mark, the harsh ride begins to take a toll on your body because of the upright riding posture. I found the Ntorq better but I'll leave it to experienced owners on real world comfort.

On the other hand, I travelled to school by bus from day 1 i.e when I was 4 years old. Today, I have a driver's license and I'm alive and well. Never had a bad experience unless I messed with the responsible people. In fact, in the 2 schools I've been in, the people in charge were helpful and understanding to my fears and concerns.

You might want to talk to the people in charge, see the age group of students in the bus and take a call. Else, that's a lot of time to spend on pick up and drop everyday.

[flashgo]

I have driven a variety scooters all my adult life and i can tell with utmost certainty that bikers at heart wont really appreciate the driving dynamics of most of the scooters. having said that, i understand it is for practicality purposes.

The usual 12 inch wheels are not that stable and have tendency to be unstable in bumps and other situations. I would recommend you to get Aprilia SR 160 for its bike like handling and Activa like practicality. It has been my primary vehicle from 2016 and coming from an Aviator, it was night and day difference for me. however, the comfort is not as much as a normal scooter because of the sporty stiff suspension. the new facelift version i have test driven last month is much better with a new tune of suspension. I am surprised that you consider Aerox. my brother bought it just today and i feel it is not for the pillion comfort at all. sure it has all the bells and whistles but i don't think pillion comfort is its strong point.

if you still don't want to go with a 14 inch wide wheeled scooter, Yamaha has 2 hybrid models (yes hybrid) one each in ray and Fascino. they cost 8k over the normal models here in Bangalore and are claiming tremendous increase in the economy. i have seen multiple posters of achieving 100+ kmpl. apparently, it has a motor and a bigger battery. i cannot give you much details about them for i have not tried to know much but, they can give you good practicality, pillion comfort, economy and above all Japanese reliability.

[FalconRed]

Having owned & driven TVS and Honda, my suggestion is to stay away from TVS if you want a trouble free scooter.

As you mentioned that one way ride is almost 14km I would suggest to get a performance based scooter to navigate through traffic in a zippy (Yamaha Aerox 155) but the only problem with Aerox 155 is you loose floorboard space.

Note : Whichever scooter you choose to buy get a helmet for your daughter and a helmet locker.

[SS80]

Originally Posted by flashgo

. they cost 8k over the normal models here in Bangalore and are claiming a tremendous increase in the economy. I have seen multiple posters of achieving 100+ kmpl. apparently, it has a motor and a bigger battery. I cannot give you many details about them for I have not tried to know much but, they can give you good practicality, pillion comfort, etc.

You have misunderstood the concept, here is the explanation of hybrid technology on the Yamaha website -
The “Smart motor-generator (SMG)” fitted to the new RayZR 125 Fi Hybrid brings a quieter engine start without the need for a separate conventional electric starter.

The same thing is offered by TVS and others with the name "Integrated starter generator" or "i-Start".

No petrol scooter in India can deliver 100kmpl, in real-world conditions.

Sorry for going off-topic, but all he needs is a simple scooter with a lap belt for his kid and a helmet. Start early ride slow

[sushantk]

Originally Posted by RaghavEvoX

Hello BHPians,

I need your suggestions to help me buy a scooter.

Being a father of two young kids, I can relate to the situation. With the risk of being off topic, can I give you a suggestion?

Find a similar minded parent in your apartment or locality having kid/s going to the same school or to a school nearby that . Do a car pool with other parent and their kid. No need to search and park at remote/safe place; instead drop/pick can be done next to the gate by one person while other person takes care of the car. Fuel costs can be shared.

This is safest and most optimized handling of the situation IMO.

[Slowjet]

My kid went to school by school bus from the time he was two years old and the school was at a distance of about 7-8 km. Usually now-a-days all the school bus have attendants. The kids enjoy a lot with other kids in the school bus and learn a lot which is essential for their overall development. I suggest you better engage school bus not from the cost or time perspective but to allow the growth of the child.

[landcruiser123]

I don't know your child and specific situation(feel free to share/not share your concerns), but the general advice is that parents should send their children in the school transport. Besides academics, school is an environment where children must learn to socialize, build friendships, build tolerance, and have interaction with their classmates and teachers. The bus ride is part of the experiences your kid should have. If you have concerns about the bus/route/safety etc, talk to the transport department of the school. Find parents with similar concerns and make a collective effort to request for improvements/changes.

As a personal example, I was a tough kid. My parents made a start by making go in the bus 2-3 times per week. After a while, they only picked me up 1-2 times a week. 2-3 months in, I was completely comfortable going by bus on my own. If your kid rides alone in the bus, consider dropping her off at an alternate pick up point close to home where there are more children boarding the bus.

[antz.bin]

14 km one way for the child and 28km for you on a scooter will be unnecessarily harsh on the body.

I understand that you have already considered the pros and cons of
1. moving closer to the school
2. taking the school bus

While #1 above seems to be totally impractical, #2 isn't totally the case.

You are doing all of this out of your love and concern for your child and I totally understand that. But 6/12/18 months down the line, this will be too much for you and your child and you will eventually move on to the Bus. The bus is something which is not only a lot safer, but also more comfortable.

Why not re-evaluate it right now? Before you take the plunge of getting a new scooter?

If at all you still want to opt for a scooter, get one that comes with 12 inch wheels and a telescopic front suspension. The following will be nice:

1. TVS i-Qube - least maintenance, Rs/km
2. TVS Jupiter 110/125 - longest service intervals
3. Activa 6G - The easiest to get rid of when you no longer need it

[anand.shankar]

I'd say it's probably the best to use a decent scooter for this task until you find your alternative. I have a 5 year old daughter and I feel the same as you about sending her in a bus until she is 10 atleast..

A convenience the scooter offers is simply much better than a bike in terms of storage and seating ease of riding through traffic etc. Get your daughter a good helmet and ride safe. Not discounting the safety aspect here but most of India still travels like this.

Coming to which scooter, I have an Access 125, it has adequate power, and is comfortable as well. I have tried the Jupiter too, it surely has a much softer and absorbent suspension I did not buy it since the handle fouled with my knees, I'm 6.3. Anything else from the Suzuki stable should be a similar experience as Access as well. I have also tested the Activa 125s they are good as well, but felt the suspension to be slightly stiffer. I have not tried the other scooters in your poll so can't comment on them.

This so looks like a perfect use case of a E Scooter but will the additional cost be put to use down the line when you move closer or start using the bus, its your call.

Another option if feasible is to look at a beater car, an Alto or Wagon R or Nano types, slightly more expensive than a scooter, mileage will be slightly better than your current car, safer option, and no need to worry where you are parking it.

BTW my daughters school is 2 lanes away and walkable, I think staying close to the school is the most peaceful alternative.

[architect_santo]

Electric Scooter would be the best bet considering your requirement, you could think about TVS iQube or Ather. However until you get convinced about it's safety and performance; you shall consider buying a sparingly used petrol scooter 1 or 2 year old - possibly sell it off in a year or so for depreciation less than 10% considering you'd buy a mass market product like Activa or Jupiter.

[lalgudi]

Till now, I never really had any requirement to buy a scooter.
But now with my daughter's school starting next week, (school to home is 14 km) I am contemplating to buy a scooter.


Hello Raghav

I am not sure where you in Chennai.

1. 14 Kilometers is too long to drive a 6 year old. I would simply say No. Both ways, it is 28 KM and then there is Rain and other related issues that you have to consider.
2. School Buses have a helper and so sending a 6 year old to school using the school bus is safer. I send my son in school bus and he has been using that mode since UKG and now is in 10th Standard.
3. If you are not sure about the School bus, there are also options like Private Vans, that do have a helper. Please explore that.
4. If still not, i would suggest a car drop and pick up.
5. I haven't specifically answered the 2 wheeler query because i think it is not safe to travel with a 6 year old kid for 14 kilometres one way on a daily basis. The rewards simply dont outweight the risk in this particular case.

Hope this helps.

thank you

Ramanan