Hi there

[pasefila]

Hey everyone, I’m Bege I recently kicked off a scooter rental business down here in Cancun, Mexico. I’ve been riding for a while, but running a rental fleet has been a totally different kind of adventure. Every day these scooters are out on the road with tourists from all over the world, in every kind of condition you can imagine.

It’s been a huge learning curve — I get to see firsthand which models stay reliable, which ones riders love the most, and how small details like suspension or handling can make or break the experience when scooters are used day in, day out.

I thought it’d be cool to share some of those real-world lessons here, swap stories, and pick up wisdom from this community. Always down to chat about bikes, scooters, or just the riding lifestyle in general.

Looking forward to connecting with you all!

Ride safe,
Bege
Owner — AcuMota Scooter Rentals, Cancun Mexico
https://acumota.com

[Argyll]

Hello Bege. Welcome to the forum.

It will be interesting to hear some of your thoughts, and those of your customers, in later posts.

Firstly though, how did you decide which scooters to stock? There are so many models now from Japan, Taiwan, China and others. Also, did you focus on 50cc, 125cc, 150cc or even bigger? I'm not sure what the law allows in Mexico. Thanks.

[pasefila]

Thanks for the interesting question, Argill!

When I was putting together my rental fleet, I knew right away I didn’t want the cheap Chinese scooters like Italika. They’re popular in rentals here because they’re cheap, but honestly, they’re not reliable or comfortable. So I decided to go with trusted brands only — Kymco, Honda, and Suzuki.

I even had to drive almost 3,000 km to the capital just to bring in the Kymcos, but it was worth it. The quality really shows — even the headlights are so good it feels like riding in daylight. And of course, they last much longer.

The scooters people love the most are the Kymco Micare and Agility S200, mainly because of their big wheels and stylish looks. I didn’t bother with maxi-scooters or tiny underpowered models. My fleet is all 110cc, 125cc, and 163cc — powerful enough for two people, but still affordable for rentals.

Here in Mexico there are no limits on riding big scooters, but at this stage of my rental business I figured they’d just be overkill.
Kymco Micare:

[Argyll]

Yeah, I've become a recent convert to Kymco (and Sym). Good choices for your fleet. I still love my Honda SH300i but I'm having so much fun on my Sym 125. We don't get the 160 engines in the UK and rarely see a 200. It's all 300/350s now. But a 125 is plenty for riding around the countryside.

In Mexico, are new bikes Euro5 ? Maybe emission laws are different and I don't know if manufacturers have different engines for different markets?

Anyway, you sound like a switched on person so I'm sure that your business will do well.

[pasefila]

In Mexico, are new bikes Euro5 ?

Not yet for scooters and bikes.
Thank you, Argill

[capitano]

Hi Bege

My money would be on whatever brand offers the most useful dealer support.

That will differ wherever you are.

For example, most UK hire places (they're rarer here) go with Japanese brands mainly. Mostly Honda and Yamaha.

In Greece and the Greek islands, Kymco and Sym have much better support and offer greater value.

[pasefila]

Yeah, thanks for the tip, Capitano!

Here in Mexico, the strongest lineup you’ll find is definitely from the Japanese brands. But Taiwan, Europe, and India are also fairly well represented - with options like Kymco, BMW (only the electric models), Vespa, and Bajaj.

That said, the market is absolutely flooded with cheap Chinese Italika scooters - you’ll spot them in pretty much every little town.

[capitano]

Yeah, thanks for the tip, Capitano!

No worries, I suspect I was preaching to the converted , though.

Good distribution and support will always rise and be sustainable. Both the guys I know that run hire businesses in Southern Rhodes started out with Piaggio, and being a European brand that made sense.

The woeful support led them to Kymco and Sym, who exploited the market by doing what their customers actually wanted, not what they tried to force upon them.

As an amusing aside, I asked Dimitris once whether he would go back to Piaggio.

"You ride a lot in the mountains, yes?"

"Yes, I do, why?"

"Then you have seen my Piaggio fleet."

He was referring to the carcasses of scooters that stand or lie on the roadsides up in the uninhabited rural areas. When they expired, it wasn't even worth collecting them.

[pasefila]

Really enjoyed your story, Capitano — thanks for sharing!

[capitano]

Really enjoyed your story, Capitano — thanks for sharing!

I’m really looking forward to hearing some of your insights.

I learned a lot from the Greek guys ( non gender specific, Kristina, Dimitris’s Wife has great information, too.)