ATTN: Hooligan owners, your experiences needed.

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Wed Sep 14, 2016 4:26 am

Because I'm considering one, that is. What I'm looking for is mostly performance related, I guess: acceleration; top speed and the like. But also comfort, mpg, whatever you can think of. I'll be riding at over 5000' elevation, if that may matter.

Thanks in advance!

az_slynch · Post by **az_slynch** » Wed Sep 14, 2016 7:37 am

Syd wrote:I'll be riding at over 5000' elevation, if that may matter.

Shouldn't matter. The Hooligan has EFI and should compensate. Going up north to do some touring?

skipper20 · Post by **skipper20** » Wed Sep 14, 2016 3:32 pm

az_slynch wrote:
Syd wrote:I'll be riding at over 5000' elevation, if that may matter.
Shouldn't matter. The Hooligan has EFI and should compensate. Going up north to do some touring?

I have 2 of them so that should tell you what I think of the brand. I keep one at a friend's house in Tucson (I'm an AZ winter visitor) and the other here at my house in Seattle. Performance is excellent with top speed at an honest 59.5 mph GPS verified and fuel mileage 75-80. My '12 Buddy 170i, which I sold to buy the 2nd Hooli, was a few MPH faster but it was also 40 lbs. lighter. With the same engine you do get a slight speed penalty but acceleration is comparable as is fuel mileage. The main advantage of the Hooligan is the bigger wheels and tires, dual rear shocks and disc brakes front and rear. IMHO you can't go wrong with a Hooligan.

Bill in Seattle
'14 170i Hooligan Matte Green
'15 170i Hooligan Titanium (AZ scoot)

dasscooter · Post by **dasscooter** » Wed Sep 14, 2016 5:10 pm

We sell a bunch of them and haven't had any complaints. Personally I'd throw the heavier Buddy 170 rollers in there for lower highway RPM's with the trade-off of slightly slower acceleration but that's about all I'd change.

luckyscroller788 · Post by **luckyscroller788** » Wed Sep 14, 2016 9:27 pm

I love my Hooligan, and with my fat ass (270ish) I can get it going to 65 on the speedo (so maybe 57 actual). I had quite a bit of headaches with it a little over a month or so ago, of which you can read on some of my previous posts, but since its not quite as warm now with fall rolling in, it hasn't given me a lick of trouble since. I put on160 miles last Saturday exploring rustic roads in northern Wi in low 60s weather, with plenty of wind, and off and on rain all day, and even after a long ride, my ass wasn't sore at all. With the exception of the troubles Ive had with the overheating issue, its been a great scooter so far. Oh, and I get 80 miles per gallon, give or take depending on my driving, and she accelerates off the line great, makes my old Roughhouse feel really sluggish!

cummingsjc · Post by **cummingsjc** » Wed Sep 14, 2016 11:10 pm

I recently bought a slightly used Hooligan with a little bit of body damage on it for a great price with the original intent to refurbish it and then resell it. After putting a little more than 300 miles on it over the last couple of weeks, I have been very impressed, to point where I am trying to figure out how to convince my wife that we should keep it.

It rides very smoothly and has good low and mid-range power. Top indicated speed I have seen has been 74 MPH (although that was immediately after I tucked in behind a truck with a trailer while entering the highway for a short sprint back to the house). It normally tops out around 68-69 Hooligan MPH. Almost all 300 of those miles have been done in warm to HOT weather as well as most of those miles being done at WOT and I have yet to see a heat issue or power drop off.

Based on my admittedly limited experience with a Hooligan, I don't think you can go wrong with purchasing one.

Berner · Post by **Berner** » Sun Sep 18, 2016 6:15 pm

The Hooligan is a great scooter. It's plenty quick off the line, although admittedly not quite as zippy as my old Blackjack. Top speed is consistent with other rides in the category. Plenty nimble, though, again, not as flickable as the Blackjack.

But, imho, the real strengths of the Hooli are its stability and braking. Having owned both a Blackjack and a Hooligan in Chicago, with its uneven roads, potholes, railroad tracks, metal mesh bridges, and high winds, I can say for certain that the Hooligan is noticeably more stable and handles road hazards better than the Buddy-variants. Don't underestimate the benefits of those larger tires and longer wheelbase. The braking, too, is wonderfully confident, despite the Hooli's extra weight (better even than the Blackjack, which came stock with a big brake kit).

Whimscootie · Post by **Whimscootie** » Fri Sep 23, 2016 4:31 am

Would like to know if the Hooligan has a rear rack option and a low profile seat option like the Buddy and Roughhouse. Anyone know?

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Fri Sep 23, 2016 6:12 am

Whimscootie wrote:Would like to know if the Hooligan has a rear rack option and a low profile seat option like the Buddy and Roughhouse. Anyone know?

Scooterwest has a back rack, but I can't see a low-profile seat.

luckyscroller788 · Post by **luckyscroller788** » Sat Sep 24, 2016 1:51 am

No low seat that I know of, but there is arear rack available. If seat height is a bit to high, you can adjust the rear shocks down a little

viney266 · Post by **viney266** » Mon Oct 03, 2016 5:56 pm

Also, the scooterworks lowdown shock for the buddy will fit, but you have to buy two. But, this would get you a lower seat height if needed.

skully93 · Post by **skully93** » Tue Oct 04, 2016 2:36 pm

az_slynch wrote:
Syd wrote:I'll be riding at over 5000' elevation, if that may matter.
Shouldn't matter. The Hooligan has EFI and should compensate. Going up north to do some touring?

I live at 5300 feet and regularly go much higher on carbed bikes with no real problem. My motorcycle is FI and goes up to 14k feet without a complaint. I think you'll be fine.

Whimscootie · Post by **Whimscootie** » Thu Oct 13, 2016 2:32 am

How's the seat comfort for 50+ mile rides?

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Thu Oct 13, 2016 5:05 pm

Thanks for all the responses!

cummingsjc · Post by **cummingsjc** » Thu Oct 13, 2016 5:27 pm

Whimscootie wrote:How's the seat comfort for 50+ mile rides?

I have ridden my Hooligan a couple of times on 100+ mile rides and the seat is average. It is not terribly uncomfortable nor is it set up like a Honda Goldwing. I shifted around on it a bit but it does the trick. The seat is definitely not a item to stop you from buying one.

luckyscroller788 · Post by **luckyscroller788** » Thu Oct 13, 2016 8:36 pm

Ive done quite a few 100+ mile rides, and I don't think the seat is very uncomfortable. A couple weeks ago we did a 277 mile ride, followed by a 100 mile ride the following day, and my ass held up fine.

Syd · Post by **Syd** » Thu Oct 13, 2016 10:05 pm

What's the top speed everyone is seeing?

cummingsjc · Post by **cummingsjc** » Thu Oct 13, 2016 10:22 pm

Syd wrote:What's the top speed everyone is seeing?

I saw 74 on the speedometer one time when I jumped onto the highway for a short run back to my house after a long ride. I entered the highway from a downward sloping on-ramp and immediately tucked in behind a truck with a trailer. I guess I was drafting on him for about a mile or so before he pulled away and my speed dropped back down to a more normal 68 or so.

Whimscootie · Post by **Whimscootie** » Fri Oct 14, 2016 12:16 am

I rode and reviewed this scooter when it came out in 2014. I am going to re-look at one tomorrow.
I am leaning toward the Hooligan as my second scooter for long rides, further distances, etc..
It sounds like it would be perfect for me over a PCX or S Max. Both of those feel huge and heavy to me.
Anyway, all your commenta are very helpful!

cummingsjc · Post by **cummingsjc** » Fri Oct 14, 2016 3:51 am

Whimscootie wrote:I rode and reviewed this scooter when it came out in 2014. I am going to re-look at one tomorrow.
I am leaning toward the Hooligan as my second scooter for long rides, further distances, etc..
It sounds like it would be perfect for me over a PCX or S Max. Both of those feel huge and heavy to me.
Anyway, all your commenta are very helpful!

I don't believe that you will be disappointed if you purchase a Hooligan.

Whimscootie · Post by **Whimscootie** » Sun Oct 16, 2016 6:27 am

Well I test rode an S Max and a 2016 Zuma 125 today. Did not care for the S Max, which surprised me.

I did like the handling of the new Zuma 125 and the seat was pretty comfortable compared to the previous model.

I am hoping to relook at a Hooligan next week and maybe test ride it again. I did like the Roughhouse that I very briefly test rode this summer.

skipper20 · Post by **skipper20** » Sun Oct 16, 2016 3:48 pm

cummingsjc wrote:
Syd wrote:What's the top speed everyone is seeing?
I saw 74 on the speedometer one time when I jumped onto the highway for a short run back to my house after a long ride. I entered the highway from a downward sloping on-ramp and immediately tucked in behind a truck with a trailer. I guess I was drafting on him for about a mile or so before he pulled away and my speed dropped back down to a more normal 68 or so.

The Hooligan speedometer is VERY optimistic. My actual GPS verified WOT top speed is 60 mph. It's about 2-3 mph slower than the Buddy 170i that I sold to buy the Hooli. With the same engine, the bigger size and heavier weight of the Hooligan does slow you down a bit. But, at 60 mph, it definitely works for me.

Bill in Seattle
'14 170i Hooligan Matte Green
'15 170i Hooligan Titanium (AZ scoot)

cummingsjc · Post by **cummingsjc** » Sun Oct 16, 2016 5:29 pm

skipper20 wrote:
cummingsjc wrote:
Syd wrote:What's the top speed everyone is seeing?
I saw 74 on the speedometer one time when I jumped onto the highway for a short run back to my house after a long ride. I entered the highway from a downward sloping on-ramp and immediately tucked in behind a truck with a trailer. I guess I was drafting on him for about a mile or so before he pulled away and my speed dropped back down to a more normal 68 or so.
The Hooligan speedometer is VERY optimistic. My actual GPS verified WOT top speed is 60 mph. It's about 2-3 mph slower than the Buddy 170i that I sold to buy the Hooli. With the same engine, the bigger size and heavier weight of the Hooligan does slow you down a bit. But, at 60 mph, it definitely works for me.

Bill in Seattle
'14 170i Hooligan Matte Green
'15 170i Hooligan Titanium (AZ scoot)

I said I saw 74 on the speedometer, not that I was going anywhere near that fast.

I understand that they are at least 10-12% optimistic on speed as per almost every other scooter out there, including my Piaggio MP3's.

Although I would always like more speed, I do agree with you that the Hooligan is probably fast enough for 99% of daily needs of local commuting and errands.

Modern Buddy

ATTN: Hooligan owners, your experiences needed.

ATTN: Hooligan owners, your experiences needed.

Re: ATTN: Hooligan owners, your experiences needed.

Re: ATTN: Hooligan owners, your experiences needed.

Re: ATTN: Hooligan owners, your experiences needed.