Big Ruckus

HONDA BIG RUCKUS (PS250)

The Big Ruckus was a surprisingly good but unsuccessful scooter. Honda responded to enthusiasts cries for a larger Ruckus with this 250cc scooter, but Ruckus fans found the Big Ruckus to be a little too big and industrial looking. The general consensus was that it had lost the charm of the little Ruckus. It was also way more expensive ($5500) and only offered in yellow in it’s first year (2005) which certainly didn’t help sales. Year one sales were slow but the people who did buy it generally rave about this scooter. It seems that this scooter appealed to quite a different audience than the small Ruckus.

The Big Ruckus shares the same powertrain as Honda’s NSS250 Reflex, which is a nice reliable liquid cooled engine that is good for about 75mph and 65mpg. If you aren’t familiar with scooters, the Big Ruckus does not perform like a 250cc dirt bike. If you find your 19hp Big Ruckus idling at a red light beside Yamaha’s 33hp WR250, don’t get any ideas about toasting him off the line. The Big Ruckus’s engine is designed to be low stressed, which is great because it means that it will last a long time but the obvious downside is that offers acceptable but not pants wetting acceleration. The PS250 accelerates decently to about 50mph and then it wanders north of 60mph to a top speed around 70-75mph. Oh and there’s a bit of a dead spot between 30-40mph

when the CVT upshifts a bit too aggresively. With performance like this, you can sneak on the highway and cruise nicely on backroads but you won’t have much left for passing. The PS250 is basically the smallest scooter that I’d want to venture on the highway with.

What about the rest of the scooter? The PS250 is loaded with awesome features. The Big Ruck’s seat is pure engineering genius. The backrest can be folded down to become a passenger seat (see below picture), or it can be folding up to give the driver big time comfort and unveil a handy storage area. This area works great for tossing a knapsack or duffle bag and you can use the passenger grab handles to bungee your pile of stuff down.

Furthermore, the entire seat can slide forward and backwards because it’s on rails. This means that drivers of all heights can find a comfortable setup. The Big Ruckus also has a really cool storage area on the right side near the back. This handy ‘toolbox’ is a rugged styled plastic cylinder that resembles a black military canister. I love how well this storage area fits the overall design of the PS250. This area is great for storage a few tools or your lunch. The PS250 also has a nice parking brake and handy access to the front of the engine area. Another nice perk is that the PS250 has both a centerstand and kickstand as standard equipment.

On the downside, there isn’t any enclosed storage besides the toolbox. Accordingly, you won’t be able to stuff your helmet in this scooter. The open concept design of this scooter (like the smaller Ruckus) makes it great for creative individuals who will think of all sorts of crazy things to bungee down but it comes at a cost. At least the Big Ruckus has some lockable storage (unlike the smaller Ruck).

So what else is there not to like? The Big Ruckus also suffers from the same acceleration deadspot from 30-40mph like its engine sharing sibling, the Reflex. You can learn how to remedy that here. As well, extended high speed riding can be somewhat tedious without an aftermarket windscreen as the Big Ruckus offers virtually no wind protection in its stock form.

Ultimately, the Big Ruckus is a love it or hate it scooter. If you love the styling, you’re going to adore this scooter. None of the cons are deal breakers and most of them can be addressed by you. If you hate the styling, none of the cool features like the adjustable seat are going to change your mind. The bottom line is that this is a pretty solid scooter with unique styling that I’ll let you judge.

Pros:
* Nifty seat
* Minimal enclosed storage
* Sidestand and centerstand
* Styling

Cons:
* Styling
* Acceleration deadspot
* Wind protection

Links:
BikeBandit.com - Good for looking up OEM parts and finding out what’s still available
PS250 Review - Great article! Have a read.
MotorscooterGuide Forums - Visit the forum on this site to chat about your scoot.
CMG Big Ruck Review - Insightful and Humorous like CMG always delivers
TotalRuckus.com - Get in touch with other Big Ruckus owners

If you have any info to add, email me at dandurston@hotmail.com

Key Specs:
* Engine: 249cc, 2-valve, 4-stroke, SOHC, liquid cooled single
* Compression: 10.5:1
* Bore x stroke: 72.7 x 60.0 mm
* Fuel system: 30mm CV Carb with auto-enricher
* Ignition: Fully transistorized
* Front suspension: 33mm hydraulic fork with 3.9” travel (99mm)
* Rear suspension: Single-side swingarm with dual hydraulic shocks with seven-position spring-preload adjustability
* Rear suspension travel: 119 mm (4.7 inches)
* Front brakes: 240mm disc (3 piston caliper with a ‘combined braking system’)
* Rear brake: 160mm drum
* Seat height: 28 inches
* Dry weight: 164kg (362 pounds)
* Starting: Electric
* Chassis: Steel tube
* Tires: 110/90-12 (front), 130/70-12 (rear)
* Wheelbase: 1235 mm (57.3 inches)
* Fuel capacity: 12.11 litres (3.20 gallons)

Colors:
2005: Yellow
2006: Silver