The top speed of the 50cc Ruckus is about 35 miles per hour. It goes 43mph downhill with a good tail wind. This scooter climbs hills much slower, as low as 25mph, but usually 28mph or 30mph.
Not fast enough? Read 10 ways to make the Honda Ruckus faster
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March 18, 2012 at 4:48 am
My 2011 does 45 consistently on flats, and 48 to 50 with tail wind. And I weigh~300.
July 22, 2012 at 8:50 pm
full of crap
March 27, 2021 at 9:18 pm
yours modified ? I weigh same and my 2018 maxes out at 36 mph. I feel it’s restricted from going faster, even downhill
April 6, 2012 at 2:56 am
Of course the flip side is, it does 40 in a stiff headwind. I’m running the NCY gold pulley with the stock weights and the no limit CDI plus a small tombstone to hide behind. So acceleration is not great, it’s geared for max speed with no regard for hill climbing because I live on a coastal plain with plenty of 4 lane highway. And I keep the tires at around 42 PSI and oil about 2/3 on dipstick. So give me a couple trucks to draft, and hello noisy valves.
June 20, 2012 at 8:02 pm
I’m 15, and in a year or two, I was considering getting a Ruckus as my first vehicle. I’ve been doing research, but I see mixed reviews. Would you say that the Ruckus, for example, at its base model, would be a good starting-out mode of transportation?
April 16, 2017 at 3:06 pm
I currently have 2 Honda Ruckuses and they are the best scooters i have ever ridden! And I would say that yes they are more expensive then the Tao Tao scooters which i also have! So durability wise they are hands down the best scooter out there!
June 20, 2012 at 8:10 pm
Matt:
If your driving will be primarily in 35 mph zones and below, sure. The Ruckus climbs hills slowly, and is quite dangerous in a 45 mph or above speed zone because other drivers will be riding your tail expecting you to reach the speed limit.
As far as a first vehicle, the Ruckus isn’t the cheapest scooter, and a scooter isn’t the safest vehicle on the road. It depends what your expectations are for a vehicle. If you want low fuel cost and low speed, the Ruckus is for you.
I wrote a whole post about why the Ruckus might be a bad idea for new riders.
July 15, 2013 at 5:06 am
I agree Corey, I saw one that’s all fixed up the other day at the carshow and it looked like a good idea but its still slow. It looks cool for a few.but if you’re really trying to get anywhere, it’s going to take a long time
July 18, 2013 at 1:56 am
I have a 2013 Ruckus. No modifications other than upping the air pressure in the tires from the “recommended” 25/25. 35psi rear and 28psi front. I can do 42mph on level ground with a mild headwind. 48 down hill when the rev limit becomes apparent (faster if it had no limiter, I bet). About 34 up a mild slope. This little critter hauls along quite nicely with my 256 lb butt on it.
I played with the air pressures until I got a decent speed versus a comfortable ride. Not to soft the tires ‘squat’ and not too hard it’s like having metal tires.
September 10, 2013 at 12:55 pm
Got my 2013 Ruckus last month, all stock, no restrictor. I get top speed of 47-50 on flat and down hill. I weigh 150lbs.
October 16, 2013 at 9:38 pm
Ben:
Did you remove the restrictor when you purchased the 2013 Ruckus?
March 30, 2014 at 9:04 am
I also got a 2013 Ruckus last August, dealership said restrictor was removed. I get 40-45 on flat, 45-50 down hill with back wind, and about 30-35 uphill. I’m 5’5 and 159.5 Lbs. Only vehicle now constantly getting between 110-114 mpg. No upgrades yet. Mileage almost at 5000 mi. Oil using Rotella T6.
August 6, 2016 at 12:14 am
I weigh 218 and I have gotten my scooter to 60mph
September 21, 2016 at 10:53 pm
How..I can’t get mine past 41
April 9, 2020 at 7:37 pm
Where did you get the restrictor from. give me details, thanks Tom
July 22, 2014 at 11:40 pm
I have a 2009 ruckus and I’m looking to do some motifocations. Where is the restrictor and how do I take it off?
July 23, 2014 at 12:27 am
The rev limiter is part of the ECU, so you need a new engine computer.
July 23, 2014 at 12:02 pm
Thanks for the help! I’m looking into getting he NYC CDI no-rev limit. Hoping I will see some improvements with this.
July 23, 2014 at 12:50 pm
Trey, read this page: A CDI box by itself will not increase the max speed of a 2006 or newer Ruckus
July 24, 2014 at 3:59 am
That helps a ton. Thank you! I am wondering now if I were to buy the CDI and just put new roller weights in my existing variator if that would work instead of buying a whole new variator?
July 24, 2014 at 4:08 am
Trey: That will affect performance, but I do not believe that mod will result in a higher top speed. Heavier weights will result in your Ruckus “shifting into high gear” at a different RPM.
July 24, 2014 at 4:12 am
Thanks Corey, in your opinion other than the 10 ways to improve performance, is there anything I can do to help improve top speed. I am consistently hitting perfectly 60km (37mph) and I feel as though my ruckus can go faster but there is something restricting it. Thank you for all of your help.
July 24, 2014 at 4:32 am
That page I wrote spells out your options. The reality is that you might spend 200$ for 4 MPH in total gains, and unless you swap the motor, that’s the ceiling even if you spend 1,000. I’d just save up for a Zuma 125 or a used motorcycle.
July 24, 2014 at 4:58 am
Ok, thanks for all your help!
August 22, 2014 at 10:51 pm
Ron is absolutely correct. I bought a 2013 NPS50 from Chad at Bargers All Sports in Waco a few hours ago for my Son at Baylor. I drove it to his dorm and hit 40 mph just down from the dealership right before the hill on the feeder road it went to 45 1/2 way down the small hill and I about crapped. It was surprisingly stable and balanced the entire 4-5 mile trip. I weigh 225. After TTL and all the extras, it cost $3035.05 and I believe it’s worth every penny.
August 23, 2014 at 3:11 am
Good looks. I just put balancing beads in my front tire and it’s made a very significant difference in the smoothness of my ride. I’m going to do the rear soon.
May 30, 2015 at 8:02 pm
I got 2015 honda ruckus and all the parts are original (stock) top speed is 43
.56 mph
July 18, 2015 at 7:16 pm
Do you need a Motorcycle license to drive one of these?
July 18, 2015 at 7:21 pm
I started a page about license requirements for the Honda Ruckus in the USA here https://ruckus.g3integra.com/126/do-you-need-a-license-for-a-honda-ruckus/
June 6, 2016 at 4:20 pm
I’m thinking about getting a Honda ruckus and like matt I’m only 15 but I’m not getting it for my first vehicle I already have on I just want one because its better on gas mileage than my truck. What are some good pointers on the ruckus?
June 6, 2016 at 4:29 pm
Wade, will the Ruckus be your first motorcycle? I think that’s a bad idea. Here is why: https://ruckus.g3integra.com/296/i-do-not-recommend-ruckus/
September 20, 2016 at 1:51 am
Is it a nice commuter for around urban and suburb cities where everything is between 45-60 mph with various hills? I know it’s a stupid question and I think the answers is going to be a no but I want someone who owns one with this situation to tell me. Would love to start this as my first adventure into a motorcycle.
September 20, 2016 at 2:00 am
Patrick: See my response to another commenter: https://ruckus.g3integra.com/92/what-is-the-honda-ruckus-top-speed/#comment-9450
March 27, 2017 at 10:09 am
My oil level is at top line if I let a little out to middle of dipstick on my motor oil will this help with speed
March 27, 2017 at 10:18 am
I haven’t confirmed a top speed change in regards to a lower oil level that is still within the acceptable range. Overfilling the oil will affect the top speed, though, and is one of the tips on my page about making the Ruckus faster.
March 27, 2017 at 10:51 am
Thanks last one at what mileage should I change belt on yamaha is if it at 8500 how about this ruckus
March 27, 2017 at 10:53 am
Here is my page about replacing the belt: https://ruckus.g3integra.com/434/when-should-the-ruckus-drive-belt-be-replaced/
April 19, 2017 at 5:08 pm
So I have a Tao Tao Zummer 50 scooter. I currently put a performance variator on it. I was thinking about getting a Ruckus tho, after 2010 MY too. Is the restrictor on it easy to take off? Also do you think a Ruckus is the best 50cc there is? If not what is your favorite?
March 5, 2018 at 11:33 am
I run my Ruckus at between 50 – 65 on the flat and varying speeds up hill depending on the hill. I try not to force to much up hill to save on my clutch. I weigh 185 Ibs.
June 15, 2018 at 5:07 am
Smart guy…to save your clutch.
March 5, 2018 at 11:36 am
The Ruckus is the best, just love it. It is a work horse as well!!
September 13, 2018 at 10:09 pm
Great site and comments.
I have a 2009 Ruckus that I’ve put 5000 s on since I bought it 5 years ago.
I used to get 56kph on flats (I live in the prairies) and the last month I’ve been barely getting above 50kph. I read your ten things to do page and I immediately changed the air filter to a new Briggs and Stratton and cut out the metal restrictor plate off the original Honda filter and reinstalled everything. On its own the Briggs filter was allowing to much air flow and would go lean and stall. The restrictor plate fits nicely between the filter and the metal frame.
Then I topped off my tires as they we’re very low. (15,18 psi) so I thought the tires might have had more to do with it than the filter. I took the ruckus for a 25 minute drive and the acceleration is much better but still only getting 51 maybe 52 kph.
I weigh 185lbs which I’ve weighed for a long time.
What would you recommend to try or change next? Do I swap on a new belt?
I’m assuming everything is original and nothing has been replaced on the Ruckus. So maybe it’s time to replace some things.
I cleaned the carb last summer.
I feel like it’s not revving as high as it used to. Could the throttle cable be stretched or something?
Cheers and thanks in advance!
September 29, 2018 at 4:06 pm
I have a 2015 Ruckus, i have a polini variator kit with belt. 5 gram trick weights for the variator. carb is jetted to 80. NCY CDi box and ignition coil with a iredium ion NGK spark plug. Modified airbox(from stock). Then i have a custom made 3/4″ header pipe with threads for a small screw on muffler, oh yeah rebuilt the slap springs inside the carb…..a bit shorter for better throttle response. i can get about 60mph down a slight hill. depending on the weather(humidity seems to change how the engine runs) i can get about 40 steady up a decent incline….if its steep im going 30 or 35. Not bad considering the ruckus is quite heavy for a 50cc scooter plus haul me.
September 11, 2021 at 8:30 pm
My 2009 Ruckus, goes 85 mph, on the freeway.