Vento Retro scooter – a Chinese copy of Yamaha Vino with a secret for Russian buyers

Scooters in Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union have quietly become popular since the mid-90s. Simple and unpretentious equipment from Japan turned out to be in demand in our country.


Despite their urban nature, scooters were not only purchased by residents of megacities. This is explained simply. Although no one prohibited the import of mopeds from Japan in the 90s, they were not in demand. The reason is their similarity with the Soviet “Riga” and “Karpaty”. The latter went out of fashion already in the 80s. Mostly teenagers and pensioners rode them. The rest were somehow not solid.

And the scooter – it’s immediately clear that it’s a foreign car. After all, Japanese scooters had nothing in common with the Soviet Tula.

prehistory

By the end of the 90s, used scooters from Japan did not flood Russia, but they began to be found quite often during the season. And then it was cut off in 2014. The reason is simple - category “M” licenses were introduced. This immediately removed teenagers and other comrades who had no idea about the rules of the road.


There’s not much point in 50cc mopeds. Those who have a car license can now drive them. And such people, as a rule, are not interested in small-capacity technology.

If we take something, then from 125-150 cubes. At first glance, they are ideal:

✅ Budget price in Chinese version
✅ Fuel consumption is about 2,5-3,5 liters
✅ Sufficient dynamics for urban use

But for such a scooter you need a motorcycle license. And if the scooter has a volume of 150 cm3, then it will be full-fledged, category “A”.

And then Vento Retro enters the arena. An interesting model copied from the Japanese Yamaha Vino.


So what is so good about a Chinese scooter? And the fact that it is sold as a model with a 49 cm3 engine, that is, falls into the “M” category. But in fact, there is an engine with a volume of 149 cubic meters. In the documents, according to the markings and stickers, this is exactly “fifty dollars”.

A few words about the brand

Motorcycle sellers claim that Vento Motorcycles is from the USA. In fact, the technology is 100% Chinese.

The scheme has long been known. The brand comes from the 90s, it was bought by the Chinese in order to be able to supply their equipment to the markets of North and South America.

The model range is wide. It consists of:

✅ Mopeds
✅ Scooters
✅ Motorcycles
✅ ATVs

The Vento Motorcycles brand is quite popular, but it should not be considered something outstanding. Common Chinese technology, with typical problems. For its price, it's a good choice, nothing more.


As for the Vento Retro model, the scooter is good primarily because it is 150 cc. The second, and important, plus is the retro-style appearance.

As for the cost, it is also quite affordable for Russian buyers. For such a new scooter they ask about 100 thousand rubles. If you buy a used one, it will cost 30 percent less.

Appearance and fit

Design is what immediately attracts potential buyers of Vento Retro. The scooter is beautiful - you can’t take that away from it. True, the Chinese did not come up with something of their own “based on”. They simply copied the appearance of the Japanese Yamaha Vino.

Moreover, this is not a fake - in the model from the Middle Kingdom, features of 50 and 125 cm3 scooters from Yamaha are visible. In general, we protected ourselves from lawsuits. They also added a chopper back. The latter seems to look harmonious, but the original did not have it in any version.


And the Chinese did their best with the color scheme. Vento Retro comes not only in solid shades, but also decorated in the colors of the flags of Italy and France.

There are no complaints about the appearance of the scooter as a whole, of course, if you like this retro design. If you find fault with the little things, you can note the clumsy design of the ignition switch cylinder. Even the silver one looks like a cheap toy from the Middle Kingdom. And if it is golden, it is generally something alien.


And in general, riding Chinese scooters with a passenger is not a good idea. The frame there is made of thin pipes, the rigidity is so-so. At speed it can start to “walk” and even crack.

Engine

The main secret of the model is the power unit. According to the documents, this is a simple “fifty ruble”. As many owners of small-capacity equipment from the Middle Kingdom know, such motors “don’t run.” Especially if the rider is heavy, and you also need to climb uphill. Therefore, the CPG usually changes to 72 or even 110 cm3.


But Vento Retro has no problems with this. In fact, the power unit of the scooter is 150 cm3. From the looks of it, it looks similar to the 157QMJ. Only the manufacturer knows 100% exactly, but he will keep the secret.

The motor is not bad, it is installed on most Chinese scooters with this capacity, and has proven itself to be reliable. Of course, taking into account the origin from the Middle Kingdom. Power – about 10 hp. The engine is four-stroke, air-cooled. The power supply system is carburetor.

If you understand the nuances, the 157QMJ engine is a copy of the Japanese Honda GY6. The design has been proven for decades. Of course, the Chinese version of the engine is not so durable, but it usually travels its 10 thousand kilometers on one CPG without problems.


And one more nuance - Chinese engines installed on motorcycles, especially small-capacity ones, do not like tuning. They do not have the safety margin for this. You can, of course, experiment, but then the motor can fail at any moment.

Major TTX

Since the engine of the Vento Retro is far from 50 cm3, its fuel consumption is higher. On average, a scooter consumes 100 liters per 3,5 km. If you go “with all your money”, you can increase it by 10-30%. With a tank volume of 5 liters, gasoline is enough for 150 kilometers.


Not enough, so it’s better to carry a bottle or canister of fuel with you just in case. Or calculate the route taking into account the location of the gas station.

The engine is started using an electric starter. If the battery runs out, you can use the kickstarter.

The Vento Retro, like most scooters, has a CVT transmission. This means that instead of a chain or cardan there is a belt.


The weight of the scooter is 98 kg with a filled tank. This already subtly hints that it is not worth riding together on such a scooter.

Advantages and disadvantages

The main advantage of Vento Retro is its design. For such an appearance, the scooter can be forgiven for all minor flaws.


The second advantage is the low price. Agree that 100 thousand rubles for a scooter with a 150 cm3 engine is quite affordable. It also accelerates to 90 km/h.

The scooter is quite smooth to ride. In the city he stays in the flow. Pleases with fuel consumption of 3-4 liters. Although, only after the car. Japanese scooters of similar capacity are more economical.

As for the minuses, first of all, it is the complete lack of aerodynamics. Do you want a thrill? Then welcome to the track. Trucks passing in the same direction will blow away the Vento Retro like a candy wrapper.


The seat is one and a half, it’s cramped for two people - it’s better to remove the backrest. The headlight is dim, only suitable for a lit city. The speedometer also overestimates the speed by about 30%.

To summarize, the Vento Retro is suitable for those who need their first scooter. The Chinese entity will teach how to repair equipment, and the 150 cm3 engine will give dynamics unfamiliar to the owners of fifty dollars.

But those who have used Japanese scooters are unlikely to like the Vento Retro.