When Honda introduced a motorbike in 2002 called Ruckus (also called the Zoomer), many wondered if it could handle off-road conditions. And while it’s not a full-fledged dirtbike, it can certainly take on some unpaved terrain.

Honda wasn’t a car manufacturer from the outset—it started as a motorcycle company. Year after year, Honda motorcycles remain a favorite thanks to their reliability and affordable price tag. The majority of Honda’s bikes and scooters are geared toward the street, but due to its well-treaded tires, Honda Ruckus riders can be tempted to test the dusty trails.

To help you learn more about the off-road capabilities of the Honda Ruckus motorbike is

Jerry

, the

super app

that maximizes your savings on

car insurance

. Here, we’ll break down some specs of the Ruckus: its ability to go off-road, whether or not you should buy one, and how to save money on insurance if you do.

Can the Honda Ruckus go off-road?

Absolutely—but the Honda Ruckus isn’t an expert performer in every off-road condition. Its fat, thickly treaded tires can master sand and it’s an overall good trail rider—but the Ruckus wasn’t specifically designed to go off-roading the way a dirtbike or quad can. At the end of the day, the Honda Ruckus is a scooter with some guts.

The Honda Ruckus has a starting price of $2,899. Honda cars are known to be very good on gas and the Ruckus stays true to form boasting a staggering 114 mpg.

Off-road bikes need to meet certain criteria to be considered good candidates for traversing the roads less traveled. Let’s take a look at some of the most important specs that determine whether or not a vehicle is going to perform well off-road—and how the Honda Ruckus stacks up.

Ground clearance

The Honda Ruckus has a ground clearance of 5.701 inches. Considering that the ideal ground clearance for an off-road vehicle is closer to 8.5 inches, Ruckus riders are quickly reminded that their bike is merely a scooter when they go riding through the woods.

Too low of ground clearance can be hazardous while you’re off-roading. SUVs or trucks could end up bottoming out while the Ruckus will likely wind up tipping over if its undercarriage cannot clear rocks or boulders in its path.

Torque

Ideally, off-roaders will have what’s known as low-end torque, which means it brings a lot of torque at a lower rpm. This is what gives off-road vehicles the power they need to handle rough roads.

The Honda Ruckus produces 3.35 lb-feet of torque at 7000 rpm. This is hardly low-end torque and less than ideal for an all-out off-road experience. The Ruckus is a bike with a small, 49 cc liquid-cooled, four-stroke engine whose top speed is around 41 miles per hour so it doesn't impose a lot of force.

Tires

One of the first things you might think of when you hear the term off-roading is tires. Sure enough, you’ll need some major traction when you hit the trail and this is one area where the Ruckus outshines its fellow scooters.

The tire specs for the Honda Ruckus measure 120/90 R10 for the front tire and 130/90 R10 for the rear tire. These fat, heavily-treaded tires are suitable for hard pavement as well as the softer terrain of off-road paths.

Drivetrain

When it comes to cars and trucks, all-wheel or four-wheel drive is the way to go if you're interested in cruising off-road. The Honda Ruckus, however, operates on a one-speed drivetrain.

Seeing as the Ruckus has two wheels instead of four, you can manage dirt trails and sand with a one-speed drivetrain, but anything rockier or rigid could prove to be a problem for a small bike like the Ruckus.

Off-road rating: In a pinch

When it comes to breaking down the off-roading capabilities of the Honda Ruckus, we’ve used

Jerry’s

technical system known as DIRT. Here’s what it means:

Rating	Meaning	Description
D	Don’t Try It	Vehicles better suited to highway conditions
I	In a Pinch	Vehicles that can handle off-road conditions in certain circumstances
R	Rough and Ready	Vehicles designed for casual off-roading
T	Trail Boss	True off-road vehicles capable of tackling a range of terrain

According to the DIRT system, we’re giving the Ruckus an I rating. If you hit some unexpectedly rough terrain while you’re seated atop a Ruckus, there’s a good chance you can handle it. You also won’t have a hard time riding over sand or dirt hills—but any trails that err more on the side of hardcore off-roading will be too much for your Ruckus.

MORE:

Honda lug pattern guide

Make safe driving pay

Get rewarded for safe driving. Earn points and unlock benefits. Totally free.

Start earning now

The best off-road alternatives to the Honda Ruckus

Maybe you’ve decided that you don’t need to off-road on your motor scooter and are just looking for something economical and cute. On the contrary, maybe you’ve concluded that the Honda Ruckus simply isn’t suitable for your rugged, off-roading ways. If either situation is the case, we’ve selected some spiffy alternatives to the Honda Ruckus.

Alternative	Model	Price	Description
Best affordable alternative	Honda Metropolitan	$2,499	This little scooter comes with a liquid-cooled 49 cc four-stroke motor and looks like the adorable younger cousin of the Vespa. Not only is the price tag quite reasonable on the Metropolitan, but you’ll also be thrilled by the more than 100 mpg it returns.
Best alternative for serious off-roading	Yamaha Zuma 125	$3,399	If you love the idea of a motor scooter with an edge, the Yamaha Zuma 125 could be the perfect fit. Packing more than 49cc within its four-stroke, 125cc single-cylinder, fuel-injected engine, this edgier scooter was built for adventure
Best eco-friendly alternative	Honda PCX 150	$3,699	Nimble and fun to zip around town on, the PCX 150 is a sleek scooter, but not necessarily an off-roading machine. Newly redesigned in 2016 and fitted with a 149 cc engine, the PCX 150 is an eco-friendly motorbike with a cool style.

Are you overpaying for your car insurance?

Compare quotes and find out in 45 seconds.

Compare Rates Now

No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms

No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms · No fees

4.717k Ratings

5M+Drivers Joined

7M+Cars Garaged

MORE: Cheap off road trucks

"I’m earning

awesome rewards

every week, just for driving safe!”

How to find affordable car insurance for off-road vehicles

Just like cars, your Honda Ruckus deserves top-level protection from a quality insurance policy. Experts recommend coverage options like

collision

to safeguard against damage caused by a crash, or

comprehensive

car insurance, which could reimburse you if your Ruckus gets stolen.

Whatever policy you feel is best for you should come at a price that doesn’t put great strain on your resources. To find the best deals available, there's no better place to shop for car insurance than

Jerry

Once you download Jerry’s free app and enter some basic information, it takes less than a minute for Jerry to scan the internet for the most affordable rates and present them to you in a customized list. You won’t need to phone any insurance agents or do any of the searching on your own—just sit back, relax, and let Jerry work its magic.

The best part of all? All the money you’ll save! On average, people who use jerry save over $800 on their annual coverage.

“I’ve shaved off at least $50 a month using
Jerry
. For now, I chose only to pay for Alabama state minimums, but I am confident that with Jerry, I can upgrade or change my coverage at any time. The AI-integrated process is really intuitive, too!” —Fred D.

RECOMMENDED