I would say it will depend on your preferences, and the kind of weather you have where you live.  If you do use a lot of taxi service on a routine basis, a scooter will pay for itself pretty quick.  But if you ride public transportation, counting on a good helmet, a raincoat and a good quality lock, you will invest about 3,000 yuan and a bus ride is only 1 or 2 yuan.

I do have one, my GF has another, and we do use them heavily in summer time, and ride taxis in winter time, or if it rains heavily. For light sprinkles do use a riancoat..

my scooter  3200RMB is the best and smartest thing I have done in China

I live way down south it's 22 today

I live not very far from Shanghai. Yes, good investment, especially if you will stay in one city for more than one year. If you don't mind riding 30-40kph, then buy a cheap one. If you prefer a cruising speed around 50kph, buy a 48 volt model. Mine cost 2,800. I had to return a few days later for the license plate. 

I had an electric scooter for 2700. It did all the driving I wanted. It saved so much walking. I've driven (big) bikes all my life and hate driving in the cold rain. Summer rain is warmer in China and not so bad.

 Don't use the front brake on slippery sidewalks, you'll go down. I saw so many people do that.

I went scooter hunting last summer and eventually decided against it and regret that decision. HappyExPat is pretty well on the money when talking about how much use you will get in a year. 6 months I hope and now that I am staying for at least another year the scooter will be purchased. I am not going for electric and will buy the motorised one. Cost about 3600RMB inclusive of plate. I always hire a scooter when I am in Thailand. Also I use taxis a lot living out of town and summer in Daqing is perfect for riding.

 I have had my bike for about 6 months ...... starting to wonder about the battery life.........  kind of like....  not as good as I once was, but as good once as I ever was ..................... will I need a new battery every year?

i have a japanese teacher at the university here that buys a gas bike , under 50 cc so no plate law and he gets insurance 400 rmb a year , he has a deal with the dealer , every 6 months he brings it back ,pays 1500 rmb and drives a new one home. he says 250 a month to not deal with warranties repairs and the time messing with a bike is worth it and most bikes tear up from bad quality here. he said he could get a small under 50 cc honda but he would not know if its real and no authorized place to fix it.

sure... hope you got an accident too... idiot

I've had 2 scooters and 3 batteries stolen in 3 years so that is another thing you want to consider and the batteries can cost you between 500-1000 RMB. 

  Absolutely, you just have to be super careful, the Chinese drive like they're the only people on the roads, you can't expect people to follow the rules and driving etiquette you are used to in the west, it's really just a free for all. Wouldn't be without one though, i'm on it all the time.

it is convenient for driving short distances and go shopping, especially in summer.

If you have a motorbike or scooter, can you still obtain a health insurance to cover any problems if and when you come off??

I would think that a good health insurance for dangerous pursuits is a must on Chinese roads especially because the locals drive like idiots without any evidence of rules or regulations whilst the road police just sit around collecting the payola.

Also, as a foreigner are we held responsible for any accidents even if it is not our fault so that the poor local person can sue the ass of us, foreigners??

I think that public transport is safer and cheaper even if they are overcrowded and at least then nobody can steal your transportation parked outside your apartment.

Have you seen the motorbike locks in common use over here, they are a bloody joke.

No, it is a complete pain. First of all, it's hard to find places to get gas because you need your licensing information to get gas for a motorbike. So unless you have a legitimate license plate and registration info (or good fake ones), you'll have a hard time getting gas. 

You're better off with an electric bike. 

The best thing I have bought here in China is a bicycle. You can get a good bike for a cheaper price than a scooter. There is less maintenance and no charging. I can go faster than most scooters, and it is easier to maneuver (if traffic is bad I can pick it up and move it on the sidewalk). I am in a pretty busy and crowded city (Zhengzhou) and I find that going anywhere less than a couple miles is faster on a bike than if I were to take a taxi.

Saw a guy on a scooter get creamed by a bus 3 days ago. You couldn't pay me to ride any kind of scooter, motorcycle or bike around here.

I ride a bicycle with a helmet and facemask on. Since I work a lot, it's pretty much the only exercise I get.

Motor scooters scare the hell out of me. On a bike, I can only go so fast, and as long as I keep an eye out for drivers pulling out of driveways or whatnot, I feel (fairly) safe. Meanwhile, you can sometimes get a motor scooter to push 40 kmph, which is way too fast to be swerving in and out of traffic as far as I'm concerned. That, and my friend who owns one constantly has problems with it--the batteries die while he's riding, the tires are slashed by people etc...

I've got an electric scooter and I have to say it's one of the best things I've bought here. I don't use it now because I live so close to work and it needs a new battery. But when summer gets here I might fix it up.  

I used it all the time while I was at uni.  So much fun and so much more convenient than public transport.