Why not a scooter?

As an avid motorcyclist for over 45 years,I really enjoy the feeling you get while riding. A few years ago, I picked up my first scooter, a Honda 250 Elite, figuring it would be a good learning tool for Mrs. Mini. I was shocked and pleasantly surprised to find that it would easily transport my big carcass at 65-70 mph if pushed. It was small, easily maneuverable,and it seemed as though I never had to gas it up. It also brought back a ton of memories from my first bike and some of the (mis)adventures I had. After the Mrs.got her motorcycle license, I sold it and upgraded to a scooter that was more suited for longer rides and a bit more comfort. We ended up with a Yamaha Majesty 400, that I found at a small car dealer who had taken it on a trade and wanted to get rid of it. A bit longer wheelbase, bigger wheels, and a huge upgrade in power, made it suitable for doing some longer distance touring. It's like riding in a Lazy Boy, but still has the feel of the small machine. Capable of running the Interstate-I've had to GPS 90mph,and still pulling-it's also a fun commuter. For real traveling I have a Goldwing, but having the scooter is a totally different sort of fun. I've been able to convince a few friends who would never think of a motorcycle, to try it and every one of them come back with a huge grin. Three ended up getting their licenses and one bought a scooter, one a sportster, and the third is still looking. Like I told them, if you can ride a bicycle, you can ride a scooter. Most cyclists I know would really like to have a few different bikes, for different types of riding. It just doesn't happen because of $$ or space or the significant other puts her foot down. The scooter is cheap to own, operate, insure,and having the option to ride together or separate is nice. It also is a lot of fun.

I recently started riding motorcycles and have always liked those big bore scooters. I think one would be awesome to commute on. Mind if I ask what you gave for your 400?

You've got a PM.

I'd still like to pick up an Elite 150 someday.

Remember, with a scooter, you don't have to wear any safety gear. Ever again.

Appleseed wrote: Remember, with a scooter, you don't have to wear any safety gear. Ever again.

Huh?

A couple guys bring them to race weekends as pit vehicles. I have attempted (unsuccessfully) to knee-drag a modern (and surprisingly fast) Vespa in the paddock of Summit Point. It's a fun toy.

It would be the perfect vehicle to commute around on except for ... so would any motorcycle. I don't see the line of demarcation where one is more useful that the other. They are not that much different. Except a scooter has 1 gear and you don't straddle it - and a motorcycle needs a license and comes in many more flavors.

In reply to dbgrubbs:

I've never seen a scooter guy in my town with an ounce of protection. Flip flops, t-shirt, and shorts are de rigueur. I know its still gonna hurt.

You can get a used motorcycle for less than what you would pay for the bigger scooters.

Appleseed wrote: Remember, with a scooter, you don't have to wear any safety gear. Ever again.

That's a pretty dumb statement, even if it's tongue in cheek. There's a big difference between a scooter and a moped. Mopeds=usually no license, Scooter=same requirements(and laws) as a motorcycle. A lot of new riders are intimidated by having to learn how to balance brake, clutch, throttle and shifting. A scooter eliminates most of that and makes it a whole lot easier. If you've never tried it, don't knock it. Some people ride small motorcycles. Why? They're cheap, they're easy to maintain, they're easy to ride, easy on gas,cheap to insure, and no one wants to steal one. Same with a scooter-except they are a lot more fun to ride. Different strokes-different folks. I get a lot more interest from people(non-riders) with my scooter than I ever did riding a small motorcycle. Scooters come in many flavors-just like bikes- from your cutesy 50cc for puttering around, to the 125-250cc commuters, the all around do everything 300-500cc mid size scoots, to the large touring and luxoboats in the 600-700cc range. There's something for everyone and every budget.

In reply to minimac:

Scooters also weed out those without basic balance skills.......stupid short tires are far less forgiving than larger motorcycle ones.

There is indeed a market for both though.

Still love my scooters, but right now, my commuter is only a 125. I really would like to get a bigger (300cc+) scooter for highway use and longer trips someday.

One major advantage of scooters for commuting - built in storage. Combine the underseat storage with a top box, and you can haul a bunch of stuff on a very small bike.

Suzuki Burgman 650 FTW

minimac wrote: it would easily transport my big carcass at 65-70 mph if pushed.

I guess that is my hang up, personally. I use to have an NX250 (along with a 600c sport bike) when I lived in town. I actually enjoyed riding the NX250 more around town, but at highway speeds, I could almost feel the mechanical pain of running the E36 M3 out of that poor little thumper.

I live out of town and have a few acres. I ride/commute on my Z1000 when the weather is nice and my Concours14 when it gets colder. If I ONLY rode/lived in town, I could see a scooter--but would prefer a light motorcycle (especially a supermotard).

My father-in-law has a Yamaha something-or-other. It's surprisingly quick, nimble, and the brakes are phenomenal. I rode it once, and decided that scooters aren't for me. With nothing to squeeze my knees against, I feel too loose/unstable on one. It's akin to driving a car with no seatbelt to me. The feeling is very off-putting.

I see no advantange and several disadvantages to a scooter compared to a small bore motorcycle.