Anyone else here have a scooter as well as their R

[jonothan]

I wondered if I'm the only one in this forum who owns a scooter (in my case, a Vespa ET4 125) as well as their BMW.

I use my BMW at weekends and on Wedneday nights for Lincolnshire Bike Night. It's purely for pleasure. Incidentally, Bike Nights here are quite amazing. Weather permitting, bikers descend on a country pub designated for that specific night. It's totally unofficial, but is an amazing get together of like-minded bikers. Seems to happen all over the UK now but it's always on a Wednesday night. It's a UK biker-culture phenomenon, it seems.

But anyway, I digress. The Vespa is better for around town because it's smaller and lighter, better in traffic and easier to park. Plus I don't feel the need to don all my leathers to ride my little scoot. The BMW just wouldn't be practical.

But at weekends, the Vespa gets washed and polished and put away and the Beamer comes out to play.

Anyone else into urban scootering? It's a hoot.

Jonothan

[Leno]

All I can think is that you are too young to remember the Mods and Rockers on Brighton beach. Have you never seen Quadrafinia? Bikes and scooters are oil and water, just never mix. I find my R just fine in London, you need some thing big to knock the scooters out of the way.

[ride1150r]

I have a malaguti firefox f15!

scott

[FGanger]

jonothan,

Next Summer I'm moving to Florida. I've thought of adding a Vespa 200 to my garage. I've noticed that (in the States at least), scooters can park almost anywhere and not get a parking ticket - sidewalks, etc.

I'm not sure the larger scooters will get the same response from the police. On the other hand, the price of a new Vespa is pretty high. One could get a great, used, small motorcycle for around town use.

Oh well, I still have a year to figure it all out.

Frank

[jamming]

That reminds me of a scooter joke, but seriously, with the price of fuel and all, I've thought of getting a used one to ride to the store close to home and around the neighborhood, however, what can I carry, should I dress up in a helmet,jacket, boots et all to ride it?
So I've decided to go with a gas powered golf cart(I know I know, but the fuel milage is great) I can use it at the golf course across the street from the house, go to the store and shop, visit family( most live whithin a couple of miles) and use it as a little urban car. Here in Arizona there are a lot of them and I'm checking the retirement newspapers for one used.
I'm wondering if I can find a pipe for it, bore it out, bigger carb, flame paint job, tires and wheels, I can't leave it stock, that's not my nature.
Rog

[DG02]

I dabble in vintage bikes and a few years ago I restored a 1969 Lambretta Li150. Full frame off restoration, better than new, electronic ignition, the whole 9 yards. My wife liked it but wouldn't learn to ride it because it was a 4 speed manual trans. I sold it at a vintage club rally and she said how much she missed it.

Last year she bought a 49cc Honda Jazz scooter (Metropolitan in the US) and got her M/C licence to ride it. (Must have a full M/C licence in Ontario). It's great fun around town, 60km/h wide open, 100mpg. The most fun you can have with 4hp.

[pinecone]

We have a Kymco People 50 - it's great. It's got a moped plate so in MN, you can park it anywhere. It's never traveled more than about 10 miles from home but we put probably 1500 miles on it each year. Virtually maintenance free and sips the gas.

[Bry]

At the moment, we've got a Scoopy 50 Honda and the other day I picked up a maxi scooter for the wife (majesty 250) so she'd have more power.. I thought heated bars were overkill till I saw the Yamaha's got a gas assisted strut under the seat.... with a boot light!


Now I'm just jealous!


Bry

[ken k]

I strongly considered getting a Suzuki Burgman 650 when I was looking at bikes. I love my R but sometimes I wonder, what if....
Perhaps I can get a burgman for my wife next year, than I can ride it ocassionally
ken k

[queenpdog]

We have a Honda Ruckus and it's a blast. I've ridden MC's for 15 years but some of the most fun times I have had on two wheels have been on the scooter. You can't knock it until you try it! There is just something so easy about jumping on a little 50cc bike and hitting the road.
I just bought a 1970 Honda CT70 last September. Still working on getting it dependable but looking forward to riding around town and a little off road.

[Bry]

I dabble in vintage bikes and a few years ago I restored a 1969 Lambretta Li150. Full frame off restoration, better than new, electronic ignition, the whole 9 yards. My wife liked it but wouldn't learn to ride it because it was a 4 speed manual trans. I sold it at a vintage club rally and she said how much she missed it.

Last year she bought a 49cc Honda Jazz scooter (Metropolitan in the US) and got her M/C licence to ride it. (Must have a full M/C licence in Ontario). It's great fun around town, 60km/h wide open, 100mpg. The most fun you can have with 4hp.

Hey DG!

The Jazz/Metro is the same as the Oz "Scoopy", you know you can derestrict these things? My wifes gets up to 75k's on the flat.... (off the speedo on the scooter) was following her on the Rockster... and I wanted to sleep... soo slow

I was told there's a washer in the trans you remove so the sleeve can throw out more to alter the gearing... go figure..

My face when they said "we've derestricted it for you", must have been funny...


Bry

[BigJugs]

Scooters are like fat girls.......

They both are lots of fun but you don't want your friends to see you with 'em!!!

Cheers,

[jonothan]

Scooters are like fat girls.......

They both are lots of fun but you don't want your friends to see you with 'em!!!

Cheers,

Oh how true! But I'm now at an age (46) when I really don't care what people think any more.

The fact is that I have to wear a suit, or jacket and tie, when I come to work. The BMW just isn't practical urban transport, whereas for the short journey to work and back, and for making house calls, the Vespa is perfect. The only protective gear I wear are helmet and gloves when I'm on the scoot.

Frank, the GT200 is fantastic, much better than the ET4 125. Liquid-cooled, four valve engine. It's a bit bigger than the ET and a very tasty machine. I rented one last year when I was on holiday in Italy. It was the best auto scooter I've ridden. Bar none. 80mph top speed.

I bought the ET4 off a guy on Ebay who'd imported two hundred of them from Germany. Brand new, cost me £1,000 instead of the £2,300 they normally cost. I changed the speedo to a UK mph one, fitted a side stand and a headlight lens that dipped to the left, total £120, and it's now full UK spec. Best purchase I ever made off Ebay.

Jonothan

[Leno]

I wear a suit everyday as well but do the sensible thing and change at work. That way I don't spoil the suit by getting it splashed and dirty on the road. That way the BMW is pratical urban transport.

I'm supprised that more people have not listed bicycles as an alternative for those short trips. Over a couple of miles they are as pratical as a scooter and are great for your health. I'm always shooting off to the shops on one of my bikes to get a pint of milk or what ever. And there is no petrol, tax or other running costs.

[massive attack]

Scoots are practical, cheap and dull, dull, dull, did I say dull, I meant very, very dull. Owned one once big 125 had lots of space under the seat and nearly sent me to sleep everytime I rode it! God made bikes for a reason guys. Someone shoot this thread it has to die

[bakernks]

I have a BMW F650GS that returns 70 m.p.g. does that count?

I'm strangely interested in the Mega-scooters, the 650burgman and the SilverWing.

I'm afraid I'll end up motoring down the turnpike someday, short, bald, in my blue jumpsuit, white shoes, tiny poodle dog in a carrier bungied to the back of a Yamaha supercharged 850 scooter.

If that vision doesn't make this thread die, nothing will.

[Jimmy Vespa]

[quote="jonothan"]I wondered if I'm the only one in this forum who owns a scooter (in my case, a Vespa ET4 125) as well as their BMW.

I have a Milano Red Vespa ET4(150)2005 that under some conditions is way more fun than the 04 R1150RA.

My first 2wheeled ride was in 1967 when I got a new Vespa 125

Scooters rock.

Ciao!
jimmy

[liamor]

I wondered if I'm the only one in this forum who owns a scooter (in my case, a Vespa ET4 125) as well as their BMW.

My daytime ride is a 2005 Honda Silverwing. I work in and around a busy city and the Silverwing is very practical. Don't have to arrive at clients office looking like a M/C Courier!.

up to 120 kph (75/80 mph) Siverwing is very quick due to CVT transmission.

My other Rides?

2002 R1150RA - Great bike, full of character! Great around town

2005 K1200S - Ruthlessly efficient, Quick, A pain to ride around town, lacks "Soul"

[touchton]

I've been wanting a scotter for the past couple of years. Rode several at the Honda Hoot this year that piqued my 'scooter fettish'.

Noticed in the paper this morning someone has a Aprilia Atlantic 500 for sale. Anyone have a opinon on this one?

Thad

[biggums]

Yup, I've got a 1998 Harley FLHT.