Does Anyone Own A Motor Scooter? If So Please Tell Me About It!

[iheartscience]

I''m thinking about getting a scooter to drive to work. If I get one it will probably be 50-100cc so I don''t have to get a motorcycle license or tags for it.

I live and work in the city (my apartment and my work are about 4 miles apart), so the speed limit is 25 mph everywhere I would be taking the scooter. Parking on the street is impossible where I work and the cost of parking in the decks really adds up quickly. But there is a special scooter parking area right next to the building I work at and it''s free.

However, I think riding to work on a scooter is obviously more dangerous than driving a car...plus I''m a little concerned about the scooter getting stolen. (I''m currently in an apartment building so it would have to stay outside.)

Anyone who has a scooter-what are the pros and cons? And what make/model do you recommend? I''d like to spend less than $3000 if I can. Thank you in advance!

 

[iheartscience]

Bump! Anyone? Pretty please?!

 

[justjulia]

Yep. Had that idea about a year ago. My sweet hubby got me a scooter that would go up to 55mph, so if I needed to I could get on the highway. Well, I loved it at first. The thing is, you have to be mentally super "on" at all times because there is balance, pot holes, ridges, construction, obstacles, dogs, and crazy as hell drivers out there. Then, there''s rain.
I had to redo my hair when I got to work, I couldn''t carry more than a gallon of milk at a time for side trips, couldn''t carry a lot of work with me, worried about being exposed when trying to get started in a parking lot, if caught in the rain, you have to pull over and wait it out wherever you are, you can''t answer a cell phone, can''t hold a drink, need to wear gloves and jacket to protect your skin, ....shall I go on?
Yes, it is a thrill and it only took like 3 bucks to fill up for 100 mpg.
The thrill and savings did not win out over the cons. I eventually gave it up.

 

[jet2ks]

Agree with a lot of what justjulia said. Now I have never had a scooter smaller than the one in my avatar

, though several friends ride them frequently, so take this for what it is worth.

Pros: (you already mentioned these) gas mileage, convenient short travel, ease of parking, can be very fun

Cons: as jj said, exposed to weather and all the stuff that goes with it, but the part to really think about is what she mentioned about being "on" at all times. Other drivers just don''t look for and see two-wheeled vehicles. You have to pay VERY close attention and be confident in your ability to control the scooter in unexpected situations. I can''t count the number of times cars have pulled out in front of me when riding (though I do put a lot of miles on the bike every year--last year was about 12,000) or done something else that requires me to evade or avoid them to prevent an accident. It won''t matter who is in the wrong, the more exposed rider gets the worst of a collision.

I don''t want to scare you off the scooter idea. They can be great. One of those good friends is an experienced motorcycle rider who has a big touring bike and a little 125cc scooter that he rides to work and he has a blast on it, in addition to saving a small fortune in gas. I''m a huge proponent of motorcyle riding, and by extension, scooters. I just want to make sure you''ve fully considered this before purchasing--which of course is why you are asking the question, right?

If you want to buy one, I''d suggest looking at used ones that someone else purchased and then found they didn''t ride very much. That could save you quite a bit on purchase price. Don''t forget to include a helmet and other safety gear/apparel in your budget.

 

[iheartscience]

Thanks justjulia and jet2ks! I figured those would be the cons but it''s good to hear from someone with experience. Hmmm...I have to think about it more. It really would be perfect for me, but I am very worried about other drivers! I used to ride a bicycle everywhere before I got my car so I think I''m pretty good at being on at all times if necessary. Not that that will keep me from getting run over, but still! And the weather thing is another thing I thought of...I''m sure that sucks!

One good thing about my area is that there are TONS of people on bicycles, etc., so I think people are relatively used to watching out for smaller things. But people still do drive like maniacs, I know. Hmmm...

 

[Indylady]

My boyfriend''s fiance has a scooter and loves it. Like everyone has said, great gas, extremely convenient parking. He goes to class on it daily and drives up and down the main road of a college town at about 40mph - he''s never gotten hurt or in an accident, but his friend who borrowed his scooter has. They walked away with skinned elbows and shins, I think that they (there were two of them on it)lost control somewhere near the apartment. I also think that they were being silly and that it would have never happened if they weren''t playing around.

Chances of an accident are certainly scary, but odds are you''ll be a pretty low speed, especially if there are a lot of bicyclers. He always has a helmet and one for a passenger. Also lives in an apartment and it has not gotten stolen (the apartment has a "motel" next to it that gets busted once or twice a year...I put motel in quotes because I think some people actually live there) Justjulia brings up an interesting point though, maintaining modesty in a skirt. And also makes me wonder if I''d ever feel afraid getting on and getting it started if I was someplace where I felt in danger. You can hop in a car and lock the doors, but not so much on a scooter.

 

[justjulia]

Date: 5/25/2009 12:46:43 AM
Author: szh07
My boyfriend's fiance has a scooter and loves it. Like everyone has said, great gas, extremely convenient parking. He goes to class on it daily and drives up and down the main road of a college town at about 40mph - he's never gotten hurt or in an accident, but his friend who borrowed his scooter has. They walked away with skinned elbows and shins, I think that they (there were two of them on it)lost control somewhere near the apartment. I also think that they were being silly and that it would have never happened if they weren't playing around.

Chances of an accident are certainly scary, but odds are you'll be a pretty low speed, especially if there are a lot of bicyclers. He always has a helmet and one for a passenger. Also lives in an apartment and it has not gotten stolen (the apartment has a 'motel' next to it that gets busted once or twice a year...I put motel in quotes because I think some people actually live there) Justjulia brings up an interesting point though, maintaining modesty in a skirt. And also makes me wonder if I'd ever feel afraid getting on and getting it started if I was someplace where I felt in danger. You can hop in a car and lock the doors, but not so much on a scooter.

Funny play on words with "exposed," as I was meaning "vulnerable" to attackers vs wearing a skirt kind of exposed. Both are a real concern. The other thing is trying to ride with high heels. But, I did enjoy the attention as I frequently tooled around in heels and a helmet with a flames design--talk about contradictory.

I think if I could do it again I would get a Vespa like cycle with 30cc or under. (Mine was 150cc.) It would be less heavy to push around and pull up on that levitated rear whell thing. My husband wanted me to be able to visit a good friend an hr away and thought I would be able to accelerate out of trouble with more cc's. Truth is, I did the trip out of town once and it wore me out. Not to mention, the fuel line broke and I was standed in something I could not sit in with the doors locked, in an area with poor cell reception. But it wasn't raining, lol.

Parking is a big chunk of our daily lives and it by itself would warrant trying a scooter if you live and work in an area with limited parking.

I would not do it if I worked at night. And wore skirts. And ever needed to haul pine straw.

You only live once. I think you should go for it. ((Just please be safe.)

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 5/25/2009 12:46:43 AM
Author: szh07
My boyfriend''s fiance has a scooter and loves it. Like everyone has said, great gas, extremely convenient parking. He goes to class on it daily and drives up and down the main road of a college town at about 40mph - he''s never gotten hurt or in an accident, but his friend who borrowed his scooter has. They walked away with skinned elbows and shins, I think that they (there were two of them on it)lost control somewhere near the apartment. I also think that they were being silly and that it would have never happened if they weren''t playing around.

Chances of an accident are certainly scary, but odds are you''ll be a pretty low speed, especially if there are a lot of bicyclers. He always has a helmet and one for a passenger. Also lives in an apartment and it has not gotten stolen (the apartment has a ''motel'' next to it that gets busted once or twice a year...I put motel in quotes because I think some people actually live there) Justjulia brings up an interesting point though, maintaining modesty in a skirt. And also makes me wonder if I''d ever feel afraid getting on and getting it started if I was someplace where I felt in danger. You can hop in a car and lock the doors, but not so much on a scooter.

Thanks for the info, szh! (Although I''m confused about your relationship with your boyfriend if he has a fiance!

Kidding-I''m sure you meant friend''s fiance!)

Luckily I wear skirts to work very rarely. My workplace is very casual and I wear jeans and flat shoes pretty much every day...but that''s still something to keep in mind! I don''t want to flash anyone on my way downtown!

 

[iheartscience]

Thanks for coming back and telling me more, justjulia! Good point about being vulnerable to attackers. That''s definitely something I am concerned about. My route to work doesn''t include any super sketchy places, but like anywhere else there are definitely sketchy people everywhere.

Luckily I don''t work at night, I don''t typically wear skirts (or high heels), and I don''t need to haul pine straw!

I may have to wait until after the wedding to spring for one, though, but I''ll keep you posted! And I promise to be safe if I do get one!

 

[Zaynah]

I have a Honda Metropolitan 50cc and a Vespa GTV 250cc. I started out on the Honda and eventually wanted/needed more speed and driving versitility.

I have a pic somewhere of my little Honda loaded down with groceries. I can easily carry 6-7 full bags of groceries. I had a removable basket on the back to carry into the stores and the purse hook on the inside can carry 2 bags.

They are great to get around town in. Parking is easy and plentiful in areas where it is hard to find auto parking. The Honda gets 100+ mpg and the Vespa gets around 65 mpg. Insurance on both is just under $100 for a full year.

You will notice things on the scooter that never caught your attention before. Nice landscaping and scenery, even great smells are you go thru an especially wooded area.

Some of the cons I have had are...they are attention magnets. I cant tell you how many times I wanted to pop into the grocery store or gas station and got caught up in answering someones questions. And people are constantly taking my picture while passing me on the street (this is a huge annoyance for me as I am a private person). I have also noticed a huge increase in dirt my white wash cloths as I get very dirty from the road. Other scooterists feel some sort of kinship or bond with you automaticly and want to start telling you what to do (again, I am a private person and strangers getting in my business is annoying).

Thats pretty much what I can think of at the moment. There are forums for scooterists if you want to ask questions about which bike is right for you. I highly suggest the Honda Met or the Yamaha Vino. Japanese scoots are great. Korean are ok too, but stay completely away from Chinese. Italian are nice too, but they are expensive and their metal bodies are hard to fix if ever needed.

 

[Zaynah]

You should also look at the Kymco People. It comes in different cc engines. It has large wheels so takes the roads better than those with smaller wheels. I had to have the retro look though so that is why I went with what I did.

Also, if you decide to buy, check out craigslist. They usually have low milage used scoots very reasonable.

 

[Zaynah]

Sorry for so many posts, I am having a time editing my posts to add content.

 

[iheartscience]

Zaynah, your scooter is awesome! Thank you for the info on the types to check out, too. I wanted to go to some scooter dealers today but everywhere was closed for the holiday. I''m going to try to check some scooters out next Saturday and test drive a few.

So weird that people try to take your picture! Scooters are becoming more popular where I live so hopefully no one will want to chat with me or take my picture.

Do you know anything about Genuine scooters? I heard that the Genuine Buddy is a good scooter, too. But I like the look of the Honda Met better, I think. I actually LOVE Vespas but I don''t think I want to spend that much on one until I''m sure I''ll actually use a scooter and like it!

 

[mrscushion]

I had a Vespa when I was younger and I loved it. At some point I''ll have one again. I LOVE riding on a scooter, but that said, I drove it in a pretty small town and in high-traffic areas with dangerous driving I might not love it as much. I would also be very worried about theft, as you say. There are things to secure the scooter with, and you''d need a little lockable basket or box on the back to keep them in.

 

[mausketeer]

Yay scooters! I don''t have one at the moment, but have had a Honda motorcycle and two scooters (both Yamahas. One was a BWS that was stolen, the second one was a Vino. I sold it to buy my car. I plan to get another one this summer)

I tell this to everyone who I hear is thinking of buying a scoot to save gas and for fun, if you''ve never ridden one before, please please PLEASE consider taking a motorcycle training class first. I promise you, it will be the best money you''ve ever spent. You will learn things you wouldn''t even THINK about unless you''d been riding for a very long time. They say two weeks of rider training is equal to two YEARS of riding. Even though you''ll be on a scoot, you''ll still be on the road surrounded by cars who aren''t used to driving around scooters, and they ARE dangerous, even though YOU''RE going slow. In a sense, scooters are MORE dangerous than motorcycles because you don''t have the added choice of acceleration to get out of a bad situation (my last scoot was a 50cc and I wouldn''t get another one. I''m going up to a 125 or 150cc next time).

Also, I ALWAYS wear:

- a brightly coloured helmet (your head is the most visible object on your bike - use it to make sure everyone can see you)
- full gloves even in the summer (your hands are the first thing to go down if you crash)
- boots or laced leather shoes, again, even in the summer (whoever said they rode in high heels is nuts. Your shoes go flying, you''re in trouble)
- a jacket, yes, even in the summer!

This might seem like overkill because everyone thinks, "hey, it''s just a scooter?" right but, your body doesn''t know that when it''s dragging across the pavement, you know? Even the 50cc ones get fast enough to cause some serious damage to your hands and feet if you get in an accident. Anyways..... that''s just my two cents.......