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Oof. I rode my Silverwing w/ sidecar sans helmet while traveling through Illinois to see what it was like. F* no to that, big time. Windburn, bugs, pelted with road dirt, getting dry eyes from the wind ... I felt like a rebel simply being a woman who did x-country rides by myself (earning me lectures from random people and cops who stopped me when I didn't wear leathers to cover my gender). I didn't need the foolishness of a bare face in the wind.
State that are not helmet-mandatory should require those who choose not to wear a helmet to post a hundred-grand bond to take care of their needs when their brain-pan is strewn across the highway. I ride in TX now, helmets are not mandatory here and the only ones I see not wearing them are the H-D nuts. I feel naked without my helmet.
I'd go with a 300-500 cc scooter. X-town 300i, Yamaha XMAX...etc.
Being older and having had many traditional MCs over time I wanted something lighter and with a low center of gravity.
I did not intend to do any two up riding or anything long distance anymore.
I picked up a used Suzuki Burgman 400. CVT and ABS braking too.
It appears to be a very stable ride and has very nice handling.
Different for sure.
It might be my last ride at my age.
State that are not helmet-mandatory should require those who choose not to wear a helmet to post a hundred-grand bond to take care of their needs when their brain-pan is strewn across the highway. I ride in TX now, helmets are not mandatory here and the only ones I see not wearing them are the H-D nuts. I feel naked without my helmet.
My thoughts exactly!
The first time I moved to AZ back in the Summer of 2007, due to nutty heat, I said "WTH! Lemmie try riding without a helmet!" I only rode for about a mile or so before I turned back to put the helmet on.
I much rather ride a bike naked than ride without a helmet even though the former is not quite legal.
I'd go with a 300-500 cc scooter. X-town 300i, Yamaha XMAX...etc.
I have to agree.
Many smaller displacement scooters are pretty show getting going, cars may well tailgate you.
I am older and had some 20+ MCs in my life. I decided I wanted something lighter but still wanted power to move out and something that would do higher highway speeds without a problem.
I found a 2015 Suzsuki Burgman 400 with a rediculous 1466 original miles on it. The previous owner just did not ride it much at all. He too was an older guy who had MCs all his life.
Everything I have read says the Burgmans are reliable. You might want to check them out, they sell lots of them.
Tom's Guide, a pretty reputable company, has a review of standing e-scooters. These ones all are in the $1000 range, weigh between 30 lbs and 60 lbs, have a range of roughly 30 miles, and go about 15 mph.
It seems like there's a convergence of seated scooters and standing scooters; you can get a seated e-scooter for around $800-$1000 that might be more comfortable for some people.
I personally don't like the idea of standing at 20 mph or faster, though it's probably fun for teens. Dangerous, though. I hit a pothole and fell off an original unpowered Razor scooter back in the day and banged my knee so bad I thought I was crippled for life, but luckily it healed okay. I never touched the thing again.
Yamaha had announced an e-scooter back in '21, and electrek website talked about it in '22, yet there's nothing about it on their website. Did they give up on the idea?
Yahama has a really nice looking 2023 traditional scooter, the Zuma 125, that starts at $3800. 125CC, 101 mpg, 250+ lbs, the usual specs. However I could find zero inventory in my region (Northeast). I wonder honestly if they're still really in the business.
Honda has a crazy little thing called Motocompacto coming out in November. $995. Pretty standard stats, 15 mph, 12 miles range, 41 lbs. Designed to take you the "last mile" after parking your car in the commuter lot or wherever.
And then of course there are a whole bunch of China-made e-scooters from Niu et al. I guess those might be worth the risk, as long as you get from an authorized dealer with a repair department.
I wouldn't ride a scooter at 55 MPH. Their small wheels make them much less stable than bikes w/ large wheels and they have lousy brakes. Unless you need to get somewhere in a hurry, an eBike is a lot more fun. I ride mine to where I'm going, take the battery out, and put it on a fast charger inside. Then I slip it in back into the bike when I go home. The fun thing about an eBike is they fly under the radar. Cops see them as a regular bike and don't even notice them.
Take it from an old motorcycle rider, 2 wheels at speed is something you need to work up to, and the faster you go, the greater the chances are of being seriously hurt or killed when you drop it, and you WILL drop it at some point. The eBikes keep the speeds in the safe range around 25 MPH, which feels like going 80 MPH on a motorcycle. I've lost a lot of good friends due to motorcycle wrecks, and it is MUCH more dangerous on the roads today because everyone and their dog is on a stupid phone and not paying attention to driving. It only takes one split second of inattention to end up in the ER or the morgue.
I wouldn't ride a scooter at 55 MPH. Their small wheels make them much less stable than bikes w/ large wheels and they have lousy brakes. Unless you need to get somewhere in a hurry, an eBike is a lot more fun. I ride mine to where I'm going, take the battery out, and put it on a fast charger inside. Then I slip it in back into the bike when I go home. The fun thing about an eBike is they fly under the radar. Cops see them as a regular bike and don't even notice them.
Take it from an old motorcycle rider, 2 wheels at speed is something you need to work up to, and the faster you go, the greater the chances are of being seriously hurt or killed when you drop it, and you WILL drop it at some point. The eBikes keep the speeds in the safe range around 25 MPH, which feels like going 80 MPH on a motorcycle. I've lost a lot of good friends due to motorcycle wrecks, and it is MUCH more dangerous on the roads today because everyone and their dog is on a stupid phone and not paying attention to driving. It only takes one split second of inattention to end up in the ER or the morgue.
Don't let your guard down, just because you're on a bicycle. Drivers aren't used to people traveling 40mph in the bike lane. This is especially true when they make a right turn in front of a bike rider. They have no idea of the speed ebikes are capable of....
I learned to drive on a Vespa clone and I love their looks. Currently the largest Vespa 300 has a 278 cc single cylinder engine and a top speed around 80 mph. Cost is $ 8,000 plus taxes and fees.
Just out of curiosity I checked the user guide for maintenance schedule. They need a major service every 6 K miles. The service is much more than changing fluid and plugs. I called 6-7 dealers for cost. The 3 dealers who actually bothered to answer the phone quoted between $ 500 to $ 1,500 and had to leave the machine for 3 days. The other dealers were like calling the IRS and wait. No one was willing to give a solid estimate.
Imagine a kid buying a Vespa to save gas and the next year he needs $ 1,500 for service. The major service is more complex than a service on a 6-cyl Honda Accord - I was a Honda master tech so please believe me.
Among the 4 bikes I owned, Honda CB 125 and CB 450, Suzuki G1000 and Kawasaki GPZ 1100 my combined total cost of maintenance was less than $ 700 in 12 years of use and this includes tires.
I realize Vespas don't get driven long distances daily like cars and the bigger bikes, nevertheless they won't save you much money.
Last edited by mgforshort; 01-05-2024 at 05:02 PM..
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