Ducati Men. My friends Ken Hull and Paul Ruby posing this morning on the way to Way Fruit Farm in Stormstown, Pennsylvania for breakfast. A few miles down the road we’d run into a rural traffic jam — three turkeys in the middle of the road resisting being herded off the pavement by a guy on an ATV and another on a bicycle. Should of stopped to make a picture but, well, I’ve seen turkeys on the road before.
The ride this morning reminded me of a question I hear a lot — should I get a scooter or a motorcycle? A few days ago I was talking with a woman about her choice of motorcycles and she explained that friends told her she wouldn’t be able to keep up on a 650cc bike she was considering and ended up choosing a Honda 1100cc Shadow instead. I was tempted to ask how fast her friends rode but remained silent.
Riding this morning my mind worked over the scooter vs. motorcycle question.
For me the answer depends on needs and choices in these three areas:
1. Form — the physical being of the machine. Size, shape, looks, chrome, power, wheel size, lights, seat height, etc. Choices in this area are guided by all sorts of real and imagined desires and needs. It often comes down to “I like the looks of that.”.
2. Function — how the machine performs. Speed, handling, comfort, maintenance. All the on the road riding stuff that gets you where you’re going, handles the route you’ve chosen, and keeps you safe and comfortable. As straightforward as this seems there is a lot of denial and delusion at work about all of this stuff.
3. Ego — what an individual requires to feel “ok” in the world. Just like clothes, hairstyle, and a million other little things, a person can be driven or influenced by what they think others think of them. Or how they brand themselves. Of the three areas I believe this is the decider. No matter how much sense a choice makes in area one or two, it has no chance at all if the ego says no.
So what about a scooter vs. a motorcycle? I can’t speak for anyone but me. Here’s what I know:
1. My 250cc Vespa can keep up with any motorcycle riding legally and safely. With a top speed of 75mph it’s a not issue on backroads or the freeway. Certainly more work to ride a light scooter at high speeds but it is possible.
2. A scooter isn’t as rugged. Speaking about my Vespa I can say it has been pretty reliable save for things I overlooked. As 23K miles nears on the odometer I feel comfortable it can go another 23K without issue. I’ve read of riders surpassing the 50K mark without needing any rebuilds or reworking.
3. A scooter isn’t good offroad. Well, depends what you are doing. I’ve ridden offroad with mine but would want more aggressive tires if I was going to do a lot of it. And it absolutely can’t handle water crossings of any depth beyond a couple inches deep. The air intake is low and will suck in water and make you sad.
My gut feeling about why people shy away from scooters are feelings that they aren’t serious vehicles, they’re too light weight and underpowered, and they just don’t fit a lot of rider’s idea of who they are as a rider. And that’s fine. Choosing a machine is personal and you should choose something you like and feel comfortable with.
But don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t keep up or that you’ll be worn out after a day on a Vespa.
Horse apples.
Besides, a Vespa is far easier to negotiate practically anything over a Harley, BMW, Ducati, or any motorcycle. In my humble opinion and based on a lot of miles on a lot of different motorcycles.
And it is far easier to use in the winter when you may run into snow or ice. A LOT easier.
Paul and Ken get pretty animated after spending some time astride their Ducati’s. When they ride their BMW and Harley respectively they’re quiet, almost somber, lost in thought and worrying about what people think about them on the road.
Maybe I’m projecting.
Anyways, it was a great way to start a Saturday morning, good ride to breakfast, had to deal with rain on the way home but that’s just part of the riding experience.
A couple of years ago I put about 1500 miles on a Honda Helix (250cc for the non-scooter people). It was fun to ride around town, fine for running an errand or picking up a few groceries. I put about 130 miles on it one day going to the Great Southwest Scooter Fiesta and also had occasion to ride it around an official MSF BRC course. The Helix always felt like it was working HARD above 55 mph.
I have to say that all in all I prefer motorcycles by a large margin with most of the reasons tied to better handling.
No knocking scooters, though, they are fun and they have their own slightly different kulture to them which is less hard edged than motorcycle culture. If one is caught up in the macho thing then a motorcycle is the way to go — be sure to get a black t-shirt with lots of skulls and flames so everyone knows you’re tough. People more at ease with themselves can enjoy a scooter just as well but those who wish to roll up 200 – 500 mile days will probably be better served by a motorcycle.
Steve,
I don’t mind your projecting and in fact, rather enjoyed it. I’ve solved the scoot vs. cycle question by going both ways. You’ve covered the highlights of scooter ownership well I believe, the types of roads ridden a major factor in choosing though.
If I had to winnow the ‘herd’ down to one machine?
I’d own small wheels.
Steve, does it have to be either… or? I prefer to have both available. However, I usually log a lot more miles on my scooter as it is the perfect commuter vehicle and also ideal for running errands.
Being in Europe there is no shame in riding a smallish bike. I have been riding all across Europe with 500cc and less, and always kept up with the big guys as long as they followed the posted legal speed limit.
If I had to chose… I would opt for my Vespa, as it is a multi purpose bike, while a motorcycle like my Sportster is just for riding…
Scooters are cool and practical, a bike is an adrenaline rush. A bike with bags and a windscreen can be practical too. I’ve got both in the garage.
For me it all came down to what I was planning on using the bike for. I commute daily on my bike. I need to carry my lunch, laptop, and odds and ends in daily.
For me, a scooter offered more options as a daily commuter than a motorcycle did. It also offered better gas mileage.
So for me, the choice was simple.
Your post, and the comments, serve to reinforce my belief about the decline and eventual demise of the motorcycle/scooter industry in the U.S. — a motorcycle or scooter is almost never simply transportation. There’s almost always a culture/lifestyle attached to anything with two wheels and an engine (or not… this is also true among bicyclists). There are very, very few motorcycles sold in the U.S. that could serve as nothing more than a way to get to work and back, due to size, weight or other factors like ergonomics (most motorcycles cause me to put my weight on my shoulders and arms, which gets really tiring, really quickly; lots of them are too top-heavy for my increasingly wobbly legs to hold up).
As for scooters, people who ride them more than once or twice often quickly discover how incredibly expensive frequent dealer service visits called for in the owner’s manuals can be.
__Orin
Scootin’ Old Skool
For me, safe and effective shifting on a motorcycle in traffic would require more practice time than I could devote to it. Moreover, the comparatively lighter weight of the scooter was a huge plus as well, as I am now AARP eligible. For many older riders, the practicality and simplicity of the scooter design means their riding days can continue beyond what they could manage on a motorcycle. You did not mention the three-wheeled bikes, like trikes and can-ams, and I wonder what your view of these bikes would be? They sure carry a much bigger price tag, which is one final advantage that a scooter brings over most motorcycles.
Doug: Thanks for weighing in. Your experience is certainly broad and deep.
Much of my time on the Vespa falls in the around town, errand riding you describe. In that arena the Vespa excels.
I have done a fair amount of long rides and it works for me there as well but in the interest of full disclosure I should say that I generally avoid direct, high speed routes opting instead for the meandering backroads. Speed and power aren’t much of an issue. I’ve done some 300+ days on the Vespa without any problems from the scooter.
I was hoping I could get a t-shirt with skulls!
Coop: Someday I predict there will be a motorcycle in the garage along with the scooter. At least it crosses my mind from time to time.
For now, I am a one trick pony….
SonjaM: Until I bring order to the garage it definitely is a one machine place.
A friend offered me use of his Sportster — he broke his ankle and doesn’t want it sitting unused for a few months. I think I’ll take him up on it and give the Harley experience another try.
kz1000st: I’ve never gotten an adrenalin rush on a motorcyle, at least not the kind most people associate with motorcycles. I guess that says a lot about the kind of rider I am….
And even on the Vespa — all the adrenalin rushes have come during the winter on snowy roads…
Robert Wilson: From a purely utilitarian perspective a scooter is hard to beat.
Orin: Your negative vibes are getting me down man! You’re talking about the end of the riding world and I’m thinking about how I can keep riding when I’m 80 years old.
I do agree with you that most motorcycles and scooters sold are purely recreational, and probably often impulse purchases. And while there are serious riders clocking big mileage there are very few riders who consider their machine their primary means of transportation.
As far as expenses related to scooters go — they are what they are. I’ve quit trying to make sense of them. Or for cars for that matter. The day of the $75 repair is gone. Everytime I take the car or scooter in for service I think like this:
Scooter: At least $350.00
Car: At least %750.00
it’s often less but I gird myself against frustration.
maestro: While a smaller scooter would be easier to manage when I’m older (I’m AARP eligible too) there are smaller motorcycles that would be as well. Shifting is so ingrained in my muscle memory that it isn’t an issue. Something from all those weekends as a kid on a dirtbike.
The threewheeled machines don’t thrill me in the same way that a sidecar rig doesn’t — it doesn’t give the fluid, leaning feel of a motorcycle. The Piaggio MP3 does though since it still leans. It’s definitely something to consider as an aging rider choice. I loved riding them.
Steve: I just added an MP3 500 to the group in my garage. What a fantastic bike/scooter! It replaced the MP3 250 I had. I think it will keep me going beyond the 80 year age group, as I’m only 3 years away now. The one thing I added that has made the scooter much more comfortable for me is a Utopia backrest.
I also have a GTS 300S that is neat, but not quite as stable feeling as the MP3.
Anyway, the scooter is very, very convenient from several standpoints, as have been mentioned here, and I certainly hope I’m riding well into my eighties, as can you. The one drawback for many, tho not me at present, is the seat height of many scooters…sometimes makes it a bit much of a reach.
karlu: Thanks for the report on the MP3-500. I always wondered if it wouldn’t be my ride when I get older. Seemed much easier to manage a lot of balance and strength issues with the ability to lock the wheels when you near a stop. When I was riding the MP3-250 I could go on and on without ever putting my feet down. Took some practice to manage the wheel lock but I thought then –“This is in my future”.
Keep me informed on your progress as you count down the three years. I need to know that there are others out in the world who have blazed a trail I hope to follow!
“she explained that friends told her she wouldn’t be able to keep up on a 650cc bike she was considering and ended up choosing a Honda 1100cc” How wrong that is. As you know I rode 80 mph down the Interstates to Daytona, loaded with camping gear, on a Burgman 400. How often I’ve heard the story of a woman buying a Harley to fit in with her friends and/or husband, then doesn’t often take it out of the garage because it’s too heavy.