Amen 👊🏻 👍🏻

Absolutely! There are so many choices for riding that a person just should ride what makes sense for them. And that can always change whether it’s moving to bigger machines or smaller machines.

The Street Glide Special is a lovely motorcycle. Did you get the matte black pipes? I’ve seen a couple around here but only in the sort of maroon color. Haven’t seen one in hot rod red with flames. That would be fantastic.

Be safe on that “bike not mean for a girl” !!! 😉

I find the ride on the Vespa to be quite pleasant. While certainly not like a motorcycle due to the smaller tires it has it’s own unique character. The Vespa is nimble in it’s ability to dart and dodge on the road. Some find this a bit unsettling compared to motorcycles that respond much more slowly, or at least require more positive inputs on the machine to respond.

The suspension is adequate to give a fine ride on smooth pavement and is ok on rougher stuff. Big potholes and obstacles are more challenging to deal with but I’ve never had any real problems.

The brakes, in my opinion, are outstanding. Having both brakes on the hand levers makes management of the braking process faster and positive. As will all motorcycles — the power is in the front brake. Both front and back are single rotor disc brakes and more than adequate to provide outstanding stopping power for the Vespa GTS.

I’ve ridden my Vespa in practically every sort of condition both on and off road. The only environs that the scooter is not up to are water crossings (the air intake is very low on the scoot) and deep mud and sand. More aggressive tires would help but even then the small wheels make navigation difficult.

On the pavement there is nothing I fear. The Vespa GTS will go anywhere on any highway.

Hope this helps.

Jim — I’m going to steal part of your comment for a future post — “The Weak Minded.” That has me thinking…

The entire conversation around the size of motorcycles is kind of pre-rigged to favor the “bigger is better” idea. Or at least that in most cases, a progression exists. And for those not gullible enough to swallow that logic, there’s the function and convenience argument of seat comfort, accessories, payload capacity and a raft of other things that disqualify smaller machines from those conversations. Certainly works in the four wheel world.

You raise perhaps the most important consideration — our bodies, especially as it surfaces with aging. Most already embrace choices related to their height. Adding the machine’s weight and our ability to manage it would be an important area as well.

I suppose as long as each of us as individuals recognize our needs and limits as informed riders, then we’ll make the right decision for ourselves. But absent that recognition, you’re left choosing for questionable reasons.

I could never understand that moniker applied to the Harley 883. By every measure I know, it’s a big, heavy bike. But I suppose when there’s something bigger available all else pales…

Even though that particular twist may be a North American, I can’t believe that there’s not some other similar mindset in play everywhere.

I have a 750cc Kawasaki alongside my 250 scooter and 250 Rebel. I leave labels to the weak minded. The ride is the thing. It’s not important what you ride. It’s that you ride.

Its funny because I’ve had this very conversation with other riders who are thinking of ‘down grading’ for the lack og a better term. Quite a few common points are the weight of the behemoth bikes they are riding and that they do want something more nimble and flickable. I think there does come a time when sometimes less is more, particularly as we get older and can’t muscle around tge big bikes any longer or choose not to, I also think that the market has reached a saturation point for big bikes for a few reasons, bigger usually means more money, higher insurance rates, changing/aging demographic which are supporting big bike purchases anymore and new riders looking to get a nimble machine that isn’t going to bust the bank when purchased and lets face it the boomers are aging out and many are hanging up the keys and trading their bikes in for sports cars so they can still experience the wind in their face rrom a mch more comfortable vantage point. So I agree entry level doesn’t necessarily mean beginning point, I just think ‘exit level’ bike isn’t exactly a positive strategy marketting bikes to an aging demographic.