Each new motorcycle or scooter I’ve ridden feels heavy, and a little alien. Especially when I started riding. I remember when I moved from the LX150 to the GTS250 it was a little unnerving because of the weight and power increase. But with some deliberate practice of starting, stopping, and turning.

I think the more important thing to consider, especially when starting out, is being able to have both feet flat on the ground. Even the smallest Vespa scooters are very tall. I’m 6’2″ so it’s not a problem. My youngest daughter rides a scooter and the Vespa was too scary. So she chose a Yamaha Vino 125. It is much lower and she can easily flat foot that scooter.

I’m not sure where you live, but taking a training course is a good idea, one where you get to ride on a closed course. I took the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s Basic Rider Course even though I “knew how to ride.” And I’ve since taken the Advanced Rider Course twice. It definitely helps your confidence with the machine and on the road with other vehicles.

Once you ride a little more you’ll find the weight and inertia is not as imposing as it may feel now. It’s how people can ride thousand-pound motorcycles. It’s about the physics and allowing physics to do the work. A unique skill to acquire.

Good luck and be safe!

Yeah, the sidestand is less than I would have expected from BMW. Alas, just something to learn to deal with. It’s fun to ride in spite of that.

I need to put the replacement ink cartridges in my printer and get to work!

I’m with you, saving the bike from a fall isn’t worth it. The only reason I attempted it was I could feel the bike pushing against me as it started to go so the arrest was not jarring. At that moment I was ready to jump out of the way but could tell I was already holding it up. The real decision was whether I was strong enough to right it, or if I needed to just lower it to the ground. Had I not been able to rotate my back to the bike it would have ended up on the ground.

The weight of these things are startling when they begin to go. Even my Vespa. I’ve had to let it drop a few times over the years because I found myself between the scooter and earth in a bad position.

A friend at the Moto Hang said he got rid of his motorcycle after he broke a couple ribs when it fell over on him. I don’t want that or broken toes or anything else.

I am lucky and have learned my lesson. I won’t get in that particular stupid situation again!

A scooter will definitely remain in my life for the foreseeable future for all the reasons you mention. For now, the motorcycle seems a short-term addition until body or mind indicates it is too big and heavy to deal with. Right now I can manage the K75 without trouble save for developing some motorcycle-specific habits unique to the bike.

I can’t see myself ever needing or desiring an uber-scooter. But a few years ago I would have said the same about a motorcycle. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

One of your comments sums up EXACTLY what the difference is between my Vespa and the BMW K75 — “Wandering down the paved country roads my mind is focused only on the ride.” That’s it. When I’m on the BMW it is about the ride, the movement over the highway, the machine. I’m not as focused on the landscape, stopping to make photographs or breathing in the world like I am with the Vespa. No wonder it feels so different. Thank you for describing it so well.

Foot down in thin air — that’s no fun. I can imagine that happening easily if I’m not paying attention or can’t see the ground. The world isn’t always smooth. And the side stand on the K75 seems woefully inadequate. My habit is to put the motorcycle in neutral, turn off the engine, put the side stand down and then dismount. A few times I put it in first gear for fear it would roll off the stand. Have to fine tune my behaviors with the bike. But as you say, when I’m riding the BMW, there is a smile on my face!