5 years and countless miles

Tomorrow, it will be five years since I started this page.  

Five years ago I put myself out into the blogging world and let the chips fall where they may.  I've maintained other blogs, and have done some other writing before this blog of course...and I can honestly and truly say that I've been paid for my content as well (although I write strictly for fun now).

Hopefully my writing has improved when it comes to motorcycling and scootering topics.  As I reread my first piece and a few others of my early blog, I can't help but cringe.  Although the enthusiasm was there, the knowledge was not.  Over that time period I've grown in knowledge and experience at least.

I started riding a small Yamaha Zuma 125; which was wonderful for the city streets of Tampa, but not so good for the move to the rural country about a year before the blog started.  I had no one to train me, no one to ride with and I put on a lot of miles just scooting around parking lots and fields before I took the bike out into the street.  I remember often pulling over late at night to allow a car to pass me because I was paranoid about getting hit from behind.

Today I ride on highways and back roads equally with no fear, and although I still watch my mirrors, I've not as paranoid as I once was.

I have grown as a rider in many ways, but I'm still just a "scooter commuter" in that I've not ridden that far.  I've not driven across the state, I've not ridden over two hundred odd miles in one day.  In fact, I've only a couple 150 mile days under my belt.  There always seems to be some excuse, some other demand on my time and life.  Kimmie's got more than enough room for an overnight bag and that's something I want to work on during the next five years.  Going further, riding out and staying the night, even camping.

I don't see myself giving up motorcycling anytime soon.  Although when I feel I have nothing left to say, or the blog becomes more of a chore than fun, then this blog will simply disappear into the mists of internet lore.  I certainly hope it helped another rider in some small way.

Frankly though, adding mileage to my bike has been one of my goals this year.  I'm out on the bike more than I have been in some time. I'm not even watching the weather like a hawk that match anymore, since I feel that pretty confident that I can ride in almost anything.

Nor am I sure how long I'm going to have Kimmie.  I told Susan yesterday that I plan on running her into the ground...and I probably will.  She's a good bike and I've added a few farkles to her over time as well.   She's a lot like me.  Not that flashy, hard working and reliable but not to be underestimated.  She's stronger than she looks but has been scratched and dented by life.   Kymco is not a big name bike in America, but I would buy another in a heartbeat. 

Here's to another five years.  Here's to countless miles.  Here's to fun, friendship and the wonder that only cresting a hill and seeing the world spread out before you can bring.  Here's to riding.  

Fear

I've been giving a lot of thought lately to fear.

Fear of riding, fear of falling, fear of failing, fear of starting something new, of losing someone and some things.  Fear matters.  It motivates and it stops us. Our fight or flight reactions sometimes guide us or fail us.  We conquer it and wonder what scared us so.  We pay to be fearful every October.  Fear excites us, it scares the living hell out of us.

When I commute I sometimes take a different route and on that road is a rather easy "S" bend that quickly turns into a hard left.  It's a busy one lane road and the turn requires you to slow down drastically, going from about 40 MPH (64.4 KPH)  to 10 MPH (16 KPH) in seconds.  It's a good lean and when down right you feel the G force and stay in the lane.  When it's not done right you are put instantly into a three lane road just like a slingshot.

For a long time I would not take that road.  That turn scared the hell out of me.

Then one day I did.  Then another day.  Then the day after that.  I overcame that fear.  That being said I still give that turn a lot of respect.    I still slow down drastically, I still fear it but it's now more of a healthy respect.

Selfie

Over the last week or so I've been in class.  So my riding this past week has been drastically reduced.

This class is something new for me, I've not been in a University environment in over 20 years.  I have to learn a lot.  Like the teacher said, "You have a week to learn what normally takes a quarter to teach."  I'm fearful that I won't pass it.  That I won't be given the job promised me if I fail.  Its a lot of pressure but the payoff could be worth my weight in gold (and I'm pretty fat).

Assuming all works like I hope, I'll have to ride a little further each day but will be working daylight.  The pay would be at least 3K more a year than I make now.  It has the potential to be more, and I would be management for a change.  Good changes...but tinged with fear.  I would also have to ride the highway during rush hour...which is fearful in the relative safety of my car.

In my class I met a younger man who just bought his first motorcycle, a Suzuki S40 and I'll admit I was looking at one too some time ago.  He had taken the safety course and bought the bike used.  In the last 6 months he managed to put a little over 1,500 miles (2414 km) on it.  He stated he was fearful of it.  That he would not ride on roads that had cars or people on them.  I thought about when I first started and how, particularly at night, I would let the cars pass me on my little Zuma 125.

He told me a story about the Howard Franklin Bridge that he swore he never ride again.  I know the feeling all to well.  But we do these things and overcome our fears.

Sadly, this was fatal for the biker.

I'm not sure what drove us to motorcycling and all I know is that I don't have the love for it I once did.  I'm fearful of that.  I don't want my bike to be a garage queen and I don't want my miles to only number in the low thousands at the end of the year.  I'm fearful that he will never really develop a taste for it and just be another lost soul.

He asked me what it was like when I went down.  All I could do was stress training, riding and ATGATT.  What else could I do?  What else could I do to curtail that fear?

Then I told him something a wise rider once told me.  "Going down ain't the problem, it's what you do once you get up that matters.  Don't let that fear get to ya."

We don't have to be fearful.  We just do what we need to do.

18 months and exploring Plant City

I received an email the other night from the dealership I bought Kimmie off of, according to the email I owned her for 18 months now.  I actually had to go back and do the math, using all my fingers and part of my toes during the process.

In some ways it feels longer than that.  In other ways, shorter.  I started this blog on August 22,2011.  I recently upgraded from a little Yamaha Zuma 125 to a Suzuki Burgman 400.  I made my first post about Kimmie way back on February 2, 2013.

In just under four years I've managed to go down twice, hurting myself pretty badly on the second one.  Travel countless miles, see lots of things that I would have never of seen otherwise, met new and interesting people.  I even got to take a brief cruise to the Bahama's and ride in a foreign country.  All of this opportunity may have been open to me in a car...but you actually need to go.

On the bike...I didn't want to stop for the longest time.  Then it took me a long time to get back on the beast, to put away demons and just fall in love all over again with the idea of riding.

So with that in mind I decided to take a Saturday morning and ride up to Plant City.  This little burg is sort of a Tardis...it's bigger on the inside.  It has a reputation of being a bit backward and agricultural, despite being in the same county as Tampa.  Frankly, it is.  The area surrounding the town is largely flat and the roads straight.  Farmland stretches for miles.

It's been called the Strawberry Capital of the World, a distinction shared by many cities, for a reason and is home to the Florida Strawberry Festival.  The town even has a dedicated fairground just for that event.  The strawberry's are wonderful and the festival is a lot of fun, although it involves mostly country musical acts and traditional country crafts like quilting displays.

The downtown area is like any small city in America, the population is over 34 thousand after all.  What interests me about a place is the odd, the unusual...what gives the place its soul?

To be honest other than strawberries, I'm not sure what gives this town it's soul.  It has a few beautiful homes in the historic district, a train depot and museum and....what?  .

Certainly not Dinosaur World!  I suppose if I was 5 or 6 years old this would be a neat place to be with life size statues of long dead fantastic creatures.    It sits just off the I-4 highway and you can't miss it's big mascot sitting at the gates.


There is also a small winery in town which doubles as a craft brewery.  I've not had the beer but I've tried the wine before.  Frankly I was not impressed but was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, and I've always been a hard cider fan as well.  I stopped at their tasting room, only to find it closed.  Considering I was riding on the bike, it was probably for the best.  Perhaps when I'm up this way next.

I just might pass that Franchise opportunity to a friend of mine that sells Chocolates.

All told, it was a good day out, a nice satisfying 75 miles (120.7 KM) where I was not rushing to work or had a particular destination in mind.  I'll take it.

There's a ghost in the glass!

The Bahama's - A little jaunt with memories that last a lifetime.

“The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see.” ― G.K. Chesterton

I was trying to pay attention to the road, trying to keep my eye on my girlfriends daughter who, while having riding bikes and small motorbikes, had never ridden a scooter this far, this fast before.  I was riding behind her in front of the tail-gunner and trying to keep an eye on the rear view mirror of my little Yamaha for the jeep that my Susan and her mother had rented to follow along.  I didn't have much to worry about.  Steph handled the scooter very well, she scared me twice (once where she took a turn to quick and stuck out her foot) and another where she was looking at the lovely countryside and not paying attention to the road and nearly missed a turn.

My little island steed

My ride was a little cramped Yamaha 100 to 125 cc, it was more than a little hot but the traffic keeps moving in the Bahama's thanks to only a few stop lights but what seems like 101 traffic circles on the island.  It kept the air moving.  I had learned about the trip through the Shiftless Scooter Club and the Palm Beach Scooter Club.  As I sit here safely back in the states I find myself wishing that I could have spent more time there.  The people of the Bahama's are amazingly friendly and helpful, not asking for a dime when we required assistance (more on that in a bit).  The roads were in very good shape and there were enough twists to keep it interesting, but not particularly challenging.

I went to ride somewhere new, to visit another country and see things that I may new see again.  To explore history, to meet the people.  For the community and joy of riding with other scooter lovers.  I went to dip my feet in the bluest water, to buy things for family and friends...just to get away from the daily stress of life.  To drink.

The guy that lead the trip I've ridden with once before in a group setting.  He's and excellent leader, finding a pace that fits all the riders and keeps the group together in a tight formation for the most part.   I admit I probably drove the tail-gunner (a guy named Jack) a little crazy as I often fell back a little bit to take in the Bahama's scenery and to give Steph more than ample room to steer.  Again it struck me that I was more of a solo rider than anything.

The group stopped at a stony beach with some of the bluest water on the planet and more than one person dismounted to dip their feet in the water or look for shells and coral.  My lovely Susan and her mother had volunteered their services to transport these treasures in their rented jeep beforehand.  Sadly 5 or 10 minutes later we were again on the road.

We passed lovely old cemeteries, beaches, churches - one of which looked as if the hand of God itself and twisted the metal (I will link the ride video here once posted).  I can understand why a lot of bikers get interested in photography...you want to remember these things.  Riding alone I'm able to stop and explore and read the signs, talk to the locals.  Groups just keep on moving.

When traveling in a foreign land I am always struck how the people live, what is important to them.  Well many of the homes we passed would be considered "shacks" by US standards, I was impressed that for the most parts the yards were clean and neat, I saw a few gardens about.  The people were friendly, beeping thanks as I waved a few by.  When Sue got lost in a roundabout and drove some 15 miles out of the way, a very nice woman insisted on showing her the way back...not taking a dime for her troubles.  "Your a guest in our country" is all she said.  One could just sense the pride the Bahamian people had in their country.

We had lunch in a little local restaurant where a story was told that the owner of the scooter place received $1 for everyone that ate there on his recommendation.   The food was good but frankly to Americanized.  I would not have minded a little bit of the native food, a little taste of the islands.  Instead I settled for a Sands beer.

I knew I would have to head back to this island.  The Bahama's had impressed me in many ways, and I know I would return next year...only this time I would spend more than a day.  I would spend time on the beach, time shopping, time getting to know the islands and the islanders.  I would spend time riding.

Thank you people of the Bahama's.  You made the trip wonderful.

As we headed back home to Tampa I showed off a local free attraction called "Spook Hill"  to Sue's mother and daughter.  They were not that impressed.

The blogger and his "daughter" listening to last minute instructions.

Various riders enjoying lunch.

More pictures can be found on my Facebook page.

Balance and counter balance

In a little under two weeks I will be on a cruise to the Bahama's.  My third cruise overall.  I'm going for one reason and one reason only...to scoot.  Due to the relative low price of the trip my "mother-in-law" and Susan's lovely daughter will be traveling along.

I am very much in need of this week's vacation.  Work has been hectic with lots of mandatory overtime, on top of the usual hectic work I do on the side.  Lately however I've been thinking of passing that work onto others, I'm at that point where I would like to concentrate on other things.  Plus I recently applied for a new position in my company where I would work days and no weekends even though it would extend my commute by only 15 miles.  The problem is that part of it is on the highway and since it's daylight, I would be dealing with rush hour traffic.  But lets get the job first before even thinking about that mess!

Stephanie, my long time girlfriend's daughter, wants to go riding with me while we are in the Bahama's on her own scooter.  This is her first time on a scooter.  I'm not really worried about her to much, because she knows how to drive 4 wheeler's and has been riding bicycles for years.  It's getting over that initial fear of doing something new.  She wants to learn to ride, and guess whose shoulders it falls on to teach her "just the basics."  If she enjoys it and does not kill herself I can see a bike in her future.  She's a tomboy and the adventuresome sort.  A dual sport would be perfect for her.  I think her mother would agree with me however, she will go to a certified Motorcycle training course before getting her bike.  Plus the scooters on the islands are "relatively small" meaning they are in the 100 to 125 cc range.  Enough power to get you where you need to go but not enough to be overpowering.

I am trying to think back to when I first got on my little Yamaha Zuma 125.  I had not taken the MSF class yet and must have rode for 100 miles in parking lots before taking it out into traffic.  I simply got used to the bike below me.  How it turned, braked, felt under me.  The first time I turned into traffic I hit a loose patch of gravel and down I went.  I cursed, picked up the bike and got it off the street asap.  I wasn't hurt but my pride certainly was.  It also taught me important lessons.  One of which become my mantra..."Cocky will get you killed."  I don't like the idea of throwing her on a bike like this.

Because of her inexperience we will take it slow, sticking to the beach areas and away from the twisties.  I would love to get into the interior of the islands to see the "real Bahama's", try some island food and maybe find some Cashew Wine again!  I want to get out of the tourist areas.  We will go as far as she feels comfortable going.

Personally I'm looking forward to this trip, I need a vacation.  I need to meet some people in the scooting community, I need to make some friends.  I need balance.

Baby Steps - in response to another blog

When I first decided to ride I knew there would be some issues.  Some costs and some things to overcome. I sometimes wonder if my getting a motorcycle was purely due to economic reasons, or was it something called a "mid life crisis."  Rather a bike than a blond I suppose.

I've piled up the miles on my bike running back and forth to my job, the sometimes odd errand and occasional ride over the hill just to see what's there.  I would not say that I've become a motorcycle enthusiast but I understand why people are attracted to this sport.

For me, it's nice to not have the distractions of a modern day car, GPS blaring turn here or there.  Radio blasting some forgotten song or useless top 40 bubblegum crap.  It's me, the road and my brain and body engaged in a simple dance.  Pay attention to that turn, is that a deer?  What is that moron doing?

That fact that I am thinking about dropping $1000 dollars into a machine who's Kelly Blue Book value is about $2500, just so I can get a few more years riding out of it speaks to my commitment I think.  I am in love with my machine.

Another blogger, Doug over at Forty Years on Two Wheels, recently wrote a wonderful piece about the death of smaller cc motorcycles.   I know for me, I started off on a small Yamaha Zuma 125 before moving up to the current 400cc Burgman.

His argument, and I fully agree with it, is that one of the reasons there are so few new riders is that the market is full of bigger bikes.  Part of this I think is the American mentality of bigger is better.  Part of it, I think is that a lot of people think your going to be bored with a smaller engine and will want more speed, more power in six months (I certainly heard that argument).  That there is nothing for the inexperienced rider out there.

On that part at least I disagree.  Scooters are the fastest growing motorcycle in the US today.  They have the "twist and go" transmission.  The lower cc and lower costs along with fantastic fuel savings (80 - 100 mpg).  If you read my blog for any length of time, then you know that I consider the small 50cc scooters so common on urban streets today to be more dangerous than anything else.  For example, here in Florida all that is required for safety gear is eye protection.  No helmet (unless your under the age of 21) or other protection in needed under state law.  Hell, you don't even need a license if the scoot is under 50cc.  Which I've actually seen used as a sales pitch.

Well I'm glad to see people out and about on these things...your top speed is MAYBE 39 MPH.  Lets' be honest, no one obeys the speed limit.  So they will either not see you, or see you and go around you, or your just going to piss them off.   If your going to ride, ride something that will get you up to the speed of the traffic around you.

Sorry, I'm ranting.

Thanks go to Honda for the picture.

My point is that there are smaller bikes out there.  The problem is that they are not "motorcycles" I guess.  The only major motorcycle manufacturer that I know of that makes a smaller bike is Honda and the their iconic Rebel.  I say iconic because everyone that takes a motorcycle class seems to have learned on one.  (UPDATE - Suzuki will have several 2013 models at or under 400cc.  It remains to be seen if they will be readily available).

Hyosung, a Korean company, also makes a 250cc which is much sportier than the traditional looking Rebel. I'm not that familiar with the brand or the make but with a starting price of around 4K for a new bike it's certainly something for the new rider to consider.  All I can tell you is do your research.  SYM is a Chinese based company that makes smaller cc motorcycles as well, but I've only seen scooters imported to the states, I could be wrong.

I'm still not sure why new riders, and older traditional motorcycle riders are afraid of scooters.  No not afraid, that is the wrong word...skeptical of scooters.  I actually came across an article in some motorcycle magazine arguing that that future in the industry was going to be Trikes.  Because the population of bikers was growing older.  That attitude needs to change (says the man that would like to eventually upgrade to a trike).  The step-through would allow those with leg and back problems easy access to the bike.  A bike like the Piaggio MP3 actually does not require the rider to put a foot down when stopped due to it's design.

Right now there are a lot of riders out there on little 50 or 125cc scooters.  They are going to want to upgrade someday.  If the industry wants to grow, wants to attract the woman, the young urban professional then they need to offer something that actually works for them.   Bikes in the 400CC range would be perfect I think.  Quick enough for the freeways and nimble enough for the city.  Great for a weekend away.

I think it's slowly changing...the market will grow due to the coming pressures of higher gas prices, continued urbanization and increasing population.  It's going to be interesting to see how the industry reacts to these changes.

The future is the Maxi - Scooter.

"Hey Rob!"
"Yea, what's up?"  I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my eyes as the game....er, the problem, I was working on my work computer had somehow determined it was going to be unsolvable.  
"How difficult is it to get a motorcycle license?"

I get these questions from time to time.  I also get questions about how fast my bike can go "I've had it to 90 MPH but I don't feel safe at that speed." I tell them (which is more of a comment on my ability as a rider than the bike).  Questions like "Is that highway legal?", "What's your fuel economy?", "How much to fill up the tank?"  In general I don't mind answering them.  After all most people are curious, but its a rare few that actually continue to look into things.

Later that same day, I saw him checking out bikes on various websites.  He wanted a used sport bike, but wasn't happy with the horsepower on a lot of them.  "Really, I don't need to go 120 mph" he said.

Special thanks to Genevieve Schmitt.

Motorcycle sales have been falling over the last couple of years, on that everyone can agree, but the reasons vary.  I, personally, think one of the reasons was the failure of the industry to recognize a changing market.  Scooters continue to grow in popularity and I think it's because most Americans want convenience and simplicity; not the complexity of the traditional motorcycle gearing.  Raising gas prices are actually hurting the industry.  A average motorcycle gets roughly 35 - 40 mpg, which sounds great but now with hybrids and flex fuel cars the consumer has a safer option that might get 50 mpg.  Woman riders are also the fastest growing segment of the motorcycle market and this is going to sound sexist but the motorcycle world has a lot of models geared towards men.  The bikes are heavy, loud and fast.  Woman are generally more practical and really don't need a 1200cc powerhouses if they are looking for a commuter bike.

However, unlike Detroit in the 1970's the motorcycle industry is actually paying attention to a changing world, thus the number of "Maxi-scooters" that are coming out in the next few years.  If you think about it it makes perfect sense.  A lot of the riders that purchased smaller scooters (the dreaded 50cc) are realizing that they are under powered.  For many that means selling off the scoot, but for a few that means an upgrade.  In a way it's nice to see companies like Yamaha, Aprilia, BMW and others create something that has the best of both worlds.  A scooter traditionally has the under seat storage, a pass through frame, smaller wheels and a front facing fairing with floorboards.  In other words the iconic Vespa.  The automatic transmission has also traditionally been linked with scooters.

Motorcycles on the other hand generally had bigger wheels, have a manual transmission and foot operated clutches and brakes, you threw your leg over the bike to mount it as well.  A larger engine was also a defining characteristic of a motorcycle.  Generally speaking "storage" on a cycle was saddlebags or a backpack.
The "Maxi-scooter" has blurred the lines.  You have a smaller engine (with ranges from 250cc to 800cc) but with enough power to drive safely on any road and in nearly any condition., lighter weight - the ave maxi scoot weighs about 300 pounds (136 Kilo), the ave motorcycle 500 pounds (227 Kilos).  The maxi scooter provides more storage, good fuel economy, automatic transmissions, the larger tires of a maxi-scooter provide more stability, etc. When I went looking for a bike what sold me on the Suzuki Burgman was a simple sentence in a review.  Even though I can't remember the phrase word for word one of the things the reviewer said was "This will replace your car."  I believe that the maxi-scooters will continue to grow in popularity as people realize their needs will be met with these small to mid-range motorcycles.  And lets be honest, the trend over the last few years has been to bigger and bigger power-plants.  There are simply no bikes that a beginning rider can buy that are in a reasonable cc range.

At the end of the day though, what really matters in perception.  Will the general American public accept the new style of motorcycle?  Will dealerships make an effort to sell a "scooter" or continue to push a more traditional motorcycle?    Will companies like Kymco become major players in a tough field because of their success with smaller scooters?

As someone interested in marketing it's going to be interesting to see how things go in the next few years, but I wouldn't be surprised with the "maxi-scooter" market takes off in the next few years.  I expect they will be marketed to the new riders too.

Random thoughts at 1000+ miles

Somewhere yesterday or the day before I tripped the 1000 mile marker on the Burgie.  It happened without fanfare, no angels descended from Heaven to mark the occasion although there were donuts at work and cupcakes there the next day.

I suppose 1000 miles is not really that big of a deal, I commute 70 miles roundtrip each day and that number adds up pretty quickly.  I'm averaging over 64 miles per gallon and have spent under $100 in gas (I think as I've not done an official count).

Ye Olde Bugs in the teeth!

For me however it is a big deal.  When I rode my little Yamaha Zuma 125 back and forth and here and there they were short trips, under 35 miles total usually.  I got experience and learned to ride...but it's a different type of ride.

Maybe it was just me but coming home tonight I felt "locked in" to the bike, the steering column barely seemed to move as I took the corners at 65 miles per hour on my commute.  I really enjoy riding at night.  It's another world, less traffic to worry about it's true...but I am even less visible on the road.  My commute involves long lonely stretches as road as well,and Lord forbid if something should happen, it would be a long night till someone came along.

I put these thoughts out of my mind though.  Enjoying the night air and the croaking of frogs off in the distance.  There is something ethereal about being the only one on the road, the whine of the engine and the light of Venus above.

There is one major issue I have however.

Numb butt.

That strange condition that affects some riders...where your ass just is not comfortable on that seat no matter how you move or what you do.  Everything from adding and subtracting foam to the seat to get a hard wooden beads to sit on has been suggested to me.

I've seem something similar to the hard beads in cars but have not really tried it, but people swear by it.  It's also been suggested that since I'm in Florida something like a sheepskin cover for the seat might help as well.  I hope to get it covered later this week or next.  No matter where I move my skinny bony ass I just can't seem to get to comfortable.

I also realized that I am doing what I sent out to do.  With the exception of one day, where it looked like rain, I've driven the bike in every day.  I'm a 2 wheeled commuter.

Problem is, I'm not having any fun.

Sure I could blame the seat, the fact that I own my own small business which eats up time and work a goofy ass shift at my regular job.  I could do all that.  The problem is that I'm just riding back and forth to work.  I want to break out of the rut and do something different, ride somewhere different.

I break up the route I ride a little bit, twisty roads one day...the highway the next.  I want to simply ride and do something different.   I think that's part of the motorcycle mystique...that sense of freedom.

I am feeling the need to just ride.   Somewhere.   Anywhere.

The weird thing is that before I started riding I could not have explained this feeling.  I would simply say "I need a vacation" and go hiking in the woods or take a couple of day and do nothing.  Now I just want to ride.

Random thoughts on rainy days.

The girlfriend woke softly to the same sounds of rain drumming on the roof that I awoke to moments before.  She placed a warm soft hand on my chest and snuggled her naked body even closer to mine.

"I guess you're not riding today."

I grunted, enjoying her closeness.  Closing my eye and drifting off to the sound of her breathing mixed with the soft random thuds of rain on my roof.

Over the last two days here in West Central Florida we have been battered by the remnants of tropical storm Lee which has made the humidity, which is always high, even higher and the temperatures climb.  Rain continues to threaten to was over us.  The day before yesterday I did not ride into work due to the threat of rain, only to have the afternoon be bone dry.  Yesterday the skies opened and it rained; hard and fast and constant, the wind blowing wild.

It was not a fit night for man or beast to ride in.

Nelson-Rig SR-6000 Rainsuit

I don't have proper rain gear yet.  All I have is a plastic poncho which I think would be more of a hindrance than a help.  I've been lucky in that I've only been caught out in the rain once; I was riding my original Zuma 125 on the back roads of Pasco county when the storm caught up to me.  The rain felt like a pellet gun hitting me at a 40 mile an hour pace, I suppose the rain would feel like a shotgun blast at closer to highway speeds.

Being exposed to the weather is one of the drawbacks of riding.  The sun beats down on you, your going to get wet.  These are givens.   As a new rider I have to balance my comfort with safety.   My full face helmet is great to protect me in case of accident and from wind buffering, but is also heavy and a bit hot.

I wear a "highlighter" yellow jacket (not pictured) which makes me a bit more visible I hope, but also a bit warmer as well.  I admit to wearing short sleeve shirts and even shorts at times for the shorter jaunts I've taken.

The first weekend of October I'll be taking my endorsement class for my motorcycle license.  I'll be required to have the following:

• Long sleeve shirt or jacket
• Denim jeans or heavy pants (not excessively baggy, long or with holes or frayed edges)
• Over the ankle boots covering the ankle bone (not tennis shoes or fashion boots with heels)
• Full-fingered leather gloves
• Shatter resistant sunglasses or safety glasses
• Sunscreen and lip protection

I'll need the boots and gloves.  I was also told a rain suit was in order as well.  Now it comes down to simple research.   The boots are not an issue, I just need to find something comfortable with non slip oil resistant soles that are water resistant.  The gloves are easy as well although I wonder why one pair is $9.99 and another is $199.99.  Is there that big of a difference?


I want a rain suit as well, but again...what is best and affordable?  I would rather pay for quality and have it last than buy cheap.   But I can not justify spending a few hundred dollars on it either.

So which Maxi Scooter is for me?

May 1, 2014 - UPDATE:  A lot of you are looking for information on Scooters.  A few of you may even buy one, so I'm going to recommend you read not only my article but also this piece on Cheapskate Scooters.  You want to buy the bike that's best for you, but also one that is best for your situation.

On the website Ride to Work one of the biggest problems it seems with riding to and from work on a motorbike is storage.  From the simple brown bagged lunch up to laptops, people bitch about the lack of storage on their bikes.

As I decided to move forward with owning a bike, storage was one of the issues I had been looking at.  I was looking for enough storage to do two things.  The first was haul my lunch bag back an forth as well as hold a sweater and jacket for rain and night riding.   The second was a little more complex.

Not my car but that is my girlfriend!  

I am planning on letting the bike eventually replace one of the two cars I own.   I own a 2002 Jeep Liberty with 127,000 miles (204,387 km) and a 2003 Hyundai Elentra with about the same.   Like it or not one of these cars were going to the great auto wrecker in the sky sooner or later.   Probably my Elentra since I tend to ride it hard and put her up wet.

So for me, the storage issue was simple.  Scooters can hold a lot under the seat depending on their size and a Maxi Scooter can hold about 3 bags of groceries.  Get a top case or saddlebags and you have even more storage.

So the question now became.   Which scooter was for me?  Even though scooter sales have exploded over the last few years, their is still a bit of a stigma when it comes to the bigger scooters.  I think I know why but that's another blog post for another time.  Today, most scooters being sold are in the 49cc range (good for city driving, triple digit gas mileage and low costs to operate and insure).  My little Yamaha Zuma was the next step up at 125cc.  It got me up to its top speed of  55 mph (89 kmh) with no problem and let my old car sit still for a entire month while I commuted around on the scooter.

I was finding lots of scoots in that range.   Not so much in the range I wanted.  Plus, while there are lots of companies that make scooters in the 125cc range and below...not many companies make the maxi scooter, which is defined as 250cc or above.

So lets start with an icon.  Vespa.

Vespa GTV 300

When people think scooters the image they have in their mind is pure Vespa.  The design is classic, mechanically my research showed little wrong with buying one of these.  The displacement was a little below what I wanted (I wanted to be in the 400 - 650cc range) meaning a top speed of only 80 mph (129 kph), not that I was planning on going above 70 mph (I do that in my cars now, it's a comfortable speed for me).  Plus, there are several Vespa dealers in the area that could fix things when they go wrong.

Only two problems.  Searching Craigslist and Ebay I did not find any bikes that met my budget.  Buying new would have been possible, but pushing my budget.  This was about saving money and adopting a new lifestyle.  Putting myself into more debt was not on the list.  The second issue was the displacement.   I wanted something with more power.  I didn't want to be going "I need to sell this bike for something with more power" six months from now.

Now to be honest I fell in love with the next scooter.  The Aprilia Scarabeo 500 ie.

2008 model

You still have the classic design, the Italian engineering.  It looks a bit more sporty to me that the Vespa.  It's displacement was higher, at 467cc as compared the the Vespa 287cc engine it was going to move!

I've always been an odd duck and nothing I had seen on the street yet showed such a unique look.   There was even a dealer in my area!

And now the issues.  While I was able to find a few used ones, my research showed that if there was a issue it might take weeks, not days, for the part to come in.  Repair bills also tended to be high on this bike.  The cost of a new bike was again going to strain the pocket book.

The Xciting 500 RI ABS model

Kymco scooters had a lot going on for them.   They are generally well respected, pretty easy to get parts for and would run about a grand cheaper than then the other two bikes I was researching.   Kymco has a lot to offer in there Xciting 500Ri class, including a model with ABS brakes.   For someone like me not wanting to kill themselves on a bike...this was a major plus!

The problem.   No dealers within a 100 mile radius of my home in Florida.   While I might find a mechanic the general consensus of all the reviews I read and research I did came to one conclusion.   You get what you pay for.   It might be a good bike, sharp to look at and would meet all my needs.   But it was cheap.  Cheap in the way it was put together and cheap in the way it handled.  I am to poor not to have quality.

I went in search of Honda's Silverwing model, but no luck.   Honda seems to thrown in the towel when it comes to maxi scooters.  No dealerships, nothing on any of the used bike sites.

Much sweeter than the picture!

Yamaha however offered the glorious TMAX.  I have to be honest, until I read about the performance of this scooter I was going to pass it by.  Motorcycle like handling was all I needed to hear.   While I had my reasons for wanting a scooter and not a motorcycle, in the back of my mind the idea was always there.  Here was a chance for me to have both the handling of a "traditional" motorcycle and the convenience of a scooter in one nice package.   I even found a dealer that carried them!

Problem was, even the used TMAX was stretching my dollar thinner than I wanted it to go.  There did not seem to be much of a used TMAX market out there either.

Which lead me to the bike I ended up getting.  I had heard good things about the Suzuki Burgman.  Some had called it the Benz of the Maxi Scooter world, and not in a bad way.   They were affordable used and there seems to be enough of them in the market to make finding one easy.   They had glowing reviews.  The performance was ranked very high.  They kept their value over time.

Suzuki dealerships were common.   I can go on.   I had made up my mind early.   It was going to be a Burgman.  I wanted the 650cc displacement but when a 400cc fell from the sky into my lap I had to take advantage of it.

I am picking it up later today.  My first ride on a new machine and I'm nervous, scared and excited.  Happy too.

So lets see where it takes me and what adventures await me.

The logic or lack of logic in my getting a bike.

I am a new rider.  When I first thinking about getting a motorcycle I went through every emotion that a person can go through and I'll admit I thought about it months before I finally bought a used scooter.  

It seemed that everyone had a story where either they knew a friend of a friend or knew someone directly that had lost a direct head on confrontation with an 18 wheeler.   "They are called donor cycles for a reason."  "Your going to be road pizza!"  I imagined my mother saying.


But at that time gas was quickly approaching the $4 US mark and the bike that I was considering buying would average about 70+ miles (113 + km) per gallon.  At the risk of losing you completely, lets do some math.

 It was a Yamaha Zuma 125 stock (meaning it had no upgrades).   I found a blue book value for it and truthfully I overpaid.  I figured about 3 years of riding it however would pay for the bike, and that was even if I rode it 75% of the time.

 Living in Florida gives me an advantage over most riders, in that I can ride nearly all year and motorcycles are a pretty common sight here as well.  That does not mean they are any safer but, in my twisted logic at least, meant that I would be a little more visible than lets say in my home state of Pennsylvania.

My commute at the time was only 15 miles (24 km) one way, flat and more or less straight.  The 125cc engine could easily keep up with city traffic and my commute at night (I work till 1 AM most days) would be on more or less empty streets.   I felt safe.

BUT first...a shiny helmet which I hoped would reflect light when driving a night.   A bright yellow jacket.  Anything to make me a bit more visible.    A simple mantra that I would repeat..."Cocky will get me killed."

So I started to ride.   In the parking lot at first, then in the side streets around my home at the time.   Then simple jaunts up and down the busier roads to Subway or the market.   Then work.   Then before you know it something happened.

I started to relax, to enjoy the ride.  What started out as a logical way for me to save some money turned into something else, I realized it one day when I jumped on the little bike just to ride...and got lost on the back roads, not caring.  I started to look for excuses to take the little scoot out.

Now I understood what my biker friends where talking about.  Complete and total freedom.  A stupid grin on my face.  Life on 2 (smaller) wheels was not so bad after all.

Then something happened.   I bought a house which was about twice as far as I was before from work.   My little Zuma 125 had a top speed of 55 mph (88.5 kph) and that would not cut it on the highways I had to travel.  So with only a few months of riding experience under my belt I had to upgrade.

Again I had to consider my options between a Scooter or a "Real Bike."