Because some dreams need to be supported.

I have to be honest, I'm not sure why I like this young girl.  I've not met her and most likely never will.  Maybe it's her dream, maybe it stirs something in this old man.  Maybe it's because she is doing it on a scooter and part of the goal of Scooter Revolution is to promote the use of scooters in our daily lives.

Maybe because youth is full of hope.

Jesspa has a simple goal.  To ride her Vespa from Birmingham, Al out west to Sedona, Az.  I wish her the best of luck with it and I know I'll be following her adventures from afar.  You can help support this dream and her efforts by clicking on this sentence..  Their is even a little video.  In under a month she'll be making her trip.  Help her out.

Because some dreams need to be supported.

Not a bad Saturday at all.

I was unsure of my plans for this last Saturday.  I wanted to stay home and do yard work, weeding and planting the garden outside to make Martha Tenney proud of me.  Friends of ours were planning a cook-out later that night and I was keeping a close eye on the weather.  All this week the weatherman was calling for a 30 - 40% chance of rain, which unfortunately for me, had been closer to 100% every time I rode out.

pretty much my week

Over the last week I had been caught out in the rain twice, raced a thunderstorm home and decided that commuting in the rain was just not a good idea twice.  So for two days in the last week I took the car, and both times stayed dry in less than idea conditions.  

I had also promised Kimmy that I would take her on a nice 100+ mile ride to stretch her legs a couple of weeks ago, and so far I had not kept that promise.  Barney's of St Petersburg was having a Vespa Open House from 9 to 5 and I liked the idea of running down there to take a look at the stock, perhaps dream a little and consider some farkles.  Yes, I know...cheap ass me considering farkles.  I had been considering a LED licence plate for some time and Sue was still going to need proper riding gear.  One thing I did want to get however was a reflective flag stickers of the countries I was riding in.  The US of course, after September I could add the Bahamas' to that as well.  Canada and Mexico were still dreams for now, but they would happen one day.  It might help with safety at night too.  I expected to order those online.

Actually the main reason I wanted to go was for companionship and the idea of browsing and talking to others about scooters gave me the warm fuzzies.  I don't get the chance very often to mingle with other scooterists and the free pizza sounded good too (it wasn't).   A secondary reason was that I have been wanting to get shots of the bike by the water for some time (still don't).  After all, living in Florida means that I am surround by the sea so the idea of getting a few picks of Kimmie by the water just seemed appropriate.   Due to circumstances I had not participated much in the Equinox to Equinox rally as of late, I was not planning to go out of my way, but if something was in my path...why not take a photo of it?  That was the third reason I wanted to go out and ride.  I might even find another interesting milk shake stand to try.

Loving the paint job

Susan decided to ride down with me, so we packed what we needed and took off about 10:30 AM, the heat of the day already starting to climb.  It was a about 50 miles one way and I had planned to avoid the highways.  I also planned on avoiding the dreaded Howard Franklin Bridge.  I don't fear highways or bridges but with Susan on back I didn't want to risk a problem.  Guess what we ended up doing anyway.  The back way was jammed with traffic and the sun just kept getting hotter so we decided just to keep moving.

We finally got there, to Barney's, and was disappointed.  There were not that many people there as I had hoped.  Although they did have a nice collection of Honda's, Aprilia's, Can-Am's, Vespa's and Yamaha's.

We gone done to the event to try gear on for Susan and to hopefully test drive a few bikes.  I am not interested in buying anything at this time, but the dealership did offer a Aprilia Mana 850, which I read about but had not seen first hand.  Sue's daughter also wants to start riding, and I wanted to learn about the dual sports.  Sue's daughter is definitely a "Tom Boy" and a dual sport maybe the perfect bike for her.   I was surprised that no sales people tackled us as we looked at the Can-Am's.  I hate to admit that these things are growing on me.  I would have not minded taking one out for a test drive either.  In the hour or so we hung around, not a single person approached us.

Sue looking good on a Can-Am

It was not a total waste of time though.   There were three classic scooters there.  A solid pink one that I know belongs to one of the organizers of the Tampa Two Stroke Scooter Club, a woman I was hoping to meet actually. A lovely older blue Vespa whose year and model I could not identify but the Odometer read over 97,000 miles.  And a Stella that was....beyond words.   

It was covered with Barbies and even had a little pull along trunk that carried...well, I guess if I was strapped to an old Stella going down the road I would need a change of panties too.

We then headed back, eating lunch at a chain restaurant that served good milk shakes.  Enjoyed our cook-out with friends and swam in the community pool to cool off.   Not a bad way to spend a Saturday at all.  Oh yea, and the was just shy of 150 miles total.  Yea, not a bad way to spend a Saturday at all.

Some additional photo's can be found on my Facebook page.

Someone stole my cherry.

Hipsters and their bikes (another look)

From a certain point onward there is no longer any turning back. That is the point that must be reached. - Franz Kafka

It's not that rare for me to comment on someone else's blog.  A good blog entry or article in a magazine should engage your mind, make you learn something or consider something in a new light.  Sometimes something should just piss you off enough that you need to fire off a comment just to show that moron that you know more than them.  If it does that then it is a successful piece of writing in my mind.

A dated article recently linked to the Motorcycle Obsession blog got me thinking.  The piece, which you can read here, basically dealt with Hipsters and Motorcycles.  Or what they - which I suppose is young people - are riding today.  Now I am not a hipster.  I would have no idea on how to even define such a thing.  After all I don't smoke clove cigarettes, I have never owned a beret, nor do I find the music of the Decemberists all that interesting (Hey Kids, lets do a song about dying of famine in 1860's Ireland!  Won't that be fun!)      

Now I will agree that poking non-malicious fun of a group other than your own can be enjoyable at times (for example, H-D riders).  The Motorcycle.com piece certainly has it's tongue planted firmly in it's cheek at times, but the problem is that instead of embracing this movement towards greater numbers of people riding it sort of blows them off.  The article lumps a whole lot of people into one category without understanding some of the logic behind the reason why motorized bicycles, small "cc" scoots and vintage bikes are "in."  That I'm afraid I have to take issue with.

The article starts with "hipsters love vintage" and mentions Grandad's old Goldwing.   In fact, several times "vintage" is mentioned and the term "vintage" is used to conjure a certain look or emotion.  A few of the brands mentioned, such as the Triumph Bonneville and the Royal Enfields speak to a much simpler time and, as Motorcycle Obsession points out, simply looks like a motorcycle.  

Let's be honest.  Some bikes are simply more easier to work on than others.   Today's youth, saddled with impossible student loans to pay back and a bleak job outlook, are looking to save money any way they can.  Buying a motorcycle/scooter is certainly one way to do that.  Buying an older motorcycle/scooter is certainly one way to do that.  Guess what might be easier to work on?  The newest computerized high performance engine or your simple two-stroke?  Grandad's old Goldwing might have 130,000 miles on it, but it was lovingly taken care of.  Plus Pop's would be more than willing to throw you some knowledge on it's care.

Hipsters are supposedly riding motorized bicycles as well.   I've not seen to many of these around the streets of Tampa but with top speeds of maybe 30 miles an hour and 130 mpg of gas I can certainly understand the attraction to the "hipster".  It, much like the lower 'cc' scooter, is built for city life.  You're able to ride it to work, to the bus depot or train stop.  You're able to take it inside the building and place it in your cube.  Well at least where I used to work you were able to take your (non-motorized) bike in.  

Scooters of course offer higher gas mileage and  more storage than either a motorcycle or motorized bicycle can.  Vespa's are pretty common and hold their value well and you have a lot of online sources to turn to if you have issues.  The Honda Ruckus is a do anything, go anywhere scooter which again is easy to work on. It also has a very active online presence   Do you see a pattern emerging here?

There was one bike in the article that did surprise me, till I thought about it for a moment.   The Ural however offers a lot other than a slick marketing scheme.  You can carry three people on a Ural without much difficulty.  It's sidecar offers excellent storage and frankly it's go anywhere attitude and ability to go anywhere makes it a perfect year round ride.  Sure it's got issues but if you're serious about making your life car free (and this is a growing movement) the Ural is a near perfect solution.  Is it any wonder their sales keep increasing?  I know I am slowly but surely heading that way and one of the reasons I'm attracted to the Ural is it's unusual pedigree.  There is something to be said for that as well and frankly that is one of the reasons I think "hipsters" are attracted to it as well.

What bothers me in the end is not the article.  Nor the disdain it showed, after all the audience the piece is written for is older and have ridden for years.  I guess what bothered me is that we need to grow the brotherhood of two wheels.  We need to communicate better, to rethink how we market, act and treat each other.  People buy bikes for 1001 reasons, it's up to us to make sure they buy the right bike for their needs and abilities.  

It may finally be "hip" to be on two wheels...why shoot that down?

Creating a Roman Holiday

Today is Valentine's day.   For me, it's not really about getting a crappy overpriced card or a box of sweets for the sweetie.   It's about taking a moment and thanking her for everything she does for me.  I was very surprised when she found this little thing for me.

Imagine my surprise when you press the button and it starts to shake and rumble and plays "Born to be Wild."  Which I suppose anyone who has ever wandered the highways and byways of America has belted out at least once at the top of their lungs.

For a few reasons I won't go into here the lovely Sue will not go 2-up with me.  Which is fine, I don't feel ready for her to ride behind me.

But we do try to keep the romance alive.  William-Sonoma blog has a couple of ideas about creating your own Roman Holiday.    Here the intrepid couple jumps aboard an iconic Vespa to explore the city of San Francisco spending the whole day eating, riding and enjoying each other's company.   I'm sure other's have done something similar as well.  That's one of the things I love about Susan...we explore.  Bok Tower Gardens, Solomon's castle, a rebuilt piece of local history.  All these things we have explored as a couple.

So on this Valentine's day I am going to be thankful for all the woman in my life, past and present, who have made me into the man that I am today.  I do love and appreciate ALL the woman in my life each and everyday.  Well V-day may be more about selling sappy cards and overpriced flowers, it's still a good day to remember to not take those special to you for granted.  :) 

Now hopefully your loved one just might slide up behind you and whisper in your ear "OK Baby, let's go."  I am looking forward to that day when Sue and I both feel ready to ride together 

Just please don't drive like that.

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.

That fine line...defining what you are.

As I was writing this it occurred to me this may be the only time in the world when Audrey Hepburn and Hell's Angels are mentioned in the same article.  Admit it, your curious now.

The other day I was asked to move my scooter.  I almost said something about it's how it's not a scooter...it's a bike.  Well technically it is a scooter but it feels more like a bike to me.  When you start getting into the upper engine displacement ranges the line between "bike" and "scooter" start to fade in my mind.  I can easily do 70 - 80 mph all day (the bike is capable of more but I'm not sure I am).  I can easily pass cars and other motorcycles.  So it's more than a "scooter" but in most people's minds, less than a motorcycle.

Does it really matter what it's called?  Piaggio, I understand, is either currently producing a 850cc scooter in Europe or has been working on the plans for one for some time.

It appears to be pretty slick and blurs the line between "Scooter" and "Bike" even more.  Some motorcycles now are automatic transmission as well, which used to be part of what defined a scooter.

I consider myself to be a "rider" not a "scooterist."  The term "Scooter" to me at least has connotations of the classic "Roman Holiday."  That is probably what most people think of when they hear the word "Scooter" - a small little two stroke Vespa which was probably capable of maybe 40 mph.

And two stars are born

When I decided to upgrade to a maxi scooter I was surprised how many of the little 50cc models from various manufacturer's were being made and sold.  I'm still in shock when I see people going 2 up on them.  Thank you Audrey Hepburn!

Mention the word "Biker" to people and they probably picture something straight out of the Hell's Angels catalog.  Which I am most definitively not, I do however have the scraggly beard.

So what the hell am I?  Does it really matter?  Why am I so obsessed with trying to define it?  What I do know is that I enjoy getting out on my Burgie and just riding, even if it's just going to work or up to the mall.  It's fun for me.

If I manage to save some gas, some money, help the Earth by lowering my Carbon Footprint all while smiling like some idiot well doing it, then more power to me.  I just wish more people would forget about what something is and just get out and ride, be it on a scooter, maxi scooter, or motorcycle.

Speaking of which...I think I'm going for a ride.  Till next time!

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.