Post by acbytesla on May 6, 2012 1:13:08 GMT -5
Hi everybody, I'll give this a try. I am a moderately experienced Motorcycle rider but new to scooters. I've read the Let's get Realistic Post..which I think it great. Still I am hoping for more advice.
I live in the Seattle area..where it's wet a lot. It may not be raining in Seattle all the time but I swear the pavement is almost always wet and when I was in my 20s I used to ride a Honda 350 4 cylinder motorcycle daily which was lightning fast for a little cycle but I almost always arrived at my destination soaked and cold.
Right now I'm looking for Scooter that will provide me with the most protection from the elements, be an all around scooter for running errands, Saturday joy rides and maybe commuting. I've eliminated the 50 cc and probably the 150 cc Scooters from contention as well as the biggest Maxi Scoot Cruisers such as the Burgman 650 and probably it's little brother the 400. (I've read they are very expensive to maintain) I think a water cooled 250cc or 400cc Scoot probably is the right size.
Absolutely tired of the gas bills that come with driving my Ford F-150 pickup truck...(lucky if it gets 15 MPG) It has dual tanks and it costs $150 bucks to fill them both up. Ouch!!!!
My only issue is that I feel the need to be able to carry some cargo fairly often. (like a grocery bag or even 2 or 3,) I like the Honda Reflex and the Yamaha Majesty but I'm sure I'm going to add a top case. which from what I can tell is going add at least $400 to my tab..which seems exorbitant to me.
Is there a good 2nd or 3rd tier scoot that might fit the bill? Right now I'm leaning toward a used 2006 Majesty, a used 2005 Reflex or ..what I really like is the used 2006 Aprillia Scarabeo 500 that has saddlebags a top case and looks like a really sweet ride that fits my needs like a dream. Aprillia is considered a great brand, But I'm afraid of reliability issues with it, the availability of parts and the costs of an Italian bike. Am I over thinking this?
I'm tempted to buy one of the 250cc Chinese scooters..Some these seem perfect with both the protection from the elements and the ability to haul some cargo. I'm guessing that they are very generic and parts are very available. I'm cautiously optimistic that I could assemble a bike ...well sort of..but since I've never done it how would one know?
I am somewhat mechanically inclined. I have done brake jobs on cars, replaced starters, headers, mufflers, coils, radiators, clutches, oil changes, transmission and rear differential fluid changes , but I've never taken an engine apart or rebuilt a carburetor. I'm also not that confident in diagnostics.
So given that... Any suggestions? I'm nervous about picking the right scooter...but, I am really looking forward to getting back on 2 wheels again.
Help....Wet in Seattle.
I live in the Seattle area..where it's wet a lot. It may not be raining in Seattle all the time but I swear the pavement is almost always wet and when I was in my 20s I used to ride a Honda 350 4 cylinder motorcycle daily which was lightning fast for a little cycle but I almost always arrived at my destination soaked and cold.
Right now I'm looking for Scooter that will provide me with the most protection from the elements, be an all around scooter for running errands, Saturday joy rides and maybe commuting. I've eliminated the 50 cc and probably the 150 cc Scooters from contention as well as the biggest Maxi Scoot Cruisers such as the Burgman 650 and probably it's little brother the 400. (I've read they are very expensive to maintain) I think a water cooled 250cc or 400cc Scoot probably is the right size.
Absolutely tired of the gas bills that come with driving my Ford F-150 pickup truck...(lucky if it gets 15 MPG) It has dual tanks and it costs $150 bucks to fill them both up. Ouch!!!!
My only issue is that I feel the need to be able to carry some cargo fairly often. (like a grocery bag or even 2 or 3,) I like the Honda Reflex and the Yamaha Majesty but I'm sure I'm going to add a top case. which from what I can tell is going add at least $400 to my tab..which seems exorbitant to me.
Is there a good 2nd or 3rd tier scoot that might fit the bill? Right now I'm leaning toward a used 2006 Majesty, a used 2005 Reflex or ..what I really like is the used 2006 Aprillia Scarabeo 500 that has saddlebags a top case and looks like a really sweet ride that fits my needs like a dream. Aprillia is considered a great brand, But I'm afraid of reliability issues with it, the availability of parts and the costs of an Italian bike. Am I over thinking this?
I'm tempted to buy one of the 250cc Chinese scooters..Some these seem perfect with both the protection from the elements and the ability to haul some cargo. I'm guessing that they are very generic and parts are very available. I'm cautiously optimistic that I could assemble a bike ...well sort of..but since I've never done it how would one know?
I am somewhat mechanically inclined. I have done brake jobs on cars, replaced starters, headers, mufflers, coils, radiators, clutches, oil changes, transmission and rear differential fluid changes , but I've never taken an engine apart or rebuilt a carburetor. I'm also not that confident in diagnostics.
So given that... Any suggestions? I'm nervous about picking the right scooter...but, I am really looking forward to getting back on 2 wheels again.
Help....Wet in Seattle.