Anyone Ride A Scooter?

[jyl]

Okay, so I'm thinking about getting a scooter, like a vintage Vespa or one of the new Vespa clones. Here in Portland, commute distances seem short enough (depending where we settle, probably under 5 miles), enough surface-street-only routes exist, and traffic is sane enough that I could actually commute by bicycle. Not wanting to arrive at work all sweaty and healthy, I'm thinking about the scooter alternative. The main goal is to spare the 911 from getting all dinged up in a downtown parking lot, and secondarily to save money on gas and parking.

Why not a motorcycle? Cause the wife is cautiously approving of a scooter, but would divorce me (or make me wish I were divorced) if I bought a "real" bike.

Anyone ride a scooter? Pros and cons? Will I lose my self-respect on a mod Vespa, will gangs of rockers beat me up, and will my PP BBS membership be revoked?

[Joeaksa]

Get a new wife....

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

I bought my P200E with the expressed INTENT of riding it short distances in Portland.

We are on the right track. Maybe I did listen to Quadrophenia one too many times though....

Planning on adding a 210 Malossi kit in the next few weeks..

[Noney]

Riding a scooter is like dating a fat chick:

It's all fun & games until your friends see you on it.

[obrut]

i've got one - its an Italjet Dragster 180cc (think scaled down Ducati Monster). unbelievable acceleration, it will eat most cars away from traffic lights unless they have a very quick car and they really try. discs both ends so it stops too. http://www.italjetdragster.com/index.html

my girlfriend is a bike rider (suzuki 650 SV) and she has a 63 vespa that was rebuilt with 2004 mechanicals (ie. 150cc not 125, 4 speed not 3, electric start etc). its gulf blue and very very cool. think backdated 911...

we live in the inner city and they're fantastic. in summer, its nearly an hour to the beach with nil chance of finding a park in a car vs. 8 minutes on the bikes - park where you want.

i say go for it - and get an auto (ie. twist and go) as the continuously variable gearboxes are great for acc'n

ps. your wife will want her own within a month

[stevepaa]

You leaving the bay area? New job? I must have missed that info.

[wcc]

I wouldn't have one! A guy did what you are talking about and most people (not me) at work teased him so much he ended up not riding it, tried to sell it numerous times (he still has it), and bought a real bike.

If you want one then do it but don't do it to save gas money. I've heard that argument a 100 times. It will take a long time to recoup that investment. A "real" bike even takes longer if ever.

My wife really didn't want me to get a motorcycle. She made good arguments/points. So, I "had" to re-live my childhood with those TR70s. Rode those around the house a lot and she then saw that I really did know how to ride. Then picked up a 3 wheeler. Then sold all the TRs and the 3 wheeler and picked up a TW200. Not much bigger than a TR70. Do you see what's going on here. Then the BIG step. The Duc 748. My wife is Italian so I played that angle and I said "but honey at least it's Italian". She caved after a few months.

[xlr8]

Try something with a roof.

[legion]

I've been thinking about getting a decent used one for the summer. My commute is about 1.5 miles on residential streets.

[pwd72s]

I always thought they were cool. Never had one though. They seem to be pretty much youth oriented...meaning the under 30 set? Last time I saw a scooter here, it had a young dude & his girl on it. Gosh she had a cute pooper...I was jealous.

[xlr8]

This looks like it would be pretty practical in the soggy PNW.

[gassy]

Get a Segway.

[Tishabet]

I've got an old Solex 2200, neat little machine!

[jyl]

I'd love a BMW C1, but don't think I could import one to the US. Saw a lot of them in France. Not sure why BMW discontinued them.

What's the diagram - an old Solex? Cool but a bit too retro for me.

I recall, when I was a kid in France, seeing scooters with vinyl/fabric roofs, full windscreens, even zipped-on vinyl "doors" so that the rider was completely enclosed except for the feet and a bit of leg. This used to be common in Northern Europe. I no longer see such contraptions.

stevepaa, yes I moved to Portland 3/20. Living in corporate housing until I find a house. Wife and kids in Bay Area until June, so I'm going to be commuting back most weekends.

Liking Portland a lot so far, but not much time to enjoy it yet. Get up at 4:30 am, in office by 5:30 am, work non-stop until 6-7 pm, go back to my sterile bach pad and asleep by 8:30 pm, is pretty much the routine. New job, have got a lot to ramp up on.

[Nader]

I've got 3 bikes, but want a scooter/pitbike, too. The Honda Big Ruckus and (regular) Ruckus aren't too girly for scooters:

[wcc]

Check out this "Scooter"

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8775493440357088055&q=911&pl=true

[Steve Carlton]

Depending on your budget and wife, you might be able to push the scooter thing pretty far. There's some out there with substantial engines and performance, including those from Aprilia, Honda, Suzuki, and Vespa. Take a look at their websites.

Lots of rain in Portland, so I'm not sure how many days you could ride it, although the protection from a wet road might be pretty good on some of them.

[pwd72s]

It rains in Portland? To keep on topic, whatever did happen to the MoPed? I know, better suited for getting around a Caribbean Island, but I recall hearing things like 200 mpg? Park in a bicycle rack? Might make for a great nice weather commute if freeways were off the route. There used to be simple engine conversions one could install on any junker "cruiser" style bicycle...

[Noah930]

Lots of rain in Portland, so I'm not sure how many days you could ride it,

I lived in Portland last year and commuted daily on my motorcycle. Just buy raingear.

If I were to get a scooter, didn't Aprilia make one a couple years ago that had the same livery as their race motorcycles? AT least you'd look racy, and it would be the perfect pit bike, too.

[pwd72s]

Your Portland Vespa dealership...

http://www.vespaportland.com/