No boat content whatsoever...
But, for those who are dealing with cold and gray, here's a change of pace: the Blonde has been lobbying for a couple scooters. I spent a week or so doing some research, and we visiting some motorcycle and scooter shops. Frankly, scooters weren't on my radar. When I thought of scooters, it brought images of crowded streets in Asia, or more romantically, Italy. Or, those who couldn't handle a "real" motorcycle. College kids who couldn't afford a car. Underpowered.
I bought our kid a Honda 50 scooter when she turned 14. (You can get a daytime license in South Dakota at age 14). We made her wear ATGATT (All The Gear, All The Time), so she didn't ride that scooter much. I rode it a time or two, more for the novelty... I was riding a Harley dresser at the time, the scooter felt like a toy.
I've been riding motorcycles since I was 14. My first was a nearly worn out Honda 150 Dream. It wasn't fast or pretty, but it was freedom. Except for a short period after retiring and cruising Wild Blue, we have always owned motorcycles.
We visited a motorcycle dealer friend of ours in the Black Hills, after finishing our jobs in the Tetons in 2011. While he and I talked, Joan looked over a Yamaha scooter. A Vino 125, it was cute; it looked like what you think a scooter should look like. My friend rolled it outside and told Joan to "take it for a ride." She has had her own motorcycles, from sport bikes to a full dresser. She is fluid on a bike, and can drag pegs with the best of 'em. She liked that little Vino. I encouraged her to get it, but she figured it would be a hassle to get it back to Texas. OK.
Sitting in the desert, she brought scooters up again. Yamaha doesn't make the Vino 125 anymore. Research quickly brought out the hierarchy of scooters, with the Chinese stuff on the bottom of the pile, the Taiwanese as the upper tier, and the Japanese on top. "What about Italy?" you ask. The top 3 selling scooters in Italy are made by Honda. Go figure.
So, those $700 scooters you see at Pep Boys and other places? The joke is: the Taiwanese manufacturers use better screws in their packing material than the Chinese use in their scooters. And, there are a lot of manufacturers; tracking down who makes what, and where, can be a challenge.
Many dealers don't allow a demo ride. Joan was appalled: "Who would buy a bike without riding it first?" We rode a Genuine Buddy 125. It was OK. It's one of the better selling scooters. It looked like a scooter should look.
More research. The motorcycle press was enamored with the Honda PCX... well, as much as the motorcycle press can get excited about a scooter. :wink: I get that.
I mentioned the Honda to Joan. She thought it looked "too swoopy."
"Look under the swoop. It's water cooled and has fuel injection?" She liked that. "Comfortable to ride, bigger wheels, so decent handling. Interstate legal." We shopped around. It didn't take us long to decide that we liked the Honda, but didn't care for some of dealers. One not only stacked outrageous freight and set-up on top of MSRP, it had the mandatory purchase of his daughter's Girl Scout Cookies, and a $399 "convenience fee." (Anyone bought concert tickets recently? Who is that "convenience fee" convenient for?? :amgry ) I'm kidding. Only a little. Joking aside, they had the bike marked up almost 45% over retail!
Thanks to "request a quote" via the internet, we soon found out who the fair dealers are. I made a tentative deal over the phone. A visit to that dealer the next day, and...
We're still breaking them in. Peppier than I imagined. Handles good. And for this old motorcycle guy, I have to admit that they are just plain
fun.
I may have a V-Strom for sale when we get home. :wink:
Best wishes,
Jim
