Keeping Track of your Gas Mileage- www.fuelly.com

[greencountry]

I checked on that. I can't say I'll be jumping at that opportunity since Chicago is quite a ways away from Los Angeles. Plus, the biggest hindrance of me buying one is the sticker price. BTW, I noticed you said you're more of a scooterist than a motorcyclist. How so? Did you get tired of having to shift manually? Ride position?

Automatic motorcycle is more of a pipe dream for me. I can't justify spending the cash on something like those. But if someone was selling an inexpensive SV650 (say, around $4000), then I might just buy one. That's also assuming that I will be hooked with manual shifting (I take the MSF course with manual MCs this weekend).

Yeah, you know, I know I said that in the ad, but after getting some distance from the minor trauma of travelling 300+ mi on a motorcycle as the first serious ride I've gone on with it, I think it might be more that I dove in the deep deep end of the pool. I've taken the bike for a few rides since I've been back, and all of them have been really nice. When you start out driving a car, you don't immediately try to take road trips and push your endurance... much less with the responsibility of a full load. I basically made the bad decision of thinking I could do that on a motorcycle. I think I sprained my left thumb (it's weak from an old sprain back in high school), bruised one of my left fingers, and pulled something in or hyperextended my left elbow. All are still hurting a week later. If I'd just learned how to ride and built up my endurance beforehand, I don't think these injuries would have happened.

But at the time I said it, what I was thinking was I really just want to get on something and have it go with a twist of the wrist. Like a scooter. Now though, since taking the Buddy on a 60 mi round trip tour of some local twisties (if you can even call them that), I do appreciate the technical skill and increased comfort of a motorcycle for long trips -- *if* you have the right motorcycle, the right windscreen/fairing, and the right training. Re: ride position, I'll post another thread about a very good methodology I've found -- helpful for scooterists too, but invaluable for any motorcyclists on MB.

Good luck at the MSF course! If you're like me, you're gonna come out of it with a fever baby. And the only cure is a motorcycle.

[BeetleGoose]

Good luck at the MSF course! If you're like me, you're gonna come out of it with a fever baby. And the only cure is a motorcycle.

I know a person who pretty much said the same thing: take the MSF course and see what it's like to ride manual MCs. He's also the one discouraging me from buying the scooter. He wants me to turn in my man-card when I get the scooter.

I don't quite know where this will lead, but I'm thinking of baby steps (I swear to god I think I might need a refresher on typing because I typed "steaps" 3 times. Thank god I can hit the backspace key quick enough). Anyways, baby STEPS motorized 2-wheelers, then perhaps baby steps motorcycle, but all in good time.

As a side note, I've been driving for a little over 16 years, and I've driven my fair share of automatics and stickshifts. They have their obvious advantages and disadvantages, but for now I want the automatic scooter to compliment my manual Mazda3. Mazda3 plug: those cars kick arse considering they're economy class; I would recommend them to anyone looking for an automobile that's not a Honda Civic nor a Toyota Corolla; heck, I used to drive a Honda Prelude VTEC and I get the same excitement (if not more) from the Mazda3.

[k1dude]

I know a person who pretty much said the same thing: take the MSF course and see what it's like to ride manual MCs. He's also the one discouraging me from buying the scooter. He wants me to turn in my man-card when I get the scooter.

Be your own man. Don't let some other pinhead threaten you with your manhood. Many here own motorcycles and they're collecting dust because the scooters are so much fun. Others own both and like both. Still others have a scooter and think they'd like a motorcycle more.

I can tell you I much prefer a scooter. It's riding in the purest, most fun sense. I've ridden motorcycles since the early 70's. I prefer a scooter. I rode motorcycles in the MSF class. I prefer scooters.

I personally think shifting a car or motorcycle is a chore. You might be the same. But only you can decide that. I think taking the MSF on a motocycle would help you decide.

You may very well come to the conclusion you would like a motorcycle at some point. But don't discount the pure fun and practicality of a scooter. And never let anyone brow beat you into a motorcycle using peer pressure or the man card. Come to the decision on your own. Good luck, it's not an easy decision.

[armacham]

I wonder how many of those motorcycle riders would otherwise be driving a car with an automatic transition. Just because I don't feel like shifting 50 times between every stop sign and stop light in the middle of a city doesn't make me any less of a man.

[BeetleGoose]

I know a person who pretty much said the same thing: take the MSF course and see what it's like to ride manual MCs. He's also the one discouraging me from buying the scooter. He wants me to turn in my man-card when I get the scooter.

Be your own man. Don't let some other pinhead threaten you with your manhood. Many here own motorcycles and they're collecting dust because the scooters are so much fun. Others own both and like both. Still others have a scooter and think they'd like a motorcycle more.

I can tell you I much prefer a scooter. It's riding in the purest, most fun sense. I've ridden motorcycles since the early 70's. I prefer a scooter. I rode motorcycles in the MSF class. I prefer scooters.

I personally think shifting a car or motorcycle is a chore. You might be the same. But only you can decide that. I think taking the MSF on a motocycle would help you decide.

You may very well come to the conclusion you would like a motorcycle at some point. But don't discount the pure fun and practicality of a scooter. And never let anyone brow beat you into a motorcycle using peer pressure or the man card. Come to the decision on your own. Good luck, it's not an easy decision.

Sorry for the semi-hijack of the original post, but I'd like to say your points are well taken. I think the major reason for having a slight doubt to my purchase of the scooter is because of the wait; I really don't care what others say about my purchase. It's been six grueling weeks, and I've called the dealer. The seller told me that I should expect to hear something within the next couple of weeks. I stay commited to the idea of why I bought the Buddy instead of the Vespa or any MC: practicality, simplicity, and cost.

[greencountry]

Sorry for the semi-hijack of the original post, but I'd like to say your points are well taken. I think the major reason for having a slight doubt to my purchase of the scooter is because of the wait; I really don't care what others say about my purchase. It's been six grueling weeks, and I've called the dealer. The seller told me that I should expect to hear something within the next couple of weeks. I stay commited to the idea of why I bought the Buddy instead of the Vespa or any MC: practicality, simplicity, and cost.

These three things are perfect reasons to get a scooter instead of a motorcycle. My moto-insurance is higher than the Buddy's and the service costs will be too; the moto feels like taking a full-size car out when many times all I need is a subcompact; and most definitely, if I just wanna go do something or get somewhere relatively closeby (read: wouldn't save time to use a highway or very high speed road), the scooter beats the moto hands-down.

I know the waiting part is excruciating. But when you finally get it, it'll be all that much sweeter. I, on the other hand, rushed a lot of the moto-related purchases so I could get something immediately. As you can tell from my posting the whole kit for sale, there was a good amount of buyer's remorse.

[StL_Stadtroller]

im in there too, have a quick question for yall: i been keeping trak on my own befor this but i always roung up or odwn when i wrote the amont of gas eg:for 1.186 gal. i would just write 1.2 . should i enter those old numers or start fresh with the acual exact scintific super duper numbers?

I guess I would start over. With a gas tank as small as the Buddy's, there's a substantial difference between filling up with 1.050 gal vs 1.149. But rounding would make both 1.1 gal.

But that's just my $0.02.

Don't bother editing... it would appear that the fueley site rounds up the numbers automatically anyway.

[Becktastic]

armacham got some awesome scooter oil from his dad and my scoot is lovin' it ^_^

[7eregrine]

So how do we fill our scoots up? Since it is so important for a FULL fuel up to get a proper MPG reading.
Do you stick the nozzle all the way in? Rest it on the side? Fill it up to the very top?

[armacham]

So how do we fill our scoots up? Since it is so important for a FULL fuel up to get a proper MPG reading.
Do you stick the nozzle all the way in? Rest it on the side? Fill it up to the very top?

I leave about two inches from the top of the tank to where the gas is. Obviously there will be some variations from fuel-up to fuel-up but in the long term you should still get a pretty accurate number

[armacham]

armacham got some awesome scooter oil from his dad and my scoot is lovin' it ^_^

damn, that's pretty epic. I was waiting until 1000 miles to switch mine over to synthetic, I didn't have the amsoil when I took mine in for its first service. We'll see if those results are replicated.

[Becktastic]

So how do we fill our scoots up? Since it is so important for a FULL fuel up to get a proper MPG reading.
Do you stick the nozzle all the way in? Rest it on the side? Fill it up to the very top?

Mine has a metal thing to indicate how far you should fill it up. I always fill it to that point. I figure the average is still the most important number, but even if I didn't get it exact to the fill line, it would only be off by a small fraction.

[WildVitality]

I've been needing just this! What a great application! Thanks for the heads up!

http://www.fuelly.com/driver/wildvitality

[7eregrine]

So how do we fill our scoots up? Since it is so important for a FULL fuel up to get a proper MPG reading.
Do you stick the nozzle all the way in? Rest it on the side? Fill it up to the very top?

Mine has a metal thing to indicate how far you should fill it up. I always fill it to that point. I figure the average is still the most important number, but even if I didn't get it exact to the fill line, it would only be off by a small fraction.

Whatchoo talkin 'bout Beck?!?!

Just added another fuel up. Amazed I am getting a smidge under 90! I know it's rated that high, but those numbers never seem to match up. Veruh nice.

[armacham]

Whatchoo talkin 'bout Beck?!?!

on the really new 08 125s it looks like they added some sort of inner guideline to show you where to fill up to. They also have huge ass warning stickers warning you not to top it off.

[RonF]

armacham got some awesome scooter oil from his dad and my scoot is lovin' it ^_^

Wow, my best fillups are only 79.4, and I'm using a synthetic oil myself.

I wonder if the 125s usually get that much higher gas mileage than the 150s.

[betsy q. bramble]

wow so i just browsed the other budz for the first time...125s seem to be getting much better mileage than the 150s. what the heck?

[Becktastic]

wow so i just browsed the other budz for the first time...125s seem to be getting much better mileage than the 150s. what the heck?

It's the sacrifice you make for more power. I rode with my friend who had a Yamaha 650 motorcycle and he only got about 46mpg. My scoot rules ^_^

What do those super huge cc bikes get? There's a point where you may as well drive a cage o_O

[Becktastic]

Also, larger heavier riders might be more likely to get the 150's which would take a toll on their mileage...and I know armacham carries passengers a decent amount on his Italia where it's always just me on my bud. So that could explain some of the differences.

[betsy q. bramble]

hey watch it, i ride a 150!

[Moosy]

I joined - pretty good mileage I'd say...

http://www.fuelly.com/driver/zahampton/buddy-125

[Becktastic]

hey watch it, i ride a 150!

I wasn't trying to imply 150 riders are fatasses or anything. But if a big guy wants a scooter, he is more likely to go for the 150.

I'm sure there is still a good number of petite ladies going with 150's because they like the extra power between their legs

...I'd have gone 150cc if they had it in powder blue

[newslinky]

I would think that the larger displacement of the 150cc scoots are the reason for the lower MPG more than anything else. You are putting more gas into the combustion process. This (theoretically) provides more power. The difference is small from 125 to 150 but I feel it is big enough to account for a 10 MPG difference on average.

[Becktastic]

Holy crap, Fuelly has planes!
http://www.fuelly.com/driver/ferdmack/cessna-182rg

[squash1978]

Cool! I'm in.