Any former motorcyclists care to weigh in?

Jana · Post by **Jana** » Sat Feb 04, 2012 12:00 am

Hi all

I rode a small motorcycle for years, and I'm wondering how different a scooter is to ride. I know....what a weird question, right? lol

I haven't ridden for probably 7-8 years, and I don't want to go that route again, mainly because there are no smallish bikes out there that will allow me to put my feet nearly flat on the ground. I'm short, so seat height is a factor. I've ridden the smaller Honda (oops, sorry to offend!), and the size was pretty comfortable. It was pretty sluggish, though, so I won't be buying one. And pricey! Hoo boy.....

I've pretty much picked out my Buddy, but I need to check out a couple more places first-mainly to give the "old man" some peace of mind.

I'd love input from anyone who has made the transition to a scooter!

Thanks!!

Drum Pro · Post by **Drum Pro** » Sat Feb 04, 2012 12:47 am

How short? Have you tried the Sym Wolf 150? (at least I think that's what it's called). The Buddy's ergonomics are great for small to regular sized people and since you already have experience riding, you shouldn't have any trouble with shifting since it's a twist n go although you may be surprised at the nimbleness of them.

redhandmoto · Post by **redhandmoto** » Sat Feb 04, 2012 1:10 am

You're gonna love it. To me, scooters are a different species entirely.

Horsing around a 4-550 lb cycle in urban/suburban traffic is no fun. Scooters in the same environment are all fun. The very "short" handling, with their inherent whippiness and flickability, is its own reward. Scoots are all light manuver and movement, almost without mass.

pdxrita · Post by **pdxrita** » Sat Feb 04, 2012 1:23 am

I used to ride a Honda Rebel 250 motorcycle. They both have their advantages. The motorcycle has more power, of course, but if you're not planning to go on the freeway, a Buddy 125, 150 or 170i can keep up with any traffic. The scooter is much easier to ride since there's no shifting involved. I feel like the scooter is better in bad weather since you get a little bit of protection behind the front faring. Like you, I am vertically challenged. I wear platform boots on my Buddy to give me a bit more reach, but I can ride in normal shoes if I want. I'm just 4'10", though. I'd say if you're taller than 5'2", you will be able to reach just fine. Don't get hung up on "flat footing". It's not necessary. Oh, and Genuine now sells a low profile seat, so that's worth looking into. I'll probably get one eventually.

There are times that I wish I still had my motorcycle, but I wouldn't want to give up my Buddy to get one. It would have to be an additional vehicle, just for fun. When I had my motorcycle, I was completely a fair weather rider. With my scooter, I'm a daily commuter, rain or shine.

rsrider · Post by **rsrider** » Sat Feb 04, 2012 1:51 am

http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2012/ ... otorcycle/

make it quick, the article is only up for a few hours unless you're a member...............

Southerner · Post by **Southerner** » Sat Feb 04, 2012 2:23 am

pdxrita wrote:I used to ride a Honda Rebel 250 motorcycle. They both have their advantages. The motorcycle has more power, of course, but if you're not planning to go on the freeway, a Buddy 125, 150 or 170i can keep up with any traffic. The scooter is much easier to ride since there's no shifting involved. I feel like the scooter is better in bad weather since you get a little bit of protection behind the front faring. Like you, I am vertically challenged. I wear platform boots on my Buddy to give me a bit more reach, but I can ride in normal shoes if I want. I'm just 4'10", though. I'd say if you're taller than 5'2", you will be able to reach just fine. Don't get hung up on "flat footing". It's not necessary. Oh, and Genuine now sells a low profile seat, so that's worth looking into. I'll probably get one eventually.

There are times that I wish I still had my motorcycle, but I wouldn't want to give up my Buddy to get one. It would have to be an additional vehicle, just for fun. When I had my motorcycle, I was completely a fair weather rider. With my scooter, I'm a daily commuter, rain or shine.

Apropos the above, I was gonna say that there are quite a few 250cc streetbikes available from several makers that have as low or even a lower seat height than a lot of scoots I've tried for size. Not to talk you away from that Buddy.

DanielPerrin · Post by **DanielPerrin** » Sat Feb 04, 2012 3:23 am

I rode Hondas/Suzukis around the 750cc range for 75,000 miles before I got my Buddy 125.

PROS of a scooter:
* I like not having a large gas tank and engine between my legs
* The lower seat height and being able to sit upright is a lot more comfortable
* The lighter weight is great for city driving
* It's really nice to have hazard lights, fuel gauge, and trunk space under the seat
* I see scooter riders smiling. Lots of motorcyclists that I see are scowling
* The Buddy is a lot more nimble and maneuverable. You can get a motorcycle in a lot of places that a car won't go, but the scooter is even more of what someone else here call "flickable". I would not have called my Honda 750 "flickable".

PROS of a motorcycle:
* The weight is better in high winds, like 30 MPH+, as we often get here in Oklahoma.
* My 750 would move as quickly as most cars, and I could do 75 MPH on a highway. It definitely wasn't sluggish
* Great for long, multi-day trips; it can carry the gear and go 10+ hours on the highway

If you need to do 100 miles of highway driving daily, then a scooter would not be my choice. If you ride mostly at speeds below 50 MPH, especially for shorter trips like commuting, then I say that a scooter is definitely the better option.

viney266 · Post by **viney266** » Sat Feb 04, 2012 4:20 am

I still have a garage full of motorcycles. I ride those, too. The scooter? A BLAST around town and just fun, as much fun as my bigger bikes.

The scooter will steer quicker, but it will feel more "twitchy" at first. That will go away soon. The 125 buddy is quite capable. Good brakes, and enough motor to get you just about anywhere you want to go. They also make a shorter seat, depending on how short you are.
Buy it and have fun!

neotrotsky · Post by **neotrotsky** » Sat Feb 04, 2012 5:19 am

As a rider of both, there are some very good comparisons on here. From my experiences, the difference is that you gain the maneuverability that only small wheels get you, but you will lack the torque that a large bike gives you in traffic. It's one of those things that you *wish* you could have at the same time, but rarely do you get them. It's one reason why the Rattler 110 I have fits better for my style of driving: The 2-stroke engine provides quite a bit more torque than the Buddy 125 does in the 0-40 range, right where the scooter is most in it's element.

The light weight also has advantages, but one disadvantage is rider fatigue. But, when hopping around traffic it's a blessing. A good example of this is where I park my scoot while at school: Right next to the bike racks! Campus police don't sweat it, while the "regular" motorcycle parking is across campus. This would normally be a problem because there is quite a high curb leading to the street. But, the Rattler hops right off the thing like an enduro and absorbs the jump like it's no thing. Not many streetbikes like doing that. I don't know if I'd do that regularly with a buddy, but the weight is so light that it wouldn't be hard to do with out incident.

Buying a Genuine bike shows that you're just not buying a toy. And, with the right bike and the right application you can't go wrong. Having previous riding experience will make the transition easy. The right tool for the right job.

Just remember: Pics of the new scoot or it didn't happen

Lotrat · Post by **Lotrat** » Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:04 am

I ride both too. A scooter is not a motorcycle. It's a different ride all together. Once you accept what it is and what it can do then you'll have a great time. If you want it to be a motorcycle (or to be as fast as one), then you should just probably go get a motorcycle.

Yeah, the Wolf Classic 150 is sweet... 29.9" seat height. The Rebel is down at 27". How low do you need to go?

viney266 · Post by **viney266** » Sat Feb 04, 2012 5:00 pm

Yeah, I own bikes everywhere from 70cc to a Kawasaki 1200, and I really want to ride that wolf 150 and the 250 misfit. My daughter is about to turn driving age and I think one of those will fit the bill. She just doesn't like scooters

.

Jana · Post by **Jana** » Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:53 pm

Wow! Thank you so much for all the great responses! And since I'm a Noob here, I really appreciate the tone of those responses. I figured all y'all would give me good info, and be nice about it!

Thanks for that article regarding the $3200 solution-my DH also enjoyed reading it, since he's always on the hunt for bike info that he can squirrel away in that brain of his!

I rode my Kaw for many years, but I know it'll be totally different on a scooter. I was able to put my feet flat while on that bike, but I realize it won't be the case unless I go with a 50cc model. I want to be able to get out of my own way, so to speak, so will go with 125+.

As far as how low I would go-good question! The whole seat thing includes width as well, so I just have to park my keister on it to know if it's right. (You know, it's like trying on pants....not every size __ is the same!)

We did a little more shopping today, but didn't see anything else that blew my skirt up. Seems like there are more cheapo ones out there than I had realized. Sure, they might be fine if it's something you don't want to use much, but I plan to use mine quite a bit. I don't get very far from home on most days (gym, BreadCo, yarn store!), so I don't plan on getting on the Interstate.

Dang, I just realized that I won't be able to listen to my audiobooks or knit while riding....good thing scooters are fun on their own, right?