Modern Buddy

hey all,

wanted to get your advice on this conundrum i've been having. was most recently living in san diego (new 170i, 6 months old, still making payments for the next 3 years) until i just got a job in nyc.

i don't mind crazy manhattan drivers, i'm just weighing pros and cons:

pros:
drive outside of nyc for day rides and trips
convenience of having a scooter in manhattan

cons:
how much is insurance?
will winter ruin the scoot if i keep it outside?
stolen?
shorter riding season

do any of you guys ride in ny? any advice would be greatly appreciated. thanks.

Hi churroe!

Lots of scooter riders in NYC!!

Many park on the street, in Manhattan and the other boroughs, although I'm lucky enough to have a small garage. If you park illegally on the street (or sidewalk), you may get towed, and if you park legally you may get knocked over. Neither has happened to me in the almost 4 years that I've been riding, but it does happen.

Scooters do get stolen but it's also not a huge problem. A lock is a good idea. Insurance is pretty reasonable. NYS, however, doesn't include personal injury (for the rider) in motorcycle insurance, so it's good to have health insurance!

In terms of the riding season, sure it's not what you're used to in San Diego (where's that envy emoticon!), but a fair number of us ride much/most of the year, especially if we use the scoot to commute. Some people also pay to have their scooter stored for the winter, for example, with a dealer.

Check out the New York Scooter Forum http://www.nyscooterclub.com/forum/index.php. The FAQS section is chock full of useful info, and there are a lot of helpful folks on the forum as well. If you're going to be here by June 9, be sure to come to the annual scooter block party! And there are plenty of other rides, too.

Welcome to NY!

Kate

wow, kate. thanks for all the helpful info. so i'm pretty stoked -- i was afraid that i'd have to give up my love of scooting since i won't really need a scooter out here. but i have seen tons of scooters (esp in brooklyn) and i'm like, "i want in."

i'm sure having a scooter will be a great way to experience ny.

Absolutely not! you should just send it to me immediately.....

I think you could ride the 170 about anywhere up there and love it.

You are leaving San Diego to go to NYC? That's rough bro.

A garage would be sweet or even a porch to park it on. And, depending on the neighborhood a seriously good lock...NYC is like any other big city. They are good areas and there are bad.

There is a reason kryptonite makes a chain and lock called the New York Chain

I have relatives out on Staten Island and there neighborhood is a nice as mine here in the suburbs. So it all depends on where you live.

Be sure to ride up to Saratoga every once in a while too... we need more scooter people!

I would definitely suggest, if you plan on putting the scoot away for winter, that you figure out a way to store it indoors in a fairly climate regulated facility. It's definitely a lot easier to get around the city in the winter than up north here, though.

EDIT: Also, lucky you, the National Motorcycle Show is at the Javitt every year!

thanks for all the suggestions. yeah -- nyc is going to be much harder to live in than san diego, but i was getting bored to tears in san diego. i'm a big city guy more than i am a surfer, i guess.

maybe i'll move back to la in a few years.

Yeah if San Diego isn't big enough for you it's time to leave.

If scooting was only something you did because of the locality of the city....or because its something of a "small beach city" for you, I think maybe you won't ride in NYC?

Sell it perhaps and if you want another buy one once there and settled?

Just my take....

San Diego, boring?