Need riding pics!

Swordsman · Post by **Swordsman** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 3:50 pm

With the cost of gas going through the roof and my daily driver averaging 25 mpg on my 50 mile commute, I'm lightly tossing around the idea of getting a Blur 220i.

Thing is, I'm 6' tall, and a bit concerned about... how do I phrase it... looking "odd" on a scooter. I've scoured the entire frikkin' web, and I CANNOT find any photos of people actually riding this scooter that are over 4.5 feet tall (aka Asians on PGO's). Can any of you Blur owners pop in and post pics of you actually on the scoot?

Thanks!

~SM

killbilly · Post by **killbilly** » Thu Apr 28, 2011 6:30 pm

Swordsman wrote:With the cost of gas going through the roof and my daily driver averaging 25 mpg on my 50 mile commute, I'm lightly tossing around the idea of getting a Blur 220i.

Thing is, I'm 6' tall, and a bit concerned about... how do I phrase it... looking "odd" on a scooter. I've scoured the entire frikkin' web, and I CANNOT find any photos of people actually riding this scooter that are over 4.5 feet tall (aka Asians on PGO's). Can any of you Blur owners pop in and post pics of you actually on the scoot?

Thanks!

~SM

I'm 6' 1" and have a Blur 220i. I don't know about looking "odd" but I never worried that much. It's a bigger scooter in person than it looks in photos.

BlueMark · Post by **BlueMark** » Fri Apr 29, 2011 2:02 am

To the majority of people, anyone on a scooter looks odd. If you care what they think, you better just get a Harley.

The right question is ... how do you feel when riding the scooter? Get thee to a dealer and take a test ride.

addenda: whoops! I just noticed that you ride a 2006 Buell ... so technically you already have a Harley ...

Swordsman · Post by **Swordsman** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 12:32 am

BlueMark wrote:addenda: whoops! I just noticed that you ride a 2006 Buell ... so technically you already have a Harley ...

Ooooooooooooh, that's a low blow!

I actually just sold my Buell last week, which is why I have some money to spend. It got good mpg, but 1.) it was getting some age on it and 2.) Harley dropped the brand altogether. Considering how little aftermarket support Buell has, the future outlook on parts and repairs isn't so great, so I figured I'd better get out while I could before it had any major issues.

~SM

illnoise · Post by **illnoise** » Sat Apr 30, 2011 9:06 pm

I'm 5'10, 240lbs, so a hair taller than average and pretty fat.[/img]

edit: I always wear a helmet and gear, except for when I'm riding around drunk in a field with a bunch of other scooterists.

Swordsman · Post by **Swordsman** » Sun May 01, 2011 10:37 pm

illnoise, that's exactly what I've been looking for, thanks! That actually looks like it'll be a good size/fit for me. It really doesn't appear much smaller than my Buell, which was exceptionally short for a 1200cc bike.

The more I think about the prospect of a Blur, the more excited I get about it. I've been tossing around several different models, and my wife thinks the Blur will probably suit my needs more than the others (motorcycles included). I'm hoping I can see one in person before I completely make up my mind, but I may cave and order one anyway.

EDIT: Whadda ya know, my Buell's wheelbase was less than an inch longer than the Blur. They're VERY close to the same size. Mainly just different ergonomics!

I should mention as well, another reason I parted with my Buell is that I was wasting it. It's built for really tearing up some curves, and I just putted around back and forth to work with a few trips into town. It was my first bike, so I didn't really know what my riding style was when I got it. I've figured out that, while I like the looks of a sportbike, I'm not really a sportbike kinda' guy, and I just really can't talk myself into liking a cruiser. I was looking pretty hard at the Ural sidecar rigs, but they are expensive, get crappy mpg, and eat up tires worse than sportbikes do.

~SM

illnoise · Post by **illnoise** » Tue May 03, 2011 11:38 am

Yeah, I'm a fairly big guy and I don't feel like a Guinness Book Fat Twin when I'm riding it. Most modern scooters are bigger than they look. Vintage scooters, even the bigger ones, are pretty tiny in comparison.

I've had a few sportbikers start to give me a wave then realize I'm riding a moped and look away in embarrassment, always good for a laugh.

Bryan

Swordsman · Post by **Swordsman** » Tue May 03, 2011 1:06 pm

illnoise wrote:I've had a few sportbikers start to give me a wave then realize I'm riding a moped and look away in embarrassment, always good for a laugh.

Ha! I always made it a point to wave a scooter riders when I was out on my Buell. I figured most other "bikers" probably consider themselves too macho, but we all share a love for 2 wheels. No reason to be a snob about it. I appreciate vehicles for what they are, not just for their performance or image... I drive an '08 Mustang GT, but I'd love to get my hands on a smart Fortwo as well.

~SM

Rippinyarn · Post by **Rippinyarn** » Tue May 03, 2011 6:12 pm

The Blur is a great combination - you can easily cruise/commute and you can easily lean that sucker over and give it some wellie.

I love mine and it hurts my soul to be off it for long

KCScooterDude · Post by **KCScooterDude** » Wed May 04, 2011 3:34 pm

Being a six footer myself, I can tell you it's a great fit on the Blur and you sit up higher than most drivers (SUVs aside) so people can see you real well. The only problem I have is that after an hour on the bike my legs do get a bit tired, but I attribute that to fatness, not tallness.

Swordsman · Post by **Swordsman** » Sat May 07, 2011 6:16 am

Well, I managed to get a peek at a Blur 150 in person. I've stopped in a time or two at Scenic City Scooters in Chattanooga, TN. Super-nice people up there, very friendly and helpful. Because the Blur 150 didn't sell well for them, they don't keep Blurs in stock, so I was trying to pick the mechanic's brain about them (he had ridden one before). In the middle of the conversation, he says, "Hey, I have a buddy whose girlfriend has a Blur, and he's off today. Let me call him and see if he'll bring it over." Sure enough, the guy did! I was a little shocked at how small it seemed in person... the pics had me thinking it was... taller? Coming off a sportbike, the ergos are going to take some getting used to. But I'm convinced this is the scooter I want (er, the 220i, not the 150

). I plan on calling Scenic City tomorrow to see what I need to do to get one ordered!

~SM

illnoise · Post by **illnoise** » Mon May 09, 2011 8:50 pm

I've met Stan and Jen at scooter rallies and they have a great reputation. There aren't enough dealers like that in the U.S. Definitely throw them some business! : )

Bryan

jprestonian · Post by **jprestonian** » Mon May 09, 2011 11:45 pm

Yep -- if you're in/near Tennessee and can't buy from East Side Scooters (Nashville), Scenic City Scooters is definitely the place to go. Great people to deal with, and Stan (mechanic) knows his way around the vintage stuff, too!
.

Swordsman · Post by **Swordsman** » Tue May 10, 2011 1:24 am

Yeah, I'm definitely going to Scenic City. I thought briefly of trying a dealer down in Marietta, but the salesman that responded to my email request informed me that the Blur was a brand new bike this year and that there was going to be a very limited supply available to dealers, and if I went ahead a gave them my deposit I'd get first shot at the color choices.

I didn't feel it was worth the effort to bring up the 2010 model, or question why we're nearly halfway through the year and they're still waiting on their all-new 2011 stock.

Guess I should have expected something like that from a car dealership that carries scooters.

~SM

Swordsman · Post by **Swordsman** » Wed May 11, 2011 6:45 pm

In hindsight, I'll bet that sales guy was confused. I specifically asked about a Blur 220i, but I'll bet he was thinking about the Buddy 170i.

~SM

Modern Buddy

Need riding pics!

Need riding pics!

Re: Need riding pics!