Your First Ride

Post by **ericalm** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 2:40 am

The topic of riders' experiences on their first scooter ride came up on FB today and I thought it might be interesting for members to share some of their stories and experiences. |

Some of us were riding something from the time they could walk but most of us took to it much later in life. We may learn at different speeds, too. I know some great riders who took a while to become proficient. There's certainly nothing wrong with that!

Post by **ericalm** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 2:40 am

I had ridden some prior to buying my first scooter but had never learned to do it right. My wife, at the time, was adamantly opposed to my buying a scooter and was sure I'd kill myself the first day. I'd never ridden anything with a CVT before and made the same mistake many people make—I hopped on and jacked the hell out of the throttle. This sent me careening out into a wide, busy street, in a huge, sweeping and (seemingly, at the time) fast arc across three lanes. I glanced over my shoulder to see my wife, in her car, with a horrified look on her face.

I spent that day practicing on side streets but not know what I was doing. I put my foot down hard ones in a wobbly turn and twisted my ankle. I was all over the damn place. I spent the next couple weeks riding small streets in my neighborhood. Still, wish I'd just taken the dang MSF first. I had a lot of close calls.

A few years later, my first time on the Stella, I hopped on and again cranked the throttle. This time the result was me popping a GIANT wheelie, with the front wheel about 60°-70° off the ground. Again, my wife stood by with a horrified look on her face. I said, "I got it! I got it!" and gingerly set it back down. "Okay, I got this!" I was off and scooting in minutes. Sigh.

chas · Post by **chas** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 2:44 am

ericalm wrote:A few years later, my first time on the Stella, I hopped on and again cranked the throttle. This time the result was me popping a GIANT wheelie, with the front wheel about 60°-70° off the ground. Again, my wife stood by with a horrified look on her face. I said, "I got it! I got it!" and gingerly set it back down. "Okay, I got this!" I was off and scooting in minutes. Sigh.

HAHAHAHA! Unintentional badassery is the best type of badassery there is!

illnoise · Post by **illnoise** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 3:05 am

I was always jealous of my friends' mopeds when I was a kid (you could ride a moped when you were 14 in Ohio). Then I saw Vespas around for years and it never occurred to me I could actually own one until I moved to Chicago after college and saw an ad in the Reader for a Vespa for $800. I went and looked at it but it was a dud, but a few ads later I found a Primavera, about 20 miles out into the suburbs.

So my wife-to-be drove me out there and I bought it ($875!) and rode it home with no helmet, no license or title or plates or anything. It's a manual transmission, of course, and I could barely drive a manual car so there was a lot of stalling and white-knuckling and honking. Tracie followed me thinking "well, I guess I'll need to find a new boyfriend."

Then I was on the home stretch on Division and Kedzie or so (I lived in Ukranian Village) and finally getting the hang of it, and found myself in the middle of a Puerto Rican independence day parade. A guy jumped on the back, yelling in spanish and jamming plátanos in my mouth while I said "oh my got GET OFF I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING I'LL KILL US BOTH. Tracie still brings that up once in a while. The next day I took the bus up to scooterworks (when they were on ravenswood, right after they bought Vespa of Chicago, and bought a helmet and a battery and a few other bits it needed, and within a few weeks I had a license and was riding everywhere.

AlleyOops · Post by **AlleyOops** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 3:15 am

My story isn't nearly as exciting. I've wanted a scooter for years and finally decided that for my 30th birthday I was buying myself one. I've been pretty dead set on getting a red Vino 125, but walked in to the Genuine dealer to just check them out and ended up walking out buying one! In hindsight I probably should have done a little more research, but I'm confident now I made a good purchase. (although maybe I should have snagged the blackjack they still have sitting there)

So after the scooter was delivered it sat in my garage for 3 days because I was too terrified to drive it. My first ride was just in a closed off residential neighborhood, slowly building up to riding around town. I took my MSF course about 10 days later and felt a million times more comfortable. Now I ride just about anywhere (except highway). This was 2 months ago.. So I'm still very much a newbie.

Capt_Don · Post by **Capt_Don** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 3:42 am

My story is like a constant loop in time:

My first scooter was a stand in for the bike I wanted, but I ran it into the ground, and when the brakes went out I used my feet to stop.

About ten years later: I bought a Tomos Targa and did not have enough money to buy the helmet, so it stayed at the dealership for at least a week... even though I had practiced riding it in their lot I almost managed to wreck it pulling out onto HWY 18 in between Lenoir and Hickory NC.

Over Ten Years Later: I buy a Tomos Arrow and right as I am taking off from the dealer the bike almost comes out from under me and goes its own way on to Manchester Rd. in Rock Hill Mo.

Five Years Later: I buy a Buddy and it has been smooth riding! Is it a sign?

Drum Pro · Post by **Drum Pro** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 4:12 am

I had Mike from Noho Scooter shop deliver mine cos I live an hour and a half from L.A. After he left I just started it up and got on a rode it around my block, slowly increasing the area. Then I went in and called about the MSF class, went and got my permit, got my insurance, and signed up. A week later I went to the class and had to ride their 250cc bike that I wasn't to fond of cos I don't really like motorcycles but I like scoots' (weird, I know), and my foot kept getting stuck trying to shift as it was my first time EVER on a motorcycle but I drive manual cars since I was 16. So the next day i called them and asked if I could use my scoot and they said, "As long as it's 300cc's or less". So I took my bike and did much better and passed the MSF. Rode down to the DMV and got my full endorsement. For me it wasn't to hard to get the basics down to where I could get to the DMV as I went early and took it slow. the rest is just practice and building confidence....

JHScoot · Post by **JHScoot** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 4:14 am

My story begins with my mother, who was a vibrant 66 years old when she wanted to learn to ride a MC, and is now 68 and pretty much a non rider. For now...

I was staying with her a bit and she took MSF. She did ok but crashed the bike the second day and went to the emergency room. The Doc said "you get back on it. I want to learn how to ride an MC when I retire."

She was banged up but ok. I started thinking "trike" and the Chinese ones were looked into. Not legal in Cali (CARB). My mom is just over 5 foot and is of smaller frame. So any MC seemed intimidating to her now. I finally thought "scooter?" They had never come to mind before. Even while browsing the scooter drop shippers for trikes. I mean, weren't scooters slow little things with beep-beep horns that held up traffic?

However they were small, and seemed manageable for a smaller rider. So I looked into those, went to a couple places without good results, and finally researched the Honda 'Met. Mom decided she would take a look. But first I wanted to visit this "scooter only" shop I had read about. It was called NoHo Scooters in North Hollywood. What might they have? I had come across Genuine online and knew my mom would like the look of the Blackjack. But it was $3500 and somewhat bigger then the 'Met. But I decided I would start her at NoHo just to see more scooters then Honda and Yamaha had to offer. Then we would go look at the 'Met

Well we walked into NoHo and owner Mike knew two suckers when he saw 'em lol. He was really nice and told us stories of him and his dad, and his history of riding motorbikes and his love of scooters. Father to son, passed on. He even got a little teary eyed when speaking of his father. I appreciated that and his sincerity and store hospitality. No pressure...but my mom fell in like with the Buddy, but in LOVE with the Blackjack for it's somewhat "50's" look. She sat on a few Buddy's, held them up, tossed 'em side to side. She could manage one fine, a purchase was made.

But she was still banged up from the fall at MSF. Mike said "ride the scooter." It had to be broke in. So I rode the scooter. And I have been riding ever since.

Why? It was just the right time, I suppose. My life had changed at 44, I had just lost 200 pounds, and when I rode the Buddy I just felt free, lightweight, nimble, and a bit wild. Things I never felt at 450lbs. I didn't know I wanted to ride until I rode in the carport more, went though the "this is crazy" thoughts....and after a day of a few close calls in the carport a thought of real fear and just thinking "i can't do this." But I knew I could do it. Not just "break in" a scooter but ride a scooter well, and maybe even become a scooter rider. A couple months passed, my mother's BJ had 300 miles on it, and I walked into NoHo with $1600 and walked out with a brand new Kymco Agility 125.

Talk about a "smokin' deal."

From then on the Blackjack was taken out my time and location dependent (it now has 1400 miles) and my Agility is well on its way to it's third set of tires

I sold my car a few months later, certain I would never want to drive it again. Or any car. I have no kids, wife, I am a single dude. So it's an amazingly free thing for me to do, riding a scooter. Like nothing i could have ever imagined for myself. i take the bus on rainy days so I NEVER have to deal with traffic, and when I need to take the freeway somewhere I will get an Aprillia Scarabeo 500. This I have already decided.

Pretty sure my mother may be close to selling me the BJ, too. I won't offer to buy or mention it, but if the question comes, sure. I would love to own that scooter.

After all, it helped change not just my life....but me. And it's still changing me. How so? Well, you gotta ride to know, don't you? And words do not quite do it.

Drum Pro · Post by **Drum Pro** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 4:20 am

congrats on losing the weight. Although I know it's hard but keep it up for your healths sake. Well done!!!!

JHScoot · Post by **JHScoot** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 4:27 am

Thanks, dude. i am at 220lbs lost now, with 30 to go! Or maybe even 50

Its nice for my health, yeah. But being single it has been WAY better for other things. If you know what I mean? And I think you do

Let's just say I have plenty of motivation to keep it off, yeah...

Demo_Nic · Post by **Demo_Nic** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 4:33 am

You mean better for your gas mileage? ;p

JHScoot · Post by **JHScoot** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 4:38 am

Exactly, Demo. Exactly....

Oh and BTW....I got MY Scooter DORK sticker. No thanks to YOU

Thats the real reason I started riding. One day I knew I would get that sticker. Bam!

Pete_M · Post by **Pete_M** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 6:13 am

I rode my St Tropez scooter today for the first time. I had not been on anything since about 1984 when I rode my friends Yamahopper for about 15 minutes. I got the scooter a few weeks ago, but it sat in the driveway while I acquired the appropriate gear. I finally got on it and I am not the tallest man in the world. In fact, I might be the shortest (5'5). Admittedly, I am a perfectly good driver of a car, but was always sort of a spaz on a bike, and today the scooter proved that the spazdom did in fact spill over. I almost wrecked several times. I almost steered the Buddy right off the road into some bushes, but was able to swerve and narrowly avoid that. I live in an unincorporated area of San Diego called Mt. Helix. There are lots of winding and narrow roads. I took it out for about 15 minutes. My hands started to ache from the fact that I wasn't used to the grip, and so I decided to head home. As I pulled into the drive way, I slowed too quickly and dumped the bike, or rather, I dumped me and the bike fell on top which is actually for the best, so there was no damage to the scooter. I am going to get on it again tomorrow and ride it for another 15 minutes or so. I am a big fan of biting off more than I can chew and often regretting it. My first thoughts after picking myself and the scooter back up and shaking out my aching hands was " This isn't gonna take. I am gonna sell this thing" I have since let go of that notion. I have always been told " It's not a matter of if you crash, but when" I know it's total wishful thinking, but hopefully the next one won't come for at least a while.

Wheelz · Post by **Wheelz** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 11:50 am

My First ride was when I was 11 or 12 and some friends and I got an old Batavus moped running that we found in a Barn. We rode that thing everywhere (we we not supposed to but hey it was rual Michigan, who'se gonna say anything).
When I was 14 a cousins boyfriend had a yamaha razz that he was selling, I was working so I saved some cash and bought it. I loved that bike. I got that "first car" freedom feeling before everyone else, and felt I could go anywhere I wanted. I got a car eventually because, well ya had to have a car, in highschool. Sold the car and went to college and took the Razz along for transpo. She died in kalamazoo Mi, due to too many "minor" crashes and of course I did not have any money.
Jump to living in Chicago and seeing a stella on the street for the first time, I loved riding my Bicycle in the city, so much so I got a job doing it. But I thought to myself "geez, why not get a scooter for those times when the bike just won't cut it, or I'm worn out from riding 40 some hours a week."
Did not happen until a few years later when I moved down to Florida and you had to have some kind of transportation.
After going round and round with the SO about "toys" "danger" and what adults would do. I ignored her and was gonna get a Ruckus, but they were soo damn slow. I remembered the Stella from years ago and looked it up, found Genuine's site and lo-and behold there was the Rattler-love at first bite as they say. Found a dealer 30 miles from my house and bought one, rode it home that day and while I was a bit nervous it was like I had never gotten off a scooter. Except for coming across the Cape Coral bridge in high winds that was my only pucker moment on the ride home.
2 Rats and a GTS later I could not be happier.
Except I can't sell one of the Rats

that's okay a 3 scooter and two bike stable looks pretty impressive to me

hg3 · Post by **hg3** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 12:10 pm

First ride 1956-7 Cushman, Actually, I think, my Mom found this ad of a used one for sale in Vallejo. She drove me there from St.Helena. I believe I paid 100 bucks. and then got on and drove home some 50 miles with her following me.

About 1/4 mile from home a CHP pulled me over and asked to see my licensee - yep Mom was back there - I showed him my class C. He said Ok and off he went. Drove it on home.

Now that I look back, that was baptism by Fire.

I drove that Cushman every where in the Valley. Even to HS in the rain!

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 1:12 pm

My first scooter ride was the day I picked up Flash. I'd bought him from a dealer in a city 40 miles away, and had figured out how get there by taking the train and a city bus, then mapped out the rurallest route home... when the salesman offered to have it dropped off at their non-Genuine-carrying sister shop 5 miles from my house.

I've got a gazillion miles of bicycle riding experience, but only once had I been on a motorcycle. (That was when I was 11 and my older cousin let me ride his dirtbike with him, sitting behind me with both our hands on the handlebars, and him claiming that he had his eyes closed so I had to steer.) I didn't have proper scooter gear yet, so I wore my bicycle helmet, windbreaker, and fingerless biking gloves. I was... very cautious.

After briefly getting my sea legs in the parking lot, the friend who dropped me off followed me in his car to the Burger King a few blocks away. The shop is located on a mostly-deserted street, so I was able to ease my way into no-traffic and putt along at a comfortable speed, reaching BK approximately 15 minutes later.

I briefly panicked when I realized that the turn signal wouldn't turn itself off like in a car, but quickly figured out that the button would cancel it.

After refueling myself, my friend headed home and I braved the rest of the ride home alone. I'd again mapped out the least-trafficked route from there, at a lower-traffic time of day, but couldn't avoid sharing the road with a few... cars. So of course I hugged the shoulder the whole way. When I got to the unavoidable left turn... I avoided the left-turn lane by instead making a right turn, pulling into a parking lot to turn around (and pause to collect myself), and going straight through the intersection.

I made it the rest of the way home without incident. As I pulled Flash up the step onto the porch where I'd be parking him, I immediately realized that I would have to build a little ramp for him; this was Not At All like lifting a bicycle.

skully93 · Post by **skully93** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 1:54 pm

My decision to buy a scooter at 35 years old stemmed from the fact that I was working 90+ hours a week between two jobs. 1 is my daily IT job, which is @ 5 miles. I was teaching martial arts at night, some 15 miles along a highway. Between tuition for myself and my wife, plus gas and extras, we were spending a fortune. So, when I was forced to stop teaching by some shitty circumstances, I saved for a scooter.

I found a very gently used Yamaha Zuma 50cc. My friend and I went to look at it, he said "I'm more of a motorcycle guy but that seems like it's in great shape!". 2 days later I bought it, and he rode it home for me.

My first ride was him loaning me his old MC equipment and aiming me down the sidewalk. Of course I cranked the throttle and nearly ran over the garden, through the street, and almost into a nearby building. Once I figured out the controls a bit (I probably should have done that BEFORE riding..) I went around the block a few times, and felt better. every other day I would ride it a bit, even though it was starting to get really cold out. Then a couple weeks later I took it to work, trying to figure out the best route.

I came to own my buddy when I went in to get street tires on the Zuma. they were slow and offered to let me play with some of the scooters. I rode a buddy 50 for comparison, and then they let me try the 150. I walked in for tires and walked out with a 2nd scooter....

Uncle Groucho · Post by **Uncle Groucho** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 2:18 pm

Bogie was my first scooting experience since I'm not counting test scoots. I researched a few, test drove a few, and made my choice. The store had one more Italia 50 coming in and it had my name on it. My wife dropped me off and went to pick up our daughter while I waited as the shop set it up.

I wobbled out of the Twist N' Scoot parking lot into traffic and I'm sure Steve and Wayne were taking bets as to how soon I'd eat pavement. It was a 60/40 mix of panic and excitement but since most of the roads were single lane I didn't feel too threatened. The first "oh sh!t" moment came when I took a left turn from a dead stop onto my street. I didn't wipe out, but I must have looked like I was about to.

I proudly pulled in to my driveway while my daughter jumped up and down squealing. I goosed the horn a few times while my wife gave me a "Why did I agree to this" kind of look...

siobhan · Post by **siobhan** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 2:40 pm

1964 Lambretta LI125. Purchased on eBay back in the day when it was ok to purchase such things on eBay. You know, when you could leave feedback for anyone, just because, not tied to a purchase. Back in the '90s

Scoot was shipped by Forward Air from Buffalo to JFK cargo.

Boyfriend drove out to pick it up in a rented van with commercial plates (ugh, the Van Wyck!). I vaguely remember him talking about the perfume vendor who watched him struggle to uncrate the thing and manhandle it into the van…all on a 90F hazy, hot and humid NYC summer day.

The scoot was a rescue from an apple orchard with a beautiful patina…a cross between robin’s egg blue and seafoam green…with the double saddle seats which, to this day, remains my favorite scooter seating arrangement.

At the time the b/friend and I were caretakers at an estate that was open to the public so there was a large, albeit very sandy, parking lot.

The first ride:
I can’t believe I don’t remember what I was wearing. I’m sure I was still in my “school clothes” which at the time were black leggings and an oversized white t-shirt with some kind of painting or drawing done by a friend. That was the New York uniform. Probably a pair of Black Watch plaid Chucks with holes in the soles. I still have ‘em.

I have always driven manual cars (VW Beetle, Karmann Ghia) so I understood shifting. What I didn’t understand was turning…which is kind of a problem as parking lots end and you have to turn around. It's not like I didn't know how to ride a bicycle as I rode for years in NYC. It was just the engine part was messing with my head.

I kicked it into life, got on, shifted into first and tentatively rolled on the throttle. It was like riding a Weeble as I wobbled across the sand-filled parking lot. I vividly remember thinking “how does one turn this thing?” as I popped the clutch and the engine died. Thankfully, as I rolled to a stop in the grass.

“Ok, I’ve had enough.”

We used to ride back & forth to campus together, until we picked up a beautiful turquoise and white LI150 so we could each have our own scoots.

And that’s how it all stahrted.

Edwub · Post by **Edwub** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 2:56 pm

My semi-first ride was on Yoshi, my Honda Metro. The nice thing about the Metro is it may be one of the easiest scooters to ride: really small, really short.

I was buying it used and wanted a test drive for the feeling. I remember the guy recommended I keep my feet low as I pick up speed in case I'm not used to it... I twisted the throttle slowly and immediately lifted my feet up, which surprised him. I circled his level of the parking lot once or twice, playing with the blinkers (him, his girlfriend and my girlfriend thought it was funny - I didn't - I was trying to get a feel of actual riding!)

Bought it, he actually rode it over to my apartment. My gf gave me grief because I wanted to ride it (sans helmet or license) from the front of our building to the back where our parking spot is.

Got my permit, bought helmet, etc, a week passed.

Weekend. First actual ride! Was going to go gas it at a station less than a mile away. Me, and my gf following behind me in the car. Drive down the alleyway, make a left across traffic, scary! Start scooting away. Zoom, zoom. Less than a third mile later I pulled over into the parking lot for a grocery store. Gf confused why I stopped - I was like "wow, it's....great hun. Do I look alright from behind? Does it look ok? Was I driving straight?" In reality I was freaked out. I was going 30mph REALLY CLOSE TO THE GROUND. That is too fast, and I am at risk of skidding and dying.

I started worrying I made a mistake. I decided to fight the fear, the next workday to leave for work at 5:30am, in order to "get some experiments started early at work." The real reason was I wanted to be the only one on the road for my normal commute.

UCLA is ~4.5 miles from my place. That single early morning ride was all I needed. Quickly built my confidence up, and gave me the hands on time I needed to get used to the metro handling. On the way home, didn't mind the light traffic. Preferred it, I stayed in the damn center of my lane the whole time, was trying to get used to be surrounded by cars.

Kept the metro for two and a half years. It didn't take long to start lane splitting, though I don't remember the timeline. One thing I miss about the metro was that it was so TINY I could fit through anything. Yes, on the green straightaways I couldn't really keep u p with the (speeding) traffic but damn it was nimble.

Eventually I talked my bro-in-law into a scooter, and I test rode his Fly 150 once or twice - didn't like it. So fast! So TALL! I think I posted that when I eventually put my foot down on the metro and needed a bigger ride, I had test rode and hated the Blur at first. IT WAS HUGE and TOO FAST! A monster. (I was trying to decide between the 170 and the Blur...ultimately decided Blur because I'd get "used to it" and wanted the extra power for two-up riding).

Anyway, <3<3<3 my Blur now

And I can't imagine riding a teeny little 50cc Metro

un_designer · Post by **un_designer** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 3:35 pm

I love this thread!

My entrance into the world of scooter was somewhat of an accident (more on that in a bit) and serendipity.

One September we went from having two cars to having zero car in a week. On Monday I was driving home from work in the WRX, and around this freeway merge curve that's not very well lit, someone had dropped a vending machine right in the middle of the road. Yes, a vending machine! I quickly swerved to the right but wasn't able to avoid it entirely. I clipped it with the front-right corner of the car and damanged the headlight, part of the hood, and the wheel well. A woman in an SUV comes by about a minute later and rams heads-on, sending the the vending machine clear across 5 lanes and into the median. I was about 3 yards away and would've been hit if it went the other way. Needless to say her car sustained way more damage than mine. The part that really pissed me off about this whole incident was that the police was never able to trace the machine back to the owner, so both of us were out of luck as far as getting someone to pay for the damage. It's one thing to drop some box and not notice, but a huge vending machine??? how could someone not noticed that it just dropped off like that???

Fast forward to Friday night of that same week. I'm in our other car, the GTI, coming home from dinner. It was probably around 8pm and we're just driving normally on a 2-way street. Suddenly this car coming from the other direction just turns left right in front of our car. No turn signals, no lights, nothing. The car behind us saw the whole thing and stopped to act as a witness.

So, just like that. In one week, we went from 2 cars to no cars. So, we decided that maybe that was serendipity trying to tell us something. And we decided that we just won't replace the cars. The insurance pretty much paid back what I'd paid for both cars originally (i know!) minus the maintenance costs. Since neither one of us actually needed a car to get to work, we decided to just not have cars.

And so, for the next 2.5 years we didn't have a car. We had bicycles and we had public transit and we have friends. Every outing became an adventure, and we got to learn a lot more about the areas around.

Anyhow, around 2007, I started to see and hear a lot more about scooters because of gas prices. So one day, just for fun, I decided to look into scooters. After some googling to get a decent amount of exposure to the different types of scooters and the associated costs, I found a couple of dealers and went in to look at the scooters.

The first scooter I ever sat on and rode on was a Piaggio Typhoon that was THE ugliest thing I'd ever seen. But, riding it around felt completely natural. I was amazed at how natural it felt. Next came a Vespa, which I thought looked a lot classier but felt really heavy and big. Next I went to try the Buddies, and it felt just right in terms of aesthetics, power, maneuverability, and weight/size.

I just needed to figure out if the 50cc or 125cc would be the right one. Did I want the ability to park on the sidewalk downtown or did I want the ability to go further and keep up with faster traffic? While deliberating, I was checking out CL and found an Italia that this nurse was selling because she had to move away and couldn't commute with the scooter anymore. I took it for a quick ride around the block and was sold. Because I'd bicycled there to see the scooter and was not planning on buying the first one I saw, I had to arrange to go get cash from the bank, and get a ride back so I could ride the scooter home. I only live 4.5 miles away from the seller, so it was pretty easy.

TVB · Post by **TVB** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 4:12 pm

un_designer wrote:It's one thing to drop some box and not notice, but a huge vending machine??? how could someone not noticed that it just dropped off like that???

Did you at least get, like, free candy out of it?

un_designer · Post by **un_designer** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 4:51 pm

hahaha i wish. it was empty. plus, at the time i was so sad about my baby the WRX being damaged. plus, i don't drink soft drinks anyway (it was a soft drink vending machine) so i couldn't care less.

to this day, i still can't imagine how someone could've had such a big, huge, heavy thing like a vending machine falling off on the the freeway and not notice...

Bluduh · Post by **Bluduh** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 5:17 pm

I have ridden and owned a pretty wide variety of motorcycles over the years that looks something like: Honda 50 (Super Cub), Trail 90, Honda 160, Yamaha 400 Enduro, Zundapp 250, Triumph 500, Norton 500 (single!), Suzuki 1100, and a Harley (that even had a 1940s vintage sidecar with a SPOKED spare tire on the back!)

That was 40 years ago. Along come children and an obligatory transition into (partial) responsibility/respectability and so, no motorized two wheel shenanigans for 30+ years.

At about 61, with the kids grown, it was time to slide back into my more natural state and start riding again. I realized that the most fun I ever had on MCs was with the smaller, single cylinder, less expensive "motorbikes" that I grew up with (NOT the bigger motorcycles). I also wanted something that I could run errands on that had some cargo carrying capability. My commute is too long and Texas is just too damn hot for commuting, but a scooter seemed like just the ticket for short runs around town.

So I bought a used Yamaha Vino 125. What a beautiful machine. I still love to ride it. But the Vino had problems on hot, windy Texas days even reaching 45 mph, which is not enough "defensive" speed for the way people drive here. So, I went down to our great local Genuine dealer, Moxie, and bought a new Buddy 170i. It is the PERFECT urban scooter. I see people on this and other sites talking about how the 170i will go 70 mph. It will, but TOP speed is not the point. The beauty of it is that it will reach 45 - 55 mph quickly under just about any conditions of wind, hills, etc because it has enough power to get there!

So, yeah, it took me about 40 years to "evolve" to scooters, but now that I am here, I don't want anything else. Well,.... Maybe another scooter. I mean, three is not too many, right??? Maybe a Kymco 300 or Vespa 250, or one of the mysterious upcoming "big" Genuines??? I mean, you add up the cost of all THREE and it's still less than a big Harley, right??? Come on, ...you know I'm right...

GrittyTacoman · Post by **GrittyTacoman** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 7:04 pm

First to Pete_M: glad you're sticking with it and starting slow. Takes a little while to get the feel and the confidence. Definitely do a MSF course if you haven't already!

My first scooter ride was the 50cc rental scooter at a local shop, an experience that my wife and I used as the big test to see if we'd buy a scooter of our own. We each rented one and with the staff watching, got on and promptly almost crashed into each other in the alley behind the shop. The rest of the trip was fun though and confirmed that we wanted to buy one.

Next ride was picking my St. Tropez up at a Genuine dealership 15 miles away, on roads that reach 50mph in places. Tried to beat a rainstorm and did for the first half of the ride home. Fortunately no probs here either, except for getting drenched. We had passed the written test for a moto permit but taking the aforementioned MSF class after bringing the St Tropez home helped a ton!

JHScoot · Post by **JHScoot** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 8:05 pm

Pete_M wrote:I rode my St Tropez scooter today for the first time. I had not been on anything since about 1984 when I rode my friends Yamahopper for about 15 minutes. I got the scooter a few weeks ago, but it sat in the driveway while I acquired the appropriate gear. I finally got on it and I am not the tallest man in the world. In fact, I might be the shortest (5'5). Admittedly, I am a perfectly good driver of a car, but was always sort of a spaz on a bike, and today the scooter proved that the spazdom did in fact spill over. I almost wrecked several times. I almost steered the Buddy right off the road into some bushes, but was able to swerve and narrowly avoid that. I live in an unincorporated area of San Diego called Mt. Helix. There are lots of winding and narrow roads. I took it out for about 15 minutes. My hands started to ache from the fact that I wasn't used to the grip, and so I decided to head home. As I pulled into the drive way, I slowed too quickly and dumped the bike, or rather, I dumped me and the bike fell on top which is actually for the best, so there was no damage to the scooter. I am going to get on it again tomorrow and ride it for another 15 minutes or so. I am a big fan of biting off more than I can chew and often regretting it. My first thoughts after picking myself and the scooter back up and shaking out my aching hands was " This isn't gonna take. I am gonna sell this thing" I have since let go of that notion. I have always been told " It's not a matter of if you crash, but when" I know it's total wishful thinking, but hopefully the next one won't come for at least a while.

You are well on your way! I will just mention the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) Basic Riding Course (BRC) in case you have $250 and a couple of days to learn some basic riding skills. If not, a good number of videos and reading material is available to help you out. Some like to mention a book called Proficient Motorcycling to new riders. Other then that, it takes practice. Be careful not to fall but don't become preoccupied with falling or thoughts of crashing. Instead, become preoccupied with learning how to ride well and safe.

It does feel like work at first. A scooter is a big, heavy bike. Not like a motorcycle, but certainly more so then a bicycle or moped. Just putting it on its center stand and pushing it off can seem a chore when a new rider. Gearing up takes time, heading out, weather....it seems a bit of a hassle at first, but becomes incredibly easy and organized.

So take your time to learn, be careful, and keep the rubber side down. Hopefully...

RoadRambler · Post by **RoadRambler** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 8:54 pm

Among the highlights of my college years were the trips to Gatlinburg, TN made with friends. During the first of these, I was able to convince one other girl in the group (but only one) to go to the scooter rental place I'd seen. I was dying to try the scooters as I'd always admired and wanted a moped when I was (even) younger. We rented two and were off, though I had to use a borrowed license because I forgot mine -- never mind that the picture of my friend Karen didn't look much like me, lol.

I'll never forget the ride on Gatlinburg's main drag and a little way into the Great Smoky Mtns National Park. My memories are just general impressions now, though, it's been so long, but I loved riding and feeling a part of the world, not just passing by it in an enclosed box.

The next year, another friend was willing to go, but the scooter place was unattended, though we waited a long time for someone to show. Bummer. And then on subsequent trips the rental place was gone.

Fast forward to graduate school and a trip with a boyfriend to Pensacola, Fl -- an amazing 1/2 day rental putting up and down the beach. It was grand! Though my boyfriend exasperated me hugely at one point wanting to stop for breakfast pretty soon after we got the scooters -- excuse me, I wanted to be riding the WHOLE rental time!

Fast forward quite a few more years, and my fiance and I decide to ditch plans for a big wedding and get married without all the fuss in -- you guessed it -- Gatlinburg, TN! A scooter place was open then (1999) -- hurray! I loved riding still though for the first time ever felt occasionally insecure. What had happened to the younger me that just got on and took off with nary a wobble nor an instruction on those previous two trips of yore?

And though my DH really loved it also (his first ride on a scooter) for some reason we never really followed up on riding scooters, until last year the notion hit me -- why don't we look into scooters of our own? -- after I'd been looking into renting some to toodle around Williamsburg in (which we still haven't done but should be great fun, I would think). A cheap Chinascoot quickly led to the Roughhouse to the Buddy 125, the Blur, and now the Psycho!

So really my "first" ride was many years ago, but the first ride that led to becoming a regular, daily scooterist was just last year! Why did we wait so long to just get scooters of our own, especially when we loved riding them on our honeymoon? We are truly puzzled and have asked ourselves this, but anyways we are glad we finally saw the light!

JHScoot · Post by **JHScoot** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 9:03 pm

incredible story, RoadRambler! A real journey with scooters and finally becoming a scooterist.

Would have never worked out with the breakfast eater, btw. Good thing...

Pete_M · Post by **Pete_M** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 10:36 pm

I will definitely be taking the safety course. I just didn't have the extra dough to spend this month. I plan on signing up at the beginning of July. I really want to enjoy this, and not be so stressed like I was yesterday.

k1dude · Post by **k1dude** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 10:56 pm

ericalm wrote:I had ridden some prior to buying my first scooter but had never learned to do it right. I hopped on and jacked the hell out of the throttle. This sent me careening out into a wide, busy street, in a huge, sweeping and (seemingly, at the time) fast arc across three lanes.

That's EXACTLY what happened to me the first time on a motorcycle. I was 13 at the time and living in Thailand. Except the road I careened across was an incredibly busy and narrow 2 lane and the bike was a 2-stroke 125cc Honda dirt bike. It was pure luck I didn't kill myself. I had ridden minibikes before, but nothing over 70cc. I mistakenly cranked the throttle and then held on for dear life until I regained control. I think I was in the superman position because my arse was pointing up towards the clouds and my feet were flopping around behind the bike.

RoadRambler · Post by **RoadRambler** » Fri Jun 08, 2012 2:19 am

JHScoot wrote:incredible story, RoadRambler! A real journey with scooters and finally becoming a scooterist.

Would have never worked out with the breakfast eater, btw. Good thing...

Thanks for reading it! And yeah, never would've worked with the uptight professor ... (not my professor, but a prof nevertheless).

Jana · Post by **Jana** » Sat Jun 09, 2012 4:50 pm

Fun thread!

My first ride was with my brother on the back of his Triumph. I'll have to check those particular details, because I'm not sure what year or model. I was about 6 or 7, I think. I rode with him everywhere. We lived in a small town, so the traffic wasn't bad. Hmmmm....I'm wondering if my mother knew this was going on....I'd better not ask.

I rode with my bf and dh, and decided to get my own after we got married. I took my test on the DH's Suzuki 400 single, then bought my own Kawasaki 305 CSR (I loved that bike-sold it to a friend a couple of years ago, who promptly crashed it...

)

I now have a Buddy 125, which I love! Even my Hog riding DH loves it-says it's way more fun than his Harley.

(Yeah, aren't we a pair when we ride....

)

Jana · Post by **Jana** » Sat Jun 09, 2012 4:55 pm

JHScoot wrote: My life had changed at 44, I had just lost 200 pounds, and when I rode the Buddy I just felt free, lightweight, nimble, and a bit wild. Things I never felt at 450lbs.

After all, it helped change not just my life....but me. And it's still changing me. How so? Well, you gotta ride to know, don't you? And words do not quite do it.

Great story!! I'm trying to picture my mom on a scooter, and it just ain't happenin'.

Maybe I'll make her pose on my Buddy next time she's here.

I want to congratulate you on your weight loss!! It isn't easy, that's for sure. Way to go!

Aguacate · Post by **Aguacate** » Sun Jun 10, 2012 1:52 am

http://yfrog.com/mv77jz
filmed by my daughter. accidently got up to 30 bmph

Made spending 2.5 hours in the DMV for the motorcycle endorsement all worth it.

Diblit · Post by **Diblit** » Sat Jun 23, 2012 5:16 pm

my first encounter on any motorized 2-wheeler was on a bull taco dirt bike. my bf was an avid rider and wanted me to learn, so i did (and loved it!). problem was that any other bike i got on in the future i was a little confused with shifting/brake sides being on the left or right. (the bull taco has the brakes on the left and the gears on the right.) now, 30 years later (and 30 years of not being on any motorized 2-wheeler) i decided it was time to get my scoot. i got a wonderful quick lesson before leaving the store to be on my own, made sure my sister-in-law was following me (just in case anything went wrong) and proceeded to put close to 75 miles on it on the first day!! MSF class is scheduled for september, but i hope to have a ton of miles on it by then. cool thing about my scoot.....i don't have to worry about which side the shifter or brakes are on!!

CROSSBOLT · Post by **CROSSBOLT** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 7:39 pm

First bike was a Honda 250 Hawk bought in Yokosuka, Japan. Freighted the bike to the pier and rode from the head of the pier to the hold station at the ship. This was a WWII floating pier made of riveted plates about 1" thick. I crossed one of these joints at a very small angle and down we went. Handlebars got a little bent and I was scuffed some....and mortified. But I learned something. I even rode the bike in the hold underway! Put about 20000 miles on the Hawk riding to Mount Palomar to look at the big telescope and to the Anza Borrego Desert. Rode to Seattle from San Diego to see my folks. Second bike was a Yamaha YM-1 305cc with 5 speed. Nice bike but a lot of steep learning curve trying to get the engine to run smoothly and reliably. Best thing that ever happened to any two-stroke was electronic ignition which the YM-1 did not have: two breaker points, two condensers and two coils. Yuk! Third bike was a BSA A10 650 from 1955 that I restored in 1974. This was my big bike finally. Biggest trip was to Ft. Huachuka (sp?) in Arizona to visit an AMA convention my folks were at. Put about 20k on both the YM-1 and the 650 and then hung it all up. Wife and I got a Vino 50 for her and a Kymco Agility 50 for me. Too slow and we traded those in for a Buddy 150 for her and a Kymco Yager 200i for me. Back in my motorcycle days you would NOT caught me DEAD on ANY scooter. Now, you cannot get us OFF of them. Both perform better than the first two bikes I had and would challenge the 650 for a short distance.

Although I rode for about 20 years on those three bikes we both learned a great deal at the MSF course and had fun while doing it.

Karl

neotrotsky · Post by **neotrotsky** » Sun Jun 24, 2012 10:10 pm

First bike was a 1976 BMW R60/6. It was big, had a LOT of miles on it and strained every skinny muscle I had! I had ridden dirtbikes a lot as a kid, but the Bimmer was my first street bike. Sold it to get a car, and then that car had multiple engine fires/seizes. Ended up inheriting my mother's Suzuki Samurai and the bike thing was left until college. Had a few bigger bikes, getting fancier bikes as I got more adult work and the further in college I got.

Then, I borrowed a friend's bike to pick up some beers from the Circle K around the corner. It was a Vespa P200. While I fumbled around quite a bit twisting my head to the gear selector being in the wrong place, I finally got the hang of it and fell in love the the torque and the nimbleness of the thing (I was riding a Triumph Speed Triple at the time and knew I was not brave enough to give the bike 110% of what it could actually handle). I ended up buying what I could afford in comparison to that scooter: A Honda Elite 250. Compared to today's modern scooters it was clunky, difficult to work on and tired but it was a complete commuting reversal for me. From there on out, it was more scooters and less big bike.

Rusty Shackleford · Post by **Rusty Shackleford** » Thu Oct 04, 2012 2:52 pm

My 1st ride on the Buddy 125 was driving it home from the dealership for my GF. I got it up to 55mph within 2 minutes of leaving the lot... as soon as speed limits permitted it. I had never ridden a scooter before, but after riding various types of motorcycles, a small CVT bike was very easy to get used to. I'm not downplaying it either. The fun factor is right up there with motorcycles; just a different. More motorcyclists should experience the joys of scooter riding.

stASH · Post by **stASH** » Thu Oct 04, 2012 3:05 pm

Rusty Shackleford wrote:More motorcyclists should experience the joys of scooter riding.

This.^^^

My fiance decided she wanted a scooter when we moved to Richmond. She discovered the Buddys online (and then I discovered the Stella). We checked them out at the dealer. I found a great deal on a used 2008 Buddy 150 Italia. I was immediately surprised at how much I loved riding the scoot. My Triumph Bonneville (my dream bike) started to get left in the garage any time I had the opportunity to ride the Buddy. Now I'm selling the Bonnie to buy a Stella...

Scooterboi · Post by **Scooterboi** » Thu Oct 04, 2012 4:00 pm

I started riding in college (Springfield, MO) because it was cheap. I got a Honda CT70 (3 speed, centifugal clutch) and rode it year-round for a couple of years having a BLAST. Snow, ice, rain, I was amazed at how easy it was to handle and I never had a bad parking space.

I had friends that rode dirt bikes, 250 and up, and so I started riding with them. I was again amazed that my little 50 cc could keep up. They would lose me on the straights but I would catch up on the turns. I also test drove some of their bikes including an OSSA (Spanish bike) 250 that almost got me killed. It turns out the whole left-foot-brake/right-foot-shift thing is not always the case.

My senior year I got rid of the Honda and made the "big jump" to a Yam DT175, a dedicated dirt bike, thinking it would be more fun and still get me to classes. Really wasn't the same. That's when I discovered that I really like the qualities of the smaller bikes. I graduated and the Yamaha sat unridden at my parents for a few years until I sold it.

Skip forward to 52 (last year). Over the years I had thought about getting another small bike but I had never really considered or tried scooters. Well, the planets finally aligned between the time and money crunch. I did some research online and went to the local scooter shop and was hooked without ever riding them (sat on a lot and made "vroom-vroom" noises. Tripped over a great deal on craigs list for a Buddy 125, bought it, rode it 30 mi. to home, and never looked back. AWESOME. It is all the good things I remember about the CT70 and then some. After a year and 5K miles, I have taken it on the highway and up in the mountains with success (and Fun!) but I also can see how a few more cc could really come in handy. I don't want to lose sight of the agility and convienence that got me hooked in the first place.

Lately, I have been lusting after the Kymco GTi 300. It looks like it is every bit as fun as my 125, as well as meeting my "big enough but small enough" preferences. But I really don't want to repeat my earlier experience. Any buddy riders out there that have test driven either of these? How do they compare in agility and handling? Do you think they would be easy to live with (easy to push, don't take up too much garage space, etc.)?

My next door neighbor has a Hog and one day as I was getting ready to ride (ATG-ATT) he was hanging with his friends in his drive way. He goes in the garage and fires up his loud, obnoxious, Harley and revs it few times while his friends laugh and then shuts it down. On my way out of the cul-de-sac, I stopped in front of his house and ask him, "Why did you shut it off? Why not go for a ride?" I knew the answer but some people just don't get that more is often not better, it's just more. I understand the M/C appeal but I found everything I need (and more

) in scooters.

Modern Buddy

Your First Ride

Your First Ride

First ride on the Buddy