Riders getting older, making a switch

[Marvin]

I am guilty of being obsessed with my Yamaha Tmax Scooter, but I am the older guy that made the switch from bigger motorcycles to a scooter cause I am past the stage of the big "rip your arms off power" and I seek comfort and easy opertation of a scooter.
But what surprized me of spending hours reading scooter reviews I am not alone, I have been reading the same stores of older guys parting with their HD's and other large motorcycles for a scooter and loving it.
I get a lot of teasing and insulting comments about my scooter from many guys that ride the big motorcycles, its just my way of searching for others like me that made the switch to a scooter.
Everybody has the impression that the guy riding a scooter is a beginner, inexperienced, he only owns that scooter cause he can't ride a "real" motorcycle, he can't clutch, change gears, he's a loser!
I don't think thats true, I tend to think most scooter owners are former , long time motorcycle riders, they have owned the big bikes before and they perfer the scooter.
I think there's a real motorcycle-scooter revolution coming, soon scooters will rule, not that I want them to or not, I am just the guy that got into the revolution before others did and all I say to others is "come on in, the water is warm".

[HYPERR]

I get a lot of teasing and insulting comments about my scooter from many guys that ride the big motorcycles

That's because they are ultra-insecure a$$holes who barely know how to ride who are so insecure about their microscopic male parts as well as going through mid life crisis that they have to compensate for it in their pitiful pathetic mind by buying big Harleys, installing ear shattering open pipes and putting others down.

I've gotten "get a real bike!" shouts from those losers when I'm riding my KLX or my CBR. They only do that when they are riding in packs so they have the protection and the cocoon of their fellow riders. They never say that when they are riding alone.

Everybody has the impression that the guy riding a scooter is a beginner, inexperienced, he only owns that scooter cause he can't ride a "real" motorcycle, he can't clutch, change gears, he's a loser!

That's not true as everyone knows many beginners that start riding in their middle age buy cruisers. Most guys that have big scooters like yours are accomplished riders who have been riding all their lives and have nothing left to prove.

I tend to think most scooter owners are former , long time motorcycle riders, they have owned the big bikes before and they perfer the scooter.

Absolutely true.

[Gummiente]

That's because they are ultra-insecure a$$holes who barely know how to ride who are so insecure about their microscopic male parts as well as going through mid life crisis that they have to compensate for it in their pitiful pathetic mind by buying big Harleys, installing ear shattering open pipes and putting others down.

Feel better now?

[HYPERR]

That's because they are ultra-insecure a$$holes who barely know how to ride who are so insecure about their microscopic male parts as well as going through mid life crisis that they have to compensate for it in their pitiful pathetic mind by buying big Harleys, installing ear shattering open pipes and putting others down.

Feel better now?

[sapaul]

I rode the Honda VFR 1200 on Saturday

no clutch, no gear levers, auto box, by definition it must be a scooter

[totalmotorcycle]

Scooters in North America are definitely getting more and more popular since they started selling more over 50cc models after 2002 (although I have to say in the past 3 years they have reached a point of "Zen" and need another push upwards)

Scooters are a global vehicle, sold all over for a huge amount of different markets, thus 50cc is the most popular size. But this size was never as popular in North America. (I think due to the distances vs other countries) The introduction of 125, 150 to 650cc maxi scooters have thus really made the impact in the NA market.

It all comes down to sales numbers really. If people want scooters to be successful they will just have to buy them. If not, they will slowly fade away as the used ones get old.

There were a few scooter "renaissances" in North America in the past, the 50/60's the 80/90's and now today. Will it last?

[jaskc78]

There were a few scooter "renaissances" in North America in the past, the 50/60's the 80/90's and now today. Will it last?

I think it'll last as long as the high gas prices do. We here in NA aren't as used to the higher prices on gas as the Europeans are--many of those countries never dropped the high taxes they put on gas during WWII, so people just accept the prices being high. I know quite a few of my friends have either bought 650 dual-sport thumpers or mid-sized scooters (125-250cc) for commuting because they use so much less fuel, plus the 650 dual-sport thumpers are good fun on the weekends. One friend started riding his weekend toy to work and is saving so much money on gas that he's making double payments on his car so he can drop his insurance bill sooner. I'm also seeing a lot of quads on the streets here in Tucson, especially during the hotter months. Not sure if that's a Tucson thing or related to the gas prices thing, but I'm noticing them more and more lately.

[gsJack]

I'd rather fight than switch, scooters just don't appeal to me nor do the trikes that are getting so popular now for older riders that just don't want to give up their big heavy bikes. Gas prices? It'll take $10 a gallon gas for people give up their big bikes and SUVs in this country. It's not about being a big wide open country with far distances to travel, it's mostly all about image.

...................I get a lot of teasing and insulting comments about my scooter from many guys that ride the big motorcycles...............Everybody has the impression that the guy riding a scooter is a beginner, inexperienced, he only owns that scooter cause he can't ride a "real" motorcycle, he can't clutch, change gears, he's a loser!.................

I use to frequenty hear the similiar "when are you going to get a real bike" from card carrying members of the thundering herd when riding my GS500 size bike. Just had to go riding with some of them for a couple years and I no longer hear anything like that, nice folks when you get to know them. Respect is earned not given.

So I'll still be riding my little bike and enjoying leaning it thru the twisties for as long as I can walk to it and climb on. Mmmmm, maybe that's why I don't hear those remarks any more about the size of my bike; they're all busy making bets on whether I'll make it to the bike or not! LOL I might still get one more different size bike though, that new CBR250R really appeals to me. Might just be a suitable 80th birthday present to myself in a year or so. I think I could still pick that one up if necessary.

[havegunjoe]

The only form of transportation I look down my nose at is someone driving a “Smart” car which I have dubbed the “Dumber than Shxt” car. Any two wheeled ride is fine with me. I started out on a scooter and they are fun. I just never liked the sitting in a chair type of rideing.

[HYPERR]

Respect is earned not given.

What does some a insecure idiot yelling out derogatory comments to a total stranger about his/her choice of motorcycle have anything to do with respect?

This is hardly anything what I would consider something that one need to "earn". It's called common courtesy to another human being. I extend it to other riders and I expect the same from them. I would never think of insulting a stranger and I expect the same in return. Quite frankly, it is a normal expected behavior for a person to function normally in society.