seriously, motorcyle vs. scooter - non-tech differences

[zeligman]

Ok, so most of you know i went down last year after finishing my 2nd year riding. I'm still recovering (needed follow up surgery to my leg/ankle a few weeks ago) and won't be back in the swing until next season. New bike will be in order.

But i've been curious about a couple of things ...

It seems like ppl get a lot more 'guff' for riding motorcycles over scooters. But, some of the bigger scooters can go plenty fast and be - in my thoughts at least - literally the same risk as motorcycles. Of course, the fact that most scooter riders i see have minimal gear (if any) add to the risk...

So, what's the deal in your opinion. How do they differ in riding experience (esp the bigger ones), why do you think the perception is that they are safer than motorcycles (or let me know if that perception is false).

And please note, i'm not looking for ppl to hate on scooters or motorcycles, but i'm really curious about this...

thanks!

z!

[Wrider]

In my experience it's because people equate scooters with mopeds and Vespas that will only do 40 MPH in a straight line down a hill with a tailwind.
Honestly you can still screw yourself up badly at 35 MPH (I've never been in a wreck on a mountain bike faster than that but man did some of them hurt), but at the same time they don't see a scooter as throwing you off in a high-side at 110 MPH. Can it? Absolutely. Is it perceived as capable? Not so much.

[JVRR]

It's all history. Perceptions may change, but the legal difference due to CC's make a lot of scooters legal to pick up and ride with zero training or licensing, which to many means they "must be safe!" Back in the day scooters were more associated with commuting and not a weekend of high performance cornering or pushing the limits on your spedo.

Curiously in my MSF class, one guy got kicked out- he wrecked a [brand new] scooter .

[Grey Thumper]

I've never owned a scooter, but I've ridden a few (which means I never got over the learning curve that comes when you actually own the vehicle), so take this with a few grains of salt.

In my (admittedly limited) experience, I've found scooters to be more, well, frightening, and potentially dangerous than motorcycles.

For one, they don't have a clutch lever, which means you don't have a way to instantly disengage engine power to the rear wheel. The ones I rode had shorter wheelbases and smaller wheels compared to the motorcycles I've ridden, and didn't feel as stable as a result. I also found the scooter riding position unnerving in the sense that you weren't "grabbing" the vehicle. I feel "attached" to a motorcycle primarily because my legs are wrapped around it, so I just hold the handlebars with a fairly light touch, and really just use them for steering (and balancing, at really low speeds). On a scooter, I tended to grab the grips more (since they were my only point of attachment to the scooter), and I guess that added to how jittery handling the scooter felt.

Bottom line: I'd never look down on a scooter rider, because frankly, I think you need pretty solid brass ones to ride them. And I don't get the logic of friends who buy scooters but wouldn't buy a bike because "they're more dangerous".

[Thumper]

I think a lot of people assume scooters are safer, but the little Vespas and Helix putt-putts out there really aren't. The smaller wheels and shorter wheelbases make them less stable. Move up into the big scooter class, though, and you just have a motorcycle that looks different and doesn't have a clutch (which is either a plus or a minus depending on how you look at it...)

Every friend who has asked me about getting a scooter, I've pointed towards the BRC and told them to learn on a motorcycle first. One, they'll need a motorcycle license anyway unless they're going to ride something under 50cc, and two, I really do think a new rider is better off on a small motorcycle over a small scooter. There are the exceptions--I think a new rider would be all right on a mid-range scooter like the MP3 or a 250-400cc Reflex or Burgman--but it seems like when they're saying "scooter" they're thinking Vespa...

[zeligman]

it just baffles me - even in my neighborhood - ppl give me grief about riding again after my accident (tho it will be a while yet), and there is an aerobics instructor mom of 2 that rides a scooter all summer long - can't remember what kind, but no full helmet, and no other gear to speak of, and no one says a word about 'those things are so dangerous' to her.

i felt 500 percent safer on my vl800 than i did on my bicycle with all the crazy drivers - at least i could get out of the way if i needed to! (and i often did).

[totalmotorcycle]

I've rode a 250cc scooter before, in fact, this one right here: http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/reviews/ ... cooter.htm and a 250cc scooter isn't a "small" one, but I felt very cramped on it and a lot less safe riding it than I would any motorcycle. I gotta give credit to scooter riders who are crunched up with their knees at the bars to ride these things. The short wheelbase and small tires (on the small ones) would make them more figity to bumps and pot holes offering a host of new control issues.

I think some of the gruff comes from the fact that many riding the 50cc scooters do not need a motorcycle licence (a car one works in Canada) thus no training on 2 wheels is required and gear is optional at best.

Mike

[sapaul]

Now as you all know, I ride both bikes and scooters and if you think of them as tools, there is room for both bikes and scooter. You really have to put them in the context that they are used. I feel safer in the traffic on my scooter because my legs are "inside". It is easier in the traffic to ride slowly and to split due to using less controls. Mine is a 250 and has more than enough power for highway speeds and the CVT box pulls me in front of the traffic from robots. It is also a bulky machine compared to the 600 RR as an example. It has a very sexy fat "O Ring" with a big light, I get seen from both the front and the back. it is comfortable and has built in luggage space as well as a cell phone holder and charger ensuring I never get a dead battery. Could I care less about what people think, or if they wave, "fudge" NO.

DO I have as much fun, yeah I do because I take the machine for what it is and don't make it into something it's not. Besides, riding a slow bike fast is always better than riding a fast bike slow.

In short, if it is right for the job, then it's the right 2 wheels. I think many people choose the wrong tools.

[Marvin]

The super scooters, Burgman, Silver Wing, Tmax can all go 100 mph but that doesn't matter. A scooter the same as a 50cc moped but you'll never keep up with the big bikes.

[Grey Thumper]

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