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Let's start this brand spanking new forum off with a great topic...

Q. Have you ever rode a scooter?

Mike

I've ridden quite a few. My first powered two wheel was my grand dad's scooter. He let me ride it around the house (across the lawn on three sides) one day. He was a pediatrician at the time and it was a gray area if they could drive on sidewalks. He was traffic free before that became a law

storysunfolding wrote:I've ridden quite a few. My first powered two wheel was my grand dad's scooter. He let me ride it around the house (across the lawn on three sides) one day. He was a pediatrician at the time and it was a gray area if they could drive on sidewalks. He was traffic free before that became a law

Do you think riding a scooter improved your motorcycling skills? And if so, how?

Mike

i've ridden a couple, first time i was like 10 and it was my oldest brother's. could get a license to ride a scooter at 15, but couldn't drive til 16 so he had a scooter for a year that i think we all took turns driving around in the yard when he got his car. never ridden one for long enough to feel that it would improve my motorcycle riding, but they're definitely fun for a while.

I started off on a scooter - a 250cc Honda Reflex. Rode it exclusively from Sept. 2004 until July 2005 when I took the MSF course and bought a Triumph Bonneville. After that, not so much, even though it was a handy errand bike. Since we weren't riding it enough, we sold it in 2006 to a co worker of mine.

I tested a Kymco 'People 250' back in 2007 (with TMW). I thought being on a scooter was fun but didn't offer me the same pleasure as being on a motorcycle because there was nothing to do but turn on the gas or step on the brake. (Kind of like the difference between a manual and automatic car.) However, it wasn't as "scary" either because it's nowhere near as complicated and doesn't require the same level of concentration. That makes it a great option for times when you need to be more focussed on the driving and less on the functionality of your vehicle. (Kind of like when we moved to the UK we got an automatic car so we could focus more on the traffic and roundabouts!)

Scooters are a good option for people that want to be on two wheels without all the trouble of learning all the controls of a regular motorcycle. If I didn't have my motorcycle license I might consider owning a scooter.

I ride an MP3; it's a very forgiving ride, and I think it made me a little sloppy in some areas--braking in turns, not before; decelerating instead of keeping steady throttle in turns--enough that I re-took a rider's class to make sure my skills don't decline. But dang, it's a fun ride...

I've got a neighbor whose into old Lambrettas and Vespas, so I've tried a few of those. Frankly, I find them nerve-wracking compared to a motorcycle. Short wheelbase, tiny wheels, light weight . . . they just feel frighteningly unstable. Plus the fact that your legs aren't wrapped around them somehow makes me feel less secure. I have no experience on a modern scoot, they might feel completely different for all I know.

I rode many of them.. Yamaha BWS, Honda Kinetic, Gilera Typhoon, Suzuki Burgman, Honda Silverwing etc.. Scooter is easy to use and so economic but i never feel safe on a scooter. My knees must touch to the gas tank!

I've ridden a few at shops I've worked at. Ruckus, Vino 50 and 125, C3, and Zuma 50 and 125. I'm just too big for them, nothing like wrapping it out at 30 MPH. They're extremely maneuverable, but those tiny wheels make taking anything at speed nerve-wracking.