This time last month, buying a scooter was the farthest thing from my mind. Actually, it was right there alongside hundreds of thousands of things that I don't think about as I go through my day.
Then I bought a new to us 27 foot motorhome and while planning all the fun camping ventures, I realized that once I get this thing parked, hooked up to water, sewer, electricity, cable TV, internet and the like, I'm not gonna want to unhook everything to leave the campground to go out to dinner or see any sights.
Hmmm, some folks tow cars with wheels down with a tow bar. And we own a Suzuki Grand Vitara which has a drive train neutral which is set up just for four down towing (notice I have picked up certain of the RV vernacular). Maybe that would be an OK thing to do.
Let's see, a tow bar is anywhere from Harbor Freight to Camping World and beyond but the average cost for a good one looks like $600-700. Then there is the mounting plate that can be up to $300. So we are at $1,000+ and, lo and behold, not yet done counting. Virtually every civilized state in the US wants to see brakes on anything that is being towed that is heavier than my cats tied together. So that requires a brake activating system that hits the Suzuki brakes when I apply the motorhome brakes. My "well, those can't cost all that much" thought was interrupted with the reality that my outlay for pulling the Suzuki was gonna be about $1.5K.
Wait, I have a light sports car that I could tow with one of those light aluminum trailers (need to stay as light as possible to balance out the motorhome weight distribution) and, with a trailer, you can back up where you can't pulling a car with a tow bar. So far, so good.
Oh, I forgot about the tandem axle to carry 2800 lbs. We are now up to $3,400 for a trailer.
Then I thought about a scooter. Why a scooter, one who knows me might ask since I spent all but the first 10 years of my life going through some 20+ motorcycles of the flat track, road race, scrambles (that's a clue about something), motocross, observed trials, drag machines and, most lately one BMW R1150RT and a Triumph Thunderbird Sport (both of which which I parted with in 2005).
The last scooter I rode was a BSA Sunbeam (same as the Triumph Tigeress of the same era). I have barely even looked at scooters as they went by on the road much less having any thoughts about looking at one in a dealer. But still, carrying a scooter on a rack on a front mount hitch began to make sense.
If you are still with me, you will probably appreaciate that I am not going to document the range of scooters I considered for 2 up power, weight given the front mount hitch that was necessitated by the distance from the rear motorhome axle relative to the end of the rear bumper and going in and out of dips at gas stations or my own driveway or the several seemingly endless variables that cropped up as I began this adventure. Well, maybe I'll share a little bit...
The SYM HD200 was too heavy for my weight distribution plan, the Fiddle was too cute (actually, my wife liked it, but when we took it for a test ride, she asked me to give it more throttle while we were pulling out from the dealership and I when told her the throttle was pegged, she asked me to turn around and take it back. While I really liked to design, power and fit and finish of the HD200, the 300 lb. wait was a deal stopper (and then there was the small problem of the "fire" and the fact that SYMs are now being offered around the US at prices ranging from MSRP to near giveaways (the latter being sold by grain and feed stores who bought them at auctions due to dealer dumping them or going out of business). What a mess.
Then I saw a Like 200i which spoke to me, but apparently in a language that I was having trouble interpreting. I think it looks stunning as a modern version of the scooter style of my early era, but the motor shouldn't have been labeled 200. And it shouldn't have a $4,100 OTD price tag.
So I reluctantly glanced over at a People 150. 240 lbs passed the weight test, 53" wheelbase (oh, I forgot to mention that while my wife really like the look of the Buddy's, the yardstick like wheebase and small wheels didn't do it for me), and the 16" wheels got me to thinking. And the price came down this year so what am I waiting for?
Well, I guess I was waiting for a used People 150 (2007) that had 292 miles on it for $1,400 (yes, that was after the conversion from kilometers). That's what I found on Craig's List and that's what I am now buzzing around the countryside on.
It's a nice ride.
Th only downside was that I bought the People 150 from a man who couldn't ride it because he had suffered a stroke shortly after he bought it. His wife finally convinced him to let it go. It was a sad parting for him.
