Why do you ride a scooter now?

[Stig / Major Tom]

Basically - I ride scooters because my family would freak if I tried to own and ride a motorcycle.

To explain further...
Was visiting mega brand cycle shop with my son.
No way my family would approve of me owning a motorcycle.
But... a Honda Metropolitan and a Yamaha Vino caught my eye. A salesman worked hard to persuade me that my 6'3", 265lbs would not work on these scooters.
A nearby Honda PCX had a horrid mid-seat pad, but a Kymco LIKE200i's seat wasn't too horrible.
So.....I decided:
A) sell my 24 yr old Jetta.
B) commute to work when it's not snowing on a LIKE200ILX until I retire.

But, I love riding my son's Honda CB500X, and love shifting.
And would really be interested if Honda ever stretched a CBF300 to accomodate an adult size rider!!
I'd have a new Honda Super Cub, if I were 8 inches shorter!

Stig

[Iahawk]

I'll re-share my story..

in 1980 I was 14 and fell in love with the Honda Express and Yamaha Yamahopper scooters (we called them mopeds back then). A number of friends had them and I wanted one sooooo bad. Parents said 'no way, not happening, ever'.

Fast forward to 2015...I was looking at Craigslist motorcycle ads and always saw vintage 1980'ish Honda Expresses for sale. Thought to myself..."I'm going to buy the scooter I wanted when I was 14".  Then I realized that the 28 mph top speed would not be practical to get out of my little town/suburb to go next door...I'd need to hit 35 - 50. Looked at ads for a while and found the People S200..did some research (including this site) and bought it.

That led to buying a motorcycle the next year and then a few weeks ago I bought the scooter that I've always liked and admired...the Honda Helix. Scooters are carefree, easy to ride, fun, have storage...it just takes me back to being a kid and riding on my friends' scooters during the summers of 80, 81 and 82.

Plus I don't give a flying (fill in the blank) what anyone else thinks of me!

[Neil955i]

To answer in brief, because they’re just so damned practical* compared to my motorcycle! So much so the wife and I now only run one car between us and I’m perfectly happy using the X-Town 99% of the time.  That’s been the case for nearly 5 years now and I see no reason for it to change.

* 75 mpg / vast storage / park it anywhere / great commuter / handling acceptable / seat range good / freedom

Downsides? Getting wet. But hey, now I’m retired if it’s raining, go tomorrow instead!

[john grinsel]

Dry feet---dry storage---rubber band drive.....we should have safe 50,000 mil belts!  Better control of buffeting.

[Kansas kymco]

It all started on a dark stormy night. I had a epiphany I could get a scooter for commuting  in Ely to get coffee in the mornings and lunch of a afternoon without taking a 1 ton Diesel crew cab long bed into town.  I had talked to some friends about doing a trip around lake Superior when they retire. They all have motorcycle licenses but have not rode in years. I figured a scooter is a lot less intimidating than a motorcycle.

Since then I have found all,sorts of uses and have been riding ithem more then the BMW or Kawasaki Versys.  The scooters also ride like the proverbial Buick and easy on my right knee that can give me problems .

[Beaker99]

To answer in brief, because they’re just so damned practical* compared to my motorcycle! So much so the wife and I now only run one car between us and I’m perfectly happy using the X-Town 99% of the time.  That’s been the case for nearly 5 years now and I see no reason for it to change.

* 75 mpg / vast storage / park it anywhere / great commuter / handling acceptable / seat range good / freedom

Downsides? Getting wet. But hey, now I’m retired if it’s raining, go tomorrow instead!

Pretty much exactly the same here. As a family we have one car and the scooter. The scooter is used mostly for me commuting to and from work in traffic, so the twist and go side of it is brilliant. Also the onboard storage is so useful. I often take the scooter to the shops instead of using the car if we need to pick stuff up. I can get a truck load of grocery's under the seat along with a dozen beer resting between my legs!

[Clampett]

Because they're chick magnets!!!!

[Neil955i]

Because they're chick magnets!!!!

Mmm. Not too sure Jed is being totally serious here?

[Like50]

Had first scooter at millennium Peugeot Trekker 50 cc. Lived in capital of Finland already, and need for commute to school to downtown. Practical, indeed: park like bike door to door, fast in midtown, cheap enough and fun to drive nearby, also to girlfriends house 15 km? during that time.
Then 15 year break, and 2019 Baotian 50 cc for basic shopping and bowlinghall trips. 2020 Like 50 cc fourstroke y2011 (10800 km driven) to 23080 km, few days ago Like 50 cc fourstroke y 2012 only 3040 km driven.
Fun, easy, cheap, practical I would say

[monkeybongos]

Was never interested in motorized anything as a kid, not even a friend's minibike.  Too scared, I guess.

Got a 10 spd bicycle a few months after moving to NYC after college, to make commuting and getting around less frustrating than relying on the subway.  Had an apartment in Astoria (Queens) that was a 10 minute walk from the subway, then another 20-35 minutes to midtown, which was only about 5 miles away.  A bicycle would make it 15-20 minutes, plus the freedom to explore all the boroughs.  Rode out to Jones Beach, Brooklyn, The Bronx, even the Hamptons a couple times.  Loved the freedom, exercise, and economy.

Ended up being a cycle fanatic (and advocate) for the next 35 yrs, using it for 90% of local transportation.  Got interested in scooters 20 yrs ago, but put off getting for fear of getting lazy and stop biking.  Hit the wall
a couple yrs ago--pedaling was no longer fun.  Got a 50cc, complete ecstasy from the very 1st ride, started looking for a faster scoot within weeks and got the Cali 200 two months later.

Added the Rebel in another 6 months to add diversity and share the miles with the Cali so it wouldn't get worn out in 4 yrs.
Plan on keeping both until they--or I--can no longer ride.  I do regret not getting a scoot years ago. It's super fun and way practical for errands and shopping.  After cycling almost daily for 35 yrs, haven't been on a bicycle in two years.
Don't miss it a bit.  Have more energy for other pursuits.

[Stig / Major Tom]

Was never interested in motorized anything as a kid, not even a friend's minibike.  Too scared, I guess.

Got a 10 spd bicycle a few months after moving to NYC after college,
a couple yrs ago--pedaling was no longer fun.  Got a 50cc, complete ecstasy from the very 1st ride, started looking for a faster scoot within weeks and got the Cali 200 two months later.

Added the Rebel in another 6 months to add diversity and share the miles with the Cali so it wouldn't get worn out in 4 yrs.
Plan on keeping both until they--or I--can no longer ride.  I do regret not getting a scoot years ago. It's super fun and way practical for errands and shopping.  After cycling almost daily for 35 yrs, haven't been on a bicycle in two years.
Don't miss it a bit.  Have more energy for other pursuits.

Cool post!
Do you still live in NYC?
Have a buddy who moved from Amherst, Mass. to Manhattan in 1968. He drove me in his 3 cyl. SAAB (an adventure itself!) to show me his apt., maybe not far from the UN building (sound correct?)
He's still there! Rent controlled!
I can only imagine the fun of shooting scooter pix in NYC!
How's life with your Cali?  Ease of servicing? Parts availability? Seems like a nice scooter.
Stig

[klaviator]

I've been riding motorcycles for over 40 years because I love to ride!  I bought my first scooter about 12 years ago because I thought it would make a great around town commuter and save gas and miles on my truck.  While my scooters have done that very well I quickly discovered that they are good for a lot more than running around town.  I have taken my scooters up into the mountains, gone touring, done group rides and even ridden on the track.  I have ridden over 100,000 miles on the five scooters I have owned. 

So why do I ride a scooter now?  Because its so much fun!

[Ex-KLR]

After 60 plus years of various motorcycles, my bad hip made it difficult to ride my KLR 650.
I traded it for a Like 150i ABS and never looked back.

[monkeybongos]

Cool post!
Do you still live in NYC?
Have a buddy who moved from Amherst, Mass. to Manhattan in 1968. He drove me in his 3 cyl. SAAB (an adventure itself!) to show me his apt., maybe not far from the UN building (sound correct?)
He's still there! Rent controlled!
I can only imagine the fun of shooting scooter pix in NYC!
How's life with your Cali?  Ease of servicing? Parts availability? Seems like a nice scooter.
Stig

Thanks, Stig.
Goodness, no.  Having grown up in the suburbs, 9 yrs in NYC was about two too many. Overstayed b/c I met a girl.
Left in '89 w my sanity intact. 

Photography was a main hobby and usually had a camera w me.  Great place for street scenes and candids, just lacked a scoot.

Have often thought about how life there would've been w a scooter.  Probably terrific, although theft could be a major problem.  Had 5 bicycles stolen.  Locks broken, bike racks taken apart, etc.  Even caught a guy in the act.  He'd broken the lock but hadn't yet jostled the bike free.  Wrestled him to the ground--I was seriously pissed, having had several stolen--cops came, took him to jail due to a warrant out for dealing drugs, while I ended up having to go home on the subway as the wheel had gotten too bent to ride.

As for the Cali, don't have anything to compare it to, but seems good.  Easy to work on, and I'm not mechanically inclined.  No trouble getting parts so far.  Smooth ride, been getting 520-550 miles from a 5 gallon jerry can of 93 octane.  Good mirrors, hand grips and seat.  Approaching 18k and it's running as well as ever (bought it w 1100 miles).

Oh yeah, 30 some yrs later still married to the girl.  Here's a picture from outside my apartment in Astoria.
Lived there the whole 9 yrs, it helped keep me sane since it was a peaceful escape from crazy Manhattan.

[jak51]

In a few words, age caught up with me.  I started riding two-wheelers in 1966 - a Honda 50 step through.  Graduated to bigger bikes, and realized a couple of years ago that my knees just weren't built for riding big, tall bikes anymore.  I have lots of friends who ride, and belong to a very active m'cycle club locally.  When I got rid of my BMW in 2019, I knew that I still wanted to ride.  A couple of guys in my local club have scoots as primary rides (turns out that quite a few have scoots as part of their collection - I just didn't know about them), so I talked with them.  Seemed like a good way to still ride with my friends, and be comfortable doing it.  And it's working out just fine

Jeff