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motorcyle or scooter?

post #1 of 52
1/29/08 at 11:33pm
Thread Starter 
I live in San Francisco, and I find myself using my car alot. I feel bad about using so much gas with everything that is going on in the world right now, not to mention the prices!

So Im going to buy either a small motorcycle (250cc to 350cc)or a scooter to get around town. Which would you recomend?

here's advantages I can see to a scooter:
Easier to weave between traffic
better gas miilage (90-100 mpg!)
easier to drive if I ever wear a kilt

Motorcycle advantages:
cheaper
feels way more badass
I can take it on the freeway

CONS: worse gas mileage (50-60mpg)

Im pretty set on Honda, but only like 80%, and its not really based on anything

Ive been looking at a used 1980-84 Honda CM 250 Custom. its a nice, basic bike, and i like the looks of it. ive read that parts are hard to come by though, and that worries me



here's what I would look like riding it (note the hot babe on the back )



for scooters, Ive been looking at an old Honda Elite 150. But there's also an elite 50 that someone is selling with a mullosi 70cc race motor. there's a picture of him doing a wheelie on the thing. ha ha

what do you guys think?
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post #2 of 52
1/29/08 at 11:45pm
Now for the downside of a scooter, unless they have changed a lot since I last rode one:

smaller wheels - "easier to weave between traffic" - yes, but also less stable

inferior brakes, compared with a motorcycle - there's a good reason you can't take it on the freeway

no room on the back for hot babes [yeah, in your dreams anyway!]

That's my take, and I can't help but notice that you posted two pix of motorcycles, but none of scooters - I think your mind is already made up, you just don't know it yet.
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post #3 of 52
1/29/08 at 11:49pm
well, since you're living in san fran..... i wouldn't recommend a scooter... you would be mistaken for a homo.... so i'd go with a motorcycle instead!
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post #4 of 52
1/29/08 at 11:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ueyteuor View Post
well, since you're living in san fran..... i wouldn't recommend a scooter... you would be mistaken for a homo.... so i'd go with a motorcycle instead!
See what the little wheels do? It's only post three, and the thread is already wobbling!
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post #5 of 52
1/29/08 at 11:54pm
In frisco I wouldn't go with either due to all the people. lol If either, I'd go with motorcycle as they can be a ton of fun. Good Luck! Either way I suggest the MSF coarse!
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post #6 of 52
1/30/08 at 12:14am
get a larger bike.
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post #7 of 52
1/30/08 at 12:38am
Unless you get a scooter with motorcycle sized wheels. While the increased stability mentioned above is important, that is secondary. A wheel can only go over an object that is less that its radius. So a bigger wheel means that you can safely go over taller objects. Bigger wheels are safer.
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post #8 of 52
1/30/08 at 12:47am
if you get a motorcycle be sure to take the msf course
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post #9 of 52
1/30/08 at 12:58am
A small motorcycle is a good compromise. I've never been a fan of the scooter small brakes and wheels. And in normal usage, you won't see a huge difference in fuel cost between the two.

I wouldn't worry about parts issues so much, honestly. I've owned a lot of bikes, and parts are available for anything if you have an internet connection
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post #10 of 52
1/30/08 at 1:49am
I was basically going through the same decision making process a year ago for use here in Cayman. There are obviously no interstates here! The maximum speed limit is 50 mph way out on the East end of Grand Cayman but it's 40 mph max 99% of the time for me because I'm never out there. Of course, I go well over 50 anyway.

The other limitation is that I had never held a motorcycle license before, so that limited my to 125cc for the first 2 years. This made it pretty hard to find a motorcycle that really had the heft I was looking for because my weight might get down to 250 when I've had several good dieting months! I just didn't feel at all comfortable and safe with the small bikes I checked out.

For the most part, 125cc scooters suffered from this same fate. They all seemed so light weight and flimsy, and besides, I hated riding in that forward, upright position. Until I tried, and instantly loved, a Vespa GT125, which I ended up buying. This this is hefty and SOLID!!! I can get it up to 68 mph and I'm not exactly a horse jockey.

My friend at the Vespa dealership has been a long time bike rider so he doesn't have the same 125cc restriction on his license. He drives a 250cc Vespa: Vespa USA He can get it up to 75 mph with no problem.

They're not cheap, but they're really well built and nobody seems to be questioning my sexuality. I've got a storage box on back of it for my helmet and such, which gives it an overall quite nice and classic look. I sit as far back as I possibly can on the seat (where a passenger is supposed to sit) and this allows me to lean forward much like I would driving a bike. It gives me a lot better control. I also put the passenger foot pegs out and use them for my feet and this adds even more balance. I have no problems in weaving in and out and around traffic even with the smallest possible opening to work with!

Ok, enough about Vespa. Obviously, I like mine. When I did my research on scooters back then, I found that a recent trend is for companies to make what are called "maxi scooters" which are essentially the same as touring bikes, just without the need to control the gears yourself. There are a lot of excellent choices, and they go up 500cc and beyond, but generally range in price from $6k to $8k for new maxi scooters. Might be more than you were planning to spend.

In any case, here is the thread that I started about it way back when, with a bunch of links to the maxi scooters I was considering at the time: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f11/maxi-scooters-206048/
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post #11 of 52
1/30/08 at 2:08am
what's your budget? Make sure u don't skimp out on the gear.
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post #12 of 52
1/30/08 at 2:16am
motorcycle. are you kidding me. CB parts for the most part are NOT hard to come by.
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post #13 of 52
1/30/08 at 3:32am
R'devils,

In the City this seems to be the "Hot" set-up:
Street legal Honda XR250

This seems to be the "Cool" set-up:
Vespas
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post #14 of 52
1/30/08 at 3:35am
Thread Starter 
WMcmanus,
The Vespa's look great, but way too expensive. I can't pay more than around 1500.

The cycle I'm looking at is a CM 250. 1,000 dollars. and the scooter is like 1600. Why are scooters so expensive by the way? they're little toys! this one has a "racing" engine. but its still a toy. I don't care about how people look at me. I'll wear some HD650's on my scooter! no big deal

I picture myself cruising up along the coast on highway one on a cycle with the blonde from the photo and that image is pretty nice

but for some reason I just think a scooter would be easier in the city. I already have a car, and so I don't want another vehicle that that is excessive for getting around town.

Does anyone know anything about the CM250 custom? Or can anyone recomend another cheap 250ish cycle? the newer 250 rebel looks good, but I read its made for short people and im 6'2. I was also looking at the nighthawk 250, but read a pretty bad review of it's handling, etc.

Motorcycle-fi?
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post #15 of 52
1/30/08 at 3:37am
Thread Starter 
ronin,
What do you think those beasts get mpg wise? A guy at a cycle shop told me to avoid dirtbikes cause they are geared for performance, so they wear out fast, and burn lots of gas. They look pretty hot though, i agree!
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