Scooters, are they awful?

[Shaft]

I haven't got much experience of twist n gos, a few days on some old crapper on a Greek island years ago, my Jinlun (which I haven't done more than 50 yards on) and we've got an old Zip 50 2T at work, which we use for local trips.

They are dangerously slow, handle terribly and are generally rubbish.

Yesterday, one of our better customers asked us to recommission a Piaggio B125 that he's had laying around in his storage area for a couple of years and I was volunteered for the job (Ian's into bikes, he can do it).

Got it going relatively easily and took it for an MOT today; what a hoot!

Could've done with being a bit quicker at launching (could probably be fixed with some transmission tweaking) but it was adequately fast, it had biggish wheels that could deal with potholes, it seemed pretty stable in corners and I just fired the thing around, without needing to think about what I was doing.

I think I had more fun in the 45 minutes I was riding it, than most of the last few years I've been on a bike.

Now I wouldn't get shot of my 1100 in favour of a scoot, but as a daily toy it seems to make some sense; the question is, if I thought a 125 was fun, what are the bigger ones like?

PS, before anyone else mentions it, yes I am getting old
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20 RE Interceptor, 83 Z1100A3, 83 GS650 Katana
WooHoo, I'm a Man Point Millionaire! https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=234035

[Nexus Icon]

I felt like I was going to fall out between the "fairings" and the seat every time I cornered on my Mum's Katana when I picked it up for her one day.

Horrible things, IME and IMO.
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Greetings from Shitsville!

[MinhDinh]

Tried a Honda Dylan and Yamaha Sygnus and I hated both. Slow, boring and boring times 5.

However I see it's purpose as a cheap way to go places:
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Hit the G spot.

[TUG]

Yes.
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Haz ER-5, innit!

[chris-red]

60,000+ miles on probably about 30ish different bikes, I have never ridden a scooter!
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Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
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[Frost]

I rode a Honda Click (4 stroke 125, electric and kick start)

https://angkormotorcycles.com/images/bikes/honda_click.jpg

Fucking spot on round town. Gets to 30-40mph in no time. Requires sod all effort to ride as it's light, handles alright, brakes work just fine due to the light weight, skinny tyres aren't noticeable.
So basically if you want low cost commuting through a city center a 4 stroke 125 ped is hard to beat. However it had a top speed of about 65mph down hill with a tail wind and a massive run up. So if you're trying to get from one town to another in a hurry you're shit out of luck. A 2 stroke would be a bit better, a good one might get you the right side of 80, but it won't be much fun for anything more than 10 minutes.

Scooters ain't cool unless you're a hot italian woman, but they can be well suited to your needs if you live somewhere twisty, small and slow.

Helmet storage under the seat is something i wish every bike could have!

[Biker Alex]

I had a 125 piaggio x9 but i sold it. Sometimes when im pulling away on my cbf, especially on a traffic queue on a hill... well i just cant be bothered to find the biting point every 5 seconds with the engine giving me the odd scream/moan.

When im carrying a pillion, every time i change gear she smacks me in the back as i pull the clutch in! I have minimised it slightly by doing instant gear changes but I still get some uphill.

Automatics arnt that bad

But the plastic fearings on the x9 was a pain in the ass. hours of fucking about with plastics, losing all the screws just to do simple maintenance tasks.

It was very comfy though. Like an arm chair.
Im going to share a photo, i realise its not cool for a 1st bike but i got it for £500 so i thought it was worth it. Sold it for just under that as a non runner.
https://i56.tinypic.com/2dqja5l.jpg
Excuse the dog shit, I am still trying to train him to use the toilet

[Rogerborg]

20 year old memories of caning a 2 stroke 50 around Majorca do occasionally tempt me to try one, but I recall having to stop at every dusty hick pre-mix pump along the way, so I reckon I'd swap that under seat storage for a fuel tank that's bigger than a coke can.
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GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Martay]

I love mine. Yes its painfully slow, but i only use it for town trips. I rag it around town, dodging through traffic rarely comming off full throttle. Its a right giggle! I wont give up the car though!

Heres my beast:

https://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk125/MartayP/P020211_16460002.jpg
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Eat well, poo hard
Drives: Cavalier 2.0 16v
Rides: Slightly ratted Honda City Express

[swiftb]

[colin1]

I've owned a yp250, which is a bit of a big scooter, but while still being quite nippy.

Even better was a gilera runner 180cc 2 stroke. I think they do 0-60 in about 5 secs. So you are gonna leave anything on 4 wheels for dust on a commute.

I miss mine. It was stolen and not insured against theft. I have to admit the only thing stopping me from getting another, is I really should spend money on doing up my house, and turning up to work on a work isnt so good for image as turning up on a sports 600.

The scooter was much better to commute on, but riding the 600 to work does make me more confidant on weekend blasts.
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[Nexus Icon]

Like I said, I really missed having a tank to grip with my knees when cornering when I've had to ride a scooter in the past, so how do you scooter riders cope having nothing between your legs?
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Greetings from Shitsville!

[LordShaftesbu...]

My first bike was a 2-stroke 50cc scooter. It seemed very exciting at the time, but that was only because I hadn't ridden before. It soon wore off. A derestricted 2-stroke 125cc Cagive Planet on the other hand felt mental. It got stolen and I wasn't insured; if I won the lottery I'd buy one tomorrow.

[sweetleaf]

I suspect it's a bit like the time I rode a shetland - whizzy little bugger, and the best fun ever. And I got a rosette for beating all the little kids in the handy pony competition ...

But when it comes down to it I can go faster, jump higher and look / be much less of a twat on my proper sized horse.

[hellbound]

I'd have one for pottering about town and short journeys if only they didn't sound like a wasp stuck in a jamjar.

in the words of Lee Evans, they always sound like they don't want to be out



AGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

And.

Scooters and Fat chicks have the same thing in common, great fun to ride till your mates find out.
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May you always see the road rising up to meet you and your enemies defeated in the mirror behind.

[cromwell]

A tiny tiny bit of me is considering one alongside the Bandit for when I move up to London in a few weeks as the ped boys seem to just go through the tiniest gaps.

That said I would feel a tiny sense of shame riding it around knowing I could be on the Bandit instead.
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"unbelievable"
Current - Suzuki Bandit 600
Ex's - Yamaha YBR 125

[McFlufferson]

I've been on a 125 Direct Bikes scooter for the past year and a bit. When I got it I wasn't all that into bikes and just needed a little runabout. But something that could carry my fat arse up half a hill.

It pissed me about a lot. Fuel lines cracking, fairing cracking, electrics giving up. The speedo is anything from 2 to 8 miles inaccurate. I'm pretty sure the fuel guage is wrong. The back wheel had a slow puncture of sorts, but when I took it in they could find nothing, all I could tell them was that it's definitely going down too fast and they just put an innertube in. The throttle cable rusted and snapped and now it's a very pretty bodge job made of knotted cable, a broken handle and yellow insulation tape. The front disc is slightly warped and I'd get more stick out of the back brake by jamming my foot against the tyre. I had a random problem where my oil kept overflowing and we could just not figure it out, it wasn't me overfilling it I know this for several reasons and it wasn't still warm when I checked, but that went away on its own eventually. The only good thing about it is that after a year of working out all the kinks, it's got a solid little engine on it. It's just everything around it that's crap.

But I love it. I love it because it got me in to bikes. I'll never buy another scooter, but I don't regret buying this one.

[Asharin]

[LongJohn22]

I had a TGB 125 until fairly recently, just for the run into work and back. It could be enormous fun in traffic, light and nippy, £5 to fill the tank with nearly a months worth of fuel. What I detested was the small wheels and short wheel base which meant every minor imperfection in the road literally blurred your vision and shook your teeth. On balance, glad to be rid.

[DrDonnyBrago]

[nighthawk250]

I'm old, a 650 twin cylinder Burgman is just right for me now. While your young you don't need comfort, electric adjustable screen, heated seats, heated grips, good weather protection. Auto and paddle shift gears, ABS.
The little scoot is only able keep up with most other bikes, I never think of overtaking any, I just enjoy the view, sit back listen to my music playing.
When I go anywhere, I'm too old to carry around the helmet and clothing, so it goes under the seat.
Went to Brittany recently with 8 other Burgman riders, they all took in the mileages without any problems, and the pillions never complained.

[G]

Rode around on a c90 for a bit - found the novelty wears off quite quickly - but that takes some time to hit a real 40mph.
If I wanted laziness, I'd fit a centrifugal clutch to the GSXR1000 and just leave it in first/second gear (first shows 103mph on the clocks at redline, so plenty of revs for legal speeds, even on the motorway.)

You do get used to the lack of tank after a bit:
https://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4638422265_7753a94f49_o.jpg

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

^^^He'll be posting that with a straight face.
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[volvodai]

have many bikes but scooters are good fun if ridden like motorcycles
ie ride in the middle of the road (its taxed and moted and you are less likely to be squashed by trucks)
had an unrestricted bws would wheelie every time you pulled off and an aprillia which would do about 45mph
they are also ideal for popping down the shops if they have the underseat storage

[Teflon-Mike]

Tired eyes & dyslxia conspire occassionally to give humourouse results.