thinking of buying a scooter convince me I'm wrong

[colinM]

Hi all.

as the title suggests I'm thinking about buying a Scooter, one of those bigger 400cc ones.
My thinking is purely for transport I'll be getting made redundant soon and I have a couple of job opportunities so I'll, unfortunately, have to travel for work now, nothing really far 20-25miles or so.

if I use a scooter I can filter in peak traffic, parking should be easier and there is plenty of storage on the bike for helmet, waterproofs and anything I might have to carry for work (better in the scooter than on my back)

I've never actually driven a scooter though just proper bikes. is my thinking logical or am I missing a very obvious flaw?

[stinkwheel]

For a daily commute, they make a lot of sense. You can get one of those poncho things that cover the footwell and your legs for in the winter too.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Easy-X]

Before the screeching starts I'd say scooters - and to a certain extent your Goldwings - are just 2-wheeled cars: utilitarian transport. There's nothing a scooter really does better than a motorcycle...

Filtering? In the City I see the scooters filter everything. Throw a bag of coffee beans on the road they'd be filtering that! But that's because a) they're mostly weedy 125s and b) they're ridden by maniacs who just do CBTs on a continuous basis.

Storage? You can get a top box and/or panniers for almost any motorbike. Okay so a lot of scooters have a handbag storage area under the seat but there's the faux fuel tank on the NC750 so that's not a USP.

But if you're not interested in street cred or the social aspect of motorcycles a scooter would be perfectly fine
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[Bhud]

If you want to filter easily in heavy traffic, try a smaller bike.

Twist-and-go, and remember to keep your legs closed... Sitting there like a dead weight. Where's the fun in that?

[colinM]

[Hong Kong Phooey]

Shockingly 1 in 14 registered two wheelers got nicked in London in 2020. If you live there then dem teefs do love a big scooter, weapon of choice (aside from brick acid) is the Yamaha T-max. They use them for snatch and go, general feevery and other general nay-goodness.

Have you ridden one? For a ten minute blast they're actually quite fun. But I miss the power so I'd be looking at the bigger engine stuff.
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'81 CG125, '97 FZS600 : '99 CBR600F4, '09 KTM RC8

[RhynoCZ]

If all you want is strorage compartements, then I would consider lockable panniers on a regular motorcycle. I find scooters cumbersome. Googling around, those 400cc scooters are quite heavy as well, with rather poor fuel economy. ''Twist 'n' go'' is a benefit of sorts, though. Especially for city traffic.

By the way, there are motorcycles with bigger storage compartments, for instance Honda's NC 700 and NC 750.
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[Old Git Racing]

Go for it. Bergmanns and the like are perfect for what you want. Do you need 90L of luggage capacity to ride to work, no.
Easy to ride and filter on, economical, good weather protection, I would.

OGR
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2022 Tiger Sport 660 2019 Street Twin 2003 K3 gixxer 1000 1998 Srad 600 track hack

[xX-Alex-Xx]

What’s the old saying? Scooters are for men who like to feel the wind in their vagina.

Seriously though, the big ones ain’t too bad and can give slightly more weather protection. I’d rather go for a proper bike with panniers though.
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DILLIGAF

[Keithy]

I’m not understanding the ‘storage’ thing. If you are riding to work, then surely ‘at work’ is the place to store your helmet, gear etc.?

For me it’s what the 25 miles are like that would determine if you are going ‘full scoot’ or not. If it’s 25 miles of London 12mph solid traffic then…..maaaybeee…anything less, probably not.

[Shaft]

[Bhud]

Stereotypes are dangerous.

I started out on scooters and small bikes. The first "bike" I ever owned was a 2-stroke 50cc scooter. I commuted on it, in London. At the time, the job seemed great - probably because I had to jump through so many hoops to get it - and the commute was just... the commute. There's no doubt, the scooty was comfy. I even rode it in the winter, in the snow. Did I like it? Yes. I bought no less than THREE C90s following that scooter, because they felt so nice. What they were not, was aesthetic. However, I have most definitely served my time (or my sentence) on scooters (the modern style) and step-throughs.

Many years later, I was still commuting by bike. At first, a small bike. Then I passed my test, and it was a big bike. By this time, I had changed my career., rather drastically The job was one I thought I was cut out for, but I started to hate it, quickly. The one highlight was actually the commute. It was through a picturesque route. B-roads and a fast, nice, wide A-road you could filter through in the rush hour traffic. To this day, I remember some of those commutes. I took detours, and enjoyed even the bad weather. Sometimes there were trees fallen across the road, and sometimes little floods. At that time, I resolved to make up for my weaknesses and deficiencies, and learn as much as I could about motorcycles, so that I could extend my time on motorcycles for as long as I lived, without reliance on others, and with as much freedom to choose what I rode as was possible.

It's been decades since I commuted to work on that scooter. Could I have enjoyed such experiences, and rides, as a commuter on a scooter? I don't think so, truly. Even if it were one of those 400cc Burgman type deals. Go home with as least effort and delay as possible, to eat your spaghetti and repeat the next day? What's the point. Sitting comfortably, and convenience in finding a place to bung your helmet is only worth so much. But, ultimately, it boils down to how I feel. If someone says they feel great riding their scooter, then who am I to second-guess them? However, it's subjective to the point of mysticism. If I see a small-wheeled chunk of plastic coming the other way, I cannot superimpose a positive experience on that. It would upset the view, it would upset my perspective on my personal life story as a human being, because it's so far in the opposite direction of where I'm headed (intrinsic preference for a linear life trajectory rather than a cyclical one). I like classic bikes and I don't like scooters or Harleys, but I don't think I'm ignorant in the slightest.

[Shaft]

[WD Forte]

Scooters are for limp wristed faggoty assed bed wettin pansies !!
get a proper bike like a real man
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bikers smell of wee

[Weisse Schlange]

[Hong Kong Phooey]

[Fat Angry Scotsman]

[Easy-X]

Good point on the scooter vs cruiser similarity in seating. You can go further: the Rebel 1100 for example has a auto gearbox option.

So the choice is between frilly skirts or arse-less chaps
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[xX-Alex-Xx]

[A100man]

[ThunderGuts]

If my recent experience s anything to go by, there probably is merit in the suggestion scooters (assuming similar dimensions) are capable of squeezing through narrower gaps than big bikes. I find I can get my through anything I'd get my push-bike through, plus do far tighter manoeuvring than my VFR would be keen on. That said, I don't think I'd want to do an emergency stop on the in a busy environment . . .
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TG.

[WD Forte]

With scoots you can wear decent clothes and not smell of stale urine, beer and roll ups like them bikers do.
Mine has nice locking pockets on the front I use for sweeties, skin products and such.
I often give myself a quick squish of Paco Rabane to freshen up while waiting at the lights.
I might even pop a fishermans friend in my mouth.
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bikers smell of wee

[Nobby the Bastard]

[Brava210]

My Honda Forza can store a whole weeks worth of Lady product shopping
And a nice tube of Vaseline skin care cream in the front pocket.
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Honda Novio, Puch Grand Prix, Suzuki AP50, CZ 125, Wassell 125, Montesa 348,Honda 125TDC, Suzuki 100ER, Suzuki GSF650 Bandit, Aprillia Pegaso, Honda PCX125, Honda Forza300, BMW G310 GS, Suzuki SFV650, Honda CB500X

CHARLEY SAYS " ALWAYS TELL YOUR MUMMY BEFORE YOU GO OFF SOMEWHERE"

[ThunderGuts]