Downsizing

[Cal Price]

Long time since I've been here....At 75 and having difficulty getting my knee up to saddle height I finaly bit the bullet, sold the BMW and decided to check out "Sports" scooters, three candidates Suzuki Burgman 400, unaltered in about 20 years and weighs more than a lot of bikes Yama X-Max & T-Max 400cc, great spec but for me just not comfortable. Finally settled on the Honda Forza 350, Italian built, great little bike, will do 90 mph (satnav verified0 and a tad under 30k to the litre (about 93 mpg- UK gallons) Enough storage under the seat for a stowaway....what's not to like.

[Cal Price]

Not sure how I got the pic twice or how to get rid of one but hey-ho

[Bluesmudge]

Very nice!
I like scooters myself. They are a great compliment or replacement to motorcycles and don't deserve all the hate they get in the US. In a lot of ways they are just better/make more sense. Just not as sexy.

[ShowBizWolf]

Very nice!! I like it 

I give the wave to scooters. Fists in the wind 

[mr72]

totally agree. my wife and I have recently gotten the scooter bug. But not maxi-scooters, actual little 125cc scooters. Sometimes "easy" is just precisely what you need. Finding a way to stay on two wheels is the ticket.

[Cal Price]

Mr 72 - -A lot of the 125 Scoots in Europe will happily cruise at 60 / 70. - I haven't given up on "propper" bikes I'm looking around for a restoration project 50s to 70s Brit or perhaps japanese. My father rode several bikes but the one I remember most was his 350 AJS, mother rode a BSA Bantam, I think it was a 175 (?) It will have to be a fairly small bike as i don't have a garage, or space to put one to work on it so it will have to go throught the house to the back to be worked on. Recently seen several 50s Francis-Barnett bikes and 60s Honda 250 dream.

[cbrfxr67]

sweeet love me some one hand scooter riding and drink coffee with other

[mr72]

I got my wife's Vino 125 up to indicated 53mph and decided that was bloody fast enough for 10" wheels. It had another couple of mph in it. If I ever get it running, my recently acquired Stella 125 automatic will probably go even faster and be even more terrifying at speed given the antiquated suspension.

That's part of the fun. 50mph on a 225 lb scooter with 10" wheels makes you feel like Evel Knievel just riding down the road. 50mph on my Bonneville is a leisurely stroll.

The hop on and go simplicity is addictive, and the ease of getting the little bike in and out of the garage or parking on the sidewalk just makes the scooter an obvious choice half the time. Not to mention going in shorts and flip-flops during TX triple digit summer rides within the neighborhood.

[Bluesmudge]

I love my Honda Super Cub 125. I guess its not 100% a scooter since it has footpegs? 

Buuuut, I think 125cc just isn't quite there for a do it all bike. 150cc is probably the sweet spot for being able to maintain 60+ mph but also supreme MPG and light weight enough to be fun. The Forza 350cc is probably actually pretty decent on the highway, right? 

I've also ridden a 650cc burgman which just felt like a motorcycle but more comfortable.

[mr72]

I think the super cub is a motorcycle. To be a scooter it has to be step thru. Modern scooters must also be automatic shift or cvt, no foot controls. So you can ride in flip flops or strappy heels. That's my observation anyway.

I wouldn't think a 125 or a 150 could be a do all bike. Certainly not with 10" scooter wheels. Like my triumph, the Vino is capable of going much faster than it is really prudent or safe to go. It's lovely at 35mph and white knuckle at 45+. Maybe a pcx150 would be a lot better, or one of those Aprilia 150s with 16" wheels would be close, as long as you really didn't have any highways at all.

[The Buddha]

Good to see you back Cal.

I actually get a sharp cramp in my right butt when I throw a leg over that high tail of a GS or a cruiser with a sissy bar.
My options are to mount it left leg (opposite to the kick stand side) or to go straight over the rider seat.

Is that something happening with you ? Some of these cramps are like the shoulder hand thumb at base of little finger - oddly that I can do without pain LOL.

Cool.
Buddha.

[Cal Price]

All my joints are creaking, 75yrs so to be expected I guess. I had a lot of trouble with fingers and thumbs a grip. Last October ('20) I was lucky enough to get an operation on my right hand for a condition called Deputrien's Contracture, AKA Viking finger. The operation was due in early March 2020 but C-19 intervened. It's a condition that is more prevalent in people of Scandinavian heritage. The little finger and the index were affected, the little finger was bent right over almost glued to the palm of my hand, the index was not so bad, I still had limited use of it. For me the biggest issue was not being able to get bike gloves on until I managed to find a "split mitten" type of thing which allowed me to ride. I can now straighten the fingers out and have reasonable dexterity back but no real strength in the hand. I also have a problem in my left forearm, these combined make working with tools difficult but I just about manage. The condition often starts with a sort of dimple in the palm of the hand and or a small lump at the base of the finger. If caught at that stage it can often be treated with hydrocortisone injections, if only I'd known.... Good to hear from you too