Scooters craze
 

With the rise in gas prices I see scooters all over the place now and I know some guys buying them to cruise around town. I know half of them have never even riden a motorcycle before nor do they have an idea how to ride in congestion around town. I think riding in town is WAY worse than on the interstate, although there they go in sandles and t-shirts cruising through traffic acting like they are invincible to the world. It doesn't matter if they are "real" motorcycles or not. In traffic your still two wheels fighting to not end up on someones bumper or driver door. Having a silent tiny scooter isn't much defense in my opinion.

Call them....Scoo-ids?

Around here, I'd say over half the scooters are tooling around with about 10lbs of pressure inna' back tire. Most of the "rider's" probably never took a safety course or read the owner's manual.:loser:

I've been waiting a long time to use that smiley.

Almost got clipped in town today. Only doing about 25 MPH but I'm sure it would have hurt, especially the bike. I swerved and gunned it. I figured if the speed wouldn't save me the noise would. Not on a scooter though.

Newb007,

You bring up a sensitive subject for me. I'm firmly in the camp of those who believe that one is "born to ride" and those that aren't are "two percenters" who don't stick with it for various reasons. I also believe that these two percenters represent a majority of those that have accidents; especially, the easily avoidable kinds.

My sister in law of some 22 years recently bought one just out of the blue. She rarely ever talked to me about my bikes even back when she saw me and her older sister, my wife of said 22 years, go on dates on my motorcycle. She rides to work with nothing more for gear than a "pretty pink helmet" (open faced of course) since it's "so close to work" (her words in quotes) but it's all on busy major streets. She's never been athletic or the outdoors type and is only doing this for economic reasons. The ironic thing is she has a small econobox car.

My conscience constantly reminds me that I haven't given her "the lecture" and I'm torn about giving it to her since I know she'll become defensive (her personality) and would probably never choose to sell it since even a scooter is a major purchase item for her thus she probably has a loan and would be a PITA to unload.

I stopped at a scooter store to look at vespas for my wife to go back and forth to school on. i rode the hawk to the scooter store. the guy was a total fuck nugget to me and was acting like i was driving an H2 around or something. Pretentious townie fruitcake. He was calling his 250cc bikes his "big bikes" and told me i probably wouldnt be interested "if THATS what you usually ride." i told him i grew up riding vespas and i had a lambretta too, so im familiar with them and i really like them, actually... and he told me "so you shouldnt have any questions then." i said i guess i wont be buying shit from you, im coming in with the intentions of spending a couple grand and youre acting like a dick monster to me. he walked away and told me he didnt have anything in stock for me. i was surprised that he would run his business like that..... i guess i just rub hippies the wrong way.:rolleyes: (i try not to actually touch them.) I used to wave to them (scooter riders), but they act like their shit doesnt stink so much (around here at least), im going to stop.... to them, we are the SUV drivers of the motorcycle world, and most of them have a huge chip on their shoulder in this department

Here in the booming metropolis of Raleigh, NC we call them "liquor-sickles" due to the high amount of drunks who legally drive them. Since you don't need a drivers license for 49cc's or less, then don't worry if your license gets yanked.

Of course, now nearly everyone is getting them for economic reasons and we see them in even more abundance. Personally, I would not use one (50cc sized) unless it was in the neigborhood or a campsite. 40mph does not seem safe to me on most public roads. Now the Silverwing, that's a different story!

its like that here too....suspended license from a DUI and theyre on a scooter after that...

It's funny you say that. Back when I was doing lawn maintenance in Chapel Hill and Durham, three of the guys I worked with rode mopeds because of DUI. Of course they were drunk most of the time on mopeds too.

I think the part that irritates me is the people I know getting scooters aren't the bike riding type (subjective I know) and I have given them advice on gear and riding tips. But they seem to think its a game. Their choice, just irritating. You gear up for the fall, not the ride. My Dad is a long distance rider (did 3600 miles in 63 hrs this wknd) and has been down twice. I know his gear saved him. I've been fortunate, but I know anything can happen. When I got my most recent bike he reminded me, all gear, all the time and then handed me a set of boots, pants,riding jackets, and helmet.

More than scooters I'm seeing an increase of well preserved '80s bikes on the road.

Bikes guys left in the shed or back of the garage since they last rode in the late '80s, early '90s. Many of the bikes look near new, but the tip off is the ancient Bell Star or Nava GT helmet the guy has on.

i saw a vespa "gang" once :gay:. there were 6 of them in shorts and t-shirts with open face helmets. they even gave me the motorcyclist wave, i gave them the finger and got the hell away from there. damn hippies. that had to be the most disturbing thing i have seen while riding.

I think scooters are fun, but I've never ridden one more than just around the block, an old Lambretta and a Vespa. The old 2 strokes hauled ass for their size.

What's scary is the brakes and small tires, and the people riding them that think they must have the "open face retro" look. In beach towns in SoCal they are now all over the place, and I'm sure most riders don't have a Class M endorsement on their license.

I do have to admit that I kind of like the Mod look (Quadraphenia) with all the mirrors though, but I haven't seen any of them in the last couple of years.

...me in high school....:rolleyes:

Imagine having to cross a jam packed city to work everyday, with gas prices breaking 2,50 $, in Europe, it's scooters frenzy. So it's just around the corner in North America.
I think it's some of the best transportation for someone who never hit the highway, when i went to Paris and all the major European cities, these things just fly by and squeeze between cars like water between rocks, my chicken was just to heavy to ride like this, I figured that if I was living in this mess, I would think of it, but I would probably ride a supermotard witch is less gay :lol:
I nearly punch one every now and then with some horn and a thick "Hostie de cave !!!"
witch mean in French Canadian " Fuckin idiot !!" then you get that zitface stare :shock: I just saved your worthless life you moron....
Many drive ok, we just don't see them

Scooter riders are everywhere here.
They are NOT motorcyclist!
I generally see two types of riders.
1. Earth loving, hybrid driving, green recycling, lady with little grandma glasses & shoes. Make no mistake she thinks motorcyclists are scumbags. She is “SAVING” the earth, whales, global warming, curing cancer, and nagging the shit out of any child she has until the kid needs psychotherapy. She thinks she is better than you and me! I can’t wait to see the wide eyed deer in headlight expression she will have standing up with road rash up her ass.
2.The nerd fat boy, pasty white legs, hairy bitch tits, knees to his chest looks to either be raping the scooter, or shitting the scooter out of his enormous asshole.
Their entire education regarding two wheeled vehicles relates to gas mileage only.

Your forgeting the limp wristed ass splunking pink helmet wearing fagots that wanna ask why you ride THAT bike. on a different note. I seen a weird scooter riden by a fine assed blonde girl in martin. It was called a morpheous? has anyone seen one of these. Its like an overweight scooter thats very low slung. Looks almost like a rolling jetski. When she got off the thing , I noticed that the seat was probly 6 or8 inches thick.

Do you have Pics?:popcorn:

i love my honda ruckus just as much as my hawk.... i don't understand all the negativity regarding scooters? i mean there are idiots out there that can make anything look bad.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3225/...7c92710c_b.jpg

"I ride a GS scooter with my hair cut neat. I wear my wartime coat in the wind and sleet."
Sea and Sand, Quadrophenia 1973. I wore out several vinyl copies of that record.

I get a kick out of strafing scooter riders.

More of a "WHO'S NEXT" guy myself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mszZREj11OU
YouTube - The Who-Won't Be Fooled Again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9CWJa9yK7I
YouTube - The Who - Whos' Next - Baba O' Reilly

Got nothing against scooters. People should ride what they want, wear what they want, wave at who they want, etc.

More concerned about the assholes who want to tell me how to live before they tax me to death.

I wore out a few copies of that one, too!

That one has enough headlights, but it could use about 6 more pairs of mirrors.

+ 1 on the ruckus. That would be the only scooter I would consider hopping on. Someone nearby where I work has one with some really gay ape hangers on it though. Why would you ruin a ruckus like that? Anyone know if honda is still making the ruckus?

If you don't understand the rivalry between the scooter and moto crowd you need to see Quadraphenia. I used to get called "Fonzi" on my 69' CB750 by all the Vespa Mods back in the day. But seriously it was all in good fun. As we all hung out and drank together.

Scooters are fun but they feel like riding a barstool with casters on it.

I use my Fiance's to go get beer at the corner store(all small roads 25 MPH) it fits a 12 pack under the seat other than that I would not take it anywhere else it does not feel safe I can't imagine what would happen to your body if you got hit on one. Ouch!

Who woulda thought, hawk riders with a secret past and it had 12" wheels. Hoo Ha! I guess if that's as bad as it got in times past for you guys then I'm just going to keep my mouth shut, and since I've outlived those who know truth about me, my secret is safe.

If you were REAL scooter trash, then it was Lambretta...(did I say that out loud?)

So are fat chics.. still dont want my freinds to see me ride it.. :lol: long live that old joke..



:lol:.. refer to fat chics remark.. :lol:

I think honda only makes the ruckus, silverwing & metropolitan now.

I overheard the salesmen at a local bike shop - jokingly say - the hardest part of buying and riding a scooter is:
"admitting to all your friends and family - that your a fruitcake"
nothing wrong with being gay just thought it was funny

then you have to grow a gay mustache to hide the stretch marks:gay: