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General => General Discussion => Topic started by: OGBillyT63 on February 20, 2018, 11:51:25 PM
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I am 67 years old and own a 2009 Grandvista 250 .Today I rode a 2017 Honda Rebel 300 thinking it would be a nice step up with it having fuel injection ,nice low seat , 6 speeds and only 600 miles on it. Maybe I've gotten lazy, but I fell back n love with my Grandvista after upshifting and down shifting on the Honda Rebel. I felt the Rebel was a good quality bike , but I also felt I had to pay more attention to the gear position I was in than actually enjoying the ride. I now really appreciate just starting my scooter up twisting the throttle and accelerating down the road and when it it's time to stop I grab the hand brakes and I stop wth no other extra moves. All I have to do is twist the throttle and the CVT takes me up to speed in seconds without interruption. I also have tons of storage under the seat, something the Rebel simply did not have! I do have a love of motorcycles, but after riding scooters for years now I'm enjoying the simpler ride my scooter provides. I just want to say make sure you are actually enjoying your two wheel ride whatever it may be.
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I very much agree. If I do ever decide to upgrade to a larger displacement bike it WILL be a scooter. I rode motorcycles for many years but now that I have enjoyed the easy fun of a scooter I'll not go back to shifting.
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Concerning the transmission, I think both have merits. If you drive in the city, I would see the CVTs (or other automatics) as being safety features in addition to their convenience.
Chain drive has an efficiency advantage over belt. I suspect (but haven't yet had the experience to confirm) that shifting is less of a burden in the country or on the highway. And there is an advantage to the extra control.
Concerning the Rebel, I always thought that the 250 was horribly outclassed by its competitors. But the 300, and maybe even more so the 500, are really impressive on paper. And while I don't love the appearance, I appreciate that it's quite artfully done and original. For storage, they did at least easily allow for saddlebag supports and a nice luggage rack.
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Honda has a good compromise between CVT and manual transmission, the DCT gearbox, but it available on only a few bikes starting from 750ccm.
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I have ridden motorcycles all my life and love them. I have a fascination with crotch rockets even though I like all kinds of cycles.
In my younger days, I tended to gravitate toward high powered standards. My favorite was a Yamaha V Max. I loved that bike.
A few years ago, my wife decided she would like to have a motor scooter. I bought her a an Aprilia Scarabeo 200. It has been a good machine.
She let me ride it some and I fell in love with it. I also love motor scooters.
Lo and behold, I decided I wanted a motor scooter too. I bought a Kymco GTI 300 for myself. It has been a super scoot. It will do 90+ wound out so speed and staying with the flow of traffic is not a problem. I sold the motorcycle I had at the time and have never looked back. I love the quiet power of the GT. So far it has been a good machine. At my age, 68, I don`t feel the need to do 130 mph anymore and the GT suits me fine.
It does not matter what you ride. What matters is that you ride.
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I have rode motorcycles all my life and love them. I have a fascination with crotch rockets even though I like all kinds of cycles.
In my younger days, I tended to gravitate toward high powered standards. My favorite was a Yamaha V Max. I loved that bike.
A few years ago, my wife decided she would like to have a motor scooter. I bought her a an Aprilia Scarabeo 200. It has been a good machine.
She let me ride it some and I fell in love with it. I also love motor scooters.
Lo and behold, I decided I wanted a motor scooter too. I bought a Kymco GTI 300 for myself. It has been a super scoot. It will do 90+ wound out so speed and staying with the flow of traffic is not a problem. I sold the motorcycle I had at the time and have never looked back. I love the quiet power of the GT. So far it has been a good machine. At my age, 68, I don`t feel the need to do 130 mph anymore and the GT suits me fine.
It does not matter what you ride. What matters is that you ride.
Still riding at 68! [emoji106]
Respect!
I hope I will be able to ride at that age.
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What Boo said! And I am 77! De dee is 80 something!
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This thread gives my 52-year-old self hope that I've got a lot of riding years ahead of me. ;D
As for scooters/motorcycles... I like scooters, and I'll likely get another one soon, but everything else I drive has a manual transmission... I'd feel funny not shifting gears.
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Just made me feel well, not so old. When you get old, ten years means a lot.
Bet oldtwowheels is up there with us.
Ride on!
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72 next month and still ridin'.
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Motorcycle....
There are what, 2 scooters in the 300 class in the USA - a new Kymco and a discontinued Forza. Next step is up a couple of thousand dollars for the two 400's. Then prices get stupid if you want to go bigger.
If you want to ride something new, over 155 cc's.....you can get a lot more bike for your $ if you shop motorcycles, rather than scooters.
I'd love to add an upright, naked 300cc motorcycle to the garage....and I'm no kid.
Stig
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It seems to me that it'd almost be more fair to compare the Forza to the Rebel 500. They're priced close to each other, the Rebel 500 actually weighs slightly less, and they get about the same gas mileage.
Only the Rebel produces 46hp instead of the Forza's 24.
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Piaggio BV. 350 sport ABS ASR 6,546 Km. , 33 Hp. 29 Kmpl , top speed 160 Kmph , 16 " wheels front 14 " wheels back
just installed Dr. Pully sliders there were rollers in there from new, someone said there were sliders from the factory, not so, I will be 85 in 3 weeks , and in Yam. Maj. Gene from S F. Cal. will be 91, and has a new Piaggio 350 B V so you young guys have lots of years to go,
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Looking at 300's don't forget the yamaha Xmax. It's getting good reviews, but I'd probably go for the BV350 in that class myself.
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Motorcycle....
There are what, 2 scooters in the 300 class in the USA - a new Kymco and a discontinued Forza. Next step is up a couple of thousand dollars for the two 400's. Then prices get stupid if you want to go bigger.
If you want to ride something new, over 155 cc's.....you can get a lot more bike for your $ if you shop motorcycles, rather than scooters.
I'd love to add an upright, naked 300cc motorcycle to the garage....and I'm no kid.
Stig
But that under seat storage though. To me that tips the scales in the scooters favor and justifies the cost. Am I being rational? Maybe not. But the ability to go riding for no reason then being able to make an impulse purchase and be able to take it home with me under the seat says scooter. Lol.
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But that under seat storage though. To me that tips the scales in the scooters favor and justifies the cost. Am I being rational? Maybe not. But the ability to go riding for no reason then being able to make an impulse purchase and be able to take it home with me under the seat says scooter. Lol.
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I brought a cut Xmas tree home on my Honda CB175 when in medic training. Wife and groceries from the commisary, etc.
(well, the wife wasn't from the commisary. ...got her in Los Angeles)
Never owned a car until I was 23 yrs old. Still bought stuff....🚴
Stig
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But that under seat storage though. To me that tips the scales in the scooters favor and justifies the cost. Am I being rational? Maybe not. But the ability to go riding for no reason then being able to make an impulse purchase and be able to take it home with me under the seat says scooter. Lol.
That's how it's been for me personally. It's been a choice between scooters or small cruisers, and scooters have always won out because of their storage. Although on the used market, for my budget, the price is about the same.
I figured out though that the volume of saddle bags are about the same as my underseat storage. And I found my top case to be more useful anyways. There's definitely something to be said for how integrated and convenient it is on a scooter, but carrying a significant amount on a cruiser is an option.
I brought a cut Xmas tree home on my Honda CB175 when in medic training.
Strap the tree over the gas tank and seat, and then sit on the tree. Am I close?
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Strap the tree over the gas tank and seat, and then sit on the tree. Am I close?
Can't remember - at that age I'd try anything. Helmets and no other gear were the given.
Wife wore miniskirts on the back when we'd go out for dinner. Always a line of GI's in cars following us. In those days San Antonio had multiple military bases nearby. (4?)
What I DO remember is that I was the only Honda owner at the dispensary ....at quitting time, after a Texas summer downpour - I'd watch them all trying to start their bikes in my rear view mirrors.
Stig
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Vespa makes a nice large frame scooter in the 300 class (GTS/GTV).
Scooters are definitely a joy to ride. Even though I have gone back to a motorcycle I know at some point I won't be able to throw my leg over and it's nice to know I can still ride on a scooter.
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72 next month and still ridin'.
Another oldie but goodie.
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Some on this forum once said it — a scooter is a good alternative to a car. I prefer a scooter because a MC does give me what I need. In this case it’s the storage, but also the gas mileage, and the great insurance. I look at what can do more off the dealer room floor — a MC of the same CC size, or a scooter? The scooter works more as a Swiss Army knife, while a MC may require additional purchases like a saddle bag and/or a top case.
- Wolf
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The Rebel 300 mentioned gets 71 miles to the gallon. The best I've found in that class is the Yamaha XV250 which gets 78 mpg, more (up to the 90's) if you tweak the gear ratios. Liability insurance is negligible.
There are plenty of motorcycles that do much worse, especially once you get larger -- but this seems to be improving significantly.
Agreed that scooters are typically more complete in their functionality. Some things that I took for granted aren't ubiquitous such as fuel gauges, oil pressure sensors, and center stands. Windshields and luggage racks aren't standard. On the XV250 in particular, it takes some resourcefulness to get saddlebags properly supported.