What's your problem with scooters?

[WINJA]

OWNING A SCOOTER IS LIKE HAVING A FAT GIRLFRIEND, ITS ALL COOL AS LONG AS YOUR FRIENDS DONT SEE YOU TOGETHER.

[Ixion]

Nowt wrong with scooters. I always wave to them though few wave back. (I think more wave back when I'm on Li'l Rat Bike than when I'm on the Beammer or the 'zuki. Don't know what that implies)

They've got two wheels, and an engine. So they're members of the biker clan.

It's just that there's probably not a lot of commonality of interest between the Gixxer rider and the scooter rider.

Scooterists, you must not be thin skinned. The sports bikers take the piss out of the cruiser riders, the cruiser riders extract the Michael from BMW riders, who scoff at trailies.Except me, I like 'em all. It's just teasing, don't take it to heart.

[Ixion]

OWNING A SCOOTER IS LIKE HAVING A FAT GIRLFRIEND, ITS ALL COOL AS LONG AS YOUR FRIENDS DONT SEE YOU TOGETHER.

Very good !

[onearmedbandit]

I've got nothing against them, One of the guys at work was telling me about a bike shop owner in south africa who took a burgman scoot on a ride with some ducatis, he was in front of them most of the way, had to replace the exhaust when he got back though

There is something seriously wrong with that.

[Wolf]

I owned two - both 150cc. One an Austrian Puch SR150, the other a German Zundapp Bella 154 - both great fun. I also have no quarrel with people who ride Japanese scooters rather than bikes.

I've seen people riding scooters in the worst weather of winter and I personally know people with big bikes who only ride during summer - is it my place to judge who is a "real biker"? Is a "scooter rider" who will brave the elements more or less of a "biker" than someone with a litre bike who only rides in summer?

Were my 150cc scooters not "real" bikes? Was my GT50 more of a "real" bike because it was a "step over" rather than a "step through"?

I've ridden a wide range of bikes from a mate's 50cc automatic scooter to a 1400cc Suzuki Intruder - I don't feel I have the right to deride anyone's wheels. If I were going to deride anyone, it would be those who seem to think they're "better" than other people based on some stupid, arbitrary distinction - like style of bike, size of engine, riding style - for that is really no different from any form of prejudice - colour of skin, sex, age.

My maths teacher at college was a real dag - he rode a 350cc NZeta scooter and was always deriding my 125cc RX (and the 125cc TS that followed it) as "dangerous" because "motorcyles are dangerous". The fact that his scooter had over twice the engine capacity as my bike seemed irrelevant to him. I always chortled about that.

He now has a modern 250cc Jap scooter - and probably still thinks it's safer than, say, my old GT50...

[phantom]

at the weekend in Palmy I got passed by a gaggle, herd, flock of Harleys but in front was a Gilera scooter with dealers plates on

[XTC]

People who don't like scooters aren't real motorcyclists,they have narrow minds and mouths that can't smile when they ride a bike - total tossers and I won't have anything to do with them - I can pick them out a mile away - they are the same people who don't wave to me when I ride a dirt bike,but give me a big wave when I ride a sports bike...wankers down to the last colour coded do nothing on their boots....

I agree with you there Motu.... If it has two wheels i'll ride the thing and smile while I'm doing it. I'll never turn down the offer to ride any sort of cycle and will not compare a scooter to a sports bike.... That said the scooters I have ridden have had more fun factor built in than the sports bikes I've ridden. Especially the honda Gyro we had at Mt Eden Motorcycles with the arm chair bolted on as a seat.... Over took a harley along Normanby road on this and all he could do was shake his head.... Bloody scary when you get those two back wheels sliding in the wet tho..

[Flyingpony]

The guy who had his vespa hacksawed in half at a Brass Monkey rally surely hadn't done anything to merit judge and jury execution of his ride.

That's very low unless it was planned or he "really" asked for it. I’ve seen Vespa’s over take cars who were doing 100km/h.

Have ridden scooters in Asian cities and they're fun and safe due to the numbers ratio of cars vs scooters. Over there they become your car.

Here, I wouldn't ride a 50cc scooter unless it can easily to 80km/h. Must be able to keep up with city limit traffic.

Scooter riders should be forced to get a bike licence. There are too many dangerous riders on them who are ignorant of the road rules.

[Storm]

I'd have to agree with the license thing. I live on palmy (student city apparently) and theres more than a few suicidal/homicidal mofos on scooters.

On the other topic; has 2 wheels, has engine, has twist grip throttle. Not that hard to call it a bike I'm thinking.

Now goldwings, theres a different kettle of fish

(pt)

[Legolas]

Originally posted by Ixion.
They've got two wheels, and an engine. So they're members of the biker clan.

My thoughts too.

I did sometimes ride them when I worked at a bike dealers many years ago. Not my cup tea though.

[Waylander]

They've got two wheels, and an engine. So they're members of the biker clan.

Takes more than two wheels and amotor to make them bikers. They have to have more sense than the majority seem to show. Some of them get as bad as the dick heads that don't watch around thier mirrors and cut the rest of us off.

[Ixion]

Takes more than two wheels and amotor to make them bikers. They have to have more sense than the majority seem to show. Some of them get as bad as the dick heads that don't watch around thier mirrors and cut the rest of us off.

[shrug] I've known guys riding 650's and litres that don't have any sense. There's stupid bikers just like stupid anythiong else. Reckon a scooterist (is there such a word, Mr Hitcher ?) deserves the benefit of the doubt though,until they prove themselves stupid.

I've also seen (must admit I've not actually known too many scooterists of late years) that were courteous and proficient riders.

[Waylander]

[shrug] I've known guys riding 650's and litres that don't have any sense. There's stupid bikers just like stupid anythiong else. Reckon a scooterist (is there such a word, Mr Hitcher ?) deserves the benefit of the doubt though,until they prove themselves stupid.

I've also seen (must admit I've not actually known too many scooterists of late years) that were courteous and proficient riders.

Even riding a full on motorbike arn't bikers without a bit of respect for the road. 'Least not in my opinion. That said I would consider the scooter riders here bikers allowing that they weren't dickheads. But I reserve that judgment till I see them ride.

[XTC]

Even riding a full on motorbike arn't bikers without a bit of respect for the road. 'Least not in my opinion. That said I would consider the scooter riders here bikers allowing that they weren't dickheads. But I reserve that judgment till I see them ride.

spose even bikers are allowed to be dickheads......still bikers or better still motorcyclists.

[Motu]

Is a C50 step through considered a scooter? Cause that must be near the top of the list of the best bikes I've owned,did everything on that bike,a real workhorse.