| Just Which Scooter is right for you? | | | | trading up or out. People who want to use freeways |
| For some years now, I have been looking into buying a | | | | and highways without getting arrested or abused or |
| motor scooter or motor bike of some sort. I had my | | | | worse, need to consider upwards of 125cc. If you are |
| first bike licence lesson today and have thought of | | | | over 85kg I would suggest you ride some bikes around |
| many many ways to save to be able to purchase the | | | | before deciding on a 50cc scooter too. Look for leg |
| right one. But which is the right one? Which scooter is | | | | well space, suspension issues such as wobble and |
| the one that will suit my various needs and desires? | | | | bottom out. (try some speed humps!) |
| There are so many scooter makers to choose from | | | | If you are planning on some long rides or at least some |
| and once you "meet your maker", then you have a | | | | short but fast rides, get looking at a 125cc and over |
| great big job on your hands in choosing your model. In | | | | scooter. There are other factors to the ride than the |
| one Australian magazine alone you have listed 20 | | | | engine size; such as tyre size, seat hight and so on. My |
| different brand names and each of them have | | | | advice, ask for a test drive. |
| numerous models listed. | | | | Obviously you need a bike licence in many places if |
| Aprilia - 6 models; Benelli - 7; Bowell Scoota - 14; Bug - | | | | you are riding a bike over 50cc, so make sure you |
| 6; Bug-Kymco - 2; Derbi - 1; Giamoto - 1; Gilera - 2; | | | | check all that out. |
| Honda - 4; Hyosung - 6; Italjet - 3; Motobella - 1; | | | | Scooter Purchase Price will be a factor for most, but |
| Peugeot - 11; Piaggio - 2; SCP - 4; Suzuki - 2; TGB - 5; | | | | sometimes if you want something bad enough you will |
| Vespa - 7; V-Moto - 3; Yamaha - 6. | | | | even start a blog about scooters just to try to earn |
| And these are changing all the time and only include all | | | | some money to buy one! I love the smooth feel of the |
| the new machines on the market at the time of | | | | top of the line Vespa GTS i.e. 250 with it's twist and |
| publication, there are no 'classics' listed there like the | | | | go and all the digital read outs and extra fruit (about |
| Lambretta...who make watches now...go figure! | | | | AU$9200 on road), but love the old lines of the PX200 |
| So where do you start? | | | | (about AU$8200 on road)and the classic feel of |
| Why do you want one? | | | | changing gears. But also I love the thought of restoring |
| Why not a small car? There are some great small | | | | an old Lambretta. You might just want to take what's |
| cars that are very fuel efficient, even a hybrid car that | | | | in your bank account and buy what you can get for |
| is good for the environment too! For me the choose of | | | | less than AU$2000, a imported Chinese VMoto, |
| a scooter is not instead of a car. We have a family | | | | Australia's top selling scooter would do you just fine! All |
| car but are feeling like the days of running two cars as | | | | I am saying is that you can get many nice looking |
| a family are coming to an end. It cost me sometimes | | | | machines out there, some are plastic, some are classic |
| $10 a day in public transport! Having said that, even if | | | | pressed metal, some with last a lifetime and go |
| my work offered to supply a car or a scooter, I think I | | | | forever, some are fun machines that you may use till |
| would ask for a scooter. One my the choices is | | | | they die or have some fun and move on to your next |
| environmental. The footprint each of us leave on the | | | | obsession. |
| planet is making a deeper impact than ever before | | | | Speaking of obsession, let's talk desire - colour, style, |
| and we need to begin to wake up to this issue. A | | | | accessories...the works. |
| small scooter can use less than 3 L/100km which is | | | | Some of you are simple people, you just want a |
| significantly less than the 20L/100km that a RV uses. | | | | scooter. Go to the local scooter dealer and ask the |
| As we enter the 21st century serious questions are | | | | man to show you one. Still others like sporty and fast |
| being asked about the sustainability of our current way | | | | looking machines, there are some reading this that like |
| of life. Global demand for fossil fuels is outstripping | | | | a big solid cruiser, maybe even with it's own stereo |
| supply. World oil peak and the inevitable decline of | | | | system and mobile phone holder. There are some that |
| fossil fuels is upon us now (see The End of Suburbia). | | | | want a 'pink one'. Some just want 'my first scooter'. |
| Sure scooters use fuel too, this one day may be an | | | | You might be like me and love the old style classic, |
| issue as well, but much work is going into | | | | retro feel to a scooter and love looking at old |
| experimenting with various fuel alternatives. | | | | restorations of classic Lambrettas and 1960 |
| I think the other issue for me is fun. Plain old fun. The | | | | Vespas...hmmmm. Even the sound 'Vespa' makes as |
| thought of riding around with the wind in your hair on a | | | | you say it...oh sorry, I was somewhere else for a |
| sunny day, heading down the coast with a few mates | | | | second! :) Some might be in between. I like the old style |
| to the cafe strip to chat about life and sip on a well | | | | but I can't afford to be fixing it all the time so I will go |
| made espresso...hmmm I am ready to go! The thought | | | | for an old name, but a new model like the GT200 |
| of picking my daughter up after a netball game, | | | | Grandtouismo Vespa, or better still the more classic |
| popping on the spare helmet and zipping down the | | | | looking PX Vespa which retains the rounded front, the |
| shops for a milkshake...love it! What about just my wife | | | | manual gears and so on, but has the advantage of a |
| and I going out for a Sunday afternoon cruise, kids at | | | | new model machine with warrantee from a dealer if |
| the neighbours house, sun in the sky, ready for a ride, a | | | | bought new. |
| picnic, a movie or just a cruise down the coast! | | | | The advantage of buying new is that accessorising |
| And of course there is convenience. The ease of | | | | the bike does not require endless searching for long |
| parking, the moving in and out of traffic at peak hour | | | | lost parts from Italy or the collector of all things |
| and the "I'm just going down to the shop for some milk | | | | fine...and expensive, down the road. But then for many |
| sweetheart!" ease of jumping on and out and back in | | | | all that is half the fun! The new bikes come with |
| a flash. Where does it park? In a garden shed, an big | | | | matching top boxes, side bars and gear racks - the |
| store room, the workshop, maybe yours has its own | | | | works, ready for you to buy up and put on board. |
| bedroom inside the house, but hey, it could share a | | | | I restored a car once, a soft top four wheel drive, so I |
| room with another scooter...not a car in the world you | | | | do know what it feels like to drive along with the wind |
| could say that about! | | | | in your hair, I also know what it feels like covered in |
| Oh one more thing I forgot to say - image. There is a | | | | grease, to wander into your wife every evening at |
| kind of nostalgia attached to some of the older bikes | | | | 11pm and say, "I think I need a new XYZ, that thing is |
| or new retro looking bikes - romance, 'the coolness | | | | stuffed". An endless money pit is what restoration |
| factor'. Of course you want to buy the old look | | | | often is. Then when the shiny new red car reappeared |
| goggles and half helmet, I know you want some | | | | in my drive way after I had put it all back together |
| chrome accessories and some extra mirrors, maybe | | | | again, I never wanted to drive it much, certainly not out |
| even a big arial. Admit it, scooter image is a BIG factor. | | | | in the bush! It was my baby! |
| But what do you need in a scooter? | | | | Not sure I want to go through all that again with a |
| Where will you go on your scooter? Is this just a | | | | scooter, as satisfying as it was when it was finished, I |
| runabout for your local suburb? Are you heading little | | | | think I will leave restorations to people with more |
| further than a 50km radius? Are there any challenging | | | | patience than I have. |
| hills in your part of town? How heavy are you? A | | | | So there it is. Want a scooter? Have I confused you |
| 50cc scooter, even a top quality one will not suit your | | | | more? Helped you more? Let me know if you have |
| purposes if you are desiring long trips on a regular | | | | any questions and I will do some of the hard yards for |
| basis, (my opinion only). From my reading, most people | | | | you in the research department and post back here |
| who buy a small capacity scooter and do some | | | | again. |
| serious moving, end up regretting the purchase and | | | | Happy shopping - and watch out for those cages!! |