Comments | beeporama: more motorcycle/scooter musings (links collected!)

beeporama

more motorcycle/scooter musings (links collected!)

Mar 17, 2009 16:15

I did some more research on my options to get my motorcycle license. No matter what, I need to get to Penn Hills or another DMV on Saturday, with $10 and a little paperwork, to get my learner's permit (assuming I pass a test); this will let me ride between sunrise and sunset for one year. Since I have a car license already, I don't need another M ( Read more... )

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talldean March 18 2009, 02:41:00 UTC

Since a decent amount of the class is focused on learning to shift, you'd kinda miss that if you took a scooter with ya?

beeporama March 18 2009, 03:28:47 UTC

Since a decent amount of the class is focused on learning to shift, you'd kinda miss that if you took a scooter with ya?

Yes, intentionally, that's quite attractive to me. I'm not one of those people who generally likes to learn things I'll never use. Some topics I find fascinating; shifting, not so much.

But maybe they'll make me learn it, in which case, I guess I could use one of the bikes they provide. But I'd probably also probably prefer doing the figure 8's and whatnot on a small light vehicle I'm familiar with.

talldean March 18 2009, 03:40:56 UTC

Does PA offer a scooter class? MD did, but not sure up here.

beeporama March 18 2009, 12:55:17 UTC

I haven't seen any reference to such a thing, and since they explicitly mention scooters for the motorcycle course, I assume "no."

talldean March 18 2009, 12:57:27 UTC

Rockin. For everyone else, I'd argue "learn to shift", but you made a pretty compelling point before.

You ever consider larger scooters, like, the ones designed for highway use? I'm thinking something like the Honda Reflex, even though it's not too suave looking, and no longer made.

beeporama March 18 2009, 13:10:28 UTC

Yeah, I mean, there's definitely an intellectual laziness there, but... if I own a scooter, I'm not going to regularly practice shifting, and I'm going to forget how to a year or so after the class anyway. I think about all the time I spent learning French over five years of instruction, and maybe now I can remember three or four phrases. I'd rather challenge myself to learn more about, say, economics or history.

I have seriously considered larger scooters but wouldn't use one enough to merit the price; I don't do that much travel outside the city where I wouldn't need a car anyway (because I'm carrying a dog or excess luggage). I'd also hate to give up gas mileage, and the small footprint; I love being able to park between cars in Squirrel Hill when there's no space available. Obviously there's the appeal of riding for its own sake, "Born To Be Wild" running through your head, and I guess I lose out on that to some extent.

If Honda still made the Big Ruckus, aka Ugliest Bike Ever, that might win over practicality. :)

talldean March 19 2009, 00:07:48 UTC

If a larger scooter doesn't fit the bill, a motorcycle doesn't either, no matter your opinion on shifting.

I'd say to get a ballsy engine under a scooter-looking-scooter.

Or the super-ugly MP3, when they release the plug-in hybrid ones. (125cc, 141 mpg, but $$$$)

beeporama March 19 2009, 12:43:59 UTC

get a ballsy engine under a scooter-looking-scooterI hope the 150cc BlackJack fits the bill. It seems like with scooters (probably motorcycles too) it's not just the engine, it's tweaking the rest of the parts to make it lighter, more aerodynamic, etc. The BlackJack seems to have a lot of name brand parts included, and it ships to dealers with a free performance pipe; apparently they can't install it themselves for legal reasons, it has to be considered an aftermarket part, so they send it separate with a wink-win-nudge-nudge. I'm curious whether that will really help, or is just marketing; I'm not very tech savvy. (This is something I probably *would* like to learn more about ( ... )

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