Fancing Two Wheels
On Wednesday, 7/29/2009, I received an email that a local Vespa shop is closing and there were "big deals" going on. Last day would be 7/31, Friday. Then inventory goes to auction on 8/1. I came pretty close to buying a Piaggio BV250. A hybrid scooter/motorcycle.
The out-the-door price came to $5,119.02. Hardly a deal.
Anyway, I spent 2 days reading and studying the state motorcycle handbook. Took the test for a permit on Saturday (8/1). That was something, I won't go to a drivers license center again on a Saturday unless I bring knitting. I arrived at 8:45am, they open at 8am. I was number 361. There were already 51 people outside the doors when they opened. I was surrounded by high schoolers with their parents testing for their learner's permit.
I finally get my turn at the computer for the test, it stopped as soon as I reach 80% and sent me back to the counter. I asked the very nice and helpful clerk, "I was hoping to score higher than 80%." He told me they do that to expedite their processing. As soon as you pass, you move on. That night, I looked at PA Motorcycle Safety Program and found an upcoming course that had available spaces. Whoo hoo, I signed up.
My first class was 8/5, Wednesday. There were 3 women in the class, and 2 of the women were the instructors (RiderCoaches). I got a kick out of that. The next class was 5 hours on the course. Then back in the classroom the following Wednesday with a paper exam. The 4th and final session was on Sunday, another 5 hours on the course. Sweltering. August day with long sleeves, jeans, boots, gloves and a helmet. Gah.
The 15 hours of instruction and guidance ends with an evaluation that can get you your motorcycle license. I did it and now have a license. And during that time, I had been going through craigslist looking for a 2 wheeler. Starting out hoping to get a scooter, I wound up with a 2003 Suzuki GZ250 motorcycle.
What I discovered is that there are some really good and quality scooters out there like Vespa, Piaggio and Honda. They're not cheap but at least they hold their resale value. The brand new Piaggio BV250 cost under $5K whereas a brand new Suzuki GZ250 is under $4K. The Honda SH150i, probably my first choice of scooters is only 150cc and under $5K. The other brands like Kymco and WildFire. They're decent, but according to reviews, they don't seem to be built to last.
Most important factors for me: acceleration and braking power. A motorcycle has an edge over scooters in this area for the most part. There are advantages to scooters as well like an automatic transmission and ability to carry a bag of groceries without purchasing additional accessories.
Here I am, less than 3 weeks later with a license and a motorcycle. Wow. Still hard to believe. I did work for the license. There were folks who couldn't complete the program and dropped out.
What's next? Shopping for a quality scooter for LA. There's a chance I'll be flying there more often and we really need to keep expenses down. Rental cars can add up. I still know my way around, I would fly in, take a shuttle to a DoubleTree near home then take a bus. Keep the scooter in the garage. There should be a good collection of tools my dad had I can use for maintenance.
The out-the-door price came to $5,119.02. Hardly a deal.
Anyway, I spent 2 days reading and studying the state motorcycle handbook. Took the test for a permit on Saturday (8/1). That was something, I won't go to a drivers license center again on a Saturday unless I bring knitting. I arrived at 8:45am, they open at 8am. I was number 361. There were already 51 people outside the doors when they opened. I was surrounded by high schoolers with their parents testing for their learner's permit.
I finally get my turn at the computer for the test, it stopped as soon as I reach 80% and sent me back to the counter. I asked the very nice and helpful clerk, "I was hoping to score higher than 80%." He told me they do that to expedite their processing. As soon as you pass, you move on. That night, I looked at PA Motorcycle Safety Program and found an upcoming course that had available spaces. Whoo hoo, I signed up.
My first class was 8/5, Wednesday. There were 3 women in the class, and 2 of the women were the instructors (RiderCoaches). I got a kick out of that. The next class was 5 hours on the course. Then back in the classroom the following Wednesday with a paper exam. The 4th and final session was on Sunday, another 5 hours on the course. Sweltering. August day with long sleeves, jeans, boots, gloves and a helmet. Gah.
The 15 hours of instruction and guidance ends with an evaluation that can get you your motorcycle license. I did it and now have a license. And during that time, I had been going through craigslist looking for a 2 wheeler. Starting out hoping to get a scooter, I wound up with a 2003 Suzuki GZ250 motorcycle.
What I discovered is that there are some really good and quality scooters out there like Vespa, Piaggio and Honda. They're not cheap but at least they hold their resale value. The brand new Piaggio BV250 cost under $5K whereas a brand new Suzuki GZ250 is under $4K. The Honda SH150i, probably my first choice of scooters is only 150cc and under $5K. The other brands like Kymco and WildFire. They're decent, but according to reviews, they don't seem to be built to last.
Most important factors for me: acceleration and braking power. A motorcycle has an edge over scooters in this area for the most part. There are advantages to scooters as well like an automatic transmission and ability to carry a bag of groceries without purchasing additional accessories.
Here I am, less than 3 weeks later with a license and a motorcycle. Wow. Still hard to believe. I did work for the license. There were folks who couldn't complete the program and dropped out.
What's next? Shopping for a quality scooter for LA. There's a chance I'll be flying there more often and we really need to keep expenses down. Rental cars can add up. I still know my way around, I would fly in, take a shuttle to a DoubleTree near home then take a bus. Keep the scooter in the garage. There should be a good collection of tools my dad had I can use for maintenance.