Just dreaming

[melissa5]

I feel like this or something like it might be in my future. It's a Honda PCX scooter...legal for freeway use. Maybe when my job goes full-time. I could be heading into my 2nd childhood or midlife crisis.

http://powersports.honda.com/Assets/Models/2011_PCX_370x246_CandyRed_FFF.jpg

[Bawanna]

I feel like this or something like it might be in my future. It's a Honda PCX scooter...legal for freeway use. Maybe when my job goes full-time. I could be heading into my 2nd childhood or midlife crisis.

http://powersports.honda.com/Assets/Models/2011_PCX_370x246_CandyRed_FFF.jpg

I worry about you enough already. I don't think you need one of those things.

I'd get a real motorcycle, more stable and better handling. The scooter looks pretty cool and they are far and away an improvement over the old vespa days but still just a scooter. Maybe around your house, back roads etc, but scarey on the freeway.

[melissa5]

Well, the thing that swayed me toward a scooter was the weight. The PCX is around 280 lbs. A Honda Sportster Super Low is around 550 lbs.

My mother & best friend do not want me to buy a bike. :( They say I'll have to get a million dollar insurance policy and make it out to them.

[gb6491]

I met my wife (and love of my life) because of her motorcycle. Her bike weighs about 440 lbs, but she's been able to manhandle it on the occasions she's needed to and she not a big girl.
http://i51.tinypic.com/8xo2u0.jpg
Regards,
Greg

[PattayaPistol]

Melissa,

That is a great bike to use to get around the city. Two of my friends (both Harley riders) use the PCX to get around in traffic, although not for the highway. Both guys say the scooter is just great for town.

Me personally, I have finished with bikes. I sold my Harley a couple of months ago, and the only bike that attracts me now is a miniature dirt bike, and it just seems like I'd rather spend my money on guns.

Cheers
PP

[TucsonMTB]

My mother & best friend do not want me to buy a bike. :( They say I'll have to get a million dollar insurance policy and make it out to them.
Statistically, they are correct. Admittedly, I have only about 100,000 miles of motorcycle riding experience, but I have three fused vertebrae among the other healed bones as momentoes of the last crash before I stopped riding.

I'm perfectly fine now, but personal repairs required nearly three months of hospitalization, a quarter century ago. Still think they are neat when some old geezer goes by on his Harley, but not for me . . .

Play with guns. They are safer. :D

[wyntrout]

Too many people don't respect motorcycles... other drivers, especially the self-centered bunch that doesn't signal or changes lanes recklessly or follows without enough room to stop. I really watch out for bikes and don't want to run over anyone. Motorcycles are smaller and too many people don't pay them any attention... ignore or don't even see them.

For the road and around town, I like having a lot of steel, airspace, and at least the frontal airbag in my full-sized van. If I lived in the country, I would want a peppy dirt bike. I used to love climbing and jumping stuff and there's nothing like wheelieing a responsive dirt bike through at least third gear! Yeehaa! I still would like to do that.

My last bike was a Kawasaki 200cc single-cylinder four-stroke street bike with disc brakes for basic transportation and easy parking to get to work. That was 1982, I think, before I got divorced and then went to Germany early '83.

The biggest bike I ever had was a Yamaha RD400... pretty peppy 2-stroke in the late 70's... oil-injected, one of the early ones with no mixing in the tank. It got rotten mileage over 70 mph on the road, though... low 30's!! I once drove it from Abilene, Texas to the Mississippi Delta where my wife and kids had gone for vacation. I had a handlebar-mounted fairing that came in handy when I ran into large clouds of bugs in the Delta... like soft scrambled eggs on all exposed parts!!:eek: I was really tucked in behind that fairing! I always wore a full helmet and other gear as appropriate.

Wynn:D

[Dietrich]

Melissa,let me start by stating that I hold you in the highest regard.You are a grown woman,capable of making her own decisions,and I wholeheartedly support you whether I agree with them or not.I strongly urge you to weigh all factors,both pro and con,before making the decision to start riding one of those vehicles.Best wishes,Dietrich.

[Popeye]

Melissa, I'm one of those old geezer Harley riders. Make no mistake about it riding motorcycles/scooters is a dangerous business. I can understand why riding might appeal to you. It's certainly a part of my wife and I's life. If you plan on buying a scooter/motorcycle and ride it on the highways please do not get anything scooter or motorcycle with less than a 650cc motor on it. Also, and I'm very serious about this. Take every riders course you can, twice if you have to. I have been riding longer than I'd like to admit to and to this day I still take the experienced riders course every three years. I do this because it's easy to pick up bad habits, and the day I think I know it all about riding motorcycles is the day I'll get off, because that's the day I will have surely lost my mind. Motorcycles have changed through the years and so has the way you ride them. The truth is know matter how long we've been riding, none of us are better than our last mile. Good luck if you decide to ride, but ride like your invisible because to many drivers you are. Popeye

[jocko]

I joke alot with riders and also on this fourm and others, I have been a Harley rider for damn near 50 years, I don't care what u ride, but ride. Life is short, The good lord has your name in the book and the exact date you two will meet, you can't escape that. so if u you think giving up riding a motorcycle is going to extendf your life, then your name just has not appeared in the book yet. To me the freedom of being on the bike and riding 200 miles for a cup of coffee is just something that cannot be explained, so I don't try. Ride it like u stole it and life will take care of you.

Hell back 40+ years ago I had a cancer that was slowly killing me. after I divorced the bi-cvh, cancer went away. Yes Life is good and at age 67+ I ride um like I stole um and it will always be on a harley Davidson, with my PM9 in my front pocket

[Dietrich]

Melissa, I'm one of those old geezer Harley riders. Make no mistake about it riding motorcycles/scooters is a dangerous business. I can understand why riding might appeal to you. It's certainly a part of my wife and I's life. If you plan on buying a scooter/motorcycle and ride it on the highways please do not get anything scooter or motorcycle with less than a 650cc motor on it. Also, and I'm very serious about this. Take every riders course you can, twice if you have to. I have been riding longer than I'd like to admit to and to this day I still take the experienced riders course every three years. I do this because it's easy to pick up bad habits, and the day I think I know it all about riding motorcycles is the day I'll get off, because that's the day I will have surely lost my mind. Motorcycles have changed through the years and so has the way you ride them. The truth is know matter how long we've been riding, none of us are better than our last mile. Good luck if you decide to ride, but ride like your invisible because to many drivers you are. Popeye

Yeah,what he said.;)

[jlottmc]

I've ridden for a lot of years, kind of hard not to when you build them for a living like I used to do. Thing is, there are two kinds of riders: those who have fallen and those who will. Being in the former category, it sucks, bad. Having said that, you just can't beat having the wind in your face.

[jdavis]

I see more an more of these scooters driven around town by men and women as gas prices soar. It's a sign of the times and perhaps an indication of our future here in the U.S.. European and Asian cities are literally covered up with these scooters. I don't see anything wrong with them for urban errands or going to work but would be leery of using it for highway travel.

[Popeye]

I'm 65 years old I've been down, broken, busted, and put away wet more than once. Some say I just might be crazy and maybe there onto something, but there is no way I can give up riding just yet. It's to dangerous , and I'm to old,they tell me, but there the ones who have all the medical problems and bored to death with life. My God I'd slit my throat if I thought a great time was going to an all you can eat buffet and talk over and over again about my aches and pains, and the amount of meds I had to take.:(
I'll admit I don't ride as fast as I used to,been there done that more than once also, but you'd be hard pressed to find somebody medicine free and as happy and content with life as I am if I come rolling through your town on my old 2004 Geezer Glide Roadking. You'd be supprised to see how many people of all ages want to talk to an old dude on a Harley. I friekin love it and always have a good time and a few laughs with them. I'll put my knees in the breeze the wind in my face and have a good time for as long as you can. I tell people all the time. If my turn comes up to meet my maker while riding then so be it, but shed no tear for me because I'll have passed doing what I loved doing and living life on my terms. Ok enough chatter lets ride. Popeye:D

[jocko]

I see more an more of these scooters driven around town by men and women as gas prices soar. It's a sign of the times and perhaps an indication of our future here in the U.S.. European and Asian cities are literally covered up with these scooters. I don't see anything wrong with them for urban errands or going to work but would be leery of using it for highway travel.

scooters sdhould not be allowed on the highway, streets or anywhere where registered insureed and plated vehicles are allow. they are a hazard, they are slow. they don't have tohave the safety sh-it them like cars and bies do.

They should not be allowed in highways period, but they should pay their dues for road upkeep like everyone else and certainly should have toprovide proof of insurance. Those likkte fokkers can't be seen at night, let alone even in the daylight. Cities are going to start addressing this as 5-10 years ago it was a novelty thing to have a under 50cc scooter and put around your little town but when they stated taking tothe highways and major streets in town and piddling at 10 MPH and some big lard ass is on it and the rear tire is on the damn rim, somethng needs to be done. I pay $400 a year for cycle insurance, another $300 for plates, they damn well can pay their share..

[jocko]

I'm 65 years old I've been down, broken, busted, and put away wet more than once. Some say I just might be crazy and maybe there onto something, but there is no way I can give up riding just yet. It's to dangerous , and I'm to old,they tell me, but there the ones who have all the medical problems and bored to death with life. My God I'd slit my throat if I thought a great time was going to an all you can eat buffet and talk over and over again about my aches and pains, and the amount of meds I had to take.:(
I'll admit I don't ride as fast as I used to,been there done that more than once also, but you'd be hard pressed to find somebody medicine free and as happy and content with life as I am if I come rolling through your town on my old 2004 Geezer Glide Roadking. You'd be supprised to see how many people of all ages want to talk to an old dude on a Harley. I friekin love it and always have a good time and a few laughs with them. I'll put my knees in the breeze the wind in my face and have a good time for as long as you can. I tell people all the time. If my turn comes up to meet my maker while riding then so be it, but shed no tear for me because I'll have passed doing what I loved doing and living life on my terms. Ok enough chatter lets ride. Popeye:D

agree Popeye. Some cannot understand why I ride ever5y day ofthe year 25miles one way for a cup of coffee, or last weekend 700 miles round trip to eat at a restaurant in Mo,. HellI can't explain it either, nor do i care to. Spent 14days riding all over europe about 9 years ago, wife and I, seen more than any cruise ship or land tour could ever show one and we did it our way, On Harley Davidson's. I take really no meds other than arthristis pill and some anit inflamatory sh-t for my bummed shoulder from my cycle wreck last sept.
mY 6" metal plate with 13 screws still in my leg and ankle has never given me one ounce of trolbe since that motorcycle wreck with a damn Ford truck 10- years ago. Indeed Popeye, life is good, some \just don't understand and u know what: FOKK UM!!

[JFootin]

Too many people don't respect motorcycles... other drivers, especially the self-centered bunch that doesn't signal or changes lanes recklessly or follows without enough room to stop. I really watch out for bikes and don't want to run over anyone. Motorcycles are smaller and too many people don't pay them any attention... ignore or don't even see them.

For the road and around town, I like having a lot of steel, airspace, and at least the frontal airbag in my full-sized van. If I lived in the country, I would want a peppy dirt bike. I used to love climbing and jumping stuff and there's nothing like wheelieing a responsive dirt bike through at least third gear! Yeehaa! I still would like to do that.

My last bike was a Kawasaki 200cc single-cylinder four-stroke street bike with disc brakes for basic transportation and easy parking to get to work. That was 1982, I think, before I got divorced and then went to Germany early '83.

The biggest bike I ever had was a Yamaha RD400... pretty peppy 2-stroke in the late 70's... oil-injected, one of the early ones with no mixing in the tank. It got rotten mileage over 70 mph on the road, though... low 30's!! I once drove it from Abilene, Texas to the Mississippi Delta where my wife and kids had gone for vacation. I had a handlebar-mounted fairing that came in handy when I ran into large clouds of bugs in the Delta... like soft scrambled eggs on all exposed parts!!:eek: I was really tucked in behind that fairing! I always wore a full helmet and other gear as appropriate.

Wynn:D

+1 to what Wynn said. Also, I want to point out that the reason motorscooters are not considered safe on the highway is the smaller diameter wheels and tires. They can't handle potholes or debris in the road as well, and will throw you.

I used to own a motorcycle, and I can attest to inattentive drivers not seeing you and pulling out or turning in front of you. Plus, there are a few folks out there who have a murderous hatred for people on two wheelers. My older brother was riding his Harley way back in the 60s, going up a neighborhood street when an older man pulled his car out directly in front of him. He saw the man eye to eye looking at him, so he knew he saw him. He had to lay his Harley down and run himself to a stop to avoid him. When he asked him why he pulled out in front of him, he said "I don't stop for no G D motorcycle!" He was a retired police officer, and the way things worked back then, it would have been useless to try and prosecute him. So, beware.

[Popeye]

agree Popeye. Some cannot understand why I ride ever5y day ofthe year 25miles one way for a cup of coffee, or last weekend 700 miles round trip to eat at a restaurant in Mo,. HellI can't explain it either, nor do i care to. Spent 14days riding all over europe about 9 years ago, wife and I, seen more than any cruise ship or land tour could ever show one and we did it our way, On Harley Davidson's. I take really no meds other than arthristis pill and some anit inflamatory sh-t for my bummed shoulder from my cycle wreck last sept.
mY 6" metal plate with 13 screws still in my leg and ankle has never given me one ounce of trolbe since that motorcycle wreck with a damn Ford truck 10- years ago. Indeed Popeye, life is good, some \just don't understand and u know what: FOKK UM!!

It's not why you ride it's just that you do. Those who get it do, and those who don't, don't. I'm cool with it. I just do what I do reguardless. Some people are afraid of bikes some others might be afraid of guns niether of which has a thing to do with me. I just hope if Melissa or anyone else who decides to ride that they take her motorcycle training course or courses very seriously and the best piece of safety equipment they will ever have is between there ears.
Popeye.

[Bill K]

Fun machines but unfortunately very dangerous.

I sometimes tease my wife about getting a bike and tell her its either a scooter or a Harley. Wife is totally against my getting one even though she enjoyed riding when I had my 750 Triumph Bonneville - which if I remember correctly weighed 360 pounds soaking wet.

Have you considered maybe just getting a convertible? Top down you get a little bit of what you get riding a bike.

[O'Dell]

Here's mine - it turned 24 years old in January. It spent the first four years on the racetrack and the rest as a street bike.

Don't listen to them Melissa. I bought my first bike, a BMW 700, in the sixties, and have never had fewer than one since. I have hundreds of thousands of miles and 12 years on the track on motorcycles. So far my only injury was a hyper-extended knee about 25 years ago.

GO FOR IT!!!

[TheTman]

It would be fun around town, but no way would I take that on the highway. High speeds and small tires don't get along well, plus you won't have the power to you might need to power out of a situation. Jocko had some good things to say, and knows his stuff, I'd sure pay attention to him. You're a grown woman, so I imagine you will do as you damn well please, but if you need to travel highways, I'd get a real bike. I have a 95 Yamaha Virago 750 that is quite nimble and pretty light and has enough power to get out of it's own way. Would be a great bike for a woman as it sits low. I picked up this beauty for $1500, with only 5000 miles on it. Put new rubber on it, got it tuned and took it from Wichita to Colorado over Monarch pass, and it never skipped a beat.
So my advice is if you want to cruise around town, get the scooter. If you're going to be traveling the highways, I'd look for a real bike. At least a 500cc or better, 650 as Jocko said would be a good start. I found the Yamaha on Craig's list, there are some pretty good buy's there. They used to make a Virago 535 thats pretty light and peppy, you might be able to find one of those on Craigs list or elsewhere for a very reasonable price. That 535 is about the smallest bike I'd take on the interstate. And that is kind of iffy.
Picture of my Virago:
http://kartalk.pccomps.com/Yamaha.jpg

[melissa5]

Well, it was a short lived dream. I ran the idea past Mama today and she said "NO WAY"! Life is too short to piss off Mama! Really, I caused her enough worry while I was growing up and I don't want to cause her to worry now. Maybe I will buy that convertible! :madgrin:

[melissa5]

Too many people don't respect motorcycles... other drivers, especially the self-centered bunch that doesn't signal or changes lanes recklessly or follows without enough room to stop. I really watch out for bikes and don't want to run over anyone. Motorcycles are smaller and too many people don't pay them any attention... ignore or don't even see them.


Wynn:D

That's pretty much what Mama said today. She's not against bikes. She's just concerned for my safety.

[OldLincoln]

IF I was gonna, it would have to look like this:

http://i762.photobucket.com/albums/xx269/OldLincoln/Misc/GGQuad-yellowandblue.jpg

[TucsonMTB]

Well, it was a short lived dream. I ran the idea past Mama today and she said "NO WAY"! Life is too short to piss off Mama! Really, I caused her enough worry while I was growing up and I don't want to cause her to worry now. Maybe I will buy that convertible! :madgrin:


Check out the Mazda Miata. It's as close to a motorcycle with four wheels as you can get easily. Your mama will probably agree with Consumer Reports Best Fun to Drive Cars Review (http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/cr-recommended/best-in-class/fun-to-drive-cars/funtodrivecars.htm). Check out this video review (http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/video-hub/cars/convertibles--coupes/mazda-mx5-miata-review/14644277001/58383934001/) too. They liked it. She will too.

Better yet, you will have a blast! :D

[Jeremiah/Az]

I rode saddle broncs 'til I was 40 years old & broke some bones, but nothing keep me beat up, skinned & burnt like my Triumphs did! Great fun tho!:D

[tconroy]

I have been riding all my life and dont know what I would do without a bike. As I get older the bikes get more on the easy side. Use to race motocross then krotch rockets then the older vintage bike thing which I would buy, fix up and sell. got tired of that so this is what I got now. Im 52 and dont plan on ever not riding until I cant hold a bike up.

[CJB]

Mel, something that has kept me (so far) free from major mishap, for about 45 years of riding, is to pretend your invisible. Constantly realize that they (the cagers) cant see you. They look at you, but are really looking through you. Keep your wits about ya, stay frosty.

If you haven't already - take a safety course. I was "grandfathered" in to not needing one, and rode on the streets for decades until I got stopped (for wearing a Bikers for McCain t-shirt). From state foulup, I had to go get certified, and needed to take the course. This old dog learned some new tricks, and didn't have to unlearn any (thank the Lord). I'm sure you'll do well.

Ride with a buddy when starting out. Better visibility, it creates better cager awareness.

Keep the machine in immaculate running condition. Not only engine, but every thing else from lights to brakes to suspension... everything. Give yourself a fighting chance out there.

And support your local ABATE chapter!

[Barth]

Well, it was a short lived dream. I ran the idea past Mama today and she said "NO WAY"! Life is too short to piss off Mama! Really, I caused her enough worry while I was growing up and I don't want to cause her to worry now. Maybe I will buy that convertible! :madgrin:

As a teenager i grew up riding my 650 Triumph on the mean streets of L.A.
Most of the buddies I rode with ended up dead or maimed. I finally figured my luck would eventually run out too and sold my bike. Today this is my solution to that problem -

http://www.tuningnews.net/news/070402a/ford-shelby-gt-h-convertible-01.jpg

[JFootin]

IF I was gonna, it would have to look like this:

http://i762.photobucket.com/albums/xx269/OldLincoln/Misc/GGQuad-yellowandblue.jpg

That is too cool! :D Is that a horizontally opposed BMW Twin? Is it a production model? Probably not, huh? With four wheels, government pinheads would be calling it an automobile and saying it needs 5mph bumpers, airbags and crash-beam doors! :32:

[MikeyKahr]

Well, it was a short lived dream. I ran the idea past Mama today and she said "NO WAY"! Life is too short to piss off Mama! Really, I caused her enough worry while I was growing up and I don't want to cause her to worry now. Maybe I will buy that convertible! :madgrin:

I know it's not easy to take at times, but you did well following #5. "...that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you."

[JFootin]

Preach it, cousin Mikey!

[OldLincoln]

I agree Melissa. As parents of a 40 year old I can tell you we never cease to pray and worry for the safety of him and his family. I don't mean worried sick, just feel relieved when he returns from one of his frequent treks into the wilds feeding his photography addiction. If he had a motorcycle we would be double in concern.

[jocko]

IF I was gonna, it would have to look like this:

http://i762.photobucket.com/albums/xx269/OldLincoln/Misc/GGQuad-yellowandblue.jpg

a small car!!

that photo ain't a motorycle, never will be. u could buy a small car for the price of one and ride it 24/7. If u wanttyhe wind in ur hair, stick your headout the window:behindsofa:

[OldLincoln]

JFooting: That is the GG Quad (http://www.gg-technik.ch/eng/quad/0495439a180a12304/0495439a180a4eb16/index.html) and is not street legal in the US. Need very deep pockets even if it were. Yes it is a BMW engine:

http://i762.photobucket.com/albums/xx269/OldLincoln/Misc/Quad2.jpg

But what the heck dreams are free. For reality, there is the Can-Am Trike (http://en-ca.spyder.brp.com/home.aspx) that I see a few around town, mostly with some gray hair creeping out from the helmets.
http://i762.photobucket.com/albums/xx269/OldLincoln/Misc/Trike3.jpg

[OldLincoln]

Aw Jocko, think of it like a Harley with a sidecar! As far as dollars go, even the trike shown above goes for $30K or so - out of season for me.

Heck, it's been a while, but here's a pic of me riding my motorcycle taken when I was still young and good lookin.

http://i762.photobucket.com/albums/xx269/OldLincoln/Misc/Old2.jpg

[JFootin]

I'm falling on the floor laughing!

[Bawanna]

Aw Jocko, think of it like a Harley with a sidecar! As far as dollars go, even the trike shown above goes for $30K or so - out of season for me.

Heck, it's been a while, but here's a pic of me riding my motorcycle taken when I was still young and good lookin.

http://i762.photobucket.com/albums/xx269/OldLincoln/Misc/Old2.jpg

Dang you was the chick magnet. Bet you had to fight em off like flies. Stud muffin comes to mind. Hang a mustache on you and there would be unrest in the streets.

[JFootin]

Dang you was the chick magnet. Bet you had to fight em off like flies. Stud muffin comes to mind. Hang a mustache on you and there would be unrest in the streets.

He'd better be FIGHTING OFF the flies! I think he's naked behind that handlebar! :eek:

[TucsonMTB]

Gentlemen! A toast . . . To Ned Devine! (http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi752943385/)

[OldLincoln]

Good eye Tucson, good movie also!

[Popeye]

No doubt Mororcycles are not for everybody. They never were intended to be for everyone. If riding motorcycles and it's inherent dangers scares you then your right you do not belong on one. Nothing wrong with that, it's just not for you. I'm cool, understand and can appreciate that. Only thing I ask,is please watchout for us as you travel this great land, as we are out there with you, just doing what we love to do. Peace ..Popeye.

[OldLincoln]

I have always liked motorcycles and have ridden quite a few. In fact the only one that dumped me was a Vespa scooter when I made a right turn from a stop on wet pavement (embarrassing!).

I look out for motorcycles and give them room, even when I see a ninja coming up on me cutting between cars that are going the speed limit +5. I am even more careful about bycicles that run red lights and ignore traffic laws in general.

I get a kick out of a gaggle of bikes traveling together, especially in the summertime in the valley. They don't to seem to be having fun tho as they never smile! The must be tough and I bet those bugs hitting their face at 70mph stings a bit. Anything to avoid wearing a shield, like the tough kids in t-shirts in the dead of winter.

[TheTman]

Not smiling keeps the bugs out of your teeth. :)

[OldLincoln]

I thought they drank all that beer to wash the bugs down!

[TheTman]

Believe it or not, some of us don't drink adult beverages. :eek: