Segway? Motorcycle?

[mrmossyone]

2,000-5,000 for a machine that will only go 12 mph ( my feet will beat that) with a range of 12-24 miles. Definitely different strokes. You can get a scooter for 2,000-2,500 that will do 30mph with a range of 300-500 miles ( it gets 100 mpg). Cost's less to keep it fueled than to charge the batteries on the Segway. Just my take on it, no criticism to the Segway folks.

[jcanavera]

I'm looking for a fuel efficient alternative vehicle. Here a small one line description of it. Anyone want to venture a guess??? I won't keep you in suspense long.

"pressed steel monocoque chassis"

Jack

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by jcanavera

I'm looking for a fuel efficient alternative vehicle. Here a small one line description of it. Anyone want to venture a guess??? I won't keep you in suspense long.

"pressed steel monocoque chassis"

Jack

Hi Jack,

A Honda 50/70/90 with Earles fork?

[Mackhopp]

I just got an awesome Vespa GTS 250ie scooter and am very happy! Having never ridden a motorcycle before, I was hesitant to get a motorcycle. To be honest, I've always loved scooters - so Euro cool.

I'm enrolled in a MSC (safety course) and in the meantime, I'm taking it very easy, cruising around on the side streets, getting the feel for it.

One thing I'd like to mention about scooters is that for the most part, they are motorcycles. But many people don't consider them as such - they think they're more of a toy for some reason. I see people on scooters without the proper footwear or jackets etc... Do they think that if they fall off a scooter at 40mph that they're impervious to injury? Doesn't make sense.

At any rate, I believe my scoot gets something like 70mpg, which is a darn sight better than any of my other vehicles get. So we use whatever vehicle we have for the purpose it's suited for. The Jeep Liberty (about 16-20mpg) gets to cart the kids/dogs around town. The F-150 (13mpg?) gets the honor of pulling the beautiful Airstream as well as hauling carpet rolls and tile boxes for the business. The wee Honda Civic si satisfies my husband's need for speed while sucking less gas (20-30mpg?). And the new scoot (her name is Gigi) is for my commute to work once I get more confident on the bigger streets.

We need a bigger driveway though...!

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by Macfrodge

I just got an awesome Vespa GTS 250ie scooter and am very happy!
We need a bigger driveway though...!

Bingo!



This is Vespa's 200 cc version that I'm looking at. Just like yours other than you have 50 more cc's, fuel injection, and a metal rack on the back. I drove it yesterday at the local Vespa dealer. These little guys have become hot property and his sales are up over 35% this year. I just called for an insurance quote and Foremost told me $15.25 monthly. Add 70 mpg to that and this becomes an interesting alternative....and yes that quote earlier regarding the monocoque chasis was for this...

With a ramp I could get this in the back of the van. It would be a nice campground companion to scout out the local area.

http://www.vespausa.com/Products/GT.cfm

Jack

[vswingfield]

The Vespas really are getting popular.

As for the Honda I guessed, I saw a tourcoise 70 like the 50 at this link http://vaiden.net/the_honda_50_2.jpg recently here in Little Rock. It looked absolutely new. I had always been garaged. It was attracting more attention than one of those television custom choppers.

[Mackhopp]

Originally Posted by jcanavera

Bingo!



This is Vespa's 200 cc version that I'm looking at. Just like yours other than you have 50 more cc's, fuel injection, and a metal rack on the back. I drove it yesterday at the local Vespa dealer. These little guys have become hot property and his sales are up over 35% this year. I just called for an insurance quote and Foremost told me $15.25 monthly. Add 70 mpg to that and this becomes an interesting alternative....and yes that quote earlier regarding the monocoque chasis was for this...

With a ramp I could get this in the back of the van. It would be a nice campground companion to scout out the local area.

Vespa Granturismo 200

Jack

Great-looking scoot! Are you going to get the grey one? I'm not sure how much cooler we could get, seeing as we're already Airstream owners... But it doesn't hurt, right?

And your insurance quote is insanely low, compared with what I've been quoted up here in Canada. The lowest quote I've gotten is $35/month, but most of the quotes came out at about double that. (my driving record is spotless btw, so I can't use that as an excuse for the higher prices...!).

[Foiled Again]

Originally Posted by vswingfield

The Vespas really are getting popular.

As for the Honda I guessed, I saw a tourcoise 70 like the 50 at this link http://vaiden.net/the_honda_50_2.jpg recently here in Little Rock. It looked absolutely new. I had always been garaged. It was attracting more attention than one of those television custom choppers.

Unfortunately I am old enough to remember when that Honda 50 WAS new. My mother nearly had a cow when I bought a used Honda 160 two years later so I could go back and forth to college (Kent State University which was six miles away). The principal of my high school saw me on it once, gave me the famous "I know she's sold her soul to Satan" look - and never spoke to me again. Of course since I'd always thought he was the south end of a north bound horse, it wasn't a terrible loss to me.

This shows you how much things have changed - in 1966, the year I bought my scooter it was a scandal for a woman to ride a motorcycle. I became a "biker chick" on a HONDA... what a joke.

As I recall the "50" got almost 200 mpg - and it's top speed was 35 mph... or of course 32ft per second per second accelleration due to gravity if you drove it off a cliff!

Fond memories....

Paula

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

This shows you how much things have changed - in 1966, the year I bought my scooter it was a scandal for a woman to ride a motorcycle. I became a "biker chick" on a HONDA... what a joke.

Fond memories....

Paula

Hi Paula,

Remember, "You meet the nicest people on a Honda." I remember when they were new, too.

Wish you could have seen that 70 in person. Even the seat was perfect, including the white sides.

[jcanavera]

We used to be able to rent the Honda 50's back in the late 60's. I think they sold for about $300 or so. $5.00 an hour to rent. No motor cycle license requried. They showed you how to drive it and off you went. That was the last thing I had ridden up until last weekend when I tried out a Honda Silver Wing, and yesterday's Vespa.

Jack

[vswingfield]

I like the larger wheels that a motorcycle, even the step through Hondas, has. That said, the Vespas have really taken off here in Little Rock. There is a dealer here, and you see them all over town. That was really my first thought, but had to bring up the old Hondas.

How are you going to carry it, Jack? (Visions of a "How Do I Attach a Vespa Carrier to My Rear Bumper" thread? )

[jcanavera]

Originally Posted by vswingfield

I like the larger wheels that a motorcycle, even the step through Hondas, has. That said, the Vespas have really taken off here in Little Rock. There is a dealer here, and you see them all over town. That was really my first thought, but had to bring up the old Hondas.

How are you going to carry it, Jack? (Visions of a "How Do I Attach a Vespa Carrier to My Rear Bumper" thread? )

Well I have a van and the plan will be a ramp to allow it to roll into the back. I've got lots of room and since the Vespa doesn't have a windshield, it will clear quite easily.

Jack

[mtnman]

We carry 2 motorcycles on the back of our motorhome everywhere we go.
I built the carrier at home.
I have a Yamaha XT225 and the wife has a Kawasaki 250. Combine weight is less than 500 pounds. Easy to load with a ramp. 90 MPG each. Enough power to keep you out of trouble in normal traffic. They are nice and quite too. And you cannot measure the fun factor!
mtnman

[ScottMac]

Greetings,

For those interested, this is how we have been 'Streamin lately.

The bike in the photos is a Suzuki C50 - however, we just ordered a new Honda GL1800 Gold Wing - we drove one up the ramp (had to raise the end of the ramp by 3") into the truck (08 F-250 long bed) two days ago and it fits great.

The ramp is made by USA Ramp (model A9) - www.usaramp.com

The ramp actually attaches to the hitch shank and works like a charm. I had to make one minor mod to the hitch (we had to grind off about 1/8" to 1/4" of the gusset for the sleeve to slide back far enough on the shank - it was so little that it does not violate the integrity of the shank). They are not "inexpensive", but they provide a wonderful solution to taking a bike as large as a "Wing" with you when you are pulling an AirStream. USA Ramp makes ramps in many different configurations. I spoke with them on the phone extensively before ordering and they were great to work with.

The motorcycle stays covered while in tow, yep, while towing, with a towable cover made by Geza Gear - BEST RATED Motorcycle Covers- Portable, TOWABLE, Daily Use

We just returned from a three week trip and it was great to be able to keep the truck parked and use the bike to explore.

While a Gold Wing might seem like a bit of overkill, our long term plans include regular long distance touring. With this setup, we can do everything we want with only having to own one motorcycle.

[ArtStream]

Originally Posted by mtnman

We carry 2 motorcycles on the back of our motorhome everywhere we go.
I built the carrier at home.
I have a Yamaha XT225 and the wife has a Kawasaki 250. Combine weight is less than 500 pounds. Easy to load with a ramp. 90 MPG each. Enough power to keep you out of trouble in normal traffic. They are nice and quite too. And you cannot measure the fun factor!
mtnman

Love my Yahama XT225. Have it 4 years and 4,000 mi, all Airstream traveling!

Just took it up the Traveling to the Sun road here in Glacier NP, Spectacular!

Michael

[jcanavera]

Well we ended up upping the anti a little and bought the Vespa GTS 250. A few more cc's, fuel injection, improved suspension and some enhanced instrumentation. Funny thing, jumping from 198 to 244 cc's added $100 annually to the insurance cost.

So this will become our new rally and travel companion....and of course it's silver in color. Patty told my son that he will inherit some design icons when we pass on. What can be more iconic than an Airstream and Vespa scooter.



Jack

[SARGE/AF]

Ok, if you insist on driving, a Honda Civic gets the same or better mileage than many large motorcycles. The Civic Hybrid and Prius get the same mileage as small motorcycles. Isn't that pathetic?
Roger[/quote]
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX

Now you would have to prove this to me, both of these Civic and Prius are listed as 35-40 mpg, the best a freind of mine parents have gotten is 41, motorcycles 50-250 cc 90-100 mpg, 500-800cc get 75-90, my Ultra Classic with all the work and extra weight gets 55-60 mpg and the lowest I have gotten is 48 and that was at 90 mph. My bike stays around 58 mpg and that is at speeds between 45-60.
My bike is a whole lot more fun than a car anyways... AM/FM/CD/MP3/Cruise/Radar/GPS/

Sarge

[thecatsandi]

Originally Posted by jcanavera

Well we ended up upping the anti a little and bought the Vespa GTS 250. A few more cc's, fuel injection, improved suspension and some enhanced instrumentation. Funny thing, jumping from 198 to 244 cc's added $100 annually to the insurance cost.

So this will become our new rally and travel companion....and of course it's silver in color. Patty told my son that he will inherit some design icons when we pass on. What can be more iconic than an Airstream and Vespa scooter.



Jack

We should all be driving scooters. There would be a lot less road rage! Everyone would be having more fun and if the guy next to flipped you off you already have your fighting helmet and gloves on.
I was on business up in Boston area many years ago listening to the trafic report. "There was a fender bender on the 128 @ ???? and a fist fight insued" I could not stop laughing!

[jnerges]

A tribute to scooters. I was at work the other day and one of my co workers was telling me about her motorcycle. What is it I asked? She said, oh, its only a little thing, a Harley Sportster, 883 cc. When I was a kid growing up, we used to ride around on Honda Mini's, then my friend Gregory got a Honda Elsinore 125, whoa, that thing was fast. Then I rode a Kawasaki KZ 400. Oh my God, I was Hunter S. Thompson.

When did 800 + cc's become a little motorcycle? I hear it a lot. Great HD quote: "Anything less than 1340 cc's is a scooter"

Well, I-5 in Pierce County, I saw a guy in the albeit, the slow lane. He was going 65... on a Scooter. I think it was a 125 cc. I was so proud.

FWIW though: My worry is that 5 dollar gas will encourage people to buy, ride, borrow scooters or motorcycles to save gas and not be ready with training, gear, experience. I fear people will get hurt trying to save money.

Either way, it was awesome to see a scooter making the grade.


John

[jcanavera]

Here's ours. Just delivered on Wednesday.

Jack