UnTil We GeT TrUmP bAcK iN oFfIcE !! 😁Depends on how long the high gas prices persists.
I had similar thoughts until I bought my first scooter. It's all about utility for me. The scooter will carry a couple weeks of groceries and a 12pack while getting 70ish mpg. With an adequate rider, keep up with most bikes. First scooter is 500cc however so ymmv.I'd have a scooter or something if I lived in town. I'm stuck with needing to run a work truck up and down highways everyday though.
But when you can pick up rowdy little FZ/MT 07's for $4-5k and knock down 55-60 mpg while still ripping wheelies, the jump to a scooter is still a bit far for me.
Hell, my XR 400 got 65-67 mpg running down the road on woods gearing and knobbys with it's tongue hanging out of it's mouth.
How much better mileage are scooters getting vs smaller/midsized bikes these days?
I hear that. I'm 6'2" and not sure about fitting on one. Utility is definitely a priority that had me looking at NC750's at once point.I had similar thoughts until I bought my first scooter. It's all about utility for me. The scooter will carry a couple weeks of groceries and a 12pack while getting 70ish mpg. With an adequate rider, keep up with most bikes. First scooter is 500cc however so ymmv.
I have bikes with luggage. Scooters are different. Lower cg make them feel much lighter, the step through and ample frontal protection are a welcome addition. Makes 15mi trek to town enjoyable!
Me, too. But it's never gonna happen.....One day I hope to mature past childish adrenaline rushes ....
That depends on the scooter. My 2012 Yamaha Majesty 400 will comfortably carry 2 at highway speeds. Riding solo I normally get 60 MPG. My 2018 Kymco Like 150i is one of the most fun around town bikes I have owned and gets anywhere from 70 to 100 MPG depending on the speeds I ride at. It tops out at around 60MPH. A new Yamaha Xmax (300cc) will easily run highway speeds and will get over 90MPG if ridden easy. Scooters like the Honda PCX are known to easily get 100+ MPG.I'd have a scooter or something if I lived in town. I'm stuck with needing to run a work truck up and down highways everyday though.
But when you can pick up rowdy little FZ/MT 07's for $4-5k and knock down 55-60 mpg while still ripping wheelies, the jump to a scooter is still a bit far for me.
Hell, my XR 400 got 65-67 mpg running down the road on woods gearing and knobbys with it's tongue hanging out of it's mouth.
How much better mileage are scooters getting vs smaller/midsized bikes these days?
I'm 6-2. There are some scooters I don't fit on but there are plenty that I do. Vespa's in particular are very roomy. Someone who is 6-8 could probably easily fit on a Vespa GTS 300. If you have a long commute that involves highway riding then something like a NC750 would make sense, For around town I'd take a scooter over that NC in a heartbeat. Scooters are just way more fun around town.I hear that. I'm 6'2" and not sure about fitting on one. Utility is definitely a priority that had me looking at NC750's at once point.
Luggage makes a toy useful.
I'm not a power junky but I am a curvaholic. Scooters can be a blast on twisty roads, the twistier the better.Luggage is a must. Unfortunately, so are wheelies for me 😁 One day I hope to mature past childish adrenaline rushes and find that zen spot that more responsible riders enjoy. I'm not joking. I'm a power junky and I know it 😕 But stuff like that Yamaha 150 Max, or whatever it's called, just looks cool as hell. I really want to try something like that out.
You may be right but no surge will happen unless the manufacturers send over enough scooters to allow that to happen. I've been looking for an ADV150 and I only found one dealer about 330 miles away that actually had one in stock and they wanted way over MSRP for it. The guy said it was the only one they would get this year. Another dealer had no idea when they would get another one and they had three deposits on ADV150s. A local dealer has 2 PCXs and they listed the price as nearly $1000 over the actual MSRP and that's before they add their normal high fees to that.I think that may depend on how high the price goes, and how long it stays there. $5/gal for a few months isn't great, but $7/gal for a year or more could be very persuasive, especially for people that could do many tasks on two wheels instead of four.
Higher fuel costs also makes spending a few thousand on a scooter more palatable when the savings over rumbling around in an F-250 can reach a break even point in months. What may start as a cost saving measure may accidentally lead to the discovery that riding is more fun, too.
The biggest demand seems to be for small Honda's but other brands are selling well too. Kawasaki, Kymco, Vespa, Piaggio and even the cheap Chinese stuff is in short supply. The only mini moto that seems to be available in any numbers in dealer showrooms is the Benelli TnT135.That's going to be the real trick. I don't know if plants are at full capacity or not, but you'd think that Honda's mini-moto division would be running the reactor at 105%.