Need scooter advice

[Tnbrit]

Hi,i don't have a scooter but,i'm thinking about getting one,i'm a bit surprised no votes for one of the Vespa GTS300ie range.
Cheers.

[reddogguy1]

Honda Silverwing all the way

[Pilgrim21784]

NOTE: I don't ride without ABS. Former TMAX owner (absolutely loved that ride but no ABS - it got sold), former Piaggio MP3 400 & Reflex owner. Current ride - '12 Silverwing ABS.

DC area expressways - no way under 400cc. You are riding in the land of cager idiots and need power and braking performance to stay alive. (I live 45 minutes north of DC and am on 495 quite frequently to get to Virginia's excellent riding areas).

IMO - your best choices (in my not humble opinion) are: the ABS Burgmans (400 or 650 - if you are comfortable with the weight) (400 probably optimal in terms of cost/benefit) or a Silverwing ABS. My recently sold '07 Reflex ABS was inadequate on major expressway traffic. My advice is to stay with the Japanese brands w/ABS. JMO

[KawiVA76]

Hey guys, still a few months away on a purchase. Pretty much down to the Kymco GTI300, BV350 or Burgman 400. Haven't gotten out to dealers yet, so busy at work late every night and getting ready to move. I'm an all year commuter. Only thing that keeps me off the road is ice/snow and heavy winds. I've done snow and hail a few times, lol. The Versys had fork lights, xenon main lamps plus 2000 lumens of driving lamps mounted up high if needed. Rear was signal dynamics plate light and a givi e34 with Admore kit in it along with my regular tail lamp. You couldn't miss the thing. Whatever one I go with will get a similar treatment. I'm only 5'7 and about 155 lbs soaking wet so ergonomics won't be an issue. As I get out to dealers and get closer to selection time I will update the thread, thanks again guys.

Mike

[cdwise]

Originally Posted by KawiVA76

Hey, thanks for the advice everybody. I have been looking at the Burgman 400 a lot. But not sure if the relaxed riding position would suit me. It will definitely be wide open on the interstate at times at 70 mph. I'm a mechanic for Mercedes Benz so repair and maintenance will be handled by me. I think I would prefer something more upright. The kymco gti300 and the piaggio bv350 have definitely caught my interest. Storage space, etc is not an issue, this will be purely a commuter. Unless heaven forbid I fall in love with scooters. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, lol. Thanks again guys, you'll definitely hear more from me as I road test some of these and make a purchase.

A Burgman 400 will not be wide open on the freeway at 70mph. Before I traded ours in for a BV 500 - neither my usband nor I liked the foot forward seating position I rode it with my brothers on the BMWs and between Breckenridge, CO & Houston, TX. It would cruise all day long at 70-75 and easily hit 85-90 for passing.

Re the Helix, I've ridden with lots of folks on Helixes and they aren't really that great for freeway commutes. My Vespa GTS 250 will outrun them and cruise easier on the freeway. Yes, a GTS 250-300 is more than freeway capable. The GTS is the scooer cannonball ride of choice for distance and speed by the majority of non-vintage riders. If you perfer a more upright seating position like I do then a GTS, Peoiple, GTi, BV, Scarabeo or Sports City (250 or 300) will all fit yoru bill. For freeway or other superslab the Scarabeo i500 is my preference. Its seat and suspension are better IMHO than the BV 500. We have both. I rode my Scarabeo from Houston to DC last March and other than a shredded tire it was a great trip.

My husband rode our Sprots City 250 from Breckenridge, CO to Fallbrook, CA last year and it maintained 80-85 on I-15 for 200 miles headins south from Las Vegas though that was pretty much wide open. With the Sports City a good windshield is needed for that sort of speed. He didn't have one - just the stock guage shield and I could hear the wind noise through the Scala headset.

The BV 350 appears to be the best of both worlds. Lower maintenance, wet clutch, engine braking and still capable of crusing 2 up at 70mph all day long according to a friend who had the use of one for 2 days while at the Piaggio training center in So. Cal. The folks who have them both in the US and UK over on Modern Vespa have been raving as have the reviews here. If I were in the market for a new bigger scoot that's what I'd likely buy but we bought a BV 500 and a Scarabeo 500 as NOS at such a discount with in the last year it will be some time before we'll be in the market for another scoot.

[Scot]

Originally Posted by KawiVA76

Hey guys, looking for some opinions from the pros. I've been riding all year for about three years now. I've been using a Kawasaki Versys during that time which I recently sold. My commute is 30 miles to work, with about 20 of it on interstate. I live in the Washington DC metro region. I've been toying with the idea of switching to a scooter as the clutch management in stop and go traffic is brutal. I ride in everything except snow/ice or very heavy winds. Do I need to have a maxi scooter for the interstate or are there other options that would be safe in that traffic volume? I'd prefer to get the best gas efficiency and maneuverability/mobility as possible, the last ten miles of my commute is pretty congested. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks guys!

Mike

Be it that I am also from your area, get the biggest scooter you can afford. A 250 ain't going to cut it on 95 or 495 where cruise speeds are 80ish. A 400 is doable, but look for something like a 500 or 600/650. My Tmax is fine on the interstate but you can usually find better deals on silverwings and Burgman 650s. Plus, they have a lot more storage space.

[klaviator]

Originally Posted by KawiVA76

Hey guys, still a few months away on a purchase. Pretty much down to the Kymco GTI300, BV350 or Burgman 400. Haven't gotten out to dealers yet, so busy at work late every night and getting ready to move. I'm an all year commuter. Only thing that keeps me off the road is ice/snow and heavy winds. I've done snow and hail a few times, lol. The Versys had fork lights, xenon main lamps plus 2000 lumens of driving lamps mounted up high if needed. Rear was signal dynamics plate light and a givi e34 with Admore kit in it along with my regular tail lamp. You couldn't miss the thing. Whatever one I go with will get a similar treatment. I'm only 5'7 and about 155 lbs soaking wet so ergonomics won't be an issue. As I get out to dealers and get closer to selection time I will update the thread, thanks again guys.

Mike

Take your time. Do as many test rides as you can. If you have the chance to ride something, even if it's not on your list, do it! Some people prefer smaller and lighter, some go for big and heavy. Ultimately that's a decision you have to make for yourself. When looking for my first scooter, I went on to the forums for advice. I did get a lot of useful information but it was no substitute for personal experience.

As for your list, The GT300i and BV350 would be at the top of my list if I was looking for a scooter today. The 400cc and above Japanese scooters are significantly heavier. I think that most of the maxi scooters are heavier than your Versys, some significantly so.