Dilemma

Strolled into a local Piaggio dealer on Saturday to get a first hand look at the MP3 500ie. They had two in the showroom: a black one and a blue one.  My first thought on seeing it was, "This thing is huge!"

I decided to view the black one as it looked very menacing. The showroom wall to the front of the bike was all mirrored from floor to ceiling, so you could see yourself clearly on the machine.  I kinda fell in love, and I didn't like that. By that I mean, the MP3 felt like someone who tries to steal your heart knowing you are committed to someone else. 

It compared with the Burgman very very well for me. Lots of storage, ease of getting on, digital display, large with road presence, and ample cockpit switches for flexibility. The one drawback I had with the Burgman 400 was how low the seat was, which is why recently I had resigned to getting the higher seat 650 instead. The MP3 500's seat felt just right in height. Plus, the two wheels up front meant I do not have to stop riding at any time during the year. This gives me a good reason to buy one right away rather than wait for the Spring like I was with the Burgman. It'll also do off road tracks easily, and has enough horse-power to climb hills without lapsing. 

Two wheels at the front also means I don't have to put my foot down at traffic light stops. It also means I don't have to find a chair (nor take a folding chair with me) on long trips when I stop to take view in and have a snack. Me likey much!

Gotta tell ya, the MP3 felt strong, solid, heavy, and ultra stable. Corners take some adjusting to because the unit really wants to remain upright, but when you lean into it with handlebar turns, the road grip is awesome! You really feel the three wheeled secure difference to a two wheeled bike. 

So, the two challenges the MP3 presented for me are, firstly, the 500 does not come in white. How am I going to ensure road visibility? I decided to have a black one partly sprayed with hi visibility green. I even did a PhotoShop preview to see what it might look like. I've shared it here. 

Secondly, how will I say goodbye to the Suzuki Burgman whom I have been in love with since my college days? This is still my dilemma. No solution to that one just yet. Sigh. Heartbreaking. 

Which Scooter - Part 3

As I continued to compare my maxi-scooter choices for my upgrade next Spring, I stumbled, a few days ago, on this super scooter I hadn't previously seen: the Aprilia SRV850.  

From my YouTube and Google research, the machine looks really fast. It appears to be the fastest performing by scooter available with a whopping 839cc and 76bhp. Looks great if you're after speed and a sporty motorcycle crossover look. The Aprilia is, after-all, being marketed as a sports scooter. See performance comparison chart I got from a scooter forum below:

A number of things keep the Aprilia from my shortlist. One, there is no real step-through area to get on the machine. The engine configuration requires the space to be compromised so high up that the only practical way to get on the scooter would be throwing one's leg over the back like a motorcycle. Two, the storage space is even smaller than my 125 scooter. Not acceptable for my upgrade needs. Three, the seat appears to be too high. I haven't been on one, but the measurements given is higher than my current 125, on which I'm only just able to keep both feet on the ground when seated and stopped. Four, the windshield is too low to be useful, especially as speed increases on the motorway or similar. Five, the reviewers out there warn of high maintenance and pricey parts. And six, the sheer weight and size of the machine renders it impractical for moving around local streets and parking comfortably for me. Not good. 

So yeah, back to obsessing with the Suzuki Burgman. 

Steal Away

I stole away from the studio this morning and rode 40 minutes to a Suzuki dealer in another town just so I could sit on that Suzuki Burgman 400 they have on display... and also just for the heck of the ride. What a great decision! 

I live in the suburbs and the dealer's location took me through the countryside... deliberately. It was mostly narrow winding roads with overhanging trees like a natural tunnel or wide open pastures with rolling hillsides beyond. 

I tuned Spotify to shuffle a Biker Playlist called Motorcycle Riders/ Bikers Playlist, and the first song up in my helmet was Bad To The Bone. Let me tell you, I felt like I should've been on a Harley! If you saw the grin on my face... I was in heaven. I revved up the 125 and cruised on. 

Yeah, babee!

Which Scooter - Part 2

Gosh. There is just so much persuasion to purchase the Burgman 400. Here, for me, are a few reasons why:

COMMUNITY

Now the worldwide biking community camaraderie is pretty special, regardless of what two wheels you're on, but I'm hard pressed to find a match for any single scooter (well, maybe Vespa) which has as many clubs, groups, forums, ride-outs, tours, etc.

Vespa

Just browsing around online, though, I've found so much Burgman stuff out there. I've joined a few Facebook groups and a couple of forums. A lot are based here in Europe, some in the USA, and there are lots in the Far East where Burgman is known as Skywave. Popular ones are www.burgmanusa.com and www.burgmanriders.com. 

ACCESSORIES

Whatever I buy, I will be customising because there is no scooter out there which has everything I'd like in the right place. However, the Burgman 400 comes the closest. The only thing I intend to add is my iPhone GPS.  It's good to know, however, that if I wanted to, and I might, there are some cool accessories out there to be had. Of interest to me are varied modifications to the seat. See pictures below of some, some of which are total make-overs. The last one is a video of an owner's modifications which, well, blew me away.

Burgman Backrests

Burgman Seat Modification

Burgman Trike conversion with seat modification

Burgman - pimped

Burgman - pimped

Burgman - pimped

Burgman - pimped

Burgman trike modification

Burgman with woodgrain panelling modification

Burgman - pimped.

The sound system on this modification may blow you away.

Again, I only have plans to add my iPhone GPS to the dash or handlebar somewhere, but wow, weren't these serious enthusiasts?  It's good news that the bike is enjoyed so much.

ARTICLES

People seem to have a whole lot to say about the Suzuki Burgman and very little of it is bad news. One reviewer even determined that it is a motorcycle and not scooter after all. 

In deciding which scooter to purchase, I'm taking my time to review as much as possible. I am enjoying the process. 

I am going to get on a Vespa as they appear to be very popular and have much culture with followers worldwide. I do doubt that it will be shortlisted in my search as it does lack much of what I'm looking for ... but I owe it to myself to give it a go in my decision process. Hey, I might just like it. Will keep you posted. 

Which Scooter - Part 1

I've only ever ridden a 125cc scooter and as much as I enjoy it, I've decided to upgrade to a maxi-scooter. 

Years ago I had bought a white electric bicycle with really tiny wheels in a mall for exactly £125. I used it as a daily commuter from West Dulwich to Chelsea. Can't remember how long the journeys were but it was an upgrade to my red bicycle which I used previously. I fell off that red bicycle when riding downhill in a public park and an un-harnessed large dog stopped across my path. As much as I braked, the bicycle hit him with a thud, propelling me over forwards onto the asphalt. My helmet had split and both my hands lacerated. I had other injuries also. The dog owner called an ambulance promptly as I lay there stunned. The paramedic advised me to press charges. I didn't. I just wanted to get better. I was bed ridden for 6 weeks from that incident and haven't been on a bicycle since. I sold the red wreckage. Some time later I left the UK and gave the white electric bicycle to a cousin.

So now, back in the UK for a little while, which maxi-scooter to upgrade to? Another question I had was whether I should explore sports or cruiser motorcycles also. I eliminated that with determining how I wanted to use the machine in the next few years: I'm not enthusiastic about speed ... I want rider comforts firstly and then the minimum motorway capability required. Motorway capability also yields long journey feasibility. So, circa a 300 - 400cc scooter is just fine. Sorry Honda S-Wing 125: I loved you momentarily but I need something bigger. So now, which scooter?

Honda S-Wing 125

The offerings in Europe are plenty but I've managed to shortlist a handful purely on reliable Brand name only: Honda NSS300 Forza, Suzuki Burgman AN400, Yamaha XMax 400, and Piaggio X10 350. 

Honda NSS300 Forza

Yamaha XMax 400

Next, it has to come in white. I've learned enough from training to conclude that visibility on the road increases safety significantly. The current Honda NSS300 Forza and the Yamaha XMax 400 do not come in white, and since I'm buying new, this eliminates them. Yep, I'm that shallow but you better listen Honda and Yamaha. I'm a buyer and there are plenty like me. 

Down to two. 

NEWSFLASH! Before I've had the chance to publish this, Honda has gone and announced a new high performance Forza 125 scooter today. Some kind of GT version made for the motorway. 14bhp, claiming 123 mpg, adjustable screen, power socket in front glove compartment with tons of storage (two helmets under the seat), and with ABS as standard! And, it comes in white.

2015 Honda Forza 125

I need to think. I'll be back. 

Arrived Alive

I left home at around 8am and according to CoPilot, I should've arrived at 11:45am.  At 1pm, I turned into the car park of my hotel. Actually, I stopped for an hour to rest half way and made two fuel stops. So, a pretty accurate reading for time, CoPilot.

Have to say thanks much to Ross from On The Run Scooter Club for the invaluable advice and scenic route planning for the home to destination leg. It was a really nice journey.  As soon as I hit the coast about five miles from my hotel, I immediately regretted not having more time to enjoy the surrounds. Lesson learned: no less than two or three days minimum next time if it's a coastal trip; can still do overnighters for inland city breaks.

The other lesson: you can't be prepared enough. When I stopped to fuel up, I noticed my iPhone-cum-GPS not charging despite being plugged into the bike charger. That was worrying. I rely totally on the GPS to get around and I was hours away from home. In fact, I had no idea what town I was even in. Luckily, the station had iPhone chargers and I bought a replacement promptly. Then, further along, I noted that my windshield was coming apart. I pulled over to fix it and noted that a requisite part had fallen off. Sigh. I propped it so it rested on the dashboard... useless for shielding wind. If that wasn't enough, later on my indicator switch threatened to drop right off. Now that I could not tolerate. I stopped and had a good look at it, sent it some persuasive positive thoughts (I kid you not), and was very gentle handling it thereafter. Although it is a Peugeot brand bike, it was assembled in China. I will have to get it checked when I get back home.

Needless to say I loved the journey much... not so much the ride. The 125 struggled to keep 40mph upwards on the rolling English hillsides. I've not been overtaken by other cars as much as I was today.  Was kinda scary as some were too close for comfort. I had to keep my eye on the rear view mirrors more than normal so I'd not be taken for surprise. The noisy 125 permits little sound of vehicles sneaking up from behind.

My butt also suffered. It went near numb sometimes. I'd have to get up and twist a little at regular traffic light stops to get some feeling back. Kind of like a calypso dance ... wiggling with my waist and all. I'd glance at my mirrors to see the response behind and hey, I'd say car drivers were well entertained. Yeah, I like an audience.

Another point of note was feeling every single pebble I ran over. I am hoping bigger bikes have better shocks. Funny thing is, I don't recall all this being an issue on shorter one hour runs, but three hours in and yeah, it matters.

The heavy buzz from the engine also took its toll and caressed me so I was tired sooner than I wanted to be. After two hours non-stop, I had to take a one hour break to recover.

As I turned from the country roads into the main coastal road, it was laid out exactly like a motorway. Seriously. Four lanes each side, complete with exits. I panicked momentarily as I thought I had made a wrong turn. But this particular road was only a few miles long, and did not qualify as a motorway although it was just like one. It gave me first hand experience being on a motorway-like road and the bike wind-drift I had read much about. I totally understand now why 125 CBT-riders are not permitted on motorways. There is NO WAY we can keep up with that wind, let alone motorway traffic. Grateful for the experience.

Suffice it to say, yes, I'm getting that bigger bike. Sure thing. The 125 is a workhorse without doubt. It'd have kept going and going all day but not so much it's rider. My verdict is, it's an excellent commuter and for quick trips around town: it is not for long haul touring.

This gives me much clarity for what I will be looking for in the upgrade bike: bigger engine, rider comforts, good shocks, much storage, not-assembled-in-China, larger fuel tank, and finally, must be an automatic scooter. This describes the Suzuki Burgman 400 perfectly.  So, that's that then.

Warning: I may have different views or add more of the same after my ride back tomorrow. We'll see.

Finally Doing it!

So, I'm finally hitting the road tomorrow for the UK coast leaving from Hertfordshire after much deliberating and wishful thinking about taking very long travels via scooter.

I've wanted a motored bike ever since I mounted my grand-uncle's Honda CB back in the rural hills of Kilmarnock, Jamaica when I was circa eight or nine years old. It was sitting at the back of one of his shops along the parochial road.

The shop was typically filled with men and boys, seldom females. Most came to buy a shot of overproof white rum chased with pure Jamaican rainwater, usually collected and stored in a cleaned oil barrel. Boys would come to the shop to buy Jamaican bulla, and other times, females would sheepishly stroll in for a bag of sugar or rice. I loved the shops, and would help my uncle with the sales. Occasionally, I would sit and munch on Jamaican 'busta' or 'icy-mints' which was also for sale. My grandad also had a shop: he lived above it and I would be sent there to spend most of my summertime holidays from St. Andrew.

My grand-uncle also had a trailer head or lorry head, as it's called here, and so he rode the Honda bike only occasionally. It humoured the men that I, the little girl from 'town', was interested in the bike. I guess they let me sit on it because it was parked, off, and it must've tickled them to see my delight and pretend-to-be-a-badass-rider posture and face. Ugh. Jamaican male culture for you. They had no idea how I envied their privilege to openly enjoy the outdoors, cars, trucks, bikes, and sports. These were not appropriate pastimes for little girls.  But that's another blog for another time.

Anyway, never kept a diary nor journal before, let alone blog. But I strangely have the very strong urge to pen my excitement and just now set this one up. Looks like I'm really excited!

As a bit of a car enthusiast, I've owned three Honda preludes, a BMW 5-series, a drop-top Volvo, a Jaguar, and a Lexus 4 by 4 ... the latter has different names for different parts of the world. Here in the UK, it's called a Toyota Land Cruiser. So yeah, been there, done all that. Bored with driving now, and so I quit four years ago.

Last year I bought a brand new white Peugeot Tweet 125 after taking my CBT.

Riding it is all I thought it would be and more. Can travel be this much fun? OMG! I've got a 47L Givi topbox on it, plus side bags, handlebar muffs, and a windshield. I use CoPilot GPS on my iPhone mounted to the left rearview angle bar. I also added two 12v chargers near the handlebars so I can charge up my electronics on the run. I ride it everywhere and it's my main mode of transportation. I have no plans for a car. My other half has one but I never drive it. I just get driven around in it when the family needs to ride together.

So here I am today a few thousand miles later on the odo. I feel like I need a bigger bike. I have dreams of touring the UK and mainland Europe slowly on a bike and backpack, hotelling it here and there. No camping. I'm now torn between buying a Honda Silverwing or a Suzuki Burgman. Lusted the Burgman since my college days in Florida.

That I only have a CBT at the moment has not curbed my enthusiasm. As I'm prone to be compulsive, I've promised myself to first make an overnighter trip with the 125, minimum 3 hours to destination, then assess how I feel about upgrading. This is where I am right now. I leave for my first solo tour tomorrow morning for the coast 4.5 hours away and return the following day.

Done my oil and tyre pressure checks. Chatted with pros about advice for the trip. Packed my backpack and all. I have, however, bought a few extras for the trip, namely a solar flashlight which doubles as a phone charger, a Bluetooth headset so I can Spotify (makes good use of my Premium account), and a 1 litre Sigg flask.

I'll tell you more about the trip tomorrow when I arrive at my destination hotel room, complete with balcony overlooking the English Channel ocean.

See here for Part 2, Part 3.  More blogs also found via the top right hand of this page (well, should be there).  Feel free to leave a comment.  Thanks.