A BMW, SH-150's, and a Majesty

I always do shopping for work on Mondays. Today, on my way back to the group home from Oregon Dairy, I passed a 1984 BMW that had a for sale sign on it. Since I was at work, I did not stop, but continued on about my business. I arrived back at the group home, put the groceries away, then scooted to the Wal-Mart in Ephrata to pick up some other things for the house.

After I got back from that errand, I went back to where the BMW motorcycle was for sale. The owner stated that he had purchased it new in '85 and it had over 100,000 miles on it. There were a few other issues too, but just for kicks, I tried to sit on it. I eyed the high seat with some trepidation and decided to give it a go anyway. I lifted my leg to put it over the bike, and I heard and felt a loud "pop!" This was closely followed by shooting pain. I guess that's not the bike for me, but if anyone wants a project for $1800, I can tell you where to find it.

The pain subsided after a little bit, so I decided to go to Lancaster Honda to see if they had any SH-150i's yet. To my delight, they had three. I have to say, they are very nice to look at. I didn't sit on one, but I didn't really feel the need to since my next step will be something in a larger displacement.

I talked to one of the sales reps and was able to test ride a 2007 Yamaha Majesty. The Majesty was impressive. It was a little intimidating at first since the big single cylinder was thumping away beneath me, but I rolled out of the parking lot and took a right down Dairy road. I took another right after passing under the railroad bridge, then another onto Rohrerstown road.


By this time, I was starting to feel a little more comfortable, so I opened it up a little and soon had it up to a reported 50mph without so much as a stutter. After turning onto Harrisburg Pike I gradually accelerated and was keeping up with traffic until I looked down to see that I was well exceeding the speed limit. WOW! What a rush!

Another pair of right turns, and I was on the highway. The Majesty seemed very stable and capable. I wasn't able to test out its full capacity, but moving along at nearly 70 with nothing but the wind around me was exhilerating. I opened it up again on Dairy road and again, WOAH!

I am now fully convinced that I want at least a 400cc. I looked briefly at the Honda Silverwing, but at $9,000 it's a bit much to stomach. A used Majesty or Burgman can be had for much less, and will be perfectly suited to my touring needs. I'm not yet in the market to buy, but it's still fun to look at the various options that are available.

I got back on my own scoot and rode home. It was quite a difference, but it was nice to be back on my little scoot. It may not have the oomph of the bigger scoot, but the agility of my People 150 just can't be beat. The Majesty was better than the Kymco GrandVista, but it's stability and cornering weren't nearly as good as I'm used to on the smaller scooter.

I'll keep test riding until I find the scoot that really fits me well. I may even have to try the two 500's Piaggio has to offer, though I really don't think I want an MP3. At least I have a lot of time to make my decision.