From my perspective, not having a lot of choices has its positive and negative sides. For the negative, I think having few choices in a market where there is little push for competition leaves consumers with little chance of having a significant effect on what manufacturers build. Overseas, there are more options simply because there is more of a market for scoots over there. Here, we are limited to a mere handful of reputable manufacturers who make anything bigger than a 250. from my observations, the european and asian markets seem to have much more input with the manufacturers than does the U.S. market. Even the Canadians seem to get some extra goodies that don't appear on U.S. Scooters.
On the positive side, having few choices makes the choosing easier. The choices we have are not horrible, and there are enough to keep the choosing mildly interesting, few though they may be.
The manufacturers and models that I have found available in my area are as follows:
- Yamaha - Majesty and T-Max
- Suzuki - Burgman 400 and 650
- Honda - Silverwing
- Kymco - Xciting 500Ri
- SYM - CityCom 300i (actually only a 263, but still a bit better than a 250)
- Piaggio - BV-500, MP3 400 and 500
- Vespa - GTS 300 Super
- Aprilia - Scarabeo 500ie
It's really the 500 class that interests me the most. It seems to be a good round number I suppose, but moreso, I'm a little concerned that a 400 just wouldn't be enough to keep me hooked the long haul. I liked the 400 that I rode, and think I could be satisfied with one, but I'd like to try a few 500's before I make a final decision.
So, once the rain quits, I'll get my skinny butt out to one of the dealers round here for a few more test rides.
Posts
4 comments:
You can always go vintage and look for an older scoot.
Let's see you've rounded your choices down to twelve scooters and call that minimal? After you test ride all those twelve how will you pick Miss Congeniality? I can look at your list and round it down to two. Burgman and Majesty. Both Yamaha and Suzuki have a racing heritage with big singles in the present in Supercross. I'm sure what they've learned is built right in. Italian scooters are lovely, but parts and labor will bite you in the end. Think China scoots are something? Go lurk at Modernvespa.com and read what they say about their dealers and some of their problems. It will open your eyes. As for the others, lovely rides, but the Yamaha and Burgy will keep you happy for a good, long time.
You just illustrated my point, which I suppose was not terribly clear. There are only six maxi-scooters (eight if you count the MP3) in that line-up. The others are big wheel scoots, which is what I'd really like, though I am aware of the concerns regarding future repairs, and the big-wheels are primarily from the Italians, which, as you pointed out (though I was aware), can come with a steep repair bill and difficulty in obtaining parts. This is one reason I really am not interested in a Vespa, though I still like the Scarabeo and BV-500 (even though they are the same bike under the surface) since they are big wheel scoots.
I having read you for as long as you've been around I think you won't be happy if you settle for anything smaller than you really want. You like power. Get it!
Joe
Post a Comment