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Why migrate to a Maxi Scooter?

I haven't checked in for quite a while and realize this is an old thread that I may have visited earlier. Lightly surfing the latest couple pages I noticed that some question the capability of maxi scooters to keep u with the big boys. Tain't so.

A few years ago I was tooling along on a lightly traveled Interstate highway on my (then) Burgman 650 and overtook a pack (8 or 10) of GL 1800s. I gave them a friendly wave as I passed and that apparently didn't sit too well with the leader. who charged forward with his troops in tow. At the next off ramp, they exited.
 
Several years ago I was heading back to Zephyr from California and passed through a small Eastern New Mexico town. As I was getting back on the highway I saw a scooter ahead and blasted passed it at ninety. Yes, I thought I would never see it again as it disappeared in my rear view mirrors. The speed limit was 70 so I cruised along at 75. About ten miles down the road it was on my tail tagging along! At the next town I pulled over and met this hot rod scooter rider. Turns out it was on a 500cc Aprilia. He had owned a Ducati before but it was starting to feel it's miles. So he sold it to a friend and bought the Aprilia. We rode together until we separated in Texas. I followed for part of the journey so I could observe this different sort of two wheeled transportation. He and the guitar strapped to the rear carrier handled to road with ease. He was completely satisfied with the Apilia.
 
Hi...new here. I'm in NorCal. I can no longer ride conventional motorcycles, because the repetitive motion of manual shifting kills my left leg and because it's difficult for me to swing a leg over a bike. I've transitioned over to maxi-scooters, starting about 2011 with an '02 Honda Silverwing and then a Piaggio BV500.

I rode the SWing for a few years, putting about 25K on it. I found that it had good power and storage, handling was good (but very different from a conventional motor). I toured on it up into Oregon and Washington and it did very well.

The Piaggio was fun to ride (when it was running), but quality control, reliability and parts availability were atrociously bad and I'd never own another.

The bikes were ridden extensively in the Sierra Nevada, the Coastal Range foothills and points in between. I dumped the Piaggio by donating it to VOA. The Swing continued to serve me well, but I decided to try a conventional motor again and sold it. Huge mistake. Sold the motor and returned to maxi-scoots.

I currently own a Suzuki Burgman 400 and another SWing. They are both great and I use them more or less interchangeably. This year, I'm planning another PNW tour and I'm considering taking the B400 thus time, because it's lighter, handles better and has better fuel economy and range. Very happy with both.
 
Hi...new here. I'm in NorCal. I can no longer ride conventional motorcycles, because the repetitive motion of manual shifting kills my left leg and because it's difficult for me to swing a leg over a bike. I've transitioned over to maxi-scooters, starting about 2011 with an '02 Honda Silverwing and then a Piaggio BV500.

I rode the SWing for a few years, putting about 25K on it. I found that it had good power and storage, handling was good (but very different from a conventional motor). I toured on it up into Oregon and Washington and it did very well.

The Piaggio was fun to ride (when it was running), but quality control, reliability and parts availability were atrociously bad and I'd never own another.

The bikes were ridden extensively in the Sierra Nevada, the Coastal Range foothills and points in between. I dumped the Piaggio by donating it to VOA. The Swing continued to serve me well, but I decided to try a conventional motor again and sold it. Huge mistake. Sold the motor and returned to maxi-scoots.

I currently own a Suzuki Burgman 400 and another SWing. They are both great and I use them more or less interchangeably. This year, I'm planning another PNW tour and I'm considering taking the B400 thus time, because it's lighter, handles better and has better fuel economy and range. Very happy with both.

Good for you. Have you ridden a Burgman 650 yet?
 
Yes, I did a test ride on one. Very nice machine, but still a bit concerned about the drive belt issue. Don't know if that is still a problem on the new B650.
 
Yes, I did a test ride on one. Very nice machine, but still a bit concerned about the drive belt issue. Don't know if that is still a problem on the new B650.

Nice. I'm in Livermore, CA, and have a 2004 Burgman 650. You should join the Bay Area Maxi Scooters group on Facebook if you do the FB thing.
 
I have owned a couple of them and accumulated over 75000 miles on one. No problems with either. I read about drive belt problems but that's it.
 
Yep, Cheez, I'm already on there. I've posted some photos there, but don't post all that often.

Good to know about the B650. It rode and handled well when I tried it.
 
jinglebob, did you try a conventional motorcycle with conventional shift or something different? Not to sway you from Maxi Scooter love, but there's a few bikes on the market with options for someone dealing with the issues you are experiencing. I have one of them in the FJR AE model with push button shifting. Honda has done more recently though to my knowledge with their models sporting DCT. Something to think about and possibly explore to maybe help to keep you riding and open up your options and choices.
 
Hi, Jasen. I've owned conventional manual shift motorcycles, including a Kawasaki Vulcan 750, Honda Shadow Aero 750 and Suzuki C50T and have ridden many a mile on them. I particularly liked the C50T and the Shadow Aero...very fine machines...but eventually, the repetitive shifting motion caught up with me and I would develop very bad leg cramps during or after a ride. Finally had to give up the manual transmission machines, much as I like them. The FJR is a great bike, but really more weight than I wish to deal with. The Honda CTX with the DCT transmission is nice, but I'm not fond of maintaining a chain.

The Silverwing and Burgman do quite well for me and I have ridden many, many miles on these machines. I thank you for the suggestions and I appreciate your help!
 
No worries. I love my push button shifting but she is a bit piggy. I know we have a bunch of FJR riders that the AE models were able to keep them riding when they could no longer operate a clutch or shifter. It's nice to know there's lots of options all across the spectrum to keep people riding.
 
Bump for this thread.
Just curious if there are any other reasons why a person want to make the switch to a maxi-scooter that we haven't seen yet. I'm still on mine and on occasion I get the urge to get another big bike just for the style and extra power of them. So far I have resisted but one day....
A maxi-scooter is great and under-appreciated in most cases by the cycling public. I take mine to the V-twin dealer in town whenever they have an event just to see if they will let me in. They give me the eye when I go inside but they do let me go in. Been lurking for a long time here. Thought I would see if anyone else is following this topic.
 
To me, there seem to be a couple of group types of riders. There's the
- "I ride a Harley, I'm a bad**s, I sure look cool and am forcing myself to have fun even though I'm miserable as can be told by the grimace on my face while I ride, oh and also I'm lucky if I don't fall down in the parking lot" pirate group

- the "i ride a rice rocket as fast as it can go coz Ima live forever" squid group

- the "I want to ride but the better half wants to go too so I ride a (harley, gold wing, spyder, slingshot) cuz it's the best for the job" group

-the "I'm a great adventurer so I ride a (ktm/bmw/triumph) adventure model with 600lbs of addons that i dont really need and all the atgatt even if i just go down the driveway to the mailbox and back" group

-the "I will ride literally anything because I don't even care because I just love riding so much. I couldn't care less what I look like while doing it." group

Most of us fall into one of these groups...I'm a firm believer in just do/ride what makes you happy, what makes you feel good inside! So if it's a maxi, mini, cruiser, rice rocket, etc...whatever floats your boat just do that and who cares what anyone else thinks about it!
 
I had several motorcycles, including a Suzuki C50T cruiser, which I loved, a BMW R1100R and a Honda Shadow Aero. Unfortunately, manual shifting plays havoc with my left ankle and I end up with very bad cramps in my left thigh. I had to let them go. Fortunately, I've also had scooters, Honda Silverwing and Burgman 400, for the last 8 years or so. The riding style and techniques are a bit different...not bad, but does take a bit of getting used to. Once you do, you start to wonder why you waited so long to make the switch. I find riding the SWing or the B400 to be very easy...never have to worry about which gear you're in and you can concentrate on your cornering and handling techniques. The ride is not as smooth as a plush cruiser, particularly on rougher roads, but you slow down a little and everything is fine. I have found over the years that I can do pretty much everything on the scoots that I can on the motors.
 
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The riding style and techniques are a bit different...not bad, but does take a bit of getting used to. Once you do, you start to wonder why you waited so long to make the switch. I find riding the SWing or the B400 to be very easy...never have to worry about which gear you're in and you can concentrate on your cornering and handling techniques. The ride is not as smooth as a plush cruiser, particularly on rougher roads, but you slow down a little and everything is fine. I have found over the years that I can do pretty much everything on the scoots that I can on the motors.

I agree with everything above. I bought a used, low mileage Burgman 650 last July and now my Super Tenere ES sits 90% of the time. The 650 weighs as much as the Tenere but feels like its only 2/3's as heavy, has awesome storage and super easy get on and get off. After a year now I'm finally losing the urge to chase down and pass every cruiser up ahead. :doh:

If you have some interest in big scooters you'll probably like them quite a bit. If not, you won't. My only obstacle is checking my ego at the door.

Be careful though, you may catch the bug. Now I'm looking at trying to do the Scooter Cannonball in 2020 (run every two years). Cross Country on a maximum 280 cc. This year it was about 3500 miles over ten days (stages). This year's course even went across the Talimena drive. Sounds like a hoot!
 
I wonder if the Honda NC700X DCT would be an option in this scenario. 670cc, automatic transmission, 500 lbs wet, 51 hp, 17" wheels, but you still have to throw a leg over it. It seems to top out around 95 mph with me (260 lbs) on it, but gets there decently quick. Enough power to easily pass on the highway. I'm sure a lighter rider could get it over 100 if they wanted to.

Like Steve mentioned above, it weighs I think 34 lbs less than my Africa Twin, but feels like half the weight. My 5'6" daughter rides it and feels completely comfortable on it she says. Like she can catch it from fall with just pressing her leg against the tank.

I notice moving it around the garage is SO much easier than navigating my Africa Twin around. I'm just not sure it can handle the off pavement stuff like my AT can. They supposedly have a 750 version of it coming out sometime this year as well.
 
I've thought about the CTX700DCT. Seems like a good machine, but I haven't done chain maintenance in a long time and don't know if I want to take that on...
 
The 650 weighs as much as the Tenere but feels like its only 2/3's as heavy, has awesome storage and super easy get on and get off.

IT's worth noting that the way Suzuki designed the twin cyl motor & elec. auto trans in a "shotgun" configuration

$.jpg


laid horizontally w/ cyl head up front, and transmission out back, tucked low to the ground,
$.jpg


all the weight is BOTTOM heavy, like a boat anchor:
41NqCdEVOjL._SL1001_.jpg


thus, it's very easy to rock it from side to side. Just sit on one and flick it side to side. It's an eye opener as to how feathery light it is to flick that sucker side to side.
 
To me, there seem to be a couple of group types of riders. There's the
- "I ride a Harley, I'm a bad**s, I sure look cool and am forcing myself to have fun even though I'm miserable as can be told by the grimace on my face while I ride, oh and also I'm lucky if I don't fall down in the parking lot" pirate group

- the "i ride a rice rocket as fast as it can go coz Ima live forever" squid group

- the "I want to ride but the better half wants to go too so I ride a (harley, gold wing, spyder, slingshot) cuz it's the best for the job" group

-the "I'm a great adventurer so I ride a (ktm/bmw/triumph) adventure model with 600lbs of addons that i dont really need and all the atgatt even if i just go down the driveway to the mailbox and back" group

-the "I will ride literally anything because I don't even care because I just love riding so much. I couldn't care less what I look like while doing it." group

Most of us fall into one of these groups...I'm a firm believer in just do/ride what makes you happy, what makes you feel good inside! So if it's a maxi, mini, cruiser, rice rocket, etc...whatever floats your boat just do that and who cares what anyone else thinks about it!

this is hilarious, laughing out loud, ha . fell out of chair at even if i just go down the driveway to the mailbox and back" group because it's true :rofl:
 
Just over 136,000. Coming up on 48,000 on my 400.

You sir are a beast. Great job on getting that many miles on a Burgman. The thought goes through my head on occasion to get a "real" bike again and then I go for another ride and just keep gassing the Burgy and going a little further.

I haven't checked in for quite a while and realize this is an old thread that I may have visited earlier. Lightly surfing the latest couple pages I noticed that some question the capability of maxi scooters to keep u with the big boys. Tain't so.

A few years ago I was tooling along on a lightly traveled Interstate highway on my (then) Burgman 650 and overtook a pack (8 or 10) of GL 1800s. I gave them a friendly wave as I passed and that apparently didn't sit too well with the leader. who charged forward with his troops in tow. At the next off ramp, they exited.

I did a similar thing on my last trip back to Illinois. Riding up I-55 and came up on a group of riders in the fast lane with no other traffic around. Not to make it seem more than it was but they were all wearing vests with patches from some club. The MC part stood out. No helmets or gloves and carrying on like it was their road. They were moving fairly quickly but I was on my way home so I opted for the right lane and passed the group. Not sure if that is good etiquette or not but I did it anyway. No way to know but I suspect they were pretty shocked to have been passed by a scooter. Yea, they're pretty capable on the big highway too.
 
I've thought about the CTX700DCT. Seems like a good machine, but I haven't done chain maintenance in a long time and don't know if I want to take that on...

Good O-ring chain well maintained will last 20-25000 miles before you need to change it and the sprockets.

Good O-ring chain that you spray a bit of lube on it when you remember otherwise don't worry about it will last 15-17000 miles before you need to change it and the sprockets.

Depending on how much you ride this really doesn't add that much to the cost of ownership in the grand scheme of things.

:shrug:
 
I ride all the freeways in Houston, and the 650 burg does good
I've ridden most of the freeways around DFW on my Burgman and can verify it does well there too. :flip: but then I had no doubts. I've got about 26K on mine and it is a great choice for a commuter to work and back and for touring. A little more fuel in the tank and cruise control and it would be perfect.
 
Most of the time I ride Goldwing on the freeways, But I do use my Burgman 650 some time.
 
I guess since I am among friends here I can admit it. Nobody would make fun of me and call me a scooterist or anything crazy like that. I miss having my Burgman with me. For all the sneers and snide comments you get from those "real bike" riders, it was more than capable to keep up with and pass many of them. I could carry a few weeks worth of food without even packing it carefully. I do enjoy having the extra HP and cruise control on the Trophy but for just ease of riding and commuting to work and back, the Burgy is the best. I kept it when I bought the Triumph and suspect that one of these days soon I will have it out again. For those that have not tried it, there are many things to be said about sort of stepping through and twist and go. Riding a scooter ain't all bad if you can check the ego before you get on. Just get on and go for the ride to make you happy.
 
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