Anyone else interested in the new scooters?

Saw the article in the latest Cycle World and now the Owners News. I think they look pretty cool, especially the GT.
I have a K1200GT now, and I do really love the horsepower and smoothness. Sometimes I just think it's overkill. My wife doesn't do any long distance touring. I did one "sort of" long distance with my brothers a few years ago, and that's really been it, we do 4 wheels for longer trips together.
So I keep thinking instead of a sport touring rig that I use mainly to commute (about 20 miles one way), why not get something like this, a commuter that I still could take out and "tour" with if the bug really bit? Has me thinking anyways. Not sure about storage space for either commuting or touring with, it would seem weird not having saddle bags, I know they say there will be an accessory trunk for it, would have to see that. Would miss the cruise. I didn't think it would be a major deal, but yeah that cruise is sure nice. With the slant 4 you really need that to avoid a ticket, if you don't set that my speed keeps creeping up. Maybe the scooters will have a throttle lock hole.
Gilly

I have an R1200CL and an F650CS, and have been kind of drooling over the scooters since I saw the first pictures of them. I'd love to take one out for a test ride! I have the beginnings of arthritis in my hips and knees and it's a hereditary thing. I'm not there yet, but this might be the perfect option for me once I can no longer get a leg over.

From what I have read the GT model will have Cruise control as an option.
Knowing the dealers they will do their best to load them up with every conceivable profit enhancing option they can find.

I am very interested in the new Maxi's and they appear to me as about the only thing in the line up at the moment that would get me to consider selling my Airhead for.

I'll be watching this market segment closely !

My friend, who is in his late 60s, just bought a used Burgman 650 to go along with his R1200RT. He loves it. It is quick, fast and handles great. I think the BMW will be all of that and more. The only thing he misses from his RT is the cruise.

I agree that there's a slim to none chance you will be able to find one that's not loaded with options. And at $10,000 or more MSRP before those options are added, is everyone still interested? Maybe if you have arthritis, or have a 5 or 10 mile commute, but wouldn't a $6K or $7K scooter fit the bill too? Jeez, there's a lot of capable motorcycles out there that you could use for a commute for less than $10,000. Or am I missing some point?

I talked at length with the Suzuki rep at the M/C Show in Charlotte and Daytona about why the Burgman did not offer cruise as an option. The best they could come up with was not wanting the additional liability. LAME IMHO .

As for the price point , I'll wait and see. but I agree that for 10k you can get a lot of solid used machines that should do the job nicely .

I view the Maxi's as a sort of RT/LT/Goldwing light . Even though they are not all that light anyway.

I'd like to think a lot of the purchase price would be offset by the sale of my present bike. Admittedly since this is a BMW owner's site, I wouldn't be alone in saying I might have my head rammed up BMW's, uh, "business" pretty far and am only considering a maxiscoot since BMW is coming out with one. Narrow-minded I know. They say that admitting you have a problem is the first step in recovery

ClassicVW said:

I agree that there's a slim to none chance you will be able to find one that's not loaded with options. And at $10,000 or more MSRP before those options are added, is everyone still interested? Maybe if you have arthritis, or have a 5 or 10 mile commute, but wouldn't a $6K or $7K scooter fit the bill too? Jeez, there's a lot of capable motorcycles out there that you could use for a commute for less than $10,000. Or am I missing some point?

Click to expand...

This is exactly the same refrain, almost the same wording, that I have heard since 1977 comparing the prices of many BMW model motorcycles to the prices of lots of other bikes, Harleys and Goldwings excluded.

We can argue the concepts of "quality" or the "value" all week, but however you come down on BMW prices vs competitor's prices it is no different for the scooters than for every other model BMW makes and sells.

Lots of folks settle the argument by buying a used BMW bike. We'll need to wait a couple of years to buy used scooters, but that is true of any new model we want to own.

ClassicVW said:

I agree that there's a slim to none chance you will be able to find one that's not loaded with options. And at $10,000 or more MSRP before those options are added, is everyone still interested? ... Or am I missing some point?

Click to expand...

You are indeed.

Why not visit a Mercedes dealership, a Jaguar dealership, and a BMW car dealership?

THIS is the demographic ALL BMW products are directed toward.

The scooters--just like the cars--are placed to be sold to young urban professionals.

No question maybe the motorcycles sell more to the kids-now-out-of-the-house crowd, but not these scooters. That is save for the S1000RR, BMW's best seller in the USA.

My wife would like to ride with me. She doesn't care for two up. She has arthritis in her back and feet which make putting a leg over a bike difficult. The step through frame of a scooter might help solve that problem. Having never ridden, she's likes the idea of the CVT. We'll be looking at them when they come out. She's also been looking at the Can-Am Spyders.