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BMW Scoot-why should I spend $10k for a scoot???

My view

Hi, I currently own a C650GT. In my time I have owned many brands and styles of bikes and scooters and today at the age of 63 I find myself gradually moving more to ease of handling, weight and just plain old fun to use. I will admit that when I purchased the 650 I liked it, after a few months I was unsure but as I continued to ride it, it sort of showed me it's strengths and now days it's my choice for most area riding (say 100 miles). It's easy to handle, has huge cargo capacity (esp with the 48 Shad I added) and effortless when on the roads. I find it perfect for weekends and errand running. The bike I have begun to use most is my F700GSL. I have a 30" inseam and the factory suspension allows me to flatfoot it after a Sargent seat (not a low one) was added. I think the BMW seats are the issue, being too wide. The 700 with bags can carry most anything I ever use except for my mountain bike or a sheet of plywood. My other bikes are purpose specific so I won't discuss them here but of the many scooters I had and tried before I purchased the 650 it has shown itself over time to be the best purchase I have made in the scooter world. Being in NJ I can still ride it comfortable 10 months out of the year using my Roadcrafter light and the heated seat and grips. All in all I consider it an awesome scooter that took a little time to shine in my eyes. Ride safe!
 
Scooter Fever!

Was surfing the forums today because it is cold and rainy. I bought my first scooter about 5yrs ago. I have owned about 14 different styles of BMW's and about 40 other brands and styles. To me a scooter should not bleed your wallet dry. Hey, you need gas money for the ride home from the dealer after getting your 30,000mi plus service done. I read owners of C650GT's getting a bill of $2600 or more on a major service. WTF are they thinking?? I've been an MOA member for about 30yrs.(#51918) When I first bought a BMW it was an airhead. You could service it yourself with just a little bit of mechanical knowlege for the price of a filter, a few 'o' rings, gaskets and assorted fluids. Back in 1984 you could have bought a new airhead for $2600..

Yes I have had the pleasure of owning a couple of scooters to mingle with the genre' of scooter mentality. No I don't walk around with a pocket protector and black framed glasses. I will ride anything with 2 wheels if offered a test ride. Burgman 650 involves a lot of time to service it. Taking off all the panels to get at all the fluids is a real pain. Right now I have 2-2005 Honda Metropolitans 50cc.. Easy to work on and service. I can service both of them with 1qt of oil! Carburetors are very susceptible to jets plugging if you let them sit to long without being run, or no Sta-Bil over the winter. Had to just replace the jets because they are way to small to clean. They get about 100mpg and do between 38-42mph depending on wind and terrain. Going up a long grade I have been down to 25mph. But in Missouri there's no registration, no inspection, no oper. license required and no insurance needed. I paid $500 a piece for these used and the PO stored them indoors and no sratches on them. For running quick errands around town they are great.

With all that said, my number one scooter pick would be a 2002 Honda Reflex 250 or newer model. Takes 1qt of oil to service, plenty of storage under seat, disc brakes front and rear, speedo, tach, fuel guage and water-cooling and you are able to adjust the valves without taking off the valve cover. ( It's no BS you can look it up online, there is a pdf on the internet) With 2up, I get between 55-68mpg. With a fresh service I would ride coast to coast on this. Bought one, a 2002 with 1364 orig miles for $2200. I saw a Honda Helix (same engine) in Florida with 179,000mi on it and the engine has never been apart.

I know this is a BMW site, but unlock your mind and don't be afraid to jump on any motorcycle or scooter and do some extreme touring on them. They do have a "Scooter Cannonball Rally" every year. One year it went from Hyder,AK to Shreveport,LA.. So get out of your comfort zone and do something exciting in your life!
 
With all that said, my number one scooter pick would be a 2002 Honda Reflex 250 or newer model. Takes 1qt of oil to service, plenty of storage under seat, disc brakes front and rear, speedo, tach, fuel guage and water-cooling and you are able to adjust the valves without taking off the valve cover. ( It's no BS you can look it up online, there is a pdf on the internet) With 2up, I get between 55-68mpg. With a fresh service I would ride coast to coast on this. Bought one, a 2002 with 1364 orig miles for $2200. I saw a Honda Helix (same engine) in Florida with 179,000mi on it and the engine has never been apart.

I agree. I've had two Honda Elite 80's which were fun to ride, but at 40 mph tops it was too demanding to take on even 35 mph roads. I have also had a Honda 250 Elite. It had plenty of power, but with the smaller wheels it didn't seem that stable at highway speeds. A good scooter though. I then bought a Reflex. It was a great scooter. It accelerated quickly, ran smoothly, and was very good on the highway. It could get up to 70 easily and stay there with no problems. I was amazed at the power it had for a 250 engine. And, naturally, Honda dependability and low cost parts. It got 65 mpg all the time. The only thing I didn't like was the seat with the built in driver bolster. When I went over a bump it went right into the small of my back. And the roads in this part of Ohio are just terrible. That's really the only reason I sold it. I believe the replacement, the Honda Forza, with the 300cc engine is one of the best scooter out there at this time.
In Maxi scooters, the BMW models seem to be by far the best for many reasons. If money wasn't an issue, I would own one of them.
 
My wife has a C650gt, her complaints are seat height and weight. Had the seat carved out to lower a bit, nothing can be done about bikes weight. I partially solved some of the weight problem by having a monthly practice session with a couple dozen tennis balls cut in half, use them to form a figure eight course. After a few minutes practice low speed handling is very good with much more confidence. Now if I could keep her out of triple digit speeds on our local toll road!!!
 
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