The Maxi-Scooter Option

[DGS49]

Because I'm getting older and weaker, and have a problem with keeping my legs in one position for more than a short time, I sold my big (850 pound) "bagger" in October, despite still enjoying riding a MC.

Being a non-conformist, I've always been interested in the "maxi-scooters" that are out there, and thought sometimes that I might end my riding days on one of those. The floorboards of a scooter allow a riding position with the legs almost fully extended, which would be very helpful for my issues. I took a Suzuki Burgman 650 for a ride a few years ago, but was not impressed.

As luck would have it, a friend of mine who lives in three countries got in touch with me a month or so ago, saying that he was coming in from Mexico in April, and would be wanting to sell his BMW maxi-scooter - a C650GT.

He wants to sell it while he's in the U.S., and thinks I'm a good candidate to buy it. It only has 2,000 miles on it, and it is in fact "like new." He wants a relatively high price - $6,500 - but that's another issue.

I took it for a long ride yesterday and confirmed all the good things that one finds when looking at reviews and YouTube videos of this "bike." It is fast, comfortable, smooth, and has most of the stuff you would want from a "touring" motorcycle. I was having understandable problems with the impulse to actuate the clutch (that is, the rear brake on a scooter) when slowing down, but I think that impulse would go away fairly soon, just like reaching for the clutch in an automatic car.

But it's not a motorcycle. To me, part of the enjoyment on a MC is shifting gears and using the transmission to control things. when you just have the throttle and brake, it's not the same. It's not as much fun.

I have arranged to "babysit" his scooter while he is in Europe for 6 weeks or so, at the end of which I will let him know whether I will buy it, or try to help him sell it to someone else. I may learn to "love" it during that time, but my initial reaction is that there are a LOT of better things I could do with $6,500 than buy this wonderful maxi-scooter.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Run away as fast as you can. The service on it will kill you. (I recall the 20K service is usually $2000+.)

 

[Ringel05]

Because I'm getting older and weaker, and have a problem with keeping my legs in one position for more than a short time, I sold my big (850 pound) "bagger" in October, despite still enjoying riding a MC.

Being a non-conformist, I've always been interested in the "maxi-scooters" that are out there, and thought sometimes that I might end my riding days on one of those. The floorboards of a scooter allow a riding position with the legs almost fully extended, which would be very helpful for my issues. I took a Suzuki Burgman 650 for a ride a few years ago, but was not impressed.

As luck would have it, a friend of mine who lives in three countries got in touch with me a month or so ago, saying that he was coming in from Mexico in April, and would be wanting to sell his BMW maxi-scooter - a C650GT.
View attachment 256646

He wants to sell it while he's in the U.S., and thinks I'm a good candidate to buy it. It only has 2,000 miles on it, and it is in fact "like new." He wants a relatively high price - $6,500 - but that's another issue.

I took it for a long ride yesterday and confirmed all the good things that one finds when looking at reviews and YouTube videos of this "bike." It is fast, comfortable, smooth, and has most of the stuff you would want from a "touring" motorcycle. I was having understandable problems with the impulse to actuate the clutch (that is, the rear brake on a scooter) when slowing down, but I think that impulse would go away fairly soon, just like reaching for the clutch in an automatic car.

But it's not a motorcycle. To me, part of the enjoyment on a MC is shifting gears and using the transmission to control things. when you just have the throttle and brake, it's not the same. It's not as much fun.

I have arranged to "babysit" his scooter while he is in Europe for 6 weeks or so, at the end of which I will let him know whether I will buy it, or try to help him sell it to someone else. I may learn to "love" it during that time, but my initial reaction is that there are a LOT of better things I could do with $6,500 than buy this wonderful maxi-scooter.

Spend the extra money, get a Ural.......

 

[TNHarley]

Run away as fast as you can. The service on it will kill you. (I recall the 20K service is usually $2000+.)

Beat me to it.

 

[DGS49]

I took the BMW for a long ride, and I've decided not to purchase it. Although it does the same things as a motorcycle it's not a motorcycle. I find that working the clutch & gears is more than half the fun of it.

 

[Blues Man]

I took the BMW for a long ride, and I've decided not to purchase it. Although it does the same things as a motorcycle it's not a motorcycle. I find that working the clutch & gears is more than half the fun of it.

What about a Can-AM

 

[TNHarley]

I took the BMW for a long ride, and I've decided not to purchase it. Although it does the same things as a motorcycle it's not a motorcycle. I find that working the clutch & gears is more than half the fun of it.

What about a Can-AM

Thats not a motorcycle, its a 4wheeler missing a chromosome

 

[Blues Man]

I took the BMW for a long ride, and I've decided not to purchase it. Although it does the same things as a motorcycle it's not a motorcycle. I find that working the clutch & gears is more than half the fun of it.

What about a Can-AM

Thats not a motorcycle, its a 4wheeler missing a chromosome

But street legal

And it's better than a scooter no?

 

[DGS49]

My "issue" is that I cannot sit for more than 15 minutes or so without pain in my hamstrings. A conventional street bike is impossible. A cruiser is OK, as long as it has highway pegs. A scooter has floor boards as well as an angled platform in front of the floorboards that allows me to extend my legs comfortably. But it's no fun to ride. I suspect I wlll end up with a low-cost cruiser just to ride occasionally when I get bored.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Sportster with highway pegs?

 

[TroglocratsRdumb]

I would rather have a convertible than a bike.

 

[Dick Foster]

Maybe you should skip the baby steps go right onto one of these.

 

[DGS49]

Hmmm...a mobility scooter...I would need one that has a rising seat, to help me get off my ass.

And now for something completely different...

Remember many years ago when Honda de-engineered their 1100 Shadow, and came out with the single-pin "American Classic Edition," or "ACE," as it came to be called? The single-pin crank resulted in an uneven firing cadence that would sound like a Harley Davidson. Because it was an intentionally poor design, it lost a few HP from the other Shadows, but the "American" sound, coupled with some retro-styling made it a fairly cool bike. Harley actually sued Honda of America, claiming that it had some sort of a trademark on the sound of their bikes, but before the suit could be brought to a conclusion Honda had stopped making the bike, so...

Because it's a Honda there are a few of them still on the road and in passable condition, and it would be possible to pick one up for three grand or less, depending.

It's a thought.

 

[DGS49]

On MOnday, I'm going to look at a 2002 V-Rod. Low miles, lotsa chrome, nice accessories, great price.

I've never ridden one, but since this will be my last bike I should probably buy a Harley. Unless it is a serious disappointment, I think I'll get it.

 

[fncceo]

When you can no longer chew the tribe's leather ... there is only one solution.

 

[DGS49]

The V-Rod (I test-rode two of them) is a marvelous machine but not the best for touring, especially 2-up touring. I passed.

A few days ago, I noticed a 2004 GL1800 for sale locally at a very attractive price. High miles (90k) but absolutely perfect condition, and runs tight as a drum. Everything works as intended, and when you are talking about a Goldwing, "everything" includes many, many accessories. The sole owner is 75 years old and retiring from riding. I don't think I've ever experienced that type of immediate power when the throttle is cranked. My GL1500 was fast but this was incredible, especially considering the weight of the bike.

When I sold my big cruiser I had in mind finding something smaller to replace it, but I didn't want a "cruiser" and I NEED a bike with highway bars or pegs. I can't stand to have my legs bent at 90 degrees or more for more than ten or fifteen minutes at a time. While a Goldwing would not appear to be amenable to a comfortable set of highway bars, this guy has a chrome structure below each bank of cylinders, with highway pegs that can be adjusted fore & aft several inches, making it possible to have a perfect set of highway pegs for me. There is no denying that a Wing is a big, heavy beast, but with its low center of gravity and the reverse feature, I don't anticipate many situations where the weight will be a problem. And the comfort & features are unmatchable on two wheels, with anything other than a trike.

I was not able to find ANY bike valuation site that addressed the issue of high mileage. But of course is 90k miles over 15 years a lot of miles for a touring bike? 6k miles per year? There was a note on the NADA site saying that condition is so much more important than miles that they don't even consider miles in their evaluations. The general value for an '04 WIng seems to be $7,500 RETAIL and $5,100 trade. Assuming near perfect condition. Buying from a Guy would be near the "trade" value, eh?

 

[longknife]

I just got one of these:

 

[DGS49]

Bought the Goldwing. A hundred miles on the odo so far, & very happy with it.

I guess a Goldwing is a long way from a maxi-scooter. You never know where your search will take you.