Modern Vespa

I have this small joke I quietly enjoy in my helmet.

When I'm out on the Suzuki cafe racer everybody waves, it is after all a genuine manly type motorcycle

But then, later in the same day, when I'm out on the Vespa running errands (because it has a place to put stuff) hardly anybody waves, because its a not altogether tough or cool bright yellow scooter.

The private joke?

The scooter is soooooo much faster than the cafe racer that they're not in the same league! Both acceleration wise and top speed, even with Frau Fritz on the pillion seat. It'll just waste the Suzuki.

I found the Harley Sportster to be the worst handling bike I ever road.
Maybe they are better today.

Bob Copeland

Ride a Buell - night and day difference.

A "mature girl" friend has one (883) and tells me it's a great substitute for a man to massage her.

So is the number of performance certificates received. DAMHIK

What constitutes a "Real Harley Rider"?

A doctor or lawyer that dresses up in leathers and trailers his or her Harley to Daytona for Bike Week.

You know what would make for interesting conversation? What's a real scooter rider?

Are you Scooterish?

A quiet, humble and introspective individual whose only wish is for world peace and to do well at gymkhana at Amerivespa.

Most are pretty bad. But they did make a couple models over the years that we're pretty impressive.

-Craig

And to add to the "Bad Handling" I attached a sidecar to mine!

I am, have had and used only scooters in the last twenty-five years; only four of them out of a total of eleven were made in Italy but life is change and therefore the others are all Yamaha. Do I like the motorcycle? Yes, but my disabilities do not allow me to drive, and therefore even if I have no choice, the automatic scooter has become the only possibility for me to ride. Now tell me I'm not a real scooter rider ... By the way, I'll buy Yamaha's new 300 three-wheeler in June if my prosthesis will allow me to ride it ... I still don't know but I'm very motivated. Interesting question, sometimes I have doubts about the passion of others.

Yesterday I rode my scooter quite a bit, longer rides than I would normally do. I ran across four others on motorcycles going the opposite way. All four waved. I only initiated the wave once, the other three beat me to it. This was a mix of sport bike riders and ADV types with their typical ADV costume, which happens to be quite practical when it's cold out.

A bunch of the Harley types have their costume-persona which for some includes being too tough to acknowledge or respect others who look or act differently. It's not a total uniqueness to the Harley culture to look down on others this way, but since Harleys are half of the motorcycles on the roads in the USA, they tend to be very much over-represented. The ADV culture is really different IME. The scooter culture, also different.

Someone mentioned "retro bike riders", which I guess I am, since both of my motorcycles are of the "retro" variety ... one is almost 30 actual years old (so not retro, just old), and the other is a Triumph Bonneville, King of Retro. I have not noticed a cultural stigma associated with riding either of them. The Triumph seems to elicit admiration and often drawn out fuel pump side conversations from old men. The Suzuki is universally ignored by all, except when I ride it to Castell and park it between the row of Harleys and the row of BMW GSs, where it clearly doesn't fit in at all. I think the owners of the other bikes just wonder how I managed to get there on it.

So far, riding the scooters seems to get far and away the most reaction from others. Kids will smile and point and say something to their parents when they see me go by on the scooter. Wives point them out to their husbands, again, usually smiling. And when we get on or off the parked scooters, lots of folks say stuff like "that's adorable!" or "that looks like fun!". Which is true, and among the reasons we ride them. But it's a far more broad cross section of people who will actually engage us when we roll up on scooters than if I ride either of my "real" motorcycles.

My impression is that scooters are far more approachable and make virtually everyone feel like it's the kind of fun they could be having. I'm sure that's not the message a lot of motorcyclists want to send. "Hey, I could do that!" does not go along with the feeling of exclusivity.

I understand very well, it is a good speech.

.

When in the flat straight, Harleys haul ass.

In the curvy mountains, Harleys, on the whole, are not as fast as scooters. It could be the rider, but they'd have to scrape pipes with a queen in the back seat.

So if you are getting grief, maybe it's where you live. Around here, the Harley rider has to explain how he just got passed by a scooter.

Now I am wanting to "soup up" my GTS 250 so I can pass those Harley rider before they can cut me off!

If you think that Harley riders are up themselves, BMW riders are even worse.

They won't even acknowledge other riders. Most of their main beams are broken and they all have a fractured right wrist so they are incapable of waving.

They don't seem to have any friends ( as you never see two at once ) and even their own family hate them as riding their bikes appear to be used as a tool of escapism, just like golf.

I wouldn't suggest that many of them are up themselves, but they do appear to ride just for themselves rather than want to ride with others.

Says the man with the BMW.

this made me laugh. thanks for the morning giggles during yet ANOTHER self-isolation due to contact with covid case.

Tell me I'm wrong

They must also all have a stiff neck from hold their nose in the air because I've never got a nod out of any of them.

Many suffer from an over developed left calf muscle from trying to change gear with a box from a tractor.

When boys grow up, they switch from stroking with their right hand to stroking with their left foot.

Ah! It often happens in Italy where narrow and winding roads abound, scooters are kings in those routes and motorcyclists often lag behind.

Having owned a couple BMWs, this was always my favorite joke: I could afford the bike, but it was expensive getting the surgery to have my nose turned up. (rimshot)

I confess I have never actually ridden a Harley-Davidson...
... or a Superbike either.

I think they should be kept as something to look at once
(only from the RH side in the case of H-D)
and then left behind while you get on with more interesting matters...

rather like the Kardashians.

One of the neat things about riding a BMW motorcycle with cruise control is to wave at another biker with your RIGHT hand !

Cruise Control on a Motorcycle.

I think that you nailed what I was saying right there.

I've ridden 3 Harley Davidsons. An 883 Sportster, a Dyna Wide Glide and an Electra Glide.

All lovely in their own way but just like BMW - you really have to commit to the brand and it's not a cheap commitment.

I have an HD T Shirt and that's where it ends.

The coolest thing is to have a HD shirt and ride a scooter.
The maximum of ambiguity on two wheels.

Which is why I no longer ride a scooter.

Attila, that band is so weird. Reminds me of this guy on a Maccan concertina.

I don't know. It seems to me if you've heard one classic rock tune playing polka band, you've heard them all!

Just kidding. That was fun. Can't wait until they cover Waka Jawaka.

RM

Posted to underline how such a thread can seem a mixture of motorcycle and scooter compared to a mixture of polka and rock. Just to laugh about it a little ...

Oh, heck - just confirm it for them.......




O.S.

I've known people who've heard that on their non-Harley motorcycles too.

I've personally not had any comments like that from anyone, even Harley riders, with respect to my scooters or non-HD branded motorcycles.

In fact, I have had complements on both my Vespas from motorcycle riders, both HD and other brands. A few of them have commented that they'd like to get one for errand running and other short trips.

That is not what Harley is aiming for or needs with those new models. They whole point is to broaden their market appeal beyond the typical "Harley Faithful", or will be aging out and dying off before too long.

Full leathers and no gloves?

I'd think as crash prone as this thing is, the rider would ALWAYS wear gloves!

So? Do you have a point or are you just talking?

Or just smoking them right off the line with a Malossi 166 kit

Only if the scooter is a Topper!

Someone say Topper?