Posted on 06/16/2008 3:55:55 PM PDT by groanup
Anybody want to talk about scooters and mini bikes? Face it, with these gas prices the idea makes sense. I have one that gets 80 MPG and tops out at 45 MPH. It cost less than $1500 and, in the State of Georgia, for less than 50cc, there is no registration, no advalorum tax and no special operator's license. Plus the insurance costs about $120 a year and there are special parking places available.
I know these aren't Harley's, alright? But they sure are fun and CHEAP!!
I’d buy a Vespa LX 150 cc model but shortages and the high price to start with conspire against that idea. I may end up with a Kymco People S 125 instead.
Seriously, scooters are great. Anywhere from 50-100 MPG.
Of course, you can't pull a boat behind one...and you're out in the weather. They have advantages and disadvantages.
Nice!
Don't know. It's a custom job for a Japanese scooter show.
Win. This thred haz it.
I think we got about 10 into the thread before the obligatory “organ donor” comment. That’s so original. Ha ha ha ha ha. Didn’t see “murdercycle” though. Some of the caged monkeys are slipping.
You were absolutely right until you said “By the way, still safer than getting pinned in the wreckage of a Geo Metro while you bleed out, or in a Prius as the battery pack shorts through the chassis... and you.”
US fatality rate per 100,000,000 miles driven.
Motorcycle 24.10
US all vehicles, all drivers 1.5
passenger car male driver >20 0.75
passenger car female driver >20 1.56
I’m not claiming to know anything about the Prius but I googled Prius + accident. There is an automatic relay that shuts off the power at the battery if the air bag deploys.
Having been on site as they cut someone out of a Metro only to have them bleed out before they could get to the victims, I’d say that you need to do some observation.
As for automatic relays... they don’t always work in a crash. That’s why fire departments are having to train up on hybrids specifically because of this issue.
Also, seeing as how there’s a large number of idiot kids on bikes as well as idiot newbie middle-age-crisis riders out there, I’m not surprised by those stats. That *should* come down as the squids and the RUBbies lose their taste (and cash to pay for) their toys.
I work in an ER. I see many people cut out of cars. Motorcyclists in similar accidents do to go to the ER, no need.
The risk of being on a motorcycle is an order of magnitude greater.
Yes, lots of people get cut out of cars - but there are far more cars than there are bikes. That only makes sense.
Like I said, nobody is saying that motorcycling is or ever will be a safe activity. Modern safety gear reduces the chances of injury to start with and then further reduces the severity (or tries to, anyway) of injury when it does happen.
I slammed into a stone wall going 35 mph and then had the bike land on top of me ten years ago. I’m still here because I was wearing full gear - not cheap then, but it was some of the top of the line stuff at the time. Run of the mill gear *now* is better than what I had *then*; cutting edge gear is unbelievable.
I’ve also been in a Suzuki Swift (Metro twin) when the idiot female driver ran out of talent and luck and ran it into a building at 35. We were OK as we had great luck, but we had to wait for the fire department to cut us out - 20 minutes. I can only imagine how bad it would be if, say, you’d eaten the steering column or gearshift, were bleeding, and they couldn’t get to you because of the crumpled wreckage trapping you.
Well, actually they are inherently more dangerous than cars.
I saw some recent research. Injuries and deaths were 10x to 20x higher per mile for bicycles than cars. Even when bike/car accidents are left out, the accident rate for bikes is much higher. The major reason we think of cars as more dangerous is because many, many more miles are put on cars each year in the US than on bikes. So while there are more bike accidents per mile, the total number of car accidents is much higher.
Some of this is due to many children riding bikes, but while I love biking, I recognize its inherently risky nature.
I’m on a 1986 Honda Helix Montana, and get about the same mileage. The Helix is capable of over 60 mph, but I wouldn’t recommend it, as a speed wobble starts at about 62 mph. Ask me how I know (;Þ
Kymco Bet & Win 150 bump. I like it but I’m also careful. Take the classes, be safe and use your brain. It will be tons of fun and save bucks on gas.
I’ve heard good things about both of those models. Thanks.
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