The two stroke scooters get about 75 MPG. The Harleys get about 42 MPG. My V-Strom gets 45.
Posted on 07/22/2008 9:37:16 AM PDT by decimon
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Record gasoline prices are fueling a boom in sales of fuel-efficient scooters across the United States, as commuters ditch their gas-guzzlers and don helmets and goggles to beat high prices at the pump.
U.S. scooter sales have risen 65.7 percent in the first half of 2008, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council, making the industry one of the biggest beneficiaries of a more than 30 percent spike in oil prices this year.
"They are just flying out of here," said Steve Travers, who manages a scooter and motorcycle dealership in midtown Manhattan. "Consumers want to escape gas prices, they can't afford to drive their cars and they want an inexpensive way to get around."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
The guy I was posting to was looking at 250cc motorcycles, not scooters. As you say, something completely different.
The kid next door had a new Vespa. By the time he got to his driveway, he was about done. I live in the mountains BTW
Seriously, so you got a bad bike and it just happened to be a Harley.
I know people that have gotten bad bikes that are Yamahas, Hondas, Suzukis, etc.
Why all the vitriol against people that happen to ride Harleys?
Based on my own experience and that of other scooterists whom I know personally, the most reliable machines on the market right now are from Yamaha and Kymco. My Vino 125 has over 40,000 miles on it and has never stranded me, parts are cheap and the design is simple enough for DIY maintenance. The Suzuki owners in my circle are also very happy but they don’t sell anything smaller than a 400cc in North America. Piaggio (including Vespa, Derbi and Aprilia) make good-quality machines but parts & service cost a fortune.
By far the best feature of scooters IMO is the amount of storage space. I can fit a week’s worth of groceries under the seat, and with my Givi case I can carry enough for a camping weekend.
Yeah, for mountain riding you need at least 400cc; there were a couple of short stretches in the Adirondacks that dropped me to 35mph. There are several scooters on the market in the 400-650cc range.
I was shopping for a Wideglide and ended up much happier with the 2000 Deuce that I found.
The two stroke scooters get about 75 MPG. The Harleys get about 42 MPG. My V-Strom gets 45.
This would do it for me
Zero to Sixty in 2.9 seconds
A Tiger Z-100
Chassis 90% round tube space frame,
powder coated
Body GRP with carbon, wings carbon
Engine GSXR 1000 Suzuki (x 2)
Transmission Bike sequential with bespoke
Tiger transfer box including
reverse
Steering Rack and pinion 2.5 turns
Brakes Disc front and rear
Now I can’t believe anything you say. All Harley’s look a like? If you did in fact owned a Harley Sportster 883 you would know for damn sure they don’t all look a like. Anyone who would say such a thing has never owned a Harley and has never been around them. Harley owns 70% of the market now. I guess what you are saying is all those people are wrong and your right? The guy you were trying to put down for buying an 883 for $1,500 got a hell of a deal and yes 99 out of 100 people would take that over a Honda 450.
Sweeet. Looks like it’s been around for a while.
I just got my '84 Nighthawk S a few weeks ago.
0-60 : 3.6 sec, 48 MPG
Gotta love that.
That ain't no scooter. But it's a nice sickel.
Nice. Red, or blue?
A forum you should check out: http://nighthawk-forums.com/
I’ve gotten 55+ mpg with mine, but that’s going 55 or less in 6th gear with no acceleration whatsoever.
Ah, blue, I see.
I agree, but what is our marketplace (reality) includes the doings of many statist nations. And that has always been the case and we have thrived.
Yes, and in typical Harley owner fashion, you TOTALLY missed the sarcasm in that statement. Didn’t you notice the ludicrously long and fake model number?
The point is that Harley doesn’t sell bikes, they sell a “lifestyle”, much like Toyota does with the Prius. Their bikes are almost all retro cruisers, and their idea of a new model is to paint an old one all black and sell it as a “Night” model. Yes, I know there are different designs, but when Harley goes out of their way to advertise that their bikes look just like their 40s models, well....
Harley doesn’t own 70% of the market now. And hasn’t since the 60s. Harley may have that much of the *cruiser* segment, but overall Honda stomps them. Worldwide? Honda stomps them.
BTW, IIRC, the poster said he got it for $1500 less, not $1500.
Very nice. By the way, you’ll want to apply a LOT of plasticizer to the turn signal stalks and especially the front stalk clamps. They get old and brittle and if they crack, you’re SOL on the front clamps because they’re NLA and Honda doesn’t have another run scheduled.
I just found that pic on the web. Mine is just like it (blue), except that the decals are gone except for the tank.
The plastic has all been repainted with really good, shiny black. I've looked for replacement decals, and they're gonna be in the $125 neighborhood for a set, it seems.
I'm getting a replacement speedo cable and will need to redo the clutch at some point, since it's starting to slip a bit at 7K+ in 6th. :-/
I rode with friends to the Black Hills a week after I bought it, and it got about 48 MPG when cruising at 70 MPH. It also kept up with the others on newer, bigger bikes in the twisties pretty well, considering.
Oh, and I kept it below 100 MPH for that trip. Runs nicely for its age.
Yeah, I've noticed that. The left control pod is turning pretty gray too. I think the last owner did some gluing to hold the turn signal plastic together. It's a clean job, with very little showing, but it's still glue.
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