Downsizing for more fun.

[Tom]

http://www.cycleworld.com/2016-smokey-mountain-crawl-motorcycle-event-honda-ruckus-vs-the-dragon?cmpid=enews070716&spMailingID=25928477&spUserID=NzQ5OTQyOTQyODAS1&spJobID=840995620&spReportId=ODQwOTk1NjIwS0#page-6

For those that don't ride moped scooteres.  They are fun in the right venue.  

[Cool Runnings]

Looks like a total hoot! 

[Tom]

Kind of like looking for fun while bicycling.  Everything at a slower speed.

[boatdetective]

My neighbor got one for her son on his 16th birthday (I know- best Mom EVER). I live in a very congested old New England town- the Ruckus is perfect for bombing around in this environment. Great design.

However, my basic feeling is that most 50cc bikes are just too slow to command a lane of traffic. As a result, you often times have a car jammed up your exhaust pipe while you have the poor little thing pinned. You just need to have some more juice to get out of the way.

My exGF had an LX150 Vespa and it was delightful. Just enough power and had no problem running around at 50 on a B road. Doing the Dragon on a Vespa- or with a buzzing swarm of Vespae- would be an absolute gas.

[guzziknight]

Last year I took my Aprilia Scarabeo 200 on a long day ride, including the Cherohala Skyway and the Dragon, 400 miles total. It has 16 inch wheels and makes a whopping 19 hp. The looks I got while riding the Dragon and at the store after, were hilarious. They couldn't seem to grasp how I was riding there on a small scooter. But what fun it was. It only struggled for speed on the steepest part of the Cherohala and got 75mpg during the ride. Hard to complain about that!!

[guzziknight]

Here's a good one from last year about a guy who rode from Key West to Alaska on a 50cc ruckus. Good video to watch...

http://lanesplitter.jalopnik.com/this-guy-quit-his-job-and-rode-30k-miles-on-a-honda-ruc-1700749213

[Sheepdog]

Yesterday, I had errands to run and it was the Piaggio's turn in the rotation. One thing led to another and I wound up spending all day riding that scooter. It is a gas! I'll admit that the larger diameter wheels and the 500cc engine make this a very motorcycle-like scoot, but there is great joy to be had when you dust all the cages off the line with a bike they thought would block their progress...

[Tom]

My neighbor got one for her son on his 16th birthday (I know- best Mom EVER). I live in a very congested old New England town- the Ruckus is perfect for bombing around in this environment. Great design.

However, my basic feeling is that most 50cc bikes are just too slow to command a lane of traffic. As a result, you often times have a car jammed up your exhaust pipe while you have the poor little thing pinned. You just need to have some more juice to get out of the way.

Over here, IIRC under 50cc's and max speed 35 qualifies a scooter to be classified as a moped.  Anything outside of that is a scooter and needs a motorcycle/scooter endorsement.  A moped scooter rider still needs a basic driver's license and can operate in the bike lanes.  This is a good way to make time in congested roadways.

[Tom]

Here's a good one from last year about a guy who rode from Key West to Alaska on a 50cc ruckus. Good video to watch...

http://lanesplitter.jalopnik.com/this-guy-quit-his-job-and-rode-30k-miles-on-a-honda-ruc-1700749213

Thanks. 

[wrbix]

Last year I took my Aprilia Scarabeo 200 on a long day ride, including the Cherohala Skyway and the Dragon, 400 miles total. It has 16 inch wheels and makes a whopping 19 hp. The looks I got while riding the Dragon and at the store after, were hilarious. They couldn't seem to grasp how I was riding there on a small scooter. But what fun it was. It only struggled for speed on the steepest part of the Cherohala and got 75mpg during the ride. Hard to complain about that!!

Love my Scarabeo - keep it in FL.... No hills to struggle with. Really appreciate the stability of the 16"s at speed.