Let's See....Hmmmmm By kz1000st (Read 3,678 times)

[jct842]

Today though it seems to get the level of seating comfort that 350-450cc bike had 30-40 years ago you need to buy a 750 and maybe as big as an 1100cc bike today. Not talking so much seat padding as how much your legs and hips get bent. A cb350 had a 33" seat and did not cramp your legs, so many bikes that size class today have 26 and 27" seats and even a lot of big bikes are so damn low they must have been designed for midgets!

[kz1000st]

You got that right John. In an effort to speed them up and make them more user friendly to newcomers low displacement bikes are smaller. My wife's Rebel is a miniature next to a Fashion, which is a replica of a 1985 style scooter. Then again most of today's bikes are more compact.

My point though; the GW-250 is a quality bike, capable of interstate travel, water cooled, two cylinders and fuel injected. With care and feeding it will last many, many years and only four grand. A $4800 Vespa 155cc looks foolish by comparison. How about the comparison of a $3800 50cc Vespa to that $3999 Suzuki? Wanna race?

[cyborg]

I kind of wish honda or rather sym ( who's making them anyways) would bring the cub back to the states in a 100-110cc form ,,, I'd be buying,, the bimetro is still looking good,, so it's the Stella tomorrow then finish the BMW r1150r build ,, then it's a new victim,,, I really don't know which one to get ,,, the bimetro or the sym wolf,,, it might just be the bimetro,,, KZ is having way too much fun on his cub,,, I think I need to see what all the hubbub is all about,,, and it's a shifter bike too and on top of it all the price on them is stupid money

[kz1000st]

www.motorcycle-usa.com/115/19059/Motorcycle-Article/2015-Honda-CBR300R-First-Ride.aspx

It gets even worse with this. $4400 for a 300cc Honda, $4900 with ABS. That $4800 155cc Sprint looks worse and worse.

This is positively galling.

www.vespausa.com/scooters/gts-300-ie/overview.html

A measly $6400 for a 300cc GTS.

[jct842]

Seems there are still a few suckers who proudly state "price is no object"

Also the honda review has a few disappointed that honda lies about displacement. Not that no one else lies about their products. Last I checked a 1 lb can of coffee was some where between 11 and 13 ounces. I buy bluebell icecream as it is the only one on the market honest enough to put the whole 1/2 gal in the carton. I will give a slight amount of credit to yamaha with the majesty coming pretty close to 400cc like they advertise.

Where is the truth in advertising law at anyway?

[cyborg]

Some people buy the company line ,, that's all there is to it,, I see $300,000 + bentleys cruising around town here,, dozens of them ,,, and ferraris by the score,,, are they worth the dough?,,, hardly ,, a Ferrari mondial 4 seat convertible was $180,000 new,, now low mile ( well under 30,000 mile) as new ones are going on eBay for under $30,000,,, I've even seen well kept ones going for under $25,000,, quite the hit,, and even considered getting one myself because I do my own service,, oil changes can go into the hundreds at the stealer,,, I bounced my et at a loss just to get on with my life,,, and I'm finding out the Stella is double the quality for a fraction of the V brand price,, and now I'm getting used to the funkyness of the shifting It's turning into a real nice bike,,and may get another to mothball for the long term,,, personally the panache of owning the V brand is lost on me,, but some are hardened rabid owners and the brand has a following bordering on cult status,,, people like and want what they want,,,

[JR]

Hmmmmmmmmm I thought about it for a minute?

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I don't get it? It's like saying you can drive this 

or you can drive down the road with class in this  

Why not compare a scooter to a scooter and a motorcycle to a motorcycle?

[kz1000st]

Because two wheels is two wheels. If a person walks into a Honda dealer and sees a Forza next to a CBR, he compares price tags, $4400 for a CBR, $5700 for a Forza. It's why motorcycles outsell scooters 10-1. If the shop also carries Vespa his eyes will bug out at $6400 for a 300cc Vespa.

The point here is Class warfare. Vespa owners crow about how great their scooters are when, in fact, they're inferior to motorcycles costing hundreds or thousands less and Vespas break down more. In many ways they're no better than a Roketa MC54-250B or even a 275cc Linhai, for what?, $2600.

I can ride cross country on a GW-250 Suzuki outfitted with bags and a windshield, I can go to the grocery store on that same bike. I would be hard pressed to cross America on a 155cc Vespa on the interstates.

As for the convenience of scooters in the city. I used to pass a lot of them mired in traffic in Manhattan.....on my bicycle.

Comparing pickup trucks is just comparing avocados. Even in that vein, how about a Tundra? It doesn't carry more than a F-150 but costs how much more? I don't see many Tundras around construction sites.

I bought a Chinese scooter for the same reason you did. If a vehicle is only capable of doing $2000 worth of work for me, why would I spend $6400 for it? By my calculations a Vespa GTS 300 is $2400 overpriced, at least, and more like $4400.

[JR]

Aug 21, 2014 6:31:28 GMT -6 kz1000st said:

Because two wheels is two wheels. If a person walks into a Honda dealer and sees a Forza next to a CBR, he compares price tags, $4400 for a CBR, $5700 for a Forza. It's why motorcycles outsell scooters 10-1. If the shop also carries Vespa his eyes will bug out at $6400 for a 300cc Vespa.

The point here is Class warfare. Vespa owners crow about how great their scooters are when, in fact, they're inferior to motorcycles costing hundreds or thousands less and Vespas break down more. In many ways they're no better than a Roketa MC54-250B or even a 275cc Linhai, for what?, $2600.

I can ride cross country on a GW-250 Suzuki outfitted with bags and a windshield, I can go to the grocery store on that same bike. I would be hard pressed to cross America on a 155cc Vespa on the interstates.

As for the convenience of scooters in the city. I used to pass a lot of them mired in traffic in Manhattan.....on my bicycle.

Comparing pickup trucks is just comparing avocados. Even in that vein, how about a Tundra? It doesn't carry more than a F-150 but costs how much more? I don't see many Tundras around construction sites.

I bought a Chinese scooter for the same reason you did. If a vehicle is only capable of doing $2000 worth of work for me, why would I spend $6400 for it? By my calculations a Vespa GTS 300 is $2400 overpriced, at least, and more like $4400.

Still don't get the point? Want to ride across the country you know you're looking motorcycle, scooter doesn't even register in your mind, you then shop motorcycles even if you go to a name brand dealer and see a name brand scooter. You know up front the limitations and capabilities of both while you may make a trip or two on a good scooter you still know it's not made for such riding and on the long haul you think only motorcycle with in mind it's good for all things, going to the grocery store or going to Mt Rushmore, apples to oranges.

On the other hand if you want only a local ride, grocery getter, fun to go to the lake and wet a hook and have no intention of riding to Mt. Rushmore and want a scooter then you don't have a motorcycle on the brain and could care less about buying one?

Won't disagree or agree with the Vespa vs, Chinese scooter thing, not at war with anyone on this issue, do think they are both applicable and myself I've learned to get to the middle of the fence on this issue. I'm finding that having the stance of "if it's what you like then ride it" works to get along with everyone and that's what matters the most. Yes I ride Chinese for several reasons and yes I wouldn't be afraid to get on mine and ride it to China but that's not how everyone thinks and that's OK too.

Won't agree or disagree with your thoughts on what is overpriced or not, not going down that road any more. What I'm finding is that a intelligent lively conversation about all aspects is good reading, educational and fun to read, just like this thread, I have an opinion and so does everyone here and there are some very good points made.

My truck thing was a funny cause all who know me know I'm a Chevy man and yes there are a lot of Tundras here in Arkieland especially for work trucks, they hold up but generally on a apple to apple basis of options run higher than a Chevy so that hurts their sales some.

IMO people who want a certain thing when they get ready to lay down their money stick to what is on their mind and don't compare apples to oranges.

JR

[kz1000st]

OK. Maybe I'm not thinking about other people just me. I like my scooters but Rocket is my first choice for grocery runs, foot shifter and all. I'm also riding my wife's Rebel more and the bike bug is gnawing. I keep seeing older, low mileage bikes out there and it sets my mind to wondering. A Vespa isn't even in my radar screen.

I would feel the same way as you about "ride what you like" if the other guy wasn't always throwing rocks my way. I lived it with Japanese bikes 40 years ago and now, again, with Chinese scooters. I'd agree they were crap if they weren't working for me. They are, so how crappy can they be?

[cyborg]

A CHEVY MAN!!!!!!! Geez and I was just starting to like you too.

[jct842]

Cross country was never used in same sentence as scooter, and Then came the maxi, and they still are the least desirable way on 2 wheels cross country. I bought that majesty because I could hardly walk and on the verge of dropping the bandit. (they weigh about the same, but scooter weight is so much lower and easy to hold up) In retrospect what I SHOULD HAVE DONE was to store the bike until the VA fixed my knee.

I actually can see some of the reasons that those expensive scooters sell. Some people like to tool around in a classic car just so they can be seen in one. Same with some of those expensive scooters. Like the guy who orders the bently to impress the ladies or the 68 year old in a 2 seat convertible sports car. The scooter guy just can't afford the Porsche. None of the above bought with any sense of practicality.

[jct842]

GM should never been bailed out.

[kz1000st]

This, by the way, made my mind race.

syracuse.craigslist.org/mcy/4606981764.html

As did this.

binghamton.craigslist.org/mcy/4587179749.html

[cyborg]

I'll get practical in my wheel chair,,, till then it's nicely warmed up cars and bikes and a blonde in my covertible