Would I look silly...

[brmstn69]

Riding one of these to work?




I guess I should point out that these are not "full size" custom motorcycles...

They are mini choppers, 3/4 scale to be exact. powered by 200cc and 250cc motors with 5 spd. gearboxes. They have a top speed of about 70mph/115kph, get 70mpg and are street legal.

Recently I found out that gas prices are going up again and are expected to reach $4 a gallon by summer and keep climbing to about $5 a gallon in 2012.

While I love my Lincoln and need it to transport my mother, at 10mpg it's going to kill me...:duh:

So when I told my mother I was going to start looking for a economy car, even though I really cannot afford another car right now, she suggested I get a scooter.

So I was shopping around for scooters when I spotted these for about half the price of a similarly sized (engine wise) dork-mobile...I mean scooter, and about the same price as a good 50cc, no license required scooter or moped...

So what do you think?

To give you an idea about the scale of these bikes, here are a couple of videos of guys riding them...

 

[XMan101]

I completely agree with nilstreet!

 

[smallsleepyrascalcat]

I always imagined you as a big, muscular guy so... in my imagination it would

 

[brmstn69]

I always imagined you as a big, muscular guy so... in my imagination it would

I'm not that big. I'm only 5'8" and 180lbs. so I'm short and stocky and with cropped (almost shaved) hair and goatee, I look like a biker...

But that's also what would make it fun...

 

[trencherman]

Get a red fez and it will complete the look.

Suzuki or some other Japanese motorbike company markets this light motorbike that looks like a cross between Harley and a Lambretta and BMW has a similar concept for production. I am considering getting one of those.

 

[uoskl]

It looks great

 

[grrrpuppy]

It's a little silly... mainly due to the weird scale of them... but you know what... I think the badassness of the style makes up for it a little.
Still, they seem more dangerous than the full scale versions... be careful out there! Make sure others can see you.

 

[lumlum]

It looks cool! I always wanted to ride a motorbike, but I'm really worried about safety problems.

 

[Daedalus]

Putin likes motorbikes too

 

[jeansGuyOZ]

Yet another "does my bum look big in this?" post.

I don't think there is anything wrong with the look of riding this to work, but that's beside the point. You don't need my permission or anyone else's, as long as it's legal so the police are happy with it, go for it.

 

[Tjerk12]

Many years I had motorcycles. I was very fond of Italian bikes. They were easy to handle and very good road holders in corners (I raced with a Ducati). I am not a fan of choppers. Their head angle makes them only suitable for a landing strip on an airfield. But motorcyling is personal fun. I would not worry about what others think. You ride for fun, a lot of car drivers drive cars they actually don't want, but they are not able to pay the money for the car they want.

 

[brmstn69]

Well, it no longer matters...

After careful consideration, I went the practical route...

And bought a Mustang...



While not quite as efficient as I was hoping for, the 20-26 MPG is still a hell of a lot better than the 8-10 MPG I'm getting in my Lincoln...

 

[smallsleepyrascalcat]

What I... oh forget it, I could write a novel and it would still be just the damn European complaining about climate change and why American cars are shit.

It looks nice though.

 

[brmstn69]

The Mustang wasn't my first choice. I actually looked at a little Renault Alliance (Renault 9 in Europe) convertible first. But after I drove 50 miles to meet him, the seller was a no-show...:angry:



I also thought about buying a Mercedes, but decided that I wanted something that would spend more time on the road than in the repair shop...

 

[scully]

it looks great