Ruckus Scooter Love

Ruckus Scooter Love
Scootin' For A Slower Pace of Life...

Sunday, April 29, 2012

I choose to take a chance...

...everytime I climb on my scooter and head out the driveway on a ride.


And I know it and the fear of taking that chance kept me from riding a scooter or a motorcycle for over 20 years.

And tonight on the local news another motorcyclist has been killed by a car "not seeing" them. I know this happens all the time. And yet I continue to choose to ride.

And I've decked out "hi viz" in obnoxious yellow and orange just to be seen. I've flown a hi viz bicycle flag from my scooter, I've worn a hi viz vest over my jacket, I've outlined my scooter frame with 3M reflective tape, I choose colors for bags and accessories that enhance visibility.

And yet I know that even this may not be enough. But I choose to take that chance because I love to ride. And I refuse to live my life afraid of doing so anymore. I refuse to waste any more of my years watching scooters and motorcyclists ride past my door and yearn to join them, but being afraid.

I have joined them these past 5 years and I've had some close calls myself, even with all my "hi viz" and "high vigilance". Twice to be exact. Twice if I not been purely "lucky" I would have been killed by a car.

Once was right in front of my house. I was considering stopping by my mailbox on the right side of the road before turning in my drive on the left side of the road and thought, no, I'll check the mail later. But something pulled me over to the right side of the road where I stopped and all of a sudden, silently and very fast, an SUV came up my left side from over the hill behind me. Had I turned left into the drive I would have been hit and killed.

No doubt this driver never saw me because he almost side-swiped me. I felt the suction of the wind on my left side he was that close.

Another time was similar and but for the grace of God I was not killed. I was stopped on a quiet 2 lane road in front of an Amish market and was signaling to turn left. Not a car in sight. Luckily I was posed on near the center line. A car (with a drunk person) came from behind at high speed and almost side-swiped me from the right.

Again, I felt the pull of the mass of the car to my right. Never heard it, he never saw me. He wasn't looking. Then he proceeded to stop his car, get out, and walk back toward me ranting and swinging his fist calling me every name in the book.

Luckily an Amish buggy pulled up behind me and he saw the Amish man step down and come over toward me. He then turned and went back to his car.

After each of those incidents (2 years apart) I sat off of the scoot for almost a week. I was shaken. For all my vigilance and care in riding I still could have been a statistic.

Eventually I got back on because I know that everything we do out on the road, car or scooter, is a chance we take.

I must drive a car in order to make a living. I choose to ride a scooter because doing so brings me wonderful experiences and feelings that I do not want to be without in my life.

I do everything I know to take precautions: I do not ride when I am tired or distracted; I deck out "hi viz"; I ride as if I am invisible; I stay away from as many roads as possible that are heavily traveled by cars; I am constantly checking my rear view mirrors; if I feel unsafe I pull over and let others go by with no shame whatsoever; I gear up; I ring my Gremlin Bell! LOL.

On the Ruckus I more or less rode it like a bike, staying on slow roads and riding on the side most of the time on roads 45mph+. On the Elite things will be different. I will be able to go up to close to 55mph and can traverse some 45-55mph roads when necessary. I won't do this often, but I will have the option if I am traveling at distance from home, which I will be more easily able to do with the Elite.

Any MSF courses are over 75 miles away in Cincinnati and they fill up fast. I have never been able to avail myself of one for those reasons. Riding there on the Ruckus (or even the Elite) would be almost crazy, considering the traffic I would have to ride in to get there to the site.

I am wanting to check out somehow doing one of these, however, even if I cannot do it on my own ride and have to use one of their motorcycles. So I am going to check into doing that and also see if the Harley dealers sponsor a safety course anywhere close to me.

Beyond all that, I still know that every time I ride I take a chance. I am ok with that for now. I wonder if I will always be "ok" with that. I hope so. I have so many things I'd like to do, so many places I would like to explore on a scooter or motorcycle. I can't imagine not having all that to look forward to.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

I am a "rider"...

Ok, so there's no scooter in the garage right now, and won't be for a few weeks, so I am probably going to "wax poetic" (or as my other half says, "wax pathetic") here for awhile. And I've been thinkin'...

I am realizing that I am no longer a "scooterist" nor was, nor will be yet, again a "motorcyclist". I am a RIDER. Call it "biker" if you want to elimnate horses, wagons, trains, buses, etc. But the point is the same.

And Lance Armstrong said it well a while ago: "It's not about the bike."
And no, it's not about the scooter or the motorcycle either. What I am saying is that it is what the machine IS in my life and as the basis for my lifestyle that matters. I become my passion: a rider.

The machine is a means to an end. A "tool" so to speak that carries me along to adventures, errands, calm inner places, beautiful landscapes, awesome experiences under the open sky, new friends, joy and more joy.

How quickly, how much it weighs, how much stuff it can carry, what color it is, what brand name it is...all are moot points. The rest is just frills. It is what it DOES in my life that counts. Where it takes me.

Yeah, color is important to some. The capacity to carry stuff (groceries, books, laptops, camping gear, pizzas, bags of dog food, picnic lunches, cases of beer) is important to others.

Comfort and fun to drive or sit upon for hours on end is a factor if you are planning to sit on it for hours on end. All things to consider.

The "cool factor" is important to some. How loud it revs up is important to others. Some flash the brand name and spend more time polishing or modding out their rides than riding them. If they're happy, who cares?

Any way you look at it the machine is a means to an end: new friends, new places, new experiences, new feelings of euphoria, new roads, new photographs, new blog entries, new life lessons, a sense of identity, etc.

Call me "crazy", but aren't we all crazy that do this riding? We "riders"?
We know something that the rest of them don't know and never will: the sweet sensation of riding a motorbike.

Heck, when I'm not riding I'm thinking about riding and when I'm riding I am thinking about where else I plan to ride...

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Scooterless for another month....so glad it's rainy and cold!


What a weird, empty feeling to go out to my garage and see the spot where Scootie used to sit. *Sigh*

But it had to be. Living on a budget, I had to sell the Ruckus to gather up the money for the Elite 110. Maybe some day when things are better I will have another Ruckus alongside the Elite and maybe even a motorcycle to round out the stable.

One can dream, ya know? I love them all!

I figure within the next month I will be able to go and buy out the Elite and ride her home to her new life. A life of adventure, fun, and many happy miles and smiles together!

I can hardly stand the wait!

In the meantime I am planning a few things out. I purchased the red Cortech saddlebags on Ebay this week. These will go with the tail bag that I already have and with this set-up I will have tons of hauling room on the Elite without having to purchase a top case at this point.




With the huge underseat locking space and glove box I can lock up my helmet and valuables and do basic errands to the grocery and library.

Add the saddle bags and I am good for a big grocery run or a day tour or over-nighter. Add a top case and I am good for touring with plenty of room for a small tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, and camping gear.

In a month or so I will order a side kickstand on-line for the Elite. Around early fall I will add the windshield purchase from Honda. Other than that, the scoot is set to travel.

I am also adding an armored 3 season riding jacket and pants and a 3/4 helmet with visor in the near future. I get a discount at the Honda dealership and I've already spotted some I might be interested in purchasing.

But first things first and that is getting the scooter out of "Honda Jail"!

Meanwhile, I am so glad it has turned cold and rainy.

Horrible scooting weather this week, else I would be bouncing off the walls about now!

Friday, April 20, 2012

Something is stirring in my soul of late...

And I think it has been a long time coming. Getting on a scooter in 2007 was just a part of it. Living 2 miles from a Harley store in the city for 10 years fueled the longing as well.

Now I am finding myself lingering and looking on line at more and more motorcycle blogs and am encountering, in real life and on-line, women riding motorcycles. And many *gasp!* at my age! Heck, some older!

Then I find this crazy Canadian from Scooter Diva is actually sitting upon, and riding, the exact same motorcycle that I rode in 1985 when I was a "budding youth" and it's got me thinking all over again about where I am heading within, or beyond, this scooter/ridin'/motorcyclin' love of mine.

Now I sit out here in the sticks and think a lot like this and even though I am in the process of buying a bigger scooter to give me "more power" and longer range, I know it is because I want to "go somewhere" and the emphasis is on the "go" part. I want to spend whole days out here riding and exploring. I want to plan trips. I am a solo rider for now but that doesn't stop my dreaming about over-nighters, or week-enders, or week-longers, or more.

And then I know from this that eventually I will add a second "more power" machine, even though I am on a budget, I know I will scrape that together like I scraped this bigger scoot together, because I know that riding is my identity and my life now and I want to do more and more of it whenever I can.

I also know that I am not getting any younger and I want to do these things NOW. I read about these other women doing these things and I think, wow, I've wasted so much time here, so let's get on it NOW.

But I digress, as usual. My "stirrings" are about making that second machine a motorcycle, not a maxi-scooter. Then I think back to 1985 when I got this craziness in me at the age of 29, and after the death of my mom in 1984, and went out and bought (cash, in those days I had money to spend freely) a brand new, Candy Apple Red, 1985 Honda Shadow 500cc motorcycle.




What it was is that I had never forgotten that TV show, "Then Came Bronson" with Michael Parks about that guy who walked away from corporate America and headed across country on a motorcycle. That stuck within me since it had aired in the '70s. I always longed to have that kind of freedom.



And also, now here with death having taken my sweet mom from me, I was challenging death and not wanting to "not live" life, so I jumped on my dream, so to speak, and got myself this bike.

Now if you are a fan of "political correctness" you'd better dive now because the rest of this story is so unbelievable (to me now, anyway) that you might get crazed on me. So be warned-

So here I was, single, in the Navy, and had moved back home to care for my mom who was gravely ill. After she eventually passed away I believe that some of the things I did were out of grief and such, like buying this bike.

Another one was I painted her house, totally by myself, inside and out. That took all summer and I worked at it day and night.

I was also known to mow the lawn, by the riding mower head lights, at 2 am, while drinking a tad too much Coors Light. Lots of bugs, that hobby.

But the wildest thing was that I bought this motorcycle in the spring of 1985. I knew absolutely no one who rode a motorcycle. All I had ever heard was how dangerous they were, how so-and-so got killed on one, etc.

None of that stopped me. I was so goofy that I walked into a local Honda motorcycle shop and, liking the pretty red one, bought it. Never sat on it, did not know a thing about how to drive it, nothing!

I had the good sense to also buy boots, a full-face helmet, and a leather jacket and gloves. Choices were slim in those days, but it looked totally cool to be decked out in black leather. Or so I thought!

The bike was delivered, the guy spent 10 minutes explaining how to shift and going over the bike with me in the driveway, and then he drove off. That was it.

At age 29 there is little that I did not think I could do. I had not one shred of doubt or fear. I "suited up", climbed on board, and started it up. I accelerated and did not give it enough oomph and immediately dropped it in the driveway!

No harm to me or it, but I was such a weakling that I had to go and get a neighbor to help me pull it back up. He laughed at me and headed home and I got back on the thing and took off on a 20 mile ride. Never dropped it again, never worried about dropping it. I just rode and thus began the year when my motorcycling "self" was born.

I was like a crazy woman and I knew no fear! I was cruising at 70mph down twisting 2 lane country roads and I was gone out the door every moment I was not working or doing necessary household chores.

Nothing kept me off that bike. In those days there was no motorcycle safety instruction. I learned to shift by trial and error, and it was a wonder I did not kill myself!

But oh my goodness, I had a blast! I got to where I not only rode for pleasure but I also commuted 45 miles one way into the city. I was working then as a member of the military and several of the men I worked with rode Goldwings. I was the only woman at this little duty station and they were amazed that I would ride that bike into work. I was embraced as "one of the guys" and felt a comradery that was just so cool.

No one around me was saying, "Oh, you shouldn't do that. It's just too dangerous, etc." but sometime in the late fall something clicked in me and I was afraid to get back on it. Nothing happened. Nothing at all. I just stopped. Within months I sold the bike and that was it.

Oh I still longed for the experience of riding. I just hit a wall within me or something. I was also in the process of getting out of the military and moving to another state, so maybe that was part of it all. I really don't know.

Time passed and I got too busy and wrapped up in this and that and then 10 years later I found myself living 2 miles down the road from a huge Harley store and I saw them coming and going all the time. It became a "little torture".

They had rallys and big runs and I'd see them all out there. But a Harley was way out of my budget and though it was cool, all that rumbling was really not for me. I was buying their shirts and their key chains and stuff and still thinking about the summer of 1985, but I never acted on it.

It's hard sometimes to know why we do the things we do. I think I just "got busy" with my career and family and my partner did not ride or have an interest, so I rode bicycles instead. I lived in the burbs then and went on rail trails and tooking up hiking with my dogs and golfed more and that's what I did mostly.

Then in 2006 we moved out here to the country. More and more I'd see motorcycles and remembered the wonderful rides along country lanes during the summer of 1985. Soon my lust got the best of me and I dropped by a Honda Powersports store and looked around and saw scooters there and began to think, "Well, maybe this would be a great alternative to bicycling. Almost like a motorcycle without the shifting. Almost like a bike but without the pain."

We've got dirt roads up here as well and the Honda Ruckus scooter seemed like a great choice for those as well as exploring some back roads at slow speeds. And that is what I bought in June of 2007. It got me back out on the roads and feeling some of the same freedom and joy that I felt in 1985.

Then as time went on I have come to want more speed, more power, more range and I am "bursting forth" from my scootering ways and want to GO SOMEWHERE.

I've got "scooter" in my soul, but that "summer of 1985 motorcyle part of my soul" is awakening afresh too. I think something is going to come of that and I think I will realize that my true destiny is still calling to me:"Come and REALLY ride, you crazy ol' broad!"

That "crazy 29 year old girl" is not done with motorcycling yet. I don't think so...

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Thinking about a riding club in this area of...

I say "riding club" because I am including scooters and motorcycles in this consideration. That also includes Can-Ams and trikes. I am writing about southern Ohio, a rural, Appalachian culture where the ATV is King and dirt bikes and motorcycles rank afterward.

A scooter doesn't even get a mention, except in a few of the major cities where there are scooter shops or Honda, Yamaha, or Suzuki powersports dealers selling some scooters among the (you guessed it) motorcycles and ATVs.

I'd like to see that change-at least out here in my area. I'd like to start a "riding group" for scooters and motorcycles of all sizes and types. Adults only, speeds ranging from 35-55mph on the routes. No hurry.

This would be an informal group that would meet up at designated locations and do a day ride on a mapped out route that included places of natural beauty, historical significance, or a lunch or supper at an inn or restaurant or dairy bar along the way.

Just a fun, meandering, "stop and smell the roses" kind of ride. Maybe even some over-nighters at a B & B could evolve if there is enough interest.

I'm not sure I'd go so far as to call it a "club". Just a gathering of like-minded riders. I'd advertise it on the local scooter forum and on a few national forums that feature regional listings of rides.

Hopefully we could do this once a month in the riding season, April through October.

This could lead to weekly rides depending on location and mix of riders in an area easily available to those interested.

Right now I ride alone and know no one else who rides a scooter, or a motorcycle, in my area. I've seen a few on the road from time to time, but organized rides could help bring people together who would love to ride with others on a regular basis.

I don't want to limit it to scooters, however, because I have run into a few women motorcycle riders who are looking for a group of like-minded women to ride with who are not interested in breaking speed or distance records but are just interested in a social ride to fun and interesting places at a leisurely place. I'm sure there are men who are looking for this type of ride experience with others as well.

Out here in my area of I know of nothing like this existing. I think it would be a blast. Whether it would "take off" I do not know. But I'd like to try it once I get my bigger scoot where I can actually do some rides like this.

I already have some interest expressed in this concept through the local city-scooter forum board. I think people are looking for something like this where they can hang out with other bikers and enjoy the comradery.

Food and ice cream must also be in the mix! No alcohol! Helmets and safety gear encouraged. (Ohio is a no helmet required state...duh duh duh dumb!)

I've got some routes in mind and once I get my scoot I want to do some planning for an outing and issue an invitation. Hopefully by then we will have consistently warmer and drier weather as well.

Who knows? Maybe a "club name" will emerge and we'll all be decked out in logos and letters signifying our comradery!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Goodbye 49cc...Hello "More Power"!

My little red Ruckus is on it's way to a new home today and I have money to put on my new future scoot, which will be the 2010 Black Honda Elite 110!


With all the emotion of saying good-bye to my Ruckus, there was the stronger desire to get a scooter that I could do longer rides on and finally really GO SOMEWHERE!

I did not cry or feel anything really except that the aggravation of fielding text messages, phone calls, and emails from Craigslist and Ebay is finally over!

Still, I'm gonna miss her...

I have chosen my future steed and it will be the Black Honda Elite 110. This after riding a Honda PCX, Yamaha Vino 125, Yamaha Zuma 125, Kymco People 150, and Genuine Buddy.


The Elite wins it "hands down" in almost all aspects: practical; comfortable; it "fits" me ergonomically; sporty-looking; low center of gravity; lightweight mid-size scoot; peppy ride; maneuverable; fast enough for me for now(up to 53mph); economical (100mpg+); roomy for hauling anything; a floorboard; OEM accessories (windshield, topcase; nearby dealer support; FUN; and it's a Honda!

With this Ruckus sale I should have my Elite in about another 2-3 weeks, if not sooner. Meanwhile I am "scooter-less", a state of being that feels weird, but I can live with it. Though it is really, really hard!

Then comes that sweet 50 mile ride home on the Elite...

Sunday, April 15, 2012

What a Surprize...

I finally got down to the shop that carries Genuine and Kymco scooters. They had a Buddy 125, 150 Italia, 170i, and the Kymco People 150, among others.

The only one set up to test ride was the Buddy 170i and after being told that the ride between that one and the other Buddies was more or less identical, I took it for a spin.

Before I elaborate on that very short ride, I have to say that these scoots are affordable and "rook mah-va-lous". Beautiful colors, offer an awesome array of accessories, and come with a 2 year warranty plus roadside service. The Internationals were on sale for $2499, the Buddy 125 was $3195 out the door.



The shop staff were absolutely wonderful. They had a system where you could put down a deposit and they would hold it for an indefinite period of time or a financing plan. Heck, they even offered delivery options. What could be more nifty?

I looked for the mean looking matte black Psycho model and they told me there were none left. The Black Jack is also no longer in stock. I eyed a shiney black Buddy 125 and the luscious Italia 150 in mint green as alternatives.


So I sat on the scoots in the showroom and found that I liked the "lowered seat" of the Buddy 125 which they told me had a Psycho seat on it due to a customer swap out. It was "just right" and I was practically flat-footed.

But my only ride option was the 170i. The is the new Buddy, fuel-injected, and supposedly faster off the line and on the draw than the other two (150s no longer made). So he got it ready for me to ride.

It was ok, but it was just not my "cup of tea". I was not grinning like I did on the Elite test ride. So that was it. I got that out of my system so to speak and could now move on.

I have one more scooter I'd like to try (rode one briefly 3 years ago) and that is the Yamaha Zuma 125. There are new ones at a local dealer and if I can get a test ride I will go down there hopefully this next week, weather permitting.

So it is narrowing down to the Honda Elite 110 or the Yamaha Zuma 125. Should have it sorted out pretty soon!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Bigger Scooter Fever is a Torturous Thing!

Remember "Tim the Tool Man Taylor" with his "MORE POWER!" mantra?


Yep, that's me! I am obcessing over more power, further and faster rides, a whole new scooting experience. I dream about it at night, I day dream about it during the day, and my Ruckus is getting dusty because I have lost interest in putzing along the gravel roads around here at 20 mph!

So I am heading to the Genuine dealer, weather cooperating, on Saturday. If not then I am getting there as soon as possible afterward.

I've read a gazillion reviews of the Genuine Buddy 125, 150, and Black Jack (no longer made, but sold used) and I am eager to test ride them!

So that is what I am planning to do and will post my impressions.

Meanwhile, what happened to spring? It was 26 degrees on my back porch at 8 o'clock this morning!

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Changes Are A Comin'...

After all, it is Easter, a time for "new beginnings", and so it will be with me in my scooting life and on this scooting blog!

I "tidied up" this blog a bit and got rid of some posts and photos that took up too much space and were tedious to read.

I also changed some headings. As my scooting life changes I will no longer be "scooting the backroads on a 49cc Ruckus" exclusively.


I started out doing that, but I hope to be adding a bigger scooter to the stable in the next month or so. Fifty five plus miles an hour is going to allow me to more readily travel beyond the confines of my ridge community.

Because of this I hope to write and photograph more interesting stuff involving the local natural beauty, history, folk culture, and perhaps some reviews of local eatin' places!

I'd like to also blog about some group scooter rides as I am able to participate more in that experiences.

I will finally be able to GO SOMEWHERE without taking all day to do it, so I am hoping for all sorts of new experiences on my scooter.

It's gonna be COOL and I think I am ready to go to the next level with my scooter riding. I've been 5 years tooling around on just a little 49cc, perhaps missing a lot, though I've had a lot of fun on my Ruckus!

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Let's Cook! Easter Pot Roast in the Crock Pot: Great Scootin' Food...


In order to keep scootin' we need FOOD! So here is an easy, fool-proof crock pot recipe for pot roast in your crock pot. (I use a 2 quart pot myself):

Ingredients:

2 small bags of baby carrots
1/2 lb red skin (or other) potatoes whole, halved, or quartered with skins
6-7 celery stalks chopped into inch to half inch pieces
2 medium yellow onions sliced or chunked
salt
pepper
thyme
your favorite seasoning blend (I prefer Kroger's "Zesty" version)
14.5 oz can of beef broth

Cut up all these veggies and layer in the crock pot up to within 2-3 inches of the top.

As you layer, gently season with salt, pepper, thyme, and a favorite seasoning blend of your choice.

Lay the roast as the top layer. Pour the beef broth over it. Sprinkly lightly with your 4 seasonings described above. Cover.

Cook on LOW for 9 hours. This yields two 9.5 x 14 inch pans of pot roast at our house. I use the Glad covered trays to stack them in the fridge.



WARNING: Cooking this over-night will keep you awake drooling...

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Well, in spite of my reservations....

I am going through with getting the Honda Elite 110!



I went back and rode it again today and I have to say it is a darn FUN scooter and seems plenty fast for me right now.

Plus I was offered the full $400 "bonus bucks" and so I feel I am getting a good deal here for a brand new, under warranty quality scooter.

At some point I would still like to try out some of the Genuine scooters and see what they are like. A 125, 150, or even a 170 could be in my longer term future.

I am not planning to sell my Ruckus, but then it could happen once I gravitate to a larger scooter! Who knows?

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Clearing the Cobwebs Before I Finalize My Choice...

Ok. There's things bothering me about the Honda Elite 110. It's the already noted drawbacks, the things I've been reading in reviews, and some of my own concerns.

There are a few things that I wonder about. Mostly it is the lack of a kick-starter. I have used that on my Ruckus all through the winter months (even today!) and it is a major plus in my book. There is none on the Elite. Here's hoping I have no problems keeping the battery charged up over the winter months!

It's "fuel injected" and I don't know if that makes a difference, but maybe. I don't want a scoot that I cannot start up without disassembling the thing and hooking the battery up to a trickler, though I have avoided this with my Ruckus by running it for 15 minutes weekly in the winter months of storage.

The other part is the reviews I've read say that the scoot goes up to 53 mph. I've experienced a very peppy ride, but is this "enough" scoot do the things I want to do on it part of which is 50 mile plus rides into the city or light touring rides?

I look at it this way: if Wan can ride a 49cc Ruck across the U.S., then I can ride a 108cc Elite across some distance too! Why not? It's comfortable, got plenty of storage, and fuel capacity can always be extended by toting MSR fuel bottles on board. Should not be a problem to do back road adventures on this baby, right?

I am seeing Genuine Buddy 125's used for around $2,000 or less and they top out at 60mph+ and hold 1.7 gals of gas over the 1.6 on the Elite.
I've also seen used Yamaha Vino 125s for around $2,000 or less. But neither of them are fuel-injected so the Elite's performance is going to be similar. Maybe a few mph less, but on a scooter I am not going to be riding the interstates (I wouldn't be doing that on a Silver Wing!). So does it matter?

I could be riding a new Buddy 125 with 60+mph, 100+mpg, kick-starter, side stand, accessories available (wind shield, rack, top cases, etc.), and plenty of storage for $3,000 out the door for new or around $2,000 used. If I wound up liking a Buddy, which I have never test-ridden.

I must admit they do intrique me with their almost "cult following". People seem to love them! It may be worth it to check these out. before finalizing my purchase of the Elite 110.

On the other hand, the Elite 110 is a Honda, with all that this implies and to me it implies reliabililty, quality, and excellent service available a few miles from my home.

The Elite is a scooter that is not being marketed again by Honda in the U.S.A. New ones are going out the doors of dealerships at discount (due to the recession, no doubt) and I DO like buying a new product if I can swing it.

Second guessing oneself before finalizing my decision...such fun!