Maybe the time has come....

....for me to move on to a bigger scoot.

There, I said it! It's hard to say it out loud, but I am getting bored ONLY having 49cc to ride. I am tired of not being able to ride longer distances to really GO somewhere on it as it takes too long. I am tired of only being able to ride the back roads all the time. Just "meandering" is getting tiresome.

Plus, I get tired of riding alone all of the time. If I had a bigger scoot I could keep up to go on (or get to!) scooter or motorcycle rides or rallies.

I find myself not just jumping on the Ruckus to run to the store because the store is 8 miles away and it takes too long and I have to ride along the side of the road.

There ARE limitations on a 49cc scooter! And after 4 years of scooter riding I am ready for a new level. Maybe in a way I have put it off too long! I think I need to start doing some serious "research", which means trying to get some test rides in.

I don't think I can afford to have two scooters, so it is likely that the Ruckus would have to go first and then that funding be put down on the next scooter. I'm not sure about that. Not sure I could part so easily with my beloved Ruckus either! Maybe two could work out all right. It's a bit down the road, so no pressure to decide.

I am thinking of a few specific scooters that interest me. All are "medium size" and that appeals to me for a number of reasons:

First and foremost, maneuverability-being able to park and move through traffic easily and being able to negotiate village streets and winding country roads with ease.

Secondly, manageability in terms of handling it on turns, getting it on and off the stand, and just plain picking it up should it go over. Not planning on that, but it happens.

Thirdly, I want a floorboard. I know this may seem like an odd requirement, but I like a floorboard for a utility/commuter scoot. Plus it is part of the personality of a scooter. A good floorboard can haul just about anything!

Mainly, I need to feel comfortable and confident in the handling of it so I do not want to go right off the bat to a "maxi" scooter, meaning 250cc plus. I do believe that at some point I will be one of those riders who will have a medium and a larger scooter as an ideal combination. But I want to upgrade to a medium commuter first such as a 125 or 150cc.

Scooters that I have researched a bit include: Genuine Buddy 125 and 150; Yamaha Vino and Zuma 125; Kymco People 150; and the Honda Elite 110.

All of these would seem to meet all the criteria that I have laid out. I have actually only test ridden two of them, Zuma 125 and People 150, and that was 2 years ago.

I plan to try to ride some of the others, if possible. Truthfully, I am most drawn initially to the Yamaha Vino 125, and in a following blog post I will elaborate on why that scoot appeals to me. It might all disintegrate once I test ride one, but I am doubting that. But sometimes it happens!