New Scooter Blues and Ride Report

Well today I picked up my 2010 Honda Elite 110 scooter. Same date 2 years ago that I picked up my 2009 Ruckus, same dealership, same salesperson.

Anyway, we went over to the Honda dealership and got the Honda Elite 110. The weather was threatening thunderstorms, but it held out until the last ten minutes of my ride home. More about that later.

I rode it from Maysville, Kentucky, over the Ohio River bridge, into Aberdeen, Ohio, and up Rt. 52 along the Ohio River to my access roads up into my county of residence.

Do I sound "unenthusiastic"? I should because I feel "unenthusiastic". And I'm not sure why. Once I get to blathering here I may finally understand why. Or maybe it's just a need for sleep, or the weather, or whatever. But I feel "unenthusiastic".

So here's my ride experience, for what it's worth, which ain't much:

First off, the Honda dealership on a Saturday was swarming with people buying big, expensive motorcycles. If they weren't buying them they were riding them in and out of the parking lot flashing their rides. Everyone was "geared up" to the hilt and most of their attire cost more than my scooter itself.

"Bitter, party of one?" Maybe. It gets worse...

So my partner followed me out of the dealership in the SUV and insisted riding behind me to "make sure I was safe". Hey, I can't complain about that! That is SO sweet, ya know?

I was fine with it because the area was swarming with so many damn cars that my head was spinning. A six lane highway, busy as rush hour, none of which I am used to riding in. (Yeah, ends in a preposition, so shoot me.)

Now the scoot has 6 miles on it (and I put those there when I test rode it) so I am not wanting to "gun it" right away, but traffic is fast and heavy. I am already hating riding like this and I pull over into a parking lot after two miles and have a "hissy fit" (see below).

Before it's all over I am riding on the side of the road because these idiots are doing 60mph in a 45mph zone. We get down the hill to the river and go up over the bridge to Ohio.

Now it's getting better, right?

Should be, anyhow. The road is a scenic 2 lane rural road alongside the Ohio River and cars are once again in great abundance. Not usual for this road, but it's Saturday and it's not raining. Not yet anyway.

Everybody wants to pass my ass. I am up to 40mph and fighting side winds and feel the scoot about to take flight. Every buffet of wind moves me along and not in a good way. I am not having fun.

All I am thinking about is that I want my Ruckus back and that I am really only a slow, solitary, pokey-along sort of rider and why the hell am I out here with these cars?

Then here come the weekend "bikers" in mass quantity. Fully dressed out Harley-Davidsons with riders (once again) wearing gear that costs more than my scooter. Heck, their saddlebags cost more than my scooter. Doctors, lawyers, CEOs out trying to look like Peter Fonda in "Easy Rider", yep. They are getting on my nerves!

"Bitter, party of one?" Shut up, Conscience!

I feel like a worm, like a nerd, like a loser. I am ready to cry and give up this scooter and scootering forever. Any aspirations to ride a motorcycle in the future fade away into oblivious, hollow, laughter.

I just want this ride to be over and I want my Ruckus back!!!

I'm not supposed to feel like this, right? I am supposed to be all happy and excited and enthusiastic about being able to go 53mph now, have more storage room, have more power, have more range on my rides, etc. But I am not.

So we mosey along this road and eventually come to a side road that heads up the grade into the heart of the county. It is 7 miles of twisty ups and downs that snake along a creek bed and farmlands. Very few cars.

It is nice and the Elite is pulling the hills pretty well.

The Ruck would be struggling at 20mph tops and the Elite is staying at my now-average-cruising-speed of 30mph. I can't seem to go faster than that and have to admit that even though it "feels like 70mph" it feels just a tad less like that on the Elite over the Ruckus.

That is not saying much, but there ya go.

Hey, I'm 40 miles into the ride and my butt is not hurting as much as it would have on the Ruckus.

That's something, isn't it?

Once up all this we are into town and heading down the 12 mile home stretch. I get to a particularly steep hill in Amish country and the Elite zooms right up it. I am starting to like her a little. Just a tad.

Then the sky opens up and it is raining like all get out! I am not wearing rain gear and I am getting soaked to the skin. The rain is coming down so hard it feels like little hail stones. I pull over on the side of the road under a big bush to keep some of it off of me. The scooter is easy to manipulate and drag into the bush's protective undergrowth.

Hey, that's something, isn't it?

All right, so 5 miles later I get to the driveway and pull it into the garage. It winds down and shuts off and it smells like a new engine smells. It's black skin is glistening with water droplets and it sparkles like fine jewelery.

That's nice. I like that.

I look at it and I think, there's nothing to do to it. It is "just perfect" and not rough and tumble looking like a Ruckus. I can't even find a spot to hang my Scooter Diva Gremlin Bell!!

I miss my Ruckus. I wish I did not have to sell it to get this scooter too. I know that's it. But I had no choice. So I already have it in my head to save up for a used Ruckus to keep the Elite company.

I want to give the Elite a chance. I really do. I just had a day of fighting traffic, my own inner demons, and the weather. I am miffed that I feel the way I do and I am not sure what it means or why it is.

I don't think it's "buyer's remorse" as this is a really nice scooter!
Right now I think I will like the positive things that the Elite offers. I am going to try to do so.

It's just that this blog is called "Ruckus Scooter Love" for a reason: there's scootin', then there's ridin' a Ruckus!

But tomorrow, if the sun comes out and it doesn't rain like it has been doing all week, I am taking the Elite out for another long spin.

Now, that's something, isn't it?