Finally! - Update on Motorscootering

In a blog entry in May of last year, I wrote about my early exploits in learning how to ride a motorscooter.  I wrote about how I fell.  Well, even though I did get back on it, I quickly developed a fear of falling again, and never felt comfortable on the scooter.  It was too front-heavy for my small upper frame.  And even with a lowered seat and some rubber added onto the bottom of some boots, I still could not sit flat-footed.  I'm sure many riders don't, but because of my fear, that was a requirement for me.

My husband and I looked at smaller machines, and I tried out a few.  The trouble was, the only ones I felt comfortable on were similar to a Vespa or Moped and could only do 25-35mph, which wasn't going to do me much good.  The main two purposes of this venture was to be able to take some road trips, and save on gas during my commute to work and back.  Well, that meant being able to get past speeds of 45mph or more on city streets, and up to 80mph on the freeway.

I really did try, truly I did!

Then my husband found something online.  He did some research, made a few calls, and talked to some local dealers.  It seemed the perfect solution - a trike kit.  The kit added two additional wheels to the back wheel of the scooter.  My husband teasingly calls them my training wheels...  except they won't be coming off once I'm 'trained'.

Oh, do we get the looks and comments.  Now, I have no fear of tipping over.  I don't have to 'push' into the direction of my turns - which seemed totally unnatural to me - but rather just steer into them.  And I don't have to put my feet down at a stop.  I just throttle and brake.  It's just awesome!  Just my kind of ride.  Yep, got to pay attention to my surroundings.  But I don't have to think too hard on what my hands and feet are doing.  Of course, now my feet don't do anything.  I invested in a good helmet and some snug gloves for good gripping.

There's more of the scooter to see now too, making it just a little bit safer on the road.  I've still got to get used to not having anything around me, and I still get this urge to put on a seatbelt - but, otherwise, I've been 'out there' with regular traffic and will get more confident as I get more 'training' and practice under my belt.  Sometime in the near future, I'll try out the freeway - probably on an early Sunday morning, when the traffic is at its lowest...

Now, almost a year after getting my Suzuki Burgman 400, I'm finally getting out there and doing something I'd never done before.  Talk about mid-life crisis.  At this point, I whole-heartedly recommend it.  For those like me, who need a measure of control and safety in the ride, it's a great way to see the sites!

Get out there and just do it!