An article published in the Waterbury American Republican, a newspaper based in Connecticut, points out that the state's Department of Motor Vehicles actually allows people to use a scooter when performing the motorcycle endorsement test.

The DMV already allows scooters to be used for its road test, a fact that doesn't seem to be widely known. If it were, I suspect more impatient "newbies" would try to beat the system by showing up to take the road test on easier-to-ride scooters.

Labels: Connecticut Motorcycle Laws, Motorcycle Endorsements, Scooters

The Associated Press reported last week that New York City's police department is testing out a new electric scooter called the "Vectrix" to replace their fleet of gas-powered motorcycles.

The report says that the City's finest feel guilty about their heavy footprint on the environment, and are interested in giving up some range to answer the call of Al Gore...

The Vectrix can only travel 40 to 60 miles per charge, but police officials said they may be willing to sacrifice some range for zero emissions.

Labels: Police Motorcycles, Scooters, Vectrix Scooters

Mark Rutledge, a columnist for The Daily Reflector, a newspaper in Greenville, NC, as well as a motorcyclist, opines that scooter riders have earned his respect for "the wave".

He explains that really cold temperatures during morning commutes have put many motorcycle riders inside of warm comfy cages. But not scooters riders.

As he goes on to say...

Nothing separates the true bikers from the wannabes like 30-degree temperatures. I've never really considered myself a true biker, but I like getting 50 miles per gallon too much to let a little cold air stop me.

If the temperatures were in the 20s, and my commutes were more than 12 miles, I might sing a different tune. But with the proper gear, a 12-mile ride in 30-degree air feels no colder than a 30-second sled ride in the snow - and nearly as much fun.

For a whole week, I haven't passed anything on two wheels above a scooter. But cold or no cold, those guys are still out there buzzing along from point A to point B.

Maybe the scooter riders are not trying to save gas. Maybe they had a bad day in court. Either way, they're doing something most people won't consider.

That buys them a spot in the wave club.

Labels: Riding Weather, Scooters

If you consider how much more faster and powerful scooters have become in recent years, it makes you wonder what specifically defines a scooter from a motorcycle.

I'm not sure I'm able to put my finger on it.

Take a look at the Gilera GP800, what's being billed as the world's fastest scooter...


This thing has the same motor from the Aprilia Mana (a motorcycle), an 850cc v-twin motor, cranking out 75bhp and a top speed of 120mph. It's got a 16 inch wheel in the front, 15 inch in the back.

So, if this is a scooter, then what specifically makes it a scooter, and not a motorcycle?

The Gilera GP800 does have an automatic transmission, and I believe all scooters have automatic trannies. But is that it? The Yamaha FJR (sport touring motorcycle) has a push-button transmission, though it's still technically a manual transmission. But if the Yamaha FJR were to boast a totally automatic transmission, would that make it a scooter?

In California, there is an "M1" license for riding motorcycles and scooters, and an "M2" license for riding scooters only. Shouldn't the Gilera GP800 require someone to have the M1 license?

If appearances is what defines a scooter, then what specifically makes something look like a scooter?

Remember the new Victory Vision touring motorcycle? If Victory called that thing a scooter, wouldn't you believe it? That thing does look something like a scooter, and it only has an extra 150cc over the Gilera GP800.

We've arrived at a point where scooters are only scooters because their manufacturers call them scooters, and for no other reason.

Labels: Scooters

Here's a photo of a Honda Metropolitan Scooter with two jet engines. The engines are not yet mounted to the scooter, but that's the project of Ron Patrick.

Ron is better known for mounting a jet engine to his Volkswagen Beetle. Check out his website.

He says his wife would like to add more horsepower to her scooter, and he just happened to have a couple of JFS 100 jet engines handy. (Isn't it cool to have jet engines handy?)

His idea is to mount an engine to each side, and then cover the engines with aluminum housings, to look like real jet airplane engines. The two engines will add about 200 pounds of weight to the scooter, but the added power should more than make up for the weight.

Imagine telling your friends that the biggest problem you have with riding a scooter is getting birds sucked into your motor.

Labels: Scooters, Strange Stuff