November 12, 2010
To buy or not to buy
Given a tentative budget of approx. 2,000 bucks I started surfing around for a potential 'spare' bike. There are bikes that I like, but break my bank, and others that are more in my target price range. A classic triumph isn't the latter. Dang!
I am basically left with buying a used scooter or (taking cheap insurance into account) a collector bike. Alas, a collector bike usually requires a lot of TLC, and my vehicles live in an open parkade with no room (or approval) for maintenance or tools for that matter.
So I looked at the Honda JAZZ, but 50cc don't do it for me. Well, for me even a scooter must offer 125cc at minimum, and there are only a few models around. After some research I came across the Yamaha VINO 125 available for even less than my budget, and often including some added goodies like a windshield or top case.
It looks like a zippy fun ride. Ok, nothing to go touring, but good enough to scoot around in town. Seriously thinking about it.
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Nike......Just do it! I was looking at a Vespa the other day , ver y retro and ver me!! Think I might buy it , it would sit well next to the 1050 sprint, heheh!
ReplyDeleteI love it! So cute. It would help the addiction when a long, fast haul isn't in the cards. :)
ReplyDeleteI saw an R100RT for sale on Craiglist here in Denver the other day for $2100....sure you can't find a "broken in" old airhead beemer?
ReplyDeleteThen again, a scooter is still riding on two wheels.....until Nella gets back.
dom
Let's get this right Sonja....
ReplyDeleteYou need a "spare" bike because of:
a. No faith in your BMW agent to get spares before Hell freezes over.
b. Climbing walls without a bike.
c. Some other lame excuse (said from the safety of the other side of the world, hehe)
Remember: Absence makes the heart grow fonder!
@Raftnn: Roger, a Vespa would be nice, too. Alas for no reason too expensive in this part of the world.
ReplyDelete@Beemergirl: Lory, there's no way I am addicted. NO WAY!
@Charlie6: Dom, One of the downsides living in an apartment complex is: rules, and lots of them. There are plans banning recreational vehicles all together. As long as they are squeaky clean bikes are still tolerated but one drop of fluid... and older bikes don't come fully leak-proof.
Geoff: a) correct b) darn right c) wait until I get there ;-) remember the poor tree...
Scooters are cool! They are perfect to get around in the city and not as bad in the rain as a motorcycle.
ReplyDeleteOne thing to consider: look for a Scooter with slighter bigger wheels - they are a bit more stable and are easier to ride on uneven / wet surfaces.
Oh my, if money were no object...and, if space were no object...then decisions about which bike/s or scooter/s to own would be easy, or at least different, yes? Instead of owning one bike which is perfect for 60%, more than adequate for 15%, merely adequate for another 15%, and down right poor to inadequate for the remainder of the riding I wish to do--I would own another two or three wheeled vehicle with its own strengths and weaknesses. Who knows maybe even more than just another :)
ReplyDeleteFor me space it seems is even more of a problem than money. I have space for one bike/scooter. I take it you "sort of" have room for another. I agree with Guido: the bigger the wheels the better the ride. I ride a 101cc that has a four speed with an automatic clutch. If I were buying a scooter with a CVT the bear minimum I'd get would be 125cc, but 150cc would be much better.
I'm watching to see what decision/s you make. I do so hope Nella is repaired soon. Buying decisions are always best made when not under duress. And, being bikeless is duress!
~Keith
SonjaM: I've had my Kymco 150cc on consignment for the past 2 years, and just today It may have been sold. I think a scooter is better for Urban use, easier to park and less conspicuous in the bike racks
ReplyDeletebob
Wet Coast Scootin
@Circle Blue: Keith, money is certainly less the issue, it is space, or there lack of. I could squeeze a li'l scooter in my spot, since I own a small car only, but that's about it. And as Bob said rightly, scooters are less conspicuous to park in places where they shouldn't be parked.
ReplyDelete@bobskoot: Bob, I have looked at the Kymco Super 8, that's one I really like, but I haven't seen used ones just yet. Hope you got a decent price out of your sales. It seems to be a buyer's market...
BeemerGirl is right...you're addicted. :)
ReplyDelete@Guido: Good point, that's why I checked out the Kymco Super 8, alas, didn't find a used one yet.
ReplyDelete@Ken: Let's put it that way: If we resist our passions, it is more because of their weakness than because of our strength. - Francois VI Duc de La Rochefoucauld
Another weekend is coming. Does that mean another tree will bite the dust?
ReplyDeleteGood luck in your search.
Richard
@Richard: That would get me in trouble eventually, wouldn't it? So I go house-shopping instead, find something with a big garage ;-)
ReplyDeleteDefinitely addicted. I'd be the same. Part of the reason I traded my last bike...didn't want to be without one while shopping for the next. Some of us just need a back up.
ReplyDeleteAnd as my best friend used to say when I asked if I should get something...Yes of course, go for it! :)