Scooter or motorcycle?
 

Opinions?

I'm thinking the scooter is more practical for every day use with the under seat storage for your school stuff. A friend of mine says he thinks a motorcycle with saddle bags can be just as useful.

The motorcycle saddle bags could carry larger items that could stick out if necessary. I think that a small motorcycle will also be a bit safer because it will be more maneuverable and you can swerve better and accelerate quickly in the event that someone starts to pull out in front of you (believe me- it will happen to you).

I've ridden both motorcycles and scooters for over 40 years with hundreds of thousands of miles on both. Everything from Vespas to Goldwings. My opinion is that for around town everyday riding a scooter is the way to go. Don't let anyone tell you a scooter doesn't handle well, they do. The light weight and low center of gravity are a big advantage in town. Weather protection is much better on a scooter also.

Q who rode a Vespa to Alaska.

Where you live and where you're gonna go might play into it too. At least something to think about. A lot of scooters are limited on top end where you're not going to be able to reach let alone maintain a highway speed.

When I rode on the street, a back pack was all I need to carry. Maybe you have more stuff, I don't know.

I always used a back pack as well, that way when you get to where you are going you don't have to unpack anything, I did however add a basket on to the back of my Tomos scooter, a wire basket that was designed for the front of a bicycle, it works great, allows me to carry books.
I like my Tomos Arrow scooter because anyone with a drivers license can use it, I can park it on side walks and at bike racks, it was cheap to buy new, it's simple, it gets 80-100mpg
I like my Honda cb125 because it can go 60mph, I can pass people, I can coast, I can carry a passenger, it only gets 65mpg.

I drive a big 650 cc dirt bike, but it only gets 55 mpg or so. I thought I'd get scooter-like mileage. It must be that it's too big and too geared for power.

My advice would be a ~250 cc street bike rather than a scooter. A scooter just won't keep up on the Interstate.

Aprilia makes a scooter with a direct-injection 50 cc two stroke engine. Direct injection should make it a lot more efficient than a carbureted 2 stroke. Anybody got actual mileage figures for it?

Most scoots that are 150cc will do 65mpg and cruise at 55-60 all day long. They are very easy to manuever around town and the insurance is CHEAP! With underseat storage and an additional trunk on the back, you can carry just about anything you would need. You should get 70-80mpg with a scoot this size. Don't go any smaller (from experience) than a 150cc. I have had VFR 1000s, YZF600R's and Cruisers...the Lambretta UNO150 I have is easier to drive around town (I weight 230#) and gets 70+...

Either way, scoot or motorcycle, make sure you buy something big enuff for your needs. I got a 50cc and it was not near enuff so I was going to get a 125cc and used the rule of thumb "Go One Size Bigger Than You Think" and settled on the 150cc.

Ther are now scoots of all sizes...including the KYMCO 250s and Suzuki Burgman 400s and bigger. Ride as many as you can before you buy.

All this talk makes me yearn to find another Honda CM 450E as I once had.
450 cc parallel twin four stroke, 6 speed transmission, 85+ mph (indicator pegged at 85), two up seating (cozy, but not cramped) and 75+ mpg average over the year and a half I owned it. Better performance than the 50 and 150 scoots mentioned here, better fuel mileage too, So what's the rationale for scoots again?

Oh yeah, I should say the interstate travel will be few and far between(if at all). The only use it'll really see most of the time is my ~8 mile round trip to work and home on city streets. The car will be for freeway use because the wind here is just too much for a small bike (summer average is about 25mph with 35-40 gusts)

Ever had a scooter? The quick handling and weather protection are hard to match on a motorcycle. There are a wide range of scooters, some of which will cruise at 85+ mph, quietly and comfortably. Don't know about the gas mileage on the big scoots. A 150cc scooter makes a great commute vehicle.

It all depends on what your needs are. Right now I commute on a cheap 200cc Chinese dual sport motorcycle which gets 75 to 90 mpg. I also have a Honda CX500 for day rides in the mountains which gets about 46 mpg, and a Goldwing for trips that gets about 42 mpg.

Q