I guess I'll be riding this scooter when.....

[balibeemer]

I get too old for my R65.

A 650 CC scooter!

[tom_hudson]

I was heading to Reno last year - cruising about 70 on my RT on the freeway - a guy passed me on a scooter like I was setting still! He had to be going 85? maybe more - didn't take long to loose site of him - I think it was a burgman - awsome scooters -  tom

[Barry]

I can see the prejudice that motorcyclist have against scooters breaking down slowly over time especially as where new bikes are concerned the visual differences are not what they were. They are starting to look like fully faired motorcycles but with lots more built in storage. Very practical.

Only question is how do they ride on those small wheels. The one thing that isn't improving over time is the smoothness of our local roads.

[Lucky_Lou]

One of my neighbors has a large scooter and i cringe every time he drives down the road, there are some "sleeping" policemen and he is all over the place i followed him out of town once and frankly he cannot keep it in a straight line.
This is Hondas latest 670cc offering only £7.5K .....($11K) could get a Baby Harley for less.Question is... is this a Bike or a Scooter ??
Lou

[montmil]

The march 2012 issue of Rider magazine has a brief review of both the BMW C650 GT and the C600 Sport.

Although you may think engine sizes are different, they're not. It's all about the buyer's perception. Both scooters utilize a laid down 647cc parallel twin with four-valves, DOHC, FI, counterbalanced and running through a CVT transmission.

15-inch wheels with triple disc brakes and ABS are standard on both scooters. The GT does get BMW's electrically adjustable windscreen while the Sport is strictly DIY.

Both machines will be sold in the US in 2012 but pricing and exactly when have not yet been set. It's a BMW, but with the 650 GT going head-to-head with the Suzuki Burgman, Honda Silver Wing and Yamaha Tmax, I'm personally expecting a similar price to lure buyers away from the Japanese marks. A few months will tell.

Quite a long way from my '62 Vespa GS and it's 4-speed 160cc single.

Monte

[Barry]

...looks like the wheels are getting bigger. Another few inches and they'll be automatic motorcycles.

That new BMW looks quite impressive.  60hp a top speed of 109MPH and it's got a 588 watt alternator. Looks like we are matched or beaten on all counts although it's a  bit of a porker at 249 kg.

http://www.mcnews.com.au/2012_Bikes/BMW/C600_C650GT/BMW_Scooter.htm

http://www.mcnews.com.au/2012_Bikes/BMW/C600_C650GT/BMW_Scooter_Images/index.htm

[davidpdx]

A guy at work bought a Burgman scooter. He called it his 1/2 a Hayabusa as it was a 650. Said it felt like a really fast skateboard on the freeway. Sold it to someone else at work and went back to his Ducati. It seemed like it had good build quality but small tires and short throw on the shocks.  

[scottyintex]

I am seeing a lot more scooters on the streets and roads. With gas prices predicted to go to over four bucks a gallon this summer.....I think I will be seeing even more. Eighty dollars to fill up the pickup... fifty two to fill up my wife’s little Ford Focus. I find myself taking the Focus more and more because it gets thirty two miles to the gallon...when the pickup only gets seventeen.  Between using the Focus and motorcycle...the pickup is starting to gather dust. A scooter than can run with the traffic and still get seventy...eighty miles to the gallon has to start looking good. Ya know...even if you only comminuted to work on good weather days...seems like a scooter would only take a few years to pay for it’s self...plus you would have a cool ride. A

[Barry]

Bike sales are down especially sports bikes but scooters sales are booming in UK for the same reasons only more so. Filled up my car today £70 ($110) - That's why I commute on the bike. In the winter when it's as low as -5 Deg C mine is usually the only bike parked up at school (except for a couple of students but they have no feeling at that age). We now have one of the teachers on a Vespa 250GTS. Quite a cool machine and fairly quick too. He says it easily does 70MPH and if he slows down a bit he can get 75MPG.

[Air4Life]

My biggest issue is not having pegs to place my feet; but then again, I never did learn how to surf or use a skateboard.

[Lucky_Lou]

It always makes me smile when our American "cousins" express concern about the price of "Gas"... if they where buying it here they would probebly exercise their right to bear arms........
currently £1.38(cheapest localy average £140) a Litre £6.27 a gallon/ $9.5ish
Lou

[scottyintex]

I get laughed at by a Canadian friend ...when I sputter over gas prices. He is paying about $4.60 a gallon. But he doesn’t mind at all...it pays for his health care. I have never figured it out...but suspect my health care cost a bit more. I claim mine is better but he disputes that hotly...and wouldn’t trade

[balibeemer]

Here on the Island of the Dogs, we are paying the equivalent of $1.49 per gallon of leaded fuel of dubious quality.

The 'gummint' subsidizes leaded fuel but unleaded is twice the price.

Go figure!

[RSMike]

My F650GS went in for its first 10K service today. I have given into the main dealer doing the service so I can get the book stamped and the ecu codes checked. I know otherwise its not much more than an oil/filter change for €130,  , ouch!

But a little bonus is they gave me one of these scooters for the day. its a work day so can't do much testing on it, but initial impression is that its quite nice and stable with very nice wind protection and power and acceleration close to my baby GS.

Not so keen on the sound and the lack of any engine braking in corners takes some getting used to, I found myself being over cautious and backing way off especially in low speed corners because of this. Also I am not sure if the riding position would be good for long rides. I guess it is not dis-similar to a cruiser seating position. After just 10 miles, I felt  my recurring back twinge returning. The F650GS seating position seems kinder to my back.

[Barry]

Not so keen on the sound and the lack of any engine braking in corners takes some getting used to

I presume the lack of engine braking is to do with the transmission. Is one of those variable pulley CVT things that wants to keep the engine at  constant revs and is that why you don't like the sound.