Personally, I like the...
Personally, I like the Ruckus but I fear before I could get one I'd have to lose about a hundred pounds. Etc, to the other scooters.
I was given a great mini-bike when I was around ten, with a four horse Briggs & Stratton, and anything else I'm afraid, no matter how good, would be a bit of a drag.
Our doctor got it for free as a gift when he bought his late 1960s series yellow Jag convertible. And he gave it to me, who - among the group of kids getting to try it out - was far and away no doubt very best rider, my mother, of course, being the hospital administrator.
Vespa
DudeDah, I don't understand why you say the Vespa is a cliche. I know it's iconic, but it deserves to be as much as an LCM deserves to be an iconic modern chair. They're beautiful, economical and well-made. My beloved Vespa was recently stolen, and I can't wait to own another.
They're cliché in the same way...
the 3-series BMW is cliché. People own them because they're "supposed" to. I like what Jeremy Clarkson said about owning a BMW 3-series because it VERY MUCH applies to the Vespa, and Jeremy, if you are a DA forum member, please pardon the paraphrase...
"If you decide to buy one of these, you've effectively said, I HAVE NO IMAGINATION WHATSOEVER".
eh...
I disagree with the "no imagination" comment, but I'm going to bring it outside of design context for a minute...
I'm from Boston, where people are fanatical about being Red Sox fans. However, for each die-hard fan there are three other people who like the Red Sox because it is the cool thing to do - it's socially relevant and allows you to be part of a greater community. We call these secondary fans Pink Hats because when the Sox made it into the ALCS playoffs (before winning the World Series) the girlfriends of meathead fans would buy a pink baseball cap because it matched their outfits or whatever... point being it's a somewhat derogatory term for people who claim citizenship to Red Sox Nation, but can't tell you who played second base in 1986. (Marty Barret; MVP)
I don't think its fair to deride those who like something good solely for having a reputation for being good. Sure, you can appreciate some of the quirkier designs for their idiosyncrasies, but there are reasons that icons are iconic. A BMW 3 series is a great car and some people will gloss over that and only recognize its social cachet. That doesn't make the car any less good...
I happen to like the Honda. It looks butch... unlike my pink RedSox cap.
a COMPARABLE option
Sarge,
I too, was considering the Ruckus a few years ago, but opted for a Yamaha C3 instead.
It has a ton of secure storage space but still has the comfortable seat and wider tires of the Ruckus.
Prices were nearly identical as i recall (about 2,000 US).
It's not a Vespa, but that's fine.
It's also not $4,500.
Mechanically speaking, i think it's actually superior.
Liquid-cooled three-valve, four-stroke engine, electronic fuel injection (no finicky carburetor) and a fully automatic trans.
Oh, and i'm getting around 110-120 mpg. Really.
Sure, it looks like a picnic cooler on wheels (you can fit a 12-pack in there), but there are a zillion other Vespa look-alikes out there, so i doubt that's what you want.
http://www.yamaha-motor.com/sport/products/modelhome/529/0/home.aspx
If you need any help, please contact us at – info@designaddict.com