ScootMaryland Garage with Mechanic James

Segment One - Your first oil change...



Here is out first DIY segment on scooter maintenance. Mechanic James and I filmed this last summer, and since I now have imovie on the new Mac we made a pretty little finished segment for you. Hope this is helpful

If this isn't loading fast enough here is the LINK to the file on youtube.com

We're #2!

Six hot new scooters

As gasoline prices soar, scooter sales are booming. From mini to maxi, they'll take you from the corner grocery to the freeway (and some of these cycles get more than 100 miles per gallon).

#2 - Yamaha Vino

The Vino weighs the least and has the shortest saddle of the scooters I tested, which is nice for the vertically challenged. It's also the only scooter from a major manufacturer in this class that's capable of carrying a passenger, though the seat is a bit small to carry two comfortably. Cargo is all I wanted to carry on the Vino, which has a small luggage rack and an under-seat storage bin that's large enough to fit a full-face helmet. -- Susan Carpenter (Yamaha)

Test drive my Vino 125

See why I like the Vino 125? I hope to get you guys videos like this real soon!

My thought process Part 3: Looking Foolish?

This post is dedicated to Jason, my tormentor in the vein of looking foolish on a scooter. His contention was given my size I was going to look foolish. So much so that he offered to buy me an aviators cap, goggles, and scarf ala the Snoopy the Red Baron. This promise was made long before the purchase... so Jason... I await my Scoot'in Outfit Starter Set.


( the Yamaha Vino 125)
Retails $2699. (realistically on the road its $3600, but that's another post)
Now my Vino 125cc is what I would call a mid-size. Its sizable and solid feeling and I fit on it and drive it with complete comfort, and with being rated up to 585 lbs I come in well within it's capacity, haha. Not to mention it's pickup allows me to out accelerate most cars from a dead stop, and its speedometer goes up to 80mph. The downside would be the state of Maryland technically considers this a motorcycle and comes with all the requirements of one including registration, insurance, tags, and a motorcycle license.

( the 49cc Honda Metropolitan)
Below it are the 49cc's that are pretty small (too small for me) and top out around 35mph (which would not keep up with some of the roads I travel to work on) I'd really call these mopeds as opposed to scooters. If this model meets your needs (30mph max city commuting and running around your neighborhood) there are a few upsides. First and most obviously its the least expensive option, retailing at $2049. Additionally the great state of Maryland in it's infinite wisdom deems this vehicle to not need registration, tags, or insurance.

( the Honda Reflex)
Starting at $5500 and UP
At the top of the scooter food chain are sporty models like the Honda Reflex. This was the first model I looked at at the dealer. I was quickly scared off of it again given my novice and its 6k plus price tag. And of course being at the top of the food chain they require all those same pesky requirements my Vino does. I really do like these things, but at the same time, if you're gonna go this big, just get a bike.

So long story short ... don't listen to you idiot friends ... there is a scooter out there for you.

Post 1: Of course it's the baby pictures . . .

My 2008 Yamaha Vino 125