Considering a scooter as my primary vehicle

[powermerc]

Hello all,

Over the past year I've been evaluating the idea of using a scooter as my primary means of transportation. I'm in my mid 20's and I live in Austin, Texas. My commute is pretty small so I am trying to get into bicycling to cover that. The rest would be covered by a big scooter. Right now I drive a 1997 Toyota T-100 V6 that gets awful fuel economy and has over 100k miles. I'm not quite sold on the idea of getting another car/truck when the Burgman 400 gets between 60 and 70 MPG (so I've heard). I don't have any kids and I enjoy a pretty minimal lifestyle. Do any of you use your Burgman as your primary mode of getting around? If so, have you encountered any hardships since doing so?

Apologies if this question has been raised before but I am tired of shelling out a ton of money in gas and maintenance for a vehicle that I put less than 10k miles a year on.

[Bluebottle]

Going from a car to a scooter I noticed that I have to give up a little sooner in snow or severe icing - probably less of a problem in Texas.

If I need to pick up a piece of furniture (or in my case take big chunks of things to airshows) I have to hire something to drive.
Supermarket shopping isn't too bad with a Burgman but I tend to do 2 smaller shops rather than one big one
Hiring is cheap these days so that isn't much of a problem and I tend to group all those jobs together rather than do them all at once.
I wind up buying the drinks when I go out with groups of friends because they always drive

I say: if yours is the only seat with anything in it, why pay to haul the rest of them around?

[Colchicine]

Other than weather, there are 2 issues to consider:

Breakdowns- Even if you do the work yourself, getting parts can easily take a couple of weeks. I know for the 650, some parts take a month
+. This is mostly because it is a two-wheeler, and also because it is a scooter. No one keeps all of the parts on hand like an automobile. If your 400 has a major problem, you may have NO transport.

Sickness- I don't get sick often, but still there have been a few times I needed to leave work to go home but I would NOT have felt well enough to ride safely. Drive, sure, but to have my head on full alert and full muscle coordination, no.

Basically, there are more limiting factors with depending on a two wheeler. But if you've got easy access to a back up vehicle, then go for it.

[gruntled]

Service & parts are the major problem. Motorcycles are considered to be toys, not necessities. If the automobile had been treated the same way we would all still be riding horses. You can't DEPEND on a motorcycle. After I retired I did have only a motorcycle for a couple of years BUT my wife had her car as well. If you have GOOD public transit available that would make a major difference.

[onesicktantrum]

I live in austin also and I was in the same situation as you. I have a truck but I got tired of the huge gas bill every week so I ended up getting a '06 burgman 400. Its a great bike. It runs great and did and still does everything I want it to do. I used it all the time to go to the grocery store. I added a bestem 929 topcase on the back and I have yet to buy more groceries than I could fit into the scooter. It is a great workhorse. I rode it for about a year and I have done all the maintenance on it myself. It hasn't given me any problems other than when I put sliders in the variator rather than the stock rollers. Since then I put the stock rollers back in and havent had any issues. If you want more detail about those issues let me know. I consistently get 60mpg on it. I have ridden to Dallas and San Antonio with no problems at all. I am actually in the process of selling it because I was able to get a SMOKING deal on a '05 650 that wasnt running. I ended up fixing it up and am riding that now because I like the extra power. If you would be interested in finding out more about it just PM me.

Jason

[Gbjbany]

I too have just made this move, however i have my wifes car as a backup ( although she uses it daily for work)
I just needed to get it serviced and the dealer said hes back up for a month on services, and he would need it for 2 or 3 days - luckily im on vacaction next week.

On the larger items - it even counts for many odd shaped things, Fluorescent bulbs as a simple example light but too long for a bike.

As also bad weather is possibly an issue and like the being sick issue, a sudden snow storm or cold snap could make getting home more risky.

So all in all as has been stated already , a backup vehicle is critical i think. But i do now grin every day i ride , so is a good trade for me !

[Daboo]

I think Mitch (micbergsma) uses one of his scooters for his primary transportation. In his case, I believe the Burgman 400 is the backup, since most of his riding is for shorter distances.

Several years ago, I turned to a Kymco Bet&Win 250 for my primary transportation. I still had some vehicles in the family, but the three of them were vying for the two cars. A year later, I traded the Kymco for a 2007 Burgman 400 because my commute tripled in length. I've been using that ever since.

If you can do your own work, you have a big advantage. The maintenance requirements are not great, and they are fairly easy to do yourself. There's lots of nice tutorials and videos to guide you along the way too. To get around the parts issues, I simply planned ahead. I bought my brake pads early and just had them in the garage. Same with the oil and air filters. I'd order my tires about a month or more ahead of time, so I knew that the kind I wanted was available. Otherwise, you could get stuck using a tire that's available, but not what you wanted. You can never plan for the unexpected failure, but few of us have had that with a 400. They are like the Energizer Bunny and just keep going.

Since I started using my Burgman 400 for my primary vehicle, I've saved the original cost of the vehicle in gas saved versus driving one of my cars. You'll never get that kind of "savings" if your riding is pleasure, but if it is for commuting, I feel you can count it. With that said, you have some money saved to get good equipment to allow you to ride year around and if you ever needed to take a taxi, you're still money ahead.

I don't know if you're looking at buying a new Burgman, but you can save thousands of $$$ by buying a used one. The differences in a 2012 and a 2007+ are not much, and most have barely been used.

Chris

[rustynail]

I say: if yours is the only seat with anything in it, why pay to haul the rest of them around?

[Dave_J]

I am like Daboo above. I have a Burgman 650 as MY primary ride. My wife does have a Buick Century to use but I only drive it when she wants to go somewhere with me, like Costco shopping. I commute 82 miles round trip in almost any weather except snow but I have been caught out when it started to snow and rode home swiping snow off the windshield with my gloved hand.

I also have a 78 Dodge LRT that does not go anywhere due to 12 MPG and a 65 Barracuda that has no engine/trans at this time.

[RandyT]

My scoot became my primary ride back in 07, I have a 11 DL650 now to share the load now..I still have my 00 Tundra that I won't get rid of, it only has 52k on it, and most of that was when I first bought the thing. I also used to have a Honda Accord that took the brunt of my driving, but is gone now. I believe you should hang on to your T100, trucks are always useful, it's paid for, just get liability insurance so it should be inexpensive, and if you have to haul your scoot to the shop..you have something to do it in.

The only thing when you change over, is you have to give yourself a little more time to get ready..and just be prepared when the weather goes bad...other than that..it's just a mindset. Good luck~!!

[alloo]

I lived in San Antonio for 5 years and used my Burgman 400/650 for transportation. I would go to South TX suzuki or the place in New Braunfel Woods Cycle Country. Both dealers provide excellent service and parts. Get a Cooling vest from cyclegear, have gear for all types of weather hot and cold. It can be done.

[azrider]

If the truck is paid for and you don't need the money and you have a place to park it in addition to the scooter, then keep the truck for the occasional bad weather day or when you need to haul something. My '06 Silverado sits in the driveway unused most of the time. I save at least $100 per month commuting on the scooters which pays for tires, filters, registration, insurance, and anything else they might need. Other than gas, which I would be buying regardless of what I rode or drove, I pretty much ride for free.

[G-Bo]

I live in Dallas and my '07 Burgman 400 is my primary transportation. The wife has a cage for those family trips or really bad weather days. I do ride in the rain thanks to the right gear..Burgmans are great for local riding/commuting AND for long distance. I've done Dallas to Galveston, Dallas to Kerrville and those are short trips compared to what Micbergsma has done.

In Austin, you have the BEST Burgman resource there...Micbergsma! That guy is the HOSS when it comes to Burgmans.

If you're going to ditch your cage, here are a few tips for ya:

1. Get a trunk...the biggest one you can afford. Grocery shopping and transporting items will need space to put them.
2. Invest in Bungee cords. Bigger items are easy strapped down on the passenger seat and secured to the back trunk.
3. Consider saddlebags that your can toss on and off as needed for those get away rides.
4. Add full liability insurance. If you total your bike and it's your fault, at least you will get $$$ to help replace your vehicle.
5. Get 3 in 1 gear for you...Jacket for wet, cold, and protective.

Hope this helps...just a few quick thoughts off the top of my head.

[model28a]

I live in Florida and I ride my scooter as my main transportation. I do have a car, but I keep a Battery Tender on it as I do not put the amount of miles on it to keep the battery up. I only put ten or twenty dollars of ethanol-free gas at a time so I don't worry about it going bad as fast. I agree with keeping your truck for emergencies, but you should hardly ever need it. I don't put any more than one or two hundred miles a year on my car. I put over a thousand miles a month on my scooter so I save a lot of money using my scooter. I would say you're young go for it.

[MacDoc]

I have a hard thinking a Burgman 650 any less reliable than a car.

I've got 50k on two of them and additional 20k on a Silverwing without a single issue other than a battery on the Honda.

I live in the Toronto area and while we do have a van for the business I never drive it for anything local - only road trips with non-riding GF.
3 months of year I'm in Australia and the KLR650 is the ride there.

Breakdowns happen with any vehicle - less so I think on a low stress vehicle like the Burgman 650. Get a road side assistance plan for tows and battery/out of gas/flat tire events
He's got a bicycle to get to work.

Go for it I say.

[Scootereno]

Keep in mind that the pre-2007 400's get slightly better gas mileage than the 2007 and up 400's do to a slightly bigger engine on the current models. I use mine as my primary source of transportation but I have my sports car and the wife's family car as back ups. I put a total of 600 miles on my car all of last year. I am fortunate enough not to have to chose one or the other and with grand kids to haul around now the cages serve there purpose well. The choice to go with a scooter and no back up is a huge commitment but I did it when I was in my 20's last century and I loved it except for those extremely bad weather days. Check out Mitch Bergsma (micbergsma)a local wake boarder there in Austin and get his input. He post here and has a Youtube page with lots of good info on maintenance, road trips, wake boarding and other crazy/funny stuff. He is the Texas poster child for riding a scooter year around. Good Luck with your decision.

[mikeyMarine]

I live in Florida and I ride my scooter as my main transportation. I do have a car, but I keep a Battery Tender on it as I do not put the amount of miles on it to keep the battery up. I only put ten or twenty dollars of ethanol-free gas at a time so I don't worry about it going bad as fast. I agree with keeping your truck for emergencies, but you should hardly ever need it. I don't put any more than one or two hundred miles a year on my car. I put over a thousand miles a month on my scooter so I save a lot of money using my scooter. I would say you're young go for it.

this was me two scooters ago, I had a 2008 versa with 3000 miles on it this year, after totaling my second scooter I had to start ddriving it, only problem with using a scoot for primary transportation, you end up transporting yourself a lot more than if you were in a cage, a quick trip to anywhere for anything , 2 trips to the store to pick up a gallon of milk etc

[lojo]

I too have a Burgman 650 as my primary vehicle for 3 years. I have a roomy's car as backup transport for mostly weather related purposes. I do not perform my own maintenance but have been very fortunate in having two good sources for parts and service in the vicinity. I am in my early 60's and female. I was working part time and had a less than 20 mile round trip commute 4 days a week via the Burgman for 9 months. I found that I no longer desired to ride the Burgman for leisure as I did when I also owned a pickup truck as additional transport. I hope the desire for leisurely rides returns as I am not currently working. I live in Central Florida and I ride year round.

If you can perform your own maintenance on the Burgman, then you will be way ahead $$$.
If you have title to your truck then consider having scooter and truck for a while if space and $$ are not issues.
Note: I have not missed the '04 Nissan Titan that I previously owned. I am sure I've saved a small fortune in fuel cost over the past three years.

I may in the future pick up a small vehicle for the days I don't feel like gearing up to ride the scooter. In the meantime, I have that Burgman grin.

BUSA Member Mitch"Mic" Bergsma lives in Austin, TX area and only owns scooters (five) I think and I think he is still in his 20's. Maybe he will chime into this discussion....I will poke him.

Good luck with your decision.

Lois aka LoJo

[Chet_Benson]

The big change when you ride a scooter as to driving a car/truck is your safety. Most folks drive a car/truck and do not think the other guys are trouble, that they act like they are out to kill you. When you ride two wheels, a scooter or motorcycle be aware of your safety. Learn how to ride it so you survive. You get killed and you saved very little.

Learn how to ride right and survive and you will not only save money riding to work you just might enjoy the ride.

Depends a lot where I ride as to weather or not it is a good idea. Some places I would want a tank if I could afford one.

You come to the right place to learn.

Welcome to the site.

PS
With the price of gas you are going to starve and die a slow death anyway so go for it.

[powermerc]

Holy cow! Thank you for the many informative and insightful replies.

Y'all have definitely given me some great food for thought. Availability of parts is one thing that I didn't immediately consider. I'm pretty handy with a wrench if I have instructions to guide me. In case I break down my girlfriend has a car, there is good public transportation here in town, bicycling, and there are also (relatively) inexpensive car rental services if push comes to shove. My truck is paid off but I am worried that it might need substantial maintenance within the next year- money which could be put toward another vehicle (Burgman 400).

Will take all of your replies into consideration. One point in favor of the Burgman is the great community. I definitely wouldn't feel like I was jumping into the scooter thing alone with this forum. Thanks for all of your replies!

[wayneman]

This is my opinion only. Here in SW FL i would never switch to a 2 wheel option only.
The weather here changes very quickly. The amount of northerners driving blindly increases
yearly. I work 12 hr shifts and at the end of the day you can be mentally and physically exhausted.
I also work in the medical field and can tell you from experience most mc/scooter accidents are
from the other guy not paying attention. With the amount of drivers texting and on the phone by using
your 2 wheeler every day you are increasing your odds greatly of being a statistic. When i work two 12's in a row
i take the burgman the first day and my suv the 2nd. I have a 35 min commute and if you are fatigued that can be dangerous. I also have a issue with the road putting me to sleep on longer rides. My feeling is the Burgman should
be a luxury not a necessity. I enjoy riding my Burgman very much and would hate to lose that enjoyment because
i over utilized it. 4 yrs and 2 Burgmans later i still have that Burgman grin.
Just another thought and opinion on the subject.

[convertfromVespa]

When I was 20, a P200E vespa was my primary vehicle. The cost of insurance, fuel, and purchase of the bike was less expensive than just insurance for the car.

I have considered in the recent past(over the course of the last 12 years) to have a scooter as my primary vehicle. I put 17,000 miles on my bike last year. Instead, I keep a car handy, but try to ride the bike most of the time. I tend to put at least 12,000 miles on a bike a year and 3-4000 miles on a car. I just purchased a new convertible which at least currently has tipped the balance to 50/50.

[Jim]

My feeling is the Burgman should be a luxury not a necessity.

+1

I would crunch some realistic numbers 1st. If saving gas is the ONLY reason, I would not do it.

1- You will still have another vehicle for weather, hauling, etc, so those fixed costs (insurance, license, etc) are still there.
2- You will have additional costs on the scooter for insurance, riding gear, helmets, etc.
3- IF you would ride 6,000 + miles per year, you Might recoup the extra expense.
4- While tires cost less, they will have to be changed out more frequently so cost my be a moot point.
Example
50,000 miles 1 set for a truck $600 - $800 ?
50,000 miles 4 sets @ 150-200 (12,000 miles per set) = $600-$800.

Now if you were going to buy one anyway (hobby), then yes, it's feasible.

[Chet_Benson]

My feeling is the Burgman should be a luxury not a necessity.

I would 3rd that item and Florida is one of the places I would not want to ride a scooter to work. I no longer work. I still own a car 1989 Ford with less than 80,000 miles and a newer car that my wife drives. No miles on my old Ford cause I ride the scooter when ever I can.

In other words I would keep the truck. You can buy a great used Burgman 400 for a reasonable price. They are dependable and easy to maintain.

Have one of the Snow Birds total your ride and you still go the truck.

[alloo]

I lived in San Antonio for 5 years and used my Burgman 400/650 for transportation. I would go to South TX suzuki in Lytle or the place in New Braunfel Woods Cycle Country. Both dealers provide excellent service and parts. Get a Cooling vest from cyclegear, have gear for all types of weather hot and cold. It can be done.

I drove about 12-15k miles a year. No problems. If I needed a car I rented from Enterprise. I've also lived in Portland, or and Albuquerque, nm with my scooter as my only transportation. I just love the scooterist lifestyle. No problems with the bike as I maintained it every 3500 miles. I'm learning to scooter in Honolulu now and love it. I use a car to go surfing or kayaking. Parking, insurance and fun make scootering a great lifestyle choice. Get a car app on phone to track expenses.Been on Co roads across rivers the burgman will do fine.