Why do people always try to say HD motorcycles are better?  By  bigggroovy (Read 6,474 times)

Mar 18, 2014 4:22:09 GMT -5 danno said:

I went to my weekly Bible study last Thursday evening. I pulled up on my Burgman and I got a response from one guy who said and I quote..."If it had been a Harley, I'd been impressed." I then asked him what he rode and he said, he used to ride a Harley but, his wife made him give riding up years ago when he was involved in two incidents back to back. I said..that's not "cool"

Then at the end of the night, another guy approached me as I was getting ready to pull away, he thought my scoot was really cool. Then the next day two women complimented the bike as I was filling my tank up.

Moral of the story...some guys like things BIG, especially here in Texas. For whatever reason they think BIG is cool. BIG pick-up trucks are very common. It's a macho thing imo.....some guys must be motivated by some sort of psychological insecurity they possess. They have to prove to everyone bigger is better.

Personally, I love all the storage room the Burgman possess.On guy on You Tube had his Burgman 400 clocked at 170 KM.....that's 106 mph to you an me. I'll never need to go that fast, but it's nice to know it can. I also think the Burgman is safer to ride. No downshifting in case of the need for a sudden stop. Yea, sometimes I have to deal with the "cool factor"...but, hey. at 54, "coolness" is not a priority anymore. I'm riding, and the Harley guy with the wife....well he hasn't been riding in years.

Danno,

I know exactly what you're talking about! Most folks around here like BIG stuff... But, check out the local parking lots, and when you find the biggest, baddest monster-truck on 5-foot tires, blower and carbs poking through the hood, straight-pipes and the "If you can't run with the big dogs, stay on the porch" bumper sticker...  Watch for the driver and it will usually be a guy about 5' 3" or a "soccer-mom".

Admittedly, it's a little different with bikes, since a HUGE percentage of riders simply like the biggest ride they can afford, for comfort, speed and quality (as well as simple "pride of ownership") and Harleys are always near the top of the food-chain.  Slowly but surely, the new Asian big V-twins are changing that phenomenon with the new generation, and I'm still certain the new Indians will claim a BIG chunk of the Harley market-share.

Your Burgman will certainly do anything a touring-bike rider needs it to do, and probably do so with less fuss and more convenience than most motorcycles.  That makes it a marvelous choice!

In my "quest"... LOL!  For the "ideal" ride to upgrade to from my under-powered Chinese 150, I test-rode everything I could.  Among those were a 400 Burgman, and a 500 Kymco.  I loved the performance, and they stacked up VERY well with any touring cycle.  In my case though (I'm 67 and have major arthritis) I found the extra-long wheelbase touring scooters weren't as nimble in tight places as I'd like, and even the "semi-hump" floor was hard for me to climb onto.

What I needed was a lightweight, flat-floor, step-through 150 size scooter that would still run highway speeds like a motorcycle.  That genre of scooter is not all that common today (outside of Italian scoots) since most of the touring scoots have gone to the long wheelbase and semi-hump-floor to accommodate the sophisticated frame.

Like you, the "cool-factor" is not much of a consideration at my age...  and the aging Kymco Grandvista proves that... LOL!  It rates pretty high on the "doofus-scale" and isn't going to impress anyone with its style or speed...  But it's just right for me.  But THAT'S just ME.  For someone else, a different ride would be "just right".

Amazingly, the old Kymco compares very closely to my old 1970 Harley Electra-Glide in general riding...  A little faster on acceleration than the old Hog, but, a few mph slower top speed, better handling in tight places, but a similar feel on the highway.  Scooters have truly come of age!

So often, here on the scooter sites, we tend to compare scooters with motorcycles.  While BOTH rides can do the same thing, it's still "apples and oranges".  They are just two different animals.  Similar, but different.  Scooters don't usually inspire "shock and awe" with thundering concussion, six-foot front-forks, 500 pounds of chrome and axe-blades, skulls, bones and spinning shredding parts glistening in the sun.  And a rider straight from "The Vikings" may look a little out-of-character on a scooter.

On the flip-side, (except for some full-bodied Asian touring cycles) big twins don't usually feature sleek bodies, splash-guards, floor-pans, under-seat storage, twist-n-go trannies and nearly-silent exhausts.  And collegiate-types, or business-persons may look a little out-of-character on a monster-thumper.

There ARE always exceptions... I used to ride both my chopper and my Harley bagger in a 3-piece suit to work... And, I have seen "Grizzly Adams" types on scooters... But it's not common.

Any rider will do well to ride what suits them best, regardless of WHAT that may be.  The OLDER we get, the EASIER that concept is to comprehend...  And, SCOOTERS are usually a LOT more affordable than big bikes... Cheaper to buy, AND insure!  That is certainly something to consider...

Whatever you ride, ENJOY THE RIDE!

Leo in Texas

The Burgman is a very respectable machine.
I test rode one last year, and seriously considered it. I had too many vehicles at the time to justify one more.
It is a very nice commuter. I see lots of them in the technology building parking lots in San Diego.
Burgmans and Silver Wings are both popular here for commuters.

A twist-n-go with guts is a nice thing.