Now anyone who knows me, knows that I am a serial scooter and motorcycle owner. Since I first started with a 70’s Puch Bombardier moped as my first machine I’ve owned the following (not necessarily in chronological order):
- Tomos Targa LX moped
- Honda Jazz scooter
- Kymco Bet and Win 150 scooter
- Kymco Bet and Win 250 (technically my wife’s scooter)
- Honda CB125
- Honda CD175
- Honda CT90
- Vespa PX125E Arcobaleno (later re-engined with a P200E engine)
- Vespa PX125 with 172cc kit and a Inder sidecar
- Tomos Targa LX (bought for an MBSR event and painted in army colours.)
- 2007 Ural Tourist sidecar rig (still one of my favourites)
- Burgman 400s with sidecar
- Kymco People 200S
There’s probably something I’m forgetting in that list – but as you can see I’ve had more than a few, and many different ones that fall into the “scooter” classification. There’s just something about small, fun, lightweight machines you gotta love. Which is perhaps not a surprising opinion if you’ve read anything I’ve written on this website.
So I buy, and then sell, and then buy again bikes. Usually beaten up, used machines that I proceed to further abuse.
Which brings us to 2020 – the year that many of the motorcycle and scooter events are just not going to happen. Many of the places I would ride to aren’t open, or have restrictions, or one just doesn’t feel comfortable doing it with the current uncertainties.
Not to mention we’ve cancelled our road trip out to the West coast (Next year for sure though.) and delayed our Junk Run event except for a practice run on August 8th.
So – there isn’t as much use being had from the current stable of machines – the Kymco People, the Bet and Win 250, and the Burgman 400 sidecar rig.
So I’ve decided to sell the Burgman 400. The long term plan has always been to get a sidecar with more offroad (light trails) capability as I do miss that from our Ural rig days.
And something that has a bit more room in the sidecar and can be used for vacations – we took that Ural to both coasts and had some amazing times in it.
You cannot appreciate the sheer freaking size of Canada until you drive across it in a motorcycle. The beauty and relentless amazing friendliness of the Maritime Provinces. Quebec’s farms, beautiful sideroads and European feeling of history and culture. Ontario’s size, endless forests, and amazing riding roads.
The sea of grass that is the prairie provinces – if you ever ride across there do yourself a favour and avoid the Trans-Canada. The side highways are just as fast and you get to see the small towns – like Ogema, where we stopped for a few minutes and were immediately greeted by the Mayor.
And BC – where rocks meet the skies, roads do things that should not be possible, and the scenery takes your breath away so many times you might as well bring an oxygen cylindeer.
We want to do that again – so a different sidecar rig is something we’ll be saving up for.
The Kymco scooters will be staying – I do love the People 200 for the simplicity, the lightness and of course it’s my Junk Run machine so it ha to stay.
We’re going to sell the Burgman as it probably has the most value – is currently getting the least use, and will save the most on insurance.
We’re also going to look for a newer 250cc-ish machine to replace the Bet and Win 250 – it’s from 2006 and has participated in 4 MBSR rallies, driven thousands of KMs, and is sun faded and abused. Still running, working – but it’s time for something newer. (Or less abused anyways.)
The Burgman has been on 2 Mad Bastard Rallies – taken us on trips, served me during a couple of winters riding into work (where I discovered the throttle would tend to freeze up overnight if it went below -20C – a hair dryer soon became part of some morning startup rituals.)
I’ll miss it – with the 120lb sidecar on it (Armec Tremolino, very rare in North America) it genuinely feels like a street going go cart.
It has the power to go on the highway and keep up, it has the sidecar to bring someone with you in relative comfort. It has a fun factor that isn’t matched by much else out there – because how many maxi-scooter sidecar machines do you see on a regular basis?
But it’s time to practice catch and release, say goodbye to an old friend, and let someone else put some smiles on while riding something unique.
And maybe get myself a new friend to put some miles on with.
And some therapy so I stop buying bikes.
Though the bike buying might end up being cheaper considering the used cheap machines I seem to end up with, and the extensive therapy that would no doubt be needed.