Lessons of the first 1000 miles

[Brice]

This week I logged my thousandth mile.
Never being a rider before this summer I wasn't sure what I was in for. Below are top things this adventure has taught me.

1. Fun to drive! I just keep smiling and smiling as I look for cars that want to kill me. Sometime it feels illegal that I enjoy myself that much.

2. People are friendlier to me. Of course the other motorcycles, mostly Harleys in my neck of the woods, wave. Pedestrians wave. Kids in cars wave. People chat often commenting how fun it looks and what's the mileage. Maybe its all that smiling?

3. I see more and am connected more. Theres the house that always has someone sitting on the porch. I see and smell the mowed hayfield. I talk to the road construction dudes.

4. The road is surprisingly smoother on 2 wheels. I commute on pot-hole patched road that I avoid in my car cuz it shakes my teeth, yet on the PCX it isn't bad at all.

5. A scooter is way easier to ride than a geared motorcycle. I grew up driving a manual car. I took the local motorcycle safety on the provided geared bikes. I practiced on my neighbors'. I guess I got it and maybe someday it would be second nature. But, for me, as I beginning rider, I feel the relief of not having to concern my brain about the shifting and pay 100% to the traffic around me the difference of riding within my skills. I thought that I would start on the scooter and maybe work my way up to bigger machine. No way now. Gearless is the way for me.

6. I ride it way more often than I thought I would so I am recooping my investment sooner than I anticipated. Mostly it is the silly short runs for errands to the store and gym that really add up. I got interested in Scooting as a way of limiting my carbon footprint for all the countless trips that life requires. Except for the first 50 miles of getting used to the bike, all the rest has been for a bonafide trip to somewhere.

7. I am a more dutiful husband. I run more errands for the dear wife. In the days Before Scooter, we would just suffer without cheese for the tacos or my sweetie or I would fire up the car to get the necessities. Now I am highly responsive to the siren call "Can you run to the store and get..." slapping my helmet on before I even know what the purchase is.

8. When I spend 30 minutes driving home from work on the highway in the car I am tired and bored and want to rest. When I come via Scoot. I am pepped and ready to be dad, husband and helper, with energy and gusto, ready to share joy. I am just plain happier and more energized. Odd, since riding Scoot does take more concentration than in boring car.

9. I'm getting to church more. My pastor has a Victory and encouraged me to get onto 2 wheels when I inquired about it. Sunday mornings are emptiest roads. Besides it is very comforting when the church folks tell me to be safe and careful.

10. Hondapcx.org has been another happy surprise. I enjoy the wisdom, guidance, humor, education, photos and connections to like minded people around the world.

Here's to the next thousand!

[MacDaddy]

What a great post Brice! Some of us have been riding for most of a longish life and it's nice to be reminded of what it was like when we started. I really enjoy the being connected thing too that comes from riding instead of driving. Enjoy your ride sir.

[gn2]

Know exactly what you mean about the joy of riding a PCX.
I traded a Triumph Daytona 900 for a PCX and it took me right back to how riding felt like when I was a kid and everything was new.
It was like a re-birth.

My circumstances changed, the PCX was no longer fast enough for the roads between home and a new job, so I traded the PCX for a Forza 300 which despite many niggles served well for over three years.
Traded to an SV650 for "more" but "more" came at the cost of much less practicality.

So am now looking at going back to a scooter, but the problem is which one....? decisions, decisions......

[Old Grinner]

Excellent post!

I'm finding that I ride my Zuma and XMax (mostly the Zuma) more than my motorcycles now. I've held onto my old Suzuki Bandit and Kawasaki KLR since I bought them new. Many great adventures and experiences on both. Tons of highway miles and long trips, especially interstate day rides, from sun up to sun down.

As stated above I think we all know the ease of use and practicality of the scooters vs. the more involved commitment to riding motorcycles.

My 2017 PCX was my second scooter and a great fun. It performed well for me. It convinced me even more that scooters offered a new kind of riding experience. I did eventually trade it in for my Zuma but it wasn't for any lack of performance, it was the seat design. Long story short I needed more comfort.

Last evening, while riding the Zuma 125, around dusk I had an experience where a car suddenly emerged out of an obscure driveway, crossing a sidewalk, and rolling at a rate that implied it was just going to pull out into the road. It was a large luxurious car, with a burned out headlight, and what seemed to be an impatient driver. Fortunately it did stop and fortunately there was no pedestrian strolling by on the sidewalk at the time.

My instant reaction was to pull hard on both brakes, reduce speed, and then bank hard left towards the road center (no oncoming traffic), and then brake hard again to avoid a door crash. I always ride in a "proactive mode" to avoid a collision just in case a vehicle (or deer for example) suddenly appears in my lane of travel. Perhaps I overreacted but at the end of the day all was well. The car did pull out after I passed and caught up with me in short time. I soon after signaled to make a left hand turn and the car quickly sped past me . . ..

That incident and others lately have made me realize that I'm now becoming more "in tune" with the operation of scooters and maybe less so with the bikes. I didn't reach for the clutch and try to brake with my right foot. I just hammered down on both levers to brake urgently.

Moving forward I may seriously consider selling my vintage bikes and just riding scooters. I may even get another scooter but I'll have to do a lot of thinking about it first.

In a split second decision muscle memory is very important. When you mix up what you are riding on, especially as you get older IMHO, you really have to be careful.

I can't speak for others but for me I think scooters are going to be the major players in my remaining riding years . . ..

[big bear]

your in youngstown thats close by compared to most guys here i do all my riding in indiana and cambria county but i do have a house in pittsburgh that i stay at during the week while working i never ride there to many crazy drivers in mercedes and bmws

[Inoplanetyanin]

Totally agree with the OP. Riding a scooter invigorates. It's fun, practical. Be careful though, don't speed and don't trust someone will stop when you expect them to, or vice versa. Keeping huge distance to the car in front and being in bright clothing and visible are your essential safety factors.

[riding@100mpg]

keep scootin and you'll grow together even more. practice those emergency stops and you'll be fine. so glad you're coming over to the scooter side of things, wait till you get the "thumbs up" out there

[CTPCX]

Totally agree with you Brice. I started riding a Ruckus about 4 years ago. Thought I would use it sparingly but found it was so much fun I used it for everything. All the same points you mentioned. Added the PCX after reading a lot about it and doing a test ride. Great bike. I let all my biker friends ride it and unanimously they love it.

[mymitzi]

Hits home.........PCX is my drug of choice........family .....talking about an intervention

[WhiteNoise]

Well! That was an enjoyable read!! Thank you Brice for "bringing it" in 10 steps
My fav, #10.....
We like You Too
Ride on. "Happy Trails!"

[Antjp]

This is my 1st post. I’m looking forward to getting my pcx 125 this Friday.

[gn2]

This is my 1st post. I’m looking forward to getting my pcx 125 this Friday.

Welcome to the forum

Exciting times, only two more sleeps!

[WhiteNoise]

Whoa....then, Hurry Up Friday!! You'll be speechless at first and then burst at the seams with joy or whatever else blows yer skirt up (shirt? No matter, you get my drift)
Don't fight it. "It" happens.
I'M FEELING IT -
LOVE ALL THIS EXCITEMENT!

image.jpeg (55.67 KiB) Viewed 1332 times

And....(Say this fast) > OhMyGOD! IT'S "WHITE!"

Remember, we love photos!

Almost forget - Please add your location to your profile. Easy directions are below my post. Thanks and sleep tight

[easyrider]

My PCX 150 was highly maneuverable and fun but around my geography the hills were jus a bit too much for this 200 pounder ..and the winds just pushed it around too much.I upgraded to a forza 300 and all that went away... Around here the Harley riders rarely wave but all others do. Must be the noise that deafened their senses.

[gn2]

[Antjp]

I bought a Honda ses125 Dylan 16 years ago. I Had it for 4 years and clocked up over 80,000 miles. It was a brilliant scooter. It would do 62mph only, but it would do that speed uphills or down hills. And even 2s up.
Fridays getting closer now.

[Cube]

Just over 700 miles on the Forza now, it's become my go-to bike over the PCX. Better storage than the SilverWing or PCX, plenty of in-town power. I go to my happy place pretty much every time I hop on. I'm seriously considering selling the shifty bikes since I don't really feel much like riding them anymore.

[vito]

I started two wheeling over 35 years ago with a Honda Elite 125. I used it as a stepping stone to riding a "real" motorcycle. While rehabbing from double knee replacement, for a couple of years I rode a Silverwing. But regular motorcycles had always been my thing, up to and including my current Goldwing that I bought new in 2016. I bought the PCX150 as just a fun ride and for local errands. But I now admit that quite often I take the scooter when I just want to get out for a ride, and don't want to deal with the 900 pounds plus of the big Goldwing. The Goldwing is faster, has more features and is certainly more appropriate for long, all day rides, but more and more I find that I just enjoy the PCX so much that it is the one that I jump on to. I've enjoyed having this scooter so much that I am now thinking of possibly trading in both the PCX and the Goldwing and getting a scooter with a bigger engine so that I can have the best of both worlds.

[gn2]

I am now thinking of possibly trading in both the PCX and the Goldwing and getting a scooter with a bigger engine so that I can have the best of both worlds.

Do it. Do it today.

[Old Grinner]

One key thing I got out of having my PCX in the first 1K miles was that I could take it just about anywhere . . . short of going on Interstates . . . and didn't need anything bigger. It had ample storage and if I wanted more I could have gotten a top box. Speed was sufficient. Acceleration was sufficient. Fuel economy was superb. The seat? Not so great for me . . . but I don't condemn the PCX for that. Just wish Honda would make the next evolution of PCX with a more universally comfortable seat for a wide range consumer market globally. Maybe I'd trade in my "shiftys" and get a new PCX then . . ..

My XMax fills the bill quite nicely indeed, can carry a passenger, and the list goes on . . ..

My Zuma 125 is great for all season riding (including on salty Winter roads) and is sufficient for "off road" stuff. It's handy as a hammer.

A PCX would be nice to have again for warm weather around town or local jaunts because it just plain looks good and runs good. Nothing extra needed. I like the short windscreen to get that cooling breeze in Summer. Looking forward to seeing what Honda offers next year. Even a comfortable ADV 150 would be welcome. For those Forza fans I hope they bring their 300 here.