Wednesday, April 17, 2013

My Scooter Story: Part 2

50cc scooters are a gateway drug. Really.  They're a great introduction to scooters as they have some great benefits: no motorcycle endorsement needed in Minnesota, you can park at many bike racks (any public ones in Saint Paul or Minneapolis), and they're dirt cheap to insure.  What you don't get is a lot of speed.  30 mph is fine for getting around the city, but a little more power and speed can really extend your range.

Last spring (and yes, at this time of year it actually WAS spring in MN) I did a little research online on the SYM Symba.  I'd seen one once before, back when Blue Cat Motors sold SYM scooters, and thought it a pretty cool looking bike.  What's funny is I'm not sure why exactly I started looking into the Symba.  I wasn't seriously thinking of buying one.  At least I didn't think so.

Fast forward a couple of months.  The Coffee Queen, the Little Scoot, and I were at Grand Old Day in Saint Paul (one of our favorite summer traditions).  Midwest Motorcycle in Minneapolis always has a presence there and this year a familiar-looking bike caught my eye.  I walked over and sure enough, it was a red and white Symba.  I pointed it out to the Coffee Queen and said that - someday - when I bought my next scooter I thought this would be it.  She looked straight at me and said, "If you want it, you should buy it."

The Little Scoot at Grand Old Day.  He likes red too.

Well, if I had learned anything in nine years of marriage it was to take advantage of that sort of opportunity when it presents itself.*  But I did my research.  I scoured the web for information on the Symba's quality and reliability, I researched the alternatives, and made a trip to Go Moto to take one for a spin.  I was a little concerned about learning the semi-manual transmission (the Symba has gear shifts, but no clutch lever) as my one attempt to learn to drive a manual transmission had ended in failure.

But riding the Symba was a breeze.  Just remember to let off the throttle before you shift (otherwise it resembles a bucking bronco, and probably isn't good for the clutch either).  I went home, gave it some thought, went back, and put down a down payment on a brand-new, red and white Symba.

Since picking it up last summer I've hardly ridden the Mio at all (the Coffee Queen has now become very possessive of it as her scooter).  I love the ride, the extra power, and the ability to easily climb above 30 mph (I swear the bike doesn't even like going that slow).  It's just plain fun.  The Coffee Queen quickly dubbed it Dr. Atomic and the appropriate icon was soon procured.  Never let it be said I don't embrace my physicist training. :-)

Me and Dr. Atomic

With the new bike I promised myself I'd learn more about how to maintain it.  I've already done a couple of oil changes, adjusted the chain, and learned several other basic checks.  SYM isn't nearly as well-known in the US as other scooter brands, but as any SYM owner will tell you they make fantastic bikes, and so I don't expect to have to do much more than the basics for quite awhile.

 I've learned that once you get past the basics of what you're looking for in a scooter or motorcycle (speed, price, etc.) you just have to find the one that feels right.  I looked into the Buddy 125 but just couldn't get excited about it in the way I could for the Symba.  It just fits.

* I should add that's not all I've learned about marriage in now 10 wonderful years. :-)

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