Scooters In Austin

[lojical1]

Originally Posted by corruption

What I want to know is if a scooter or motorcycle is your only means of transportation....what do you do about groceries???

Well, I have a crate to put on my back rack, I have a front rack, a hook on the interior, a glove box as well as under seat storage and saddle bags. I will post a pic of the full outfit soon. I can easily handle groceries. Of course, I can't buy enough groceries for a month, but its not a giant ordeal to bring home toilet paper, milk, and bread.

[lojical1]

Originally Posted by Slappy san

The gf and I were talking about this a few days ago. We may give a shot when we get there. I haven't been on a scooter since I was five. She never has.

I just visited Urban Moto Shop at 600 S. Lamar and they guys there are extremely helpful and knowledgeable. I also went down the street to Vespa Austin, which is on the complete other end of the spectrum aesthetically, but was still a nice scooter shop. I went cruising around yesterday in the neighborhood, and boy, I missed riding so much! The weather, the wind, the air, the kids waving. It felt so refreshing!!

As far as my conversion quota, 1 down, two to go! I really hope to get more people riding, or at least more people aware of motor-driven cycles. I think when people learn about the alternatives out there, it makes them respect the drivers more.

[lojical1]

Originally Posted by behindthesun

corruption -
Scooters as your sole means of gettin' around will (I guarantee it) put you off scooters and leave a frustrated bad taste in your mouth about riding. It's the kind of thing couples do as an "experiment" that they end up abandoning as they place "barely used, almost new" for sale ads in the classifieds.

Right now our main source of transportation are our scooters. We have been riding for a year now, and haven't changed our minds about scooters yet. We have gear for rain, full riding gear including helmet, gloves, and boots, we read about safe riding, and are active members of a forum dedicated to our model scooter. We plan our routes according to ease of access, traffic, and speed. We make informed decisions and getting scooters was not a whim. I read posts from people that behindthesun speaks of. It is very important to test drive, consider, and then determine how you plan to use your scooter, if you can afford it, and if its something you can actually use and enjoy. Although I may ride on 620, I will not hop on the freeway, even if it were highway legal in Texas. Drifts from high-speed semi-trucks are not fun even in a car. Plus, even if I were going the speed limit, or speeding for that matter, there are plenty of jackholes who can not STAND the idea of a scooter going faster than them that they drive 85 in a 55 while I'm cruising at 65. Ridiculous.

We do plan on getting a car or truck, but mainly so that we can pack up the scoots and hit the rode whenever we feel the need, not because we feel scooters are inadequate. So, all this being said, think about it, be realistic, and test drive.

[Tommy Jefferson]

Originally Posted by TexasGirl@Heart

Do you need a motorcycle license to operate a scooter?

Yes. You must get the "M" endorsement on your Texas driver's license.

You take a written test, then a DPS worker follows you around the block in a friend's car.

[blakesq]

I can name call too! You know what call motorcycle/scooter drivers? organ donors.

Originally Posted by lojical1

And I'm sure intolerance and self absorbed motorists are behind that data as well. Hopefully good drivers won't be hard to find in Austin.