I just came upon this site, and thought I would introduce myself.

I woke up one morning in April and decided I *must* by a scooter. I don't know where it came from - none of my friends ride scooters - and there aren't very many around my town (I live outside of San Francisco). But my mind was made up. Like someone else mentioned, my friends thought it was hysterically funny. Maybe it's because I'm very petite - I don't know. But they definitely had a good chuckle.

Anyway I started doing my research and decided I wanted the Vino 125. My plan was to ride to work 2-3 days a week (~12 miles each way), and use it for errands around town. Unfortunately, there were no Vino 125s to be found anywhere in Northern Ca. Apparently they sent a limited number to California so they didn't last very long. So I got myself a Zuma, figuring it would be good to learn on, and I could sell it and get a Vino 125 later when the new models come out.

My son gave me some lessons in a parking lot, and then I was on my own. Once I realized 15mph is not really as fast as it seems (LOL) I got the hang of it and was able to move with traffic. Full gear always - full face helmet, mesh jacket with armor, gloves. Wish it didn't have to be that way, but I like my face and my skin the way it is.

I took the Motorcycle safety class, and was lucky because they had one scooter in the class that I was able to use. It's all about 'twist and go' for me. Passed the class and got my license. It's all good, and I'm lovin' it.

I've been looking at many scooters in the 125 to 150cc range - but my big problem is their seat height. Even with the zuma I cannot flat foot, but I can get enough of my foot down to feel comfortable. I'll probably go with the Vino 125 when it comes out, because it does have a lower seat.

Anyway, thanks for listening to me babble. I could have gone on and on even more..... Looking foward to interesting sharing on this site.

Hi Bonnie...

Welcome to the wonderful world of scootering! I got my first scooter about 3 years ago. Some of my family members have scooters and told me I could NEVER ride one, so don't even try (I'm vertically challenged also). Hah! I had to prove them wrong LOL. I initially had a Honda Metro, which I loved, but a 50 cc was so limiting, so I sold it and got a Vino 125. I found the seat height on that was a little too high for me, so I ended up having a very low-profile seat made for it. That is something you might want to keep in mind... a good upholsterer can always customize your seat to be a little lower, and that can make all the difference in your riding comfort.

What's the weather like in your area? Are you able to ride in the winter months? Here in New England our riding season is unfortunately pretty short, so we try to make the most of the good weather when we have it! And I always wear full riding gear too, even though we don't have a helmet law here in CT. I just don't want to drink my meals through a straw for the rest of my life.

Enjoy your scootering... it's addictive! Keep the rubber side down

~ Shellee

Hi Shelle -

In Northern California we have superb weather and a long riding season. At least April/May through Octoboer/November. It generally doesn't rain in the summer at all, but once the rains start in winter I won't be riding. Some people do ride in the winter though, because it doesn't get nearly as cold as on the east coast. Great weather - but we pay for it with an extremely high cost of livingl

Hey Kim - there is an effort to get a Scooter class going here in the states. I think they're just starting up on the east coast. It would have been nice to do - but I think I would have ended up taking the class on a motorcycle if I had to. I can understand why you didn't though. Almost everything in the class was relevant to scootering, except for learning the parts of a motorcycle, and shifting gears (although that does apply to some scooters).

Scoot safe and have fun. They're not mutually exclusive!

Bonnie

hey Bonnie, i'm in San Francisco and i don't plan on riding thru winter, but i might feel frisky and do it anyway! check out san francisco scootergirls on yahoo groups.