The Real Scooter Cannonball, which is the race I am gunning for, has a 150cc minimum, although the race was won in 2013 by a 70cc scoot. Regardless, a 150 would be the minimum in my mind to race on. At least a 150 is capable of short stints on the interstate if need be.
The other rally, The Scooter Cannonball has a maximum 250cc displacement. Ideally if I were to do both events, a 200cc would be the one.
Nostalgically speaking, a Honda Elite 150, similar to the 125 I had as a kid would be awesome.
These are fairly rare, especially in good condition, and Honda has discontinued making parts for them. That makes it more of a challenge, and finding parts on Ebay a new sport. The upside, it's a Honda and the damn things are stone reliable, and one can be had for $500-$1000. For about $1500 you can get an operational bike and a parts bike.
But is a 30 year old bike up to the challenge of a balls to wall, all out race for 5700km? It sure would be fun to see, and I would like the opportunity to tear into a old machine and learn how to fix it, which pays back in spades when on the road.
The other option is more expensive and less maintenance and labour intensive. Find a used Honda PCX150. They are relatively new, reliable, and more than up to the task. Downside.......$2500 used, close to $4000 new, and to be honest, they lack any real character.
Although in my experience over the years, "character" means I break down, shake, rattle, roll, and have a lot of weird quirky things going on......and that's OK.
Then there is the ever popular Vespa. When you look up scooter in the dictionary, there it is.....the Vespa. Now don't get me wrong the Vespa is awesome. High end, and expensive. Expensive to buy and expensive to fix. The built quality is excellent, and they scream I am a cool scooterist.
Even a used one with high mileage is on the pricey side and fetch over two grand. Mind you I'd probably skip the Louis Vuitton optional seat like this one.
So it all boils down to what can I get a deal on, and how much do I have to put into it to make it half-decently reliable.
No comments:
Post a Comment