long time lurker here. have been lurking on this forum for years but have finally made an account...
A little bit about myself. currently been commuting on wheels for around for 8 years now. started on a 2011 Vespa lx 125, then a 2013 Piaggio BV 350 and now own use a 2011 Sh300i alongside a 2016 NC750X. i do around 13k miles a year commuting plus moto camping trips. General philosophy is buy second hand, run it into the ground, sell as a non running and start all over. when i started i basically knew nothing about 2 wheel maintenance but have tried to do everything myself and thorough enjoyed it despite the number of mistakes. i most definately could have extended the life of these scoots knowing what i know now. but thats half the fun right of 2 wheeled ownership right??
Have use of a car but try and use 2 wheels wherever possible even though the winter. Due to the amount of miles plus winter riding, i've been on a mechanical journey aswell, trying to keep these bikes going. My commute consists of a 20 miles of fast hilly dual carridgeway and the remainder city riding. Due to how windy and hilly the North East can be, the scoots get quite a hammering.
the lx-125 is in bits at the moment as i knew nothing about rust presentation when i started riding and essentially rot the chassis into ground after 3 winters... on the runt for a rust free frame as i have the engine.
the BV is no longer with me due to a blown headgasket and niggling issues around 35k miles. I loved that power of the italian scoot. i even did a 3k trip to scandinavia on it 2-up. ( i think the autobahn didn't do it any favors) the engine was brilliant however everything else wasn't really suited to the environment and mileage i was putting on it. the electrics were a little temperamental.
the SH300 has been sitting dormant in my garage for the past year or so as i was on the hunt for a second hand engine due to a final drive bearing failure and resultant gearbox and crankcase damage. its currently around 32k miles. I'm going to use this mainly for winter riding and as a spare when the NC is down for maintenance. whilst its slower than the BV, it has been more reliable and quite the B road scratcher. i did the North Coast 500 in 2018 with a number of other 'proper' bikes and everyone was amazed what the bike could do. whilst my 6ft 1in frame and long legs is a little cramped, the pizza delivery scooter can certainly fufill many roles.
ti've been commuting on a NC750X for the past year and i've taken it to Germany on a week long camping trip. i miss the steering lock and nimbleness of maxis but the bigger engine and chain drive seems much more suited to the dual carridgeway speeds i'm doing and don't require as frequent maintenance. i enjoy the extra speed and handling advantages and obviously the frunk.
next bike - unsure of what to get when the Scottish winter weather gets the better of the NC. I see there are a number of couriers who have gotten over 100k so i have a few years yet to think about it. i will always have scooters in my life but have gotten the speed bug. VFR1200 or Africa twin perhaps...
