Opinions on "which" Scooter for 2 up riding ?

[Beetle]

Thanks for all the help & information, it sounds like most of the Maxis 300cc & above will be ok for 2 old people to plod along on , i'll go & visit my 2 Local dealers for a test sitting.

[Dave Weller]

I second what Steve says, I've never taken anyone on the back but I'm sure they would enjoy it on the Silverwing armchair.

[MrGrumpy]

Thanks for all the help & information, it sounds like most of the Maxis 300cc & above will be ok for 2 old people to plod along on , i'll go & visit my 2 Local dealers for a test sitting.

Not all 300cc+ - some are smaller than others! The SH300 is tiny! Whilst some of the Burger 400s were huge!
As you say, the only way is for your and your other half to try. You might find that a particular scoot suits you both rather more than you'd expect, whilst some other ones you'd expect to be great aren't. For instance, the Burger 650 has an enormous pillion space, but some pillions apparently find this disconcerting!

[Beetle]

Thanks for all the help & information, it sounds like most of the Maxis 300cc & above will be ok for 2 old people to plod along on , i'll go & visit my 2 Local dealers for a test sitting.

Not all 300cc+ - some are smaller than others! The SH300 is tiny! Whilst some of the Burger 400s were huge!
As you say, the only way is for your and your other half to try. You might find that a particular scoot suits you both rather more than you'd expect, whilst some other ones you'd expect to be great aren't. For instance, the Burger 650 has an enormous pillion space, but some pillions apparently find this disconcerting!

Yes MrGrumpy I should have said all 300 "Maxi" Scooters(oops I did say all "Maxi" 300's,also my wife shares the opinion about the Burgman 650 passenger seat, I've looked hard at the 650, but that rear seat does look daunting & it's nearly as heavy as our present bike so I think it's out,but looks a great bike.

[scootabout]

I wouldn't get too focused on the underseat storage itself, more on the overall capacity. I've ridden the SH300, Beverly 350 and Forza 350 two up and all are worth considering, especially as you don't sound like you need full on performance. Like you, I downsized from a larger bike (BMW boxer), but found all these scooters could do what I previously did - around 8K mix of touring, commuting, local jaunts, etc.

The SH300 is by far the lightest, but will easily carry us at motorway speeds. Although it comes with a topbox, I prefer a larger Givi box (48 Lt). There is modest underseat storage, but a useful loop and hook that a helmet can be securely attached to. For touring, we use throw over panniers to take plenty of everything. When we stop, we can fit our gear on the bike and wander at leisure. The new 350 model should be even cheaper to run, with 8K service intervals. Pillion space is fine and the ride is comfy. One thing that pillions notice with scooters is the lack of gears - no helmet bashing!

The Beverly 350 feels much heavier, especially round town, but is great fun on the open road, with firmer handling. With a wide Givi screen, massive Piaggio topbox and capacious underseat storage, giving great weather protection and comfort, this makes a great tourer. The bars feel chunkier and the levers were a bit of a reach for me, so see if these suit you. However, I had issues with parts supply and 'Italian-ness', which made me realise I prefered Hondas, so...

I bought a Forza 350, which I've just been round Scotland on (solo, but we have been out two-up a couple of times). Smooth, feels lighter in all senses than the Beverly, seems to quietly glide along at 60 mph, but happy at motorway speeds too. Luggage-wise, will take your helmets under the seat, but not as generous or well-shaped as the Beverly storage. Doesn't come with a rack, so I fitted a Givi one (after Honda failed to supply), along with the 48 Lt box. Pillion seat is high and wide and gives more space than the others. Whether this is a good thing is subjective. Like the SH300, has a hook and loop to securely attach a helmet (or two) if you need to use the storage for other stuff.

In general, I'd say go and have some test rides to see how they feel. Although I miss having an actual motorcycle sometimes, when I cracked and bought an old BMW K75, I didn't ride it much and sold it again after a couple of years. Hope this helps!