Ginger Phil wrote:The Tmax is a scooter.

I'm not disagreeing. I'm saying that I've never given it enough thought to classify it either way myself. Perhaps what I should have said at the end of my post was "If I am riding something which defies classification then that would please me."

I guess "motorbike" feels wrong as it is clearly technically a scooter but "scooter" also feels wrong, not because the definition doesn't apply, but due to the fact that we've all been conditioned over the years to associate that word with much smaller machines. "Maxi-scooter" feels right and is accurate but most people only understand the "scooter" part of that and you're back to square one. I guess just "bike" is concise and accurate enough to satisfy everybody.

Bluebottle wrote:"Electric scooters are for sandal wearing lentil munching treehuggers"

They are for now.
Once they have decent range and speed they will appeal to more people, not just green minded folk.

Lou wrote:What the hells PTW?

PTW stands for "powered two wheeler"

It cam about because there are two wheelers that aren't bikes or scooters has become a catch all so that you don't have to say "motorbikes, scooters, electric scooters, power assisted bicycle....." etc.


This "all scooters are..." business is funny
All "scooters" are "motor vehicles" too but it is usually a bit pointless to say "look at that motor vehicle" and then explain which one.
There is a perfectly good word for it so why not feckin use it.

Bluebottle wrote:This "all scooters are..." business is funny

You're right.

I wonder if motorbike owners (and I'll include power rangers) come up with different words for their motorbike? Of course they don't because they're not embarrassed to say they ride a motorbike.

This whole debate about what makes something a scooter is born from scooter owners embarrassment to say they own a scooter. Simple as that.

MrGrumpy wrote:

Turisu wrote:I couldn't give two sh*ts and a f*ck what people think about what I ride; bikers or otherwise. I'm anti-social and extremely happy with that! :p

Bet you're a Slipknot fan!!!

I am!

power ranger me,on the best bike i ever owned,
way i think you ride a scooter or a motorbike no inbetweens
i only ride scooter due to a injury that stops me now riding a large motorbike,tho im very happy with scooter,

Ginger Phil wrote: I wonder if motorbike owners (and I'll include power rangers) come up with different words for their motorbike?

Of course they do. I've heard people make a point of saying they ride a "sports bike" or "superbike" as if they're concerned about being mistaken for some crusty old mid-life-crisis guy on a Harley. The fact is that, to the people that ride them, there is a world of difference between various types of bike and nobody seems to want to be misunderstood about which they ride. For example; a maxi-scooter is worlds apart from a 'traditional' scooter and I can see why the rider of one might not want to be taken for the other simply because they describe their ride as a "scooter". I don't think it's about embarrassment (after all, if you were going to feel embarrassed about riding a scooter, why would you buy one?), to me it seems to be more about identity.

visfix wrote:

MrGrumpy wrote:

Turisu wrote:I couldn't give two sh*ts and a f*ck what people think about what I ride; bikers or otherwise. I'm anti-social and extremely happy with that! :p

Bet you're a Slipknot fan!!!

I am!

There are obviously a rather more on here than you might expect!!!

I don't feel embarrassed about my choice of passing my test and only being able to ride an automatic, with a further choice of only riding scooters, and just have a preference for the sporty look. What is there to be embarrassed about, its my choice.