The mind of a scooter enthuasiast. When did something that takes me back and forward from work become a day to day mind trip.
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You would think that I would be happy and I guess to some degree I am. I have a 250 scoot thats pretty to look at if the style is to your liking. Its goes up to 80 mph (probably more like 75 true) so it is easily handling the national speed limit.

So why do I constantly think to myself "I wish this would just do that extra 10 mph". I look at the bigger bikes and sometimes the bigger scoots zooming up on the fast lane and I become envious. I also share parking space a work with a CBR, Honda Hornet and several higher CC sports bikes.

So i start to look at the bigger scoots and tinkering with ideas in my head. Tmax always comes out as the bike i would love to have but then I think about my tight finances in terms of monthly excess and think is it a good idea to have to up my weekly petrol cost after all the sportcity gets me to work and back 5 days a week covering around 80 miles for a tenner. Then I read all about the high service costs etc and suddenly the idea of the Tmax seems out of the window.

So how about other 500CC scoots. Nexus 500. Done that one and after two MASTER engines failing me (B500) I'm pretty put off. Satalis? Dont like the looks and MASTER engine. Atalantic Sprint..guess what MASTER engine. X9..MASTER and dont like the looks. Probably others ove missed here but are all either MASTER engine or dont like the looks.

Ok so 400cc. Burgman....No offense and I know they are popular and for good reason but does a 400cc powered bike really need to be so excessively big? not for me. Majesty 400cc....people complaining about feeling unsecure feeling like the back is slipping out. Xevo 400 sorry I hate the looks. x8....hmmm possible.

So that dwindles it down for me to stick with the 250, X8 or Tmax.


Tmax is out of my reach most probably.

x8..everytime i look at it I almost have to make a compromise in my head as the looks dont rock my boat but the engine size ect would probably be ideal.

or my current bike. what normally happens is I think to myself "i'm being stupid I love this bike, it does what I need. Stop worrying about the lack of top speed" then guess what something passes me on the motorway and the cycle starts yet again.

My ongoing quandry!

I like my sh300,but would love an extra bit of push & top end,(flat out at 85 clock reading),but I guess enough is never enough for me,& I dont want a larger scooter,just a bit more engine.

SH300i seems like the best mini-scooter.
That bit more top speed, but not a maxi in fatness, Honda servicing, not much more fuel than your 250. Only tick it fails from your above is the styling, unless you like it.

But I'm in a similar situation: I have a scooter that fills my needs, but look slightly envious at the bigger/faster bikes and scooters. Also I can't really tour on ride outs, and wouldn't mind a bit more presence on the road, although not nessacarily more actually speed. Not bothered by weather protection or storage space, hence I'm looking favourably at the NC700S - but do I really need one? Is it just an egotistical waste of money?

My ongoing quandary!

you're not alone!, i love my xmax but then i want a tmax or a majesty 400 as i'd like the looks of a full size bike,.. But then i think of the cost of servicing and the xmax has better storage than a tmax, i then realize that as a commute-scoot the xmax is all i need.....then in a few weeks it starts all over again.

Difficult really as it'll always mean more spending. Either SH300 or the new X10 350 (though new and unproven) or maybe Sym Citycom 300/Kymco Downtown 300.

But for me the real answer would be to keep the current scoot and satisfy speed with decent secondhand bike - Versys/ER6, Monster 796/1100Evo, Suzuki SV650 or my own choice - Triumph Street Triple.

Unless you have a twin turbocharged Hayabusa with nitrous oxide injection, you will always want that little bit more oomph.
Be happy with what you have, that extra 10mph doesn't make a significant difference in point-to-point journey times.
But I have seen reports that a Kymco Downtown 300i can do over 90mph...

Glad i'm not alone. I guess it always a case of the grass being greener. doesnt stop the vicious circle though. surprised at the SH300 as i was told (lied to) by a honda dealer at they 'cruise' at 90. if that had been the case thenbit would have been a obvious choice apart from the styling is not quite as id like.

x8 400 is looking the best option but im not happy with prices im seeing so far considering its a superceded bike

extra speed is not as important as the way it feels at speed. Doing 70mph easily knowing you can do 100 if you wanted is much more satisfying than doing 70mph while stretching the limits of the engine. So it's a matter of feeling powerful rather than the actual experience. At least that's how i feel.

masterchop wrote:Glad i'm not alone. I guess it always a case of the grass being greener. doesnt stop the vicious circle though. surprised at the SH300 as i was told (lied to) by a honda dealer at they 'cruise' at 90. if that had been the case thenbit would have been a obvious choice apart from the styling is not quite as id like.

x8 400 is looking the best option but im not happy with prices im seeing so far considering its a superceded bike

I heard all that about the sh300 doing 90mph,I have ridden two of them so far,both 2010 models,my one will hit 84 clock speed anywhere except a strong headwind,then its on the rev limiter,the second one I rode did 87 on the rev limiter.
Thats all fine,not moaning,but there has been a lot of 'internet pinch of salt' tales of 90+ mph,and they are not fact(unless the early ones had a higher set limiter on them).

halfabusa wrote:extra speed is not as important as the way it feels at speed. Doing 70mph easily knowing you can do 100 if you wanted is much more satisfying than doing 70mph while stretching the limits of the engine. So it's a matter of feeling powerful rather than the actual experience. At least that's how i feel.

I agree completely,I would love my scoot to be well within its limits at 80mph,as it is it will buzz along at 70-75mph with not a lot left,but not thrashing it either.