New scooter rider at 82

[chrisjk]

I have ridden motorcycles for well over 60 years and prefer a bike to a car for most purposes - bought a new car five years ago and it has only 2100 miles on the clock! However, as I got older, I started to to discover that bikes got heavier too and proportionally less fun. I then started to get bikes which weighed less and followed the slope downwards to my present bike - a KTM 390 which is fine for the moment. I used to tell myself that my last bike would in all likelihood be a Vespa scooter but I decided to short-circuit that line of thinking and a couple of weeks ago, bought a Honda ADV 350. I had seen that people used these for long tours as well as suburban riding and as touring is my main focus for bike riding was attracted by that, also by the large underseat storage space.

I am still in the process of running in the scooter but can see that I will probably enjoy touring with it although I find the suspension pretty harsh on rough roads. Still, as I tour abroad where the roads are almost always far better than ours in the UK I can live with it. But, and here's a question - is there any way of improving the suspension? I have googled assiduously with scant reward - a few mentions of YSS units for both front and rear and an ad for Ohlins rear units but little in the way of saying how much, if at all, these units are than the ones Honda put on the machine.

Any suggestions gratefully received!

[roadster]

I have mixed feelings about the suspension. First impressions good but now I am not so sure. But it is important to remember that it can take a good thousand miles before shock absorbers and springs soften up so I won't be making any hasty changes. The actual road holding and cornering are probably about as good as a conventional scooter drive train layout ever gets.

[capitano]

Any suggestions gratefully received!

Carry on doing what you are doing. Your logic is spot on!

I see a lot of older folks still determined to ride bigger, heavier bikes. I've seen a lot of them go over, parking up, or leaving venues at low speed.

Friends who run the helmet park at the South of England Shows have seen more, We've all had to pick up many a big, heavy bike, with the soundtrack of, "it's OK when it's moving ..."

Good choice of scooter, and there's a rich seam of knowledge to tap into on here.

Welcome to Maxi Muppets.

[Greyerbeard]

Yes I'm afraid it's a bit of an eye-opener when we lifelong motorcyclists first experience the suspension on scooters, where the engine is unsprung weight and the wheels are small...the current model ADV350 is among the best, but it's still definitely 'ouch'!
Before spending gazillions on aftermarket, try experimenting with tyre pressures and also letting your body adapt, and the suspension will gradually bed in a bit too...
also remember on the ADV you can put your feet far enough back on the footboards to take some weight off now and again.

[velocipede6295]

After 60 yrs+ on motorcycles, smaller wheeled scooters, and their suspension will not give you the level of comfort that you are used to from motorcycle suspension. However the ADV 350 is better than a lot of mid range scooters with it's suspension. I've done 4,000 miles on mine since Jan this year and find it really good, however sometimes I still hanker after a "proper" bike again.

I think the advertising / reviews which mentioned the off road capability for the ADV 350, have been overstated somewhat, and some of these minor rough roads are not comfortable on the ADV 350, which I don't think is really suitable for off road riding.

Try slackening off your rear suspension a notch, lower your tyre pressure a couple of pounds, stick to A and B class roads, and the better surfaced unclassified roads. Slow down a bit on rough road sections, slacken your hands' grip a bit on the bars, and brace your feet on the floorboards when approaching rough bits of road. That worked for me when I first got my Forza in 2021, and I found the suspension jarring. After 4 yrs on the Forza, the ADV feels in a different league to me, but it just depends what you are used to.

Welcome to the forum Chris.