Gigi Varnum - Proud Owner of a 2008 Carino ZNEN 150 scooter!

by Gigi Varnum
(Key West, FL, USA)

Hi, I'm Gigi, and I live in fabulous Key West, Florida! Down here in paradise, scooters are everywhere - and I've finally decided to join in the fun! After weeks of frustrating online research, I stumbled across Kathi's site, and WOW!!! What a fantastic resource and forum for all things 'scoot'!!

The Carino is my first scooter, and I LOVE her!!! Well, actually, to be perfectly honest, I hate the color. I'm just not a bubblegum pink kind of girl. But I knew when I ordered that pink was the only color left in stock, and with the deal I got I can afford to have her repainted.

I ordered from Green Earth Scooters - what a lovely experience! Ordered on July 5th, she arrived on the 11th, needing the standard PDI and a good wipedown. (My, three years in a Chinese warehouse sure does let the dust-bunnies breed!) Not only did she arrive as advertised, but *BONUS!* she also has an alarm system with remote starter and an FM radio and AUX hookup so I can plug in my Zune or even my phone to jam to Pandora!

Another super cool feature - a dash light that tells you if your phone is ringing while you're riding, so no wondering if that vibrating is coming from the bike!

I'm 6'1", so a large part of why I initially chose the Carino is because of the seat height and wheel base. Also, I wanted something a little more substantial than the scooters I see tourists riding around town... This is my only motorized way to get from Point A to B; if a gallon of milk and two bags of groceries slows me down to a walking pace, why bother?!

Since she IS my only ride, obviously we go everywhere together - groceries, errands, work and play. My job is on the other side of the island, and although it's only a few miles, a short jaunt on a scooter can still feel like a long haul on a bicycle (especially when there's a 5 knot headwind!), hence my final reason for joining the world of two wheels and a throttle.

I haven't had a chance to open her up yet - my mechanic tells me to be gentle; after all, it's her first time. Once she has some mileage I'll take her up the Keys a ways and see what she's got to say for herself. First things first, though - gotta do something about that pink!!!