Mary Barrow Owner of Yamaha Vino 125 and Piaggio MP3 400
by Mary Barrow
(Redding, CA USA)
Me sitting on the new MP3. I ride it only with full gear.
Webmaster Notes: When Mary joined the club, she only owned the Yamaha Vino, so the profile below refers to that, but to see her update on her brand new BIG scoot, keep scrolling!
I bought my Yamaha Vino scooter new in 2006 so that makes 4 years I've had it. I love my little Vino because it is easy to drive and push and I could pick it up if I dropped it. My husband rides a big 650 Burgman so we are quite the pair when we are together. I am thinking of getting something bigger but I always change my mind when I look at my Vino.
What are your reasons for owning a scooter?: Because scootin' is fun!, It's good for the environment, I can save money on gas, To ride with my friends/partner/family
How do you use your scooter?: Around town
What's the longest you've ridden your scooter?: Between 10 & 25 miles one way
What is the fastest speed you've ridden your scooter?: 50 MPH
UPDATE 9/2010: Well, I took the giant leap and upgraded to a larger scooter. I still have my 2006 Vino 125 but I have now added a 2009 Piaggio MP3 400.
What a difference in the two scooters.
The learning curve on the Piaggio is very large, so I am taking my time learning how to ride it without falling over (I have done this twice in my driveway). The bike is very heavy (538 lbs) vs. my Vino, which is only 229 lbs. Big difference.
But, when you do finally get going, WOW, what a ride. It is quick and a dream in the curves. My husband rides a Burgman 650, so we can now go more places together because I can keep up with him.
It is freeway legal (which I don't plan on doing very often), but it is nice to know that I can get out of someone's way quickly and fast.
Living in Redding, CA makes it very easy to do day trips into the mountains or to the 2 lakes that we have nearby.
I usually don't like speed, but I have had this scooter up to 65 so far and it can do more. But, that is not why I got it. I got it so that my husband and I can go more places together and see things in our area that we have missed in the 25 years that we have been here.
There is a local scooter club in Redding called Scooterville. They have monthly rides that they put on and we plan on joining them in the near future.
When you're done here, you may also be interested in reading some of these popular pages:
- A guide to scooter care & maintenance
- Rundown of state scooter laws
- Scooter driving tips
- What to wear on a scooter
- How/why to winterize your scooter
A battery tender like the Battery Tender Jr. can make all the difference in whether your scooter will start right up each spring, after being stored for months.
Just about every scooter owner needs to have a battery tender, sometimes called a trickle charger. Unless you are lucky enough to live in a climate where you can ride all year long, chances are your scooter will be put on ice, figuratively-speaking, for at least a couple months every winter.
One of the key steps in winterizing a scooter is to protect your battery from draining during its "rest" period. This can – and will – happen if you leave your battery sitting untended in your cold scooter over the winter, even if it's in a garage or shed.
Read our review or go right to Amazon.com to buy this highly recommended Battery Tender Jr NOW...
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