Sometimes you can just “feel” these things coming. In the June issue, as a sort of companion piece to my review of the MP3 from Piaggio, I used this editorial space to publicly meditate on the nature of scooters and their riders (“Just messing with machines”). Apparently, I came to conclusions that many found both fundamentally unsound and even downright insulting. Response from those who took exception to my editorial has been swift, illuminating and articulate. To all of you who took the time to write, thank you; I think I may have been wrong. Kicking off with Richard Dinning’s comments in ‘Letters’ this issue, here are other samplings of the readership response.

Therin Grower, Salt Spring Island, BC writes:
I am one of the “mythical” graduates from a scooter (actually, a moped) to a motorcycle that John Campbell says don’t exist (‘The C-Note,’ June 2007). I am a 5’2” 48-year-old woman. Four years ago, romance with a motorcycle owner overflowed into passion for a vintage moped. It took only a season for my confidence to build, and I wanted more power.
I now tour, go to events, and ride regularly to work from February to November (yes, in the rain, too). Even on my moped I regularly got waves from bikers less prejudiced than John Campbell. It’s that kind of acceptance and camaraderie that made me a full member of the biker world today.

Andrew Weitzman, Montreal writes:
I read June’s C-Note with a mixture of sadness and irritation. You see, I’m one of those mythical scooterists who transitioned from a 50cc Yamaha Vino to 125cc and 250cc scoots. It took a considerable amount of hard work and learning in the school of hard road knocks. I’ve traveled all over New England and Quebec on my little machines, seen the mountaintops of Vermont wreathed in storm cloud while on a lonely two-laner in the Green Mountains, ran out of gas, lost a couple mufflers, sweated, dodged (and was hit by) cars, and experienced pretty much every travail and joy a motorcyclist could experience.

Then I read in your magazine that people like me and the machines we choose to ride have no place in your magazine because we’re not “true” motorcyclists. I’m not sure if what I am is more disappointed by the lack of respect for what we scooterists do, or the blindness of the columnist.

Aside from my personal feelings, I think the John Campbell rather misses the point as to why there’s an explosion of 50cc displacement scoots on the market. Due to the dunderheaded “rear-foot-brake-by-pedal-only” regulation enforced by Transport Canada, the new generation of automatic scooters from Europe and Asia were banned from our market until this rule was changed around 2002. Scooterists were limited to moped class machines.

Their only alternatives up the displacement ladder were a few tired quarter-litre cruiser designs, a 250cc sportbike, and introductory dualsports. There were no other machines with the qualities they had gotten used to on their moped/scoots—integral storage, easy-to-use automatic transmission, nimble in urban traffic, etc. The current crop of 50cc scooters bridge that gap, luring moped riders to take motorcycle courses so that they can take advantage of the extra power of the larger scoots. These scooter riders represent the new blood that can take over from the ageing Boomer generation.

David Duncan, Sidney, BC writes:
Have the fun, practicality and sense of “motorcycles” become a mindset? Scooters, trikes and now the MP3 appear to tax editorial sensibilities. Are you guys too staid to adapt to new ideas? With age comes wisdom it’s said. Come on out of the “bigger is better box.” Who needs a trike or MP3 scooter? No one really, except perhaps mature riders; young people looking for fun and economy; balance challenged folks too and maybe commuters. It’s enough to make a Mountie’s pen run dry—you ought to see the young set in Italy having fun on an MP3! Break loose guys, there’s a new era upon us. All two- and three-wheeler info belongs to your readers.

Reilly Burke Richmond, BC writes:
It’s odd that the editor of a Canadian biker magazine wouldn’t pick up right away that the Piaggio is a bike that could be ridden to work in winter in Canada. This is a brilliant commuter bike for this country. With an optional roof and side curtains, the Piaggio rider wouldn’t need a helmet. Being less than 800cc, the Piaggio doesn’t need clean-air testing (for example, “Air Care” in BC). At less than 400cc, the Piaggio gets half price insurance. With an aggressive tread on the back tire, you can ride the Piaggio in snow—even in downtown Toronto! With it’s green certification, the Piaggio gets free parking in Vancouver. With a bit of noise from you guys at Canadian Biker, maybe this thing could qualify for Harper’s $2,000 green credit. When I saw your story, I thought, Awesome, a bike for Canadian weather! But you folks missed it entirely.

Craig Jones, Bowen Island, BC writes:
Everything I’d read about the MP3 said it was a terrific foul weather machine [I bought the first one in BC]. I’ve had it now for two months, and can attest it is more planted, especially in the bad stuff, than anything I’ve ridden. I lean on that thing like I’m Rossi, even in the wet. But there have been some other pleasant surprises too: the storage (with an added GIVI top box) is more than on a Gold Wing, for instance, and I brought home a dozen longstem roses in it last week (marriage maintenance).
The speed is adequate for the freeway. Weather protection is great now that I’ve added a larger windscreen, and I wired in some extra electricals (accessory socket in trunk, heated grips, brakelight flashers, etc.). But the best features are all byproducts of the quirky tadpole-trike arrangement.

I’ve now got the hang of locking it as I come to a stop, and I’ve only ever used the centre stand when I’ve washed it. The ability to lock it at an angle means that it will be bolt upright and perfectly stable parked on any road surface at any orientation, and you never have to worry about a kickstand sinking into asphalt. The only downsides are no glove box—what the heck were they thinking? I’ve had the cowl off and there’s plenty of room behind the dash—and it could use just a smidge more power (maybe a fresh pipe and ignition map). Just thought I’d share that with you.

Again, it was extremely interesting to hear the opinions and experiences of others. But, for the record people, I don’t suffer a case of “bigger is better” as Mr. Duncan suggests, nor am I the “prejudiced” rider portrayed by Ms. Grower. Honest, I’m not!

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