PCX the USA from one end to the other anyone?

[springer1]

I see there's 1 Forza registered for this year's Cannonball; no PCXs yet. As usual, lots of Reflex/ Helix entries, those scoots are a favorite for this.

http://forum.scootercannonballrun.com/t ... roster/305

[OldGuywhoTinkers]

Interesting discussion.

My take: You can probably ride a 50cc bike across the country, (if you don't burn it out) but climbing a hill at 25 mph in a 50 cc bike is not a thrill ! The PCX 150 would do much better, but when traveling at higher speeds on the interstate it is the ability to keep up with surrounding traffic easily that keeps things from getting dangerous. I think I'm going to keep mine. but if I choose to go to Charleston SC from here in Columbia, I'll take the back or secondary roads. It is too unnerving to have a tractor trailor follow on my license plate !

Now apart from the Suzuki Burgman, I would move up in size to the Forza if I wanted to roll on the interstate all the way to California or Alaska.

[lillypinkjenny]

Yeah it's not just in the USA that the "can't do" mentality to bike capacity exists.

You only have to look at the number of BMW GSs sold in the UK and Europe to see that. A great bike, for sure, and if that's what you want, go for it. But don't pretend that you bought it because you NEED the power and the weight that comes with it.

The motorcycle press in general here perpetuate the same myth, slating some 1000cc+ bikes as unsuitable for two up touring with luggage because of a lack of oomph!

This is the route we took on two Chinese 125s in 2014. Small beer by the standards of others but thoroughly enjoyable on small machines.

https://goo.gl/maps/XiUtUZFd4fm

[GeorgeSK]

Now that's some scooter ride! Was that one way or there and back? My concepts of European distances is weak (although clearly Google is helping out) - how long was that trip time wise?

[PCX150Rider]

This is the route we took on two Chinese 125s in 2014. Small beer by the standards of others but thoroughly enjoyable on small machines.

Wow. . .I'm certainly impressed!

[lillypinkjenny]

Now that's some scooter ride! Was that one way or there and back? My concepts of European distances is weak (although clearly Google is helping out) - how long was that trip time wise?

We didn't rush things and took just over 4 weeks to ride down. We did stop a while longer in Lisbon than planned, and loved Cadiz so we stayed there a while too.

We didn't take scooters, we were on Sinnis Apache 125s (Chinese bikes based on the old Suzuki GS125 motor.) Photo isn't one of ours, but identical.

Our intention was to work through the Winter in Tenerife then return home for the UK Summer. Unfortunately I sustained a hand injury (that led to me riding auto scooters, and this forum )whilst leading a mountain bike tour and during medical examinations we found out something I had previously been told was impossible. I was pregnant!

Hence I flew home instead, and him indoors stayed on to sell the bikes then joined me back here. It would have been lovely to ride the return trip but, ya know, the end result somewhat made up for it.

[BobS]

I did read an article in a motorcycling magazine back in the 70s. The writer had just completed a cross country ride on a Honda 50, staying on 2 lane roads. The magazine name escapes me now.

What I can remember is that he took a southern route - Florida to California - to avoid any high mountain crossings.

I also remember that he was a big guy, and cut a beanbag chair in half to make a comfortable seat pad.

[slowpoke]

A little background: The first time I ever rode a scooter was in New Zealand in 2015, during the middle of my round-the-world bicycle trip. I'd been burned out from cycling, but I still wanted to see New Zealand on two-wheels, so I bought a used 50cc scooter. I got all kinds of chuckles from motorcycle guys who thought I was crazy riding a 50cc scooter (to them, essentially a toy) around the island. They couldn't imagine doing something like that. They didn't see it from my view. I had just spent cycling 15,000 miles around the world up to that point, pedaling at 10 mph, working for every single mile. So when I bought the scooter, it was a luxury. All I had to do was twist that throttle a few millimeters and it took me everywhere. It was just as fun a bicycle touring but without the headache. I rode on the side of the road, just like my bicycle. The only issue I had was that I didn't buy a windshield, and some days I froze my butt off.

Anyhow, when I came home I bought a used 2015 PCX 150, and last year did a 5,000 mile round-trip to eastern Canada. I rode in the middle of the lane, didn't get run over, didn't hold up traffic, that's because I stuck to small, scenic roads with little to no traffic, averaging 250 miles a day. Yes, it does require planning ahead so you don't end up on a busy road. But then again, traveling on the backroads is far more interesting than on an interstate anyway. All I see on interstates are billboards and thousands of cars. Not my idea of fun. YMMV.

The point is, I believe any scooter can take you anywhere. The scooter is not the limitation - it's the operator.

[lillypinkjenny]

A little background: The first time I ever rode a scooter was in New Zealand in 2015, during the middle of my round-the-world bicycle trip. I'd been burned out from cycling, but I still wanted to see New Zealand on two-wheels, so I bought a used 50cc scooter. I got all kinds of chuckles from motorcycle guys who thought I was crazy riding a 50cc scooter (to them, essentially a toy) around the island. They couldn't imagine doing something like that. They didn't see it from my view. I had just spent cycling 15,000 miles around the world up to that point, pedaling at 10 mph, working for every single mile. So when I bought the scooter, it was a luxury. All I had to do was twist that throttle a few millimeters and it took me everywhere. It was just as fun a bicycle touring but without the headache. I rode on the side of the road, just like my bicycle. The only issue I had was that I didn't buy a windshield, and some days I froze my butt off.

Anyhow, when I came home I bought a used 2015 PCX 150, and last year did a 5,000 mile round-trip to eastern Canada. I rode in the middle of the lane, didn't get run over, didn't hold up traffic, that's because I stuck to small, scenic roads with little to no traffic, averaging 250 miles a day. Yes, it does require planning ahead so you don't end up on a busy road. But then again, traveling on the backroads is far more interesting than on an interstate anyway. All I see on interstates are billboards and thousands of cars. Not my idea of fun. YMMV.

The point is, I believe any scooter can take you anywhere. The scooter is not the limitation - it's the operator.

That's a great lesson in understanding perspectives.

[slowpoke]

Just to add to my previous post:

Took make a very long story short, when I finished my scooter trip in New Zealand, I went to India. Reason was because I had regrettably skipped that country during my world bicycle trip and had a chance to go back with a super low air-fare. I got tired of backpacking around India, so I decided to rent a motorcyle, even though I had never ridden one. I watched a bunch of "How to ride a motorcycle" videos on Youtube, rented a Royal Enfield 350 Bullet, stalled the clutch in first gear a million times, and dumped the motorcycle twice on the parking lot in the village of Leh. This happened all on the first day. But then I spent the next month and a half motorcycling around India. It was the highlight of my entire world trip, including the bicycle. I rode to the three highest motorable roads in the world, and spent the majority of time in the Himalayas. When I got back to New Zealand, I grabbed my bicycle and finished my trip across South America and the United States.

When I came home, I debated whether to get a scooter or a motorcycle. There were three reasons for getting a scooter over a motorcycle and one reason not to. 1) 100 mpg 2) Storage 3) No need to shift (I got tired of shifting every two seconds in the big cities in India). The big reason against was it wasn't safe on the highway. But I asked myself, why in the blue hell would I want to ride on the interstate to begin with? It's boring, you're going too fast to see anything (the faster you go, the more you miss...), it's not my idea of fun. Again, it's my view. I ended up getting a scooter and having looked back since.

[Mel46]

Every outing on my scooter has been planned for back roads rather than expressways. There have been times when it couldn't be helped, but for the most part it was the back roads that made scootering so enjoyable. You can't enjoy a ride to the mountains at 70mph while watching out for idiots and semi trucks that are trying to get to their destination before some invisible clock runs down. At 45-55 mph on back roads there is so much more to see, and you can stop if you want to without having to fear for your life.

[doletotodole]

In china, a well-known saying among riders: It is the person, not the bike.

[PCX150Rider]

I prefer two-lane or back country roads as well. But even then you still have to be alert for oncoming traffic or bicyclists on blind turns. Slowing down for safety is not as much an issue traveling at reduced speeds though. . .especially when you don't have a line of vehicles crawling your back and all are in a hurry.

There was a time years ago when I could relax on Interstate Highways but not anymore. Today, if I have to panic stop or swerve into another lane for a deer or chunk of road debris the space may not be open. What used to be considered the "passing lane" is now just another line of cars going 75+ MPH. That being said I still ride my motorcycles on Interstates buy am more discrete about where and when I do. And TBH I doubt my PCX will ever see an Interstate.

[grndslm]

I concur with others... PCX is too squirrelly in the wind to be riding cross country. It's just too light for a cross country trip. Had nothing to do with comfort or died or anything else. It's safety first!!