I didn't bother reading that. I started riding on a 100cc Honda scooter which includes one of my most memorable road trips, an 8 hour adventure in the rain. I eventually graduated to my last bike, a ZX-12R.
I have no bike right now, but I am going to be moving to a new job soon and depending on what the commuting situation and climate is like, I am going to be examining if I should buy a 250 or 400 scooter.
I am now past my youthful machismo and past the superior purist attitudes of youth and am now ready to appreciate instead of scorn the value of a scooter for commuting.
Frankly, I detest commuting on motorcycles. I hate sitting in traffic on a motorcycle, hunched over. I detest the constant clutch pulling, slipping dance, and the I just want my feet free to put down and lift up with the stop/go of the traffic without having to also dance the gear shift ballet. Not to mention the massive heat the bike's engine throws off (particularly the ZX-12R) and racket the fan makes, cooking me in my gear while I sit and bake in the summer afternoon sun.
A scooter is blissful for this environment. your hands to make you go stop and turn, your feet to keep you tipping over when stopped, not gear shift tap dancing, no clutch slipping, no left hand work outs, no messing about with trying to use the left foot for constant on the peg off the peg nonsense.
DOn't get me wrong. in cars and trucks, I HATE autos. In a car, even in stop go traffic, I'd rather be letting the clutch in and out to move the car than be in an auto equipped car. But a manual transmission car doesn't make me do two things with every limb all at the same time.
Scooters are agile, maneuverable, easy to ride, easy to park, light on fuel, cheap, and just about the most stress free for of transportation. and its getting transported I need, the scooter it is.
But prices for new ones are too high. 250cc scooters for near $6k?! are they mad? I'll buy a nice used one for cheap.