I’m grateful for the input! You’ve just sold me on the Blur. Really, it’s what I want and can afford right now. I think it would be a good starter scoot/gateway drug for me. Actually, your review and other posts about the Blur and scooters in general had a lot to do with my decision…so thank you. I definately plan to go to RMB, maybe even on 2 wheels, we’ll see.

~Sean

I’ll address the last things first and work my way back. You may or may not have seen this post where I explain my decision to go ahead and keep my MINI rather than purchasing anything else. The Jetta was definitely high on my list and when my wife’s Scion xD lease is up we’re hoping there are even more diesel options for the US market.

As for scooters, the Buddy is certainly worth a second look, especially in its Blackjack form. The BJ (oh my!) has both upgraded brakes and an upgraded suspension that definitely improve its handling. Coming from a motorcycle background, what you’re experiencing as handling shortcomings may simply be the more darty nature of 10″ wheels. You might just need to get used to it. Believe me, they do corner just fine, although the stock front suspension is definitely lacking. As for aging, my wife has a Buddy 125 that’s doing just fine and I have a friend who rode her Buddy 22,000 miles across the country and you wouldn’t be able to really tell an age difference between hers or my wife’s. They seem insubstantial, but they really are well built little bikes. What’s more the body panels are CHEAP!

You are correct, however, that SYM is the fantastic sleeper brand of our market. The fit, finish and paintwork alone set them head and shoulders above the other asian scooter manufacturers. Add to that ceramic-coated cylinders and other key features and they really are the group to beat right now. I was tempted hard by their CityCom 300i when last I was scooter shopping. I ended up going with a Vespa GT200L because I wanted something I fit on a bit better and something that was more scooter than motorcycle. I understand the appeal and the utility of the recent trend toward larger-wheel scooters, but they’re just not my style. I’ll get an actual motorcycle if I want that kind of feel. The 12″ wheels on my Vespa GT are that perfect mix, in my opinion, of scooter maneuverability and lighter front end feel with just enough stability to keep it from feeling scary on the highway. So as such, I can definitely recommend the current generation of the Vespa GTs and GTs Super, although I am partial to the lighter GT200L. It’s simpler, a good bit lighter, and only 4 mph slower.

As for the Blur, if you fit on it and can find one, I really can’t recommend that bike highly enough. In case you haven’t poured through the archives, I used to own a Blur 150. The Blur will make you feel like a better rider than you actually are. It’s so poised, so stable, yet so flickable and the brakes are seriously unbelievable. I only really sold it because I am too big for it. I would highly, highly recommend you go look at and if possible ride a Blur before you buy anything else. If you can comfortably fit on it, it’s a fantastic scooter. If you drop 9.5g rollers in the variator, I don’t think you’d be disappointed in the power at all so long as you have realistic expectations. It’s not a touring bike, but it’s just an eager little monster below 60 mph — making it a perfect little street attack bike.

That said, if you’re really more interested in parkway rides and even some light distance, then Vespa really might be the best way to go. Mine is just worlds more comfortable than any of the other bikes I’ve owned or ridden. Yet, it’s still an authentic scooter experience. It’s not trying to be all things to all people — simply a very capable piece of italian motoring tradition. Depending on your build, don’t overlook the Vespa S or Vespa LX-150. They’re considerably less money than the GT series Vespas but still very capable and comfortable.

Whatever you end up getting, let’s definitely ride! Also, even if you don’t have your bike in the next two weeks, you should attend Rattle My Bones coming up here weekend after next.

Thanks for providing great info on some scooters (off-topic, I know) that I’ve been strongly considering. I come from a motorcycling background: my learner was a 1960s Honda Dream (dearly miss that bike) that me and my best friend co-owned and used as a scrambler at his cabin until we were 15. Then a ’82 Honda CM400t that made a great, cheap city runabout. My next bike? A ’99 Suzuki GSXR750R (crashed twice) that was more bike that I could ever deal with, but damn was it fun and addictive. Next up, my poor-man’s Ducati, a ’98 Honda Superhawk… outrageous torque, and the 90 degree V-twin sang an exquisite song. Now I’ve come practically full circle.

I want a scooter. The economy and “no time to ride” has grounded me. Plus, numerous trips to Europe in the past 5 years has solidified my reasoning to own a scooter (AND a diesel car, more on that later). Hell, recently Dave Harrington preached the good word on one of his podcasts about the beginnings of Vespa, about how they were completly and totally designed with function and form in a balance, maybe function taking a little more. My reasons to own a scoot are, first and foremost as an inner city commuting tool, and secondly, as a fun parkway cruiser, possibly a light tourer. I thought about a small dualsport bike, but the ease-of-use of a cvt and a step through (or partial step through…Blur!) configuration for commuting is a “no brainer”. The funny thing is, I’ve always wanted a scooter since I first started riding.

So recently I’ve started shopping. I testrode a Buddy 125: quick, as in “wow, I’m doing 60 on this little thing??” but the handling felt sketchy, and they look good on the showroom floor but I don’t think they age well. Then I tested a SYM HD200: Wow. Now that is an “all business” commuting scoot, and it felt super solid, extremely quick off the line. I believe SYM is the sleeper brand of the past couple years, if only Carter Bros. would advertise. Then the Blur came to mind. I’ve seen a few around and I wouldn’t have to finance anything. The only thing is power. Will I be happy with a 150, 2 valve, air/oil cooled? Or should I keep saving and throw down cash for a Kymco Yager 200i in the spring? Or just go all the way and finance a Vespa GTS250ie or 300 Super? The attractive things about the Blur is that I have the cash for one right now, and in the next year I need to replace my car anyways, AND it would be my first scooter (what took me so long?) so if I screw up, I won’t be that upset with myself (versus dropping/crashing a brand new, financed GTS). All I know is that if Genuine decides to bring this fabled GMAX 220i (IF it has the same rear suspension design, and hopefully be liquid cooled) I will sign my life away.

Ok, back to cars. You should get a Jetta TDI. When I mentioned my numerous trips to Europe, every time I went I rented a diesel Ford Focus. Why? Because I used the same rental company and they always had good, clean cars, and gave me a better deal than anyone else. The Focus was the right price for the right sized car. Also, the Focus over in Europe is a different car than here, better quality and looks in my opinion. On my last trip, I rented a new, white, 5 door Focus diesel hatchback. There was a heat wave through Hungary and Romania and temperatures were usually in the upper 90s all the way to 103-104, in the shade. The whole time I drove that car I had the A/C blasting, it didn’t have cruise and even if it did I rarely had it in 4th or 5th gear (Europe, love those twisties!). I calculated an average of 48 mpg, with mixed city and highway driving. The little Focus was deceptively spacious on the interior (I love hatchbacks), went like a rocket on the highways (thanks to a perfectly tuned TDCi engine), and had that signature torque that only a diesel can give you. Driving diesels are really different… almost like when I bought my Superhawk. I had to ride it differently, keeping the engine’s rpm down to depend on the torque rather than sheer horsepower. With the Focus, from a stop, even on a slight incline, I could let out the clutch pedal and the clutch would grab–without any throttle! Tractor/trailer drivers do this all the time. The car would do it in 2nd gear too, if the ground was flat. Again, in Europe passing was a frequent affair, and this car came to life on the faster roads and highways and it just flew. If the dumb-dumbs at Ford would make such a car available in the U.S. I would buy one in a heart beat.

Sorry for being long-winded. If I can track down a decent Blur pretty soon, maybe we can ride?

~Sean

I didn’t mention it in my write up, but I also drove the Clubman that day. It felt like just what it is — a MINI with a big ass. I love the look of it, but I really didn’t like the way it drove. I really do wish the MINI SAV was available for demo, as that car in diesel form would be pretty sweet, I think. I want to go drive the Jetta TDi as there are some pretty good lease deals on that car and the mileage is fantastic. MPG really is a big factor, but value is what I’m most concerned about. As in 2006, MINI really does seem to be giving me more for my money.

The other issue we have is that I think we need something just a little larger. The MINI doesn’t get used as much for the family drives as we want just a little more room to stretch out which means that we put 17,000 miles on the Escape Hybrid in just a year…

The contenders – Ford Fusion Hybrid, Cooper S Clubman, Audi A3, Jetta tdi, and Golf GTI. With the Nissan Cube as the wildcard… The A3 has been eliminated due to price with the Clubman at the upper limit of the price range.

We drove the Fusion Hybrid, it’s not bad if you want a plain wrapper sedan. No excitement at all. Drove the Cube and eliminated it as underpowered and cheap feeling. Next up was the Jetta tdi – not a bad car at all, handled well, decent pickup, a little on the hard side but no worse than an R50 or R53. Finally drove the 4 door GTI – it’s a fun hatch. We drove the auto with the flappy paddle gearbox and it was a serious contender to the MINI. Plus it’s about 3 to 4 thousand cheaper than the Clubman… However the 40MPGs of the tdi is very attractive.

The VW’s are very tempting. A bit larger and cheaper but still fun. The wife was more interested in the GTI than the Jetta tdi and I think the tdi would be a hard sell.

But then there’s the Clubman. I like it – wife however loathes the B pillars although she’d probably be ok with Hot Chocolate and Black. But it’s also not a great car for getting The Boy to school. At least with a 4 door The Boy can let himself out of the car – not so with a MINI. Plus it’s pricey. I’m also intrigued by the new Mayfair, but there’s still a lot of questions I have about it like if I can get it configured with all the options I want and how much the Mayfair package will add to the price. Since it doesn’t resolve the space issue the Mayfair would be almost exclusively my car… Not a bad thing though… Not only that, but I’m not completely sure I’m ready to move out of the MINI community.

I went through the same questions when I got my car. By the time I put the options I cared about on the Cooper to get me where the base MCS was – larger wheels, upgraded suspension, sports seats – the cost difference was a small leap. So I got a stripped MCS.

You could always check out the Kia Soul. They have cute commercials

Yeah and if ads are to be believed, the best laptop for my money is a PC. I don’t think so.