We have been riding motorcycles together for about 4 decades; much of that was long distance cruising. We had a series of touring bikes (Goldwings and Harleys) that had all the touring amenities: full fairings, broad protective adjustable windshields, engines made to eat up the miles, stereo systems, bike-to-bike communicators, saddlebags and tour trunks, cruise control... pretty much the opposite of these scooters.
The last two motorcycles were sport or adventure cruisers: a BMW RT that had saddlebags, ABS brakes, and a nice fairing; a Suzuki V-Strom that was light and torquey. The V-Strom is considered a dual-sport bike, for occasional light off the paved roads exploring.
I'm mentioning the other bikes to establish our motorcycling style: we have always enjoyed wide open spaces, twisty mountain roads, freeways where we could run the bikes at speed and make some miles. We avoided big cities; didn't care to mix it up with the in-town traffic.
These scooters are not Interstate cruisers - they have a top speed of around 65 miles per hour... legal to ride on the Interstates, but not fun when you are maxed out and trying to stay with the flow of traffic. On our other bikes, we could crack the throttle open at 75 mph and there was still power to spare.
These scooters seem perfectly comfortable at 50 mph or less. So, going from one side of Phoenix to the other means staying off the Interstate and Expressways and taking the city streets. We have developed a new appreciation for the light weight and maneuverability of these scooters - for in town driving, they are in their element. Of course, they would be right at home on the back roads of the Black Hills, too... we just don't happen to be anywhere near back roads. ;-)
So, we have been mixing it up with the cars and trucks. Seeing neighborhoods we would have never seen if we were making miles on the Interstate. Instead of leaning into corners and taking in endless vistas, we are dodging delivery trucks and seeing how the neighborhoods change from one area to another. I'm sure this would get old if we had to do it (as if we were commuting)... but right now, it is entertaining. The scooters are SO easy. I just grin when I twist the throttle and it goes... no clutch, no shift - just go.
Today, we were heading to Scottsdale. Joan found a "Made In Arizona" street fair on old town Scottsdale... about 35 miles from where we are staying. We made the choice to take Indian School Road all the way there. You have to plan for getting under the 101 Loop and I-17, and over the Agua Fria River and the Arizona Canal. Not all east/west street go through.
Not far off the route is the motorcycle shop where we bought these scooters. We are nearing the mileage for the initial service, so we stopped there to make an appointment for a time before we leave the area. And then, on to the street fair.
Frankly, there wasn't a thing we needed. I wanted to see Scottsdale and ride the scooters - the street fair just gave us a destination. Indian School Road was not as much fun as we had hoped: the traffic was heavy, the road surface wasn't great, and there were more than a few drivers who darted from lane to lane. Still, the scooters took it all in stride.
It was a cliche' as we drove past the sign that read, "Scottsdale"... the first car we saw was a shiny black Jaguar. Yeah, we didn't see any Jaguars in some of those neighborhoods on the way here. ;-) Also, an immediate change in the houses and yards - greenery!
We followed the signs for parking, and found a spot behind the stores where two scooters would fit... but not a car. Easy. We put our helmets and gloves in the under-seat storage and headed towards the street fair.
Not a lot of booths, however. It didn't take us long to walk by it all...
There was some nice artwork, jewelry, clothing. We also window shopped some of the stores along the street. There was a cat themed shop we enjoyed, and a pizza place that called my name.
When it was time to head back, we decided to try a different road across town: Camelback instead of Indian School Road. It sure seemed better to start. At one intersection, there was a Caddy on one side of us, and a Jag on the other. Across the intersection from us, two 7-series BMWs waited for the light. The lady in one waved to the other... instead of the "Oh, I like your car" smile, she looked like someone just showed up at the party wearing the same dress as hers. Yep, this neighborhood is different from "the 'hood" we came through on the way here..
It turns out that Camelback was a much better choice: less traffic, better road surface. Less than a mile apart, but worlds different in the drivers attitudes. We could actually look around a bit while we urban cruised.
We do take care when riding in traffic - we ride very defensively. We watch for vehicles pulling onto the road from either side. If we see someone weaving in traffic, we change our speed to give them plenty of room. As we go through intersections, we try to use traffic running with us as a "shield" from people turning left in on-coming lanes.
We made it back to the west side of Phoenix in less time than the trip over. A refreshment stop, then to the Post Office... our license plates and registration were waiting for us. Taking off the paper plate from the dealer, we now look a bit less like "noobs."
Another warm day, the high pushing to 94ยบ. The face shields are great - the bug splats on the shields are way better than in the face! Another fun day of urban cruising.
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