Vetter Scooter

Harley Scooter

He makes some good points. You can have essentially cross country power in an easy to get on and operate scooter.

Granted they have maxi-scooters, and they are neat as heck but this is like a muscle maxi scooter.

Thoughts?

I think it could be fun. Especially if you get a good fairing and comfy seat you could go a long time before you get tired. (seating position is ideal on scooters, very natural)

input?

A scooter with typical scooter suspension is a god awful thing to ride. But, the big maxi-scooters tend to be a motorcycle underneath. OK.

Never ridden a maxi-scooter, but I've sat upon them, and paddled them around. There are some things I like, but there are a few things I very much didn't like.

Like the comfort and protection. Especially rain and splash protection.

Dislike the perched on aspect. There is no way to hang onto the scooter over a hash bounce. I can knee grip the tank on a motorcycle, there is nothing there on the scooter.

Dislike the lack of ability to get my foot on the ground easily. That wide floorboard is really in the way. Especially if you're smurf like.

Dislike the lack of comfort. The big maxi-scooters are not designed for smurfs, and on many (Burgman & BMW) I cannot be on the seat and reach the ground with my foot.

Cool looking design. I think I'd want a bit more framework between the front and rear on such a heavy scoot, looks like there could be fram flex issues at speed. I agree with his idea, though.

Foxtrapper, have you sat on a Honda Silverwing. As I understand, they have a bit of an indentation in the bodywork where your legs would be when your feet are on the ground, so they are easier to hold up than a Burgman. Also, having sat on the new Forza 300, you may want to check it out, it appears to be sized for "smurfs"

I probably have sat on a Silverwing, but don't remember it. The 650 Burgman is big for me, but the 400 fit pretty well as I recall. BMW supposedly has a smurf seat for theirs, but I've never seen it or sat upon it.

There was a brand I never heard of at a different show that had a very interesting Vespa styled maxi-scooter. Fit very nicely, and was darn sharp looking, imo. Think the name of the company was something like Kye.

In reply to foxtrapper:

Kymco and Sym are both well-regarded scooter makers, and both have maxi-scoots. Not sure if it would be one of them.

Come to think of it, Vespa makes a 300 now, but it may be a little tall.

Kymco, that was it. Looking at their lineup on their web page, I guess it was two different models I'm thinking of, not one. The little ones done up in blue and white were just cute as a bug. Up to 200cc, which ain't bad.

And it was apparently one of those maxi scooters that had this special optional seat that dropped you several inches, and make the scooter just perfectly comfortable for smurfs. I don't see the seat listed as an option, so I can't tell which one it was for (only one of them as I recall). I think the lady showing them sold scooter she had with it on it right there at the show to another lady for the same smurfy reasons I liked it.

Craig Vetter is an interesting guy. I had one of his Windjammer fairings on my old GS750 that worked great. I never figured out why they went out of style.

Stupid. If you are healthy but too lazy to throw your leg over a bike, stick to cars. And like everything else the guy has made, it is ugly and cheap looking. That was OK in the 1970s when frp was new tech, but not in 2004.

That site is a great archive of his work. I love the ideas that never went anywhere.

Rusnak_322 wrote: Stupid. If you are healthy but too lazy to throw your leg over a bike, stick to cars. And like everything else the guy has made, it is ugly and cheap looking. That was OK in the 1970s when frp was new tech, but not in 2004.

Damn, guess I should sell my all my scooters and stick to cars. Oh, and it's probably too lazy to drive an automatic, so I should sell anything I have with an auto and trade it for a manual. Ooh, and fuel injection is just being lazy, should switch to carbs. And, electronic ignition is lazy, maybe I should find a car with points and a manual spark advance. You know, driving a car is pretty lazy, maybe I should start raising horses to ride. Nah, too lazy, guess I'll just walk...

eastsidemav wrote:

Rusnak_322 wrote: Stupid. If you are healthy but too lazy to throw your leg over a bike, stick to cars. And like everything else the guy has made, it is ugly and cheap looking. That was OK in the 1970s when frp was new tech, but not in 2004.

Damn, guess I should sell my all my scooters and stick to cars. Oh, and it's probably too lazy to drive an automatic, so I should sell anything I have with an auto and trade it for a manual. Ooh, and fuel injection is just being lazy, should switch to carbs. And, electronic ignition is lazy, maybe I should find a car with points and a manual spark advance. You know, driving a car is pretty lazy, maybe I should start raising horses to ride. Nah, too lazy, guess I'll just walk...

It's just a troll Eastsidemav. Recognize it for what it is. Scrape it off the bottom of you shoe, and continue to walk on.

In reply to foxtrapper:

Yeah, I almost didn't reply. It's just that that attitude is wearing thin on me. Ugly, I got no problem with that. It's just really annoying seeing someone try too tell someone else how to live, when what they're doing doesn't do them any harm, just because it doesn't fit their attitude of what's "right". It's worse than being a Luddite, and it's a mindset I hope to never have. Makes me wish this forum had an ignore feature, like others.

stuart in mn wrote: Craig Vetter is an interesting guy. I had one of his Windjammer fairings on my old GS750 that worked great. I never figured out why they went out of style.

This is a good read on the subject. If the link doesn't show well, it's from the reference section of the wikipedia entry on the Vetter Fairing Company.

http://books.google.com.jm/books?id=NvsDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA38&lpg=PA38&dq=Vetter+WindJammer+magazine+review&source=bl&ots=V_PZO0XHzj&sig=mH2qIdOn9d4w_OfJhMcLhAb5eiw&hl=en&ei=IVbcS93cCoOK8wS6_bmqBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CBIQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q&f=false

In reply to Rusnak_322:

Your argument is invalid:

I wasn't trolling. Vetter posted this on the site linked above. "I had a lot to do with the development of this kind of motorcycle. Today's touring machines are sophisticated and comfortable, but essentially the same kind of motorcycle I designed in 1977! Modern touring cycles are hard to get on and off because you must climb up and throw your leg over all that stuff. Frankly, I'm surprised we put up with this. "

How do we ever put up with a 29" seat height on a goldwing??

The triumph above looks nice, but look at the crap on the link above.

this is from 2007 -

This is 2010

I just don't see the beauty in these designs.

or the need to streamline a 50hp enduro.

I guess it's "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" thing. I think his harley scooter thing was hideous, but I could see lots of guys lined up to buy one-heck, look at the people buying up all the ancient technology bikes harley can make...and then proceed to make them even uglier...and spending tons of $s doing it. But what the heck do I know. I own a Goldwing and a maxi-scooter.

Harley Scooter?

Technically scooters' power train is bolted to the swingarm; otherwise it's a motorcycle.

Is it, or is it the Miata of Harley?

When I think of scooters, I think of two oversized frat dudes in flip flops and backwards hats on a 49cc Chinese SHINZHOU R-XSG SUPER, the passenger holding two cases of Natty. Then, I laugh.

Mitchell wrote: When I think of scooters, I think of two oversized frat dudes in flip flops and backwards hats on a 49cc Chinese SHINZHOU R-XSG SUPER, the passenger holding two cases of Natty. Then, I laugh.

One of the rare advantages of living in a state that requires registration, license, and insurance even on a 49cc. They don't have the "boozer scooter" rep in Ohio.

914Driver wrote: Harley Scooter? Technically scooters' power train is bolted to the swingarm; otherwise it's a motorcycle. Is it, or is it the Miata of Harley?

Actually, it's the step through frame that makes it a scooter. Nothing to do with the engine being on the swingarm.

I'd say it is very stylized. Not tacky, but not something to have universal appeal. I like the idea of a step through tourer.

I will definitely echo the concerns that it might be too flexy, and offers no good way to hold yourself in place during cornering. The seat is really long, like it's supposed to be able to hold two people, but gives no place for a passenger to put their feet. Which means there is no back support or anything for the driver.

Also... is that thing automatic transmission? Does it not have a shift lever?

I like the concept, but I'm not to fond of the styling. But I'm not too keen on the styling of most of Vetter's products.

I'd really like to see it with the body work stripped away. I want to see how its put together under the plastic.

Not sure if this is the prototype or final design. One thing that stands out is the lack of storage that you would think would be important on a touring scooter.

I hope he's got a cooling fan hidden somewhere, or that thing is going to be running Chernobyl hot.