HELP i'm thinking of crossing over to a scooter!!

so, i'm thinking of selling my st1300 and going to a tmax or maybe even a majesty, but probably the tmax. I like having the full fairing for weather protection and places to carry things but do I really need a big bike like the st1300. I'm just a little concerned that going on multi-state romps with the tmax might leave me wishing had I had something a little more powerful. Any thoughts anyone?

You're joking right? Nobody "needs" a big bike--even guys pulling a hack do just fine with rides below a liter. Its more likely that riding a big scooter will make you wish you had got a ride so comfortable and useful for long rides a lot sooner.

Bought a new Burgman 650 Executive a month ago. I only have about 1800 miles on it but. . . it will travel and well with 2 up. Different than my BMW or my V-Strom but that isn't bad. Heavy, resist the wind well and has the protection plus funky mirrors that fold up at the touch of a button. It has a powered windshield, I may get a different one for winter riding.

You may be really surprised if you spend a little time in the saddle. Fantastic for Seattle stop and go traffic. Will out accelerate most cars and a large number of bikes and will easily stay 10+ over the posted limit. (they tell me)
Try it. I am still riding the V-Strom as my business vehicle but the scooter is my spare and if my wife likes it a fun baby Wing type ride. 56 liters under the seat and just installing 46 liter trunk. May add saddle bags.

Go for it. At this time of year seasonal riders are selling them cheap.
V-Tour

V-Tour,
I gotta agree with the bear. Tmax,Silverwing,Burgman 650/400,etc all have plenty of power for the long haul. Try one with 400cc or larger for those long interstate rides.

Coming from an ST1300, you will be happiest on a twin cylinder maxi-scooter. Look at Burgman 650, Silverwing 600 and T-Max. Any of those three should be just what you need - with the Burgman 650 being the best for touring.

i did the exact thing,went from a kaw.1200 voyager to a 650 burgman and i havent regretted it,the burgman is easyer to ride and use.i broke my back and cant control the heavyer bikes and the suzuki is more than enough.

You will be in good company in this forum. I am pure scooter trash but there are several who have moved down the ladder. IMO, the Burgman is a better tourer and the T-Max is more "sport scooter" with lots less storage. If you can, keep the ST until you decide you can do without it bu the B will amaze many people as to its in-town practical side and the ability to exceed the maximum stated speed limits by 30-40 MPH. The T-max is going to have a more bike feel while the B650 is more of scooter/cruiser as I understand it.

I just returned yesterday from a 1129 mile ride from Ohio to North Carolina Round trip on my Honda Silverwing 600 cc . I road the slab at 70 mph with plenty of extra power. I posted a ride report in the ride report section of this forum. The Bike was Flawless in it's performance. Burgmann and and Tmax may perform as well. I have never ridden them.

you might consider the piaggio bv 500 and the kymco 500, too. but for slapout storage, it is hard to beat the b650 and 'wing ...

The BV500 has rather poor storage. The Aprilia version, the Scarabeo 500, has the same engine and drivetrain, but much roomier underseat storage.

I went from a st1300 to a ninja250 and didnt regret it.

A scooter would be great. A honda reflex, silverwing might do you good. I doubt you will miss the st1300, good bike.. but more flawed than good.

Last year, I took my Silverwing for a week-long trip and did the entire Blue Ridge parkway. There was some slab riding at 70-75, and lots of twisties and sweeping curves. The SWing performed marvelously for the whole trip.

Even better, it did the whole thing while pulling a trailer. I've got a Uni-Go trailer hooked up, which is a small one-wheel MC trailer. 75lbs for the trailer, plus up to 75lbs of cargo capacity: I carried my own luggage plus bags from other members of my group.



I think the Burgman is a slightly better touring bike, and the TMax is a little sportier, so the Silverwing is a balanced combo of the two.

One MAJOR plus is that you are not going to miss the heat generated by your ST1300!

I bought a Tmax last summer and immediately sold my K1200RS. No regrets. I've never had more fun on a bike. Of the three, the Max handles more like a sport bike. And the brakes are great.

I came over to a Majesty. Big time fun!!! All after a K75, R65,Triumph Sprint and several larger thumpers.
Just got home from a 500mi. round trip to "Mayberry" with a whole bunch of twisties and BRP mixed in. Just a little shakedown overnighter for a longer road trip in a couple of weeks.
Any of the above mentioned rides would yield a lot of enjoyment.

More power won't be an issue as the Tmax is up to the task. I took my first 100+ mile ride today 2up with my wife and cruised 70 with plenty of power to pass and I did pass....... With everything stock, the the Tmax flat moves and wind protection is excellent. I will not change the stock windshield. When you ride one you will be amazed at the way scooters morphed into the most usable power driver 2wheelers on the road. 47mpg
HAPPY HUNTING

thanks everyone, I rode a tmax yesterday for about an hour -uphills down hills through the city and on the freeway, I did notice that on the freeway there was a lot of wind around the step through area by my shins, but that thing got up and went surprisingly well. Next I plan on trying a silverwing, I think a burg is out for me, i'm 6'3" and everytime I sit on one my knees hit the dash or are just about to hit the dash depending on where my feet are positioned.

When you try the Silver Wing ... most likely it will have the butt-rest. From the factory the butt-rest is not put in the maximum position, it has two more positions further back. I removed my butt-rest completely which would give you the maximum leg room for 6'3".

as someone taller then six 3 I found the old helix fit nice to. then again I m riding around on elite 250.

A friend of mine phoned me yesterday for a telling "yeas, you are right, I´ll stuck with my Beemer"

A week ago he had told he´s going for a scooter and trade in his bike. I declare to him. Buy a scoot, but if you are still a motorcyclist....DO NOT trade in the bike.

Love the scooters, but they never replace the feeling of traditional bikes.

The Tmax is a great bike all around, with a few mods they can be super quick. I think they are perfect from the factory overall though. I have gotten mine up to 120mph which is topped out and getting there is fairly quick. The plastics on a TMAX are far superior to those of any other american maxi scooter. They are very beautiful bikes. The only problem with them is that they don't have as much storeage as the other maxi's do. You can get an XL full face under the seat upside down and you can fill your helmet with your stuff, and there's still about a shoebox worth of space behind it for more. Of course there are the 2 large glove boxes up front, and if you need more space just get a givi box. One of my favorite features of the TMAX is it's 2 piece windshield. It has a short black shield and a tall clear touring shield that's easily removed in about 15-30 min. I ride mine mostly in town with the shorter sheild, it gives the bike a more sportbike appearance. Overall you'll be happiest with the TMAX over any other maxi scooter on the market. One more thing, as for the wind problems you had when you rode it, that can be fixed with the faring deflectors yamaha sells, they make a huge difference on the other scoots I've ridden.