Mystique of the Motorcyle Mama

Okay, so you would never picture me as a motorcycle rider. And to tell you the truth, it scared the bageezes out of me when I first started.

It began one day at happy hour when I was lamenting over the skyrocketing gas prices. I joked with my husband (who already has the "M" on his license, and rides a Triumph Bonneville) that I should just get a scooter and drive it the 4-mile commute to work.

He loved the idea. I mean, HE LOVED the idea! For the next week, that's all he could talk about. As if we received a sign, a few days later we got our tax return check. Ka-ching! Okay, so I agreed to go look at the scooters, since it was my idea, and I couldn't really back down now.

We bought a cute little 49cc Vento Zip r3i. Top speed: 30 mph. Gas mileage: 97 mpg. I liked the look of this scooter (no longer called a moped, as they don't have any pedals). It had lots of storage space under the seat, in front of the handle bars, and even a little "pocket" in the front which, as I conveniently found out, holds a Grande Latte quite nicely!

For the next few weeks, I strapped on my Greg Brady helmet and headed off in my Vento to exotic places like the local farmer's market, the grocery store, and Starbucks. It was surprisingly easy to handle, much like riding a bike.

My plans for using this as a daily commuter during the warmer weather were soon dashed as my daughter discovered how easy it was to ride as well. She took over my scooter, using it to ride back and forth from school, friends' houses, Jerry's Subs and Pizza, etc. She loved it for 1,500 miles! Can you imagine how much gas--not to mention my time--this saved me?! However, I was relegated to commuting in my 15 mpg minivan. I guess this means that it's time for me to upgrade. I needed to learn how to ride something that can go faster than 35 mph. I felt that I was ready with the scooter training that I already had.