Ok, so probably not in the sense that some of you guys would think matters, but a little history.

Wife use to ride with me. Then in '99 on a group ride she witnessed the couple riding two up directly in front of us take a fall. Loose gravel on the shoulder combined with a deep ditch = pretty banged up. Spooked my wife but good.

Later that summer we lost two friends in separate incidents. One was due to a heart attack while riding, the other was 2-wheeler getting tangled up under an 18-wheeler. These only further enforced her fear of the activity. She stopped riding with me for a time.

In 2000 I bought my first Harley, a Road King, and set it up for two-up riding. She started riding with me a little bit here and there. We had a few rides that helped her rediscover the fun, but her fears were always lurking in the back of her mind.

By 2005 she decided she'd like to try having her own bike. She thought that some of her fears may be due to lack of control. She's not a terrible control freak, but she does like being in control of the vehicle she's riding in/on. It was worth a shot, so we bought her a little Honda Aero 750. Ended up selling it a year later with less than 400 miles on it. The 750 was just too big for her first bike, but the damage had been done. She was done with riding, period.

We've talked about it from time to time, and she admitted she'd enjoy a scooter. She grew up riding one, and since they're fully automatic and she doesn't have to straddle it (she can place her feet on the platform and not have to worry about shifting/braking with her feet), she'd "probably" be comfy riding one again.

Now before you look at the pics realize that she is 100% girly-girl. There is zero percent tomboy, no rough-n-tumble sports lovin type. She enjoys malls, manicures and pedicures, and all that frilly crap that women like Paris Hilton would enjoy. I'm TRYING to get her to ditch some of that persona, but that's just who she is. She's mine, and I love her, no if's and's or but's. I'm just TICKLED PINK that she's enthused about getting on two wheels again, even if it IS a PINK SCOOTER. Hey...it matches her helmet!

After all, these "baby steps" may lead her back to eventually wanting a full sized motorcycle again. If it does, her next step will probably be a 250 Rebel, then maybe back up to the 750, and who knows where after that? The point is...she's RIDING AGAIN, even though it's only a scooter....FOR NOW.

She'd been out of town for a few days, so when I picked her up from the airport on Sunday and brought her home...opened the garage door and there it sat. I was glad she was elated to see it, and she jumped on it immediately and took it for a spin down the alley. Yesterday she rode it up to the Harley dealership to get it inspected (with me following behind her on my RG). My sales guy (Mike Turner @ NTHD) and some of the guys in the service department got a real kick out of it and gave her a real ego boost with some of the comments they made about her riding again. It was a fun little ride, and she can put one in the 'win' column for being back in the saddle again.

I put a little pink tribal wing Harley sticker on the front of it for her. She got a real kick out of it.

I figured since I had the tour pak installed that makes it ok to post it here in the Touring forum. /grin

 

Now THAT'S what I call a scoot. Good on her, best of luck...

 

Best story I have read in a long time,good for her!!

 

I'm thrilled to see her back up on two wheels.

We're waiting for her to lead us in a ride to the local Starbucks with the rest of us HD riders in tow.

How many times did you ride the scooter up and down the alley before she got home that afternoon?

 

Just the one time when you snapped those damned pics.

I was tempted to get out and "stunt" it later, but decided it'd be best if the thing wasn't wrecked before she got home. /grin

 

Let me know when you'd like me to post those pics.

 

6', 230 pounds, bald headed, goatee sportin biker lookin dude on a pink scooter. I think the only thing worse would be getting caught with a goat.

But sure, go ahead. Good for a laugh, I'm sure.

In my defense, I HAD to make sure it was safe and sturdy enough, ya know? If it could hold me, then surely it could support a 5' 6", 110 lb blonde. Right?

That's my story and I'm stickin to it!

 

that scooter fits you perfect...congrats

 

Yeh, yeh, yeh. I expected as much from you leo. But really, is that the best you can do?

When you gonna offer that bike of yours to someone who deserves it? In time my wife might be willing to trade ya her scooter for it. Deal?

 

Great story, about your wife and all, but you riding the scooter ... hehehe, you know the story about fat women? They say, everybody wants to ride one, they just don't want to be seen riding one. I say "strich" if ya got 'em, post 'em.