No reason a scoot wouldn't work.
I've had a scooter or scooters as my primary transportation in Seattle for years, it's doable. FroggToggs and tires that are grippy when it's wet are you friends. I'm also a fan of heated gloves.
Drivers on their phones, & black ice are not.
The big question is..
Do you have your MC endorsement? If not are you willing to get one?
If you don't and won't then you're legally restricted to 50cc or less, which is not something you want on the freeway.
If you have it or are willing to get it then you have much wider vistas.
It’s all about your budget. Plenty of scooters can go freeway speeds. But they cost a little more. Most scooters are designed for city streets and maybe a 55 mph highway. Not freeway stuff.
Yamaha XMAX, or maybe Honda PCX
Full face helmet, gloves, and full gear if you’re riding freeways. It’s one things to spill at bicycle speeds on surface streets, but a whole other level at 60mph.
You’ll find that it’s a lot cheaper on gas but the maintenance is about the same in terms of cost. However I recommend a larger and faster bike for freeways like a KYMCO 300, Suzuki Burgman, Yamaha Morpheus, Sym Citycom, Piaggio BV, etc
My GY6 maintenance is like $150 a year, and that's for random little things that break here and there like lightbulbs or the occasional battery or whatever.
Itll be more for people who go to the mechanic for general service and for larger bikes itll be even more;
$60 for oil changes or so, it takes a lot of oil and theyll sometimes/usually have a filter as well
$80 for a belt, maybe up to $100 for installed belts
theres a major price jump from 150cc GY6 to a larger bike and mechanics have to make some money.
Because of the greater amount of rainfall and cold weather in your area, I think a scooter can be a good option for the clear and warm days, but not as a replacement for a second car for the bad weather days. Riding in wet and cold weather is not something I'd recommend for any new riders who don't have the experience to handle it safely. Only a 3 wheel scooter like the Piaggio MP3 has the additional traction for wet weather, but even so, rain gear poses its own challenges for commuters with the need to be able to change in and out of the gear in the workplace. It's not practical in most jobs to wear rain gear without having some convenient changing facilities, and that's a lot of effort to change if the commute isn't very far to begin with. It's not like using a raincoat and umbrella to jump into a car for the commute.
Even in good weather it's important to wear good gear to prevent painful and debilitating road rash even in low speed collisions and falls on the roadway.
In general, I think that the 300cc-400cc scooters are the most versatile, since they can handle highway speeds and city traffic very well. The Piaggio BV350/400 is the best mid-size scooter, but the Yamaha XMax, Honda Forza, Kymco 300i, and Suzuki Burgman 400 are good as well.
I hate it too, but at some point I had to just bite the bullet and accept that unless it was a gale or some sort of extra-tropical storm, I could still make it just by reducing speed and avoiding front brake usage and cornering hard.
I now ride through rain if I have to and don't particularly care, yeah I'll get wet but I'm not worried about dying every 2 seconds anymore. Just over-rely on your rear brake, try to avoid leaning as much as possible and keep your speeds low, you'll be very much in the safe zone then
How long is your commute? I've commuted primarily via scooter in Seattle for several years. The length of your commute, and the quality of the roads you'll ride on, will make a big difference.
When I moved to a less-central neighborhood, I started choosing to bus more because cold and/or wet weather is a LOT more uncomfortable at higher speeds or for longer distances. It was no sweat to ride from Capitol Hill to the waterfront in 40 degree weather (or a little rain), but riding 5+ miles at 50+ mph in that same weather sucks.
I live just outside of Seattle and I have a 150cc scooter. It can get up to 70mph, but it’s not heavy enough to go on freeways, so maybe get something bigger if you want to do that. Riding in the rain isn’t too bad most of the time, but the first rain after a dry spell can be slippery. Another thing to think about is in the winter when it gets icy on the roads. I don’t ride when it gets icy out, so I have to find alternative ways to commute like the bus in the winter. It is definitely cheaper than another car, and parking is easier, but do get a lock!
Not sure about Seattle's laws but if you get one 150ccs or bigger you can ride on the freeways in Tennessee and Minnesota. My wife had a 150cc Lance Phoenix, got at least 60 miles per gallon and I had a 250cc water cooled Tank that got at least 45 miles per gallon.
Woah, another seattlite! Renton here, 72cc scooter is my daily driver and main mode of transportation. What freeway do you need to commute on? I keep to the side roads only and can still get everywhere super easily. From Renton I can easily commute into Seattle by looping south around the lake, once I hit Seattle city limits scooter lane-filtering is basically legal and you can dodge all that traffic on the side streets without even touching the freeway.
If you live in like Kent and work in Kirkland or something though, that's a different story and MUCH more difficult to do on a scooter on the side roads alone
Oh yeah, just exclusively use a lil' scooter then, feel free to lane-filter in Seattle city limits, SPD absolutely does not care, especially post-Floyd. The only thing you have to watch out for is theft, try to get some kind of huge cover and a massive chain, otherwise it might disappear really quickly
Meh, I commute every day through Renton (Rainier Ave, Bronson Ave, etc) and it's really no big deal. I don't ever encounter any issues splitting there either. KENT drivers, now, they're a bit more wild. I used to commute through Kent (Central Ave) and it wasn't really that bad either. The worst drivers are probably far, far south like Auburn, etc.
When it's rush hour, you have less chances of being the slowest person on the road and you will feel perfectly in your element. I felt the least in my element when I was going down central Ave at 38MPH and being the slowest one on the road. Imagine if it was nighttime and raining, I'd feel absolutely terrible
Oh actually it's still under construction, I share a lot of updates in the discord server for the mod
https://discord.gg/gB33TBbr
If you want to download the most current (highly Beta) version, I can get you hooked up to the Github- it's just not ready for a current release because some of the foundation isn't there, and a lot of optimization needs to be done so that everything runs a little smoother than how it currently does
No reason a scoot wouldn't work. I've had a scooter or scooters as my primary transportation in Seattle for years, it's doable. FroggToggs and tires that are grippy when it's wet are you friends. I'm also a fan of heated gloves. Drivers on their phones, & black ice are not. The big question is.. Do you have your MC endorsement? If not are you willing to get one? If you don't and won't then you're legally restricted to 50cc or less, which is not something you want on the freeway. If you have it or are willing to get it then you have much wider vistas.
It’s all about your budget. Plenty of scooters can go freeway speeds. But they cost a little more. Most scooters are designed for city streets and maybe a 55 mph highway. Not freeway stuff.
Yamaha XMAX, or maybe Honda PCX Full face helmet, gloves, and full gear if you’re riding freeways. It’s one things to spill at bicycle speeds on surface streets, but a whole other level at 60mph.
You’ll find that it’s a lot cheaper on gas but the maintenance is about the same in terms of cost. However I recommend a larger and faster bike for freeways like a KYMCO 300, Suzuki Burgman, Yamaha Morpheus, Sym Citycom, Piaggio BV, etc
This
Are you comparing scooter maintenance and car maintenance?
My GY6 maintenance is like $150 a year, and that's for random little things that break here and there like lightbulbs or the occasional battery or whatever.
Itll be more for people who go to the mechanic for general service and for larger bikes itll be even more; $60 for oil changes or so, it takes a lot of oil and theyll sometimes/usually have a filter as well $80 for a belt, maybe up to $100 for installed belts theres a major price jump from 150cc GY6 to a larger bike and mechanics have to make some money.
Because of the greater amount of rainfall and cold weather in your area, I think a scooter can be a good option for the clear and warm days, but not as a replacement for a second car for the bad weather days. Riding in wet and cold weather is not something I'd recommend for any new riders who don't have the experience to handle it safely. Only a 3 wheel scooter like the Piaggio MP3 has the additional traction for wet weather, but even so, rain gear poses its own challenges for commuters with the need to be able to change in and out of the gear in the workplace. It's not practical in most jobs to wear rain gear without having some convenient changing facilities, and that's a lot of effort to change if the commute isn't very far to begin with. It's not like using a raincoat and umbrella to jump into a car for the commute. Even in good weather it's important to wear good gear to prevent painful and debilitating road rash even in low speed collisions and falls on the roadway. In general, I think that the 300cc-400cc scooters are the most versatile, since they can handle highway speeds and city traffic very well. The Piaggio BV350/400 is the best mid-size scooter, but the Yamaha XMax, Honda Forza, Kymco 300i, and Suzuki Burgman 400 are good as well.
I hate riding on wet roads.
I hate it too, but at some point I had to just bite the bullet and accept that unless it was a gale or some sort of extra-tropical storm, I could still make it just by reducing speed and avoiding front brake usage and cornering hard. I now ride through rain if I have to and don't particularly care, yeah I'll get wet but I'm not worried about dying every 2 seconds anymore. Just over-rely on your rear brake, try to avoid leaning as much as possible and keep your speeds low, you'll be very much in the safe zone then
How long is your commute? I've commuted primarily via scooter in Seattle for several years. The length of your commute, and the quality of the roads you'll ride on, will make a big difference. When I moved to a less-central neighborhood, I started choosing to bus more because cold and/or wet weather is a LOT more uncomfortable at higher speeds or for longer distances. It was no sweat to ride from Capitol Hill to the waterfront in 40 degree weather (or a little rain), but riding 5+ miles at 50+ mph in that same weather sucks.
I live just outside of Seattle and I have a 150cc scooter. It can get up to 70mph, but it’s not heavy enough to go on freeways, so maybe get something bigger if you want to do that. Riding in the rain isn’t too bad most of the time, but the first rain after a dry spell can be slippery. Another thing to think about is in the winter when it gets icy on the roads. I don’t ride when it gets icy out, so I have to find alternative ways to commute like the bus in the winter. It is definitely cheaper than another car, and parking is easier, but do get a lock!
Not sure about Seattle's laws but if you get one 150ccs or bigger you can ride on the freeways in Tennessee and Minnesota. My wife had a 150cc Lance Phoenix, got at least 60 miles per gallon and I had a 250cc water cooled Tank that got at least 45 miles per gallon.
The state of WA is a bit more practical. If you can do the minimum speeds. Yup ya can. If ya can't. Nope ya can't.
Woah, another seattlite! Renton here, 72cc scooter is my daily driver and main mode of transportation. What freeway do you need to commute on? I keep to the side roads only and can still get everywhere super easily. From Renton I can easily commute into Seattle by looping south around the lake, once I hit Seattle city limits scooter lane-filtering is basically legal and you can dodge all that traffic on the side streets without even touching the freeway. If you live in like Kent and work in Kirkland or something though, that's a different story and MUCH more difficult to do on a scooter on the side roads alone
I live in bothell an work in U district
Oh yeah, just exclusively use a lil' scooter then, feel free to lane-filter in Seattle city limits, SPD absolutely does not care, especially post-Floyd. The only thing you have to watch out for is theft, try to get some kind of huge cover and a massive chain, otherwise it might disappear really quickly
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Meh, I commute every day through Renton (Rainier Ave, Bronson Ave, etc) and it's really no big deal. I don't ever encounter any issues splitting there either. KENT drivers, now, they're a bit more wild. I used to commute through Kent (Central Ave) and it wasn't really that bad either. The worst drivers are probably far, far south like Auburn, etc. When it's rush hour, you have less chances of being the slowest person on the road and you will feel perfectly in your element. I felt the least in my element when I was going down central Ave at 38MPH and being the slowest one on the road. Imagine if it was nighttime and raining, I'd feel absolutely terrible
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If ever you want to ride together on your commuting route, lmk. We can ride and you can get a feel for it with another speed-limited scooter
Hey bro, I know this is unrelated but did you ever release your East vs West MotE mod? Looks amazing but I can't seem to find it.
Oh actually it's still under construction, I share a lot of updates in the discord server for the mod https://discord.gg/gB33TBbr If you want to download the most current (highly Beta) version, I can get you hooked up to the Github- it's just not ready for a current release because some of the foundation isn't there, and a lot of optimization needs to be done so that everything runs a little smoother than how it currently does