I have been having a crisis of faith for about a year now wrestling with what I want to do next on two wheels. Don't get me wrong, I like the scooters but every time I throw a leg over either the 50cc bike or the Honda Rebel I am reminded what a hoot a motorcycle can be. I couldn't put it into words what the difference is between a motorcycle and a scooter ride until I read this on a scooter forum.

“Being conveyed by a CVT is just not the same as tapping through the gears on a shifter bike. With a Vespa, there is an acceleration rush when you move off from a stop. With a motorcycle, there is a rush every time you shift.”

A CVT for those who might not understand what a Constant Velocity Transmission is equates to an automatic transmission. Yes, it's true. A scooter moves energetically from a stop until it runs out of horsepower to continue the rush. A motorcycle will give you a kick in the pants every time you change gears. The connection between the engine and rear wheel on a motorcycle is solid (Chain, solid shaft, belt with teeth) as opposed to the non-toothed rubber belt sliding on pulleys a scooter has. That gives you a greater sense of speed on the motorcycle.

I was tossed into this dilemma when I began to ride the Honda Rebel to keep it from collecting dust. In terms of engine it's the same size as my big scooter but the Rebel outperforms the scooter in any measure of speed and gets equal gas mileage. I've been yearning for another big motorcycle for several months but have no need for speed at the moment or the foreseeable future. So I'll be riding the scooters for a long time to come unless something changes and I need to travel at speed. It's just nice the Rebel is around to satisfy my need for the rush of gear changing. It is a small reminder of my Big Motorcycle days.