Scooting Around Miami...

One of the cool things I really enjoyed doing in Miami was riding a scooter around town. I rented a small Yamaha scooter that are widely available. These are very light weight, very maneuverable, and don't go much faster than what I can ride my bicycle at when I'm in shape. They are far less intimidating than a motorcycle such as my Suzuki SV650 that I had until last year. Unlike a motorcycle there are only 2 controls you need to worry about; brakes and throttle. There is no clutch or shifting to worry about. The fastest this thing will go full throttle is around 35 mph. They are very good on gas. I spent 2 days riding all over Miami Beach and used less than a gallon of gas. They are extremely popular in South Beach as it is almost impossible to find parking at any of the more popular destinations. It was great for taking photos as I could stop any time and shoot in any direction unlike being inside a car. I have been considering buying one of these for some time now to get around downtown. But they are not cheap. A brand new 50-150 cc scooters seem to run $2,000-$3000. I can almost buy a full motorcycle for that amount of money.