Yamaha TMax Hits Lancaster

Here are some photos, taken at B&B Yamaha, of the Yamaha TMax. It is a 499cc scooter that blurs the line between scooters and sport bikes. Performance takes priority over storage on this scooter. It is not a new scooter to the Yamaha lineup, but it is new to America for '09.

It's the perfect thing to ride to the New Holland Fall Scooter Rally this weekend. Remember, if you aren't into the maxi-scooters, there is an alternative ride planned, and the Wheels event downtown this coming weekend.

Scooters as City Vehicles?

The City of Fort Collins, Colorado has purchased some Yamaha C3's as official city vehicles. City employees can volunteer to use these scooters instead of motor-pool cars. They are being given training, and must wear helmets, long pants, and closed-toe shoes. To read more, click here.

The comments on the article show the ignorance of the general populace about scooters. The same old arguments come up: they're bad for the environment, they're toys, they're not safe. All bunk! Modern 4-stroke scooters aren't the polluters that the old 2-strokers of the 60's and 70's were. The C3 is probably the most environmentally-friendly scooter made. It's as clean as any standard car, probably more so, since it gets over 115 MPG. As for safety, I always find it ironic when car drivers call scooters dangerous because most of that danger comes from car drivers. To read more about whether scooters are safe (and interesting facts about scooter thefts) see this NPR story.

Anyway, kudos to Fort Collins for putting their money where their mouth is. Lancaster may have written into its Strategic Plan that they want to encourage scooter use, but Fort Collins is actually being the change they promote.

Sighted: Yamaha, used. Very used.

Seen in the back of Then and Again Antiques on the 300 block of North Queen Street, on First Friday:

Scooter Rentals

It's been pointed out that Jaboba's website no longer exists. No matter, I hear that Country Road Cycles is getting into scooter rentals with Yamaha scooters.

"Scooters Have Gone Nuts This Year"

That is a quote from the service manager at B&B Yamaha. Last year I was told that my C3 was the only daily driver they knew of. All the others they sold were being used as pit bikes. But I saw 2 blues ones in on the street over the weekend. Keith at B&B said, "I have a blue one and a white one going out today!"

And those white ones are nice. You can't tell from the picture, but it is a sort of pearlized white. And they aren't going to offer that color next year, so get 'em while they last.

Keith also told me a familiar story: existing scooter owners are saying that those who thought they were crazy last year are this year asking, "Where did you get that?"

Didn't Summer 2008 Just Start?

Wow, Yamaha is on the ball. They have their 2009 Models posted already! They seem to be ready to capitalize on the growing scooter market in the USA. Next year's Zuma 125 looks like a potential hit. And look at this:
That could be my next bike!

4-Stroke vs. 2-Stroke

If you are looking at a smaller scooter, you may need to choose between a 2-stroke and a 4-stroke engine. But what’s the difference, and which one should you get?

The names refer to how many strokes of a piston it takes to accomplish the 4 processes of a combustion engine: intake, compression, combustion, and exhaust. Up and down counts as 2 strokes. The primary difference is that a 4-stroke mixes oil into the engine from a reservoir separate from the gasoline (like your car); while a 2-stroke wants its oil mixed in with the gas (like an old lawn mower). A 4-stroke has to go around again, without firing the spark plug, to draw in the oil and lubricate the cylinder. The 2-stroke, its oil mixed with the fuel, burns that oil. You can smell it and see it in the blue smoke. If you have heard people talk about scooters being bad for the environment… or even the myth that they are worse than SUV’s… those people are talking about 2-strokes. If going green is your thing, get a 4-stroke.

So why a 2-stroke? Well, in a way, it is a more efficient engine. There isn’t that part of the piston’s stroke that is lubricating the cylinder. Therefore, more energy is put directly to drive. A 2-stroke is going to be faster than a 4-stroke of the same size. 2-strokes are simpler and easier to hop-up. If performance is your thing, and you plan to work on it yourself, you are going to get more out of a 2-stroke. But you may need to buy used, as environmental laws have most makers switching to 4-strokes. An exception is the 2008 Zuma by Yamaha.

Rally Scooter

Scooters just seem to want stickers and decals. I tracked down some self-adhesive vinyl at the craft store in the Golden Triangle, and after a little work with a knife and some scissors, I made some rally graphics for my C3.


The other day, a college kid leaned out the window of his passing car and yelled, "That's hot, man! I like it!" Why, thank you, so do I.

Getting Serviced

I took my scooter in for it's first service and a safety recall (a potentially leaky ring of some kind) yesterday at B&B Yamaha. While I was waiting, I looked at the scooters that they had lined up there three rows deep. They even had a gorgeous Aprilia in the back. It seems most of the salesmen there have scooters that they sometimes use for commuting.


While speaking to John, an employee there, he said that the only roads in Lancaster he wouldn't take a 50cc scooter on were 30, 283, or 222. He's ridden Rt. 501 between Lititz and Lancaster. That was encouraging. That means, with time, there is just about nowhere we couldn't go*. Still, I could see myself getting a bigger scooter, one that will do closer to 80mph, in the future. But I'd keep the little 50cc model. It's great around town. And you can't beat the gas mileage.


I was a little early for my appointment, so I did some exploring and came across Schenck's Mill Covered Bridge. Out in the country, along Shenck Road, just off of Spooky Nook Road. A nice ride. I saw a number of bicyclists out there also, including Craig, one of the owners of B&B.

*editted to add: I still think it's smart to stay off of roads on which your bike can't reach the speed limit. That's just polite.

About Your Host

I live in the City of Lancaster and recently purchased a Yamaha C3 (that's her, to the right, parked outside of Central Market). It's a 50cc scooter, and it tops out at 40mph. I bought it to commute to work, and to ride to locations around town to save on gas and parking costs. But it's also just fun to ride.

The Mayor of Lancaster, Rick Gray, is a rider too. And he has vowed to promote scooter use in the City by asking the Parking Authority to set aside dedicated space in the nooks and crannies of City lots for scooter and motorcycle parking. It's even a goal in the City Strategic Plan: "More alternative modes of transportation are seen in the City (e.g., scooters, bikes and motorcycles)." Note, scooters are first... heh.

So, where civic duty and self-interest collide, lies this blog. I want to help myself by helping my City promote scooters.

Part of my day job is making maps. I've been making them for myself, plotting out routes I can take to avoid the big roads where people like to go faster than 40mph. And I thought others might like see them also. After all, the fun in a scooter isn't in the parking, it's in the riding!