Quick Ride
Quick Ride
YAMAHA VINO 125 Scooter envy
"HOW FAST WILL IT go?" is always the first question. "Sixty," I lie every time, knowing the only way Yamaha's Vino 125 will reach that speed is by traveling downhill with a strong tailwind. I've gotten close a couple times-57...58...59 mph-but that magic number remains just beyond reach. Which is fine when the speed limit is 30 mph and gas is 2 bucks a gallon-and most pedestrians seem bent on suicide, anyway.
If you’re thinking of buying a scooter, you’re probably single, a student or broke. You’d prefer a dual-purpose bike, but are inseam-challenged. You don’t have a garage, so whatever you choose needs to fit in your apartment. Or, like me, you live in a coastal beach town and have two-large burning a hole in your pocket. A Vespa is cool, but beyond your financial reach. Everywhere you go is a bicycle ride away. Any farther and you can drive your car, but that means herding along major arteries with the rest of civilization. A scooter, on the other hand, provides infinite detours. It’s an attractive alternative, if you prefer to stay under the radar.
For the past month, I’ve been buzzing around local backstreets thoroughly enjoying the Vino’s playful nature, all the while greeted by envious grins and occasional salutes, setting a positive example for minimal consumption and elegant simplicity. So what if I feel a bit foolish on a “little” scooter? Justifying the Vino to friends is as simple as getting to the beach before they do.
Putting around on the Vino, a gallon of gas will take you about 60 miles. Commuting, squirting through traffic and launching off speed bumps, I got less. While the luggage rack is practically worthless, the underseat storage bin holds almost a week’s worth of groceries (unless you’re on the Atkins diet). The beltdrive automatic transmission makes for smooth running, but the whining exhaust note produced by the little Single can make your ears ring. If you’re lucky, the roads are smooth because you have only a couple inches of suspension travel to soak up obstacles. At least the seat is soft. The disc/drum brakes aren’t particularly powerful, and no one sees you, so be on guard. The Vino doesn’t stop on a dime, but luckily turns on one.
At rest, the $2199 Vino strikes a stylish pose, with maybe a bit too much of the under-body innards showing. Generally speaking, though, lines are graceful and the chrome Harley Fat Boyesque headlight at least tries to appear masculine. Colors? Deep Red or Arctic Silver.
So, how fast does the Vino go? Around here, it doesn’t really matter. -Keith May
