Scooters?

 Photo: Motorcycle Daily

Scooters can be blast to ride, but no one (at least sportbike types) wants to be seen on one- just not cool enough. But in terms of practicality and economy, they are a great alternative to a full on street bike. Plus, they are really comfortable to ride and have great visibility. With that in mind, check out Motorcycle Daily’s review of the new 07 Suzuki Burgman 400. All in all a very competent machine with a ton of room for storage. If I lived in the city, this would definately be an option for me. The big problem I see is simply cost. These things are expensive, and by the time you pay the insurance and monthly payment, you could have bought a lot of gas for your SUV.

The aforementioned underseat trunk is cavernous, with plenty of room for two full-face riding helmets, or several jackets, a notepad, and pretty much anything else you can thing to cram in there! At one point, headed back to the office from a quick lunch, the under-seat locker of our tester swallowed two bags of sundries from Target (I was packing for a press intro in North Carolina), along with an 18 pack of canned soda, and topping it off, flat and face up, was a large pepperoni pizza from Little Caesars! Yeah, I know, it sounds impossible, but when the Little Caesars people let me test the idea with an empty box, I was one happy, hungry journalist to discover that it fit! There are also two small compartments in the front fairing, one under each handlebar, which are perfect for cell phones, wallets, etc. Not to mention the cavernous ‘glove box’, which is wide and deep enough to hold a baseball cap without crumpling, and is useful for gloves as well.