Have you owned or ridden a motorcycle before getting an EUC?

[Circuitmage]

This poll just to satisfy my assumption that most people on here have ridden a MC before getting one of these.

It seems many of the same same characteristics are at play;

1) Risk prone behavior

2) Need for sensation of speed

3) Individualized sport

4) Motorized Wheel!

[WARPed1701D]

Yes. A Suzuki GSX 600F (called a Katana in the US, like yours but I had the 600cc rather than the 750cc) and then a Honda Pan European ST1100.

I started riding as an alternative to the horribly overcrowded and unreliable train service into London. My commute went from an hour to 35 minutes and as filtering through traffic is legal in the UK my journey time was almost guaranteed everyday. Also Honda promised to release a really cool motorbike that looked like it was straight out of Streethawk. Can't remember the name now but that helped push me towards two wheels (they did release it but skipped the UK market in their release and stripped it of all the cool gadgets seen on the concept).

I wouldn't put too many assumptions on the motivation for turning to two or one wheel. Personally I've no desire to seek adverse risk or insane speed. I weigh up the benefit vs the risk and make a judgement call. My Pan European was a tank with traction control and ABS. It was very safe. I took a week long training course and had it ingrained in me by my instructors voice in my helmet how to minimize the risk through awareness of my surroundings and defensive riding. With the Inmotion V8 I just purchased I will be wearing full protective gear and setting limits on the wheel to keep risk to a minimum. My motorcycle training will indeed help. The Pan Euro could do well over 150MPH. Generally I didn't exceed 80MPH on it on the motorway. Once I did 110MPH. The bike was rock solid under me but I didn't like it. These devices are tools for me, fun tools of course and I can't wait to use mine but neither it, nor my bikes were necessarily objects through which to seek thrills.

My move to the wheel is driven by enjoyment of cool new technology that isn't necessarily mainstream (which I have a keen and wallet crippling interest in) and the fact it offered an eco-friendly motorized alternative to using my bicycle in the crippling Florida summer heat.

 

[LanghamP]

5. Chick magnet.

Except I never had high school girls in tight dresses chase me down when I had motorcycles whereby with my wheel it's a common occurrence. Owning a motorcycle demonstrates both physical fitness and a confidence in one's abilities but wheels presumably takes that to a whole different level.

Presumably once wheels go mainstream all those points will go away, and they'll be looked at as "just mules."

[abinder3]

Suzuki Hayabusa (1300cc) and I still have it and ride it. 

[Circuitmage]

50 minutes ago, LanghamP said:

5. Chick magnet.

 

LOL. I had my first impression with that this morning. Ahhh...if only I was single. But there is also a negative connotation associated with "scooters". It takes a particular gal to take interest...same as a MC methinks.

When I was single, and rode sport bikes, it definitely was part of the equation.

[Circuitmage]

Uh oh...this is turning into a Suzuki synchronicity.

[Luiz]

Had Suzuki GSX R  600 , Ducatti monster 600.

Now just eucs.

[phatmike]

had: vespa 125, Kawasaki z 500, yamaha fz 600, yamaha fz 1000,  actually Harley 1200 forty eight

[Dingfelder]

Now if only they would make a EUC that would let a gal sit behind you and wrap her arms around you.

I said yes but feel like it's cheating.  I rode a Honda motorbike when I was a kid, have been a passenger on motorcycles before, and long ago tried driving one for a while around a parking lot.  So I have "ridden" one, but have never competently driven a real motorcycle.

[Circuitmage]

4 hours ago, Dingfelder said:

Now if only they would make a EUC that would let a gal sit behind you and wrap her arms around you.

I said yes but feel like it's cheating.  I rode a Honda motorbike when I was a kid, have been a passenger on motorcycles before, and long ago tried driving one for a while around a parking lot.  So I have "ridden" one, but have never competently driven a real motorcycle.

I think that counts. I started on an Italian moped in middle school, a '78 Honda 750 in high school, then a 250 Ninja, Honda 250 , 600 Katana and now my 750 Katana (which I am not riding much this year!). If I had stopped at the moped, that would have still counted. 

I then went to ezip scooters, and one of those 6" wheel hoverboards (eeek). 

Not a bad idea...2 person EUC...may need a much larger tire, or auto stabilization.

[Roue Libre]

I never had a motorcycle but I have been member of a karting club some years ago. Some would say that kart pilots are even worse than motorcycle drivers 
EUC is certainly more healthy than breathing exhausts from other karts in an indoor karting circuit (carbon monoxide levels are often far too high there)

[Pasi]

This is interesting, I try to remember,

Yamaha 125, Husqvarna 125, Jawa-CZ 175, Laverda 125, Suzuki 450, Suzuki 900 Katana, Aprilia 180 (scooter), 3x Peugeot 125 (scooter), 3× Suzuki 400 (scooter), Honda 600 (scooter), TGB 250 4x4  and plenty of 50..80cc mopeds(10...20). Now I have only Yamaha Grizzly 450 4x4 at summerhouse.

I miss those but I think it is too dangerous to drive 2 wheels here nowadays, I can, but car drivers are too bad?

EUC is fine now ??

You can see when I come older I like things without gearbox?

[dmethvin]

I never owned a motorcycle but always wanted one. My wife wouldn't let me get one, she's a doctor and has seen the results of MC accidents. The EUC was a way around that.