Thank you for making this video, it's the best I've seen and I hope it isn't your last! I've seen SO many videos on scooters and e-trikes as I just am not sure which would work out the best for me. I admit, this video has had the biggest impact on me because you present this in a fun and encouraging way. You've covered all the things that I needed to know and hear to reconsider the Honda Metro more seriously. I appreciate the VERY helpful advice about safety and including links to some very good content about that. Again, thank you!
Oh my goodness, thank you SO MUCH for your kind and encouraging words. LMK what you decide! The E-bikes are great too. And I have been thinking of doing a "fall foliage" ride to post...your comment cinches it! Thank you for being so nice!
Congratulations on the purchase! I never actually intended on getting one until I saw it in person brand new off the showroom floor. And honestly, this thing has been awesome to own. At about 250 miles right now and still counting!
Wow, that's fantastic! It's honestly been the best summer ever! And same - it's so great for errands and stuff around town. Thanks for watching and ENJOY!!
Thank you for the video and sharing your experiences, Marianne. I'm glad you chose to get a Metro. I too got a new Metro earlier this year (same color) and it's also my first scooter. I wanted a moped/scooter since I was twelve, riding my bike through the neighborhood and all the older kids had Honda Spree's, Aero 50s, Elite 80s, etc. That was in the 1980s. You're right, it's a blast and I can't wait to go back out on it every chance I get. Most people just stare, and I do get an occasional wave from a motorcycle driver which is great. Hopefully, these are making a comeback as the US is one of the few places they're not that popular these days. By the way, the Metro is called a "Giorno" in Italy. It's the exact same scooter and crazy popular over there. Thanks again and have fun riding!
Wow, we're scooter twins! I get lots of stares as well and the kiddos LOVE it! What part of the country are you in? I'm in MA so I'll sadly be letting my Metro hibernate for the winter soon. At least it gives me something to look forward to! And I'd LOVE to see more scooters here as well. My niece just honeymooned in Greece and she said there were FAR more scooters than cars there!
@@mariannechristensen5047 Yes, we are twins. 😄 I live in Texas (DFW area). Not too much Winter weather here like MA. Yes, in Europe and Asian countries scooters are everywhere!
Long time scooter rider here. All your observations are right on the money. The thing about scooters is that they do what they do and as long as you respect their inherent design limitations all will be fine. However the minute one tries to violate those limitations bad things will happen. Hope you do a follow up video now that you are a scooter riding expert and don't forget to update us on how late into the season you where able to ride. Be well and stay safe.
Life time motorcyclist and now scooter rider. Most of my motorcycles have been Hondas as the reliability factor is very important to me.Have ridden 90cc trail bikes to Honda 750 cc and even had an 1800 cc Goldwing for several years. Loved riding them all, but by age 65 my knees started to give out, so I sold my Goldwing and looked into scooters. I first had a Chinese scooter but had problems with both it and the dealer, so I sold it. Then In 2017 I looked into both the Honda Metro and the Honda Ruckus. It is the more non-feminine scooter, not the cutesy copy of an Italian scooter. So I picked the Ruckus. Rides essentially the same, has the same motor, but has two headlights, a barebones styling, and is a bit more customizable. Since 2017, I have put nearly 9000 miles on it, just recently got it tuned up by the dealer, and it pushes 37 mph with 90 mpg. More fun than a barrel of monkeys and I am now 75. Easy to handle! I still am having fun on mine! Best of luck to you!
Don’t let this be your last video. Im having a midlife crisis as well. I just started riding a scooter as well. Ive got a Honda pcx 150. Have fun and be safe.
YAY! I just looked up the Honda PCX 150, looks AMAZING! I probably will do a "fall foliage" video since we have such great colors here in MA. Thanks and have a blast!
Welcome to the scooter club! I recommend taking the MSF course, even if you never get a bigger bike. If you get a license and want a Vespa, look into a used one, a Primavera 150 would be really good for you. You might also want to look at a Liberty 150. Bigger wheels make a smoother ride. Heavier bikes are generally smoother riding too. Invest in some safety gear and the MSF course. You won't regret either. Cheers, and be safe!
My first scooter was a 2002 Metropolitan. It was bought as a spare vehicle for when my larger motorcycle would be in the shop. When I sat on a Metropolitan for the first time, I knew it had to be mine. Over the years I've owned six motorcycles. Of them all, the Metropolitan was the favorite. It fit my needs in New Orleans. Now I own a 125 CC scooter that works better for the roads I ride in Dallas Texas. Still, the tiny Metropolitan was great. The only bad part of some Honda scooters is the linked braking system. It is dangerous. An ABS system would be safer. That linked braking system caused me to crash. I was at maximum braking on the front wheel and was incrementally adding more braking to the rear wheel when the front wheel locked. That happened because the rear brake was adding more pressure to the front wheel due to the linked system. The Metropolitan doesn't have a strong enough brake to do that unless you are riding in the rain or a gravel road. Then the same might happen to you. It is good to see that you are so enthusiastic. Keep riding and you'll love scooters more and more. They are the best city vehicles ever made.
For the same price (or less) OTD, you can get a Lance Cali Classic 125 or Havana Classic 125. Same scooter, just different style handlebars. They will go 20 mph faster than the Metropolitan and aren't that much larger in physical size. That makes it possible to ride on 45 mph streets, which is what most streets are where I live. I put over 15,000 miles on the Cali Classic 125, mostly at full throttle, with no issues.
I knew you lived in Massachusetts. I recognized the crappy roads! 🤣 That said, happy for you. Good choice with Honda. These bikes are no fun when they don't work.
Welcome to the scooter community and the bestest fun and mental therapy you’ll ever experience. It will pay for itself on the therapy part alone. But in a year I expect to see you on a Vespa!
@@mariannechristensen5047 As well you should be but you will develope a desire for a greater adrenaline rush and that will require a 150cc or better yet a 300c. Make it a Vespa.
I have a 2020 honda supercub 125, and am trying to find an excuse to buy a metropolitan. Telling me wife that it would be great for her but i would want to ride it lol.
Well, I didn’t know this one existed, but I needed something bigger than this for sure so I ended up going with the Honda super cub. It’s cute though, but I’m a serious writer that rides my motorcycle everywhere for everything so yeah this definitely didn’t have enough speed, customization, or storage for meand I have to go on some highways sometimes and longer commute so yeah, the super fit the bill a lot better
So one of the reasons why you have so much trouble with bumps on that particular motorcycle or scooter is because the tires are so tiny with tiny tires they can’t handle the bumps is good, which is one of the other reasons why I went with super cub because it has bigger tires so even if the suspension is really good, it can only do so much with such small tiers
Congratz on the bike. My journey has been a bit different, having done e-bikes and then deciding to get an M1 license and a scooter. I ended up with an electric that has a more "modern" asthetic (Vespa-like is iconic, but it is an old style at this point) a little more power than the Metropolitan, and am probably going to add a gas scooter (deciding between a Honda Adv160, or an Yamaha XMax 300). I looked at the Metropolitan briefly, but the roads here are all 35-40 (which means 40-50 in practice). Do you need a motorcycle endorsement to ride one in Massachusetts? Here in California, I think you need a full M1 to get on one of those (it isn't a moped that fits in M2 category because it's gas and lacks pedals, but it's not like it's any harder to get an M1 than an M2 anyway). One comment: I know that thing doesn't tear up the road, so you probably don't need an armor jacket and pants and full on moto-boots, but I would recommend at least wearing long sleeves, pants, gloves, and over the ankle shoes -- sliding on pavement at even 30mph can shred uncovered skin.
Thanks for sharing! Not sure about M1 and M2 categories. I know that in Mass, my 50cc does not require any training or even a drivers license! (which I think is kinda nuts, especially for a state like MA where they over do EVERYTHING when it comes to safety.) Speaking of safety, I hear what you're saying. I have started to wear long pants and gloves as I was getting nicked with rocks! Did you say you got an electric scooter? Which one?
@@mariannechristensen5047 In California there are two motorcycle license classes. M1 is everything two wheeled. M2 is supposed to be for lower powered mopeds, like your Metropolitan, but I seem to recall a weird stipulation that a gas powered vehicle needed pedals to be a moped while electric didn't, so I am not sure if an M2 would cover it or not. Hardly matters since in practice it's not any easier to get an M2 than an M1 so everyone just gets an M1 anyway. I got a CSC ES5 scooter (which is a rebadge of a Cineco/Zongshen Chinese scooter -- almost all electric scooters are Chinese tho, so if you want electric). CSC also sells a Monterey which is more like your Metropolitan, tho more of a Honda Super Cub clone than a Vespa clone.
@@mariannechristensen5047 yeah. I love my ES5 for local errands. I 3d-printed some cup holders and velcroed that to the floor board, so I can make Starbucks runs on it. :D
I wish we could have little vehicles that can be run year around. Low maintenance low cost low fuel. In town with 30 to 50 why not.. why are we in a hurry all the time?
I hear you! I have really enjoyed the slower pace of the Metro. Having said that, everything seems more relaxed in the summer. Thanks for your comment!
So for me, there is no such thing as a riding season. The season is all year long now it does become winter and snow where I am the coldest I’ve ever ridden in was 0°F and it took me an hour and 40 minutes and One Direction and there was ice and snow on the road. There was a headwind And last year I only took my car three times in the winter because the snow was too deep and I wasn’t as experienced, but yeah, I’ve definitely written on the snow in the ice and it’s quite technical. I have heated gloves heated vest the colder it gets the more clothes I have to put on, and some writers have told me they don’t like riding in the cold and the wet for me. There’s no such thing because to me cold would be too cold to rain and it would be snowing so cold and wet are separated. So yeah anyway that’s what I do.
Please run alcohol free gas in it it will be trouble free after sitting all winter cause the gas we have for every day use in this country is not scooter carb friendly
So for me, there is no such thing as a riding season. The season is all year long now it does become winter and snow where I am the coldest I’ve ever ridden in was 0°F and it took me an hour and 40 minutes and One Direction and there was ice and snow on the road. There was a headwind And last year I only took my car three times in the winter because the snow was too deep and I wasn’t as experienced, but yeah, I’ve definitely written on the snow in the ice and it’s quite technical. I have heated gloves heated vest the colder it gets the more clothes I have to put on, and some writers have told me they don’t like riding in the cold and the wet for me. There’s no such thing because to me cold would be too cold to rain and it would be snowing so cold and wet are separated. So yeah anyway that’s what I do.
Thank you for making this video, it's the best I've seen and I hope it isn't your last! I've seen SO many videos on scooters and e-trikes as I just am not sure which would work out the best for me. I admit, this video has had the biggest impact on me because you present this in a fun and encouraging way. You've covered all the things that I needed to know and hear to reconsider the Honda Metro more seriously. I appreciate the VERY helpful advice about safety and including links to some very good content about that. Again, thank you!
Oh my goodness, thank you SO MUCH for your kind and encouraging words. LMK what you decide! The E-bikes are great too. And I have been thinking of doing a "fall foliage" ride to post...your comment cinches it! Thank you for being so nice!
Congratulations on the purchase! I never actually intended on getting one until I saw it in person brand new off the showroom floor. And honestly, this thing has been awesome to own. At about 250 miles right now and still counting!
Wow, that's fantastic! It's honestly been the best summer ever! And same - it's so great for errands and stuff around town. Thanks for watching and ENJOY!!
You make me want to buy one of these bikes. They are perfect for the city life. Stay safe !!!!!
I picked up the same blue Metro. here in Canada it is the Honda Giorno. Love it. So much fun. Storage is a nice addition too.
Love your bike and your delightful personality! Have fun riding and stay safe
Thank you for the video and sharing your experiences, Marianne. I'm glad you chose to get a Metro. I too got a new Metro earlier this year (same color) and it's also my first scooter. I wanted a moped/scooter since I was twelve, riding my bike through the neighborhood and all the older kids had Honda Spree's, Aero 50s, Elite 80s, etc. That was in the 1980s. You're right, it's a blast and I can't wait to go back out on it every chance I get. Most people just stare, and I do get an occasional wave from a motorcycle driver which is great. Hopefully, these are making a comeback as the US is one of the few places they're not that popular these days. By the way, the Metro is called a "Giorno" in Italy. It's the exact same scooter and crazy popular over there. Thanks again and have fun riding!
Wow, we're scooter twins! I get lots of stares as well and the kiddos LOVE it! What part of the country are you in? I'm in MA so I'll sadly be letting my Metro hibernate for the winter soon. At least it gives me something to look forward to! And I'd LOVE to see more scooters here as well. My niece just honeymooned in Greece and she said there were FAR more scooters than cars there!
@@mariannechristensen5047 Yes, we are twins. 😄 I live in Texas (DFW area). Not too much Winter weather here like MA. Yes, in Europe and Asian countries scooters are everywhere!
Long time scooter rider here. All your observations are right on the money. The thing about scooters is that they do what they do and as long as you respect their inherent design limitations all will be fine. However the minute one tries to violate those limitations bad things will happen. Hope you do a follow up video now that you are a scooter riding expert and don't forget to update us on how late into the season you where able to ride. Be well and stay safe.
Life time motorcyclist and now scooter rider. Most of my motorcycles have been Hondas as the reliability factor is very important to me.Have ridden 90cc trail bikes to Honda 750 cc and even had an 1800 cc Goldwing for several years. Loved riding them all, but by age 65 my knees started to give out, so I sold my Goldwing and looked into scooters. I first had a Chinese scooter but had problems with both it and the dealer, so I sold it. Then In 2017 I looked into both the Honda Metro and the Honda Ruckus. It is the more non-feminine scooter, not the cutesy copy of an Italian scooter. So I picked the Ruckus. Rides essentially the same, has the same motor, but has two headlights, a barebones styling, and is a bit more customizable. Since 2017, I have put nearly 9000 miles on it, just recently got it tuned up by the dealer, and it pushes 37 mph with 90 mpg. More fun than a barrel of monkeys and I am now 75. Easy to handle! I still am having fun on mine! Best of luck to you!
I recently got a 2015 model and it's so smooth!
How is the Ruckus going over bumps in the road?
Cool video!!! The color of that scooter is sooo nice 👌
Don’t let this be your last video. Im having a midlife crisis as well. I just started riding a scooter as well. Ive got a Honda pcx 150. Have fun and be safe.
YAY! I just looked up the Honda PCX 150, looks AMAZING! I probably will do a "fall foliage" video since we have such great colors here in MA. Thanks and have a blast!
Love the enthusiasm!!!! Anything on 2 wheels is awesome. Ride safe and enjoy, I wish you many safe miles
Thank you for that comment on the JAW, much appreciated 😮😅😅
Welcome to the scooter club! I recommend taking the MSF course, even if you never get a bigger bike. If you get a license and want a Vespa, look into a used one, a Primavera 150 would be really good for you. You might also want to look at a Liberty 150. Bigger wheels make a smoother ride. Heavier bikes are generally smoother riding too. Invest in some safety gear and the MSF course. You won't regret either. Cheers, and be safe!
Oh my gosh, thanks for all the great info! Will do!
OMG this is awesome
good video!! I enjoyed it and hopefully you will make more ride videos when you ride around !!!
I got my first scooter ever in 2021 it is a 200cc Capri And I love it.
My first scooter was a 2002 Metropolitan. It was bought as a spare vehicle for when my larger motorcycle would be in the shop. When I sat on a Metropolitan for the first time, I knew it had to be mine. Over the years I've owned six motorcycles. Of them all, the Metropolitan was the favorite. It fit my needs in New Orleans. Now I own a 125 CC scooter that works better for the roads I ride in Dallas Texas. Still, the tiny Metropolitan was great.
The only bad part of some Honda scooters is the linked braking system. It is dangerous. An ABS system would be safer. That linked braking system caused me to crash. I was at maximum braking on the front wheel and was incrementally adding more braking to the rear wheel when the front wheel locked. That happened because the rear brake was adding more pressure to the front wheel due to the linked system.
The Metropolitan doesn't have a strong enough brake to do that unless you are riding in the rain or a gravel road. Then the same might happen to you. It is good to see that you are so enthusiastic. Keep riding and you'll love scooters more and more. They are the best city vehicles ever made.
Well done . Have a good day. 9/2/2024.
For the same price (or less) OTD, you can get a Lance Cali Classic 125 or Havana Classic 125. Same scooter, just different style handlebars. They will go 20 mph faster than the Metropolitan and aren't that much larger in physical size. That makes it possible to ride on 45 mph streets, which is what most streets are where I live. I put over 15,000 miles on the Cali Classic 125, mostly at full throttle, with no issues.
I knew you lived in Massachusetts. I recognized the crappy roads! 🤣 That said, happy for you. Good choice with Honda. These bikes are no fun when they don't work.
Nice scoot, I ride a Icebear Maddog Gen 1 150cc. sure wish i could take a ride with you.
Welcome to the scooter community and the bestest fun and mental therapy you’ll ever experience. It will pay for itself on the therapy part alone. But in a year I expect to see you on a Vespa!
I agree! It really does feel like therapy sometimes. But idk if I'll switch to a Vespa...I'm def in love with the Metro RN!
@@mariannechristensen5047 As well you should be but you will develope a desire for a greater adrenaline rush and that will require a 150cc or better yet a 300c. Make it a Vespa.
@@donhamm8740 Hmmm I believe you...I will keep you posted! Ha.
More scooter vids please!!
I have a 2020 honda supercub 125, and am trying to find an excuse to buy a metropolitan. Telling me wife that it would be great for her but i would want to ride it lol.
I love my metropolitan we has that same color 💙💙💙💙💙🛵 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Hello maam, Do you know what is the mpg on this kind of scooter? thanks
I'm getting between 80 and 90. Thanks for watching!
Well, I didn’t know this one existed, but I needed something bigger than this for sure so I ended up going with the Honda super cub. It’s cute though, but I’m a serious writer that rides my motorcycle everywhere for everything so yeah this definitely didn’t have enough speed, customization, or storage for meand I have to go on some highways sometimes and longer commute so yeah, the super fit the bill a lot better
Ah, yes the highway is NOT Metro-friendly. Enjoy your Super Cub and be safe!
I want one
What does Massachusetts require for registration/insurance etc?
Funny, MA requires a registration but NOT a license! It also must be insured (though the insurance is much less expensive than a car!).
So one of the reasons why you have so much trouble with bumps on that particular motorcycle or scooter is because the tires are so tiny with tiny tires they can’t handle the bumps is good, which is one of the other reasons why I went with super cub because it has bigger tires so even if the suspension is really good, it can only do so much with such small tiers
I suggest you experiment with tire pressure to have a smoothe ride. Because you are a lighter rider, you don't need the maximum pressure.
Excellent suggestion! I will try that. Thank you!
Wear a jacket, helmet, and gloves. In case you fall (hopefully not) the gloves will protect your knuckles and hands in general. Be safe. 👍
Congratz on the bike. My journey has been a bit different, having done e-bikes and then deciding to get an M1 license and a scooter. I ended up with an electric that has a more "modern" asthetic (Vespa-like is iconic, but it is an old style at this point) a little more power than the Metropolitan, and am probably going to add a gas scooter (deciding between a Honda Adv160, or an Yamaha XMax 300). I looked at the Metropolitan briefly, but the roads here are all 35-40 (which means 40-50 in practice). Do you need a motorcycle endorsement to ride one in Massachusetts? Here in California, I think you need a full M1 to get on one of those (it isn't a moped that fits in M2 category because it's gas and lacks pedals, but it's not like it's any harder to get an M1 than an M2 anyway).
One comment: I know that thing doesn't tear up the road, so you probably don't need an armor jacket and pants and full on moto-boots, but I would recommend at least wearing long sleeves, pants, gloves, and over the ankle shoes -- sliding on pavement at even 30mph can shred uncovered skin.
Thanks for sharing! Not sure about M1 and M2 categories. I know that in Mass, my 50cc does not require any training or even a drivers license! (which I think is kinda nuts, especially for a state like MA where they over do EVERYTHING when it comes to safety.) Speaking of safety, I hear what you're saying. I have started to wear long pants and gloves as I was getting nicked with rocks! Did you say you got an electric scooter? Which one?
@@mariannechristensen5047 In California there are two motorcycle license classes. M1 is everything two wheeled. M2 is supposed to be for lower powered mopeds, like your Metropolitan, but I seem to recall a weird stipulation that a gas powered vehicle needed pedals to be a moped while electric didn't, so I am not sure if an M2 would cover it or not. Hardly matters since in practice it's not any easier to get an M2 than an M1 so everyone just gets an M1 anyway. I got a CSC ES5 scooter (which is a rebadge of a Cineco/Zongshen Chinese scooter -- almost all electric scooters are Chinese tho, so if you want electric). CSC also sells a Monterey which is more like your Metropolitan, tho more of a Honda Super Cub clone than a Vespa clone.
@@jmcminn1076 Ooooo, I searched up your scooter...VERY cool!
@@mariannechristensen5047 yeah. I love my ES5 for local errands. I 3d-printed some cup holders and velcroed that to the floor board, so I can make Starbucks runs on it. :D
I wish we could have little vehicles that can be run year around. Low maintenance low cost low fuel. In town with 30 to 50 why not.. why are we in a hurry all the time?
I hear you! I have really enjoyed the slower pace of the Metro. Having said that, everything seems more relaxed in the summer. Thanks for your comment!
So for me, there is no such thing as a riding season. The season is all year long now it does become winter and snow where I am the coldest I’ve ever ridden in was 0°F and it took me an hour and 40 minutes and One Direction and there was ice and snow on the road. There was a headwind And last year I only took my car three times in the winter because the snow was too deep and I wasn’t as experienced, but yeah, I’ve definitely written on the snow in the ice and it’s quite technical. I have heated gloves heated vest the colder it gets the more clothes I have to put on, and some writers have told me they don’t like riding in the cold and the wet for me. There’s no such thing because to me cold would be too cold to rain and it would be snowing so cold and wet are separated. So yeah anyway that’s what I do.
Please run alcohol free gas in it it will be trouble free after sitting all winter cause the gas we have for every day use in this country is not scooter carb friendly
Great tip! Thank you so much, will do!
All new ones use efi these days
Also alcohol free gas performs worse in carbs
@@catsbyondrepair Ah, thanks! I'll see what the manual recommends.
Oh, I’d give you a wave I give a wave almost everybody. I mean hell it’s got a motor and two wheels right?
This animal no looks good
You did an awesome job on this video. Safe riding.🛵
So for me, there is no such thing as a riding season. The season is all year long now it does become winter and snow where I am the coldest I’ve ever ridden in was 0°F and it took me an hour and 40 minutes and One Direction and there was ice and snow on the road. There was a headwind And last year I only took my car three times in the winter because the snow was too deep and I wasn’t as experienced, but yeah, I’ve definitely written on the snow in the ice and it’s quite technical. I have heated gloves heated vest the colder it gets the more clothes I have to put on, and some writers have told me they don’t like riding in the cold and the wet for me. There’s no such thing because to me cold would be too cold to rain and it would be snowing so cold and wet are separated. So yeah anyway that’s what I do.
Oh, I’d give you a wave I give a wave almost everybody. I mean hell it’s got a motor and two wheels right?