A daft scooter question from an arthritic rider

[Orinoco]

I think I'm going to have to give up on my lovely Himalayan 411, arthritis in my wrists is getting progressively worse, particularly using the clutch. That and getting my leg over a panniered up bike have me thinking maybe the time is right to move to a mid range scoot.

The question is, as they're automatic, does that mean the left handlebar is lever-less or is the rear brake there instead? It's not the sort of thing that gets reported or shown in photos, or a case of checking out each one in turn. Any of them use linked brakes?

Cheers

 

[richh]

Yes rear brake lever.

If you ride smoothly, you really don't need to trouble the brakes too much on a scooter. The CVT will provide engine braking all the way down to 10mph or so when the clutch closes and they sort of drop into neutral.

 

[Fireflyer]

I think I'm going to have to give up on my lovely Himalayan 411, arthritis in my wrists is getting progressively worse, particularly using the clutch. That and getting my leg over a panniered up bike have me thinking maybe the time is right to move to a mid range scoot.

The question is, as they're automatic, does that mean the left handlebar is lever-less or is the rear brake there instead? It's not the sort of thing that gets reported or shown in photos, or a case of checking out each one in turn. Any of them use linked brakes?

Cheers

I’m sure that there will be some with LinkedIn brakes but that’s best researched when you have an idea of what make/models become of interest to you after a bit of narrowing down.

Rear brake is via lever where you would normally have the clutch lever.

 

[Fireflyer]

Oh, and you will lock the rear wheel up at least once to begin with as you go to pull the “clutch” in as you come to a junction

 

[leadfarmer]

The rear brake is almost as powerful as the front on a scooter due to the weight distribution

If you can’t use your left hand to brake, the 3 wheeled scooters that you can ride on a car license have a foot pedal for the rear brake (they may also be linked, I don’t know)

 

[HxH]

Common Models with Foot Rear Brakes​

Model	Type	Brake Type
Honda Helix	Automatic	Foot-operated rear brake
CF Moto Fashion 250	Automatic	Foot-operated rear brake
Qlink Commuter 250	Automatic	Foot-operated rear brake

Key Points​

• Foot Brakes in Automatic Scooters: While foot-operated rear brakes are less common in today's automatic scooters, they can still be found in specific models, particularly older or less mainstream options.
• Modern Trends: The trend in newer automatic scooters is to favor hand-operated brakes for better control and ease of use.

In summary, if you're looking for automatic scooters with a foot rear brake, options like the Honda Helix and certain models from CF Moto and Qlink are among the few available.

Good luck in your search.

 

[leadfarmer]

Some bigger ones too, kymko, piaggio etc

 

[KMD]

I think I'm going to have to give up on my lovely Himalayan 411, arthritis in my wrists is getting progressively worse, particularly using the clutch. That and getting my leg over a panniered up bike have me thinking maybe the time is right to move to a mid range scoot.

The question is, as they're automatic, does that mean the left handlebar is lever-less or is the rear brake there instead? It's not the sort of thing that gets reported or shown in photos, or a case of checking out each one in turn. Any of them use linked brakes?

Cheers

I am aware I’m becoming a bit of a stuck record on this subject but…..

Arthritis in my hips meant riding the big bikes for long periods was just too painful, so I had a choice to make. Stop riding or think about a Scooter. I sold my two BMW’s and bought a Suzuki Burgman 650. I thought it would be a compromise that hopefully I would adjust to. In the event it’s been a blessing. Comfortable, unbelievably easy to ride, still plenty of real world speed, and fun. I’ve done trips on it that I would not have been able to do on my big BMW’s.

 

[wessie]

Oh, and you will lock the rear wheel up at least once to begin with as you go to pull the “clutch” in as you come to a junction

that was me when I was given a Tmax when my Tracer was serviced! Stopping 5m in front of the white line at some lights.

 

[Eastmidsbiker]

@Orinoco another consideration are the excellent Piaggio MP3's, great fun to ride with a footbrake. From memory the footbrake operates the linked brakes for maximum stopping power, and then you additionally get left and right hand brake levers for front and rear brakes individually.

 

[Pukmeister]

that was me when I was given a Tmax when my Tracer was serviced! Stopping 5m in front of the white line at some lights.

Agreed, the Tmax has a powerful rear brake. DAMHIK.

You only grab a handful of “clutch” the once, amazing how quickly you get used to it being the brake lever.

I can jump on my Tmax most days and just twist ‘n go, then grab the keys to my 1250GSA sometimes and ride off without a second thought about clutches and rear brakes.

 

[Bem]

I think I'm going to have to give up on my lovely Himalayan 411, arthritis in my wrists is getting progressively worse, particularly using the clutch. That and getting my leg over a panniered up bike have me thinking maybe the time is right to move to a mid range scoot.

The question is, as they're automatic, does that mean the left handlebar is lever-less or is the rear brake there instead? It's not the sort of thing that gets reported or shown in photos, or a case of checking out each one in turn. Any of them use linked brakes?

Cheers

Like you the progress of time shows itself first in the left wrist. I move to an NT1100 dct in March and am very happy with the general outcome. Can I suggest you look at the N750 dct and the transalp 750 with the eclutch?

 

[TYKEBBS]

After years of varying 'big' bikes my ability to ride these types of bikes had become too difficult and I was concerned about my safety in this respect

In April this year I swapped my then bike (BMW GS 310) for a Honda ADV 350 a very short period of adjustment (rear brake is where the clutch would normally be found) I am now totally smitten withe the ADV, it takes me everywhere any of my past 'big' bikes took me and does it in extreme comfort...there is also so much storage under the seat that you could store a weeks shopping there..and it averages around 80mpg

See here

 

[alan29]

This guy is excellent on going from a bike to a scooter. He's done several Youtubes about his experiences.

 

[TYKEBBS]

Great video....just when I thought I'd seen all the ADV350 YT films

 

[Hairnet600]

looking at phat scooters for a while and while as orinoco cant swing leg over (fnarr) anymore

my wanking hand is fine

the only thing thats stopping me is the weight of them and the width of the footboard - the controls you get used to very quickly

saying that im going looking at an sr450 on thursday if they have one