For as long as scooters have been available they have suffered from somewhat of an image problem. "Scooters are for people who can't ride real motorcycles" is something I've often heard. In fact someone said these very words to me while I was testing this very bike. He said, "Get a real bike." What on earth does that mean? Maybe he meant one that goes fast. Hmmm, can't be that, this scooter goes fast, probably faster than the idiot who mentioned the 'real bike' has ever gone on two wheels. Maybe it's something to do with the handling? Nope again, this scooter handles. Hell, it handles as well as any 'cruiser motorcycle' I've ridden. Is it gears then; does a real motorcycle have gears? Ahh, no again. There's a rash of new automatic motorcycles hitting the market shortly and they'll all be 'real motorcycles'. It seems there's no real designation for a 'real motorcycle'. The next time someone mentions the 'real motorcycle' to me I'll get them to explain it to me. Clearly I'm not quite astute or pig headed enough to understand it.

So I'm riding the GP800 and one could say I was moving at a 'slightly illegal' velocity. I crest a rise at a stupendous speed and what do I see in the distance…the pig headed 'real motorcycle' guy on his Harley Davidson. Well in a few brief seconds i'm mere meters from his rear tire. Mr. Harley man sees me in his mirrors and suddenly turns on new found speed. Sadly for him it's not enough, not nearly enough at all. To add insult to injury I decide to pass him on the outside of the next corner. The corner arrives and I casually lean the bike over then blast pass Mr. Harley…oh and I waved at him as I went past.
After a few more kilometers of spirited riding I pulled over at a scenic lookout where most motorcycles riders stop to shoot the breeze. A few minutes later Mr. Harley drove by, he looked over and surprisingly decided not to stop after seeing me sitting there smiling. Seems the 'real motorcycle rider' was passed by the 'not real motorcycle rider' and he was a bit embarrassed by it all. He was riding a 'real motorcycle' but I feel he was lacking in the 'real man department'. Seems us scooter folks have a secret weapon…the Gilera GP800. Watch out motorcycle people, change is in the air…