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Motorcycling is considered exercise under COVID-19 guidelines, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian told Ben Fordham on 2GB radio, officially making it a legal reason to leave home.

Riding your scooter within a 50km radius is ok as announced on Monday April 27, by our NSW Premier.

So after getting into work yesterday and with the sun shining outside Murray asked, “how do we get this message across to our scooter riding friends?” What better way than to go for a ride and post about it! (plus the weather is perfect for it).

Looking around the store a personal favourite of mine, the Piaggio BV350i was calling for a ride and we have a great used option that has recently had a Malossi clutch kit fitted by us that I was keen to test:

https://www.scootercentral.com.au/shop/2015-piaggio-beverly-350/

Everyday I see a broad cross-section of buyers. From the executive commuter who won’t compromise on quality or safety, to the motorbike rider who wants a commuter scooter with the power and features of their “big bike”. Secretly they love the practicality of a scooter. The BV could be seen as the ultimate step up from a smaller scooter or a side step for motorcyclists who want a more practical all-purpose ride.

As for performance, the 330cc motor is awesome. An abundance of power for both city and freeway work. At 177 kg’s, the BV’s weight provides solid road holding without taking away from its agility in CBD gridlock. It’s a larger bodied scooter that retains the appeal of being narrow enough to filter (something that can be lost on bigger bodied maxi’s). Yet, the BV is still big enough to travel long distances comfortably.

Piaggio’s ASR traction control allows you to punch off the lights without the rear wheel wanting to dance and the ABS braking pulls you up quickly after getting up to speed (which doesn’t take long at all).

My recent scooter rides have basically consisted of back and forth to work and the occasional essential trip to Woolies to see how many toilet rolls I can find to fill the under seat storage compartment.

I quickly mapped out a short trip in my head to get away from the morning traffic, a quick jaunt up to the Old Pacific Hwy. A quick stop at Collaroy beach to check the surf made me feel lucky to be so be in such a beautiful area. It was nice to see there were plenty of people out and about exercising and obeying social distancing.

Climbing back on board I was excited to get riding.  Heading towards Mona Vale I decided a morning coffee was required so I stopped in at Church Point to get a takeaway. It slotted nicely into my Corazzo Coffee cup holder and I took a little walk by the water to take in the morning sun. I was starting to feel better already! To keep me on track I also borrowed a Corazzo Nomad to hold my phone just below the dash so I could use the GPS on my phone to keep me heading the right direction.

                                                                               

After my caffeine hit I continued on McCarrs Creek rd through Ku-Ring-Gai National Park

The scooter felt great, the Malossi clutch definitely helped as I was on and off the throttle through some of the tighter corners and skipped around the morning cyclists with ease. The kit improves the low to mid-range acceleration and gives you more RPMs meaning you get a more responsive and punchier ride, what is not to love. The Malossi clutch kits have been a great addition to Scooter Centrals performance upgrades.  All Malossi components are made 100% in Italy. All final manufacturing, assembly, and research and development is done at their impressive facility in Bologna, Italy. Literally, just down the street from Ducati and a 20 minute drive from Ferrari. The quality of Malossi components is commonly far superior to comparable original equipment components. They are, after-all, designed and race-track tested and approved. Definitely worth talking to us about if you are coming up for a service, for around the $600-$800 price point, you will have what feels like a new engine.

A quick run up the motorway to exit at Berowra to get to the Pacific Highway, renamed the “Old Pacific Highway”, a popular tourist drive for its winding stretches through lush bush and running over the wide Hawkesbury River. It is a great short ride if you want to take in the bush and water views while enjoying some technical corners. It was also nice to pass a few other scooter riders and motorcyclists who also had the same idea and decided to get out for a ride, don’t forget to give them a nod.

Murray had tipped me off about a historical memorial in Brooklyn so I thought I would make this the turn around point for my morning ride. A plaque that commemorates Robert Buie, a Brooklyn Oyster farmer who claimed to have shot down Baron Mannheim von Richthofen, the German pilot, known as the “Red Baron” during World War One. The plaque contains a photographic image of Gunner Buie and inscription concerning his part in the shooting down of Baron Mannheim von Richthofen.

Roberts Buies grave is also in the pretty and well maintained local Brooklyn cemetery.

I won’t ramble on with a history lesson but there does seem there was some controversy around the historic claims if you are interested to read more:

Monumentaustralia.org.au

Turning around at Brooklyn if I didn’t already need an excuse to stop off for a quick pie at the iconic Pie in the Sky at Cowan it also felt good to see a number of other riders stopping in to support local business. From the top of the hill you get a great outlook across the valley before a pleasant drive down the hill back onto the expressway and back to work before everyone else got too jealous.

I was back at the shop before midday and I came back to work inspired and ready to take on the day. I believe the mental health benefits of riding are priceless and just another reason to get out on two wheels. During these times I think this message is more important than ever as we have all taken on some of the stresses of the world. I was also surprised how little time out on the scooter it took to get the benefits. So take this opportunity to go for a 50km ride for exercise, sunshine and a break from the working at home or office. You will thank us. Plus, how much more Netflix can you watch?

Getting back on the scooter for the first time in a while? Book for a service online now.