I knew there would be a learning curve involved when I poked my helmeted head inside the world of scooters. Fortunately, it's been a rather pleasant curve to take and my natural motorcyclist's inclination to look down on scooters has been completely erased. The more scooters I ride the more I find myself drawn to their convenience, practicality, and the fun factor.

Take the Kymco Grandvista, for example. As stated, I was initially a bit put off by the fact that it only has a 250cc motor. Odd, that - my first motorcycle was a 250 and I got around just fine. I recommend 250s to first-time buyers all the time. So, why should I turn cynic when the same number of cubic centimeters comes in a scooter? It's ignorance, my friends, ignorance plain and simple. Once out in traffic, the Grandvista quickly shows me the error of my ways. The 250 has no problems keeping up with traffic; frankly, it flat-out wants to run away from traffic. Much to the chagrin of my fellow bumper-to-bumperists, the scooter allows me to zip in and out of traffic snarls with ease.

Now for the big test. The exit for the highway looms ahead. How will the Kymco handle the need for some real speed? It takes off down the seven-mile stretch of four-lane with no problems and is nowhere near the slowest vehicle out there. So far, this is an impressive little machine. Let's look at how it gets it done.

Engine and Transmission
The liquid-cooled, single-cylinder, 250cc motor propels the Grandvista down the road almost effortlessly. A little vibration is felt as the scooter initially accelerates, but that smoothes out very quickly, and there's almost no discernable vibration thereafter until the motor is pushed to speeds that 12-inch tires have no business turning. Even when riding two-up, maintaining a highway speed close to 70 mph is not a problem.

Saddled with two adults for a 900-mile round trip weekend, the Kymco settled back into commuting duties perfectly. The 19.5hp motor works just fine for the ride to work and the occasional extended romp through the country. The electronic ignition has kept the motor running flawlessly in all sorts of weather, including a couple of decent rainfalls.