Interview: Grant from Knoxville Tennessee

Grant was born and raised in Michigan and graduated from Muskegon High School in 1974. He attended seven different colleges starting at Michigan State University, and took 20 years to obtain a BSMET in Engineering. He is now a design engineer working in the automotive industry in Tennessee. I met Grant online and then last year in person when he organized the first Burgman Rally to ride US-129 (aka The Dragon).

KSC: Grant, when did you start on two wheels?
Grant: When I lived in Michigan, I rode a couple of different motorcycles, a 400cc dirt bike that nearly killed me. I rode a Honda 300 for a while 20+ years ago. Because of the limited warm weather in the cold white north, I did not pursue a newer or different motorcycle. I drove the Honda for only one season.

KSC: What happened on the dirt bike?
Grant: My dirt bike liked to climb trees, and I guess I was along for the ride.


KSC: I can see how that would limit the level of fun! When did you start riding again and move to a scooter?
Grant: In 2008 when Gas went out of sight I thought it was time to make a change in the Gas consumption and try to off set the cost of getting to and from work. I went shopping for a new motorcycle. The want list was short but important: great gas millage, low cost, plenty of power (I am a big guy), and stylish.


KSC: What did you have in mind that fit the bill on all those points?
Grant: What I was looking for was a style I remembered from a long time ago. Honda had a bike that they called the “Pacifica” (I think that was the name), it was a bike that had molded saddle bags with lots of storage space and large enough in power to go on long cross country rides. I soon found out that Honda did not make that model anymore, the closest thing they had was the “Gold Wing”. That was too big, to much bike, and to expensive of an investment for me to get started back into motorcycles.

KSC: I can understand that. I thought the same thing about many bikes when I first started looking...same time as you with the gas crunch. What brought you specifically to a scooter?
Grant: I looked at different makers then I came to the Suzuki dealer near my home. They showed me the Burgman 650. The first thought was "Scooter, no way, I don’t want a stupid scooter." They showed me the plusses of the Burgman; Automatic, 650cc, trunk space, 50+ MPG, plus many other little things. I still had a problem with the Scooter look so I looked further. The thing is I kept coming back to the Burgman because of all it had to offer.

KSC: So in your book it fit three of your four criteria. I guess that's not bad. Did you keep looking for something "non-scooter"?
Grant: I did my time on the internet looking at anything I could find about the Burgman. The more I found the more it sounded like the bike for me. Simple to ride, great gas millage, comparable cost, and plenty of power. But the Scooter look, was still keeping me from a purchase. After thinking about it for several weeks I did make the purchase of a 2008 Gold Burgman 650. Right away I caught tons of flack from my co-workers because of the Scooter look. Why didn’t I get a real bike? I kept sticking up for my purchase and explaining the benefits of the Burgman but to no avail.

KSC: I think many maxi-scooterists get the same lack of respect. How did your peers opinion affect you?
Grant: I was having buyers remorse, until I was talking to one of the Japanese workers at work and they backed me up and was telling my other co-workers that the Burgman was the most coveted motorcycle in Japan. He told everyone that this was the largest and most powerful Scooter made and they needed to give it respect. Every day I drove the Burgman to work, and it generated plenty of questions and jokes until several Harley owners spoke up and told the stories of how they rode with several Burgmans one day through the mountains and they were very cool bikes. My Burgman had been vindicated.

KSC: You note how the Japanese did not refer to it as a scooter, but a motorcycle. In their country, and most of Europe too, these are not even seen as scooters, but as motorcycles. Why do you think the U.S. is different?
Grant: Peer pressure is much stronger here in the US than elsewhere. Once those who scoff at my Burgman see the power and performance they back off the Scooter comments.

KSC: I have seen this happen many times. Bikers laugh at scooter. Bikers see scooter in action. Bikers stop laughing. What is your overall opinion of the Burgman now?
Grant: The Burgman is a very cool motorcycle and I love riding my Scooter.

KSC: Grant, do you belong to a club? If so, what club? Tell me a bit about it.
Grant: Yes, I attend and co-organize a Meet-up group in Knoxville. It is “the Knoxville Riders”.
This is a group of like minded motorcycle riders (to date 146 members) who want to get together to ride and have fellowship with people from the area. We have monthly meetings where we talk about different topics dealing with motorcycles. In cold weather when most riders pack up their cycle and hope for warmer weather we schedule social meetings where we gather at a local restaurant and have a meal and swap lies with each other. At our regular meetings we discuss specific topics like the Best GPS to get for the bike, How to change our own oil, What over night trips the group is interested in. Tire selection, Gadgets, Rules of the road when riding in a Group.
(This is not a scooter group, I am the only scooter rider in our group)

KSC: Many maxi-scooter riders (the scooter with large enough engines to be considered highway and interstate capable) seem to fit in better with other maxi-scooters, or motorcycles. This is obviously true in the Knoxville Riders. Do you think this is merely a matter of functionality?

Grant: Yes, if you can keep up with the big boys than you can ride along, no matter what you ride. On the other hand. Some “old timers” are just curious and want to learn more. Others are just “old School” and don’t care, if it is not a Harley than you need to go away. (Small Minds)

KSC: I also see groups of just maxi-scooters forming. You said you're the only scooter in your club. Do you see other scooters in Knoxville area, or are they very uncommon?

Grant: There is a Vespa style club in Knoxville but they are 150cc or less. I would like to form a Maxi Club some day. I see more and more on the roads all the time. I answer questions about my Burgman on an average of once a week, where people are interested and want to know more about it because they are thinking of a purchase, they want to know if it will do what they want or need.

KSC: I started the Louisville Scooter Group with the idea of it being a group for all people no matter what they ride, but with a few exceptions, I see we tend to have mainly larger displacement scooters. So far we do not have many people on motorcycles. We did have one member who actually converted from a motorcycle to a Burgman. I hear about this more and more often. Do you know any folks who have been long-time motorcycle riders and decide to make the change to a maxi scooter?

Grant: No, not a complete change over. However, I’ve talked to some folks that purchased a Burgman in addition to the other motorcycles they have.

KSC: What do you like best about riding on two wheels?
Grant: The freedom of being in charge of my life and I fully make the decisions of where I go and how I get there. Driving in my pick-up truck I do the same thing, drive where I want and I decide how I get there, but it’s different on two wheels. The feel of the power beneath me and the wind in my face is a great feeling. I like the feeling of full control and that little bit of death can happen at any minute if you don’t keep your head screwed on your shoulders very tight. It is a religious experience with me when I ride. I am the closest to God and to nature I can get with out getting off my bike and walking on the trail. 90% of my non-work riding is in the Smoky Mountains and I ride there all the time. Nothing compares with a 4 hour ride up in the mountains and feeling the wind in my face and a closeness to God.

KSC: The Smoky Mountains area is world famous for it's motorcycle roads. The most publicized of all is US-129, also known as "The Dragon". What do you think of that actual stretch of road?

Grant: The “Dragon” is one of the most popular sections of twisting and winding roads in this area. However, it also has the reputation of killing more bikers on it than any other stretch of road in this area. As far as roads to ride on there are plenty of sections of roads that are every bit as twisty and curvy and less traveled on than the “Dragon”. On the other side of the Smoky Mountains in western North Carolina, there are countless routes that many say is even better than the “Dragon”. There is no other road that has as much PR or notoriety than the “Dragon”, I myself like to ride on the “Dragon” it is fun and it has all the curves you could want. The down side is someone has started a timed race challenge among the sport bikers. There is a posting of how long it takes to get from point “A” to point “B” on the “Dragon” and every hot shot with a crotch rocket is trying to break that record. All they end up breaking are bones. In the height of the summer season the police are stationed every 200 yards or so and they are very willing to ticket anyone that is going to fast on that stretch. Fines are extreme and they are very willing to write as many tickets as they can handle. My favorite route to take is called the Cherohala Skyway. It is 50+ miles long that starts in Tennessee and travels over 5,500 feet up and into North Carolina. That is a route that I will try to go on once a week or so.

KSC: I have to compliment you on your choice of routes for the Burgman ride last year. I tend to try and take roads I have never been on before. For example, I have been to Indianapolis and Cincinnati multiple times and I have never taken the exact same route twice. I think GPS with good routing software helps me more to explore than find my way home. Do you explore much? Do you use a GPS?

Grant: I am always going to different places at different times. I am an explorer at heart. I’ll just be driving down the road and see a road that turns off from the road I’m on and I say (to myself) "I wonder where that road goes?" In East Tennessee, not very many roads go in a straight line so you can start out going south on a road and end up who knows where, in a new location in a new place. It has never failed me so far. I am really glad that I know my gas gage extremely well. I do not use a GPS as yet because I know so little about them I would not know what to get. We have a GPS salesman scheduled to speak at our Knoxville Riders Group, and talk about all the electronic gadgets we can add to our bikes.

KSC: Speaking of the 2009 Burgman Ride/Rally, how difficult was it to organize that?

Grant: The Rally was not too bad to organize. It is in my backyard. I had been to a Rally in Mentone, AL the year before and thought…this could be done around my area and I could do that! First thing was to ask around for friends to help, and because this was the first time, it was run kind-of by the seat of my pants. I wanted to go on as many routes as I could get in, and find places that would accommodate the group. Because this being the first time for the Rally I could not tell anyone, how many people to expect. Hotel was easy, restaurants were a bit harder. The easiest was the routes to take. The routes were the exact same places I had been riding for a while already. They were some of the best in the area and they were close. There are even better rides we could have gone on but it would have taken 3-4 hours to get there then 3-4 hours back and 1-2 hours on that specific route. That would make a very long day. With that long of a route riding in 3 states, there could be problems unexpected so I opted out of that. I and one other friend actually rode on these routes to time them and millage mark them so that we had a good idea of how long it would take and where we would meet up with the others from the second group. My timing was a little off so it did not work out as planned but it still worked out well. If I were to change anything, I would have planned more sight seeing stops and more things to do while on the route.

KSC: Well, there is always this coming year! Are you going to do it? What about the recent closures of US-129? How will that affect your plans?

Grant: Yes, I would like to do something again. You have to understand that the similar closures like the ones on hwy 129 have happened all over the Smoky Mountains this year. I personally had an encounter with a falling rock while driving in my car with my wife. I was following a car on a familiar road through the mountains when a rock came crashing down at the car ahead of us and the car swerved to miss the rock and I said, Wow! Look at that! When as I approached the same spot a large tree came crashing down near us and a medium sized bolder came rolling down the mountain towards us. The rock was about 4 foot around and I had to jump on the brakes to avoid getting crushed by the rock. As I pulled through I looked in the rear view mirror and saw several large rocks laying in the road where we had just rolled through. In our area there has been 4 major rock slides that have closed several roads and some are major roads. The biggest one was on Hwy US-40 cutting off a major trucking route through the mountains east to west. They took 15,000 truck loads of debris from that site to open just half of the road to start to get traffic moving again. US-40 was closed down completely for about 6 months. There was a rock slide in the Smoky Mountain Park it’s self, not to mention on US-129 the “Dragon”. There was some talk of not clearing the rock at all on US-129 and keeping it closed therefore saving the lives lost every year from motorcycle crashes that happen each year. Like I’ve said earlier I would like to get something going again this year and it will be much easier this time, I just need to dedicate some time to sit down and do the planning again. Look for it to happen this fall 2010.

KSC: What do you feel like scooterist share in common with all riders?

Grant: The Maxi-Scooterist has that love of the open road, at least I do. I don’t feel like a different class of biker so much as I feel that I am using the technology to my benefit. I can ride with the big boys (power) and hold my own on the freeways. I wear my leather vest and leather half-gloves. I have that “John Wayne” saunter when I walk away from my bike and go into a business. I give “that” attitude to people when I talk to them, right up until they notice the scooter look of my Burgman. Then I am just a geek. The smaller scooters and the people that ride them are in a different class than I think I am. They are typically in the larger cities or college campuses. They do their commute to and from class or work close to home and usually never push above the 25-35 MPH of in town driving. It is very unlikely to see a small scooter on the skyway or the “Dragon”. Would I accept them, yes…would I want them lead a group ride for our club, no not really.

KSC: I keep feeling like the Maxi-scooter is the bridge between what you call the "smaller scooters" and the larger displacement motorcycles. I know in our group we welcome most anybody to ride if they can keep up, no matter if they are on a 150cc Vespa or a 650cc Burgman. Whether or not I personally have ridden with them, I show them the respect due another rider. This is because I have known several folks who have put 15,000 miles on their "little scooter" while their neighbor next door has 1500 miles on his nice big motorcycle. What is your viewpoint on that?

Grant: We feel the same way too in our group. I think that is a shame that a nice big motorcycle is going to waste in the garage under the tarp, in the corner. I have seen new motorcycles left in the garage and the only use it has is a “catch all” and a work bench. On the other hand I wouldn’t mind finding an older bike that was stored under the tarp and the current owner wants to make room and shed the bike for a pittance. I’d be a 2 bike owner if the right bike came up for little or nothing. The papers are full of one season riders who found out that you have to have 110% attention when riding a bike. You can’t be texting on your cell phone and drive a 2 wheeler. Riding a motorcycle takes some skill and attention to the road. But once mastered you will become a life long rider, no matter what you drive. I think the motorcycle dealers prey on people and get them to buy more bike than they need or can afford. If I had a car that did everything I needed and got 30-40 mpg and a new motorcycle that cost 25-35 thousand got less than 30 mpg on average I would have a real hard time expending that kind of money for a once in a while toy. (New Owner to something that is NEW to them) At the end of this season I will have about 30,000 miles on my Burgman. I am having a great time on the road and when the Burgman dies or no longer gives me that thrill I will get either another or look around for something else to replace it. The other day I had my Burgman serviced and the dealer gave me a brand new Burgman to use as a loaner so that I could drive it back and forth to work that day of service. I only work 2 miles from the dealership, so it was not going to rack up the millage on their new bike. I was extremely impressed with the new model. It was so tight and ran “Just like a new bike” how funny was that. I got back to the dealer and remarked that was not fair, and he asked what I was referring to. I said driving a new Burgman made me want to trade up to the newest model, TODAY. He laughed and said, “Yes I know”. Jerk. Not today but maybe some day.


KSC: What do you feel sets us scooterists apart from other riders?

Grant: We are generally older riders, not so hung up on the status quo, able to see and embrace the technology to our advantage. Everyone is shocked when they learn that the Burgman is automatic. The trunk space is extremely useful, I have even made a pizza run and the box fits very well into the trunk. Some old schoolers ask if I need a license to drive on the road. Always the very next question is how fast have I had it going. Most don’t believe me when I personally had the Burgman up to 120MPH. Not for very long, (not many straight roads) but when I pass them up on the freeway they stop asking stupid questions. At the end of it all we’re just cool!

KSC: I will never forget when I pulled in to a biker shop one day on my 250cc. They gave me the snickers and looks too, until the first guy asked "How many miles to the gallon do you get on that thing?" After I told them "Damn thing is supposed to get about 65, but I have only been getting around 60!"--well, several stopped me to ask where I got it and how much I paid for it. A few were heard to say "I gotta get one of those!" This was in '07 when gas was up to $4 per gallon. Do you ever get questions about the gas mileage?

Grant: Every time I am questioned about anything involved around the Burgman they always ask the gas millage. I typically get right around 50 MPG. The best I’ve gotten was 85 mpg and the worst I got was 32 mpg and they were on the same trip. The bad gas millage was when I was going up Mount Mitchell on the “Blue Ridge Parkway” in North Carolina. And the best was when I was coming down off Mount Mitchell. Better gas millage is directly influenced by the weather. If it is a hot day I get better millage, if it is cold, 60’s, I get about a 5-8 mpg drop.

KSC: What do you think about the whole "green factor" of riding a scooter? Do you play into that or make a point of it?

Grant: Green, ha! My bike is Gold. I don’t buy anything for green’s sake. I buy what I want, if I can afford it, when I can afford it. I did crunch the numbers and figured out that the Burgman would pay for it’s self in 3 years just in saving from gas usage over the usage in my Full size Ford truck. Plus I am having the time of my life on 2 wheels. I meet the coolest people at the stops, and I like the looks of the un believers when I walk in with my leathers on. (Just so long as they don’t see that I just got off a scooter) Ha.

KSC: What is one odd, interesting, or amazing thing that has occured to you while you were riding?

Grant: Several. What’s with the wave? What is the customary rules to wave or not to wave, that is the question. I typically wave at every biker that I can, no matter what they ride. Some Crotch Rockets only wave at other rockets, old school Harley riders only wave at other Harley riders. Most do not make any waves in the corners of twisting roads like on the “Dragon”, and I can accept that I am trying to keep my bike under control and do not care to be that friendly at that specific point. Somebody’s got to have the rules written down somewhere.

I did crash and burn on the Burgman, I was going way too fast on a road that I have traveled countless times and forgot my attention span. I was gawking at the scenery and the first curve came up way too fast and I left the road. Sky, ground, sky ground, sky, ground. Oh my God, I was feeling the pain and suffering then. After a full check out in the hospital they cut me loose to go home and I hobbled around for a couple of days and nursed my road rash and my sore legs. I broke my hand and got a few scars from that. My insurance (Geico) paid the bill to completely repair my bike. Nearly $5500 to replace the skin and a few other parts on the bike.

One of the most life changing events happened while on the bike rally. I was leading a the group and we were coming up to a stop light on the route. I knew it was a bad intersection but forgot to be extra careful while on the bike. We all stopped at the light, I was first in line at the light and when we pulled away from the stop a car ran the light from the cross direction and pushed the car ahead of him right in front of me into the middle of the intersection. I came so close to becoming no more than a grease spot on the road that day. That reminded me that you must have your head screwed on Very tight when riding in traffic, and always look out for the other fool in the cars and trucks.

The best thing that has happened is I have gotten so close to a full-blown religious experience while riding my bike in the mountains. That has to be the all time best time of my life while I am our riding my bike, wind in my face and the road beneath me.

KSC: Grant, what is the main reason you like to ride?

Why do I ride? The quick answer is simple. It is the excitement and sheer terror of all that power between your legs, the wind in your face, the force in which you feel inertia pull you back in the seat. Knowing that the laws of gravity will ruin your whole week in just a split second. Every other vehicle on the road has only one thing on their mind, “can I pull out in front of that motorcycle at the same time as I text my friend at the mall, brush my hair, eat a cheeseburger, making an appointment in my day planner, and fix my make-up”. All of this goes through my mind when I am still in the driveway about to enter the street.

I remember the first 40 yards of the first time I rode a motorcycle in 25 years. I had just signed the papers on my Burgman at the dealer. The dealer is on the top a hill. I am pulling down the driveway approaching the crossroad traffic, afraid for my life. I nearly dumped the bike twice just in the parking lot of the dealer and then once at the road entrance. I hit the gas, pull out into the street and away I went.

I left the dealer needing to stop and get gas at the corner station. I barely knew how to ride the stupid thing well-alone what all the buttons were for. I was just glad the engine turned off when the key was turned, or did I turn it off. I did not know. I think it stalled out when I put the kick stand down. Oh crap, I hope it starts again. It did not. After a few minutes of panic and only by luck did the engine start. I kicked the stand up just as I was going to push the bike over to the side, I hit the start and the bike fired up. I left the station and drove home. That was going to be enough for one day.

The horror of learning how to ride a bike again, you see, it is a lot different learning to ride something that runs 10 mph verses a motorcycle that runs well over 60 mph. The idea of broken bones and major road rash is an impact force that most motorcyclist learn either by first hand experiences or by talking to people they meet that have those experiences. Many new owners of a motorcycles learn the hard way to ride their bikes. I recommend a driving school to learn how to handle your new purchase and how to keep what little brains you started with inside your skull. Secondly, join a riders group in your area so that you have some fellow riders to bounce off ideas and you have someone to ask questions of. There is not a day that goes by where I have a new question to ask my ridding buddies, about general motorcycle questions or a maintenance question. Something pops up all the time. The Internet is a good source of information about your bike and the people that ride it.

I love to ride and I am, in a very small way, glad that the price of gas went up so high, because with out that happening I may not have ever gotten back into riding a motorcycle again. Look for me on the road, I am the big guy on the gold Burgman. I may not wave back at you and it’s not that I am snubbing you, it is that I am just having such a wonderful time on my bike and I just did not see you go by.

KSC: I look forward to riding in your mountains again soon, Grant. Thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions and share your experiences and point of view.