The Two-Wheeled Warrior, Part II: Book Review

I recently got a copy of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Motor Scooters to review. Here’s the one-sentence review, in case you’re pressed for time: If you’re new to scootering, this is a great place to start, but if you’re an old hand, you won’t find much you don’t already know.

The Idiot’s Guide books are similar to the Dummies books, but they seem to rely less on lists and cartoons to get the reader through the information. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Motor Scooters is arranged logically, from history to extreme scootering, and the “Contents at a Glance” pages at the front of the book make it easy to jump to the section that interests you. The end of each chapter lists “The Least You Need to Know,” in case you’re reading up on a subject as you run out the door to the scooter shop to buy an armored jacket.

TCIGMS, as we’ll call it for brevity, is an excellent resource for newbies, especially if you haven’t bought your scooter yet and are overwhelmed by the choices. It helps potential buyers decide between vintage and new; 50 cc, 150 cc, or larger engines; two-stroke or four-stroke; and more. It lists necessary gear and has pages and pages of optional gear, including decals and the like for customization (I prefer punk-rock stickers myself).

The book also deals with common questions about getting started, like registration and motorcycle endorsements on your driver’s license. It does not deal with the more advanced stuff, like scooter repair (see Part I of this post for my recent success with taking scootering to a new level), though it does have some pretty in-depth maintenance how-tos. It also includes a section in the back with tech specs for just about every scooter on the market today, which is helpful for buyers and owners alike.

The authors speak with authority. Bev Brinson is the founder of Scooter World magazine, and Bryce Ludwig is a longtime writer for the mag. They’ve written a guide to getting a scooter, riding it safely, and maintaining it. Anything beyond that is entirely up to you, scooter commuter. Armed with this kind of information, there’s nothing you and your scooter can’t do.