I recently returned from a short vacation on the island of Bermuda. Being a small island with gas prices near $10.00 a gallon and strict government regulations on vehicles, scooters are the dominate mode of transportation on the island. With numerous scooter rental shops, they're also an ideal way for for visitors to explore and get around the island. Being from the US, one thing I had to get used to was riding on the left side of the street, and maybe a little more confusing for me were the round-about intersections. The locals are very used to tourist on scooters and I found them to be very polite and accommodating towards gawking tourist on scooters.
The scooter I rented as well as most of the rental scooters I saw are Taiwanese made TGB scooters. The government mandates no motorcycles or scooters over 150cc, so every two wheel vehicle on the island is 150cc or below. I thought I saw a few larger Harley type bikes, but a cab driver explained to me how it's popular with local motorcycle enthusiast to make small 150cc bikes look like Harley's.
Winding roads along beautiful beaches and lush tropical vegetation made for some very enjoyable rides around the island.
A few photos from the main city of Hamilton might give you an idea of how popular scooters are in Bermuda. I found myself fantasizing about riding one of my vintage bikes on the island, however you'll see very few old scooters, motorcycles, or cars in Bermuda as government regulations prohibit the importation of vintage and used vehicles.
Alas all good times come to an end. Time to head home for the beginning of another brutal midwest winter.
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