Should I Get This Cool 2-wheel Cruiser ?

I used to ride bikes during schooldays and the earlier part of my working life. Times really flies, and now I've been driving cars for so long (some 20 years or more, it seems), I wonder whether I can still handle motorbikes. My love affair with the 2-wheeler has not died, though. Recently I have been doing some window shopping and homework on bikes, and this scooter really grabs my attention. I'm now itching, contemplating and pondering, whether to get this handsome 2-wheel cruiser (my original target was the Yamaha Ego priced around RM5200.00). My search on the Internet turns out mostly positive recommendation for it. Another review also gives it good scores. It's a re-badged Joyride RV and it represents good value in current market prices of bikes.

It is quoted at RM6498.00 on the Modenas website. Buying it here locally means parting with about RM7000.00 of cold hard cash. But, what the heck, take a look at this cool machine.

Why isn't it worth buying for RM7000.00, compared to the RM11,830.00 price per unit it costs the police, as reported in the New Straits Times, dated 2008/08/26. (Below)

New scooters for police

By : Chuah Bee Kim

Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff with deputy police chief Datuk Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah looking at the Modenas Elegan scooters at the Johor headquarters yesterday.

JOHOR BARU: Police in the state will be using scooters to patrol neighbourhoods and increase their presence in public places.

The 48 Modenas Elegan 150cc scooters, which were handed over to the force at the state police headquarters yesterday, will be attached to police stations here as well as in Batu Pahat, Muar, Kulaijaya, Kluang and Kota Tinggi.

State police chief Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff said the scooters, costing RM11,830 each, would help increase police presence in neighbourhoods as policemen could patrol with greater ease using the machines.

"As Johor police now have better staff strength with the recent addition of 644 policemen, we can carry out more patrols in our crime prevention efforts."

"We will further increase our manpower soon, along with the allocation of RM1.2 million due to the development of the Iskandar Malaysia development corridor.

"This is the first time our policemen are using scooters to patrol the streets and we hope it will make an impact."

Mokhtar said Johor police had also received 246 new patrol cars and 52 motorcycles this year.

The motorcycles are 250cc Kawasaki scramblers and 150cc Kawasaki Ninja.

Besides the fleet of motorcycles, the state police will also be getting two helicopters to be stationed at the contingent soon.
"Previously, a helicopter was flown here once a fortnight. Now, we are getting our own helicopters which can be used for aerial surveillance," he said.

Mokhtar said the state police would launch its second phase community policing programme on Oct 1.

In the second phase, five police stations and 10 beat bases will be set up in neighbourhoods that recorded high crime rates.