I was born with a right hand birth defect. I was wondering if there could be alterations made to the motorcycle/scooter that would allow my left hand to control the acceleration/braking.
several things can be done You said scooter so thats the easiest start Since scooters are mostly automatic (vintage Vespa and Lambretta etc. are all manual) a scooter would be easiest to convert, by moving the throttle over to the left handlebar and rotating forward to accelerate. thats half of the right hand function. ALL motorcycles and scooters front brakes are on the right handlebar, the rear brake is either on the floor, or on the left handlebar. Older style midsize scooters put them on the floor, like the Honda Helix (which is still being made) So, if you find a larger scooter, with rear brake pedal on the floor, you could easily convert the right hand functions to the left handlebar.
Of course it's worth it. Riding a motorcycle for the past 40 years is one of the best things I have ever done. I have made dozens of friends through motorcycling and have hundreds of stories to tell and thousands of memories. It is not for everyone. If you don't think you are up for it, you may not be. Some people have to get their feet wet a bit at a time. If you are totally risk-averse and not at all adventurous, stay away. You need to develop a certain degree of self-confidence to ride well; without it you are likely to hurt yourself. You need to be aware of the risk and manage it, by getting basic rider training, wearing good safety gear, and developing an awareness of the situation around you I have come off a few times on the street, and quite a few times off road. I have been hauled to the emergency room a few times, but have never broken a bone or required surgery. (it's never fun to visit the emergency room, but at least the drugs are good. ;-{ The fun I have had and the things I have seen on motorcycles have been more than worth a few moments of passing discomfort. Didn't you ask this once already?
A lot of bikes are capable of moving the throttle over to the left side of the handle bars. The only difference would be to roll the grip forward to accelerate. I saw a guy with no fingers on his right hand use this set-up. With a motorcycle (non automatic) you might have to do without a front brake. Some automatic scooters use a foot pedal for a rear brake and a lever on the handle bars for the front brake. Move the lever to the left side of the bars also (if it isn't there already). That would be ideal for your situation. Never give up on your dreams.
