OT – Scooters zipping off lots

[kev374]

motorcycles and scooters are incredibly popular in Europe and developing countries…they are inexpensive to purchase, insure, operate, efficient, easy to park and also fun.

When I was in Rome I rented a scooter and it was so easy to park it right in front of the Colosieum because I could squeeze it in a spot, a car would’ve been impossible, infact this time in Europe I had a car and it was a MAJOR pain to park.

As for danger, the more number of them the less dangerous they will become. The danger is often overplayed, when riding you just have to be very alert and defensive and you will be fine. I’ve been riding all my life and have yet to meet with an accident.

[Eugene]

The danger is often overplayed, when riding you just have to be very alert and defensive and you will be fine. I’ve been riding all my life and have yet to meet with an accident.

or else you wouldn’t be here to tell us about it.

In a car, you get into a minor accident (say a 20 mph frontal collision with another car), your car suffers cosmetic damage, you drive away upset. On a scooter, you get into the same 20 mph collision, you’re carried away in an ambulance to the nearest hospital, if not morgue.

Riding motorcycles and scooters is a dangerous extreme sport. It can be enjoyed responsibly under right conditions but I’d never switch from a car to a motorcycle just to save money on gas. It’s basically playing Russian roulette and I can’t put a price tag on my own life. I’ve seen too many crashed motorcycles on back roads of San Diego county. I personally met a guy who was paralyzed from the waist down because his motorcycle slipped on some piece of trash on a freeway on-ramp and he broke his back in the fall. I had a few close encounters myself, they happen more often than you’d think.

[Eugene]

The danger is often overplayed, when riding you just have to be very alert and defensive and you will be fine. I’ve been riding all my life and have yet to meet with an accident.

or else you wouldn’t be here to tell us about it.

In a car, you get into a minor accident (say a 20 mph frontal collision with another car), your car suffers cosmetic damage, you drive away upset. On a scooter, you get into the same 20 mph collision, you’re carried away in an ambulance to the nearest hospital, if not morgue.

Riding motorcycles and scooters is a dangerous extreme sport. It can be enjoyed responsibly under right conditions but I’d never switch from a car to a motorcycle just to save money on gas. It’s basically playing Russian roulette and I can’t put a price tag on my own life. I’ve seen too many crashed motorcycles on back roads of San Diego county. I personally met a guy who was paralyzed from the waist down because his motorcycle slipped on some piece of trash on a freeway on-ramp and he broke his back in the fall. I had a few close encounters myself, they happen more often than you’d think.

[Eugene]

The danger is often overplayed, when riding you just have to be very alert and defensive and you will be fine. I’ve been riding all my life and have yet to meet with an accident.

or else you wouldn’t be here to tell us about it.

In a car, you get into a minor accident (say a 20 mph frontal collision with another car), your car suffers cosmetic damage, you drive away upset. On a scooter, you get into the same 20 mph collision, you’re carried away in an ambulance to the nearest hospital, if not morgue.

Riding motorcycles and scooters is a dangerous extreme sport. It can be enjoyed responsibly under right conditions but I’d never switch from a car to a motorcycle just to save money on gas. It’s basically playing Russian roulette and I can’t put a price tag on my own life. I’ve seen too many crashed motorcycles on back roads of San Diego county. I personally met a guy who was paralyzed from the waist down because his motorcycle slipped on some piece of trash on a freeway on-ramp and he broke his back in the fall. I had a few close encounters myself, they happen more often than you’d think.

[Eugene]

The danger is often overplayed, when riding you just have to be very alert and defensive and you will be fine. I’ve been riding all my life and have yet to meet with an accident.

or else you wouldn’t be here to tell us about it.

In a car, you get into a minor accident (say a 20 mph frontal collision with another car), your car suffers cosmetic damage, you drive away upset. On a scooter, you get into the same 20 mph collision, you’re carried away in an ambulance to the nearest hospital, if not morgue.

Riding motorcycles and scooters is a dangerous extreme sport. It can be enjoyed responsibly under right conditions but I’d never switch from a car to a motorcycle just to save money on gas. It’s basically playing Russian roulette and I can’t put a price tag on my own life. I’ve seen too many crashed motorcycles on back roads of San Diego county. I personally met a guy who was paralyzed from the waist down because his motorcycle slipped on some piece of trash on a freeway on-ramp and he broke his back in the fall. I had a few close encounters myself, they happen more often than you’d think.

[Eugene]

The danger is often overplayed, when riding you just have to be very alert and defensive and you will be fine. I’ve been riding all my life and have yet to meet with an accident.

or else you wouldn’t be here to tell us about it.

In a car, you get into a minor accident (say a 20 mph frontal collision with another car), your car suffers cosmetic damage, you drive away upset. On a scooter, you get into the same 20 mph collision, you’re carried away in an ambulance to the nearest hospital, if not morgue.

Riding motorcycles and scooters is a dangerous extreme sport. It can be enjoyed responsibly under right conditions but I’d never switch from a car to a motorcycle just to save money on gas. It’s basically playing Russian roulette and I can’t put a price tag on my own life. I’ve seen too many crashed motorcycles on back roads of San Diego county. I personally met a guy who was paralyzed from the waist down because his motorcycle slipped on some piece of trash on a freeway on-ramp and he broke his back in the fall. I had a few close encounters myself, they happen more often than you’d think.

[Lickitysplit]

[quote=novice1027]Can you ride them in the bike lanes?[/quote]

Nope. Bike lanes are for bicycles only.

I had two scooters, both 49cc (no motorcycle license required). Liked that I was able to park them anywhere, including bike racks. Cheap, but very easy to steal. One of mine vanished for a couple weeks then reappeared. Decided scooters were LESS safe than a motorcycle since they weren’t fast enough to get out of the way of an inattentive driver; I had a couple close ones. Sold the two scooters and bought a ’81 Kawa KZ750LTD, a reliable classic cruiser.

Moved to Cali, aced the M1 skills test on the 750, although I’d strongly recommend taking it with something MUCH smaller and lighter. Rode it for a year here in San Diego until I was clipped by an 18yr old kid in an 80’s civic during the morning rush on 5 north. He wasn’t paying attention, was missing his exit at UCSD, and tried to cut across a couple lanes. We were both doing around 70. I’m a pretty defensive rider and I didn’t have a chance. Fortunately I escaped with only road rash, a broken wrist & broken foot. I could just as easily have been killed or very mangled. After a few years my foot doesn’t hurt constantly anymore, as long as I’m not barefoot or wearing flip flops. I had run my first marathon 2 weeks prior to the accident and almost qualified for Boston. The kid had California minimums which barely left anything for my “pain & suffering” after medical expenses.

Be careful out there. No matter how safely you ride, it only takes one inattentive driver and one unlucky moment to really change your perspective on how much you are “saving”.

Speaking of “saving” – does anyone have a comparison of the smog emissions of various scooters/motorcycles of different vintages and a typical recent car or SUV? I know none of my cycles had catalytic converters. I suspect that while I used less gas I probably pumped out more smog than a typical modern car.

[Lickitysplit]

[quote=novice1027]Can you ride them in the bike lanes?[/quote]

Nope. Bike lanes are for bicycles only.

I had two scooters, both 49cc (no motorcycle license required). Liked that I was able to park them anywhere, including bike racks. Cheap, but very easy to steal. One of mine vanished for a couple weeks then reappeared. Decided scooters were LESS safe than a motorcycle since they weren’t fast enough to get out of the way of an inattentive driver; I had a couple close ones. Sold the two scooters and bought a ’81 Kawa KZ750LTD, a reliable classic cruiser.

Moved to Cali, aced the M1 skills test on the 750, although I’d strongly recommend taking it with something MUCH smaller and lighter. Rode it for a year here in San Diego until I was clipped by an 18yr old kid in an 80’s civic during the morning rush on 5 north. He wasn’t paying attention, was missing his exit at UCSD, and tried to cut across a couple lanes. We were both doing around 70. I’m a pretty defensive rider and I didn’t have a chance. Fortunately I escaped with only road rash, a broken wrist & broken foot. I could just as easily have been killed or very mangled. After a few years my foot doesn’t hurt constantly anymore, as long as I’m not barefoot or wearing flip flops. I had run my first marathon 2 weeks prior to the accident and almost qualified for Boston. The kid had California minimums which barely left anything for my “pain & suffering” after medical expenses.

Be careful out there. No matter how safely you ride, it only takes one inattentive driver and one unlucky moment to really change your perspective on how much you are “saving”.

Speaking of “saving” – does anyone have a comparison of the smog emissions of various scooters/motorcycles of different vintages and a typical recent car or SUV? I know none of my cycles had catalytic converters. I suspect that while I used less gas I probably pumped out more smog than a typical modern car.

[Lickitysplit]

[quote=novice1027]Can you ride them in the bike lanes?[/quote]

Nope. Bike lanes are for bicycles only.

I had two scooters, both 49cc (no motorcycle license required). Liked that I was able to park them anywhere, including bike racks. Cheap, but very easy to steal. One of mine vanished for a couple weeks then reappeared. Decided scooters were LESS safe than a motorcycle since they weren’t fast enough to get out of the way of an inattentive driver; I had a couple close ones. Sold the two scooters and bought a ’81 Kawa KZ750LTD, a reliable classic cruiser.

Moved to Cali, aced the M1 skills test on the 750, although I’d strongly recommend taking it with something MUCH smaller and lighter. Rode it for a year here in San Diego until I was clipped by an 18yr old kid in an 80’s civic during the morning rush on 5 north. He wasn’t paying attention, was missing his exit at UCSD, and tried to cut across a couple lanes. We were both doing around 70. I’m a pretty defensive rider and I didn’t have a chance. Fortunately I escaped with only road rash, a broken wrist & broken foot. I could just as easily have been killed or very mangled. After a few years my foot doesn’t hurt constantly anymore, as long as I’m not barefoot or wearing flip flops. I had run my first marathon 2 weeks prior to the accident and almost qualified for Boston. The kid had California minimums which barely left anything for my “pain & suffering” after medical expenses.

Be careful out there. No matter how safely you ride, it only takes one inattentive driver and one unlucky moment to really change your perspective on how much you are “saving”.

Speaking of “saving” – does anyone have a comparison of the smog emissions of various scooters/motorcycles of different vintages and a typical recent car or SUV? I know none of my cycles had catalytic converters. I suspect that while I used less gas I probably pumped out more smog than a typical modern car.

[Lickitysplit]

[quote=novice1027]Can you ride them in the bike lanes?[/quote]

Nope. Bike lanes are for bicycles only.

I had two scooters, both 49cc (no motorcycle license required). Liked that I was able to park them anywhere, including bike racks. Cheap, but very easy to steal. One of mine vanished for a couple weeks then reappeared. Decided scooters were LESS safe than a motorcycle since they weren’t fast enough to get out of the way of an inattentive driver; I had a couple close ones. Sold the two scooters and bought a ’81 Kawa KZ750LTD, a reliable classic cruiser.

Moved to Cali, aced the M1 skills test on the 750, although I’d strongly recommend taking it with something MUCH smaller and lighter. Rode it for a year here in San Diego until I was clipped by an 18yr old kid in an 80’s civic during the morning rush on 5 north. He wasn’t paying attention, was missing his exit at UCSD, and tried to cut across a couple lanes. We were both doing around 70. I’m a pretty defensive rider and I didn’t have a chance. Fortunately I escaped with only road rash, a broken wrist & broken foot. I could just as easily have been killed or very mangled. After a few years my foot doesn’t hurt constantly anymore, as long as I’m not barefoot or wearing flip flops. I had run my first marathon 2 weeks prior to the accident and almost qualified for Boston. The kid had California minimums which barely left anything for my “pain & suffering” after medical expenses.

Be careful out there. No matter how safely you ride, it only takes one inattentive driver and one unlucky moment to really change your perspective on how much you are “saving”.

Speaking of “saving” – does anyone have a comparison of the smog emissions of various scooters/motorcycles of different vintages and a typical recent car or SUV? I know none of my cycles had catalytic converters. I suspect that while I used less gas I probably pumped out more smog than a typical modern car.

[Lickitysplit]

[quote=novice1027]Can you ride them in the bike lanes?[/quote]

Nope. Bike lanes are for bicycles only.

I had two scooters, both 49cc (no motorcycle license required). Liked that I was able to park them anywhere, including bike racks. Cheap, but very easy to steal. One of mine vanished for a couple weeks then reappeared. Decided scooters were LESS safe than a motorcycle since they weren’t fast enough to get out of the way of an inattentive driver; I had a couple close ones. Sold the two scooters and bought a ’81 Kawa KZ750LTD, a reliable classic cruiser.

Moved to Cali, aced the M1 skills test on the 750, although I’d strongly recommend taking it with something MUCH smaller and lighter. Rode it for a year here in San Diego until I was clipped by an 18yr old kid in an 80’s civic during the morning rush on 5 north. He wasn’t paying attention, was missing his exit at UCSD, and tried to cut across a couple lanes. We were both doing around 70. I’m a pretty defensive rider and I didn’t have a chance. Fortunately I escaped with only road rash, a broken wrist & broken foot. I could just as easily have been killed or very mangled. After a few years my foot doesn’t hurt constantly anymore, as long as I’m not barefoot or wearing flip flops. I had run my first marathon 2 weeks prior to the accident and almost qualified for Boston. The kid had California minimums which barely left anything for my “pain & suffering” after medical expenses.

Be careful out there. No matter how safely you ride, it only takes one inattentive driver and one unlucky moment to really change your perspective on how much you are “saving”.

Speaking of “saving” – does anyone have a comparison of the smog emissions of various scooters/motorcycles of different vintages and a typical recent car or SUV? I know none of my cycles had catalytic converters. I suspect that while I used less gas I probably pumped out more smog than a typical modern car.

[jpinpb]

I heard about a bicyclist in PB that got hit by a SUV and suffered head injuries.

The news featured a story of some skateboarder kid that got hit by a car. Survived. They were interviewing him in his hospital bed.

I even hear about people slipping in their shower and hitting their head and dying.

Someone was standing at a red light and a guy driving, spilt coffee on his lap, lost control of his car and went over the curb and took the guy at the corner out.

When it’s your time, you’re gonna go.

It wasn’t your time on the freeway that day.

Now, I’m not going to live in fear about scooters being unsafe. Otherwise, I’d never ride a bike or a skateboard or take a shower. Can’t live in a bubble – unless, that is, you’re real estate 😉

[jpinpb]

I heard about a bicyclist in PB that got hit by a SUV and suffered head injuries.

The news featured a story of some skateboarder kid that got hit by a car. Survived. They were interviewing him in his hospital bed.

I even hear about people slipping in their shower and hitting their head and dying.

Someone was standing at a red light and a guy driving, spilt coffee on his lap, lost control of his car and went over the curb and took the guy at the corner out.

When it’s your time, you’re gonna go.

It wasn’t your time on the freeway that day.

Now, I’m not going to live in fear about scooters being unsafe. Otherwise, I’d never ride a bike or a skateboard or take a shower. Can’t live in a bubble – unless, that is, you’re real estate 😉

[jpinpb]

I heard about a bicyclist in PB that got hit by a SUV and suffered head injuries.

The news featured a story of some skateboarder kid that got hit by a car. Survived. They were interviewing him in his hospital bed.

I even hear about people slipping in their shower and hitting their head and dying.

Someone was standing at a red light and a guy driving, spilt coffee on his lap, lost control of his car and went over the curb and took the guy at the corner out.

When it’s your time, you’re gonna go.

It wasn’t your time on the freeway that day.

Now, I’m not going to live in fear about scooters being unsafe. Otherwise, I’d never ride a bike or a skateboard or take a shower. Can’t live in a bubble – unless, that is, you’re real estate 😉

[jpinpb]

I heard about a bicyclist in PB that got hit by a SUV and suffered head injuries.

The news featured a story of some skateboarder kid that got hit by a car. Survived. They were interviewing him in his hospital bed.

I even hear about people slipping in their shower and hitting their head and dying.

Someone was standing at a red light and a guy driving, spilt coffee on his lap, lost control of his car and went over the curb and took the guy at the corner out.

When it’s your time, you’re gonna go.

It wasn’t your time on the freeway that day.

Now, I’m not going to live in fear about scooters being unsafe. Otherwise, I’d never ride a bike or a skateboard or take a shower. Can’t live in a bubble – unless, that is, you’re real estate 😉

[Author]

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