Scooter School

Piaggio MP3, Five-Wheeler?

2009-02-09T13:16:00.000-08:00

An auctioneer on eBay motors has taken motorcycle safety to a new limit-with the introduction of a modified Piaggio MP3 5-wheeler. You read right. This bike keeps its original rear wheel supplemented with a trike kit. As you know the MP3 already has two front wheels, so this thing has a grand total of 5 wheels. According to the seller:

This is the ultimate in safety – FIVE wheels on the ground! This attention-getter rides like a trike, but is still a scooter with great gas mileage (55+ mpg). The "Twist and Go" feature of the MP3 means no shifting. This scooter is a marriage of the unique ride and features of the Piaggio MP3 with the added stability of the Tow-Pac Mini-Trike.

Its hard to argue that the bike isn't stable, but this set-up is a bit much. If you want solid-ground stability, just get a regular trike. Having 5-wheels as opposed to the usual one in front and two in back flat on the ground trike isn't going to give you anything extra. But why was the Piaggio MP3 designed the way it was in the first place? The Piaggio MP3 is built for motorcycle style riding with extra stability. The two front wheels are set in a sophisticated suspension system that allows them to tilt in a synchronous fashion allowing massive leans with the bike in corners. The whole point of the Piaggio MP3 is not car style stability, its more stable motorcycle type riding. Adding two more wheels to the back completely defeats the purpose.

Well in any case, I guarantee there is someone out there who will want this bike. So here is the link to the auction on eBay, valid as of February 9, 2009.

New Leather Motorcycle Jacket

2009-02-09T13:06:00.001-08:00

Lately I've been on a search for a new motorcycle jacket. I've been riding with just a plain old leather jacket and decided its time to upgrade on the protection. Body armor of some kind seems like a must.

I started off looking at synthetics. Something that's funny about motorcycle clothing from my experience is you have to go up on the sizes. Normally I wear a medium or large jacket size. I kind of fit right at the boundary so in many cases could wear either size. But in a motorcycle jacket? No way. I have to go up to XL size for motorcycle jackets in most cases. This has to be because of the body armour, I am not Arnold Schwarzeneger or anything, but I do lift weights so find most motorcycle jackets pretty tight around the arm and shoulder areas. This is kind of a problem, because if I go up too much in size then the arms are going to be too long.

I've been looking at synthetics quite a bit in stores here in town but haven't found anything that really jumped out at me saying "I've got to have it". So for now I'm sticking with leather, and found this cool looking jacket on leatherup.com. Its called the Men's Black Armored Reflective Biker Jacket and its a great compromise all around. As you can see from the picture its got a "traditional" black motorcycle jacket kind of look. I love that style, although its probably going to look amusing wearing it on the Piaggio (although probably a bit more suitable for Aprillia mana). Anyway, its got shoulder and elbow armor so its a good compromise between a plain leather jacket and a good armored jacket. The best feature of all is the price, this jacket is available for just $99.95 on leatherup.com. I don't know how they get such great prices, the suggested retail for this jacket is $269.95. If you haven't visited leatherup.com you might want to and dig up some bargains.

Vespa GTS 300 Super Scooter

2009-02-09T08:42:00.001-08:00

The 2009 Vespa GTS 300 scooter is poised to take the position of most powerful scooter in the Vespa line-up. OK, that doesn't mean much as far as power goes, but this little 22 HP bike will be respectable with a top speed of 80 mph while still maintaining a gas-saving 70 mpg.

I'm not a fan of the traditional or retro scooter look, but if you are this might be the bike for you. One downside of traditional scooters is their small wheels. The Vespa GTS 300 still has small wheels, but at least they're 12 inches instead of the usual 10. With double-disc brakes and an MSRP of $6,200 this sounds like a good buy. The famous Italian quality, which I'm intimately familiar with because I own a Piaggio MP3, will make this scoot a good choice for those inclined to the traditional scooter design. Since power is so important for motorcycle safety, I would recomend women interested in a traditional Vespa scooter design to consider one of these-at least it has enough oomph to be safer on the road. Don't put yourself at risk on some Chinese piece of junk or by getting a scooter with a small engine. When your life is on the line with two tire patches and the road, don't cut corners.

One article I saw referred to this as a "man scooter". Sorry I don't share this view. At the risk of offending seeing a man on this scooter, well that looks gay.

Piaggio MP3 Riding in Japan

2009-02-08T12:50:00.000-08:00

Don't know why but I like watching this guys videos of his Piaggio MP3. Guess its the Japanese scenery.

Motorcycle Training: Look where you want to go

2009-02-08T08:59:00.001-08:00

If there was one concept new motorcycle and scooter riders need to get its this: look where you want your bike to go. A motorcycle (or scooter) follows a law of attraction. If you're making a turn, the point where you focus is where the bike will end up. Try it and see. This is a vital concept in motorcycle training.

A problem with new riders is the tendency to look at things we want to avoid. I actually did this the first 3 times I rode motorcycles. The result was 2 wrecks and a near miss. The first time, and this was my very first motorcycle ride so I was completely clueless, I was staring at a big truck I wanted to avoid (luckily it was parked). A few seconds later, I ran right into it.

The second time I was actually in the motorcycle safety class. I was making a sharp left-hand turn and was looking at a nearby curb I wanted to avoid-instead of looking down the road where I needed the bike to end up. As a result I hit the curb, let the clutch out and the bike spun out of control, throwing me into a nearby fence. The last time this happened, I was practicing riding in a parking lot filled with cement parking barriers, staring at one I wanted to avoid when making a turn. I ran right into it. This time I went right over it, but you get the picture.

Since then I've learned my lesson by practicing over and over, until it became second nature to look where I wanted to go. On the road, that pothole you want to avoid or the truck you're staring at is going to meet your bike in a collision if you stare at it. So if you're a new rider, you need to practice this behavior.

A good place to do it is a large, empty parking lot filled with cement barriers and curbs. You want it filled with obstacles you need to avoid and with opportunities for tight turns. Practice making tight left and right hand turns, turning along wide curves, and tight u-turns in both directions. Avoid looking at those curbs and parking barriers at all cost. Instead, as you're turning, focus down the middle of the road 20-30 feet distant where you want your bike to end up.

This also works when trying to keep your bike exactly following a painted white line in the road at a slow speed, something they made us do in the motorcycle safety class. Don't sit there and try to steer the bike on the white line. At slow speeds that's actually going to be kind of tough for a new rider. Instead, put most of your focus on the line itself. Look down the line 10-15 feet in front of you and keep your eyes focused on that point, and your bike will naturally follow it.

With a few practice sessions this will all become automatic, and you'll be on your way to becoming a skilled rider who is safer on the road. It should make you cringe to think about all the people who've never ridden before that just hop on and ride a new scooter or motorcycle without practicing this. Its one reason you read about so many accidents in the news where someone crashed into something.

Honda DN-01 Motorcycle Videos

2009-02-07T21:34:00.000-08:00

Being a complete dweeb, I'd prefer an automatic. But I'd rather have an automatic motorcycle than a scooter. Admittedly the line starts to blur between "scooter" and "motorcycle" at some point, but the Honda DN-01 is more motorcycle than scooter. Here are a couple of videos to keep you entertained:

Can I ask why this stupid bitch isn't wearing a helmet?

I like it! Love the red color. A little bit of contrast to the previous vid:

Motorcycles for Sale

2009-02-07T07:56:00.001-08:00

Motorcycles for sale right now on ebay can be viewed below.

FMS Scooters on eBay

2009-02-07T07:53:00.000-08:00

Family Motorsports Inc. of Pittsburg, PA and Irving, TX has a great selection of scooters at low prices. With great support, you'll avoid all the hassles normally associated with scooters bought online like missing parts or partially assembled bikes. Family Motorsports offers friendly customer support and a full range of scooters from 50cc up to 250 cc models that all look great.

BMW SCT 800 Superscooter

2009-02-06T13:24:00.000-08:00

Is the BMW SCT 800 a real scooter, or is this some kind of hoax? I first saw this scooter posted on motorcycle news, in a brief article which describes a bike that looks and sounds like the ultimate scooter. For those of us that like real bikes anyway.

It has a sleek motorcycle-like design that is quite reminiscent of what you might expect from BMW. According to the short article, its got an 800 cc engine, which would make it the most powerful scooter on the market I'm aware of. Its also got 16 inch wheels. A bike like this would definitely address the weaknesses many scooters have: small size, low power, and teenee-tiny wheels that make the bike a danger to ride should you encounter a pot-hole more than say, 1 centimeter deep. Having that much power with a big engine like that and automatic transmission plus BMW quality would make this a must-have scooter for me.

But some of the posts I've been reading indicate that this might be some kind of hoax. Some people are claiming the image is photoshopped to make it look like BMW made the bike. Others are saying is a scooter manufactured by someone else that just has the BMW name.

I'm anxious to find out the truth. When I've got more time some internet digging on this will be warranted.

Mission One Electric Motorcycle

2009-02-04T21:39:00.000-08:00

The Vectrix can only go 62 mph and has a range of maybe 50 miles, but the Mission One to be released in 2010 has a top speed of 150 mph. Not only that, the range is about 150 miles. Only drawback is its going to be expensive. In any case, very cool.

Motorcycle Training: Countersteering

2009-02-03T20:52:00.001-08:00

One of the most important concepts for a new motorcycle or scooter rider to understand is the concept of countersteering. Before we say what it is, make a note in your head: countersteering works basically when your motor bike is going faster than about 5 mph. If your edging along slower than that, you can go ahead and steer your motorcycle like a bicycle. Countersteering works because of the forces acting on the bike, so it works for scooters as well as motorcycles. It even works for the three-wheeler Piaggio MP3. Although with lighter weight bikes you can use body lean to direct the bike pretty well.

Countersteering is called "counter" because you momentarily direct the front wheel in the opposite direction than you want to go. This is done by pushing on the handlebars. There are three rules to remember for steering a motorcycle at speed:

Steer by pushing the handlebars
To move to the right, push forward on the right handlebar
To move left, push forward on the left handlebar

If you want to move right, pushing forward on the right handlebar momentarily turns the wheel to the left. But then the laws of physics take over (we're going to ignore the details) and steer the bike in the direction you want to go-to the right.

This is different than how a bicycle works. If you're on a bicycle, you pull on the right handlebar to make it go to the right. Of course you can also make a bicycle go where you want it to by leaning with your body weight. I've found this works with a scooter too, especially with the Piaggio MP3. That being said, you can countersteer a Piaggio MP3 too and it is very sensitive. It barely takes a push to steer the bike.

Countersteering is an important skill that's useful in motorcycle training. If you haven't thought about it or learned to do it well, you need to get out and practice. Practice it until its second nature. When faced with an emergency situation, you're going to react without thinking. If you haven't practiced countersteering, in an emergency you may not steer the motorcycle right and end up in an accident or even dead.

Drugs and Motorcycles Don't Mix

2009-02-03T18:22:00.000-08:00

Another sad motorcycle accident. This time we're reminded that mood-altering substances-be they drugs or be it alcohol-don't mix well with motorcycle riding. They don't mix well with driving a car either but riding a motorcycle requires a heightened level of awareness, focus, and reflexes and drugs or drinking interfere with all of these. I've also read the victim was not wearing a helmet.

State police investigate deadly motorcycle crash

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - State police say an 18-year-old man, who was possibly under the influence of drugs, crashed his motorcycle and died just before noon Monday.

The accident happened on Highland at East Petroleum near Ruffino's restaurant.

Troopers report witnesses say Christopher Roussel, the motorcyclist, was going very fast down Highland when a car stopped to turn left.

Witnesses say Roussel tried to stop and that's when he lost control of his motorcycle.

Roussel was then hit by a Ford Ranger headed in the opposite direction.

Investigators say they suspect Roussel was on drugs at the time of the crash. They are now waiting on toxicology testing results from the state police crime lab.

Motorcycle Helmet Review: Shoei TZ-R

2009-02-01T08:18:00.000-08:00

Shoei helmets, which are actually made in Japan, have a great reputation for both quality and safety. In fact the head protection research laboratory, without actually recommending the brand, reports that Shoei helmets consistently do well and outperform in helmet testing. Since I value my brain, I decided to pick one up.

After browsing several Shoei helmets I opted for the TZ-R full face helmet. Shoei helmets can be on the more expensive side-you're not getting some cheapo HJC or Pep Boys helmet here. Some models are pushing $700. I prefer full face helmets because studies have shown nearly 36% of injuries occur to the jaw area- meaning if you wear a 3/4 or half helmet you're not as protected as you should be. What you wear is up to you but I prefer to get as much protection as possible. Anyway, the TZ-R falls in the intermediate price range at around $300. Its available in ten different colors: anthracite, black, black metallic, matte black, light silver, red, orange, royal blue, white, and wine. I tend to like silver or wine colors with helmets, but opted for anthracite this time.

When opening the box the quality of the helmet is obvious. I have a HJC CS-R1 which I like just fine (though not without a few complaints) but just from a visual inspection and feel this helmet is clearly on another level. Its both DOT and Snell certified. The design is pleasing to the eye, but that's something to be expected from a Shoei helmet.

Like the Scorpion, the face shield included with the TZ-R helmet is anti-fog. I haven't been able to test it on a cold day-oddly although it was still January when I began riding with the helmet its been springlike warm outside. But from what I can tell, the anti-fog capabilities of the shield work just as well as the Scorpion face shields-which have really impressive performance. The helmet as you would expect ships with a clear shield, but Shoei has many options availableso I'll probably get a silver mirror or dark smoke shield to go with it. The helmet itself has a scratch resistant coating. We'll have to see how that works in practice, but I can assure you my HJC helmet does not have a scratch resistant coating, or one that works anyway.

Putting the helmet on my first impression was that it was a bit tight in the cheek area. If this is really a problem with you, they have removable inner cheek pads available in different sizes so you can custom fit your helmet. Although feeling tight initially, it didn't bother me after a few minutes, and if it really gets to you then you can opt for the custom pads, so I don't think this is a problem.

When riding, the helmet works great. Wind noise was not excessive and the helmet felt comfortable. Peripheral vision is good, hearing is good without too much wind hoise, and the helmet remained comfortable.

Balancing cost, safety, comfort, and appearance, I have to highly recommend the Shoei TZ-R helmet. For me the recomendation from the head protection research laboratory is enough to warrant consideration of the helmet, although some riders may be a bit put off by the cost. The imporant thing is you wear some kind of DOT certified helmet, but if you can afford the extra couple of hundred bucks, this is a helmet you can't go wrong with.

Harley-Davidson 883

2009-01-28T23:15:00.000-08:00

The new Harley-Davidson 883 has been getting some publicity (and some yawns) among motorcycle circles. Priced around $8,000, the bike is pretty affordable when it comes to Harley-Davidsons. It's a "dark custom motorcycle" which is supposed to give the rider the opportunity for customization. A video from Harley-Davidson is posted below.

7 Kick-Ass Motorcycle Pics

2009-01-28T12:19:00.000-08:00

Aprilia Mana Video

2009-01-28T08:42:00.000-08:00

Recently I wrote about the Aprilia Mana, a good option for people who aren't comfortable or interested in riding a traditional motorcycle with a clutch. The Mana lets you avoid the clutch without having to stoop so low as to get a scooter. People might give you the traditional motorcycle wave on a Mana, try getting that on your Vespa.

Anyway all kidding aside, here is a great, informative video on Aprilia.

Practice Riding Motorcycle Wheelies

2009-01-28T08:20:00.000-08:00

Ouch! It pays to start slow and stay within your skill level!

Motorcycle Crash

2009-01-28T08:02:00.000-08:00

Another motorcycle accident illustrates that wearing a helmet and being able to adequately control your vehicle are two important points for every motorcycle and scooter rider. Note the accident occurred at low speed-35 mph, and it was a single-vehicle accident-both common in motorcycle fatalities. Hopefully the man will survive, but that's unclear and if he came out of it without brain damage is unclear. If he would have worn a helmet he might have walked away with a few scratches instead of heading in for head trauma surgery.

Motorcycle Crash On Apalachee Pkwy
Posted: 8:20 PM Jan 26, 2009

UPDATE 1-26 9:30 P.M.

Police have identified the driver of the motorcycle. 67-year-old William Keaton is alive and he is currently in surgery. We'll have more information as soon as it is made available.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TPD responded a little after 7 P.M. to Apalachee Parkway in reference to a motorcycle that lost control. Witnesses say he was only going about 35 m.p.h. so speed was not a factor in the accident. The motorcycle hit a curb which caused the bike to flip over several times.

The driver was ejected during the tumble and he was immediately rushed to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital with severe head trauma. The driver not wearing a helmet and police are not identifying him yet because they have not yet notified the family. Both eastbound lanes are still closed.

Original Source

Motorcycle Crash: Driver Just Didn't See You

2009-01-27T20:00:00.000-08:00

This morning I was reading an interesting article in Newsweek Magazine entitled What It Takes To Survive. Unexpectedly, the article shed a little light on the phenomenon of left-hand turners (car drivers) who fail to see motorcycles and scooters, and end up causing accidents and even fatalities in the process. The left-hand turner is the most dangerous automobile facing the motorcyclist, but actually this applies to all situations involving cars on the road.

Deep in the article there is a discussion of "inattentional blindness". This is brought up in reference to people and their different survival skills, but what caught my attention is that this phenomenon partially explains why motorists don't see bikes on the road.

A psychologist named Daniel Simons created a video of an artificial game. One team wore white, the other black. They tossed two orange basketballs back and forth, and test subjects were supposed to count how many times players in white threw the ball.

A certain time during the video, at 45 seconds, a woman in a gorilla suit walks through the scene. The woman is visible for 5 seconds. Later subjects were asked if they saw the woman in the gorilla suit. What was interesting is that some 56 % of the test subjects didn't notice the gorilla. They were so focused on the players in white uniforms passing the ball that it didn't even register, despite the fact it was right in front of their faces.

In a second test, the woman stayed on screen for a full 9 seconds. She walks up to the center of the scene and pounds her chest. Even with the enhanced effects, an amazing 50% didn't see the gorilla.

I immediately thought of motorcycles and scooters on the road. In fact this applies to vehicles in general, other cars, bicycles, and pedestrians. A large share of the human population isn't capable of absorbing details in a scene right in front of their face. If they're distracted-by their cell phone, a fight with their husband, children in the backseat or a text message from their girlfriend, the visual cortex of their brain goes dead. A motorcycle could be right in front of them and they wouldn't even see it.

Having the gorilla stay on the scene longer and pound her chest in the middle of the screen jolted some of the test subjects out of their daze. This explains what Dr. Hurt at the Head Protection Research Laboratory has said, that motorcyclists with bright clothing on their upper torso are statistically far less involved in accidents. Its like the gorilla pounding on her chest. A neon jacket or yellow helmet causes brain-dead car drivers to snap out of it and pay attention to what's in front of them.

I take this research very seriously. It pays to take care out there-those cagers really don't see you. So just assume it while riding-even if you've got your neon green vest on. Be safe out there.

How many people can you fit on a scooter?

2009-01-27T08:36:00.000-08:00

People in the US often justify big trucks and SUV's saying they NEED them to carry their kids around or buy groceries. In Vietnam and other parts of Asia, people seem to get around just fine on scooters. Imagine how much gas we'd save if more Americans traded their big gas guzzlers for scooters or motorcycles.

Images by heneganov

Image by retheory

How to Ride Motorcycle Wheelies

2009-01-27T04:38:00.000-08:00

Very good video that teaches how to ride motorcycle wheelies step-by-step.

GPR-S Electric Motorcycle

2009-01-26T20:32:00.001-08:00

I don't think its the best looking bike in the world and I even prefer the Vectrix Electric Scooter as far as looks go, but the zero-emissions GPR-S electric motorcycle is certain to heat up the competition. With 19 HP, this bike can go between 60-70 mph, giving the vaunted Vectrix a run for its money. Not only that, many riders will prefer the motorcycle type styling as opposed to the Vectrix, which is designed to look like a maxi-scooter. Depending on how hard you ride it, the GPR-S can go between 35-60 miles between charges. A full charge takes about 4 hours. What's really nice besides the capability of highway speeds, is this bike is priced at a bout $8,000. It's available in red, burgundy, blue, white or black.

2009 Aprilia Mana

2009-01-26T11:34:00.001-08:00

These days there seem to be more options among motor bikes than ever, many blurring the line between "motorcycle" and "scooter". If you're put off from a motorcycle because of the manual transmission, you might consider a 2009 Aprilia Mana. Priced at around $9900, the distinguishing feature of the Mana is its 7 speed continuously variable transmission (CVT). It basically has the same kind of transmission your scooter does, but packaged with motorcycle styling and a motorcycle engine.

The 4-stroke 2 cylinder engine is a 850 cc bike with a sporty appearance and 17 inch front and rear wheels. Like a scooter, the fuel tank is under the seat, but the engine is placed where it would typically reside on a motorcycle. The location usually reserved for the gas tank on a motorcycle is used for storage, allowing for the bike to retain a motorcycle-like appearance. The rider has options when using the transmission: it can be ridden fully automatic, like a scooter, or in sequential mode. This works with standard gear shifting, but the rider has options here too: you can shift using a conventional motorcycle foot lever or using a handlebar switch. Disc brakes with 4-piston radial calipers provide excellent stopping power, making this a safe bike to operate.

With impressive styling, a large engine size, Italian engineering quality and the option to ride in fully automatic mode for under $10,000, the Aprilia Mana is a great choice for new and experienced riders alike.

Buying a New Scooter: 50 cc or 150 cc?

2009-01-25T22:02:00.000-08:00

First time scooter buyers often find themselves intrigued by small 50 cc scooters. They're cheap. They're easy to handle. In most states, operating one doesn't even require a motorcycle license. Many get 100+ mpg. What's not too love? Sounds like a good way to go if you're looking for a low-cost commuter vehicle to zip around town on.

But there are downsides as well. The two major downsides are lack of power and small size. In the first case, 50 cc scooters typically have top speeds of 35 mph at best. That means they aren't really suitable for driving on major thoroughfares, and certainly not on highways. On a typical non-residential street, on a 50 cc scooter you might not even be able to keep up with traffic. Another problem: a 50 cc scooter isn't going to have any passing power or enough oomph to perform evasive maneuvers. This can really add up to major problems. What do you get when you add a novice rider to a 50 cc scooter? Real potential for death on two wheels.

Since many states don't require a motorcycle endorsement, this encourages a "jump on and ride" mentality. In other words just get a cheap scoot and go riding-without dealing with the hassle of learning how to ride a motorcycle. The problem with this is that such riders will pass up on learning to brake properly, learning to corner properly, and learning to swerve. This is dangerous-a 50 cc scooter may be wimpy, but its still a motorcycle. Letting people with no experience just jump on and ride is a recipe for disaster. At the very least, states ought to require people to take a safety course to operate the machine.

What many new riders don't realize is that 50 cc scooters actually operate in the motorcycle danger zone. That is, most motorcycle fatalities that result from collisions with other vehicles happen at low speeds in ordinary city traffic-not at blazing speeds on superhighways. The small size (and hence visibility) of a 50 cc scooter is also an issue. If you think a car turning left has a hard time seeing a big Harley, what makes you think the driver is going to spot a tiny 50 cc scooter coming through the intersection-something that might register in the drivers brain about as much as a passing flea?

The solution to the problem is to think bigger. If new riders are intrigued by the idea of a 50 cc scooter, they're better off stepping up to a 150 cc. For one, a 150 cc scooter is just as easy to handle. If you can ride a 50 cc scooter, riding a 150 cc will be a snap. There are other advantages as well.

The first is a dramatic increase in power. While a 50 cc scooter tops out at 30 or 35 mph, your typical 150 cc scooter can go between 50-60 mph, while still getting great gas mileage. The extra horsepower also means better acceleration and some passing power, helping you move with traffic and do evasive maneuvers in emergencies (and even some power for going uphill). Also, 150 cc bikes tend to be larger and so are easier to spot in traffic. Being seen in traffic might save your life.

To legally operate a 150 cc scooter, the rider must have a motorcycle endorsement. This means you're more likely to take a motorcycle safety class, practice on your bike, and study motorcycle laws and operation. That adds up to increased safety, both for yourself and others on the road.

The truth is a 150 cc scooter can be had for only a few hundred dollars more than a 50 cc model. The up front investment is worth it. Buying a 50 cc scooter now may seem fabulous, but investing more upfront money will pay off in the long run. You'll have a bike you can use more (since you can take it on more types of roads) and a bike that is safer. Finally, you'll be less likely to have to "upgrade" in the near future when you get used to riding.

If it were up to me, I wouldn't let 50 cc bikes on the road. They could be used as recreational vehicles, but I don't think they belong in city traffic.

Crazy Motorcycle Wheelies

2009-01-25T08:43:00.000-08:00

From the don't try this at home department, a guy doing some impressive wheelies. Fun to watch but even if I was inclined to do this sort of thing, wouldn't do it except under very controlled circumstances. The video is good to watch not just to look at the wheelies, but for a couple of safety faux pas.

Notice dumb ass takes his helmet off while standing on top of the bike. In case you didn't know this, a fall from a height of 6 feet is enough to kill you with a head injury. You don't have to be in a high speed crash. Ever heard of someone dying after slipping in their bathtub? It happens. That's why DOT tests for low speed impacts.

Also since the guy just slipped his helmet off he obviously didn't have it strapped on. A helmet that isn't strapped on won't stay on. Here's what will happen, you bounce on the pavement, the helmet flies off, then you hit the pavement again and your head cracks open.

Anyway this kind of stupidity is pathetic. I don't care how talented you are, you never know when something is going to go wrong and you might wipe out. So be prepared. Wasn't Evil Knievel always prepared?

Scorpion EXO-700 Failed 2005 DOT Helmet Test

2009-01-24T08:44:00.000-08:00

OK this is an old story, but goes to show its good to keep up on motorcycle news. Back in 2005 the Scorpion EXO-700, a helmet that sells for a couple of hundred bucks, actually failed DOT impact and penetration testing.

Obviously they've fixed the problem as the helmet is for sale. Something that wasn't so good though was five of the seven helmets that failed to satisfy performance standards were not recalled. The Scorpion helmet is now listed as DOT/Snell certified.

Original Story

Friend Saved by Helmet in Motorcycle Crash

2009-01-24T08:43:00.001-08:00

A friend of mine who lives in Europe got in a motorcycle accident, and by his account he would have died if he weren't wearing a helmet. Here is his story:

the events leading up to my inevitable impact with the wall are as follows:

1) left work late on Friday at about dusk (significant because I have a smoke-colored visor)
2) There were two cars in front of me that I wanted to get around prior to the onramp to the A22, so I accelerated and passed them in the tunnel, making it right in front of the second one before the ramp.
3) The ramp was shorter than I remembered and I realized that I was going too fast.
4) Applied both brakes hard and kept the bike upright until the last possible moment.
5) Initiated the right-hand turn, but I was pretty far into the outside of the curve.
6) Contacted a bunch of leaves and broken glass.
7) Immediately skidded into the curb in a full right-hand lean.
8) Bike flipped to the left and tossed me into the concrete wall (about 2 feet from the curb).

I have no idea how fast my final velocity was, but I think the bike was only in second gear and judging by the damage to it, not too fast.

I got right up after the impact and immediately couldn’t breath or hold my left arm up, plus the pain was pretty intense. I was lucky because the drivers behind me stopped and while one guy got out a got out one of those little red triangles and directed traffic, the other guy helped me get my helmet off and then called the police on his cell phone. The second lucky thing happened when my coworker John Kelly drove up about 5 minutes afterwards and helped out.

One interesting aspect of Austrian law is that you are required to clear your vehicle from the scene immediately, irrespective of being rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. So die Polizei were giving me a hard time about moving the bike, and John Kelly told them he would handle it. It turns out that after I left, the police offered to drive the bike to John’s apartment garage, and too bad I can’t thank them. It probably would have been damaged worse from a wrecker picking it up than the initial accident.

Anyway, I believe it is now going on Week #4 and I still cannot move my arm out to the side, although I can move it to the right and up slightly, but not above my head. I have to sleep entirely on my back and I cannot sneeze or I’ll re-break my ribs. Considering that these things happen, I have to credit my helmet, leather jacket, and gloves with preventing a far worse outcome. My head definitely struck the wall hard and the helmet did its job. I was also wearing a backpack which, although I am not sure, may have attenuated some of the impact as well.

Pay Attention to Weather Conditions when Motorcycle or Scooter Riding

2009-01-24T08:20:00.001-08:00

This fatal scooter crash illustrates the need to pay attention to weather conditions. The rider of the scooter, 52 year-old Dennis Weatherstone, reportedly rode this scooter every day along this route to work. The accident happened at 6 AM, under conditions described as "dark and foggy". The victim hit a van that was coming out of a driveway onto the road and then was subsequently hit by another car.

What can we learn from this accident? First of all, motorcycles are hard to see in traffic, and a little 150 cc scooter is even harder to see in traffic. And that's under the best of conditions-a dry and sunny day on flat ground. In this accident, we're talking about 6 AM in November-when it was likely pretty dark out. Add to that they're saying it was foggy. I have sympathy if the scooter was this man's only transportation, but a lesson we can pull from this accident is you should definitely not be riding a motorcycle or scooter in foggy conditions. I wonder what the follow-up investigation showed-did the man die from the collision with the van or from being hit by the second car? Ride only in good weather unless absolutely necessary. In better weather the van may not have backed out because he would have at least seen the second car coming, and the second car would have had more awareness of the scooter, if she was aware of it at all. Fog in the dark is a recipe for a motorcycle crash because car drivers, who can't see you anyway, aren't going to be able to see you in a fog no matter how careful they are.

Auburn man killed in Aurelius scooter crash

A 52-year-old man was killed in a crash that happened about 6 a.m. today, state police in Auburn said.

The victim, whom troopers have not yet identified, was traveling on Routes 5 and 20 near Fosterville Road, west of Auburn when he struck a car pulling out of a driveway.

Conditions were dark and foggy at the time, which may have been a contributing factor, Sgt. Nancy Mazur said.

When the victim struck the side of the vehicle, he was thrown off his moped, then both he and the moped were struck by another car, she said.

Both of the other drivers were taken to the hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, said Mazur.

The speed on that stretch of road is 55 mph. That portion of Routes 5 and 20 is now closed between Fosterville to Blanchard roads.

State police are notifying family members now and expect to release the victim's identity later this morning.

Original Source

Some Misconceptions about Motorcycle Helmets

2009-01-24T02:43:00.000-08:00

If you don't want to wear a motorcycle helmet-that's your business. But be an adult about it and admit you're assuming an extra risk, instead of making up a load of bullshit about it. Something I hear over and over again is that the DOT doesn't really test helmets. Motorcycle helmet manufacturers, these critics claim, just decide on their own if the helmet meets the standard. Steve, at online biker news for example, writes:

"There is not even such a thing as a "DOT helmet" for that matter. The DOT simply sets the standards, and allows manufacturers to do their own certification. If a manufacturer determines that their helmet meets the DOT standards, they can put a "DOT" label on the helmet."

Uh, not so fast. This statement is a complete falsehood, so let's get the facts straight. The manufacturer doesn't determine on its own whether a helmet meets the DOT standard. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), which is a division of the DOT, contracts out the testing to independent laboratories that actually do the testing. This is typical government practice, I work at a Department of Energy (DOE) laboratory, but the DOE doesn't actually run it, Lockheed Martin does on a contract. Anyway one lab that tests helmets is the Head Protection Research Laboratory, run by a Dr. Hurt, who actually took the time to do a study on the causes of motorcycle accidents in the Los Angeles area some years back (incidentally, Dr. Hurt mentions that Shoei helmets consistently show excellent performance in testing).

In addition, although there is some argument as to what it means, the Snell Foundation does independent testing. Helmet manufacturers must send their helmets to Snell to get tested, they can't just "decide"a helmet is Snell certified and stick a label on it. The validity of Snell vs. DOT testing is a subject all its own, but one thing people on both sides of the argument will agree on is that helmet legally sold in the United States with DOT and Snell labels on it has been independently tested and verified to meet the requirements of each certification.

OK so we have one fact straight: motorcycle helmets do get tested by labs contracted by DOT to see if they meet the certification. But Steve at online biker news goes on to say:

"If there is no helmet on Earth that can protect you 100%, in any situation, then how do you tell the difference between a helmet and a baseball cap?"

Are you fucking kidding me? Let's try to answer that question by smashing your head against the curb, at say 20 mph a couple of times. In one case, we'll put a good motorcycle helmet on your head, and in the other case we'll put a baseball cap, and watch your head crack open and blood pour out onto the pavement. Then we'll make some notes, writing down if we could tell if you had a helmet or a baseball cap on your head.

Yeah its true no helmet will protect you 100% of the time. But helmets do make a huge difference. Sometimes between life and death, and sometimes between being brain damaged or not. If everyone wore helmets, the death rate for motorcycles would drop significantly. The number of accident victims who had brain damage would drop even more. Helmet quality has improved over the years and continues to improve, and will likely continue to improve in the future. Being a skilled motorcycle rider is your number one priority, you want to keep out of an accident in the first place. But if you are in an accident, you're a lot better off by tipping the odds in your favor, and letting the helmet take the beating from the asphalt instead of your skull which doesn't do a very good job when meeting pavement.

What I'd like to see is for motorcycle helmet opponents to stop making up rumors and claiming helmets don't work and act like men. Grow up and admit not wearing a helmet is a stupid-ass idea, but state you're willing to accept the additional risk. But don't make the rest of us pay for it. Failure to wear a helmet should mean higher insurance premiums-because those who choose not to wear a helmet-knowing the increased risk-should be the ones to pay for their stays in convalescent homes after they've been brain damaged in an accident. There is no free lunch. Anyway, its your business not to wear a helmet, but instead of making up basic bull shit this is what I would like the helmet opponents to say:

"I recognize DOT certified motorcycle helmets work and provide a huge margin of increased safety. Despite this fact, as an adult who makes his own decisions, I choose to live with the significantly increased risk of death or brain damage. And as an adult who accepts responsibility for my own actions, I am willing to pay higher insurance premiums to cover the costs, should I become brain injured, of keeping me alive in an institution the rest of my life, or any costs associated with my needless death that occurs in an accident because I chose not to wear a helmet."

Amateur Motorcycle Helmet Review: Scorpion EXO-400

2009-01-23T15:24:00.001-08:00

Coming in at a surprisingly low price-the Scorpion EXO-400 is a bargain at $150, giving riders features, quality and function you would only expect from a more expensive helmet. Now that I've been wearing one for about a month, I thought I'd write up a little review to give my impressions.

Appearance
The first thing to notice about the helmet is its a very attractive design. I ended up getting the silver-mirrored face shield to go with it-and I have to say when I look at the helmet two words come to mind: "bad ass". The helmet basically looks very cool and has a kind of space-age appearance, brought about by what I would describe as somewhat sharp or angular lines toward the front end. If I was going to make a B-movie with astronauts from the future, I think I might put them in Scorpion helmets.

Besides the attractive appearance, the quality of manufacture is very impressive. I also own an HJC helmet and a cheapo Pep-boys helmet, and I have to say that the Scorpion helmet-while not costing all that much more than the HJC-is on a whole other level. In other words this is a major league helmet-despite the minor league price. Color and paint job are excellent.

The Face Shield
One of the best features of the Scorpion helmet is the face shield. First of all, its very easy to remove and reinstall the visor. The helmet came with a clear shield, but I went ahead and spent the extra $27 to get a mirrored shield as well. The mirrored shield improves the look of the helmet which was already outstanding. But where the shield really shines is while riding. Its extremely clear and bright-it almost seems like you aren't wearing a shield at all-much less one that's silver mirrored. Add to that the excellent built-in anti-fog capability of the shield. Its never fogged up on me one bit. I could compare this to the HJC helmet, which fogs up so much in moderately cool weather I don't even put the shield down.

Vision
The view from the perspective of the helmet wearer is outstanding. I have no complaints at all. I can see very well looking straight ahead, and peripheral vision is excellent.

Comfort
The first thing I noticed about Scorpion helmets is they fit a little tight. I don't know if this is because of the particular shape of my head or if this is something to expect from Scorpion helmets in general. It is especially tight around the cheeks compared with other helmets. When I'm riding I haven't noticed it too much, but when I take the helmet off all of the sudden my cheeks seem to be kind of throbbing. Its not the size of helmet, I've tried other sizes of the EXO-400-its just the way it fits my head. Its just a tight fitting helmet that leaves some room for improvement in design.

Noise and Ventilation
The Scorpion EXO-400 makes for a very quiet ride. It is well ventilated, but very quiet. Compared with the HJC helmet I own, the Scorpion helmet is very quiet.

Safety
The Scorpion EXO-400 happens to be one of the helmets that was tested in the now famed motorcyclist magazine article. The helmet is both DOT and Snell certified. Here are the results (g forces imparted to the head) as they reported them:

Scorpion EXO-400 (P)

Average: 187 Gs

LF: 185 gs

RF: 212 gs

LR: 193 gs

RR: 158 gs

The average of 187 g's was more toward the upper range among helmets tested, but surprisingly its better than the 211 g's they found for the more expensive Scorpion EXO-700 helmet. But this is much higher than the 152 g's for the champion ZR-1 "Strike" helmet (which strangely, despite becoming known as the safest motorcycle helmet is no longer available as far as I can tell). That being said, these values are well within acceptable safety limits for motorcycle helmets. I'm sure it gives basically as good a protection as any, and the way the padding around the cheeks and jaw feels, I think this helmet might be particularly beneficial for face/jaw injuries (which happen to account for about 35% of injuries to the head in motorcycle accidents). I have to say the cheapo Pep Boys helmet I have seems to have a thicker liner for absorbing impacts.

Conclusion
Priced at around $150, the Scorpion EXO-400 is an excellent compromise between style, quality, and price. The low-price gives people unable or unwilling to spend $500 or more on a motorcycle helmet a low cost alternative that gives them a top tier constructed helmet. The best feature is the anti-fog face shield which is easily interchanged, the worst feature is a slightly tight fit and maybe safety not as good as it could be. Although Scorpion is an American company, the helmets are actually manufactured in China. I got mine with free shipping from Helmet City.

Here's a look at the back of the helmet.

Here's a shot of the interior of the helmet.

Chinese Motorcycle Output

2009-01-23T09:22:00.000-08:00

Production of motorcycles in China is reaching staggering levels. Recently to some handle on what kind of scale we're talking about I spent some time browsing made-in-china.com, a website where you can browse some company profiles, get some idea of earnings, and see some of their products.

The scooter shown here is made by a company called the Geely Group. This is just one company among many, with a current annual production of 600,000 bikes.

Thing is, browsing the made in China website, you'll see page after page of motorcycles and scooters, parts, and motorcycle helmets manufactured in China. Many of these include well known brands. Your new Honda just might have been made in China. In fact Honda exports more than 200,000 motorcycles from China every year.

The Maxtra-125 (posted here on theKneeslider.com) illustrates that the Chinese aren't going to be satisfied producing second rate flimsy scooters or just making bikes for the big Japanese companies. I think soon enough we're going to see high quality motorcycles and scooters that are entirely designed, built, and exported from China. The Chinese are following a model the Japanese once used-learn from the experts how to do it, then go home and do it better on your own. A friend of mine whose mother grew up in Switzerland related how before the second world war, lots of Japanese went to Switzerland to learn watchmaking skills. Then they went back to Japan, and pretty soon we all saw Seiko watches flooding the market place. The Maxtra bike indicates the Chinese may be doing the same for motorcycles soon.

Man Killed in Parking Lot

2009-01-22T10:31:00.000-08:00

This is an astonishing story I picked up over at Biker News. Highlights the importance of wearing a motorcycle helmet.

NEW WINDSOR - A Beacon man was killed yesterday evening when he crashed his motorcycle in the parking lot of the store he had just bought it from.

Police said Dennis Walden, 56, was riding the 2008 Harley-Davidson he had just bought from Jim Moroney's Cycle Shop across the store's parking lot around 6 p.m. when he lost control and hit a parked vehicle. Walden, who police said was not wearing a helmet, was taken to St. Luke's Cornwall Hospital in Newburgh, where he was pronounced dead.

Motorcycle Accident: Rear End Collision

2009-01-22T07:41:00.000-08:00

At one time or another you've been intimidated by that big SUV rolling up behind you at a stop light, or by that big truck tailgating you. It's always a concern that an inattentive driver, talking on their cell phone, listening to the radio or going over their grocery list-might not see a motorcycle when its coming up for a stop. But are rear end collisions your number one worry on the road?

It turns out they are not. When reading Proficient Motorcycling, I came across this interesting statistic. In a recent year, there were 76 motorcycle fatalities due to vehicles striking a motorcycle from behind. In contrast during that same year 1, 540 motorcyclists were killed in front-of-bike collisions. Put another way, these numbers tell us you're 20 times more likely to be killed or injured in a front-of-bike collision than you are from being rear-ended.

That tells you where you should be directing most of your attention-in front of your bike. Don't ignore what's behind you, a rear end collision could happen, but colliding with a car in front of you is much, much, more likely.

Image from Komonews.com

5 Recommended Motorcycle Helmets

2009-01-21T12:17:00.001-08:00

What you put on your head is your own business, but I wear a helmet because I value my functioning brain and my life. If you value yours, then you'll put as much thought into getting a helmet as you did your bike.

There are lots of choices out there, but you can start with one minimum requirement. The helmet must be DOT certified. If a helmet is DOT certified that means it has met the minimum standards for protection that the government has mandated for motorcycle helmets. Many helmets are also Snell Certified, but there is actually some debate about whether that really adds to safety. Keep in mind that some unscrupulous dealers sell "Vanity helmets" and falsely apply DOT stickers on them. Only buy a helmet from a trusted and reputable dealer, and if the helmet doesn't have a thick inner liner you should be suspicious as to its validity.

Never Buy A Used Helmet
The next tip is don't buy a used helmet-you don't know where its been. The previous wearer may have hit the pavement with it or dropped it from a high height causing damage that isn't visible. A motorcycle helmet is a one-time safety device, so if anything has happened to it in the past it may not protect your head in an accident. Don't cut corners with a helmet-buy a new one.

Full-Face, 3/4 or half-helmet?
The next question is what style of helmet should you wear. People think that full face helmets are uncomfortable. The truth is, however, that after you've had one on for a couple of minutes you're not going to notice it anymore. They also have excellent visibility, your peripheral vision isn't affected at all. A half-helmet is far better than no helmet at all, but keep in mind that the more coverage a helmet gives, the more its going to protect you in an accident. A German study showed that a full 36% of motorcycle injuries to the head occur in the jaw area. A full face helmet will offer you some protection against jaw injuries, a half-helmet will definitely not and a 3/4 helmet might possibly if you have a full face shield on, but probably won't either.

1. Z1R ZRP-1
The Z1R is a DOT certified helmet that surprised everyone when it came out on top of a motorcyclist magazine test of helmets. This low cost helmet was better able than fancy, expensive helmets like Shoei and Arai to minimize the forces transmitted to the head. In fact the force to the left front of the head, as one example, was nearly 25% greater for the Arai tracker helmet. And you can find Z1R helmets for under $100.

2. Scorpion EXO-400
Priced only slightly higher than the Z1R you'll find the Scorpion EXO-400, a mean looking helmet that's both DOT and Snell certified. In testing, the EXO-400 transmitted an average of 187 g's to the head, compared with 201 g's for the Arai tracker and 211 g's for the more expensive Scorpion EXO-700.

3. HJC CS-R1
If you're really looking for a bargain but still want a DOT certified full face helmet, consider the HJC CS-R1. This is an attractive helmet you can snag online for just $77. I've worn one at times, the only downside is the face shield fogs up very easily so you'll have to get on the anti-fog. But that's true for a lot of helmets, I've gotten spoiled by Scorpions anti-fog shields.

4. Schuberth S-1
Getting into a more expensive helmet, the Schuberth S-1 is a very safe helmet. In testing it imparts only 161 g's to the head-making it quite a bit safer than a Scorpion EXO-700 or Arai Tracker. This helmet is DOT certified and ECE 22-05 certified, meaning it meets safety standards of the European Union. I don't know this for a fact but I've read European standards are better than U.S. standards. It may be expensive, but its a safe good-looking helmet. Besides what is the safety of your head worth?

5. Fulmer Helmets
Finally we meet the Fulmer helmet, which imparted only 157 g's to the head-making it a slighly better helmet than the expensive Schuberth and about the same as the Z1-R. Fulmer Helmets are DOT approved, but as far as I know are not available for sale online.

Attack of the Chinese Scooter Clones

2009-01-21T09:27:00.000-08:00

Browsing Chinese-made scooters on eBay can be entertaining and educational. Its amazing how blatantly the Chinese scooter companies just copy other designs. Let's take a couple of examples. First, here is a Kymco Peop le 150 for $2195:

Now look at the ITA Super Charge 150:

There are some superficial differences, but it's completely obvious that the ITA Super Charge 150 (which is also sold as the CF Moto eCharm, I believe) is "inspired" by the Kymco. The Kymco People 150 is manufactured by a very good scooter company based out of Taiwan, and to my surprise some of the Chinese clones of this bike are similarly priced. You can snap up a brand new 2009 Kymco People 150 for around $2800. But here is a QLink Pega sus, which is obviously based on the same design, and its MSRP is $2499.

If it were me, I would fork out the extra few hundred and get the Kymco. Now I'm not saying all Chinese made scooters are junk, and QLink, which is an American distributer of these bikes, has a reputation for standing behind these products. That being said, right now I own two scooters. One is a 2007 Piaggio MP3, and the other is a Chinese-made scooter sold as the Lance Phoenix. The difference in quality is obvious. Every aspect of the Piaggio is well designed and well manufactured. The Lance scooter though, well I can't say I thoroughly trust my life to it. Parts of it seem well-made, but its got issues beyond having it arrive with broken mirrors. The bike just seems flimsy. Do you want to be going 50 mph on something that is flimsy? I don't.

Here is another example of ripped off designs. Look at the Honda Helix:

Now here is the CF Moto, ugly-ass fashion scooter:

Well isn't it funny how similar they look! (personally, if you ride one of those-more power to you, but I think its the ugliest piece of crap to hit the road)

I suspect that as time goes on, Chinese made scooters will get better and better. Besides all their clones there are definitely some really nice looking designs. Hopefully, they will improve in quality without going up too much in price. It would be nice if some downward pressure in price were put on the major manufacturers. After all, Honda quality is great, but charging more than $2,000 for a Ruckus with a meager 49 cc engine seems a bit much to me.

Top 10 Ways to Die on your Scooter (or Motorcycle)

2009-01-21T07:45:00.000-08:00

A scooter seems like a great idea-its easy to ride, fun, and helps save on gas. Most scooters are lightweight and automatic-so in general they're easier to ride than motorcycles. Just get on and twist and go. You can't kill yourself at a mere 30 mph anyway right?

Well not so fast. Scooters may seem easy, and yes they are easier to operate than motorcycles. But make no mistake about it, a scooter in careless hands can be very dangerous. Unfortunately, it seems that all too many people these days are jumping on scooters without really thinking about it. If you want to stay alive, you don't want to be one of those people. Here are ten things you may want to avoid in order to ride safely.

1. Drinking and Riding
Drinking and driving is bad enough but drinking and riding is worse. Riding a motorbike-whether its a motorcycle or scooter-requires your complete attention, focus, and reflexes. While a glass or two of wine at dinner might cut it driving a car, touching alcohol and going for a ride on your scooter can be downright deadly. Don't drink at all if you're riding your scooter.

2. Not Practicing Cornering
A large fraction of motorcycle accidents are single-vehicle accidents. A good way to get into a single vehicle accident is to be out on two wheels and not really knowing how to corner properly. Take a corner too fast and/or apply the brakes hard while cornering and you could be in for big trouble-even serious injury or death. Learn how to corner properly so you won't end up a statistic. Incidentally, practicing cornering will make you better positioned to swerve if you need to in an emergency situation.

3. Not Wearing a Helmet
The other day I was coming home from work and saw something I see all the time-scooter riders cruising down a major thoroughfare without any riding gear on. Many people perceive a scooter as a baby vehicle compared to a motorcycle, so maintain that attitude of jump on and ride. But when a car hits you and your head hits the pavement-that car and the asphalt won't know if you came off a motorcycle or scooter. Don't get lulled to sleep because your riding a bike with less power. It takes very little impact to crack your skull open-and hitting a car at 25-30 mph and getting thrown off your scooter could be enough. Even losing control at 10-15 mph might be enough for serious head injury. A motorcycle helmet is the most important piece of gear you can have and should be second only to good riding skills in your list of items needed for scooter safety.

4. Not Wearing Proper Gear
This follows on the heels of #3. Scooter riders just seem lulled to sleep-riding through city traffic as if they are cruising their scooter along a beach in the Bahamas. They ride around in t-shirts, shorts, and flip flops. Let me ask you something-what do you think is going to happen to your leg if you skid a few feet along the asphalt in shorts? What about your hands? Do you really want to have your skin peeled off in a minor accident? Protect yourself with a complete set of gear. Don't worry about idiots who think you look silly wearing gear riding a scooter-you need to be safe. This means you need good motorcycle gloves, a leather or armored jacket, boots that cover the ankles, and maybe even leather chaps or kevlar armored pants.

5. Not being on the brakes at intersections
The most common cause of motorcycle fatalities in collisions with other cars is smashing into a left-hand turning car. People just don't see motorcycles coming or misjudge the speed and distance of the motorcycle, or overestimate the capacity of their car to accelerate. Face it-people are going to cut you off. Be ready by slowing when approaching an intersection. Slow down 5-10 mph approaching it, and have your hands on the brakes. Pick up speed when you're sure you can get through the intersection safely.

6. Don't Look Where You're Going
In the video below, a girl hits the curb and wipes out. Luckily she was going really slow and there wasn't a deep embankment for her to slide down and get really injured. Now why did this happen? This little mishap goes back to back cornering-I suspect the lady did not look where she wanted the bike to go. Pick a point down the road where you want your bike to end up-and look at it. Your bike will head that direction. Look down at a curb you want to avoid, and you're going to hit it. Once again in this video we see the cavalier attitude toward scooters-but if this lady had wiped out slightly differently and hit her head on that curb, she might have been seriously injured.

7. Not Knowing How to Counter-Steer
Two-wheeled vehicles (and even three wheelers like the Piaggio MP3) can be operated using counter-steering. If you're the type that just jumps on a scooter and rides you may not know what counter-steering is or how to do it properly. To get a bike to go left, you push forward on the left handlebar (and vice-versa to get it to go right). This is counter intuitive because if you're pushing forward on the left handlebar, it would seem that you're steering the bike to the right. The counter-intuitive nature of counter-steering may lead to accidents and fatalities among new riders. Having spent their entire lives driving cars, when they want to avoid a hazard on the left they push forward on the left handlebar. Unfortunately the bike actually goes left instead of right and they crash. One study I read attributed a large percentage of fatalities caused by people crossing the yellow centerline into oncoming traffic due to this behavior. Avoid this problem by practicing counter-steering so you really know how your bike handles and it will be second nature when handling your scooter in an emergency.

8. Jamming on the Brakes
Many beginning riders jam on the brakes. The last thing you want to do when riding a motorcycle or scooter is jam on the brakes, especially at speed. Practice squeezing the brakes over a period of one second, and then releasing the brakes gradually over a period of one second. Find an empty parking lot where you can practice braking and start at low speeds like 15 mph. To be a safe rider you should be able to squeeze the brakes to bring the bike to a complete stop without losing control of the bike.

9. Don't Overestimate the Capacity of Your Bike
Compared to a car, a scooter is going to seem like its capable of bursts of power like you've never seen. While that's true to a certain extent, reading accident reports it appears that many new scooter riders overestimate what they can do. As a result, the scooter rider cuts off a car and ends up getting hit. Avoid this problem with lots of practice riding so you really know what your scooter is capable of, and drive defensively so you don't get in the situation of suddenly cutting someone off.

10. Not (really) being able to handle your bike
Something striking about accident reports is that all too often someone just loses control, wipes out and gets killed. We can't prepare for every situation but we can tip the odds in our favor. Do this with training. Can you do tight u-turns and figure-8's at 15 mph? Can you apply the brakes and come to a stop from 30 mph without losing control? Or did you just jump on, ride up and down the street a couple of times, and say this is easy and hit traffic? Train yourself to ride your bike so you'll be better prepared when you hit a pothole and the like.

Motorcycle Safety Gear

2009-01-20T18:06:00.000-08:00

In this video LA Times "Throttle Jockey" columnist Susan Carpenter reviews the six pieces of equipment you should wear for safety. According to the motorcycle safety foundation this includes:

Long pants
Gloves
Boots
Helmet
Long-sleeve jacket
Eye protection

Susan points out a few things you may not have thought of-like having boots with oil resistant soles and ankle protection, and how gloves should fit.

How to Ride a Motorcycle for the First Time

2009-01-20T14:04:00.001-08:00

How to ride a motorcycle the first time video. This video is from "mordeath 13" an entertaining poster on youtube.

Here is part two:

Aptera Electric Three Wheeler

2009-01-20T07:45:00.000-08:00

This futuristic vehicle isn't from a sci-fi movie. Although it looks like it might be out of GATTACA its a real vehicle in development by Aptera Motors of Carlsbad, California. Its got three wheels (two in front, one in back), is all-electric, and is classified as a motorcycle, legally speaking. Despite this it has seating for two and a car steering wheel to control it.

Its made out of fiberglass and can apparently go 80 mph, with a claimed range of 70 miles. Not sure when its going to hit the market, but one thing is guaranteed; you're going to turn heads driving this thing around. Check out the video.

Honda DN-01 Automatic Motorcycle

2009-01-19T19:42:00.000-08:00

With so many people getting into motorcycling at a later age these days, an automatic is a welcome addition to the scene. Purists may moan and groan about whether an automatic is "really" a motorcycle-but just ignore them and get on the for the ride. An automatic is a great idea for a new rider because there is less to worry about. Forget the clutch and just focus on riding.

There have been automatic motorcycles before, but until recently the main choice has been between a scooter and a clutch-operated motorcycle. Scooter sales are booming because with the rise in gas prices last year, plus all those 40+ people feeling their mortality (better ride now or never) people have been wanting to get on bikes more than ever. Lots of people choose scooters because they are easier to ride for a newbie. But wouldn't it be nice if there were a true automatic motorcycle?

One option is the Aprilia Manna, and another is the QLink/CF Moto. The downside to the latter is its a Chinese-make, and that might put off a lot of people. Besides its only a 250 cc engine.

Luckily Honda is coming to the rescue, and doing so with a really sharp design. The bike shown in this article is a 2009 Honda DN-01, a 680 cc motorcycle with a revolutionary transmission design. It gives the rider a choice of modes that can be used for the transmission, including fully automatic or a shiftable six-speed. These days a 680 cc might not sound all that great to all the riders on big bikes, but 680 cc sure beats 250 cc.

In addition to the option for automatic transmission, the bike has other features of interest to new riders. It has a nice low seat height at 27.2 inches. Even better, it comes equiped with ABS brakes, making for a safer ride. The bike is available in two colors: candy apple red and black. All I can say is it looks bad ass. This bike is a great option for women riders, or male riders who don't have any experience or haven't ridden in a long time so would like to avoid the clutch.

Why Two Wheels up Front are Safer

2009-01-19T16:28:00.001-08:00

Admittedly the Piaggio MP3 or that style applied to any type of bike, be it a Harley or a sport bike isn't for everyone. But there appears to be some misunderstanding in how physics works (i.e. the physics of motorcycles) given these posts on Kneeslider about the three-wheeled V-Max trike. A post by "Tanshanomi" exhibits the lack of understanding:

" I am puzzled by what benefits tilting three-wheelers like this one, the Harley thing, the Brudeli and the Piaggio MP3 supposedly provide.

More supposed “safety?” So you’ve got two contact patches up front. So? I am sure what benefit that is when the lady turns left in front of you. You want safety? The Babe Cage would do more to keep you safe, and that’s not saying much."

Here is the answer: Two front wheels not only provide more stability-they provide more braking power. Think about it, you've got two front brakes instead of one. Let's try to put that in perspective. What does 20% more braking mean? If your two-wheeler required 100 feet to brake to a complete stop in a given situation, a Piaggio MP3 could brake to a complete stop in 80 feet. That could mean missing a collision all together in what would be a certain accident for a two-wheeler. Conclusion: A bike with two front wheels is safter than a two-wheeler.

Not only that but two front wheels give more traction, and this leads to more stability and better handling. People seem to get this easier for some reason. That means increased safety as well, because it leads to better cornering for example. And did you know that nearly half of motorcycle accidents are single-vehicle accidents that often occur when cornering?

So make no mistake about it. While two front wheels isn't for everyone, it definitely is a safer motorcycle/scooter design. Expect to see more on the road in the coming years.

5 Ugliest Scooters on eBay

2009-01-19T12:53:00.000-08:00

Today I present the five ugliest scooters on auction on eBay. Honestly there are so many to choose from, not sure its possible to justifiably construct a 5 ugly scooters list. The list is entirely subjective, but without further ado here are my selections. Of course many people will want to snap up these beauties, so I've included links to the auctions.

1. Fox Campus Vintage Minibike

What can you say about it, except it would be really embarrassing to be seen on this thing.

2. Simply Dubbed Moped

OK, scooters are for people afraid to ride motorcycles, and this thing is for people really afraid to ride scooters? I guess people want some kind of shelter from the rain. Hopefully they don't think this will protect them in an accident.

3. The Chrome Disaster

We all want to be seen on our bikes-both for safety and for narcissistic reasons. Making a scooter completely out of chrome is one way to make sure you get noticed. Well in this case, its shiny silvered colored plastic, since this is a Chinese-make. In any case, I can imagine the annoyed drivers on sunny days when glare reflects off this baby.

4. The Vespa Rally Chopper

I'm not a fan of choppers in general, so maybe I'm a poor judge. But I think most people will agree the words VESPA and CHOPPER don't mix all that well. I think the picture speaks for itself, I sure wouldn't want to be seen on that thing.

5. Ugly Ass Honda Clone

Man nothing says ugly to me more than that Honda with the boxy look, and now we've got a Chinese copy. This thing is so ugly I wouldn't want my grandmother-or yours for that matter-tooling around town on this thing.

Well there you have it-my pick for this weeks 5 ugliest scooters for auction on eBay. I'm sure someone's going to read this that finds one or more of these the best scooter they've every seen-so happy bidding!

Motorcycle Crash by Time of Day

2009-01-19T07:06:00.001-08:00

Here is some interesting data showing how motorcycle fatalities stack up by time of day and day of the week. During the week a full 25% of deaths occur between the hours of 3-6 PM! When you think about it, this makes sense-people are coming home from work at this time, there is more traffic on the road, and people are agitated and in a hurry. They're going to be a lot more anxious to make that left turn in front of a motorcycle in an effort to get home faster.

If you look at the data it's also not surprising to see more fatalities at night and a high percentage during the hours when drunk drivers are more likely to be on the road (some of them drunk motorcyclists). Some good spots-only 3% of motorcycle fatalities occur between the hours of 6 AM and 9 AM on weekends, and 7% between 9 AM and noon on weekends. So Saturday and Sunday mornings are good times to go on recreational rides. Notice that almost the same number are killed on the weekends as during the entire week-reflecting the greater number of riders out on weekends. The data comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Motorcycle Fatalities on Weekdays

Time of Day	Number Killed	Percentage
Midnight to 3 am	205	8.5%
3 am to 6 am	62	2.6%
6 am to 9 am	185	7.7%
9 am to Noon	208	8.7%
Noon to 3 pm	382	15.9%
3 pm to 6 pm	587	24.4%
6 pm to 9 pm	438	18.2%
9 pm to Midnight	323	13.5%
Unknown	11	0.5%
Total	2,401	100%

Motorcycle Fatalities on Weekends

Time of Day	Number Killed	Percentage
Midnight to 3 am	282	11.7%
3 am to 6 am	98	4.1%
6 am to 9 am	71	3.0%
9 am to Noon	179	7.4%
Noon to 3 pm	411	17.1%
3 pm to 6 pm	420	17.5%
6 pm to 9 pm	567	23.6%
9 pm to Midnight	366	15.2%
Unknown	11	0.5%
Total	2,405	100%

Motorcycle Accident Statistics

2009-01-18T21:38:00.000-08:00

In 2007, there were 5,154 people killed in motorcycle crashes. Although a little perspective is in order-in 2006 there were some 6.7 million registered motorcycles on the road-the fatalities represent 0.08% of all motorcycle riders-its astounding to note that the number of fatalities almost doubled since 1997. Why the increase?

One reason may be an influx of older riders, with many of them not receiving proper training. Way back in 1997 motorcyclists aged 40 and over accounted for about 33 percent of fatalities, but in 2007 that number had risen to 49 percent, a huge increase. Meanwhile deaths of younger motorcycle riders seem to be declining.

Interestingly, alcohol may also be a factor. Overall, 28 percent of motorcyclists killed in an accident had a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 or greater. In contrast, among those aged 45-49 killed, some 41 percent had a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 or greater. The rate remains high among those in their early 40's, with some 37 percent having high blood-alcohol levels.

I wasn't sure what to make of these statistics. Is it that younger riders are now taking riding more seriously? Are riders in their 40s over confident and thinking they can drink "a few beers" and hit the road? Or maybe younger riders can weather the effects of alcohol a little better while maintaining some level of riding skill. In any case, its clear that alcohol use has a big impact on motorcycle safety.

You Don't Need to Collide with a Car to Die
Besides alcohol, something really stands out-of the 5,154 people killed in motorcycle accidents in 2007-2,182 of them were killed in single-vehicle accidents. That's 42 percent. So nearly half of all motorcycle fatalities didn't involve a crash with another vehicle. Instead we have someone wiping out in a turn, taking a curve to fast, losing control after hitting a pot hole. In my opinion this goes together with the recent influx of older riders. As more older riders hit the streets without proper training, the risk of accidents resulting from lack of control of the bike increase. Maybe that's why accidents among younger riders have been decreasing-they know how to ride a lot better basically. Perhaps a lot of 40+ year olds are just jumping on bikes and riding, many for the very first time, without really knowing what they are doing or seeking any instruction. It seems to me that if you receive motorcycle training and can avoid a single-vehicle accident-which means you've taken the time to learn how to handle your motorcycle well before hitting the streets-your risk of death is actually fairly low. Avoid drinking, and its even lower.

What Type of Bike do you Ride?
Not surprising but interesting-"supersport" bikes tend to be the most dangerous. Compare their death rate of 22.5 deaths per 10,000 registered vehicles to the death rate of 5.7 per 10,000 for "standard" motorcycles and cruisers. That means if you ride a sport bike, just based on that fact alone you're 3.95 times as likely to die in an accident. Hmmm, wonder what the death rate is for scooter riders...

Speed
Watch that speed. Some 36% of motorcycle riders killed in accidents in 2007 were speeding. Speeding has to be a huge factor in single vehicle crashes, would be my guess.

Wear that Helmet
Since many if not most motorcyclists killed in accidents loose their lives because of some type of head injury, it makes sense to wear a helmet. A helmet is no guarantee of survival any more than a seat belt is a guarantee you won't be killed in a car crash, but it tips the odds in your favor. The NHTSA estimates that 800 riders that were killed in 2007 (some 16% of those killed) would not have been had they been wearing helmets. And we're leaving out all the people who were not killed but involved in motorcycle accidents without helmets and now suffering some kind of brain damage. Want to go through life like that? I sure don't.

Well to be safe on a motorcycle or scooter it seems like a few simple rules are in order:

Wear a helmet
Really learn how to handle your motorcycle
Take a motorcycle safety foundation course
Don't drink and ride-Never!
Wear other gear, leathers, gloves etc.
Consider staying away from sport bikes

If you're over 40, then putting extra time into practice and taking instructional courses are really important. But lets keept his all in perspective. While its true some things are out of your control-like the car turning left in front of you-some things are in your control to minimize the risk of collision-are you speeding? Have you practiced emergency braking?

If you ride a motorcycle or scooter no doubt you've heard those "my brother...uncle...cousin...friend...friends cousin... got killed on a motorcycle" warnings! But if the rate of deaths in 2007 and number of registered vehicles stayed about the same, about 1.5% of riders would be killed over a 20 year time period. So if you follow the precautions outlined here chances are you will survive riding for many years.

Vectrix Introduces New Scooters

2009-01-18T07:48:00.000-08:00

In an effort to reach more buyers with more options and lower prices, Vectrix has announced the availability of two new scooters to supplement their main flagship, the VX-1.

The scooter shown on top is the new VX-2, which has been described as equivalent to a 50 cc scooter. It comes with a steep price tag-$5195-which is quite a bit more than say a Honda Ruckus. I think that's way too expensive for the performance of a 50 cc. I'm not even sure 50 cc bikes should be allowed on the road when you're talking top speeds of maybe 40 mph, and the VX-2 tops out at 30 mph. So what use is it? Maybe some inner city commuters might pick one up or it could be useful for college students. Problem is college students couldn't afford to drop five grand on a scooter to take them from their apartment to class and back.

The scooter on the bottom is the new VX-1E, which has a similar appearance to the 2008 Vectrix VX-1. However, its priced at around $2,500 less. You save money by giving up a bit on top speed, peformance, and acceleration. I really like the idea of the Vectrix, having a scooter that you can plug in the wall which is freeway capable is a fabulous idea, but who wants to pay $8,000 + for that? I'm sure the design is expensive to produce, but to survive in my opinion the company has to get its prices down. For $11,000 look what else you could get-maybe buy a Piaggio MP3 500 and a used Honda Silverwing and have two bikes that could go 100 mph.

Vectrix has also modified the color choices/designs for their 2009 top line model VX-1, which is shown here. First let me say this is a really attractive design. Its a hot looking scooter-almost hot enough to force a motorcycle rider to wave at you. But while putting out the two-color design, they have done away with the solid colors of last years models. Don't they understand people like choices? Maybe I want the top of the line model in solid blue. They should offer buyers more choices, not fewer if they want to get a solid foothold in the market.

Well it will be interesting to see what happens with these bikes over the next few years. I don't think I would give up gas power completely, I happen to love the internal cumbustion engine. That being said the concept of the Vectrix is so attractive, and the body style is nice, so I may see if I can get my hands on a used one soon.

Vectrix Electric Scooter

2009-01-17T21:20:00.000-08:00

I have to admit I would miss the "vhroom vhroom" of the throttle, but the Vectrix all electric scooter is a pretty cool concept. It has an electric chord and you can just plug it in any normal outlet for a charge. Here are a couple of videos that demonstrate the Vectrix Maxi-scooter, which can do 0-50 mph in 6.8 seconds, which isn't bad for an all electric vehicle. The design is nice and sleek too. The top speed is 62 mph, so it is kind of equivalent to a 150 cc scooter. It has a range of 40-60 miles.

Scooter Accident

2009-01-17T07:43:00.000-08:00

Statistics don't lie: motorcycle helmets save lives. You may like the wind in your hair but the reality is that nobody should ride a motorcycle or scooter without wearing a helmet. In this story, we see a simple one vehicle accident on a scooter that results in death-something that happens all the time. Unfortunately news reports don't often give much detail. So we don't know if Mr. Wright had lots of experience riding scooters and or motorcycles, whether he took a motorcycle safety class, or whether he was a new scooter rider who hit the roads without practicing. Regardless of your level of expertise, its possible to loose control of your bike because of some kind of malfunction, hitting a pothole or what-not. But if you spend a lot of time practicing, you will teach yourself to maintain better control of the bike regardless of the situation.

One thing we do know for sure is that if Mr. Wright had been wearing a helmet, his odds of surviving the minor accident would have been much greater.

Henry J. Wright, 66, died in a scooter crash Dec. 17, a Tucson police spokeswoman said.

Wright, of Tucson, had been riding a 2003 Aprila Atlantic Scooter west on Broadway around 12:30 p.m. when he lost control, Officer Linda Galindo said.

Wright had been following his wife, who was driving a different vehicle on Speedway, when she noted the scooter’s hazard lights were on, Galindo said.

She pulled over to assist her husband and he lost control and crashed, resulting in a serious head injury. Police said he had not been wearing a helmet.

Speed did not appear to be a factor, Galindo said, and toxicology results will determine if drugs and alcohol were factors.

Original Source: Tuscon Citizen

Top Ten Scooters

2009-01-16T09:07:00.000-08:00

In this post I proudly present the top ten scooters. Spring is approaching and you might be in the market for a new scoot for the upcoming riding season, so I've put together a list of bikes for you to consider. Admittedly, the list is somewhat subjective. Some criteria I've used to put it together are : affordability, uniqueness, performance, and cost. Without further delay, here is my personal choice for the top ten scooters (What are your choices?):

1. Yamaha TMax
The Yamaha TMAX is my favorite scooter. Its got aggressive styling that gives it more of a motorcycle appearance than a scooter appearance, and made by Yamaha, you know you've got a quality bike. The only downside for this bike is high cost ($6,000 +). I really love the bike, I have a Piaggio MP3 but might have considered this one instead. But I have to say this bike is a real performer and head-turner.

2. Piaggio MP3

The MP3 makes the list for the obvious reason that it has a revolutionary design. But there is more than that-this bike is a pure pleasure to ride. It takes corners like a well oiled sports car but at a fraction of the cost. While the novelty of having 2 front wheels might seem like its going to wear off-it won't because its got better handling and significantly improved safety (20% more stopping power on the brakes) than your typical motorcycle or scooter. The bike is also extremely well-made, you see the Italian high-end quality throughout. The downsides are the bike is heavy ( a 250 weighs in at 575 pounds) and these are not cheap (You're going to drop around $8,000 for a new one).

3. Kymco Super 8 150

Now here we have a sharp looking bike that is an unbeatable balance between style, price, and performance. Not to mention quality. The bike retails new for just $2299, but made by Kymco, you know this thing is not a piece of junk by any means. It has aggressive styling that makes it look somewhat like a sport bike, and these things are fun to ride. Great performance. Only downside is that as of the time of writing, only available as a 150 cc (there is also a similar looking 50 cc model). Come on people make these with a larger engine!

4. CF Moto V5 Motorcycle

Yes I am including a "motorcycle" in my list of top ten scooters. The CF Moto V5 (also sold by QLink) is an automatic motorcycle with a 250 cc engine. With fantastic cruiser styling, relatively light weight (about 170 pounds lighter than the Piaggio MP3) the CF Moto is an excellent choice for a new rider. Its hard to classify a bike like this, is it an automatic motorcycle or a scooter designed like a motorcycle? I think these bikes are sharp and I plan to get myself a burgundy one sometime this year. The good sides include easy handling and low price, I've seen new ones on eBay for just $2400 (typical price is more like $3,000). The downside is its Chinese made, and we all know what that means. QLink, however, is an American distributor with an excellent reputation, so I've read in reviews getting parts and support is all good.

5. Honda Silverwing

If you're looking for a powerful cruiser type scooter, look no further than the Honda Silverwing. This puppy is powerful-has a 600 cc engine. Plus you've got Honda quality. Only downside is that this is another expensive bike, and its large, so you might not get as good a gas mileage with a scooter as you were hoping for.

6. FMS SunL Racer

One of two bikes sold by Family Motorsports (see the Roadster below). If you're looking for a low cost bike with some great features, this might be what you're looking for. The SUNL racer is available in blue, red, yellow, and silver. It has ABS Disc brakes on the front wheel, something unusual for a scoot this cheap-and a great safety feature. I also like the double turn signals on the front, helping increase your visibility on the road. It comes with 13 inch wheels (better than the traditional 10 inch sooter wheels) and has an attractive design. You can't beat the price-its only $1299 with free shipping (at the time of writing). It's Chinese-made but I think you have good support with Family Motorsports, so you won't have the traditional problems of getting a half-assembled bike, or endless delays in getting your registration paperwork. Also friendly support staff. At 150 cc and light dry weight, its going to be easy to handle and have a good combination of power and gas mileage for around town scooting.

7. Kymco People 150
If you're looking for a low-priced commuting scoot, the Kymco People 150 (About $2800 new) is a great choice. Once again, with Kymco you get a great combination of low price with high quality. I like this design because of the 16 inch wheels. Small wheels are always a downside with many scooters-in my opinion you should forget the traditional Vespa look for that reason. The Kymco People 150 is not only cheap but its easy to handle. With a 150 cc engine, it has enough power for regular city traffic (a 50 cc is NOT safe in my opinion-not enough power for escapes or keeping up with traffic).

8.FMS Roadster

I put this bike in with a bit of hesitation-because to be honest I don't know much about it. But the body style makes it a kind of low-cost alternative to the Honda Silverwing. Although it only has a 250 cc engine. However with 19 hp it can still go 80 mph, and its claimed it gets 90 mpg. The bike is cheap ($2700!). So if you want a Silverwing but don't have the cash, this might be an alternative for you. Its sold by a reputable and very friendly eBay dealer called Family Motorsports. The downside is obvious-another one of those Chinese jobs. But I really like the design and might pick up one for myself-if I do I'll write a detailed review.

9. Lance F4 Interceptor

I picked this one because it has a cool design, and is cheap ($1700). I have owned a scooter by the same manufacturer, and although these are Chinese-made, the quality is actually pretty decent. The downside is getting one and having it put together properly-so you might want to avoid buying one on the internet. There are authorized Lance dealers in the U.S., get one from a dealer. That way they can assemble it and prep it for you, and you have someone there for maintenance. The wildcard for this one is I am not sure what the long-term performance will be when you really start putting miles on it.

10. Honda Ruckus

When you see a Honda Ruckus two things come to mind: fun and easy handling. The stripped down design brings back memories of the scooters of old and it looks like it would be well suited to use as a dirt bike. The price is great (about $2200 new) and you've got Honda quality. The downside is, this bike is only available in a 49 cc model. It would be nice if Honda used the same design on a 250 cc scooter.

Bad Motorcycling: Following too close to a large vehicle

2009-01-16T08:09:00.001-08:00

When you're out driving your car or riding your motorcycle or scooter, its all too easy to get complacent. Late in the afternoon, you're probably anxious to just get home after work or whatever.

Complacency in motorcycling can be fatal. Yesterday when taking my dogs for a walk, I happened to end up behind a guy on a motorcycle following a school bus. As we went down the road, the guy on the motorcycle edged up and was riding right behind the school bus.

Later, the school bus turned left at an intersection in a residential neighborhood. As it turned, the guy on the motorcycle stayed relatively close and then zipped straight on through the second he had the opportunity.

From my vantage point, this rider had done two things that could cost him his life someday. First of all, when you're on a motorcycle or scooter following a large vehicle like a bus, you are hidden from other drivers. That means when the bus starts passing them they might try to cross or turn behind it-not realizing that you're there.

Also, from the motorcyclist vantage point-there is no way that rider had a good view of the road with a school bus right in front of him.

This could have happened when the bus turned to the left. A car could have been right there ready to turn left into a driveway or take a left turn down the opposite end of the street. In either case, a left turn would put that vehicle right in the path of the motorcycle, possibly leading to a collision or an unplanned evasive maneuver by the motorcyclist that could lead him to loose control.

Sure its in a residential area but did you know a large fraction of accidents occur close to home-where people get complacent with their riding?

If you want to live to see tomorrow or avoid serious brain damage-careful riding is important in a situation like this one. The rider should have maintained a good gap between himself and the bus-so that vehicles that he could not see that could be tempted to make a turn behind the bus would have room to get by without hitting him. It would also give him a better view of the road.

Finally, instead of zipping past the second the school bus started turning, he should have been on his brakes and waited until he had full view of the road ahead to get by.

Don't just assume you can zip past anyone. Its temping and probably a more fun way to ride, but it could cost you your life.

Replacing Throttle Grip on a Scooter

2009-01-15T10:50:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, you may want to replace or do maintenance on the throttle grip of your scooter. Here I am going to quickly run over the basics of taking off and putting on a throttle grip. The example used here is a Lance scooter, but I would imagine the procedure is basically the same for most scooters.

Step 1: Undo the Screws on the back of the Starter Housing
Just to the inside of your throttle grip there is a little housing where you find your engine cut-off switch and electric starter. Go to the front of the handle bars and remove the screws which keep this attached to your handlebar. Here is a picture of the screws from under the front of the Lance handlebars:

Step 2: Undo the nut holding the throttle cable
This is just underneath the housing, it should be pretty easy to loosen it.

Step 3: Pull the Housing and throttle grip off your handlebar, and detach the throttle cable

Now carefully take everything off. The throttle cable fits into the throttle grip with a little round knob. The cable itself will look kind of like a bicycle brake cable. If you look carefully in this picture, you will see the little knob toward the bottom of the plastic housing.

In this picture, I've pulled the throttle cable up a bit so you can see what it looks like:

Here is a picture of the throttle grip from the inside-note the hole that connects it to the throttle cable. You insert that little knob in there.

Now let's move onto either putting your throttle grip back on, or installing a new one.

Step 4: Attach the Throttle Cable to your Throttle Grip
Put the little round knob in the hole, and thread the cable through a small gap that you will see near the hole in your throttle grip. It should look something like this:

Step 5: Put the Throttle Grip and Housing back on Your Handle Bar
Now slip the throttle grip back over the handlebars.

Step 6: Insert and Tighten the Screws
Reinsert the two screws holding the housing to the handlebars and tighten. Make sure the housing is positioned where its supposed to be-where you can easily reach it with your hand from the riding position and up against the handlebars as far as it will go.

Step 7: Tighten the Throttle Cable Bolt
Finally, tighten the bolt that holds the throttle cable to the housing which contains your starter button and engine cut-off switch.

There you have it. This is how to take off and put on a throttle grip on your scooter.

Wearing a Motorcycle Helmet is a Good Idea

2009-01-15T07:52:00.000-08:00

Here is another accident that demonstrates a couple of things. Again not blaming the victim-just looking for lessons learned for the rest of us, especially new motorcycle or scooter riders.

The first lesson is take time to practice with your bike. Buy Proficient Motorcycling and do the exercises in there and study how motor bikes work. Practice, practice, and practice some more in areas where there is little or no traffic like empty parking lots. This is important because time and again you read in accident reports that the rider "lost control" of his motorcycle or scooter, and had a single vehicle accident. Get yourself in shape so you can minimize the chance of losing control in the first place, and if you do loose control, that you'll be able to regain control of the situation. In some more accidents I'm going to post you're going to see that "losing control" is a huge factor. Seems to be quite the case with scooters-indicating people are just jumping on and riding-and not learning to handle the machines properly. Handling the machine properly just doesn't mean riding down the street and being able to turn around and put the brakes on-it also means being able to handle the bike in unusual or dangerous situations. Sign up for that Motorcycle Safety Class if you haven't done so yet.

Second-wear proper gear. This starts with a motorcycle helmet. You also need to wear good motorcycle gloves, a jacket (leather or armored), boots and even armored or leather pants are good.

We don't know if the victim in this accident would have survived or not if he had a helmet on, but if he had his odds of survival would have been greatly increased. Here is the report:

Indy Man Killed In Scooter Accident

Police: Man Lost Control Of Bike

POSTED: 9:27 pm EDT October 10, 2008

INDIANAPOLIS -- A man driving a motor scooter died Friday night after he lost control of his bike, police said.The accident happened just before 8 p.m. in the 5400 block of East 56th Street, said Indianapolis police Sgt. Paul Thompson.Lee Sykes, 49, of Indianapolis, was headed westbound on 56th Street when he lost control of his motor scooter and went down, striking the pavement, Thompson said. He was not wearing a helmet.

Original Source Here

Accident Scenario: Turning Your Bike

2009-01-14T20:30:00.000-08:00

Too many people have the attitude of just hopping onto a motorcycle or scooter and riding off. I am talking about new riders here. Even if you have a scooter, which is "easy" to ride for anybody, you need to take your time to become a skilled rider. Too many people get killed-yes that's killed-because they didn't have the attitude that they need to take it slow with their learning, really master motorcycle riding skills, and do lots of practice before hitting the streets.

Here is an excellent example from an article that appeared in a newspaper called the North County Times:

SAN MARCOS ---- San Marcos Middle School teacher John Swift died early Friday morning after he was involved in a motor scooter accident on Cassou Street just east of Buena Creek Road in an unicorporated area of San Marcos.

California Highway Patrol Officer Tom Kerns said Swift, 50, lost control of his motor scooter after trying to make a turn too quickly and crashed into a telephone pole. The accident occurred at 6:30 p.m. Thursday evening.

Swift, a San Marcos resident, was then taken by San Marcos Fire Department paramedics to Palomar Medical Center, where he was initially placed under arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, Kerns said. He was pronounced dead at 2:30 a.m. Friday morning at the hospital. The medical examiner has listed the cause of death as thorax and abdominal injuries sustained during the accident.

According to Kevin Holt, assistant superintendent of human resources and development for the San Marcos Unified School District, Swift was slated to begin his 21st year of teaching with the district in August. He most recently taught sixth-grade language arts at San Marcos Middle School.

"From whom I have spoken with, he was well respected and will be sorely missed," said Holt.

Wow. So here is this great middle school teacher, and he dies at age 50 in a single-vehicle accident. Did you know that single-vehicle accidents are a major cause of death with motorcycles and scooters? Here are some reasons why that could happen:

Failure to take time practicing turns before hitting the street.
Failure to get some training from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation so you know how to handle two-wheeled motor vehicles properly.
Failure to understand how these machines work, how turns are properly executed and how your actions will impact where the bike will go.

If you're a new motorcycle or scooter rider then you need to start off in an empty parking lot learning how to execute turns correctly. I don't know what Mr. Swifts background was, but it seems like he didn't get that kind of practice, otherwise he wouldn't have made a turn to quickly. If you've ever had any kind of mishap on a motorcycle, then you know how fast things develop. In a flash of an eye you could be dead. And riding a scooter doesn't make you exempt. Scooters are simpler to operate because they are automatic and don't have a clutch-plus many of them are lighter weight. However, beyond that scooters are motorized vehicles that have a lot more pick-me-up than you're used to with cars. Scooter riders need to take their riding as seriously as motorcycle riders-it still takes some skill to ride well with a scooter.

So if you're a new rider, start off with some practice:

Begin by turning without stopping. Also don't start with sharp turns. In other words, ride your motorcycle in oval patterns. Get comfortable going both to the left and to the right.
Now practice turns from a stop. Stick with wide, easy turns.
After you're comfortable with that, practice sharp turns, in both directions. This needs to be done both with turns while the bike has already been in motion, plus going into a sharp turn from a stop.
Practice going into your turns with skill. Slow down approaching the turn, roll off your throttle and brake. Then look where you want the bike to go and lean. When the bike makes the turn, give it some smooth, gradually applied throttle. Don't brake while turning.

Here is a cardinal rule: LOOK WHERE YOU WANT THE BIKE TO GO. Don't look at the pavement right in front of you, and most certainly don't look where you don't want the bike to go. That's a tendency of new riders. If you're turning by a ditch bank, a new rider will have a tendency to look at the ditch bank in hopes of avoiding it. The way motorcycles work (something I learned the hard way) is they travel where you're looking. So don't look at the ditch bank-look at a point down the road where you want your scooter to end up.

Lessons Learned
My guess is this is exactly what happened to Mr. Swift. He may not have practiced turning using the slow, look, lean, and roll on the throttle technique. When he turned too quickly, he realized he was out of control. Wanting to avoid the telephone pole, he was probably staring right at it, struggling to regain control and avoid it. But staring right at it-the bike went right into it.

The purpose of this article (and others I will post on real accidents) is not to blame the victim. Instead we are going to look at accident reports to think about what can we learn from the mistakes the rider made, so that we don't make them ourselves.

Now get out there and practice your turns.

Motorcycle Backflip

2009-01-13T17:14:00.000-08:00

This is pretty impressive, a guy does a backflip off a motorcycle. But my advice is don't try this at home-I won't be anytime soon. Standing on top of a motorcycle like that is actually pretty stupid-I don't care how talented you are.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Astonishing Facts About Motorcycle Fatalities

2009-01-13T08:42:00.000-08:00

We all know riding a motorcycle in traffic carries more risk than does driving a car. But what you probably don't know is there are some counter-intuitive facts about who gets killed when riding a motorcycle. You can find all this information in Proficient Motorcycling, but I am going to share a few tidbits here.

This one really caught my attention. Who do you think is at more risk of death-someone taught how to ride by a friend or someone self-taught? The numbers might surprise you.

Setting 1.0 as average risk, the risk given training type is:

Training Relative Risk
Professional 0.46
School Course 0.50
Self-taught 0.90
Learned from Friend 1.56

How about that? Someone who learned from a friend has nearly double the risk of someone who is self-taught! Not surprisingly, if you take a course like the Motorcycle Safety Foundation course, your risk is greatly reduced.

Automatic Motorcycle

2009-01-12T14:15:00.000-08:00

For those of you interested in motorcycles but turned off by the clutch and manual transmission, there is an inexpensive alternative to the scooter. It's the QLink Legacy or CF Moto V5 motorcycle. It's fully automatic just like a scooter, but everything else about it is all motorcycle. The MSRP is around $3,000, but its not uncommon to see them for fairly low prices. The one pictured here is brand new and available for just $2400 on eBay.

These bikes are Chinese made, but don't suffer from the bad reputations of some Chinese scooters. For one, QLink has a well-established and well-run distributor that has gotten praise from people like motorcycle.com. Its also not hard to find positive reviews of the bike:

Automatic Motorcycle

The newest models are available in multiple colors, including black, silver, gun metal grey, burgundy, blue, pearl, and yellow. The bike is light weight and without a clutch, is a great motorcycle for a beginner.

Full Face Motorcycle Helmets

2009-01-12T06:58:00.001-08:00

From time to time I plan on sharing some tidbits from the book Proficient Motorcycling. The Germans did a study on impacts to the head that might make you rethink wearing a full facial helmet. They divided a helmet into different zones and figured out the percentage of impacts to each zone in real accidents. Something that really stands out: a full 34.6% of impacts occur in the jaw area.

That's a huge number if you ask me. I'm sure you wouldn't want to get wacked in the jaw during a collision with a car. Looking at it another way, you might say a 3/4 helmet only gives you about 65% protection. That's a lot better than no helmet at all, but in my opinion you should aim for all the protection you can get.

Complaints about full face helmets are misguided. After I have one on for a couple of minutes, I hardly notice its there. Vision is excellent. Lately I'm wearing a Scorpion EXO-400, and I have a wide open view of the road, there isn't any hampering of peripheral vision. Plus when its cold a full face helmet provides some protection against those cold winds.

Motorcycle Safety Tips from the West Virginia DMV

2009-01-11T11:00:00.000-08:00

This is a good list of safe riding habits for motorcycle and scooter riders.

West Virginia Motorcycle Safety Program

Proficient Motorcycling

2009-01-10T07:40:00.001-08:00

In case you haven't heard about it, Proficient Motorcycling is the perfect book about motorycles (and by extension scooters)for the novice rider. It starts out with a scary description of a real crash that took place in the Colorado mountains where the rider got beheaded (ouch!). From there it goes into detailed descriptions of accident statistics involving motorcycles. The bad news is yes, motorcycles are dangerous, but the good news is the accidents are NOT random and there is a lot you can do to mitigate the risk. The rest of the book is filled with useful info on thing like how does a motorcycle balance, cornering strategies, the best way to approach intersections and braking strategies. I would call this book a must have for any motorcycle or scooter owner. Could even save your life.

Click here to view book on Amazon

Kymco Super 8

2009-01-07T16:46:00.000-08:00

Among recent scooter designs, one of my favorite is the Kymco Super 8. Sure its a scooter but it doesn't look dorky-kind of mimics a sport bike design. Here is a cool video. Although the bike is available in 150 cc design, I believe this one is a Super 8 50. Let's see you do this with your Vespa ;)

Think Twice Before Going for a Chinese Made Scooter

2009-01-04T22:06:00.000-08:00

Some people fair well with Chinese made scooters. And they're cheap, plus you get the convenience of ordering one online. But like anything that sounds to good to be true, many Chinese made scooters don't measure up. And since your life is on the line when riding a scooter, you're better off spending a few extra dollars for a name brand bike. If you've been looking at Chinese made scooters, you might consider Kymco instead. They are a little more expensive, but at least you know you're getting a good bike.

Here are some horror stories:

Click Here to Read More

Helmets Optional for Kids in Taiwan?

2009-01-03T16:34:00.001-08:00

This video is mildly amusing and quite disturbing. It shows people riding scooters in Taiwan. One nice thing is it looks like lots of people ride scooters in Taiwan. Wouldn't the US be a better place for those of us on bikes if some people traded their huge gas-guzzling SUV's and trucks for scooters or motorcycles?

Anyway, the point of the video is to discuss helmet use. Amazingly it looks like lots of the people shown on motor bikes in this video are wearing helmets-but they are carting around their children on their scooters and the kids don't have helmets on! Not sure what that says. You be the judge.

Scooter Review

2009-01-02T12:32:00.000-08:00

Fun video from scooterreview.com comparing some mid-sized scooters.

Piaggio MP3 Walk Around Video

2009-01-01T15:47:00.000-08:00

I recently shot a quick walk around video of my Piaggio MP3 scooter.

New Motorcycle Helmet Arrives

2009-01-01T09:41:00.000-08:00

I got my new Scorpion EXO-400 motorcycle helmet yesterday from helmet city. That's a great website to order from, they have free 2 day shipping via Fed Ex.

My new helmet choice was based on a couple of compromises. The first is the color. In motorcycling, whether you're on a puny 50 cc scooter or a big Harley, safety should be your first priority. One part of safety is actually visibility to car drivers. I've been reading that white or yellow helmets are the best for visibility. But that doesn't work for me-I think white or yellow helmets are ugly. I prefer metallic colors like blue and wine, or black. Recently I've been riding with a wine HJC helmet. But wine or black aren't as visible as white or yellow, so I went with Silver which I thought was kind of a compromise between the two.

I also went with the Scorpion helmet because it kind of fell in the middle of some helmet testing I had been reading about. Not that I don't want the best, safest helmet, but the Scorpion had the best combination of style, fit, and safety for me. The ZR-1 (I believe it was) got the safest rating but didn't fit as well.

Another feature of the Scorpion motorcycle helmets I really like is the anti-fog face shields. It really works pretty well. Its nice to have the anti-fog feature "built in". Also, the Scorpion helmets which are DOT and Snell certified are low cost. This one was just $149.

Eric's Son Riding Yamah Dirt Bike

2008-12-30T23:29:00.000-08:00

Here is a video of my friend Eric monkeying around with the dirt bike in the back yard. Eric is actually a pretty good motorcycle rider, but he is on his son's little Yamaha ttr-90. After wiping out his son rides around the backyard pretty nicely. His son is only 7.

Countersteering the Piaggio MP3

2008-12-30T08:10:00.000-08:00

With two front wheels, you may wonder about countersteering the Piaggio MP3 gas motor scooter. This video demonstrates.

Piaggio MP3 Review

2008-12-29T13:07:00.000-08:00

Here is a short but interesting review of the Piaggio MP3 motor scooter.

Balance and Motorcycle Riding

2008-12-29T12:56:00.001-08:00

OK so I kept practicing riding and after some initial improvement, was still having problems. I can ride a bicycle, but don't do so on a regular basis. I began to suspect I had some kind of balance issue. The problem for me is making a sharp turn from a stop. Until I solve this problem, I ain't riding in traffic. The situation would be you come to a stop sign and need to make a right hand turn, and I would be all wobbly going all over the place, maybe dropping the bike. Left hand turns are easier, but for some reason right hand turns have been giving me problems despite repeated practice. And turning on a curve is easy for me, the issue is stopping, then getting going again while turning. Bad sign for a fledgling motorcycle rider, even if that rider is on a Piaggio MP3 scooter!

Well, I got online and started digging around for article about balance and stumbled on Are you losing your balance? This article proved to be a Godsend. I did the test and found out I have the balance of your average 70 year old! Trouble is I am only in my mid-40's. It's either solve this problem or give up the idea of riding scooters and motorcycles.

That's the bad news, but the good news is first of all now I know why I've been having problems. Just explains a lot-now I understand why I wiped out in the motorcycle safety class and wiped out on the dirt bike while everyone else was cruising along with ease. Second I can do something about it.

I started doing balance exercises and the key aspect of them is you have to keep your eyes closed. I found out once I tried doing balance exercises with my eyes closed I had a much harder time staying upright. Plus I got an interesting insight-it felt just like it did when turning the scooter.

OK so I've been doing these exercises, and did them for 3 days in a row without even looking at the scooter. Next time I went to ride it was MUCH better. I'm still not comfortable enough to go out in traffic, but turning was much easier as was picking up my feet when accelerating from a stop or just coming to a stop and resting my feet on the ground-all aspects of motorcycle riding that will give people with balance issues problems.

With this in mind I'm going to have to work on my balance as much as I am practicing riding the Piaggio. I'm on break for the holidays right now, so I'll have ample opportunity this week.

Airbag Jacket for Motorcyclists

2008-12-26T12:29:00.000-08:00

Now this is a fantastic idea. Watch this video of a new motorcycle jacket that deploys air bags when you hit the pavement. I wonder what took them so long to come up with this. Maybe they should put some kind of air bag system in a motorcycle helmet too.

The motorcycle suit is made by a company called Dianese and it will be available in 2010. Sure to save lots of lives and injuries if it gets popular.

Clutzy Motorcycle Riding

2008-12-20T15:39:00.001-08:00

The weather has been crappy for the past several days so I haven't had a chance to ride my Piaggio scooter since last Saturday. Finally this afternoon it was sunny enough with few winds that I felt like going for a ride.

Being inexperienced, missing a week made getting back on the scooter a bit of a challenge. For the first 10 minutes or so I felt unsure of myself again as if it were my first ride on a motorcycle or scooter.

The bike also felt funny. I have been leaving it outside, with a cover on it. I work on an Air Force base at a nuclear weapons lab, so with all the extra security I'm not worried about leaving it parked there. Anyways, for the first 15 minutes I'd say, the bike wasn't quite responding normally. We've had several pretty cold nights, maybe leaving it outside it needed quite a bit of warming up.

Well so I took it out on the road and headed over to this huge parking lot that makes a nice practice area. I was riding around at 40-50 mph and working on my turning. I came into this nice open area and was doing some figure 8's when all these security guards popped out. One of the guys says "Hey you, come over here". I was like crap-they think I'm trying to steal a nuclear weapon! So I cautiously rode over there, hoping I wouldn't revert to my amateurish riding and run the guys over.

The guard who called me over walks up and says "What on earth is that? I saw you riding and noticed you had two front wheels, and said 'what the ...'".

I explained that it was a Piaggio MP3 scooter. None of them had seen one before, but they all loved it. The first thing people usually ask is does it ride like a motorcycle. When they just see one sitting there they are under the impression the two front wheels are stiff, so I showed them how it leaned over. These guys were really digging it. One of the guards said he had seen a Can-Am spyder, but he hadn't seen the Piaggio MP3 before.

After 5 minutes or so of conversing I headed off and back to my practice riding. For some reason, I've had problems making left and right hand turns from a stop. I know this sounds stupid, but its true. I spent about 45 minutes turning up and down the parking lot. But when I throw in coming to a complete stop, then turning, for some reason it gives me trouble. I practiced doing it over and over and caught on to making left hand turns a lot faster. I am right handed, but for some odd reason turning right I have issues.

Well luckily the Christmas Holidays are coming up-I get from Dec. 24-Jan 4th off from work. So far the weather looks pretty decent for most of that time, so I'll be able to get a lot of riding in.

Scooter Sales

2008-12-18T21:55:00.001-08:00

Scooter checkover

2008-12-15T17:42:00.000-08:00

Here is a good video on giving your new scooter a once over before riding, if you buy one of those online Chinese makes.

Winter Weather Puts Scooter Riding on Hold

2008-12-14T11:15:00.000-08:00

As you can see here, my Piaggio MP3 is all covered up to keep it from getting wet. What you can't see here is that just 2 hours before this picture was taken it was snowing like crazy. Typical New Mexico weather-snowing heavily at 8 and sunny and dry at 11. Despite the sun coming out though it was way too cold to ride, and plenty windy. I was tempted to take the bike out for a spin but there are still lots of nasty clouds around and more snow in the forecast. I didn't want to get caught with my pants down-which in this case means having to put the scooter away and cover it up when a huge snow fall or gale force winds were hitting. Some storms came down from the gulf of Alaska (according to the weatherman anyway) and they're moving through the southwest. So its going to be crappy for the next 3-4 days. Hopefully I'll be able to ride next weekend.

Learning to Ride a Scooter/Motorcycle

2008-12-13T13:02:00.000-08:00

If you're like me and didn't grow up with dirt bikes, scooters, or motorcycles, learning to ride can be a bit of a challenge. Some people catch on faster than others, but I think there are some general steps everyone can go through to learn how to ride and operate a scooter safely.

The first thing to take note of is you probably don't want to ride in traffic right away. I am kind of lucky in that regard. I work on an Air Force base and on the weekends that place is DEAD, with the exception of a few computer geeks and science nerds that have no life so work on the weekends too. So its a great place to ride. I had a friend bring my Piaggio and park it out there. A second benefit-due to the extra security you can leave a bike out there pretty much without worrying about it getting stolen.

OK back to the topic at hand. The first place you want to practice is an open parking lot. While you might not have access to an Air Force base, you can probably find a parking lot that's pretty empty on weekends where you can practice riding your scooter or motorcycle. Let's assume you're riding from scratch-that is no background in motorcycle riding whatsoever. What is a reasonable path to pursue in learning how to ride?

When riding in traffic, you're going to have to make split second decisions and have complete control over your bike (as much as possible). The first fundamentals I think you need to master in this regard are your throttle and brakes:

Learn to open your throttle smoothly and gradually
Focus on applying the brakes easy and smooth instead of jamming down on them

Exercise #1 then, is pick a good open space in your parking lot. Your goal is to ride back and forth in straight lines. The way I did it was I started off slow and easy and got the bike up to about 20 miles per hour, then applied the brakes to come to a smooth stop. To be completely honest it didn't work out very smoothly the first few times, and it may not for you either. But just keep repeating the process, over and over until it becomes second nature. Ride forward in a straight line, then come to a smooth stop, putting your left foot down first. Then turn your scooter around and repeat the process going in the opposite direction.

Something new riders have trouble with is balancing the bike especially when starting off. Something to keep in mind is the faster your motorcycle or scooter goes the easier it is to balance. So apply the throttle smooth and easy-but don't do it timidly. Get going and get your feet up on those foot pegs and let the bike basically balance itself.

When you want to come to a stop, you don't want to come to a sudden stop. Coming to a sudden stop in a car is bad-on a motorcycle or scooter it could be disaster. There are two steps you can take to stop smoothly:

Ease off on the throttle ("close" it) gradually and your bike will start slowing down
Apply your brakes in a smooth, gentle motion

The front brake provides something like 70% or more of the total stopping power on a motorcycle or scooter. On a Piaggio MP3 it might be even more with those two front wheels. But regardless, get in the habit of applying both the front and rear brakes. Some motorcycle or scooter riders might get in a habit of applying only the front brake in everyday situations, but don't be one of them. Make it second nature to apply both brakes, then when you need to do so in an emergency you'll just do it automatically. Since a scooter is set up like a bicycle, this is an easy habit to get into since you'll probably be accustomed to applying both brakes with your hands. On a motorcycle it might take some getting used to applying the rear brake with your foot.

Getting going and stopping nicely are important for riding in traffic. I'm sure you don't want the car behind you getting all annoyed, or feeling sorry for you if you have trouble getting off when the light turns green. So spend a lot of time practicing the straight line riding.

The next thing I worked on was turning. I actually had a wipe out going into a turn one of the first times I rode a motorcycle so have been haunted by a mental block. I saw myself wiping out everytime I went into a turn, which made me tense up and have problems turning. I got over this by turning over and over and over until it was second nature.

Empty parking lots are great for practicing turns on your scooter or motorcycle. First I started by going in a single fairly wide oval, with all the turns in one direction. I started going left, and just rode that oval going into the left turns literally for hours until it felt right. The straight away part of the oval gave me a chance to continute the starting/stopping exercise as well, and to get the bike up to higher speeds (40 mph) for me.

After I felt comfortable going left, I did the oval with all right hand turns. Next I mixed things up by going up and down the parking lanes and turning left, then right, then left again in different patterns, and riding some figure 8's. Some tips for the beginning rider when turning a motorcycle or scooter:

Push down on the handlebar in the direction you want to go
Look where you want to end up-a good rule of thumb is the bike goes where you look
Don't brake in a curve or turn if you can avoid it
Slow the bike down before going into your turn, brake before the curve or ease off the throttle as appropriate
When the bike makes the turn and begins to straighten up, accelerate

Some other things to practice include swerving and coming to a dead stop from say 30 mph. Well this is a lot of material for a new motorcycle or scooter rider to work on. After you get comfortable with these exercises you can start riding on the streets, but I would practice on streets with minimal traffic at first. Well thats where I am lucky again, being able to ride on an Air Force base. More on my practice riding next time.

Funny Harley Davidson Motorcycle Crash

2008-12-12T08:03:00.000-08:00

Watch this one. Its hilarious. Actually it reminds me of my first ride on a bike, this is exactly what I did! But I would assume this guy had some experience?

Harley Davidson Motorcycle Crash Video

2008-12-12T07:56:00.000-08:00

This morning I was watching some videos on motorcycle crashes on YouTube. Here is an interesting video. Notice the guy blames the crash on the "dumb ass driver" of the minivan. I do agree that the driver ideally should have pulled over. But that being said, its the motorcycle riders who are being dumb asses. The road has a double yellow line for a reason-its a no passing zone and they've figured this out because you can't safely pass a vehicle in time and see what's coming around the corner. With all those curves it is not possible to pass a car on that road. Even with the van going slow the bikers had to haul ass beyond what is reasonably safe to get past. The hot dog motorcycle riders chose to ignore this and look what happens? They go running off the road.

But what really stunned me was the people in the minivan were saying lets get the hell out of here. Um, isn't leaving the scene of an accident illegal? I guess they were so scared of the dudes on the bikes they just had to leave as fast as they could!

Motorcycle Safety

2008-12-11T11:16:00.001-08:00

I stumbled on a website with a little bit of good advice for new motorcycle and scooter riders. The site is run by a guy named John Nozum who got in a one vehicle accident on his scooter. That sounds crazy but in motorcycle safety class they told us a huge percentage of motorcycle fatalities occur in one vehicle accidents (I don't recall the exact number).

This page has some good advice on watching out for cars that may not see you in traffic:

John Nozum Motorcycle/Scooter Safety

He also has some thoughts about wearing a motorcycle helmet. Ultimately its up to you, but my belief is everyone should always wear a motorcycle helmet when riding a motorcycle or scooter. How many times do you see people zipping around town on scooters wearing Hawaiian shirts, shorts, and sandals? Being on a scooter doesn't make you safer-if a car hits you your body is going to go flying just like it would off a motorcycle. Even just tooling around your neighborhood on a scooter you should wear a motorcycle helmet. You never know when your number is going to come up and a car might suddenly pull out in front of you-even just cruising around some residential streets.

Motorcycle Helmet Advice

Cornering with the Piaggio MP3 Scooter

2008-12-10T07:15:00.000-08:00

One of the best things I'm finding with the Piaggio MP3 is the way it corners. The first couple of times I rode it, I didn't really understand how it can lean. So I was cornering kind of timidly. But after I got comfortable on it, I started really leaning the bike over and it was then I discovered the advantage of this bike. I can't do it justice-its quite spectacular. It leans way over and grips the road in a way a two wheeler never could. The grip is so solid its hard to describe how stable the bike feels when leaning over in corners. This makes it a blast to ride.

Lance GS-R 150 Scooter

2008-12-09T21:04:00.000-08:00

Among the Chinese made scooters, I like the Lance models the best. They are marketed under different brand names, Lance just being one of them. My only advice is be careful-you're best off buying from a dealer. Chances are you can find a dealer in your area selling Lance scooters. The good news is they are cheap even brand new (under $2,000). Here is a video of the GS-R 150 to give an idea of what fun they could be.

Scooter Pre-Delivery Inspection

2008-12-09T12:15:00.001-08:00

If you order a scooter online, in particular a Chinese made brand (like Lance, KMD motorsports, Roketa etc.) a pre-delivery inspection (PDI) is a vital step before riding. Basically you want to go over your scooter and make sure all the nuts and bolts are tightened and everything is working like it should. Here is a helpful video from Fly Scooters about PDI.

Scooter Riders and Helmets

2008-12-08T21:02:00.000-08:00

All too often you see people riding scooters in shorts, sandals, and without a helmet. Maybe they're wearing a tank top or t-shirt. Well here's a newsflash-the car you're colliding with can't tell whether you were riding a motorcycle or scooter. If you're hit by a car while riding a scooter you're going to get tossed about and thrown into the curb or a fire hydrant or telephone pole just as you would on a motorcycle.

Not only that, but those shorts and sandals you're wearing? Skin doesn't feel so good on asphalt. Riding a scooter-which is definitely easier to handle than a motorcycle-doesn't mean you aren't going to slide across the road when you get in a motorcycle accident.

The lesson is treat safety with the same respect on a scooter as you would a motorcycle. This means wear protective gear to reduce your risk of injury during an accident or mishap. Gear you should have includes:

Gloves. Don't just get any gloves, go to a motorcycle shop and get gloves made for people riding motorcycles. Do you want your hands to rub across the pavement giving your hands road rash? If not get gloves.
Leather or other protective jacket.
Good footwear-leather boots are preferred in my book.
A DOT certified motorcycle helmet. Any helmet is good, 3/4 helmet is better and full face helmet is best.

Scooters are fun and save gas but you're not riding around in your backyard-you're out in traffic where bad things can happen. Be safe out there and wear proper riding gear.

Motorcycle Helmets

2008-12-08T20:43:00.000-08:00

Despite the overwhelming evidence that motorcycle helmets save lives and prevent disability-you see tons of riders on motorcycles and scooters without helmets. I guess that's their business, but me-I'd prefer to keep my brain intact. Smashing your skull against concrete at 70 miles per hour, well 50 miles or thirty miles per hour for that matter-is a losing proposition. So one of the first things I did was invest in a motorcycle helmet.

If you're interested in this sort of thing, this very informative article about motorcycle helmets is worth reading. There were a few things I got out of this article:

Snell certification is apparently not what its cracked up to be
Very expensive helmets aren't all their cracked up to be
DOT certification is essential for safety

I have barely started riding and I've got three helmets already. The first was a half-helmet. I got a cheapo shiny black DOT certified model from Pep Boys that was maybe $50. Surprisingly in testing this cheap helmet fairs pretty well. But I decided that full face protection was in order. I don't know about you, but reducing the risk of cracking my jaw in half or breaking my cheek bones sounds like a worthwhile goal. So a 3/4 or full face helmet is in order.

One of my favorite brands appearance-wise is the Scorpion brand motorcycle helmets. In particular, I like the 3/4 Scorpion EXO-200. The price isn't bad, you can get one for $149 at many places, and even for less if you look around.

A good bargain is the HJC CSR-1. Its a DOT certified full face helmet that's available for under $100. It does more than protect your head-its a very attractive helmet.

Another favorite full face helmet of mine is the Scorpion EXO-400. Its a very attractive helmet that is a bit more expensive than the HJC, but still not too expensive. They appear to be very well made. My black one with a dark smoke shield is pictured here.

I hear from motorcycle riders that they enjoy the freedom of riding without a motorcycle helmet. Well, if you smash your head on the asphalt and either end up dead or brain damaged, you aren't going to have much freedom left. The truth is motorcycle helmets actually look very cool. Plus, I've found that just a few minutes after I start riding I forget the helmet is even on. I can ride for 3 hours or more without a full face helmet bothering me in the least. So be safe-wear a DOT certified motorcycle helmet.

Piaggio MP3 Videos

2008-12-08T20:36:00.000-08:00

If you're not familiar with the reverse-three-wheeler, the Piaggio MP3 scooter, check out these videos.

Piaggio MP3

2008-12-08T20:21:00.001-08:00

OK so my first experience riding motorcycles didn't come off so well. I was feeling depressed and worried about the prospect of overcoming my clutziness. I kept thinking I wished I had a motorcycle with training wheels. It was then that a friend pointed me to the Piaggio MP3. Its a sort of trike in reverse-its a scooter with two front wheels and one back wheel.

The Piaggio is a dream bike for new riders-and maybe experienced riders too. The second front wheel gives the bike a great deal more stability and braking power. I've heard it has 20% more braking power than a 2 wheel motorcycle. Even better-a novel suspension system lets the two front wheels flex and bend in a way that's hard to describe unless you see it. The result-you can lean this baby over just like its a motorcycle. But with an incredible level of stability and traction. This thing is solid.

Not only that, but it comes in 250 cc, 400 cc, and 500 cc models. The 500 can go 100 miles per hour. The lowly 250, which is a great bike for beginners, can go 80 miles per hour so is suitable for most highway driving-and it certainly makes a great commuter. It also gets 60+ miles per gallon.

The bike is incredibly sophisticated-coming with a sensor that can tell if someone is sitting on the bike among other things. It has built in anti-theft features, and has a lock which lets you lock the front wheels in place while at a stop-allowing you to keep your feet up at stop lights.

OK so these things run about ten grand. That was a little steep for me, I didn't want to go into debt buying a scooter. Plus I already had my Chinese job. I looked around for a used one, and that was pretty discouraging. Seemed like not many people were ready to part with their Piaggio Mp3's. But as luck would have it, I finally came across a cherry red (or burgundy) 250cc Piaggio MP3 for six grand. Great price and it only had 700 miles on it.

I have to say its been one of the best decisions I've made since getting the motorcycle bug. Make no mistake, this is still a real bike. But its very easy to handle and stable. Its ability to lean makes it incredibly fun to ride. Its kind of a dream come true- a motorcycle safe enough for novices but enticing enough for experienced riders.

When I first got the bike I had a couple of mishaps that proved the stability of the bike. The first day I was riding in my backyard. Yes that's my backyard. I have a big one with a huge patch of cement. But where the cement meets the dirt-my dogs had dug a foot deep hole. Not paying attention I rode right into it and surprisingly the bike came right up and over the cement and out of the hole. Better-I didn't drop or come off the bike. I was a bit shaken, but not a big deal.

Later I was learning how to turn and went over a curb. This time I was in a parking lot. I went over this curb and then went wobbling over a bunch of parking barriers. In my opinion I would have wiped out if I had been on a two wheeled bike. Not so with the Piaggio MP3. I just cruised right over all these obstacles. Once again, I was a bit shaken but didn't come off the bike. It was easy to re-establish control and keep my balance.

Not soon afterwards I really got the hang of riding, but the key here was the Piaggio MP3 was very forgiving so was great to learn on. It let me experience mishaps without nearly as much risk of injury that a motorcycle or typical scooter entails. So my advice is if you're a beginner interested in motorcycles or scooters, definitely consider a Piaggio MP3.

Motorcycle Safety Class

2008-12-08T19:59:00.000-08:00

These days it seems, loads of people are talking about getting a motorcycle or scooter. It might have started with the high price of gas which has dissipated for the moment, but the plain fact is motorcycles and scooters are just cool. Many people are considering this mode of transportation just for one reason: its plain cool.

I've been intrigued by the idea but never jumped on it for many years. This past spring, a guy I met training horses named Eric Bravo introduced me to his dirt bike. I had also recently become friends with a motorcycle guy who rides Ducati's name Patrick. He had been riding my ass (not literally...) urging me to get a bike.

So one day I was hanging out with Eric and he was working on his dirt bike. It had some mechanical problems, but that day he got it started up. He took off riding but came back around and said "want to ride it". I kind of hesitated and he sensed may naivitee. So he says "do you know how-answer NO. Do you want to learn? Sure".

So he briefly explains the controls. I think OK I've ridden a bicycle so this can't be any big deal. Off I went-not quite sure how to shift gears or stop the damn thing. I crashed right into his parked truck.

Luckily I didn't get hurt or do any damage to the truck or the motorcycle. The end result was just a few laughs. But by this point I had gotten the bug, and realized I needed to LEARN how to ride a motorcycle. Somewhere along the way-and I'm not sure exactly where that was-someone pointed me to the motorcycle safety foundation.

If you want to ride motorcycles or scooters but don't know how-the motorcycle safety foundation is for you. They offer short riding courses pretty much everywhere in the United States. For safe operation of motorcycles or scooters on the roads this course is vital in my opinion.

So what is the course like? The first day is classroom. You show up and watch videos that last a few hours-interspersed with lectures by motorcycle riding instructors and question and answer sessions. It seemed kind of like being back in high school. At the end of about 4 hours we took a written test. If we passed, we were good to go for the riding school the next morning.

The riding school started at the "range", which was basically a large open parking lot. We got some lectures from the instructors about equipment and that sort of thing, how to put our helmets on etc. Then after this, we had to pick out a bike.

I'm a slow mover. So all the bikes were picked out by the time I walked over there. Not a problem though-I got a nice metallic blue Kawasaki cruiser. It was a small bike and I'm a short dude (5 foot 7) so that worked out perfectly.

We went through this routine where the guy told us how to mount our bikes and start them up. This process was repeated at least 5 times. Then he told us how to tell if the bike was in neutral, and how to put it in first gear. So far so good.

Next step was to do what motorcycle riders call "power walking". You throttle the bike just ever so slightly in first gear while walking along with your feet. The idea isn't to force the bike along with your muscle power. Instead you're supposed to glide along, letting the power of the motorcycle carry you. You just guide and balance the bike with your feet.

At the time, I didn't quite get this so was struggling along. I was all worn out when we reached our goal. Then he told us to turn our bikes around. Holy shit was I in trouble then. These things are HEAVY. Before this I never realized how heavy motorcycles were.

From here we started riding (Simple at first-ride in a straight line, apply the brakes, turn around, ride back). Then more complicated, ride in an oval, apply the brakes, change to second gear, etc.

OK I am a total clutz. So manual transmission gives me a hassle. This is probably more a mental issue than anything else, but its a fact having to worry about the clutch seems to me like excessive bother. And it got me into some serious trouble.

We are riding along doing some silly exercises. Being kind of tense, I was actually having trouble balancing the bike and keeping up. I did get over this, but was getting worn out. Really worn out and stressed. It was late May, pretty hot, and I had been wearing a full face helmet and leather jacket and gloves for several hours in the sun. I rode up to the instructor and he told me to turn left. I did and for some reason let the clutch all the way out. The motorcycle went completely out of control! I spun out and hit the ground and slid into a fence!

OK so what do the instructors do-any advice? Not really. They don't give you a chance to revisit your mistake and continue. Its basically you're kicked out of class and you can try again later if you want to. So I was sent home.

I was shaken and had some cuts and bruises, but didn't get seriously hurt. But hey-that damn clutch-why mess with that? I decided right then and there to dispense with the clutch and go automatic-which meant live my life with scooters! Someday I might graduate to a motorcycle but its scooters for now. No clutch, no shifting, no foot break, just twist and go and hand brakes like a bicycle.

Chinese Scooters Look Good, but...

2008-12-08T19:37:00.000-08:00

One of the dumbest things I've done recently is buy a Chinese made scooter online. It seemed like a great deal-you can get a new 150 cc scoot for under $2,000 including shipping. Plus they look so cool. The one I got kind of looks like a motorcycle. Its got big 16 inch wheels.

The first downer was the company selling the scooter, a place called national online scooters (www.nationalonlinescooters.com). On the face of it, seemed like a great deal. Nice website, just log on and select your model, your color, enter your shipping/credit card info and you're good to go.

Right away there were red flags I should've paid attention to. I ordered a Lance interceptor.

A few hours after my order, the guy from national online scooters calls and says, well, they don't carry that anymore. But all Chinese scooters are basically made by the same company, so why not get a KMD MC-05? Its the same as a Lance Phoenix. At the time that sounded cool, so I was like no problem. He said it would arrive at my door almost fully assembled-just put the mirrors on and I'm ready to go.

Well so a couple of weeks go by and the bike arrives. Delivered by Semi-truck right to your house, in a wood and steel crate. I was sooooo excited to open this baby up. And when I did-what a bummer-I was in for some surprises.

First of all the thing was NOT assembled as he described. The front wheel wasn't even on, and the handlebars weren't in, the electronics were not assembled, can I go on? I was pissed to find out I had to become a motorcycle mechanic to get this thing running.

I called the guy and he played stupid-saying oh well most of them are assembled but once in awhile they run into one that is not.

So I spent the next several days assembling the piece of crap. I can't criticize the overall quality too much. All the metal parts, the engine, wheels, etc. all seemed manufactured to decent quality. Chinese or not, it actually seemed to be a decent bike. But I didn't know shit about scooters or motorcycles-and I've got to assemble this thing?

I plowed ahead despite the overwhelming obstacles. I assembled the steering column. screwed on various body parts and put the windshield and mirrors on. I figured out how to put the front wheel on with the brakes and odometer. It was finally together-but needless to say after dozens of hours of work I wasn't too confident about riding this thing into the sunset, much less on the freeway!

Well I started riding it on short jaunts around the neighborhood and noticed one major disconcerting fact-the throttle was kind of loose. More than that-when you twisted the throttle it took a long time for the bike to respond and it would just crank up all the sudden. So you couldn't ease up say from 10 to 10 mph-with this piece of crap it was 0 to 30 in a blink of an eye. Just seems unsafe.

OK not such a big deal. Figured I could take it to a scooter dealer and have their mechanic fix the throttle and check the carburator. But there was one problem. The dealer, national online scooters, has YET to send me the paperwork required to register the bike. Its been nearly a month. So assembled or not, myths about Chinese quality true or not, I can't register the bike or ride it legally on the street, much less sell it. I have contacted them 3 times already with the VIN of the bike and national online scooters just ignores me.

So I have a bit of advice about buying scooters:

If you can, its preferable to order from a local dealer. If they don't have the exact color/model you want, have them order it and have their mechanics assemble it for you. This is important for safety.
I have mixed feelings about the Chinese manufacture. Honestly it seems to be manufactured to reasonably high quality. That being said, if you can afford to buy a name brand (Honda, Yamaha, Vespa, or even Kymco) that is better than buying one of these no-names online.
Know your dealer. Especially if you buy online.

Finally, avoid national online scooters like the plague. Yeah they delivered the product, but where the hell is my paperwork, after dropping $1700?