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Alexo’s Motorium

Public Group active 5 months, 1 week ago

Post only interesting topics, photos or history of unique machines. You can stretch it to planes, boats and cars, but find a relevance to two wheeled vehicles. Let’s start the day off with something interesting!

First time riders (2 posts)

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  • Avatar Image alex said 6 months ago:

    I had an interesting conversation with a friend last night, who is interested in riding a scooter, a vintage one. She loves my Lambretta (who doesn’t!). So I directed her to the MSF, as well as the DMV handbook and becoming familiar with traffic laws, safety et al. She’s savvy, and has read the book, and as a teacher at Sac State, doesn’t have much time for MSF. She didn’t ask, but I started to think about letting her try the Rally 200 out. A bit too powerful… as I remembered my wife learning on it and pulling a wheelie (and riding it out, that was awesome!). Since then, she loves the Lambretta, and I think twice about loaning the Rally.

    I started to remember the handful of people I’ve helped with their first scooter rides. Some have ended in horror (I remember an old girlfriend who rode my first lambretta into a wall – yes, I still have the bent forks) but most with due success. I wonder if there are a few KEY differences in riding a scooter that most people overlook? I know for a fact that most throttle a scoot and pop the clutch, and the bike lurches, causing more throttle, and panic ensues, and a crash in imminent. I find that for me, first timers do much better on Lambrettas, as it’s hard to wheelie them, and starting in second gear is best. Oh, and before they ever ride a running bike, I end up pushing them around on the bike, so they get a good feel.

    Sidenote – I learned how to ride by answering ads for scooters. “you sure you know how to ride?” “oh yeah, been riding for years. Where are the gears? I’m used to the german bikes.” Haw!

    What’s your method? And, what’s the worst you’ve experienced?!

     

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  • Avatar Image said 5 months, 1 week ago:

    First, I’ll start by saying my wife hates scooterists. I think it’s something she has fun with. As in, whenever some random scooter whizzes by she always turns to me and asks, “Is that your friend?” Mostly I think she asks that just to make fun of my “only vintage” attitude; harassment I certainly deserve. This being said, I’ve let her ride my scooters as a marital exercise. I figure, if I can trust her enough to let her loose on a scooter I took 2 years to build, then maybe our marriage might make it through all the bumps.

    She had never driven a scooter before, however, she used to ride a little Kawasaki dirt bike when she was a little kid, and I felt good about her getting on my hopped up Vespa for a spin around the AT&T Park parking lot. After a few aborted runs (stalls, my forgetting to turn the fuel tap on, not telling her to never attempt to use the front brake on a vintage Vespa) she started to make complete loops of the lot. I would say, while the engine screamed in 1st gear, “Pull in the clutch and change to 2nd!” And she would pull in the clutch, the engine would go down to idle and she would cram it into 2nd. And then the bike would jump to a stop. Eventually, she had it in 3rd gear and was making 40 MPH circuits of the lot.

    This story is more about relationships: Me and my scooter, My wife and me, My wife and my scooter. And I think letting her ride my scooters (without too much hesitation before saying “yes”) has done more for us than anything has. Except the having sex part – I think that does a lot for us. The scooter part is a close 2nd.

    As far as a pointer for someone getting on a vintage scooter for the first time and learning? The best advice I can give is to get one and get on it.

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