coupla questions....

[shadmock]

1) as i drive home from work, i have been more aware of motorcyclists and scooterists....as i sit at the red lights, a motorcycle will usually pull up to the front by splitting the lanes. now i am wondering what you do in a situation where you have another bike coming up from behind you as you split lanes approaching the (red) light...maybe even as you are patiently waiting there for the light to change (with left leg down)?

2) this is about Los Angeles city regulations...does anyone know about parking your scooter on a (wide) sidewalk? there is a nice sidewalk in front of my apt. with a light pole that would be great to chain my scooter to..( i have no parking lot...ol' school building!)....any advice?

thank you to everyone who has been answering my questions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-sean

[vitaminC]

1) as i drive home from work, i have been more aware of motorcyclists and scooterists....as i sit at the red lights, a motorcycle will usually pull up to the front by splitting the lanes. now i am wondering what you do in a situation where you have another bike coming up from behind you as you split lanes approaching the (red) light...maybe even as you are patiently waiting there for the light to change (with left leg down)?

If the light is red and you are stopped, then they'll just have to wait behind you! If you're splitting while going through moving traffic and you feel they want to get around you, just pull into traffic and let them go around, then resume splitting as before....

[ericalm]

1) as i drive home from work, i have been more aware of motorcyclists and scooterists....as i sit at the red lights, a motorcycle will usually pull up to the front by splitting the lanes. now i am wondering what you do in a situation where you have another bike coming up from behind you as you split lanes approaching the (red) light...maybe even as you are patiently waiting there for the light to change (with left leg down)?

2) this is about Los Angeles city regulations...does anyone know about parking your scooter on a (wide) sidewalk? there is a nice sidewalk in front of my apt. with a light pole that would be great to chain my scooter to..( i have no parking lot...ol' school building!)....any advice?

thank you to everyone who has been answering my questions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-sean

As fas as other 2-wheelers while lane splitting, they usually either wait their turn or pull next to you when the light changes. But usually, they will pull up between other lanes or pull next to you instead of just coming up from behind. I won't pull up between lanes unless I'm pretty confident that I'll be the first one out and across the intersection. Very few things will beat the Buddy off the line, though!

Technically, there's no parking on public sidewalks in LA but you do see it pretty often. I also see a lot of people getting tickets for doing it, particularly those who park on the street side of the sidewalk. I definitely wouldn't chain a scoot there overnight. A couple weeks ago, some of the Reflections members (including a ModernBuddy member )got tickets for the first time at their regular meeting spot in Los Feliz. So there are no sure things. In practice, it depends on where in the city you are and where you park. If you can tuck off the main street on the side of a building, you're usually okay. If I'm just popping in somewhere, yeah, sometimes I'll park on the sidewalk if it doesn't create an obstruction.

If you don't have a parking lot, is there a covered porch with a column or any place in the back you can park? You'll definitely want as much coverage and as close to the apartment as possible. Scoots do get stolen in LA. I have parked in my office a couple of times. Maybe you could just make space in the living room?

[shadmock]

thank you(s) for the advice on spilt-lane sharing...i'm going to be taking it nice and slow for the first coupla weeks....i don't want to perform any two wheeler faux pauxs, though.

on the subject of parking, i only have the street...and it's a street in echo park, so i will probably get one of those front wheel locks with the bungie cord....and a gi-normous chain with pit bulls attached for added effect ....actually i'm going to see if there's an insurance co. that has theft covered, just in case my methods of security get solved!

[ericalm]

Most insurance companies do cover theft, but they'll ask where you keep your scoot overnight. If it's not locked in a garage (er, if you don't tell them that), expect a higher premium.

[x-mojito50mod]

Yeah that was me who got the ticket! It's considered a motorcycle (registered with a license plate), and you cannot park a registered vehicle on the sidewalk...straight from the mouth of Mr. Parking Gestapo. However, if the sidewalk has a grass area between the sidewalk and street, and there's a pole to lock it to on said grass, go for it.

As far as lane splitting, I have had a sport-bike come up behind me in the split lane, revving and being impatient waiting for the light to turn. I thought to myself, "should I move over a bit, and let Mr. Rocket go?" My answer: "Nah, I was here first...he can wait." The funniest part was I went like hell off the line, moved into my lane in front of the cagers, and he pulled up in the lane next to me at the next light. He flips up his face shield and says, "Damn, that little thing moves! You had me until second." If anyone does this, I would just hold your ground and then shock them!

[hermitgirl]

As far as lane splitting, I have had a sport-bike come up behind me in the split lane, revving and being impatient waiting for the light to turn. I thought to myself, "should I move over a bit, and let Mr. Rocket go?" My answer: "Nah, I was here first...he can wait." The funniest part was I went like hell off the line, moved into my lane in front of the cagers, and he pulled up in the lane next to me at the next light. He flips up his face shield and says, "Damn, that little thing moves! You had me until second." If anyone does this, I would just hold your ground and then shock them!

SO many people are shocked at the speed of the Buddy. It's great and frustrating at the same time.

And wait...you can split lanes (in CA of course) while in moving traffic, not just at red lights?? Or am I reading this incorrectly (very late...long day...sleepy...)?

[vitaminC]

And wait...you can split lanes (in CA of course) while in moving traffic, not just at red lights?? Or am I reading this incorrectly (very late...long day...sleepy...)?

Of course! The general "rule" is that traffic should not be going more than ~20mph, and you should not exceed the flow of traffic by ~10mph. However, there are plenty of folks that split lanes at 70+ mph, but that won't be an issue with the Buddy! Of course, the faster you're going, the more you need to be paying attention to what's going on around you...

From the CHP FAQ:

Can motorcycle riders "split" lanes and ride between other vehicles?

Lane splitting by motorcycles is permissible but must be done in a safe and prudent manner.

And a bit more here

[Keys]

Yeah, the speed of the Buddy is a mixed blessing...I'm FOREVER having people pull out in front of me based on the assumption that I can't possibly be doing more than 35 mph. Or, basing their actions on the same assumption, just pull into my lane without looking because it doesn't occur to them that I'm actually right beside them instead of behind them. Be VERY vigilant or they'll get ya!

--Keys

[ericalm]

The thing with lane splitting in CA is that it's actually in a kind of weird legal grey area. From what I understand, it's allowed because there are no state laws forbidding it; nowhere in the transportation code does it make "legal" to split lanes or provide any kind of provisions for how it should be done. Various law enforcement agencies have their own policies regarding lane splitting, but they're as vague as "safe and prudent" and can be interpreted as officers see fit. So there are no hard and fast rules for legality, you could be riding 5 mph faster than traffic that's at a near standstill and still get a ticket. You can ride up between stopped cars at a light and get a ticket. But this rarely happens.

I'm more concerned with safety than legality when doing it, and have my own rules for when, where and how I'll split a lane. The key thing, especially in LA, is to not jump into it: Get comfortable riding and very familiar with the Buddy and how it accelerates, brakes and moves, and give yourself time to develop your "scooter sense." That won't always save you from a crash, but no amount of experience and preparation will make you invulnerable.

[ScooterDave]

Yeah, the speed of the Buddy is a mixed blessing...I'm FOREVER having people pull out in front of me based on the assumption that I can't possibly be doing more than 35 mph. Or, basing their actions on the same assumption, just pull into my lane without looking because it doesn't occur to them that I'm actually right beside them instead of behind them. Be VERY vigilant or they'll get ya!

That is why I wear steel toed boots & leather gloves when I ride. I tend to kick doors and smack side view mirrors to wake people up when they do stupid things and not paying attention.

[vitaminC]

That is why I wear steel toed boots & leather gloves when I ride. I tend to kick doors and smack side view mirrors to wake people up when they do stupid things and not paying attention.

I hope you're joking, though I know some people actually seem to think that is reasonable behavior.

[ScooterDave]

I hope you're joking, though I know some people actually seem to think that is reasonable behavior.

Not only is it reasonable, it is life saving. When I am riding down the road and someone decides they are going to come over on me and my only option is to move into oncoming traffic, a kick to the door is a wakeup that the lane is currently occupied.

To have a car pull away from a meter spot right infront of me while I am driving, I have swatted mirrors as I swerved around them. Maybe they will look twice before they pull out again.

Maybe you have never gone to the emergency room because a car made a stupid move. I have. I give people in cars as much respect as they give me and if they almost cause me to go down due to just not paying attention, I let them know it.

Maybe you would behave differently in a life or death situation, and that is your choice. That is the way I roll.

Dave

[vitaminC]

Well, having been on the recieving end of such antics while in my car (after moving out of the guys way, no less), I can tell you that the "red mist" descended over me and it was very hard to resist using my car as a weapon. Kicking doors, slapping mirrors, and otherwise potentially causing damage to someone elses property is not going to "teach" them anything other than people that ride two-wheelers are maniacs and should not be treated with respect. And doing so to the wrong person could certainly get you sent back to the ER (or worse).

When you ride a small vehicle which most people don't look for (and can easily miss even when looking), the burden is on you to get noticed and read the traffic, not rely on others to always be on the lookout for you. Are you wearing visible colors? Protective gear? Or do you blend into the background with all-black gear?

Perhaps you should consider an airhorn instead? Or perhaps a pen and paper to note the license plates and pass on the info to the police? That's what I'd be doing if you smacked my vehicle.

Ride safe.