picking up my new scoot tomorrow

[lindsey]

so, i own a dogwalking biz and decided a scoot would be a great thing to have for zipping around the city.
sidenote: get this...
i bought the orange 125 scoot today and had to leave the dealership to go take care of some work stuff. told them i'd be back later to take it home. about 2 hours later i get a phone call - their delivery truck backed up and ran over my scoot! that is SO my life. a new one will be there for me tomorrow. the folks at scooterworks on damen in chicago are super-nice, helpful, honest. they're giving me a free trunk-thingie for the trouble.

anyway.

i'm posting cuz i'm... well... nervous. how easy is it to drive the buddy 125? i have never operated anything close to a motorcycle in my life, so i'm a little freaked out. at what point does one feel like they are totally comfortable and in control when driving?

[Dibber]

The best medicine is to ride, ride and ride somemore. Before you know it, the scooter will be 2nd nature to you. I have had at least a 1/2 dozen motorcycle and only 1 scooter and the scooter handled quite different from any of my motorcycle. However, I don't think I'll ever own another motorcycle after owning my Buddy 125. They are awsome to ride and actually very theraputic as well. Good luck and enjoy the ride.

[lindsey]

awesome. thank you.

[scooterz]

congrats, on your new Buddy!! I just paid for mine today and know the excitement!! Just sorry that the other got run over! OUCH!! It sounds like the dealer is really cool!! Again, I hope you enjoy it and it all works out for you!!

[whonozz]

at what point does one feel like they are totally comfortable and in control when driving?

That point comes just before a car on a side street 30 yards in front of you pulls out as if you were invisible.

Never get "totally comfortable" in city traffic and you'll probably be "in control".

That said, now just go have some fun!!!!!!

[metty]

Congrats on the new scoot and you will be as ease in about a week. Like someone else said just get out and ride and watch everyone on he road and anticipate everything that is moving around you. Get the motorcycle license book and read it. There is good safety advice in it. Also think about taking a class. Main thing is have fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[lindsey]

yes, the "invisibility" thing freaks me out! hopefully the orange color will make that a bit less of an issue...
thanks for the tips.

[whonozz]

yes, the "invisibility" thing freaks me out! hopefully the orange color will make that a bit less of an issue...
thanks for the tips.

I didn't mean to scare you. Just stay extra aware of the surroundings, which will become second nature very quickly, and the fear thing will subside.

Scootin' around is one of the most fun things you'll do with your clothes on.

[jaded]

Take the MSF course.
Good luck.

[lindsey]

yes, the "invisibility" thing freaks me out! hopefully the orange color will make that a bit less of an issue...
thanks for the tips.

I didn't mean to scare you. Just stay extra aware of the surroundings, which will become second nature very quickly, and the fear thing will subside.

Scootin' around is one of the most fun things you'll do with your clothes on.

[lindsey]

totally - thank you!

[altair]

Ride around in the parking lot for a bit before you take it onto a street that has any cars. Churches and graveyards are both good for this. Get familiar with the different controls (like the blinkers). Make sure your mirrors are adjusted and all of your gear is set, then ride home.

Oh, also make sure the dealer shows you how to operate everything from opening the underseat compartment to putting the scooter on the center stand. All of the other suggestions are good too. Lastly, have fun!

[diane]

i have never operated anything close to a motorcycle in my life, so i'm a little freaked out. at what point does one feel like they are totally comfortable and in control when driving?

i have to echo jaded who said to take the MSF course. you will learn things in that class that can (and will) save your life. it's not real cheap (around $200) but i promise you it is worth every penny. you will learn what to do when you encounter objects and hazards in the road, how to swerve correctly, how to handle turns, how to brake suddenly without dumping the bike, and so much more.

riding any two-wheeled vehicle is a responsibility to yourself and others on the road. the MSF class will give you confidence in your abilities as well as skills that are crucial to riding.

once you have taken the class, i would suggest practicing and never pushing yourself too far out of your comfort zone.

a great deal of damage can be done on a scooter; to the scooter, to others on the road and to yourself. you will have a lot more fun riding if you know you are doing it safely and are learning good habits.

i cannot stress enough how important i think the MSF class is!!!

[Tbone]

http://msf-usa.org/downloads/Scooter_tips-screen.pdf

Before you take the MSF Basic Rider Course, read this document!

The first 50 pages talks to you about scootering. The last 20 pages are exercises to practice with your scooter at an empty parking lot near you.

Many of the things you'll work on are similar to the exercises you'll take during the MSF.

I didn't see you mention anything about gear. The MSF course requires:
A DOT approved helmet
Eye Protection
Gloves that cover the wrist
Long sleeve shirt or Jacket (Motorcycle Jacket)
Long pants
shoes that cover the ankles

This list is known as ATGATT All The Gear All The Time.

Many in the community like the look of Corazzo jackets
www.corazzo.net I like them but too much $$$ for me.
You may find great deals at www.notnewenough.com and or www.motorcyclecloseouts.com

CONGRATS ON THE SCOOTER!!!

It's easy to control. It's fun BUT you have to feel comfortable operating it. Practice stops, turns (left and Right) Cars or "Cagers" as we derogatorily refer to them tend to not see you...ever! So you need to be on hyper vigilance as to what the cars around you are doing. Do NOT stay in anyone's blind spot!

viewtopic.php?t=1704&highlight=observations
here's a thread I created about my experience including my crash 1 day before I started the MSF course! That was 11 days after owning the bike.

viewtopic.php?t=1774&highlight=observations
Here's a thread that Vincent started along the same lines (Forgot if he crashed or not!)

viewtopic.php?t=1670&highlight=observations

There's some other great threads. If you use the search tool with the term Observations it pulls up all of these and some more.

[gt1000]

Holy crap, is this piling on or what? Is it just me or is this site sometimes "too helpful". Sometimes, all the suggestions start to feel like homework.

[Dennis Abrams]

Not to join in on the general piling on, but I, too, strongly suggest that you take the MSF class.

I just got my scooter about two weeks ago, and had taken the class about three weeks before that. Before taking the class, I have to admit that I was a bit nervous about taking a scooter out on the open road, but after taking the class, I felt comfortable enough with my skills (and knew enough that I still didn't know enough to be totally comfortable) to enjoy the whole scooter experience.

Take the class, and drive safe.

[Tbone]

Holy crap, is this piling on or what? Is it just me or is this site sometimes "too helpful". Sometimes, all the suggestions start to feel like homework.

Since compiling all my research I've kept a lot of things handy/bookmarked.