Scooter Virgin (Slightly Petrified)

[yonigrrl]

I just brought my new Buddy 50 home. I thought I would be able to get on and ride with no problems, but I think I just discovered my fear of two wheeled things. Does anyone have advice for the new rider? Was anyone else scared their first time, or am I just a wussy?

[mandelia]

stick to (empty) parking lots and side streets for the first couple of days. practice turning - the tighter, the better. get into the habit of "looking through the turn", i.e. don't look down (where you are), but ahead (where you want to end up).

i had never ridden anything on two wheels except a bicycle when i got the buddy. with a little practice, i was riding to work in a few days.

congrats on the purchase, welcome to the club, be safe and have a blast! you're gonna love it!

[Drumwoulf]

I just brought my new Buddy 50 home. I thought I would be able to get on and ride with no problems, but I think I just discovered my fear of two wheeled things. Does anyone have advice for the new rider? Was anyone else scared their first time, or am I just a wussy?

Join the Scooter Divas forum. It's mostly for women (although men are welcome too). There's actually a sub-forum there called "Scooter Virgins" where female newbies share their experiences...

[KidDynomite]

Don't forget to lean for a turn and not turn the actual handlebars. Even though you have a 50cc, study for and take the written part of the motorcycle liscense. You'll learn alot of very important info in the process.

[gt1000]

I just brought my new Buddy 50 home. I thought I would be able to get on and ride with no problems, but I think I just discovered my fear of two wheeled things. Does anyone have advice for the new rider? Was anyone else scared their first time, or am I just a wussy?

Perhaps you can be a bit more specific about what's scaring you before we try to provide advice? Are you scared of operational type things like accelerating, braking and cornering (and, of course, falling) or is it more a fear of everything on 4 wheels that's surrounding you? Or maybe all of the above?

If it's operational, the best advice is to practice technique on a closed course, like a parking lot. If it's surroundings, I'd recommend that you carefully plan your early excursions into traffic. Steer clear of multi-lane roads with lots of traffic and instead stick to side streets or neighborhood streets. When you're first starting out the number of decisions you have to process while riding in heavy traffic can be overwhelming. If it's "all of the above" work on technique in a closed course first and then start venturing out into light traffic areas.

All things considered, if you're an absolute newbie, your best bet is to invest in an MSF class before doing anything on your own. If you want to ride, it's the best money you'll ever spend.

[yonigrrl]

Well, I have only practiced a few times on my street. I live on a dead end where very few cars travel. But yes, my fear is about the actual operation of the scooter.

I had a little too much coffee this morning on top of no sleep but I think my jitters are subsiding a little bit. I'm just going to get back on it and practice.

This experience is a little test to see if I can face my fears. I was scared to death of motorcycles as a child, (my father had one) and I broke my femur when I was 9 which put me in a body cast for a few months. So, I think this may be more psychological than anything.

[Tbone]

My first day of scootering (June 11th) was pure adrenaline mixed with fear and excitement!!!

I've read Modern Buddy and Modern Vespa for...about 2 months prior to getting the scooter.

I bought Proficient Motorcycling by David Hough

I read the CA motorcycle book online and when I got close to taking the written test the booklet itself.

I also found this site INVALUABLE!
http://msf-usa.org/downloads/Scooter_tips-screen.pdf

It's been 7 days of commute riding for me. Only 1/2 a day of testing things out. I rode around the neighborhood for like an hour just practicing stops, turning left, turning right. Checking my mirrors, checking my blind spot(by turning my head!) looking ahead for cars/kids/people/dogs out of the side streets. I then spent some time scooting on a residential street that connects to a main street. Went around that a few times.

Everyday I suit up to ride the excitement and fear are still there. The ratio changes though. The fear is present. Personally for me, it helps keep me sharp and focused! I started a thread on here about my thoughts as a new rider. Check that out. Post your own experience/thoughts and all there as well, please!
topic1704.html

[lobsterman]

I just brought my new Buddy 50 home. I thought I would be able to get on and ride with no problems, but I think I just discovered my fear of two wheeled things. Does anyone have advice for the new rider? Was anyone else scared their first time, or am I just a wussy?

I was scared s***less the first time I rode my Buddy on a real road. My previous two wheel experience consisted of bicycles and a 15 minute scooter tutorial in a college parking lot.

It will pass. Practice, practice, practice. Take the MSF Basic Rider class as soon as you can. Practice more, ride around, you'll do fine.

[beelzebubbles]

I agree with the previous comment. Just keep riding. Try to ride every day if you can. It doesn't matter how short, even just around the block is OK. Eventually, your fear will be replaced by excitement, and you'll say to yourself "I can handle this block, I'll go around TWO blocks!!!" And the next time, maybe you'll try a trip to the local store.

The cool thing about starting out is that doing the mundane things (like going to work, going shopping, etc.) becomes very exciting. It was that way for me when I first got my scooter. Even 20mph seemed very fast as the road sped by (tip: look straight ahead, and far enough to spot any danger - as they said in my motorcycle school: SEE - Search, Evaluate and Execute (your actions)). Now I could go 40-50mph and it doesn't seem like crazy speed.

If you can't head to motorcycle school (you probably can do the school on an automatic scooter if you don't want to mess with shifting - it makes the class a lot easier), I'd at least get a book or two on safe motorcycle riding. There are many out there, most of them are good. Good luck!

[yonigrrl]

Thank you all so much. I love this site and I love my new Buddy. My girlfriend is scooting around the neighborhood as I am typing. She took to it like a fish to water.

[un_designer]

Like others have said before me, the MSF course is absolutely worth it, even if you're riding a 50cc scooter. Check to make sure that the class will have a scooter for you to use (don't use your own scooter, because the class is where you can practice and try techniques in a safe environment, so should you drop the scooter it shouldn't be your own).

You could just practice on your own or with friends, but the lessons you learn in the class will make you a safer rider and I can't say enough good things about it, but here goes:

1) You'll be exposed to scenarios and issues that you never would have considered before. I bicycle all over and consider myself pretty streetsmart about these things, but it's not entirely the same because you don't have the option to just opt-out as easily when on a scooter and occupying a space in traffic with 3000lb vehicles.

2) You'll learn about the little nuances about the scooter and why it feels "unstable" and how it's different from a car. Turning, for instance, is a completely different experience than in a car. Many things you take for granted with a car goes right out the door. I call this the "being-one-with-your-scooter" ephiphany. Being able to learn and practice this in a safe environment is extremely helpful in building your confidence, as well as making you a better/safer rider.

3) Prevent bad habits before they form. That alone is worth the money. Having a coach explain exactly what you're doing wrong and how to correct it is just... awesome. It'll save you a lot of headache down the road, and possibly save your life. One thing that's great about the buddy is that it is incredibly easy to ride, but that's also a dangerous proposition as it can build up a false sense of confidence. So, to have the opportunity to "test out" all those pitfalls and learn the proper technique.. is ace

ok that was a long rant i hope it helped. and enjoy your scooter!!

[megaterium]

What the others said.....practice on side streets and the MSF course is invaluable. I had a rough few first weeks, won't mention scary events but I got through them (unharmed, mainly because I was careful and stuck to side streets/parking lots until I had more experience) and am now commuting and LOVE the Buddy! 400+ miles on it in a month and a week and can't wait for more! I still have a bit of fear (good I think) but talk to myself a bit during commutes, gives me some encouragement.
Have FUN!!!

[Elm Creek Smith]

I was scared my first time and so was she... Oh! You mean riding a scooter!

Nevermind.

ECS

[Keys]

Kent,

You old dog, you!

--Keys

[Sparky]

Some MSF chapters teach scooter-specific riding classes. There aren't a path to get a motorcycle endorsement. They're simplified versions of the Beginner's Riding Course adapted to automatic scooter riding for those riding 50cc bikes. They're not long--about a day--and are probably less crowded than the BRC classes.

[polianarchy]

I was totally scared, and I still have my barriers to overcome. Like, I won't do a long ride by myself...yet.

Pinky T was my first scooter ever, but I'd wanted one for years and years. That's what got me through it. Also, I got over my fears by wearing as much protective gear as possible. I got a fullface helmet, two different pairs of steel-toed boots, a thick leather jacket, thick jeans, riding gloves, etc. I felt much safer when properly attired. As many other people pointed out, the most important thing is to practice as much as possible. Take a class, get the scooter shop to help you, or go it alone...but PRACTICE. Hopefully soon enough, you'll enjoy it!

Good luck, and happy trails.

[Fueldrum]

Assume every car and driver on the road is aiming for you personally and you'll be just fine.

Oh, and take the MSF course.

[codemonkey]

The MSF course does wonders for your confidence. I totally wiped out my first time on my scooter. I signed up for the class that day.

[pugbuddy]

I'll be picking up my scooter this Saturday and will test ride it home (via neighborhood streets). That'll be my first ride so I'm a bit edgy. In the meantime I'm reading as much as I can and trying to get into the right "mindset" to ride it safely. I almost expect to take a spill on the way so I'm planning on keeping to a 10-20 mph speed. It should be interesting.

When it comes down to it, the only way to conquer your fear is to get on the buddy and ride! I'm fortunate in that I have a large parking area (fairgrounds) right across from my house so I'll be practicing there. Sadly, the MSF course is full until Fall and I don't have an extra $200 to spend on it anyway. I hope to get as much practice as possible and by mid-July be riding my Buddy everywhere! We'll see how it goes.

All that to say, you're not the only one with first time jitters!

[Tbone]

Pug, hit up that link I put in a post earlier. Print out some of the exercises to practice. The instructor from my MSF course last night was glad I decided to use their manual motorcycles but asked if I had come across that manual.

He highly recomended once
A. My scooter gets repaired and is re-ridable
B. I use those exercises to practice many of the same things we'll be doing in class on the manual bikes but to work it with the auto-transmission engine, both hands braking skills.

As a former music teacher said, practice performance! Get it in the muscles so it's 2nd nature for when you need to do a quick stop, or a swerve and stop...etc...

[pugbuddy]

I'm ahead of you there, TBone! I've gone over the manual but until I get my Scooter, I'm a bit hamstrung! I found out that someone tipped it over in the dealership so they ordered new panels (the originals got scratched) and Genuine sent the wrong colors! So they've ordered them again and hopefully, I'll get my Scoot next week. The dealership has been very nice and mentioned giving me something to make up for it....