Comments on: Take Scooters seriously?

By: LoveAllWheels

LoveAllWheels — Sat, 09 May 2009 11:48:15 +0000

I currently have 3 cars (C63, X3, 135i), a scooter (Piaggio MP3 400), and a bike (Ducati Monster 1100). I love everything that has a wheel whether it is 2, 3 or 4 wheels as evident with what I own. I spend 50% of my time on 2/3 wheels and 50% of my time on 4 wheels so I feel I am more than qualified to comment.

I think Genie hit it on the nail on a number of fronts on his comments. The unfortunate truth is that many scooter riders are not well versed with bike safety compared to bike riders. As a frequent reader of a scooter forum, it alarms me with many people’s attitute towards cars and car drivers. It also alarms me to see people riding around with little more than a work suit (bike riders are just as bad in summer months when you see idiots in their shorts and singlet).

Bottom line is, there is a place for both 2 and 4 wheels (and 3). I have a wife and a baby, and I can’t take them with me on my bikes so I have to use the car. Likewise when I go shopping that is beyond the basic groceries. But if i was alone, and it isn’t pouring, nothing beats taking the bike. But if I need a bit of convenience for storage and I need more wind protection, I take the scooter. As I said, they all have their place.

By: Genie

Genie — Fri, 08 May 2009 08:40:25 +0000

Reggie, what the hell, hero? Glad you like your scooter, but you still prove my point. You need a car for those few things that you can’t fit on a bike/scooter, and obviously you never take more than yourself or your missus anywhere. For all the other trips, like going to work each morning, yeah a bike is great. I friggin love my bike and riding, I’m just trying to work out what your problem is? Come out for a riding day sometime, with that attitude you’ll get your head kicked in within the hour. Even long time bikers don’t hate ‘cagers’ that much, because sometimes we are one. Use your riding to make sure your a better driver. Just remember you’re just as vulnerable as MC riders on the road, so at least wear some gear on your scooter, a turtle neck jumper and skivvy aren’t going to protect you in a 80km/hr stack.

By: Reggie

Reggie — Fri, 08 May 2009 07:04:58 +0000

Saleman and Genie,
…what a wad of baby batter you lot are…remember its only the 4 wheelers,(or cagers) that cause traffic problems, that DONT require registered tuition to obtain their licence to kill…I was a prez of a car club and thought I had it knocked till I got my MC licence…It showed me I knew sh1t about my road craft skills.
As for riding one to work!? yup I do.. 55ks each way ..down a freeway at legal speed..don’t knock it till you try it..and the missus has a cage for work, so when we go out , its the cage. I can also get a 9kg bag of dog food under the seat of my scoot, so about 4 bags of shopping and that dont count the top box where a full face helmet and gloves get stowed when not in use(something that most MCs miss out on unless its one of those hulking big things, then you may as well be in a cage!).

It should be law that anyone within a 25km radius of a capital city should only be allowed to have a scooter and their cages should be stashed at a Kennards for weekend use only(at their expense of course!)

By: ScootToDare

ScootToDare — Fri, 08 May 2009 06:44:35 +0000

Gee, you guys are seriously frustrated. The reason that our roads are unsafe is because of drivers with attitudes like these. I feel much more confident and a lot safer on my scoot than in a car. Some points such as riders lane splitting and not wearing gear is right, and is not what me or other I know riding do, but I could write pages of bad car drivers habits. Get yourselves out of your cages and onto two wheels.

By: Smithy

Smithy — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 05:35:39 +0000

People need to harden up, be sensible and take an educated risk and ride a scooter. There are so many people out there scared of hurting themselves and their kids and driving rediculous 4 wheel drives which are bad for the environment, bad for the poor people that they end up crashing into who are driving smaller cars and they are also a complete waste of money!! If these people were all riding scooters they would have a lot more money to spend on themselves and the world would be cleaner and greener. Take a chance and ride a scooter, you’ll be fine!!

By: rotaroutascootahooter

rotaroutascootahooter — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 07:22:55 +0000

I’ve rode motorbikes since I was 11yo, that gives me 28 years of riding experience, I’m sure there are people out there saying big deal, I have 50 years experience or something, but I think 28 years qualifies me to comment. I have raced enduro bikes from 250 to 500 class, I have owned a brand new 2000 Fat Boy 1450, 2001 Hayabusa 1300, 2004 Fireblade 1000 and many more. I now own a advertising scooter business and put around all day on a VS 125 scooter. BIG DEAL, nothing makes me sicker than someone thinking they are above being seen on a scooter, get over yourselves for one second, by the way SALESMAN, I am a self respecting Aussie bloke as you put it, I have 4 kids and a wife, I go to work every day on a scooter, but according to you, I SHOULD PUT TO DEATH BECAUSE I RIDE A SCOOTER? Let me fill in all you Einsteins out there with the same mentality as the almighty SALESMAN. Scooters are economical, reliable, cheap to buy and fun to ride. I am now about to purchase a 2009 FAT BOY thanks to my scooters. I do very much agree with Genie though, the road does not get softer just because you ride a scooter, it is compulsory for all my staff to wear a minimum of helmet, jacket, gloves, jeans and appropriate footwear, as all motorbike/scooter riders should.

By: Genie

Genie — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:53:57 +0000

You’re all too right SteveC, no amount of rider training will eliminate the risk of someone elses mistake potentially altering your life forever. For riding to be safer the attitude of all road users would have to change. I remember reading that motorcyclists are statistically the safest car drivers, due to the many defensive riding skills you have to learn to survive, most of which you can apply whilst driving. Maybe if everyone was made to do a basic rider course as part of a learning to drive a car that would at least create more awareness of riders on the road. Probably not practical, but even if only 10% of people understood how well a motorbike can fit in a blind spot before they changed lanes without a head check rather than after they have hit them, then the road would a lot safer, for everyone.

By: SteveC

SteveC — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 11:32:18 +0000

I too was a very experienced motorcyclist. It was more a part of my life than you could imagine. It wasn’t in my blood, it was and still is my blood.

Unfortunately, no amount of advanced training in the world can make you less prone to being in a collision with any other vehicle on the road. When someone does something stupid and you have 100th of a second to respond, by the time you do, you’ll probably already be in the ambulance.

I love biking, I’d never knock it over driving. My injuries from my accident were a lot worse than some of you have mentioned. So you would think I would. But the one thing that stops me from riding at the moment (besides money) is knowing all too well that someone up the road might not see you coming because they ran a red, failed to turn their head when changing lanes, etc. And that really makes it difficult when in 1 second your life can go from high-flyer head mechanic for an awesome race team to being in a coma, not being able to walk for 12 months and being a total miracle that you can be here today posting a silly comment an a car blog.

If riding is to be made safer, then everyone’s attitude on the road has to change.

I only ride on tracks now. And enjoy a career in IT. But I’m trying to edge my way into this site so I can review some cars and other vehicles.

Oh, and scooters. Didn’t anyone tell you guys at CA. They’re like fat chicks. Fun to ride, until your mates cach you on one.

SteveC

By: Realcars

Realcars — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 05:50:04 +0000

What about all the factory workers on their petrol assisted bush bikes.LOL

By: Realcars

Realcars — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 05:48:17 +0000

Need a Luxury Scooter Tax to cover costs associated with hospitalisation.

By: Fourwheelbikie

Fourwheelbikie — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 05:07:30 +0000

What a great idea! Imagine the deaths of so many half wits. I think this suggestion is worthy of a Darwin award. Spend money on an extra ‘vehicle’, that exposes you to the weather as well as death or serious injury and cannot carry the weekly shopping. This is an idea worthy of a politician! Let the VACC rue!

By: greenmatt

greenmatt — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 01:25:40 +0000

The real thing I hate about scooter riders is their lane splitting. I can get sport bike riders doing it as they get off the mark quickly and get out of the way. Scooters however are slower than the average car and block traffic flow as they bumble over our shocking roads as they obliviously put down the road. The pictured Vectrix though looks pretty decent and is quick off the mark, shame it is so expensive.

By: The Salesman

The Salesman — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 01:10:02 +0000

Thanks Mat, I fear my point on rider training wasn’t thought trough. More to the point, no matter how much training or how skilled you are accidents happen. I am sorry for the loss of your friend. All other things aside I simply prefer the protection offered by four wheels.

By: Watto_Cobra

Watto_Cobra — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 01:09:14 +0000

I have a registered DR-Z400. It now rarely sees tar twice a year because I’ve had a couple of close calls with cars pulling out in front of me, following too close, or just plain not seeing me.

There’s a chance of getting cleaned up no matter how alert/good you are. I’m only talking about a small city like Albury/Wodonga, I’d hate to see what Melbourne is like to ride in.

Now the bike is used exclusively for camping trips.

By: Mat

Mat — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:13:27 +0000

Salesman with all due respect to you, “extensive experience” “riding on a farm”… sorry do not always add up to someone actually being a “skilled” rider. Taking nothing away from your accident, I lost a friend in much the same way on the M5 several years ago because of a run away dog caused a car to swerve and collected my friend at 110km/h… a no win situation. But to say that rider training would not reduce accidents / make for better riders is totally contradictory to everything that this and many other motor enthusiast sites promote… that driver/rider training improves skills, awareness and develops reactions that are benefitial to the operator of the vehicle in an emergency, rather then detrimental. I try to do advanced rider training on a annual basis and every time I get better and learn something that I have either become slack in, or did not know and hopefully will make my reactions instinctive in an emergency and potentially life saving.

By: The Salesman

The Salesman — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 22:35:14 +0000

I had an accident nine years ago on a road bike that left me with a separated a/c joint, broken thumb and i have on going knee problem, a dog darted across the road in front of my while doing 70kph, my motorbike experience is extensive as a lad I grew up on a farm. So please don’t tell me you would be a better rider if the training programs were more intense. If one of my sons grew up to be a bike rider I would be very concerned. Bikes have their place and i think that is on a track. In saying that every one is initialed to their own opinion.

By: Mat

Mat — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 21:35:27 +0000

Alan,

But that is in part the point, with more motorcycles and scooters part of the biggest fatality aspect of falling off a bike is greatly reduced… that is hitting the large lump of 4 wheel metal going in the opposite/same direction or telegraph pole/armco fence (different issue there). I have never fallen off on the rd (touch wood) but I have come off on a racetrack sevral times over the last 20 or so years of riding both street and dirt at speeds well in excess of 60km/h. As Genie and I have said, with the right gear on, 60km/h is extremely surviveable with minimal to no injury. Also the stats for scooter fatalities in Asia… better not look at those… for the very reason I list above, wearing of protective clothing is almost non existent and I can tell you the figures of serious and fatal injury in Asia are not pretty, 40km/h speeds or not!

By: Alan

Alan — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:49:08 +0000

Personally i think it’s too dangerous to ride a scooter in Australia. In many Asian countries, scooters are very popular and all over the road, yet due to the heavy congestion leading to lower vehicle speed (something like 30-40km/h), accidents tend to be quite minor and non life threatning. Whereas here in Australia, with the exception of peak hour traffic, we drive around at 60km/h for the majority of the time. Imagine having a crash in a scooter at 50/60km/h.

By: Andrew M

Andrew M — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 09:46:09 +0000

Genie,
fair comment on switching off causing the accidents.

stats prove you are most likely to crash on a straight road or close to home.

i only buy manuals myself because it feels like you are actually driving it

By: Genie

Genie — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 09:37:54 +0000

Andrew M I think part of the problem is that in a car you really can just switch off, especially if you have an auto, and I think that inattentiveness is what causes a lot of accidents. On a bike the desire for self-preservation is a remarkable concentration aid. Having said that, I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who simply will never possess the skill to safely control a motorcycle/scooter ever, no matter how hard they try. Thats where a revamped and more thorough learner riding course would come in by weeding those people out.