Modern Vespa

I have a sweet little Rosso Dragon '08 Vespa LX50 named Jolene. Years ago I road her around a little beach town while vacationing in Maine. Since returning to the Bay Area she has sat. While she looks fabulous, I've gotten rusty. I'm heading to DMV tomorrow for a permit but I want to better understand how to treat her, maneuver her in this busy city (with a full helmet on) and maybe find a good motorcycle class. I look forward to learning from you!

Welcome to MV. Very nice intro. We have a lovely group of folks on this board.

Welcome to MV ckswans! Glad you found us. We love pics and please be sure to dive right in. Posting is good!

Jet

Thank you very much! MV has already been super helpful. I just signed up for a Motorcyclists Training Course that starts in a couple weeks thanks to a post I read here.

Welcome to MV. The course should be a great help to you.

And MV is a great place to get advice and entertained in the meantime.

Welcome from The Salt Lake Valley in Utah. Have a blast & be safe.

Welcome from a Bay Area transplant! I'm jealous that you can ride all of those lovely San Andreas created, oak encrusted, redwood dampened, fog shrowded twisties.

Welcome to MV, ckswans! And if you ever get tired of riding through all that bliss, come on over to the east coast and revel in our splendor! We are always happy to share our abundance of poorly-maintained toll roads, surly, distracted drivers and obscene traffic-volume!

Glad you wear a full helmet, not one of them "chin-removers"... hope you also wear the rest of the safety gear

Welcome.

The class sounds like a good start 8)

Is filtering (splitting lanes) legal where you are? I ride in London and if we couldn't filter a scooter would hardly be worth having especially to commute with.

If it is, relearning that skill will be important too. I found riding with an experienced mate/group to be invaluable in the learning

It is legal here.

Read Proficient Motorcycling, take the Motorcycle Safety Course. Most in Nor Cal work on necessary skills to operate the ride daily and will help you as much as possible to pass the course so you get your M class license!

My wife and I did the MSF course over a weekend and got the M endorsement on our license upon successful completion. I have also read Proficient Motorcycling. In addition to that book, I read Proficient Scootering by Alan Hearnshaw. Over the winter I re-read that book since I had some more experience from the summer riding.

Welcome from the North Bay!

Aloha and welcome to the forum from Hawaii. Glad your getting back into riding again. Got any pics of the scooter? Does it run?

Welcome from the Bluegrass!

Warm welcome from the shores of the Other Coast. You've gotten great advice thus far. Keep us apprised of your progress (and fun...don't forget that), and always feel free to ask questions.

Welcome aboard! Good idea to take a class and especially smart to wear a full face if you plan on riding a lot. I'd suggest taking your friend to a parking lot at a university or other large space and just ride around for a while. Get your sea legs back as they say. It will not only help with you getting comfortable, it will also allow you to get a feel for the scoot.

Shalom and welcome from Israel.

Kudos on your excellent instinct to take a good safety/riding class. You won't regret it. I actually retake the advanced riding class every 5 years or so.

Good luck and happy riding!

Welcome. I see you're doing the most important thing, taking the MSF class. In my state, scooter specific training classes are now offered. If you have access to a class like that it may be worthwhile. Also, it's best to dress for the fall, not the ride. Long pants, long sleeves (at least, jacket is better) helmet and gloves. It's tough to do in warm climates but worth it for the day when something goes wrong. Make sure tire pressure is where it's supposed to be. Bikes handle really weird if a tire is low. Most importantly ride lots and have fun!

Good for you. I'm sure you'll find it helpful.

this just made me tremble...a little in fear but mostly with excitement!

I have a friend taking the course with me although she will be on the provided motorcycle. I will feel a lot more comfortable with a road buddy!

Thank you so much for the recommendation. I am an avid reader so I am surprised this didn't occur to me!

Thank you for the tips, gear was referenced before but I didn't quite know what that consisted of. I noticed my tire pressure is slightly low. I understand that may slow you down as well. A scooter specific course would be great!

I am a little nervous about rumors of a practice skid or something like that. What was the most challenging a.k.a. scary thing you had to do in the class?

That's a great idea, there is a university (my old alma mater) just a mile or so away with beautiful winding curves.

I picked up a new AGM battery (apparently they last longer). Sunday my buddy came over and cleaned out the carburetor. He sped up the idle too. She runs like a dream. Here she is...

That's hilarious!

That's a beautiful pic!

My husband and I took the MSF BRC together last summer on motorcycles, even though scooters were available upon request. We learned a lot that made us better drivers as well as riders.

They don't do 'skid practice', rather 'how not to skid practice', AKA 'Panic Stop". Most of what they teach is basic safety and low-speed handling techniques.

Whew! Thank makes me feel much better! I was thinking that I could always take it again on a motorcycle for that very reason...maybe if I pick up a bigger, faster sister ride.

It turns out that DMV made me take the actual state license written test so once I take this class I will have the driving skills portion done and my M class will be on its way.

Welcome aboard! Glad you joined us. Go find an empty parking lot to practice your riding.

Welcome and I love her name plus you are matching her color with your brightly red posts. Kudos to you!

Putting some air in her tyres...

Welcome from Novato (18 years in the city). I am right where you are. Had a friends Vespa for a summer a few years ago & loved it. Just purchased my own. Got my permit, taking the Safety Course in September, driving it every day with caution. Before I purchased I spent time on this site and someone over emphasized that you should always assume "Drivers don't see you". Best (and simplest) advice ever. I would add, drive like a dog might run out in front of you at any moment. That said, I am clocking up miles like crazy, and can't wait to get home every evening to drive our amazing country roads up here. Have fun, be safe & good luck!

welcome to mv 8)

Welcome!

My Motorcyclist Training Course begins tomorrow with a classroom session. Saturday the riding begins so I need to make a decision. I am torn about taking it on the provided motorcycle vs my little LX50.

Moto Pros:

More advanced training perhaps
Vespa will seem easy in comparison
Possibly handle anything on wheels (with a little practice)
Bike provided for class

Moto Cons:

I don't need that kind of power and speed
If something happens it might scare me away from being on two wheels
I don't have a motorcycle
Vespa will seem boring/slow

Vespa Pros:

I love Vespas
Become a confident rider on something I am currently riding
Safer
Higher chance of passing course
I don't think I want a motorcycle
Can do additional training as experience is gained, then upgrade when I am ready.

Vespa Cons:

My partner who is taking the course with me will be on a motorcycle
She wants a motorcycle, I can't keep up with a motorcycle
Have to trailer in my Vespa (not ready to drive through 2 cities with heavy traffic)

Years ago when I took my course it was on a 150cc scooter with everyone else using the small 300cc motorcycles. Everyone should be going at a slow speed while completing the drills.