Modern Vespa

this is really a California issue but may be applicable to some midwesterners that are experiencing fracking-induced earthquakes or other countries prone to earthquakes.

I started thinking about this because we are trying to improve out earthquake preparedness. MC and scooters are relatively top heavy and pretty easy to topple over. When (not, If) a strong earthquake hits, I suspect one or more of my bikes may go over. The epicenter of the devastating 1989 San Francisco earthquake was about 2-3 miles from my house and toppled bridges and buildings in San Francisco and Oakland 75 miles North to give you a sense of the energy released in strong quake.

I've thought about running a 4x4 across several ceiling joists and just hanging straps from hooks and then over the handlebars. sort like strapping a bike to a pallet or trailer except you are strapping up, not down. I think it'd be pretty quick to park and strap it. My heaviest bike is about 600 lbs without the rider.



For those that don't live in earthquake country, strapping things in place is a common strategy. It's code to strap water heaters and perhaps furnace. We strapped our washer and dryers in place too. Where I work, all bookshelves and equipment racks are strapped to the building walls.

Best
Miguel

Surprisingly few bikes fall over in an earthquake.
I was in the 1989 quake, and a bike is about the most useful thing you can have in a bad one. I lived on Post St., near Union Square, and my g/f lived in the Marina, in an apartment building that was really damaged. We were able to get out to her apartment in the immediate aftermath to rescue her damn cat and around the city at a pretty reasonable clip while the rest of town was gridlocked. I think we rode out to Clement St. for dinner that night or the next, because they had shut off the gas where I lived, her building was leaning a bit and covered in yellow tape, but the Richmond district wasn't really affected and many of the restaurants were still open. A day or two later, Joe DiMaggio told me to get the fuck off his lawn.
Good times.

Strapping to an adjacent wall is another option

What about one of those front wheel locks you can put in pick up trucks.
Lagg one of those to the floor, or to a thick peice of plywood or metal.

The wall that is going to collapse onto the bike, or the other one?

After the last big local shake (not too local to me) a car park building was deemed so unsafe they had to demolish it with 9 cars still inside.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/nz-earthquake/88113506/demolition-of-earthquakehit-reading-car-park-in-wellington-begins-likely-to-take-three-months

I know it's good to be prepared but it seems a bit odd to worry about a few scratches on your scoot when the world is falling down around you.

My first thought was suspend it from the ceiling. Assuming of course the ceiling/building doesn't collapse.

The truck front wheel thingy has merit.

The other thing you can do, in a garage drill into the concrete and put a couple of I hooks in the ground, use a ratchet strap across the floor panel fo secure the scoot. Or if it is outside you can use a hammer drill and put a spike into the ground to strap it down aswell. A peice of plywood would be good for the center stand to keep it from sinking into the dirt.

And careful where you put spikes. There are water, sewer and gas lines to avoid.

I know there are people that put their Vespas on the side stand. Look at the scoot wrong and it will fall over so some like living life on the edge.

A Vespa on the centre stand is very stable and would probably stay upright in a moderate quack. Most motorcycles are also very stable when on their side stands. I know my BMW would need a lot to knock it over with the stand down.

IF you live in earthquake country having something you could ride the bike on top of and strap down (or rings cemented in to the floor) certainly isn't a bad idea. You would then strap down like you would for a ferry ride, doesn't take long. I'm lazy though and I know when I get home I usually just want to get off the bike and in the elevator...

CA native here: if the quake is strong enough to topple walls, you've got much bigger problems than simply your bike falling over.

Put padding on the scooter. Foam rubber, whatever. When it falls it will be protected. Also works for flying debris in high wind areas.

I'm thinking a force field a la Star Trek would also work nicely. Mind you a direct hit by a photon torpedo would take it out but then I'd say you've really got bigger problems on your hands.

MotoVista, My Vespa is part of our exit strategy if need be for both earthquake and forest fire as a way to avoid the gridlock you mentioned.

Best
Miguel

Yup but Strapping up and down are the best option I think.

Best
Miguel

I thought about that but I couldn't figure out how to get it in the wheel check and then onto the center strand. And even if I accomplished that, how do you roll if forward off the center stand.

Miguel

Actually, I wouldn't be worrying about it then. I'm worrying about it now when I have the time and resources available. And it'd be one less thing to deal with in the aftermath.

Miguel

THat's essentially what I was thinking except its not really hanging unless it toppled over. I likely wouldn't cinch it tight. I think of it more like a safety harness.

Best
Miguel

I like the idea of hooks in the garage floor if I could figure out how to install them so they aren't a trip hazard. Any thoughts? The garage floor is concrete. I wonder if someone makes a spring loaded retractable hook that is flush with the floor when not in use.

Best
Miguel

Earthquake are funny events. The earth can move up and down and sideways all at the same time, and it has waves like ocean waves so I think of if like being on a ship and securing every thing as much as reasonably possible and hope the house, just like a ferry rides i out and things strapped down, or up, survive.

Best
Miguel

Agreed. But I'm an ant, not a grasshopper. In all natural disasters, some buildings stand tall even when all the other around it have been destroyed. And if the walls topple, it's unlikely the bike will survive. But its a small effort that may pay off even in a small quake.

Best
Miguel

Probably would work but I don't like putting things on the floor because I usually end up tripping on them. I still like the strap idea better tho

Miguel

What if you can't get it out because of the straps, whereas otherwise, you could pull it out of the rubble with another vehicle?
If this was a thing, there would already be people selling kits to protect your bike from earthquakes.

Condor Pit-stop

https://www.jpcycles.com/product/910-331/condor-pit-stop-trailer-stop

Park your scooter in between two of these:

https://www.target.com/p/foamnasium-153-wedge-play-furniture-yellow/-/A-14617694?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&CPNG=PLA_Sports%2BShopping&adgroup=SC_Sports&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=s&device=c&location=9016864&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1248099&ds_rl=1246978&gclid=CjwKCAjwm-fkBRBBEiwA966fZPw2ZHcssxCXN_RoT_SyUSNxiGOfAE9n6k2T9yNygvFbSavhRGkD8RoC3Q0QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Front to back wont tip over since the wheelbase. For left to right what if you have a 4ft peice of 2x4 and attach it to the underside running left to right. Have I hooks or similar to strap the 2x4 to the scoot securely. On the sides put either blocks or castors so it makes contact with the ground. This would stop tip over. Would be a bit of a pain to put on daily, so this Is best used if you have notice. Would store easily, be cheap to make and you could put a little rubber or foam on it to keep your paint from scratching.

I hope your strategy is to have your vehicle out of doors away from anything that could fall on it. Leaving it in a garage has it risks.

There are so many different variables in earthquake preparedness no two will probable be the same


The simplest way, not necessarily the most secure way to attach to a ceiling would be to attach 2 eye hooks in the ceiling joists, a bar harness (Canyon Dancer is the one I have) and a couple of tie downs

If you need something more secure, beef up the framing and hardware

A wheel chock would be an option for some

Securing your garage can be just as important as securing your dwelling for an earthquake

Great post Miguel, thanks

Perfect. It would have been great if you could have photoshopped this in use.

Use one of these https://www.grainger.com/product/HONEYWELL-MILLER-D-Bolt-Anchor-3NPN2
with these
https://www.zoro.com/red-head-drop-in-anchor-58-11x2-12in-pk25-rl-58/i/G2776137/feature-product?gclid=CjwKCAjwvuzkBRAhEiwA9E3FUthObErgCs14zD57sZ1rP7OL1jcth4EGlJo0SKxI4urqE0h25er9wxoC2SwQAvD_BwE

Not sure thread sizes are correct but gives you an idea of what you are looking for.

Then rent one of these (Don't try using a hammer drill you will be misserable.) Rotory Hammer does it in about 1-2 minutes
https://www.globalindustrial.com/p/tools/Drills-Drivers-Bits/hammer-drills-rotary-hammers/bulldog-xtreme-1-in-sds-plus-rotary-hammer-d-handle?infoParam.campaignId=T9F&gclid=CjwKCAjwvuzkBRAhEiwA9E3FUrvNip-2OXiQ1pqwXOFwblIsQtbKuyaZ_815CVxawpg83sbMV3MEKBoCe_UQAvD_BwE

Having grown up in California I totally agree. Earthquakes strong enough to knock a Vespa off the center stand or a motorcycle over are just not common enough to worry about. Heck, I had bicycles on side stands that didn't topple over in a 7.2 quake but we weren't at the center. We were close enough that the bed I was sleeping on rolled several feet away from the wall and back during the quake.

If I were really concerned about it I'd use a chock bolted into a thick piece of plywood that the PTW would weigh down when in the chock. In the chock you don't need it to be on the center stand. You don't use one when using the chock on a trailer or in the bed of a truck.

That's what I'm thinking. The garage is under the house. I continue to look at ways to make it all safer and stronger .

Thanks. I thought a long time about posting or not posting. In the end, I figured it was relevant and at least some MVers would be interested. And other are laughing at the ludicrousness of it.

I'll post pics when I finally complete it.

Best
Miguel