Modern Vespa

so in AZ I get info about things that happen around us. Yesterday it was posted that a motorcycle rider rear ended a truck with a trailer and sadly died. While this is so sad, I have to admit not understanding how this could happen. When I am on my PTW I keep a lot of space between me and the vehicle in front, I do find it hard to believe that others don't do the same. My worry is always being rear-ended not me rear ending someone. Now I know this is just what was reported but it is still so strange. But on the other side I do see a lot of motorcycle drivers here tail gating, at least in my opinion, riding way closer than I would. I assume there could be many explanations but just sad. Please all be safe out there.

One of the many riding tips I gleaned from this site, and I think it was courtesy of JimC, is to use the rear brake to hold the bike in place at a stop, and leave the front one alone. If you do get rear ended, there is a good chance that the bike and yourself will be shoved forward, and not popped end over end.

Great!! I always used the rear brake at a stop on my motorcycle but never thought of using it on the vespa in this way.
Thank you for the tip. !

That is a great tip.

At stop lights, I usually stop about a car length away and to one side from the car in front of with the front wheel aimed to the side such that I'd get pushed along the side of the car in front of me rather than squashed.

Regarding the MC rear ending another vehicle, the rider may have been tired, talking on the phone, just not paying attention, or ... and just didn't register the truck in front to him. Hard to say.

Thanks for posting.
Miguel

I suspect you are right. I think that most rear endings, regardless of vehicle, are the result of inattention or distraction. It doesn't take long when you are looking someplace else and another vehicle slows/stops quickly in front of you.

I agree with all but at least to me when I am on 2 wheels instead of four, I am in heightened mode, paying way more attention than when on four, perhaps not good but it is true. With two wheels there is so much less chance to survive a mistake, so again rear ending, just surprises me.

Accidents happen and are usually worse on two wheels. I try and manage the risk in front of me and pay attention to what's happening behind as well.

But you never know.

I shared some messages over the years with a scooter blogger named Joe. He lived about two hours away from me and more than a few times we thought it would be great to get together somewhere.

And then I stopped getting notifications of new posts and thought he might have given up on blogging. I've certainly entertained those thoughts. And then I saw his daughters had posted a sad message about their father. He was killed while riding his beloved scooter.

It sort of shook me up. Because of the accident. And because of my procrastinating and never making time to connect with him.

You can see what happened on his blog here: https://scootindavalley.blogspot.com/2020/06/from-daughters.html

About tailgating - for some reason many riders believe that a motorcycle/scooter has a shorter breaking distance than a normal car to completely stop the vehicle.

I believe the true fact is highlighted at riding schools, but maybe not enough.

I always used the back brake on a motorcycle, but I find the rear brake on the Vespa shudders against the clutch at a stop.

I tend to keep a fairly sharp eye on vehicle distance both ahead of and behind me; most of the time, motorists directly behind have kept a respectful distance, which I've found both surprising and gratifying. Of course, there's always the out-of-nowhere stuff that can get you.

Years ago I was driving my jeep at night on a two lane. I knew there was a motorcycle behind me but wasn't aware of the following distance. Signaled and began to slow and pull over. I am not sure why but I had a feeling the bike was not going to stop so I hit the gas. It was enough to avoid a major collision but unfortunately he still tapped my rear bumper and lost control. No helmet and pretty much scalped himself but he lived.

Turns out he was a neighbor and I knew his wife because she worked at the post office. She said that she was constantly telling him to stop riding so close to vehicles in front. He would back off but then gradually creep up again. She also said the incident caused him to give up riding. Probably for the best.

I find that tail gating either in my car or Vespa is something that is so dangerous and so easy to fix, yet done by so many. I especially hate when cars tailgate me when in my Vespa and I generally do not ride slowly, often I will just pull over and let them pass.

This'll be the second time I've posted this in the last couple of weeks - one should always have enough clear road ahead to be able to come to a controlled stop from the speed you're going. That doesn't always mean leaving a huge gap if there are other ways around a vehicle in front - but if possible a huge gap is best. This applies when riding in the twisties as well - you never know if there's an unseen obstacle around the next bend.

I have always done this also to keep the rear stop light on.

Yes, for me rear brake at stop. Added bonus of cutting down engine shake and screen quiver

Texas has some really aggressive drivers, and the use of a turn signal is considered a weakness. What I notice in Arizona: the drivers are not as aggressive, but there is SO MUCH lane jumping, especially on I-10 or I-17. Almost daily when there, I see someone on a motorcycle doing that lane jumping like it's a NASCAR event... pulling sharply between other traffic. I am surprised I haven't seen someone splatter themselves, riding like that. But, I have no doubt it happens.

What I've also seen in Arizona: if you leave any kind of gap between you and the car in front of you, someone WILL swerve in and fill that gap. It is unnerving to me when rolling through that area in our motorhome.

Now, regarding being stopped at a stoplight. I do keep an eye on traffic coming up behind me (I have been rearended, but while in a truck, not on a bike)... I make it a practice to "flash" my brake lights when I see traffic approaching (pulling the brake lever and releasing, repeatedly).

Whenever I read or hear of someone being rear ended, I always think of this post from Treppenwitz ten or so years ago about how his Revvu helmet with a built-in, periscope-like mirror arrangement saved his life.




[url]www.reevuamerical.com[/url]

Miguel

Don't outride your brakes.

Welcome to the Autobahn, I-17 especially. I will not drive, north or south on I-17 Fridays, Saturdays (god forbid) or Sundays, sometimes Mondays neither.

I agree that the drivers in AZ are not great. They routinely run red lights, virtually at every light change 1-2 cars will go through the red light making intersections even more dangerous, and the right turn on red people do not even slow down they just turn, and turn signals...not. And the lane changing I agree people do it at full speed but its both cars and motorcycles sort of scary.

In the past, summertime in CA brought Arizona retirees in Cadillacs to town to star in the local news.They sure had trouble with turns or stops.

"for any obstacle that can be foreseen, whatever the conditions"

I don't know but this is basic.
It is article 10, paragraph 10.1, in the Belgian highway code, the basic article on speed in traffic.