Modern Vespa

Our scooter club SQREAM here in Denver put together some safety guidelines for riding in groups. If any of you have not had much experience riding in large packs or if you have had some bad experience, this is good info. Feel free to share.

http://www.sqream.net/sqream/ScooterGroupRiding.html

Good info, both this and the post about winter riding. Thanks.

Its too bad I have little chance where I am to use the info. about group rides. In Louisville they are few and far between. (If ever.)

Good post Nukie.

While those are the generally accepted guidelines, I often question their usefulness in city environments. I instinctively reposition myself in my lane based on the ever-changing landscape. One instant I'm in the extreme left to be seen, or to provide an added buffer to the car approaching from the right, then I'm on the right to avoid the truck that may turn wide from my left, etc. I always optimize my apexes to conserve traction (minimize lean angle), and obtain the greatest vantage point of forward vision beyond the curve. Sometimes when you ride with a large group, someone up front tries to anticipate whats going to happen in the rear, and stops at lights prematurely. Holding up traffic is never a good idea. I've seen people in the rear run lights just to keep in the group. Common sense should always take precedence.

Changing lane position is fine when riding by yourself, but doing it in a group environment indiscriminantly can be a recipe for disaster. It is important that the people around you know exactly where you are going to be, so if any lane positioning changes are to occur, it needs to be indicated with a hand signal and done in a place where there is not likely to be sudden manuvering.

I wouldn't consider changing lane positions in a city environment, based on ones self preservation, to be indiscriminate. There is less than 4 feet between the left and right track in a lane. Yet, your position within a lane can determine if you're visible to traffic approaching from the left, right, or opposing lane. Your lane position also acts as the first point of defense, or escape, from a given situation. A scooterist doesn't have much to work with, and I'm not willing to relinquish the appropriate use of my lane. Incidentally, that's why riding two-abreast is unlawful.

A strict staggered riding formation may be fine on the open highway, if conditions warrant, but I don't consider my scooter to be a capable highway vehicle.

your fancy disk brakes ARE superior please be careful with them

To clarify - I'm thinking more along the lines of wandering back and forth through the lane. You are correct about the riding abreast - and I think some people feel that the staggered formation is nearly as dangerous. I guess my problem is riding with less experienced or thoughtful riders in a group and finding the person who was formerly in front and to my side suddenly three inches off my front wheel.

Okay Ray, I see where we've miscommunicated. Sometimes it takes a few iterations to set the stage, and draw a clear picture.

A couple years back, I went on a police escorted motorcycle ride, called Blue Thunder, along with 3,000 strangers. It was a nightmare. We seemed to ride full-out for 50 miles, disregarding all posted speed limits, traffic signs and signals. Police motorcycles would race ahead in the extreme left, and then block-off intersections as we barrelled through. You never knew who was going to pass you, or who was going to slow in the next turn. You had no choice but to keep moving in this mad stream of mayhem. Never again.