Modern Vespa

I wake up this morning for work and there is this wet moisture falling from the sky!!!!! Its raining....Damn. I know we need rain here in California but this just reminds me with a slap in the face that winter is upon us. Where did our summer go. I can only hope that it will only rain on my work days and be nice on my days off....yea right, I wish. To all my fellow MV readers...I hope your summer was a fun one and lets all pray to the scooter gods that the winter is a mellow one so that we all can still get some nice rides in.

You lot don't know you're born!!

Spend the summer in England.........non stop bloody rain!!

Or Sweden - 8 months of rain then 4 months of snow...

Or Long Island, alittle cold in the winter with some rain/snow!!!! Sorry guys, I had to slap you out'ta that downward spiral before ya' crashed n' burned!

OK, someone has to pee in your corn flakes and I suppose its my turn but ... a thread title "OH MY GOD" in CAPS when your thread is really about "gee we got some rain in SoCal" is just wrong.

There are so many threads these days that we really need to give them appropriate titles.

I hope you or the mods will change it.

Hope the sun returns soon!

I have to agree with Bobovespa..... Iwas expecting some earthshaking news... probably bad. Hearing that it is drizzling in SOCAL somehow does not measure up.

Well here in Toronto, our winter was the worst on record with more snow than almost any other year ever, then our summer broke all the records for rainfall. Now that fall is here, we seem to be having colder temperatures then normal. We've already had a morning where the temperature was about 0*C

Its 32° out here right now, my deck as frost all over it.

Random, vague titles on threads is what Modern Vespa is all about ... you never know what you're gonna get when you click.

No rain here yet, but I am looking forward to it!

I have to re-waterproof my gear ALREADY?!?

San Leandro is in NoCal

Done. Informative thread titles are much appreciated.

BTW, please remember that WET LEAVES are slick as ice. Ride with care


--Deborah

Send some rain to Alabama!!!!

rain. it's the story of our lives here in the uk. bleh.

I thought the BBC news was...

OMG TEH GROUND IS WET WERE ALL GONNA DIE RUN FOR UR LIVES!!!1!!1!!!

Seriously though... the first rain can be really treacherous, especially when it hasn't rained in over 6 months or more, like it does here in Kollieforneeah. All kinds of oil, grease, coolant and other crap that falls off vehicles builds up in the crevices and cracks in the road over the course of weeks and months, and since oil floats on water, the rain pulls that oil up to the surface, where it coats everything and makes your ride feel more like ice skating. Sometimes the first real heavy rain of the fall produces a disgusting brownish-gray foam, as cars and trucks churn up all the oil and crap on the road that's been deposited there for months and months. That stuff is super slick, enough to make your rear tire spin out from under you if you give it too much gas!

In the interest of safety, here's an e-mail that Josh from Scoot Quarterly sends out around this time of year, to remind everyone of some important things to keep in mind while riding in the wet:

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The rainy season is upon us and i know that some people are hesitant to ride in the rain or when the ground is wet. so i decided to list some tips on riding in adverse weather conditions. The bottom line really is, make sure your actions are smooth. Don't brake too fast don't accelerate too fast and you will be fine. There are very few differences between wet and dry but you do need to exercise extra caution.

1: stay out of the middle of the lane. the middle of the lane is where cars drip all their oil and stuff making it very slippery.

2: As much fun as it is, try not to drive thru puddles. It reduces your ability to brake and makes everything more slippery.
Besides you never know how deep a hole may be under the puddle

3: show extra caution when turning

4: be extremely careful when riding over metal grates/plates and manhole covers they become very slippery. if you can avoid them, do so. Whatever you do don't slam on the brakes while you are going over one.

5: make sure you have the proper tire pressure

6: get your self a riding suit even if its one of those plastic rain slick things. The worst part about riding in the rain is getting wet.

7: do not put your hands/gloves in plastic bags or the like you may slip off the bars and you will find yourself in deep doo doo.

8: make sure all of your lights work, especially your taillight and brake light. Rain means that people have reduced visibility.

9: i suggest if you don't own a fullface helmet get one it will keep you dry.

10: if you have a full face get one of those anti fog things for your visor or they do make a difference

11. get a scooter skirt

I hope this helps everyone I have just been riding for a while and have done my fair share of riding in the rain. Remember that riding in the rain is easier than you think. Once you have done it a couple of times you will have built your confidence and become a better rider, wet or dry.
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I hope this helps those of you who aren't used to riding in the rain or other inclement conditions. Everyone please be careful out there and stay safe!

...ZZZZZZ......ZZZZZZ.....ZZZZZZ....uh oh yeah, what he said..

Im glad someone finally edited God out of the title. God offends me.

I was at the Beast Cancer 10k walk this morning in Long Beach using my Vespa to herd over 1000 walkers and it looked like rain but never fell.

Then send it on to South Carolina.

Bagel,

Thanks for the insights. There were several that simply would not have occurred to me; particularly staying out of the center of the lane because of the oil. You might have saved my bacon.

Re: The middle part of the lane or the "Greasy Strip" - more of an issue at stop lights or basically where cars / trucks are required to be stationary for a bit.
I've got in to the habit of even avoiding this section of the road as I go through intersections, especially if it has been raining or the roads are damp.
Just keep it in mind, may be useful ....

Glad I could help! Be sure to thank Josh Rogers at Scoot! Magazine for putting this together and sending it out as an annual reminder. Definitely good advice. I do my best to avoid it during any kind of weather. Also, be careful not to put your foot down in the greasy spot when you stop either. I've done that before and had my foot slip out from under me, nearly toppling me and my bike over. Not fun!

+1. That's a great post from Josh. Thanks, bagel!

--Deborah

My contriubtion (and it has helped me) - If you must drive your cage one day, drive on your normal scooter route and try to spot dangers like new pot holes, fallen branches, washed up debris, etc. so that when you ride again, you will know what to expect.