Modern Vespa

Hi everyone,

I'm brand new here - it's been my dream to own a Vespa for years and I finally did it. Put a down payment on a LX150. I live in New York City and was wondering if anyone had any advice for me... I notice that alot of people on my street park their Vespas without locking them up - the dealership stated that there was that internal safety locking device that prevents anyone from starting it. Any thoughts on this? I'm really scared about having someone steal it.

Also - I'm a complete novice as far as riding! Any tips?? I took a 2 hr lesson the other day and find that turns are kinda difficult for me, anyone else have this problem when starting out? Also - when braking, I find that my hand sometimes still pulls down slightly on the throttle. I guess all of this will become second nature with time and practice... but any input would be greatly appreciated!

There is a chip immobiliser in the key like those on cars. I think that is what the dealer is talking about.

https://modernvespa.com/forum/topic3862


Ride safe take it slow

Welcome to MV JayLite
Hmm NY huh.. that has got to be tough. From what I know about the city there is little to no parking available, so a scoot has got to be great. I park my scoots in a garage or when I am out and about I park her where I can either see her or alot of people can. But that is way different than leaving the scoot overnight. If there is something close at hand you can chain her to, that would work well. Since even though the scoot can not be started without the key, that would not stop 3 or 4 guys from being able to just pick it up and put into a truck and drive off in about 5 minutes time. Motion alarms seem to be more pain than they are worth.
I would be affraid of someone just coming along and kicking the scoot over.
Yes practice will make the curves the funnest part of your ride. If your having trouble with them, then it is probably due to where your looking. Look far down the road, about where the curve ends. It makes it much smoother than if your looking at the road right in front of you. Did you see the downloadable book here at: https://modernvespa.com/forum/topic3862
That should help you alot. also look through the Wiki for how do work on your own scoot, get to know her better and you will relax a bit more, and enjoy the ride sooner. for now start with practicing weaving and turns. Also work on quick stops, ya never know when you will have to stop fast.
Enjoy your LX150, I like the quickness of mine alot!!

good luck with your new vespa. the best thing you can do is lots of practice riding. if you can on a weekend go out of town where there will be very little traffic & ride . practice start & stops gentilly braking. when braking let off throttle, that alone will slow you down considerably. when braking start out gentilly curling finger in to apply brakes. remember right brake front left rear, i prefer light rear brake when making a sharp turn & i use mostly front brakes for strait stopping.comfort in turns will come with practice & is actually easier to ride than a bicycle once you get the hang of it . hope this helps nelson ride careful keep a very sharp eye on cars & trucks.

I highly recommend you take the Basic Ride Course with the folks at Ride MSS at their range in the South Bronx, which should arm you with everything you need to get comfortable on the streets of the big apple.

I posted my experiences there here:

http://www.nycscootering.com/2009/03/29/taking-the-mss-3-day-basic-rider-course/

Hi jaylite,

Welcome aboard and congrats on your new scooter. As folks have already mentioned, get out there and practice but highly suggest that you enroll in the MSF, it's definitely worth it. As for securing the bike, there is the immobilizer which comes with the bike as well as other safety devices you can use. I just purchased a Grip Lock for my wife (she just purchased an LXV 150) and here's the link regarding the discussion about it: GRIP LOCK. Enjoy the ride.

Barry

Heya Jaylite!

lock it.
If you cant lock it, cover it. "Out of site, out of mind."
Better to lock and cover it. You're in NYC.

Take a riding course mate. You'll use their bikes, and feel muuuuch better about riding after. You'll be safer too. If you cant do that, hit up an empty parking lot and go spend a tank or two of fuel there...do it until your bored to tears...and when you think you have it down, realize that you don't, and always play it safe.

Basic tips (Just a couple. Others will surely post more):

Relax. Really...relax your shoulders and your grip on the bar. Try not to be stiff. If your feeling stiff and tense, shake it off and take a breath. Tension tends to be a really good sign that your in over your head, so if you cant shake it, take it (your riding) someplace where you can. (For me, on the track, it means slow my arse down...I'm getting in over my head. On the road, it means too many crazy people are about, and I need to give myself more room.)

2. Look where you want to go. Don't look at the pothole in the road, look to the right or left around it. Target fixating on things can get you hurt.

Looking where you need to go will also help you do your turns. Look where you want to go, and the bike will follow. Your most likely looking just a little bit out in front of you...not far enough.

3. Rolling on the throttle and braking at the same time is a bad bad bad situation to be in. Not safe. No. If your hands are too small, maybe a set of dogleg levers might be in order (these will shorten your reach to the levers). Most likely though, your just tense (see "1"). Practice having a light tough on the throttle. Not a deathgrip. My pinky and ring finger are wrapped around the throttle and my pointing and middle finger are extended, and resting on the brake lever...all the time. I just roll the throttle closed and squeeze the brake, or use my palm to twist the throttle to accelerate.

More thoughts to come I'm sure...

Congrats
The LX 150 is a great around town bike. It is nimble and easy to handle once you get used to it.
+! on taking the MSF basic rider course. You will learn alot about technique and safety. Try to take the course on your scooter if they let you, unless you really want to learn how to operate a motorcycle.
Ride safe!

Welcome and NYC has a really big scene so they should be chiming in directly. If you add NYC to your topic title you'd get their attention sooner. Have fun and watch out for those crazy taxi cab drivers

Glad to hear we have another vespa-ite. I would as recommended take a safety course. I believe it makes insurance cheaper too. Good luck, good riding, and be careful in the NYC! 8)

Jaylite, Welcome to MV! Sorry for the information overload.

1. Securing your scoot: You've had quite a bit of good advice from posts above. Do your research...in my opinion best bet is to secure your scoot the best way you can in an area that might deter theft. Again secure and location.

2. Riding Skills: If possible take MSF Course in addition Coppper Dolphin made an excellent recommendation and link to view the MSF version for Scooters (see quote below) riding manual...there are riding skill exercises in the back of the manual. Find an open area to practice...away from parked cars and obstacle...use tennis balls cut in half in lieu of cones for outlining riding exercises (riding manual). 3. Rent the DVD "Ride Like a Pro", you can rent this from Smartflix. My wife benefitted from this more than taking the MSF course. She just passed her DMV Motorcycle Licensing Test yesterday.

4. Key practice drills (my opinion):

Stop and Go drills (this is what you go thru in traffic)...related to this is "how slow can you go", this will help you learn throttle control.

Turns are skills unto itself...just remember don't look down...turn your head and eyes to where you are going...don't just look with your eyes...turn your head! Go slow into tight turns and don't come to complete stop while in a turn...keep you hand off the front brake and if you need to use brake ..."feather" your left (rear brake) and keep throttle control (see Stop and Go drill)

Good Luck and hope this information was beneficial.

Buy every kind of crash protector/bars you can so if you go down or
someone knocks it over it will be protected. The metal body of a vespa is hard to repair compared to a plastic scooter where you can just replace plastic panels. Several companies make products for your scoot that will help minimize fall damage.

http://www.amazon.com/Proficient-Motorcycling-Ultimate-Guide-Riding/dp/1933958359/ref=sr_1_1?ie

"Proficient Motorcycling" is a great book.

This is the lock I use.
http://www.grip-lock.com/

take extra time in the rain if you must go out. also be very careful of crosswalk painted lines or other painted lines, when wet they become like ice: if you try to stop or turn on them you can drop the bike.

Hi everybody - thank you SO much for the incredibly helpful and useful information!! I greatly appreciate it!

I'm sure I'll be in touch as I eventually start moving along! (it's still in the showroom - it's been raining here in NYC for a while and is supposed to for the next week and a half - i'd much rather have it sitting in the showroom than on a rainy sidewalk!)

thanks again,
~Jennifer

+1 on MSF. But I'd say use their motorcycles, they are usually pretty small and fun. It's cool to learn to shift too. Congrats on your LX150. Much love to NYC.

Nice choice on an LX150. Now practice riding safely and have fun. Go slow and wear protective clothing and a helmet. Do the research on gear. Be visible when you ride. Have fun.

Your scoot is simply gorgeous. I love the red rims and mirrors. How much did that run you?