OP
@julius_seizure avatar
UTC

Hooked
2003 Piaggio LT150, 2018 Liberty 150S, and Honda Monkey
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Posts: 113
Location: Oakland, CA
 
Hooked
@julius_seizure avatar
2003 Piaggio LT150, 2018 Liberty 150S, and Honda Monkey
Joined: UTC
Posts: 113
Location: Oakland, CA
UTC quote
Scooters have a tendency to scrape the center stand during spirited riding in the twisties. I've been worried that one day I'll actually lever up my rear wheel and slide out if my lean angle goes too far.

On a sport bike you can just drop a knee to the ground to measure lean angle (assuming you have knee pucks). This won't work on scooters, but sliding your foot over the road gives good feedback:

I was actually following a dual-sport riding in the twisties doing exactly this. Is this the "correct" way to measure lean angle for spirited scooter riding? Assuming your careful to not let your foot catch on something, is this what other riders do.
@tempe-et avatar
UTC

Hooked
'02 ET4
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Posts: 327
Location: Tempe, AZ-USA
 
Hooked
@tempe-et avatar
'02 ET4
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Location: Tempe, AZ-USA
UTC quote
name that tune...
@rex avatar
UTC

Rock Star
Moto Guzzi V7 Classic
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Location: San Diego, CA
 
Rock Star
@rex avatar
Moto Guzzi V7 Classic
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UTC quote
After riding my Suzuki for quite some time now, I seem to be treating my Vespa like a sport bike. I get my butt off the seat a little and shift my weight to one side of the scooter depending on what turn I'm taking. I scrape sometimes but I rarely do because I have enough weight offset to not lean the scooter to scraping point.

Personally, I wouldn't stick my feet out like that because if my shoe were to catch traction, it would throw off my balance.
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UTC

The Host with the Toast
Joined: UTC
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Location: SoCal
 
The Host with the Toast
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UTC quote
Cool video, what a crazy rider Wha? emoticon
@jpitz31 avatar
UTC

Hooked
MP3 500 BV500
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Location: San Diego
 
Hooked
@jpitz31 avatar
MP3 500 BV500
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UTC quote
Who says you cannot drag you knee on a scooter.

If you have a center stand.. The best way is to lean until you just start to hear the center stand scrap.

If you leaning that far over, take it to the race track.

Joe
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@caschnd1 avatar
UTC

Grumpy Biker
1980 Vespa P200e (sold), 2002 Vespa ET4 (sold), 1949 Harley-Davidson FL
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Posts: 5631
Location: Sparks, Nevada, USA
 
Grumpy Biker
@caschnd1 avatar
1980 Vespa P200e (sold), 2002 Vespa ET4 (sold), 1949 Harley-Davidson FL
Joined: UTC
Posts: 5631
Location: Sparks, Nevada, USA
UTC quote
Tempe-ET wrote:
name that tune...
Misirlou - It's an old Greek song. Popularized in 1962 when Dick Dale released a "surf guitar" version of the song.

Regarding the sticking your feet out around corners. It looks cool but is not something you want to jump into with abandon. If you do it on a rough surface (many roads are rougher then they look), you can easily snag your foot and get a heck of a whack. Worse yet, break an ankle.

-Craig
@lostboy avatar
UTC

Hooked
mp3 250 "Windy"
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Posts: 492
Location: Seattle WA
 
Hooked
@lostboy avatar
mp3 250 "Windy"
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Location: Seattle WA
UTC quote
Re: Scooter lean angle guage - alternative to dropping knee
Julius Seizure wrote:
I've been worried that one day I'll actually lever up my rear wheel and slide out if my lean angle goes too far.
I actually did that once, minus the sliding out.  I over-leaned in the middle of an otherwise mundane left turn through an intersection and had a brief moment of power oversteer. 

It didn't amount to much more than a waggle in my course, more amusing than dramatic.
@gtdespatchcourier avatar
UTC

Molto Verboso
GTS 300ie
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Posts: 1736
Location: Sunshine Coast, Australia
 
Molto Verboso
@gtdespatchcourier avatar
GTS 300ie
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Posts: 1736
Location: Sunshine Coast, Australia
UTC quote
i saw a guy once drag the feet around a corner, foot caught on something briefly, poor guy ran over his foot with the back wheel - didn't look pretty - coming off your bike is bad enough !!
@philip190 avatar
UTC

Enthusiast
White GTS 300
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Posts: 95
Location: France / Near Paris
 
Enthusiast
@philip190 avatar
White GTS 300
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Posts: 95
Location: France / Near Paris
UTC quote
The film is "Taxi", done by Luc Besson, the one who done The big blue, Nikita, .... French film Razz emoticon
@old_as_dirt avatar
UTC

Veni, Vidi, Posti
2007 GTS
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Posts: 22949
Location: Harriman, Tennessee, Tn
 
Veni, Vidi, Posti
@old_as_dirt avatar
2007 GTS
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Posts: 22949
Location: Harriman, Tennessee, Tn
UTC quote
just buy some curb feelers from the 70's. with the proper mounting you'have your angle gauge and you'll save your toes, boots and anckles.
@t5bitza69 avatar
UTC

Veni, Vidi, Posti
T5s
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Location: The West Of Yorkshire ... Gods Country
 
Veni, Vidi, Posti
@t5bitza69 avatar
T5s
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Location: The West Of Yorkshire ... Gods Country
UTC quote
thats probably the easiest way to break an ankle
@trafficjammer avatar
UTC

Ossessionato
2008 Teal LX125 ... 2007 Red LX150 ... 2010 Yellow LX125ie
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Posts: 3311
Location: Tortola, BVI (Caribbean)
 
Ossessionato
@trafficjammer avatar
2008 Teal LX125 ... 2007 Red LX150 ... 2010 Yellow LX125ie
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Posts: 3311
Location: Tortola, BVI (Caribbean)
UTC quote
Julius Seizure wrote:
Is this the "correct" way to measure lean angle for spirited scooter riding? Assuming your careful to not let your foot catch on something, is this what other riders do.
I hardly think so! "Spirited" riding is one thing ... having a death wish is another. Sticking your leg out on turns is a sure fire way to guarantee major injury. Perhaps you could get away with it for a while ... but at some point you are bound to accidentally straighten your knee at the exact wrong time, your foot hits the ground and you pole vault off your scooter.

Nah, keep your foot on the scoot at all times. If you want to lean the much, take up track racing and drag your knee like the rest of em.

I liked his dismount though. I'd give him an 8.5!
⚠️ Last edited by TrafficJammer on UTC; edited 1 time
@voneschenbach avatar
UTC

Ossessionato
A fracking cage sadly
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Posts: 4000
Location: Seattle
 
Ossessionato
@voneschenbach avatar
A fracking cage sadly
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Location: Seattle
UTC quote
Entertaining video - thanks for sharing! I hope to never ever see or experience any of this other than the cloudless sunny sky.
@dannyh avatar
UTC

Resident Gentleman
--------2008 LX150-------- Sold
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Posts: 5045
Location: Brady, TX
 
Resident Gentleman
@dannyh avatar
--------2008 LX150-------- Sold
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UTC quote
TrafficJammer wrote:
I liked his dismount though. I'd give him an 8.5!
Yeah, I'd probably try that, but I'm afraid my scooter would fall over before I could turn around and catch it. Clown emoticon
@paul_g avatar
UTC

Ossessionato
GTS 250ie
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Location: Rhode Island
 
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@paul_g avatar
GTS 250ie
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UTC quote
I've scraped side and center stands on quite a few bikes. The rocker covers on my R80 and R100 were scuffed from the pavement.

It would take a combination of circumstances and road conditions to lever the rear tire off the ground, and isn't likely.

Scraping isn't that dangerous, or even scary after you've done it a few times.

Dangling your foot sounds like an amputation just waiting to happen.

I'd hate to have to call you stumpy.

P.
@trafficjammer avatar
UTC

Ossessionato
2008 Teal LX125 ... 2007 Red LX150 ... 2010 Yellow LX125ie
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Posts: 3311
Location: Tortola, BVI (Caribbean)
 
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@trafficjammer avatar
2008 Teal LX125 ... 2007 Red LX150 ... 2010 Yellow LX125ie
Joined: UTC
Posts: 3311
Location: Tortola, BVI (Caribbean)
UTC quote
danny*h wrote:
TrafficJammer wrote:
I liked his dismount though. I'd give him an 8.5!
Yeah, I'd probably try that, but I'm afraid my scooter would fall over before I could turn around and catch it. Clown emoticon
You're such a wuss Danny. Always playing it safe. (suck teeth now)

You'll never succeed in life if you don't grab for that brass ring! Go for it and throw in a full twist while you're at it if you want the extra points for degree of difficulty ... to make it a perfect 10! Laughing emoticon
@wasplover avatar
UTC

Hooked
2016 Vespa Sprint 150
Joined: UTC
Posts: 351
Location: New Zealand
 
Hooked
@wasplover avatar
2016 Vespa Sprint 150
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Posts: 351
Location: New Zealand
UTC quote
I love love love that show. It was hilarious. Hooray for subtitles! The Hollywood version is a long way off (so I heard, haven't actually watched that).

I sometimes stick my foot out like that, probably not a good practice but I find my lazy butt pretty much firmly stuck on the LXV seat to shift around much.

That's a great picture, Rex!
@mpfrank avatar
UTC

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2020 MP3 500 HPE Sport ABS/ASR
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@mpfrank avatar
2020 MP3 500 HPE Sport ABS/ASR
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UTC quote
danny*h wrote:
TrafficJammer wrote:
I liked his dismount though. I'd give him an 8.5!
Yeah, I'd probably try that, but I'm afraid my scooter would fall over before I could turn around and catch it. Clown emoticon
Me too. Totally concerned about my scooter. Otherwise no problem. Clown emoticon
UTC

Banned
Joined: UTC
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Banned
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Posts: 810
UTC quote
motocross riders do something like this
only leg pointing a little further forward, I have also seen Valentino Rossi and the young Australian MotoGP rider do something like this before entering a corner and wondered what it was all about. If you call that spirited scooter riding I would quit while you are ahead or make a career out of it. crazy!!
@michael_moore avatar
UTC

Molto Verboso
GTS(me)/GTV(wife)
Joined: UTC
Posts: 1228
Location: Mill Valley, CA
 
Molto Verboso
@michael_moore avatar
GTS(me)/GTV(wife)
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Posts: 1228
Location: Mill Valley, CA
UTC quote
I have it on good authority from a friend who's an ex-motocross racer that the foot out thing is only to weight the front end of the bike. You don't actually put your foot down. I think the SuperMoto guys do something similar, but may put their heel down since the SM boots have replaceable soles.

And yes, if you lean too far over on the right, you'll drag your "security loop", and if the move is abrupt you can unsettle the scoot and run wide in the turn. The centerstand will also drag. But you can get a little more clearance by increasing your preload on the rear shocks.

Or hang off a bit, as the previous poster said.
@erich51 avatar
UTC

Banned
GTS 250ie - SHINY YELLOW
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Posts: 3101
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Banned
@erich51 avatar
GTS 250ie - SHINY YELLOW
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Posts: 3101
Location: Sunny Southern California
UTC quote
There is another choise
Look at the guy in the center with his, what the fuck look on his face. He looks drunk and the one to the right look shocked, the guy on the left looks like he is on med's. Cartoon images originally posted by REX. I just switched them up.

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