Modern Vespa

Today i had a great ride in the country about 4ookm all up.I was sitting on or slightly above the speed limit of 100km for most of the ride.What is it with riders of large sportsbikes, they can't stand having a scooter in front of them.Some of these dudes took large risks just to get in front of me and then slow down the the speed i was doing anyway.
It was interesting watching it all unfold.Is it an assault to their manhood to sit behind a scooter?

Sport bikes: 4X the displacement, half the fun...

I ride with my friends from my old sport bike club on my Vespa and nobody has a problem with it, in fact they think it's cool.

Yes. Here we wiggle a little finger to suggest this kind of riding is a form of compensation ...

Mind you, it was always an affront to them to be behind my wee BMW F650CS, and still is to sit behind my pannier-becked R1200R ... and here they routinely overtake across centrelines on blind corners, etc. They actually slow riders - as in they cannot carry much speed through a corner - and they are certainly bad riders.

On my naughty days, I make my bike (or scoot) "wide", both to block these idiots until passing is safe, and to have space to brake and pull into (our left / your right) as these idiots go past - because they routinely misjudge their lines. I must confess I use my grey beard to get away with telling them (in front of their mates) at the next "biker" stop that they might benefit from a roadcraft course .. when they proetset that they are fast, of course I agree .. "but, dear boy, you've no roadcraft - you ride without finesse or courtesy and a good roadcraft course would help you grow up as a rider ... " then I disappear before they process the insult.

We have a signal, too - I doubt you can do this as effectively on a scoot (because your foot is harder to see) but we "wave" our right (your left) leg to signal a following bike through ... a good, fast rider will wait until this signal, and wil also wave a "thanks!"

My final consolation is that I merely suffer these fools a few minutes - while they are fools all their lives ...

Judging by the sheer volume of repetitive sportbike/HD threads on here, insecurity goes both ways.

I regularly see sportbikes on the road - some are great riders, some are twats who need to prove themselves by over (or under ) taking in dangerous stupid circumstances (like the moron who undertook me at about 60mph, 100 metres before a junction, and then almost lost it trying to stop in time. duh). To be fair, though, most of the ones I've encountered lately have been pretty sound. Bill Dog and I were riding down the M2 the other week and were passed by a sportbiker who seemed really tickled by the fact that we were riding scooters down the motorway at 75mph. He gave us a wave and a nod as he sped by

Oh welcome to my world - these birds that only come out in the summer are a bane every day. You know them because the bike is spotless - the clean bike is most often unridden regularly in city traffic. On the open road it is a different matter - that's a playground to them and I expect it because that's why they bought the bike.

On a city commute, however, f them. Being a girl on a scooter does not help matters and makes it worse (macho shit). I don't yield, I don't move, because if he's that hot, he'll get past (yes I saw you, I just don't care). Older wiser bikers don't care about being behind a scooter and we get on.

I don't care if you rev your engine sunshine, prove your chops and overtake me!

so many lols in that post... and yes even though i am male i agree...

I've noticed, so far, since I've had my ET I get more comments, questions, and nods from older HD and sportbike riders. Most of them seem interested in my Vespa. It's those younger shaved head goatee weekend warriors that are less friendly. They're not real bikers anyway, though. I grew up around Harleys and Triumphs and my Dad always owned them (still does). When he first saw my Vespa he told me a story about the first time he ever rode on a two-wheeler. He said it was a Vespa that a man up the street from him had that made him fall in love with two-wheelers in the first place. Bikers have changed a lot in recent years or should I say the people who are buying bikes. Especially Harleys. It's no longer a rebel thing and more of a status symbol. Of course, look at the price of those things nowadays!

Yup, a 2010 Harley Sportster Low is $6999, a whopping $100 more than a Vespa 300 GTV!

Yes, but no self-respecting Harley rider would ride or buy a Sportster Just a little dig. My uncle used to own a Sportster and was the safety officer for the local HOG chapter.

Actually it's just the "billy badass" types who think sportsters are a lesser bike. In reality the sportster are the fastest models in Harleys lineup, other then the liquid cooled VRod (which hasn't caught on very well).

-Craig

psych! I heard hd loses money on the sportsters to get people into their bikes, and then they make up for it when you pay 20g for a real one.

Of course the biggest bunch of assholes in going to be the dudes riding the new 1200 sport/tracker bikes HD is making, sort of a sporty bike, sort of a harley!

I think the Sportsters have a purity in design which is missing in many of the other bikes.
Whatta deal at $7K. Maintenance free hydraulic valve adjusters. Belt drive that lasts at least 30K miles. Fuel injection. Tyres that last at least 10K miles. 883cc's.
And like Vespas, they are made out of steel!

I had a sportster and it was a cool bike.

I have both does that make me BI

My BF and I were stopped at a light on our rides, street bike and a scooter. We were behind a guy with a girl, also on a street bike. A guy on a crotch rocket was also right behind us.

The light had barely turned green, and the guy on the crotch rocket shot up between me and my BF, around the guy and his girl in front of us and went roaring up the road.

Scared the crap out of all of us. Honestly!

Of course he was wearing shorts, t-shirt, flip flops and no helmet.

I was so angry I was tempted to try to shoot up to him and give him an earful.

My BF just shook his head and said to me at the next light, "He won't live too long doing stunts like that. Just hope he doesn't hurt anyone else while removing himself from the gene pool."

Me, I still think he should have been arrested.

U got to think more "european," those dudes pull shit on motos that would make u crap your pants and call homeland security, and they live through it no worries...

Yesterday one of them passed me in my car then cut in front of me as the driver ahead moved into the passing lane. 75 feet later the squid pulled into a rest area, sped throught it and reemerged into the traffic thus passing a handfull of cars. I lost sight of him shortly after but kept expecting to see his crash before long.

These kind of posts continue to crack me up.

Stooopid sports bike rider is so insecure that he had to pass me...so I had to run and post about how insecure he is in his masculinity since he wouldn't sit behind ME on MY SCOOTER.

I'm sure that when he rides up on a Hummer he thinks..."oh my...this person must be much more mucho macho than me...I should not pass him because I am not worthy to pass such a tough guy"

Yeah...right

They really don't give a rats ass what anybody is riding or driving...and I don't give a crap if they pass me...hell...I'll give them room to get past me and be on their way.

If you want to invite them into your head that's your business...I choose not to.

Ding ding ding.

People are assholes on all kinds of bikes, in cars, in trucks, and walking down the street with a 4-wheel drive side-by-side stroller.

I've had new Vespa riders who don't want to be behind vintage, vintage who don't want to be behind new, motorcycles who don't want to be around either, etc etc etc. Who gives a damn? It's like the waving threads: people complaining so and so didn't wave. Who cares? Maybe they didn't see you and it has nothing to do with the bike they are on.

Wrench on your own stuff, brake late, accellerate often, and stay on your line so I can take a corner right next to you and we both know we won't hit each other and I don't care what you're on.

If you were cruising on or slightly above the speed limit, he would have probably passed you no matter what you were riding.

My wife was driving home the other day and a pack of sports bikes whizzed by on either side of her. Then one of them proceeded to do a wheelie for the next 2 miles while another one stood up on his seat.

My wife backed off so in her words " I wouldn't have to see the blood when they smacked the pavement."

Idiots !

Where's the Highway Patrol ?

I don't care what you ride but some of the antics I've seen put other people in danger. A family is going to lose a son one day. That's just plain sad. They can be amazingly agile but are relying more on fast reaction time than safety training. Someday they will lose that game and they will be gone with just the cops on hand to scrape up enough for burial. Not all sport bike riders are like this but I've seen enough of these egotistical weasels for one lifetime.

When I see any idiot operators.. of any vehicle (car/truck/sports bike/scooter/bike...) I give them wide berth so that when they do get crazy/dumb/in-an-accident that I am not involved and I can ride around the carnage/ticket...

Fools come in every size/color/income bracket/gender/...

Many are trained that a quick pass is a safe pass - don't hang out in the lane waiting for oncoming traffic or someone to turn in front of you. With the extreme acceleration of a sport bike, many passes seem wild and aggressive, yet followed by a slow down to a normal speed. I wasn't there and can't say for sure, but this may just be normal sport bike technique.

Bikers cause cop to crash and come back to laugh at him.
http://tukwila.komonews.com/content/speeding-motorcyclist-taunts-state-trooper-trapped-crashed-car

WHy do these threads make me hate u guys?

I'm beginning to think i really just belong on the sportbike forums instead...

I guess some folks with a commitment to risky on-road manouvers just don't "get" that a wide spectrum of other riders tend to think these "moves" are the opposite of cool. Such as scooterists who've eschewed power for chic ("oh, sooo Vespa", sez this new guy )

No, that's not a shot. I'm merely observing that these antics are not the least bit impressive to many of us - so, what we're left with is the discourtesy shown and the risk imposed (because these chaps are never as skilled as they think they are). If squids simply did their thing without rudeness or risk to others, we might smile indulgently, even.

I also ride a large road bike - long distances, sometimes at speed - and that riding community has much the same view of squids on crotch rockets. If a squid is having fun, we smile. If a squid is rude or exposing others to risk, we think he (or she) is a tosser. For instance, my nephew rides a track bike with some skill and at speed. He giggles at my R1200R ("that's an old-fart bike, Uncle - - - "), though he does smile at the GTS250. But he does think his old uncle's view of his and his mates' on-road antics is "fair enough": he knows he's being a bit of a dill.

... as, I suspect, do other squids.

it's a different bike and a different style of riding. if sportbike riders don't put you at risk through their actions, just let them get on with it. for what it's worth, the last time i was put at risk through the actions of another rider, it was some tit on a Vespa GT125, demonstrating his slalom skills 3' away from me in the same lane

Well stated, genie. Based on reliable fatality statistics, PTW riders are rarely killed by the actions of other riders, but more commonly their own. It's sad some folks have to be twats, but that's just the frailties of human nature.

I just bought my first Scooter, I bought one for my wife in December though, I live in SW Miami, should I expect to get a bunch of crap from "macho" guys? I drive a 4x4 Truck and I have a Mustang GT, I'm in the Army, I don't do things to be macho, I do them because I enjoy them, which is why I bought a Vespa in the first place.

Enjoy your Scooters, which you most surely got to please your wife and yourself. If it bothers anyone else, that's their problem.

Thanks for serving.

Al

I haven't had anyone give me a hard time for riding a scooter in South Florida. The good riding weather will be here soon!

No one here hates sport bikes. I object to thoughtless behavior that I see only from young guys riding without care for themselves or others.

I don't see this from any other riders. Not to say that all sport bike riders are dipshits.

Being on two wheels makes us from the same clan and we worry when one of us may get hurt.

I come home from Iraq in September for vacation, I will get to ride my Vespa for the first time. I am planning a ride to Key West right off the bat. There is some awfully nice scenery down there.

My thoughts exactly.

I have the same thing happen- almost on a daily basis. It is pretty much only sports bike riders (power rangers). The commuter bike riders just like to stay where they are. I even went for a ride to a popular bike cafe , and when I pulled up , it was like every eye was on me with the gt200. As if they were thinking; "what are YOU doing here???"