Modern Vespa

so i've never taken a passenger before and my husband wants to hop on the back of the GTS. i'm sure there is a "proper" way to do this...

would you guys enlighten me?

thanks so much

Do you mean the actual "getting on" part?

yessir i do.

Right then..Flip footpegs out.Do this before sitting on scooter,like I always forget to do. Then just sit on it in your usual riding position,while hubby swings a leg over.Just make sure you're good and braced,and your feet aren't on a slippy surface.

Then prepare to catch your calves on the footpegs every time you paddle through traffic...

Good luck!

When my daughter rides with me I tell her to hold on to me and, when I lean, she should lean. Then hang on. 8)

Just take it easy until you get used to it. Leave some extra room for stops.

I always remind my pasenger not to put their feet down when stationary, lean forward when I'm accellerating and brace themsleves a bit when I'm braking - stops our crash helmets bumping together. Also take it nice and easy and enjoy the ride.

All good advice so far! I also ask them to move as little as possible and lean with you. You'll really notice the extra weight. I really hate bumping my legs on the foot pegs!

thanks for the advice all!

i just took him around the corner to my in-laws, it was a very different ride indeed!

Good for you, letting him ride cupcake.

The placement of the footpegs on the GTS are the most annoying thing. When I take my son, I tell him to be aware of when I'm going to brake, and he should take his big ol' boots off the footpegs then. It's really irritating when his feet are there when I have to put my foot down.

So true, my wife has quite using then and just keeps her toes on the back of the foot board.

On leaning, your passenger (husband) should just look over shoulder, left for left turn and right for a right turn. this will give yiou just the right amunt of lean.

Ahhh...one of the first times I took a passenger was on my P200...I was going up the Hollywood Hills and when I was coming out of a stop I accidentally popped a wheelie and almost lost my passenger! Hahaha! I always give my passenger the rules before I let them get on *don't put your feet down, do not hold onto my shoulders, etc*

With a passenger while accelerating from a stop I usually just accelerate a bit more than usual an pick my feet up (forward) quickly to avoid the "GT-foot-peg-bruise" (here to fore refered to as: GTFPB). It always takes 3 or 4 stops to get it down.

I like riding with a passenger in that it's a much more stable/solid ride but it takes some getting used to.

adjust your tire pressure for riding two up.

jacqui

For getting on/off, since I have a topcase on, I usually straddle the scooter but stand as far forward as I can, holding onto both handgrips. That way my wife doesn't have to leap over the topcase!

The other thing to do, if you think of it, is to re-adjust the pre-load on the rear suspension. There is a little wrench strapped under the seat on the LX, which you can use to adjust the suspension. Move it from 1 to 3. You'll need to get a piece of pipe to slip the wrench into, to give you more leverage. I usually forget to do this, but the one time I remembered it made a big improvement in the ride, at least on my LX150.

These are all really good, but I have one to add that I've never heard mentioned before: instruct your passanger to not antagonize the cagers. The other night I was riding with my partner on the back. We were riding along in somewhat heavy traffic. An SUV didn't see us and pulled into our lane. I saw it coming and was able to apply the brakes on time, no problem, no biggie. To me it was a normal defensive manauver and I just let them go by. The problem was that it scared the shit our of my partner, so that when we later passed them, he started making hand gestures at them. I didn't see what he was doing, but he told me that all he did was make signs to say "look where you're going". Well, signs were mis-interpreted, then they exchanged some other signs, etc... you get the picture. Well, the cager was getting pissed off and started to follow us very closely or pull up next to us (very closely). When I realized what was going on, I pulled off, let the cager go on and lectured my partner... "don't antagonize the cagers!" Hopefully he'll know better next time.

Just been through this scenario having taken my darling wife on the back of the GT for the first time recently. We have been out 'n' about for the last two weekends.
I have taken to getting on first and standing forward holding the scoot upright. I brace the handlebars as she mounts from the nearside footpeg and swings a leg over. Much as one would get on a hos'.
We have a topbox so it is a real step over, not 'swing a leg around' move.

We have had some fun but it is certainly different to riding alone. As I am 183cm (6 ft) I find the going a little cramped and the riding position too far forward for my liking. I certainly wouldn't undertake a long ride two up. This has been my first and only disappontment with my Modern Vespa. It seems just a little too small to go on a long trip together - say a weekend away or something.

Take care as you learn - the scooters reponse is way different!....but the cuddling is fun

Sitting on the hard knob at the front of the seat gives a whole new meaning to the words "riding pleasure." I'm happy to share the GTS with my wife but 30 mins at a time is good range limit. Call me selfish but I like that whole long seat to myself.

I'm not saying anything!