Modern Vespa

I 've seen that a lot of ET and LX have scratches and/or blows in their cowls.

Could You tell us if You have already fallen or no,
and in the case You did, how it has happen (that we could try to avoid it)

I think this group is made up of both safer than average riders and people who are more than averagely fanatical about keeping up their scoots so we probably have less falls and more asthetic repair here than usual.

I went down about a year ago... I posted about it here to the NY Scooter Club forum shortly afterwards.

Let's just say the MSF dictum to emergency brake in a straight line is very hard to do in practice (particularly for the first true emergency) when the reason you're slamming on the brakes is because a car is coming at you from the side.

Turned over the first day. Ran off the edge of the road turning around.
Didnt really fall but did lay the scooter down.
Stan

Yep. Asphalt Hurts.

Went down on an oil spill on a secondary road about 2 years ago, broke me knee

I have heard it said there are two types of scooter riders, those who've crashed, and those who will

Yes, but not on my scooter. I stepped in a puddle of oil at a drive through bank in 1983, my foot went right out from under me and I dropped the bike. The secone ( same bike ) was a couple years later in a gas station. I pulled in and hit some sand the attendant put down for the motorists so they wouldnt slip while filling their tanks at the pumps. I went down hard. I was tired from an allready long weary ride in the rain and it was late, 1am. No one offered to help me pick the bike up, they just looked at my slack jawed. Even the attendant ignored me. I filled up down the road at another station once I got myself back on both wheels.

Yup. Totalled my wife's Buddy. Details here: crash. darn.

The condensed version: car came at me, maybe could have avoided but not my fault, pulled a stoppie and flipped off the scoot at about 35mph, did all the things you shouldn't do if in an accident, "Hi, honey, I'm home! Can you take me to the emergency room? Oh, and don't look at your scooter.", pain, drugs, torn AC ligament, pain, physical therapy, lots of insurance money coming my way, "How the hell did I scratch up the TOP of the headset?!", new Buddy, yay. Pain.

The lessons: Helmet and armored jacket saved my bacon. Buddy and Vespa do not behave the same when hard stopping. Don't ride a scoot with a bent frame home when your shoulder's not properly connected to your torso regardless of how much shock you're in. My wife is way more understanding than I deserve.

Yes, layed it down while making a slow turn around a corner - Lots of gravel on the ground, and wet.