Vespa Scooter on Highway

[JoaneTham]

Hi Guys

 

I just bought a Vespa LX 150. Its a good scooter so far. But riding it on the highway/expressway is really scary.

The in-stability, strong wind and cars impatient with your lack of speed.. just scary.

 

Anyone sharing the same thoughts?

 

What could I do to improve the stability and safety for my riding experience? I've pasted 3M reflective stickers all round my scooter, shred thin the seat cushion so that my toes could reach the ground (i'm pretty short), and added a side stand. added a vespa box at the back too though.

 

Anything else i could add to improve the stability? windscreen?

 

Thanks for your advice in advance.

[zhang jin]

Hi Guys

 

I just bought a Vespa LX 150. Its a good scooter so far. But riding it on the highway/expressway is really scary.

The in-stability, strong wind and cars impatient with your lack of speed.. just scary.

 

Anyone sharing the same thoughts?

 

What could I do to improve the stability and safety for my riding experience? I've pasted 3M reflective stickers all round my scooter, shred thin the seat cushion so that my toes could reach the ground (i'm pretty short), and added a side stand. added a vespa box at the back too though.

 

Anything else i could add to improve the stability? windscreen?

 

Thanks for your advice in advance.

 

i usually stick to the slow lanes,its when i need to overtake that i move to the fast lane.(extreme right).anyway ,i'm on a gts300.cheers.

[Scarab]

Try not to worry too much about the cars behind. The more you think, the more panicky you'll get. I'm on a pcx and usually stick to the middle lane on expressway if I'm at 80kmh.

[ber]

Removing the rear box if you have one can help with stability a little. Scooter like these are good for city riding.

[xaley]

150cc should be able to overtake. Used to ride a 150cc scoot too. Mostly travel on middle lane.

[pgohctoon]

Used to ride the LX150 3V ie. With that, I usually keep to the left lane.

The LX is light and wheels are small. So passing lorries, buses and vans will cause some wind turbulence which will affect the LX.

With the original Vespa top box, make sure that the heavy handle bar end weights which comes with the box are fitted.

It is better with the heavy bar ends than without.

[Battery Doctor]

Hi Guys

 

I just bought a Vespa LX 150. Its a good scooter so far. But riding it on the highway/expressway is really scary.

The in-stability, strong wind and cars impatient with your lack of speed.. just scary.

 

Anyone sharing the same thoughts?

 

Anything else i could add to improve the stability? windscreen?

 

Thanks for your advice in advance.

 

1) The box will worsen the stability of any bike.

2) The bigger the windscreen the worse the stability

3) Please avoid being next to big vehicles (ie. Container trucks, Buses, Prime mover), the tail wind from these vehicles will push u off course.

4) Always position yourself so that drivers can see (good indication is you can see his face in his mirrors). In case they cannot see you, make sure u have a loud horn to attract their attention.

5) Always ride defensively, try to anticipate what drivers will do and avoid being in their paths. We are more vulnerable in any situation.

Hoped it helps! Ride safe!

[JoaneTham]

Yeah, i realized the middle lane is ideal for people like me who are travelling slower as the vehicles could either cut over from left or right.

 

heavy handle bar that comes with the vespa box

 

i should add weight to my vespa bike body huh?

[Battery Doctor]

Yeah, i realized the middle lane is ideal for people like me who are travelling slower as the vehicles could either cut over from left or right.

 

heavy handle bar that comes with the vespa box

 

i should add weight to my vespa bike body huh?

 

That's why I advised you to stay away from those big trucks that's on your left as they might blow u off course.

You can visit any bike shops with the similar model on display and compare you bar ends, the new bar end weights are suppose to be longer and slightly bigger than the original. You should be able to tell the difference.

 

Its not so much the weight that causes you bike to be unstable, more of wind resistance actually and of course your small tyres.

[chriszzz]

Visibility: The most visible point is the highest point : your helmet. Wear a brightly colored full face helmet. Full faces are safer than open face helmet. The most visible colors are yellow and bright green.

 

Wear a riding jacket (with CE Armour) with some yellow/green/luminous highlights on the back. Remember to gear up (jacket, gloves and leg/knee protection) properly. It's a bit troublesome, but knowing your gear will protect you will also add to your confidence.

 

Stability: Your scooter has small wheels, a small wheelbase, and is lightweight. All of these contribute to instability at high speeds. The extreme solution is to upgrade to a bigger class 2b bike. Even an FZ16, which is just 153cc, would be more stable to due its greater weight, bigger wheels and longer wheelbase. I've ridden the FZ16 and Honda Phantom TA200 on the expressways, and they are relatively more stable than a scooter.

 

No matter how big your bike is, you'll just need to get used to big vehicles zooming by next to you. It's scary at first, but you need to remain calm. Once you are used to it, you won't feel flustered by them. And learn to ignore impatient cars behind. Ride at a reasonable speed (not too slow) in the center of the lane. The cars will overtake you on the next lane. Do NOT ride at the side of the lane, as some cars will try to squeeze past you in the same lane. Very dangerous and scary.

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Guys

 

I just bought a Vespa LX 150. Its a good scooter so far. But riding it on the highway/expressway is really scary.

The in-stability, strong wind and cars impatient with your lack of speed.. just scary.

 

Anyone sharing the same thoughts?

 

What could I do to improve the stability and safety for my riding experience? I've pasted 3M reflective stickers all round my scooter, shred thin the seat cushion so that my toes could reach the ground (i'm pretty short), and added a side stand. added a vespa box at the back too though.

 

Anything else i could add to improve the stability? windscreen?

 

Thanks for your advice in advance.

[pgohctoon]

Yeah, i realized the middle lane is ideal for people like me who are travelling slower as the vehicles could either cut over from left or right.

 

heavy handle bar that comes with the vespa box

 

i should add weight to my vespa bike body huh?

 

The standard bar end weights on Vespas are about 1 - 1.5 inches long.

The heavier ones are about 2 inches long..

I am not saying it will make your LX super steady but it's better with than without.

[pgohctoon]

The standard bar end weights on Vespas are about 1 - 1.5 inches long.

The heavier ones are about 2 inches long.[ATTACH=CONFIG]319395[/ATTACH].

I am not saying it will make your LX super steady but it's better with than without.

 

If you bought the original Vespa box, it is packed together with it.

i confirmed this with Ai De Hua - the sole agent.

Your bike shop might have overlooked installing it.

I agree with Chriszzz about proper attire...some people think it's troublesome and most think accidents will not happen to me .....when it happens, too late.

Ride safe.

[Warishitake]

Hi guys,

 

Going for my tp soon, plan to get a LX150 / Primavera.

 

Is it really that bad on the highway? Any more feedback?

 

Thanks.

[pgohctoon]

Hi guys,

 

Going for my tp soon, plan to get a LX150 / Primavera.

 

Is it really that bad on the highway? Any more feedback?

 

Thanks.

 

I think the important point is to know the limits of your bike/scooter and one's riding skills/experience and ride within those limits.

Daily, there are tens of thousands of Malaysian sccooters/bikes commuting to/from Johore - Singapore. They do so on Malaysian highways and Singapore expressways 5 -6 days week in, week out.

Similarly, there are thousands of Singapore riders on small bikes/scooters.

Some ride conservatively, some ride like all other vehicles will stay out of their way.

As advised by other contributors here, wear proper gear, make yourself visible - bright colored helmets, jackets, bags, stay out of blind spots of other vehicles.

If your bike/scooter is under-powered, stay out of the fast lanes.

Just my kaypoh kaypoh remarks.

[vvv]

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Edited July 30, 2015 by vvv

[JoaneTham]

Called the shop (@Uniquemotors) which sold me my lx 150 and vespa box, they insisted there's no standard bar weights that comes along with the box. Any way I could go about to get them back?

 

after all your remarks, think i'll go grab a reflective jacket to improve visibility.

 

VVV, i do agree with them that LX 150 is for in city cruising, totally not for expressway or highway. The strong wind just makes you skip a beat.

[vvv]

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Edited July 30, 2015 by vvv

[vvv]

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Edited July 30, 2015 by vvv

[chriszzz]

Auto scooters are very convenient, no doubt. They are great when you are sightseeing, like in Bali or Taiwan. Very fun to take one of these little buggers and ride out to the countryside. That's because the emphasis is on the places of interest and scenary, not the bike. The bike is merely a tool to bring you somewhere, so you want as little hassle as possible.

 

But when you are riding for the fun of riding a bike, a manual bike is way better. Quick shifting of the gears as the bike accelerates from standstill gives me a small rush, and I love playing around with the clutch, gear and throttle, although I hate having to rapidly step down to gear 1 when forced to stop suddenly.

 

 

 

 

For long journey - Manual bigger bike is better

For short journey with lots of traffic light - Automatic scooter is better

 

For jurong to changi - Take MRT better (Avoid jam and reduce accident %)

For Heaven faster- Please speed above 100km+++

[ber]

I ride motorcycle now, I have the most fun riding scooters. Motorcycle to me is good for long roads and scooter for crowded streets where speed is not a concern. Of course I am talking about small scooters with. 10 11 inch wheels.

 

Scooter sound terrible due to its transmission.

[vvv]

Everyday when i touch my cute scooter, my below got feeling one. Is that normal?

[No.10]

Everyday when i touch my cute scooter, my below got feeling one. Is that normal?

Could be testicular cancer. Please have it checked.

[ber]

Lol how much did your Vespa cost?

[No.10]

I have both lx150 and gt200. Both brilliant scooters. Lx150 with the tall windscreen and front metal rack to even out the weight at the front wheel. Gt200 has the flyscreen and heavy bar ends. No wobble at high speed

[vvv]

Could be testicular cancer. Please have it checked.

 

Wa lau, you very naughty leh..