Attitude towards 2-wheeler/Vespa on the road (New York, Scarsdale: home, buying)

[noelm]

Hello folks,

I work from home so we are a one car family. The other day, I was in the city for very early morning meeting and by the time I came home it was about 11.00am. At Scarsdale train station, I noticed few 2-wheelers parked, not Harley-Davidsons but small Vespas. I doubt, they would run faster than 50-60mph.

I have never seen anybody riding such moped/scooter/Vespa (again, I work from home) but I found the idea intriguing, that someone can use such Vespa for short errands. I ALWAYS wanted to own a Vespa and I would seriously like to consider buying one. I would like to know how other drivers perceive presence of Vespa on the road.

Thanks in advance.

[RJS5689]

One of my neighbors rides one. She keeps it parked outside the building and it looks like she uses it to run errands around town. Just like riding any two-wheeled vehicle in New York, I worry about other people not seeing me, tailgating me, hitting me, etc. I'll never own a two-wheeled vehicle as long as I live in New York. It's not a matter of if you get into an accident, it's a matter of when you get into your first accident. My mother, who is from Italy, used to ride them all the time back home. It's part of the culture over there, though. I think they're a great idea, they're practical, easy to park, easy to maneuver, efficient, easy to maintain/service yourself, but I just fear for my life too much in this overly congested area.

[Forest_Hills_Daddy]

That Vespa looks like a nice bike any adult can use to ride into town.

[VA Yankee]

In a small town/local road enviroment they are fine because they can maintain the posted speed. Once you start with divided roads or multi-lane roads problems occur with them backing up traffic. Plus like bike riders not every user follows the rules of the road. As the other posted stated they are quite common in Italy and most Mediteranian countries.

[leaving queens]

I rode them in the city for a number of years before moving up to Rockland last year. The smaller Vespas and other scooters (150cc or so) generally top out at around 60mph; the larger ones (250-300cc) can hit 70-80mph.

I haven't done much riding since moving to the suburbs -- I ride to the train station every weekday (as long as there isn't ice on the ground) but have only done a few trips aside from that. While I haven't had any problems, I will say (and this may seem counterintuitive) that I felt more comfortable riding in the city. Despite the city's reputation for chaotic traffic, I found that the mainly one-way streets, few driveways, and dense traffic made for a more secure-feeling environment. One of the most common causes of motorcycle accidents is automobiles making left-hand turns in the path of an oncoming cycle, and that scenario is pretty rare in the city given its typical traffic patterns. Riding in the suburbs so far I find myself feeling much more nervous about other drivers not noticing me.

That could just be perception though; not necessarily reality. After 10,000 mostly trouble-free city miles I'd gotten pretty comfortable, and maybe that'll happen up here too in time. And I definitely plan to keep riding here; it's a great way to get around. I've heard reports from riders in other parts of the country that drivers can resent small scooters on the road and act dangerously aggressive around them, but I haven't found that to be the case in the riding I've done around Rockland and Westchester.

If you enjoy riding they're good for more than short errands too. I've ridden 150cc bikes to Philadelphia a number of times, and to DC and the Catskills.

Just FYI in New York you need a motorcycle license for any scooter with a top speed over 30mph.