Riding in the wet. Please advise!

[scoodlescooterist]

WTF is up with cars overtaking so rashly, especially when it rains and the roads are really wet and small 50cc scooters have to slow down due to the damn paint, even cars need to slow down on wet roads!
i've skid off those white paint arrows on the road in the rain even while going slow and have painfully been on crutches for a few weeks!!

Inspite of riding on an acceptable speed of 50-52kms on normal road conditions and 40-45 on wet roads if cars have to overtake i give way but they come so close and raise their accelerators so fast like in a threatening way!!! its so freakin annoying and can make u lose balance!

I'm startin to lose my patience now!!
do they have to do that at the cost of someone's life? anything could happen!

[paturoa]

80 something % of drivers in a recent survey thought that they were above average drivers. Well the average must be VERY low!

EDIT: Welcome

[Dave Lobster]

Acceptable to whom?

If you go a bit faster (the speed of the flowing traffic), the cars aren't as likely to be overtaking you to start with. 50 is too slow, and you'll be pushed into the gutter.

[riffer]

The problem is twofold.

1. You are small, and therefore insignificant to a cage driver.
2. You have little power, and small tyres, reducing your manouevrability.

I'm afraid there's not really much place in this country for scooters; they work great in places like Paris or Rome, where there's heaps of them (safety in numbers) but here you'll lose out every time.

Time to consider something bigger perhaps?

[tgb_novice]

Yes, I know the feeling :wari:, being a scooterist from Mt.Albert as well :clap:, I get ur problems, but if u need to be safe :dodge:, I reckon having a minimum speed of 55+ is just essential to not piss off Cagers :yes::yes:.
You have to remember that 50 on the scooter's speedo will most probably be 40 on the cagers speedo :stoogie:. Try riding behind a cage who does 40 :(.

Alas as I hate 2 say it, if u dont have a scoot which is hard 2 do 65+ on the scoots speedo, then get another scoot:scooter: or just to make u happy c if you can do the same speed with another cage in parallel in a quite road and check what error level your speedo has got so u know exactly what u r doing in respect 2 a cars speedo. :rockon:

[scoodlescooterist]

its fine on a sunny day but on when the roads are wet isnt every supposed to be careful and drive slow? especially those tiny wheels on a 50cc can skid off anything!! but its so convenient to uni...man...i thought people in nz were all kind and lovely..they are..cept for the ones on the roads. lol.

meh..i duno wat im talkin abt..but its made me lose confidence on the roads..i've avoided taking the scooter on rainy days but when its sunny in the morning and rains midway or on my way back home it sucks and i've nearly been run over thrice in the past week.

last year this guy on symonds street just took a U-turn on a busy road, i was on my way and stopped when i saw him indicate cos i thought he wouldn't see me..no cars behind me so i slowed down he went a lil further stopped midway on my left lane so i kept going according to my right way, and then he suddenly swerves and hits me?

He said he didnt see me....i dont know wat he was talkin abt..cos there were no cars infront of me to hide me...:weep:

people just drive so carelessly on these roads...

[motorbyclist]

last year this guy on symonds street just took a U-turn on a busy road, i was on my way and stopped when i saw him indicate cos i thought he wouldn't see me..no cars behind me so i slowed down he went a lil further stopped midway on my left lane so i kept going according to my right way, and then he suddenly swerves and hits me?

He said he didnt see me....i dont know wat he was talkin abt..cos there were no cars infront of me to hide me...:weep:

people just drive so carelessly on these roads...

same here, 'cept he did see me; once i was about a metre from his driver side door and still moving.... lucky for me he continued to floor it. lucky for you the guy actually stopped.

that road is a great example of people doing u turns without indicating nor looking, and pedestrians walking out from behind parked vehicles while txting and not looking (and they tend to do it directly above the underpass too)

just remember when a cager says "sorry i didn't see you" they really mean "oops i didn't look". cagers very rarely realise how dangerous (for themselves and others) it is to be hauling over a tonne of steel around at high speeds with exposed bodies within a few metres of them (us, cyclists and pedestrians alike) and other lumps of metal flying past in the oncoming direction barely a metre away.

all you can do is keep left and hope that they don't clip you on their way past - and take the stuff about your speedo seriously. all it takes is a sprocket change and they go way out, and many bikes/scoots are out to begin with (makes a learner think they're faster than they really are, so not mind the lack of power, methinks)

maybe it's time for a "real" bike? better manueverability, more stable, goes faster, stops faster, can take on the motorway...


oh, and welcome to KB:)

(PS: are you a uni student? joined the uni scooter/bike club? (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=84))

[CookMySock]

I ride a much bigger bike than a scooter, and I find people hear me coming, but seriously, if someone pulls out in front of me and causes me to off, I am gunna fucking bash them real bad. If cagers think they are bigger than me, they better make sure they run over me real good, coz if I can get up it aint gunna be pretty.

DB

[Dave Lobster]

its fine on a sunny day but on when the roads are wet isnt every supposed to be careful and drive slow?

The two don't necessarily go together.

[Del Fuego]

The same old rules apply, wet or dry. Assume any and every car is going to try and kill you. You need to drive for everyone else on the road... that is the only way to stay safe. I am a huge fan of scooters however a 50cc machine that wont keep up with the flow of traffic is downright dangerous... It sounds like your problems in the dry are due to not following the rules on line 1 and 2. Yes cars should look out and should be careful and should do lots of things... fact is... they don't so look out for yourself. as for the wet... yes you have to be a bit careful especially on white lines etc but even a 50cc scoot, assuming a reasonable tyre shouldn't need to be toodling around at 30 or 40ks Could I very politely suggest you practice riding in the wet a bit more....

[scootnz]

Might it be worth checking the condition of the tires? Whats the tread depth like? Are they inflated correctly?

Also, it is possible to maintain a reasonable speed while looking out for white lines. Especially if you ride the same way every time - you should know where the danger spots are and position yourself to avoid them, without slowing down too much. The road is not covered in white paint - it is in specific places and usually doesn't pop up unexpectedly overnight.

Also in my experience it is braking on white paint that is particularly dangerous, rather than just riding over it. This of course depends on how many times it has been painted over by contractors - some 'paint' is actually 1-2 centimetres high.

Hope this helps.


WTF is up with cars overtaking so rashly, especially when it rains and the roads are really wet and small 50cc scooters have to slow down due to the damn paint, even cars need to slow down on wet roads!
i've skid off those white paint arrows on the road in the rain even while going slow and have painfully been on crutches for a few weeks!!

Inspite of riding on an acceptable speed of 50-52kms on normal road conditions and 40-45 on wet roads if cars have to overtake i give way but they come so close and raise their accelerators so fast like in a threatening way!!! its so freakin annoying and can make u lose balance!

I'm startin to lose my patience now!!
do they have to do that at the cost of someone's life? anything could happen!

[Badjelly]

You could reduce your risk by riding a "real bike" with a bit more presence, a bit more power, better tyres & brakes. Ride like you belong on the road and don't be intimidated too much by the impatient people behind you (because the ones in front of you are the really dangerous ones). More experience will give you a better ability to assess risks.

But the fact is that the combination of wetness and darkness makes the roads more dangerous. The lower grip is an issue, but the big problem is that people just can't see where they're going, and they don't adjust their behaviour accordingly. Only you can decide if you want to expose yourself to that danger.

[tgb_novice]

its fine on a sunny day but on when the roads are wet isnt every supposed to be careful and drive slow? especially those tiny wheels on a 50cc can skid off anything!! but its so convenient to uni...man...i thought people in nz were all kind and lovely..they are..cept for the ones on the roads. lol.

people just drive so carelessly on these roads...


Yes! Sunny days are just great but if you are not careful someone's still gunning :2guns: for you. Always be aware of your surrounding vehicles as everyone else has said before " They are out to kill you :bash:" .

Riding in the wet, you have to be careful but being over cautious is another ticket to die sooner !!
Just think about those really slow drivers in cage who always have an accident and the other group who are always driving fast and have a accident. The remaining category are the people who could get hit by the other two.
And on 2 wheels we cant afford to be either of the three :headbang:.

Anyway from what I see traveling that route in the wet , the risk areas are the following, any one else feel free to comment / negate my views


Mt Albert Junction (No one cares)
The turn after Mt. Albert connecting to the Asquith ave (Lots of white lines).
Kingsland Approach and Junction (Do even the people working on the road there know the road ?)
Symonds Street onwards (Wet ,Windy and Stupid people group together)

[scoodlescooterist]

lol i can't disagree with that at all. anyway i'm avoiding using the bike in wet road conditions as people just do not have the patience to be careful themselves, just because theyre in a car doesnt mean they're safe on the roads, a car could easily lose control especially when the road is wet. yet they do not bother slowing down.

I'm thinking..even if i get a slightly bigger bike..100cc? isnt it still the same? small wheels..etc..?

Just after entering symonds street, past grafton..its a nightmare..the road opp langham. those slopes..and wakefield street..all the way down to queen street. even shortland street in the city, bacons lane etc..they're worse if ur on a small scooter!

man..i thought a 50cc would be nice and economical..had it for nearly 2years..all this has been happening lately..maybe drivers are losing patience with scooters riding thru gaps in traffic and waiting right infront of the stop light. lol. its not like we hold them up...we're way far ahead by the time they get to us!

[Coyote]

Maybe you could invest in tyres that don't slip so much in the wet? They'll cost a bit more but a scooter shouldn't chew through them so quick.

Really ought to listen to my own advice. Almost highsided one morning off to tech. The little strip of tarmac that joins a redone patch and the rest of the road gets very slippery in the wet, and my rear wheel decided to follow that strip whilst the front went in another direction :laugh:

[scoodlescooterist]

yeah..i should get the tyres checked out..maybe they've worn out or something..but would it really make a big difference? could still skid off white markings n stuff..right? maybe some wider tyres would help..any idea how much it costs? and if its possible to do that? struggling student here. heh.

[sinfull]

You could reduce your risk by riding a "real bike" with a bit more presence, a bit more power, better tyres & brakes. Ride like you belong on the road and don't be intimidated too much by the impatient people behind you (because the ones in front of you are the really dangerous ones). More experience will give you a better ability to assess risks.

But the fact is that the combination of wetness and darkness makes the roads more dangerous. The lower grip is an issue, but the big problem is that people just can't see where they're going, and they don't adjust their behaviour accordingly. Only you can decide if you want to expose yourself to that danger.

You'll find that wet days produce more aggressive driving/grumpy drivers !

Your on a Scooter, ppl look at it like, she wont damage my bumper faaark all !

Try practising in a carpark, riding one handed swinging a f..koff chain in ya left hand and see what happens on the road when ya try it there ! Or for that matter the odd kick to the right with a steel cap boot works !


The same old rules apply, wet or dry. Assume any and every car is going to try and kill you. You need to drive for everyone else on the road... that is the only way to stay safe. I am a huge fan of scooters however a 50cc machine that wont keep up with the flow of traffic is downright dangerous... It sounds like your problems in the dry are due to not following the rules on line 1 and 2. Yes cars should look out and should be careful and should do lots of things... fact is... they don't so look out for yourself. as for the wet... yes you have to be a bit careful especially on white lines etc but even a 50cc scoot, assuming a reasonable tyre shouldn't need to be toodling around at 30 or 40ks Could I very politely suggest you practice riding in the wet a bit more....

Smaller wheels/more slip on white lines ! Stay off them whites !!!


Acceptable to whom?

If you go a bit faster (the speed of the flowing traffic), the cars aren't as likely to be overtaking you to start with. 50 is too slow, and you'll be pushed into the gutter.

What ???? She is within her rights to do 50k in a 50 area, do you not give a push bike rider the right of way just cause he has no horses ?

Try wearing a big sign on ya jacket *my hells angle boyfriend is in your rear vision mirror* (its all about being seen and given your space) NZ drivers are the worst (dont think the rest of us f..ks are left out of the loop here, just cause you/we ride as well) for courtesy and allowing other drivers/riders to merge etc The mentallity here is, me first f..k you !!!
On a Scooter you will be pushed around (unless they think you will dent their new BMW) there is another sign for ya jacket !! * i have no insurance and like to dent the most expensive cars*
Truth be known, what the guys/gals are saying is right, because you have a smaller bike that cant split the cages and keep ahead of them, you are vulnerable ! If i were only able to travel 60 k max on my bike they MAY try to push me around on the road as well ! (another jacket sign ! *I have a gun*)

[Lee Rusty]

or at least some contact with other scooter riders

You should ride in the dry like it is raining ie stay offthose white arrows you are complaining about - learn to pick the best lines away from oil ad paint in the dry then when it rains you dont have to change your riding style.

A bit if thinking goes a long way

[motorbyclist]

I'm thinking..even if i get a slightly bigger bike..100cc? isnt it still the same? small wheels..etc..?

i believe the jog has those little squat wheels does it not? even if you got a 50cc scooter with "proper size" wheels i bet you'll find things easier and more stable, plus little bumps in the road won't be so bad:) (all a long story involving physics and ensuing arguments i don't want to start) -and again, a motorbike is more stable with better acceleration and more importantly, better brakes.

maybe an upgrade to a 150cc scooter/bike (they both need the bike licence) would be a good move? i ride one of those vespas for a job and can say while they do slip out if you make them, they have enough momentum to carry on reguardless (alot of rider skill comes into play though). plus the mileage is still good enough to make even a biker jealous

[tgb_novice]

yeah..i should get the tyres checked out..maybe they've worn out or something..but would it really make a big difference? could still skid off white markings n stuff..right? maybe some wider tyres would help..any idea how much it costs? and if its possible to do that? struggling student here. heh.

Good tires, 100% of the time, they r the only stuff thats between you and the road. :ride:
Now since no one has offered too yet, What time do you go to Uni ? :hitcher:
I would in no sense tell I am an expert, as I am relatively new to driving 2 wheelers in NZ, but I have been driving 2 wheelers in my birth country for a wee while!! So if we can match times up we could actually drive down that route together, so maybe we will feel safe in numbers ? :apumpin:
If you so wish pm me and we can see what we can do ?

[sinfull]

Good tires, 100% of the time, they r the only stuff thats between you and the road. :ride:
Now since no one has offered too yet, What time do you go to Uni ? :hitcher:
I would in no sense tell I am an expert, as I am relatively new to driving 2 wheelers in NZ, but I have been driving 2 wheelers in my birth country for a wee while!! So if we can match times up we could actually drive down that route together, so maybe we will feel safe in numbers ? :apumpin:
If you so wish pm me and we can see what we can do ?

Two sets of chains to whip off the odd side mirror that dont get used anyway !

[scoodlescooterist]

Two sets of chains to whip off the odd side mirror that dont get used anyway !

HAHAHA! good one. ah only if i could really do that.
:shifty:
anyhow..a friend of mine who works at some bike workshop in the city said he drilled holes in his exhaust and its way louder, so people actually notice him coming and he offered to change the tyres to something better and wider that'll cost around 60ish each for each tyre. Also he said he could do something with the plugs that will make the bike go 10k faster. Wadya guys reckon? safe to do so??
I don't wanna mess up my bike..drilling holes in my exhaust would that screw up the compression? he said it won't harm the bike etc. i thought i'd check with u guys..wat do u think?

ps: KB IS THE COOLEST EVER. :D

[sinfull]

HAHAHA! good one. ah only if i could really do that.
:shifty:
anyhow..a friend of mine who works at some bike workshop in the city said he drilled holes in his exhaust and its way louder, so people actually notice him coming and he offered to change the tyres to something better and wider that'll cost around 60ish each for each tyre. Also he said he could do something with the plugs that will make the bike go 10k faster. Wadya guys reckon? safe to do so??
I don't wanna mess up my bike..drilling holes in my exhaust would that screw up the compression? he said it won't harm the bike etc. i thought i'd check with u guys..wat do u think?

ps: KB IS THE COOLEST EVER. :D

Drilling holes in your exhaust ? NO !!! ( you still have to get warrants?) lol and if thats the way he works, No to the 10 k faster thing with the plugs as well ! Your scoots fine for whats its designed for, you wont find one person on here that is confident braking or leaning on white lines when it's wet (just another hassel for bikes, avoid them !)
What ya want to do is find where the bucket racing is held, go there, watch learn and see if some generous person lends ya a bucket to ride for a bit ! Learn to ride more aggressively and ya problems with aggressive car drivers will all dissapear (sort of) ! (growl at them cages)

[scoodlescooterist]

Drilling holes in your exhaust ? NO !!! ( you still have to get warrants?) lol and if thats the way he works, No to the 10 k faster thing with the plugs as well ! Your scoots fine for whats its designed for, you wont find one person on here that is confident braking or leaning on white lines when it's wet (just another hassel for bikes, avoid them !)
What ya want to do is find where the bucket racing is held, go there, watch learn and see if some generous person lends ya a bucket to ride for a bit ! Learn to ride more aggressively and ya problems with aggressive car drivers will all dissapear (sort of) ! (growl at them cages)

oh true, i forgot abt the warrants. LOL. sounded too good to be true. wat abt changing the exhaust to something louder in a more safer way. do ppl do dat??

whats bucket racing? :confused: I have a 50cc scooter cos i'm useless at the clutch gear thing on a bike..:sweatdrop but yeah..i dont know how it works and i haven't been taught that by my brother who used to have a bike back in the days..plus anything larger than a 120cc bike is too heavy for me.:no:

[sinfull]

oh true, i forgot abt the warrants. LOL. sounded too good to be true. wat abt changing the exhaust to something louder in a more safer way. do ppl do dat??

whats bucket racing? :confused: I have a 50cc scooter cos i'm useless at the clutch gear thing on a bike..:sweatdrop but yeah..i dont know how it works and i haven't been taught that by my brother who used to have a bike back in the days..plus anything larger than a 120cc bike is too heavy for me.:no:

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=66015&highlight=bucket+racing

Bucket racing is almost affordable racing and looks like heaps of fun ! Do a search for auckland (sudden thought ! Are you in auckland ?) buckets in the forums and find where they race, go watch these guys and girls ! You will come to realise that you are quite capable of riding anything you want ! Pretty sure that is you get to know these racers, someone will teach you the clutch/ gear thing !
My partner is stepping up to a 900cc once she has finished the learners crap and at 5'5" she aint the tallest out there !

Aww and ppl do change exhasts all the time(sometimes to make them louder) but on a scooter ummm i'd say not very often !

[motorbyclist]

the plug could give an improvement, but that's more a reliability thing or if the current one is the wrong one

drilling holes in the exhaust of what i assume to be a two stroke isn't too wise
the drop in backpressure can make it run lean, which causes the engine to overheat, results in rooted engine that needs replacing (or serious mechanical work)

either that or it runs rich and fouls up with oil


also, fatter wheels are not going to help much in the wet. remember yamaha or whoever made your scooter selected those tyre sizes with good reasons behind each choice. plus, a fatter tyre just means more hydroplaning over paint, not neccessarily more wet traction

have you looked into any rider training?

tomorrow arvo i'm "supervising" one of the SMC's newest bikers while he pots around in a carpark, probably in epsom; maybe you'd like to join? might be something obviously wrong you're doing, or maybe something's up with the scooter.
http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?p=1566724&posted=1#post1566724

[Del Fuego]

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=66015&highlight=bucket+racing

Aww and ppl do change exhasts all the time(sometimes to make them louder) but on a scooter ummm i'd say not very often !

You can definately change the exhaust on a 50cc scoot. And in combination with correct re-jet of the carb can produce a bit more power... which may solve some of your problems with being crowded by the cages. Talk to the boys at Scootling in the city they are bloody clued up with this kinda thing. Could be easier just to trade up to a 125cc scoot.

In saying that it sounds like more a handling issue... just practice in the wet and get a feel for how your bike actually performs... as opposed to how you "think" it performs. Agreed that small wheels aren't a bunch of fun on bumps and white lines, but really no bike is fun leaning or braking on a line.... you should be able to avoid most of them in the wet or the dry. Practice practice practice. Practice in the rain in lots of safety stuff so if you push it a bit far you will not hurt yourself. Perhaps go to a practice day down at mt wellington when it is raining... nice grass run off if you fall... Im sure the bucket guys wouldn't mind giving you a few tips.

Riding a scoot is actually similar to a bike. get off the seat more so you don't have to lean the bike as far etc this keeps the bike more upright and stable and you should feel more comfortable cornering especially in the wet. People must think I am a right clown, knee out and ass off the side of the seat on a scooter but it sure helps in the handling stakes...

[denill]

The same old rules apply, wet or dry. Assume any and every car is going to try and kill you.

Because they are. :ar15: :ar15:

[denill]

The tyres on the Honda Dylan are made out of banana skins. I've ridden a few bikes in my time but never anything as lethal as this combination. Wet or damp roads it's tippy toe stuff. And painted lines - SCARY.............

It would be the equivalent of a 500cc MotoGP two-stroker thrills - on a Dylan???? :headbang:

[scootnz]

What tyre brand are they?


The tyres on the Honda Dylan are made out of banana skins. I've ridden a few bikes in my time but never anything as lethal as this combination. Wet or damp roads it's tippy toe stuff. And painted lines - SCARY.............

[denill]

IRC 130/70 X 13 Rear and 110/90 X 13 Front. Avoid 'em like the plague.........

If I wasn't so miserable I'd swap them (after only 2,700ks) but the funny thing is, that I sorta like the challenge - even if it could end in tears???? :whistle:

[pritch]

I use an SJ50, which is similar to a Jog, to commute most days .
(The Jog has better brakes.)

Usually I can keep up with the traffic around town, the only places I have trouble doing that is when starting on an uphill slope as happens at two sets of traffic lights on my round trip.

As for riding in the wet, my moped had mismatched Chinese tyres which didn't inspire confidence so recently I fitted two new Continental tyres. I don't know how much difference that makes, it just makes me feel better.