Big balls or no brain, I can't decide

[oracle]

I feel small an insignificant enough on my FXR150, but today I saw something that makes it seems like I am a huge monster on the road.

When I was coming home along the North Western motorway at 4 this afternoon I saw a guy on a 50cc chinese scooter puttering along on the border of the bus lane and the slow lane. He would have been full throttle the whole time and was really only doing the legal limit of his scooter of 50km/h. Multiple cars rushed past him, some giving him more room than others. To his credit his scooter wsa bright yellow and he was wearing a hi vis jacket (went well with his shorts and sneakers), but that probably just means he'll be seen and dead

[2wheeldrifter]

It should also mean he shouldn't get hit twice aye

[SMOKEU]

Some people would say that high vis makes you more of a target.

[piston broke]

lately i have seen someone on their scooter of some sort,
heading south down the hill by sheepworld warkworth.
with people passing in their crates,waaay too close.
big up's to whoever that is

[Dutchee]

Many years ago I had a couple of scooters - 50 & 250. I remember my boss asking me one day why I turned up earlier at work on the 50 than on the 250. So I told him.
For me to get to the job on the 250 was a blat down the motorway, and I knew roughly how long it took, so allowed that much time to get there. Didn't lane split much (didn't really need to back then), and never really allowed enough time.
To get to work on the 50, leave early to avoid as much traffic as possible, go about 4-5k on the motorway, get off at the most convenient exit and then ride through the streets the rest of the way (work was around 20k away on the m/way at a guess, and probably around 30k when going the street way). It meant I always allowed a couple of hours to get there on the 50, but on the 250 about half an hour hehehe
Wouldn't dream of doing that these days as even at 6am it's busy.
Funny as hell, I gave up on the scooters because I couldn't handle dealing with spag junction every day and ended up changing jobs because of it. Now have to do it all again on the bike hehehe
Oh, and was a typical scooter rider - minimal gear (leather jacket, gloves, helmet, whatever shoes and skirt/jeans) - never jandals though, but now either cordura or leather (prefer leather but not always practical).

[SMOKEU]

Oh, and was a typical scooter rider - minimal gear (leather jacket, gloves, helmet, whatever shoes and skirt/jeans) - never jandals though, but now either cordura or leather (prefer leather but not always practical).

And you call that minimum.....for a scooter

[Squiggles]

I feel small an insignificant enough on my FXR150

You should get some angry eyebrows for the fixxer.

[Smifffy]

The boss at work says it doesn't matter what you do, as long as you wear Hi-vis - at least then he has taken all practicable steps

[morsedog]

The boss at work says it doesn't matter what you do, as long as you wear Hi-vis - at least then he has taken all practicable steps

I think if you are crazy enough to be riding a scooter on the motorway you need a little more than a hi-vis. I understand that some people need to get around that way and a 50cc may be all he has. But going on the motorway on one of those is asking for a car accident.

[jack_hamma]

I feel small an insignificant

eat more pies

[DangerMice]

I hear if you do it when it's barely moving, it's not a problem as you're still faster than the cars. Splitting between the left lane and the middle lane keeps you away from the buses and the bikes splitting faster down between the middle & right hand lane. I may or may not have done it once or twice when the NW is a carpark, it allegedly shaves about 20 mins off the trip to Henderson. The issue is deciding which exit ramp to use. Ie you can't see how busy it is at Te Atatu from Rosebank, and you can't see Lincoln from Te Atatu. Getting caught out when the traffic speeds up would not be pleasant at all. All hypothetically speaking of course.

Just don't use the cycle path, besides also being illegal, the cyclists are quite bolshy and will ring the cops.

It would be nice though if there was a way for scooters to use that route instead of having to use Gt North Road, every other bugger on wheels can use the motorway, and cyclists, walkers, horse riders even can use the cycle path. Discrimination I say! lol

Oh and the answer is big balls of course, why else would he need a stepthru.

[Waxxa]

If the scooter is unable to do 80kmph then the prick shouldn't be on the motorway! Isn't there a law stating this?

he gets clipped and its off to hospital (increased ACC levies). He needs to stick to Gt Nth Rd!

[avgas]

Was he carrying a radiator at the time?
If so you may have been transported to downtown Shanghai without knowing.

[marie_speeds]

DM I've seen quite a few motorcyclists using the cycle lane alongside the NW. I'm not one of them though How do you know that the cyclists report motorcyclists they catch using the cycle lane?
The guy had to have balls though! The NW is always so farked up in the arvos. Last week I went past a Ginga in a bright red helmet with his L-Plate on crawling along in the left lane. This was when traffic was flowing really well at about 2ish in the arvo.The truckies trying to get off at Rosebank were going nuts.
And yes I was being naughty and had taken off my L-plate and was doing more than 70kph. But even I had to shake my head at that rider. And dude seriously the long ginger hair streaming out from a fire engine red helmet.... Complete colour clash