Does traffic and time of day influence your decision to ride your scooter?

[Stig / Major Tom]

There's a large % of us who do not own a highway capable maxi-scooter.
(and a small % of course who consider their not-a-maxi to still be highway capable

For those with not-a-maxi scooter - does time of day traffic patterns in your area routinely cause you to keep your scooter parked?
Not sometimes - but usually, routinely, "not riding" now - kinda thing?

I recognize that for some a scooter is their work and shopping commuter vehicle. Still - time of day traffic patterns do exist in those instances. For example, "after work, I stay off of that street!"

A motorcycle is a different animal out there on the streets of the USA - for sure - a scooter is not a motorcycle in the eyes of my fellow Ohioans. And cycles get little enough attention by drivers.

I don't try to educate them.
This isn't Italy.
I just try not to ride amongst them.

Thoughts?

Major Tom

[Kansas kymco]

Not really, weather is a bigger influence then traffic. I also have a back way to get to where I'm going. Of course population density or lack there of makes time of day irrelevant. 

When I was in the DFW metroplex last week I thought to myself I would never own a motorcycle /scooter here.  Heck I don't even enjoy driving there with my 3/4 ton truck among the kamikaze pilots.

[TBR125]

The only influence of traffic and weather is whether I decide to ride the bike or drive the scooter. As my primary transport I don't have the choice/luxury of not driving the scooter. I ride even on icy days but just take it really slow especially where water flows across the roads from poor drainage design.

[Kansas kymco]

TBR125 when I turned 14 and got my restricted license I rode my Yamaha DT2 to school. I would ride on solid ice as well. The alternative was to ride with my Dad on his way to work then wait for him to pick me up.  So no matter what conditions I rode the bike, my only transportation as well.

[klaviator]

I try to time my riding as well as my driving to avoid rush hour in cities.  I hate being stuck in traffic.  Even if I will be out in the country I try to avoid those times that have a lot of traffic.  There are some great roads out in the country that tend to get clogged with slow moving traffic on weekends.  Now that I'm retired I tend to ride those roads during the week.  On weekends I'll go ride roads that are out of the way and never have much traffic. 

I don't look at it as that much of a safety issue as I just don't enjoy riding in heavy traffic in cities.  Out in the country I like to ride at a fun pace, not stuck behind a minivan or cruiser that doesn't have any idea how to handle a curvy road.

[Ernst]

Up from a motorized bicycle to a super bee!
 It was my transportation world so anytime was the right time.
The Salvage Kymco People S 250 came later.

I never thought that a fat guy on a Super Bee was an issue but some did so no shame to go anywhere any time in my mind.
That super Bee has remote start and alarm. Setting valves are a really important maintenance issue. Just wait until you can tell it needs to be done. That will be hard start.
Ah those were the days. I'd do it all over.

[Iahawk]

I work from home a lot (and have been home full time since early March..not sure when I'll be able to travel again)..so I can choose my riding times.

I never ride during rush hour, 4-6 PM, due to the tired, distracted drivers. I also don't ride at night and try my best to avoid dusk as the deer are everywhere here.

Favorite times are early/mid afternoon on weekdays and late morning / early afternoon on weekends. This applies to both my scooter and motorcycle.

[christianblessing]

In my small Arizona town I'm free to ride my Like 200i anytime I wish, sometimes a bit to cavalierly. When in the considerably larger city of Chiang Mai I do everything to avoid the morning and evening white-knuckle rush hour.

Sent from my MI PAD 4 using Tapatalk

[Viper254]

I don't mind night so much, but I really don't like dusk.

[rdhood]

I avoid traffic, when the sun is VERY low to the horizon, and night.

I avoid traffic because I dont like sitting in it,  I avoid the low horizon because I have experienced "blindness" coming up a curve and could literally see nothing for a few seconds, and night because I have read SO MANY tales of experienced riders who inadvertently hit something at night and wake up crashed at the side of the road. I will probably relax the night thing for local roads for which I am familiar, but it will be long time before I ride unfamiliar roads at night.

[john grinsel]

Having lived/ridden long time in Tokyo/Seoul/Stuttgart....I ride anytime....at home, lots of rain, wait---trip just go, professional quality riding outfit helps.  Sad thing in most of N America, no lane splitting!

[Neil955i]

I’m the Martini scooter rider, anytime, anyplace, anywhere!  Any chance to be out [emoji3]


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk