259 miles & road-raged already!

[Stig / Major Tom]

I have completed 259 miles on my pretty Like 200i.
I ride to work at 4:30 or 5:30 AM - so pretty much have the city streets to myself in the morning - to the extent that I take a route which is 3 X longer than necessary.
But I have to come home when Ohioans are awake (maybe) and on the roads (mostly).
Even in my Scion xB I drive the speed as posted - which makes a large % of these midwesterners crazy mad.
I knew this would be an issue when I bought a scooter - especially during this zillion-mile break-in period which Kymco stipulates.

Coming home today, doing my thing at 35mph when I was tailgated and harassed by a couple of young fellows in a large SUV.
Horn blowing, moving left across the double yellow line as though to pass me, more horn blowing - until I finally realized what was happening.
I have read several books on scooter and motorcycle ownership recently (recommend "Complete Idiot's Guide To Motorscooters" and David Hough's 2 vol. "Proficient Motorcycling")
So, remembering David's repeated instructions - I just quickly touched the brakes and pulled to the side of the road and stopped.
Did I want to follow these 2 jerks and have a chat with them - sure - but in Ohio (America) guns are as prolific as idiots. And I have 2 more kids to finsih raising, so I just shook my head and cruised on home.  A forum member told me today how to replace the running lights with LEDs - so I'm a happy camper with another little scooter-improvement project for the week. And the LIKE seat I won on eBay has finally been mailed - so I can look forward to that project as well.

Ohio drivers are idiots on city streets - (and 98% of the females have a cell phone welded to their heads)  but if you really want to see some crazed incompetency try our interstate highways. Sure wish we had the kind of licensing and enforcement which Scandanavia has. There'd be 85% fewer cars on US roads.

[Vivo]

Sorry to head that Stig... guess you (American scooterists) have to live with these... I'm quite lucky I live in a place where bikers (even small ones) are respected or even the jerks on the road...

In our place, we do the "majical trousers/shoes"  to shoo off jerks in cages....  wear a pair of trousers and shoes same or similar to those worn by cops... add a black leather jacket and an empty gun holster.... hmmm... looks like an off duty police officer huh?....   

[SonicSix]

You will encounter all types no matter what you are riding or driving.  I would be far more worried about someone ramming me with a vehicle than shooting at me.  Ride safe.

[TroutBum]

It's better to be safe and ride another day than to bang heads with a cager.

Asshats abound everywhere here in Cali. Some lady in a mini van got bent out of shape when I slipped in front of here at a stop light. She stopped a good three car lengths behind the cross-walk - go figure!

I sometimes get asshats who block me from making a right turn at a light when I can easily pass between the vehicle and the curb (legal as long as you don't jump the curb onto the sidewalk). Since they can't make the maneuver because their vehicle isn't narrow enough, they rationalize others shouldn't be able to do it as well. Once a cager pulled this on me and a cop saw what was happening and pulled the car over. It's illegal to intentionally block another vehicle. Justice was served that day and I had a big ole grin on my face. 

You are half-way there on the 1/2 max break-in. Once you hit 500 miles you can 3/4 throttle it. The 1/2 throttle and 3/4 throttle positions are recommended for sustained riding. Going beyond that momentarily is okay. At the end of the day the break-in procedures are only a recommendation. I for one followed the manufacturers recommendation. To get the miles on quickly I happily got up with the roosters on weekends and averaged 100 miles and all that before my family got up which meant putting the scooter away.

[Stig / Major Tom]

It's better to be safe and ride another day than to bang heads with a cager.

Asshats abound everywhere here in Cali. Some lady in a mini van got bent out of shape when I slipped in front of here at a stop light. She stopped a good three car lengths behind the cross-walk - go figure!

I sometimes get asshats who block me from making a right turn at a light when I can easily pass between the vehicle and the curb (legal as long as you don't jump the curb onto the sidewalk). Since they can't make the maneuver because their vehicle isn't narrow enough, they rationalize others shouldn't be able to do it as well. Once a cager pulled this on me and a cop saw what was happening and pulled the car over. It's illegal to intentionally block another vehicle. Justice was served that day and I had a big ole grin on my face. 

You are half-way there on the 1/2 max break-in. Once you hit 500 miles you can 3/4 throttle it. The 1/2 throttle and 3/4 throttle positions are recommended for sustained riding. Going beyond that momentarily is okay. At the end of the day the break-in procedures are only a recommendation. I for one followed the manufacturers recommendation. To get the miles on quickly I happily got up with the roosters on weekends and averaged 100 miles and all that before my family got up which meant putting the scooter away.

Thanks for your reply, I really appreciate the insights of veteran scooterers - I am trying to follow the manual.
However.....I must take you to task on one item : There are no roosters in San Jose~!

[SonicSix]

I had an instance of insta-karma as well.  I was on a 220cc scooter and doing the posted speed limit of 35 MPH on a city street.  Some goober behind me felt that this was too slow.  He moved up close to me before passing, I saw him coming so I moved to the right side of my lane.  There was no oncoming traffic other than a white car in the distance but when he passed me, he intentionally crowded me in my lane to intimidate me.  The oncoming car in the distance was an unmarked police car that immediately lit him up.  I slowed down and allowed the cop to u-turn in front of me to pull the guy over.  When I scooted past them, I grinned at the perp real big as I went on by.

[TroutBum]

Thanks for your reply, I really appreciate the insights of veteran scooterers - I am trying to follow the manual.
However.....I must take you to task on one item : There are no roosters in San Jose~!

There are, but you have to get up early in the morning to see them. Rare sighting for sure. Much like the Orange Eye creature you have in your neck of the woods.

[PassedByAScooter]

At 530am on a Sunday here in Vermont, heading to work, I am usually the only person on the road. That didn't stop a moron from passing me when I was going 45 in a 35. I wasn't as calm as you, though! lol I beeped, flashed, then flipped him off hahaha