Newbie here. Tips appreciated!

[Salvadorsshadow]

Hey all, new scooter owner here.  I just bought a practically new Kymco Like 200i.  This is my first experience on two wheels.  I took the motorcycle safety course about five years ago and got my license.  I wasn't able to buy a  bike right away, and then I went back to school, and one thing after another, here I am, five years later with a bike and no experience.  I'll be taking another motorcycle safety course next weekend, but there aren't any scooter specific classes near me.

Any tips on how to best apply what I will "re"-learn next weekend?  I have a very small yard and I'm tooling around on that a bit, but I'm really nervous to go down the street.  How can I get more comfortable? 

[MJR]

How can I get more comfortable?

Congrats on the new scoot. I'd say by riding but maybe if you post up where your located you might find someone local to ride a bit with.

[Scooter Dan]

Some of us remember how scared we were when we took our first ride, especially those who returned after a long hiatus. I had to ride mine from the dealer to home which was about 30 miles. I rode all back roads through neighborhoods until I finally got onto the highway. After a few miles it was really a piece a cake. The real challenge though is in town riding in traffic. It's really fun on a scooter as they're so much faster to get about than in a car. It has many hazards though and one worth studying.  Motorscooters and motorcycles are all 2 wheelers so what applies to one applies to the other. There are some great books on motorcycling as well as hanging out in forums like this and ask questions like you just did. If you're near a parking lot that is empty of cars sometimes, they're an excellent place to practice.

[Stig / Major Tom]

Hey all, new scooter owner here.  I just bought a practically new Kymco Like 200i.  This is my first experience on two wheels.  I took the motorcycle safety course about five years ago and got my license.  I wasn't able to buy a  bike right away, and then I went back to school, and one thing after another, here I am, five years later with a bike and no experience.  I'll be taking another motorcycle safety course next weekend, but there aren't any scooter specific classes near me.

Any tips on how to best apply what I will "re"-learn next weekend?  I have a very small yard and I'm tooling around on that a bit, but I'm really nervous to go down the street.  How can I get more comfortable? 

Tight turnings in a small yard are hard.
Take your time.....ride down only residential streets of 25mph if possible.....for days and days if need be....15 mins at a time.
Then ride to the closest large, empty parking lot....and ride there for as many days as it takes for you to get comfortable.
I did about 200 miles this way before I started out on main roads.
Have a car follow you to that parking lot if need be. I did. that way you can quit worrying about what is going to happen behind you.
I'd never ride a new scooter home from the dealer if I hadn't ridden in years. Have them deliver it. This is a common request....no matter how they act when you ask.
If they want the sale....they'll put it in your driveway.
Stig

[GLV55]

If there's a nice big parking lot near you, go there and practice. My wife and I took our scooters down to the theater's parking lot for about a month after taking the MSF course just to practice what we had learned and get a better feel for how our scooters felt in turns and fast stops. We gained a lot of confidence that way.

[LidoCA]

 The first 300 -400 miles on my LIKE were in my neighborhood at under 35 mph. It took quite a while to get up to that speed. I was afraid of leaning into the turns. After 8000 miles on my Like, I think I got the hang of it.
 Go no more than you are comfortable with. Some day you will be screaming down PCH trying to keep up.

[klaviator]

My first bike was a 1976 Kawasaki KZ400.  I had the seller deliver it to my house.  I had a total of maybe 30 minutes of riding experience years earlier.  I just got on it and rode.  It's not that hard.  If you can ride a bicycle you can ride a scooter.  I would recommend staying out of heavy traffic until you have taken the MSF course AND feel comfortable riding the scooter. 

Then after you have done all that, realize that there is still a lot more to learn.  Many people get comfortable with riding and then stop learning.  Many of those people still haven't really learned how to use their brakes or how to ride curves even after 10 or more years of riding experience.  The MSF teaches you the basics.  Think of it as graduating from elementary school.  You still have high school and college ahead of you. 

So, ride as much as you can, have fun and then start thinking about learning more.  Read about riding skills, take more advanced riding classes.  Go ride a Gymkanna if you can.

The most important thing of everything I have posted is: "Have Fun".  If you are not having fun, you shouldn't be doing it.

[Forbes1964]

My Xciting was my FIRST motorized 2 wheeler other than a childhood mini bike that I had for about three months when I was 12. Thankfully, I live in a rural area on a one mile long dead end street. I gained confidence by simply riding up and down the street. I found it better to get the feel and balance of straight ahead and curves first. After that, I practiced my turns. I gained enough confidence to make turns at intersections. But I didn't get the hang of slow maneuvers and tight turns until I took the class.

Good luck. You'll do well. If this UNCOORDINATED 51 year old could get the hang of it, you can too.

[Forbes1964]

SOME motorcycle classes have a couple of small scooters available for those who want use them if they know in advance. My instructor felt it would be better for me since the braking  controls on a scooter are slightly different . He felt that I should learn on something that I could directly apply to my own vehicle rather than having to "relearn" my scooter controls when I got home. So if you have no intention of riding a motorcycle in the near future, you may want to see if they have any scooters available for that class.

He told me that if I ever decided go get a motorcycle in the future, I should be able to adapt.

[Salvadorsshadow]

Thanks for all the tips and support guys.  Felt better in the saddle today then yesterday and took it around the block a couple of times.  Next goal: take it around the block a few times with my feet on the floorboard.  Here's to hoping this moderately uncoordinated 31 year old with about 30 minutes on a bike can get comfortable. Of course the neighbors are all looking at me funny as I drive past them over and over again.

I would love to get into a big parking lot but the closest one is down a very busy road.  And unfortunately I don't know anyone here to run vehicular interference for me in a car as I moved for work and don't know anyone.

Also, does anyone know the best way to remove an auto sticker?  Previous owner put on on the bike I want off.  Also, where can I get OEM parts?  The gasket for the top case is gone.

[Salvadorsshadow]

And Stig, where did you get your mirrors?  I'm a wide load and the stock mirrors seem to be made for someone who weighs 150lbs and is five feet tall.

[Scooter Dan]

You can practice stops like you would coming up to stop signs and red lights. Coordinating getting your feet down to the ground while moving takes practice. Later practice panic stops to get a feel for your bike and how it handles under hard braking. Remember to use more front brake than rear, particularly on these small scoots that have drum brakes on rear. You can also practice evasive maneuvers with pot holes, road trash and rough road conditions. Lots of good practice opportunities just riding around the block. If you had a trailer or truck you could transport to a parking lot. Otherwise stay close to home until you feel comfortable riding there later.

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

[Salvadorsshadow]

Another question: are most covers comparable?  I need to get one and I'm wondering if a random cover from Walmart will last as long and as well as a comparaby priced cover from somewhere else.

[Scooter Dan]

I've been using Walmart covers for years. They're cheap and keep the bike dry. Not sure on longevity as I always included the cover when I sold a bike which I usually kept a year. I use a Bike Barn as well and still cover my bike under the Bike Barn.

[Stig / Major Tom]

And Stig, where did you get your mirrors?  I'm a wide load and the stock mirrors seem to be made for someone who weighs 150lbs and is five feet tall.

My long stemmed Italian made mirrors.
No cheap (note - price is for one mirror) but working great now for a couple of years.
I did not use the brackets...but purchased adapters to make it work on the LIKE threads. Adapters were only a couple of bucks. I phoned them for the proper adapters to buy.
I like these because they have long stems, and so I can swivel them around to be very close to my forward line of vision....only need to move my eyes a little to see into mirror - do not have to move my head and lose sight of the road/traffic ahead!
Stig

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Piaggio-Vespa-Adjustable-Scooter-mirrors-7212-Each-/121967692768?hash=item1c65d74be0:g:SsIAAOSw6kxXHtFg