[eon]

My short answer would be no.

My longer answer would be it depends on if you have crossed the line from being visible to being a distraction. Riding a tilting 3 wheel scooter I get a lot of attention. I have had people swerve around me so they could get a better look. I’ve had drivers pacing me holding their cell phone out the window trying to take a picture (and then reviewing picture to see if it worked!!). Others have reported accidents around them as people are too busy gawking at the strange machine to look where they are going.

Being visible is good. Being a distraction is not.

[eon]

Sorry to hear about your friend but I’m glad it is not more serious than it is. A head on collision like that could have been much worse. Some years ago my brother was involved in a head on collision where he ended up underneath a van. When the medics arrived on the scene they were convinced he was dead. He escaped with just a shattered ankle and shin. Although serious (one leg is now shorter than the other) he could easily have died that night.

Incidents like these remind us to keep on our toes.

[eon]

I really like it but remember this is my first ever bike, it would have to be really bad for me not to like it
I think commuting is the major strength of any maxi-scoot. Lots of storage and protection from the elements plus the convenience of twist-n-go, perfect for riding in traffic. The third wheel of the MP3 gives you greater stability in less than ideal conditions (a third wheel means 50% more rubber on the ground). Plus 2 disk brakes up front means it stops quickly too.
Negatives are the cost. For some reasons maxi-scoots are freaking expensive compared to bikes. The build quality is not the greatest on Piaggio (typical Italian you might say). I’ve not had any major issues (just a few minor ones) but the support you get from Piaggio is really poor. You are relying on having a good dealership to sort you out, you will not get any support from Piaggio. They are trying to increase their reach into America so they are letting almost anyone sell their product. I would not buy one unless I knew I had a local dealer with a good mechanics.

Other scoots to consider are the Suzuki Burgman and the Honda Silverwing. They get good reviews from owners. There is also the very sexy Yamaha TMAX which looks (almost) like a sportbike.

[eon]

12 months as of last Monday and 8500 miles. No commuting for me, all fun miles on my Piaggio MP3 500. While I would say I am past the beginner stage I will never be past the learner stage.

[eon]

Cannot tell you how durable Cordura is but it is used in just about every textile jacket out there (at least the decent ones). From looking at the Cordura website it appears there are different types for different uses so I dunno if all motorcycle apparel uses the same type.

The 500 denier part is the thickness of the thread used to stitch it together. The bigger the number the better. 500 is the most common size though some jackets use 1000 and I’ve even seen 300 on some.

[eon]

You could try ordering it from Johnson Leathers as they are the official distributor of this product. It appears they have it in stock (although I did not try ordering one). I bought mine from them some months ago and was pleased with the experience. From what I remember there was not a lot of communication from them but they shipped the product very quickly which is the most important thing.

[eon]

I’m going to disagree with you guys here. I don’t think something disintegrating after 20 feet is acceptable. I would be fine with it if it was advertised or branded as such but its not. It’s all a bit of a crap shoot how much protection any piece of clothing gives you as far as I can tell. Yes, we all know mesh is not going to give you as much protection as leather but how much less is it? And just how good is a cheap pair of leather pants? My expensive RevIt textile is claimed to be more abrasion resistant than leather. And the Motoport stuff is claimed to be the best.

I guess it comes down to how fast to you have to be going to slide 20ft? Lots of variables in there but my pulled-out-of-my-ass estimate would be 30 ~ 40mph. I would be pissed if my pants melted onto my ass at that speed.

[eon]

Good luck with your case. Seems like you have a good chance of being successful (so long as the cop does not say your light was flashing).

And while I agree beacon is a strange choice of word, I don’t see it defined as a source of light visibile 360 degrees. Merriam-Webster has this definition
1 : a signal fire commonly on a hill, tower, or pole
2 a : a lighthouse or other signal for guidance b : a radio transmitter emitting signals for guidance of aircraft
3 : a source of light or inspiration

[eon]

You might want to have a look at this thread where someone is not too happy about their First Gear pants.
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=488246

I’m thinking a lot of the cheaper stuff out there will do this. Has me wondering about my Tourmaster Flex pants

[eon]

Everybody seems to believe the drivers where they currently live are the worst in the country, but I have to back you up on the Nashville thing. I’ve driven through there three times and it was never fun (and once was down right terrifying). I don’t think it should stop you riding though. Part of the experience of riding a bike is learning to SEE the dangers on the road before they happen and to avoid them. I have to say I get great satisfaction when I do this correctly (and I cuss myself when something catches me by surprise).

The usual advice still applies, find quiet roads to learn on till you are comfortable with the bike. When you are surrounded by dangers you want to be giving them your full attention and not wandering what gear you are in, where is the brake etc. This could mean not hitting I-24 for a long while till you are ready, or at least avoiding it at busy times. No shame there.

In short, I don’t think it would stop me from riding. Might make be a bit more cautious in getting up to speed is all.

[eon]

Hack: Sidecar

[eon]

Glad you are okay and learned a lesson without sustaining any injuries.
Similar thing happened to me a while back and I had conflicting emotions as I caught up with the offender at the next light (she swerved past me and blew through a red light). Part of me wanted to scream at her and let off the anger that was building but I consoled myself with simply glaring at her while she stared straight ahead trying to ignore me. Afterward I read of a guy who says he politely knocks on their window and asks them to try and be more careful in future as his children like having a father. That seems like an effective strategy to me. Hopefully I never have another opportunity to try it out.

[eon]

An iphone browser mode would be nice. Another site I visit has it and it works really well. This is just me wanting my cake and eating it though.

[eon]

Welcome JC.
Glad to hear you are comfortable doing what you think is best and ignoring any snide remarks. The MSF class is not mandatory here (sadly IMO). I would have thought the Canadian licensing/training requirements were a lot tougher than the US. It’s great to hear someone starting on a 125 and loving it. That’s what my brothers started on back in the day back in the UK.

[eon]

I would say the most important ones are
1. Tire patch kit and some type of inflation device
2. Cell phone
3. Credit card.

Those last two can get you out of just about any situation. Other than that I have the basic tool kit that came with the bike but I have no illusions I would know what to do with it. Unless you know what you are doing carrying a full toolset is kind of a waste of time. Carrying spare fuses can be a good idea.

If you are going on a long trip then having good maps is certainly a good idea. Assuming you are heading off the beaten path then its very easy to get turned around. And if its an extended trip then having names/addresses/phone numbers of dealerships for your bike could be a life saver. If you break down and need a tow somewhere it helps if you know where to go.

[Author]

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