Scooter Riders

Over the 2 years i have belonged to a biking forum, i notice that occasionally bikers will demonstrate an open focused hostility and aggression especially reserved for riders of scooters ? Scooter riders are often demonised with real spite and venom by motorcyclists. Why? For being inexperienced and young it seems to me. Have some forgotten or cant imagine what it was like to first get on the road at 16 or 17? Or is this some outdated mods n rockers stuff that is being perpetuated? Maybe it is the ''new to biking'' middle aged older riders who feel they are superior because there machines are bigger/better/ more powerful. Is it something that is heard in a conversation and unthinkingly gets repeated?

Most of the people i have known over 35 years of riding/driving (i include myself ) have made mistakes, done or admitted to some dangerous stunts especially when young and many are lucky to still be here let alone at the time have any regard for the consequences of their actions. I'll comment on an individual's riding/driving if i feel the need, but i try not to demonise everyone else who pilots the same mode of transport. Maybe some of us know what its like to be described as belonging to a moral underclass, when actually as individuals there is no factual grounding or evidence for such an assumption, isn't that what the tabloids do?

I could find specific examples of reckless riding/driving in cars/bikes etc from people of all ages and all types of machinery, why demonise and browbeat the young on scoots? If anything it is the older bikers with years of experience behind them who should know better, show tolerance and not take a 'holier than thou - i'm better than you'' attitude. Its very arrogant.

Like ive said, ive seen some silly instances regarding scooters and young riders, but no more than i see/read/hear whilst reading forums or when out and about riding from all road users.

We all have the occasional rant about road users (and i love to read/hear them) but I was just wondering where this discrimination and prejudice is rooted with regard to young people on scooters and if the majority feel the same way.........

 

RW is pretty much bang-on IMO. It seems to me that the majority of chavvy-scooter-riding-spotty teenagers merely use scooters as a stepping stone between a BMX and the impending Citroen Saxo. I've never understood how while sitting at traffic lights, they insist on revving the moped, even though it has an auto box. Don't get me wrong - I truly believe that all kids should get on two wheels before they get into four, after all it gives them some mechanical knowledge and a degree of road-skills. Maybe though, the CBT needs to be a little harder to ensure that young riders are provided with the prerequisite skills / attitude that experience hasn't afforded them.

I wouldn't ever look down or victimise a scooter rider for merely riding a small engined machine. My issue is with chavvy teenagers, no matter what their chosen transport is... but that's because I'm a grumpy old fart.

 

I think with the 'experience of years' it's simply a case most have forgotten the fundamental truth.

It's FUN!
I rev my car sitting at lights, it's an auto and currently has a mightly 55bhp.
I rev my bike, which with it's gearing will see off all but the most ardent launchers.
Hell, I even rev my wheel chair... Okay, I make vroom vroom noises.

Why make the CBT harder? It's not meant to be a classification, it's meant to BASIC a simple assessment to ensure the user can perform adaquetely.
Being older / more experienced grants one thing mostly - awareness of mortality. We are all guilty of looking at a rider / driver / whatever and thinking "what an idiot! He'll kill himself doing that!" Despite the fact we did the exact same things ourselve in the follies of youth. Some more than others perhaps.

As far as the impact on the biking community from the reflection of ones actions goes, it's a nice sentiment but the truth is it's rubbish. While riding, I have more than a fair share of things to concern myself with. The outward opinion I give to others is least amoungst those and I would venture that is the case for almost all riders. If you're worrying about how you look then you're not paying enough attention to the road!
Of course we try and be courtious where possible and portray a less than hoodlum like nature, but when the sign show the black stripe or the mad twisties are coming up, do we really maintain it? Yeah, right!

The recent video posted was prime example of this trend; a scooter rider maintaining excellent road discipline and awareness of his surroundings being endangered by a larger vehicle who saw him as less than equal. The resulting discussion ended (over the course of some minutes) with the words "I'm an ex driving instructor / professional driver / examiner" As though age and experience makes one somehow immune from fault.

Being young and feeling invincible is how it's meant to be, ever watched the supersport 600's? They don't call it the axemurderers for no reason, a 17 year old on a 130bhp+ race bike, with only a view to win and no sense of fear is what you step into. You think riding on the road is tough at times? It's a cake walk, a damn picnic to being in a pack of 20 riders who all want the exact peice of tarmac you're currently occupying and have no concern about leaning on your fairing to improve their line.
That is where BSB and WSB riders are born. There's no place for caution if you want to win.

I'm not condoning road racing or suggesting that scooters are the next step for premium riders, what I am trying to illustrate is that being on your first real transport and idependant is supposed to make your balls grow, what the hell is the point of a motorcycle (any motorcycle) if it doesn't make you feel like 'the sh*t'!

Chav / punk / rocker / goth / emo / mod / geek / nerd / metalhead / grunger / rudeboy / trendy / whatever, does it makes a difference once you're inside your lid and the road and speedo are all you can see? Does it b*llox.

As a wise man once said; It's not what you ride, It's that you ride.

 

Are we on about spotty little bastards on twist and gos or the mod type on snot pumps?
Both are shite and the latter are mostly old balding farts wishing they were back in the 60s wearing their parkas with the target on.....
Christ sometimes I wish I had a crossbow.....

PS..... I do think that everyone who wants a license at 16 should ride a small bike for 2 yrs before they get a license for anything.....Also put the car license age up to 21 when they might have some sort of savvy........so those that want to drive will have to wait or get experience on two wheels first.....that might make them more aware as drivers......

 

Someone keeps scratching my car and breaking the door mirrors off.

The police think it's someone with a vendetta.

Good, now they know what scooter he rides they might be able to catch the bastard



apart from that old joke i think your right mate, lets leave the kids alone

 

Yes Paul but I did mean little bikes, (125s......)
Even the most cretinous driver could manage one of those....surely......

 

I have to say I've enjoyed reading this thread. Some threads I cringe or laugh, but hesitate to respond due to some people's 'harshness'. It is nice to see a level headed discussion regarding the pros and cons of scootering.

Personally it's a new experience to me. Scooters are minimal back home and would be pulled up by police every ten seconds due to breaking some rule. But the police in Australia, on a whole, are a lot more enforceful and strict.

No matter what anyone says or disagrees with me about - there is a heirachy on the roads!! As bikers we do it for the love, the rush, the 'feel', so we deem ourselves at the top of that heirachy, by whichever personal means we choice. So we are a prejudiced bunch - we just don't say it!

Great to read Sporty, Roadwart and Skortchi's responses.

 

You could say, It wasn't her cup of tea!

 

Example 1..... Yes shouldn't be on the road if she can't listen......

Example 2...... Shame about your misses, that's a bummer..... see what you mean tho'

 

Some interesting opinions and 1 rant so far ....

My own view is that although i had a moped at the time, it was the 1976 equivalent of these so called ''chavs'' machines and my mates and i acted just like the kids on scoots ive read/heard about. When we moved onto cars we were no better either. Ive also seen great pics of others antics that are also, errrrr questionable

There is defo a hierarchy on the road as yappa says, (i feel the roads mine ) but also a snobbery. Another example of intolerance that im sometimes guilty of is towards old people. I get quite agitated when one apparently pulls out causing me to brake hard, until i remember i was travelling pretty quickly.

 

If there was a line of traffic without a gap to pull into my dad would pull out in front of an HGV thinking they had good brakes. Never mind that they weighed 20 tons & took an age to get up to speed.

 

Are you saying i'm right to discriminate against old folks driving? Good man. I thought it was right too. I'm gonna make a teerible old driver, in several ways if im not careful.

 

Ooer...can we see them first?

 

Yes I agree totally, they are scum sucking trash and have the need of a fatal accident......

PS.... they prob' don't get laid chicks.......hence they wank......

 

Surely not balls you want to look at les........

 

So nothing like the Ace Cafe at all then? (s'allright i know the answer )


I Like the compulsory 2 years on a small bike idea but you realise this means more scoots on the road