Teaching friends how to ride

If you teach them, they will ride...AWAY!

Now that I have the MP3 400, my friends, (Mike & Chelsea) have been dying to learn how to ride. 

Since our local MSF courses have not started as of yet (too early in the year here) I decided to give them my INTRO to RIDING.

First thing I did was make them get their permits. That allows them to ride as long as they are in the company of another M class license holder. Both Mike and Chelsea had no problems getting these from our local DMV.

Permits in hand, we went off to a local school parking lot to give them an introductory class in scooter and motorcycle riding.

Going by what I learned at my MSF course and scooter school we went in the following order:

First, we had them sit on the bike. Just sit. Get used to the weight and feel. Point out the starter, kill switch, throttle, brakes, turn signals, etc.

Second, we showed them how to start the scooter and just roll/walk it across the parking lot, turn the scooter around and just roll/walk it back.

Third, we discussed gear, helmets, boots, jackets, gloves and pants. 

Fourth, we talked about riding on a road with cars, versus tooling around in a parking lot.

By the end of the "class" we had Mike going in circles in the parking lot on the MP3. 

The bad news is that my other friend, Chelsea, is too short to ride the MP3. We are currently looking for a very smaller 150cc scooter that she might be able to handle. But Shorties do have a hard time getting a bike that fits. So I feel bad for her.

So far she is content to ride behind my BF on the MP3 as we ride. But she wants to ride and I can tell she was real disappointed in not being able to handle the MP3. Her feet could not hit the ground!

So here I am, thinking that my friends are going to be riding the MP3 and guess what? After a few classes with me, Mike shows up at my house wanting to try one of my BF's motorcycles. ( We are a multiple bike family)

Yeah, you can see where this is going. A few more lessons from my BF, and now Mike is riding a Suzuki Boulevard 40S. 

Dang it! my BF stole my Scooter Minion! Oh well, there is still Chelsea... Now if we can find her that one tiny 150cc scooter, I may have my Minion yet!

The reason why I have not posted in a while...

Mama's got a new toy

If a BV 500 is an Arabian Stallion, than the MP3's are the Clydesdales.

Yeah, I have wanted one of these for quite a while now. And boy this scooter does NOT disappoint!

We picked up this used MP3 400 from a dealer in Michigan for a good price. And let me be the first to tell you scooter riders, riding this machine is like a dream.

Sure the front end is heavy and it takes a bit to get used to it, but once you do, I promise you super smooth sailing. And stability! My friends you have NO idea how stable and secure you will feel once you master this wee beast.

I only use the front wheel lock when it is parked because when you flat foot it on one of these babies, they don't budge. They make riding in traffic a dream.

Of course it is not as "flickable" as a two-wheeled scooter, but it has a charm of it's own. 

Rding two up is a dream. Especially during mounting. Gone is the worry of pitching over, since you just apply the front wheel lock and let your passenger hop on board. The two grips are positioned perfectly for passengers and you WILL need them, since the seat is a wee bit slippery. Any quick stops may cause a passenger to slid forward, so make sure they grab those grips.  

Other than that, the ride two-up is the most stable and secure that I have ever experienced.

What can I say, this wee beast can give my BV 500 Blue Dragon a "run-for-the-money".

Now all I have to do is restrain myself from crapping it up with a crazy paint job.