Exceeding your bike's weight limit is dangerous - it can affect handling and cause a tyre blow-out.
Riding Guide
Smart, way cool and a whole lot of fun. You’ve gotta love a scooter. And if you ride well, you’ll get to enjoy it for life. Everyone’s got their style. You may want to add some of these tips to yours.
Ride like you're invisible
Scooters are small; it’s part of their appeal. But you’re not so easy for drivers to see, so it pays to assume they can’t. If you think and ride like you’re invisible, you’ll always be ready to act if something unexpected happens.
It's your lane, so own it
Claim enough room near the centre of your lane so you can dodge the dangers. Riding slightly to the right or left of centre helps you avoid oil and other debris that gathers in the middle of the lane. Good riders will also move within their lane to pick the best road surface.
Play nice
If you’re slowing down the traffic, pull over occasionally where it’s safe to let it pass. You’ll help keep everyone cool on the road and give scooters a great reputation. Best of all, you’ll enjoy your ride a whole lot more without pressure from the traffic behind you.
Bus lanes
Each council has their own rules about these, especially when it comes to scooters. In Auckland for example, you can ride in them anytime. But in Wellington the times are restricted.
Passing traffic in queues
Let’s face it, getting to the front of a whole line of cars can feel pretty good. And it is OK to pass stationary vehicles, provided you indicate before pulling out and don’t cross over a yellow line. Just be careful not to knock a car wing mirror on your way past. It’s not OK, however, to pass on the extreme left. Drivers aren’t expecting anyone to move through there and they may decide to pull over to the left at any time. When you get to the front, you’re not meant to cross over the stop line. So you can end up getting a bit squeezed when things start moving again. You may prefer to hang back a bit and find a gap where you can own your lane, especially if you ride a smaller scooter that doesn’t accelerate like a car.
Riding with others
If you’re riding in a group, stick to single file in a staggered formation and remember the two-second rule. That way everyone will have a good view of the road ahead and be able to stop or make it around the unexpected without taking out a mate.
Look and you will follow
When things get weird, riders tend to automatically go wherever they’re looking. So remember to focus on the path out of danger. If you keep staring at the back of the bus that’s just slammed on the anchors in front of you, that’s exactly where you’ll end up.
Learn and practice, learn and practice
Scooter riding may seem pretty intuitive, but it pays to learn the correct techniques for things like braking, cornering, counter-steering and riding slowly. Get a lesson early on and check out how good your skills are.
Braking
Always check your brakes before each ride. They’re probably the most important part of your scooter. Your front brake is the most powerful, and using both front and back at the same time is the best way to slowdown or stop. Braking safely requires practice. Most skids are caused by over doing it on one or both brakes.
Counter steering
This is an important cornering technique. As you approach a bend, look in the direction you want to go, then briefly and gently apply light forward pressure on the handlebar grip that you’re looking towards. In other words, if you’re going left, look left and push left. Seems crazy, but it gets you leaning nicely into the corner so you’re ready to take it like a pro. It requires a bit of practice, but helps to cut corners down to size.
Entry, middle and exit
Remember, there are three stages to every corner. Brake before entry, come in slow and start wide to get a good line in and a clear view of what’s around the bend. Look through the corner to where you’re going, not straight ahead. You should be off the brakes by the middle, and starting to gently ease the power back on. As you exit, move out to use all of your lane.
Alert and in the zone
To be safe, you need to stay fully focussed on your riding. Shut out distractions and keep both hands on the handlebars. If your phone rings, either pull over somewhere safe before answering, or ignore it completely. If the call was really important, they’ll leave a message. Eating while scooting is never a good idea, sooner or later you’ll do yourself some serious harm.
