Looking to Practice Riding a Moped in a parking lot

[Colin_Christ]

My girlfriend and I are going to Italy soon. We are wanting to rent a Moped for a day on the Amulfi Coast. The road is terrifying in it’s location, but it doesn’t get much cross traffic and is low speed.

With that said, we are hoping to try riding a Moped before we get there to get a feel for it and make sure we won’t die. If anyone is able to let us ride a Moped tomorrow night or one morning this weekend/next weekend, let us know.

We’re happy to pay you back a bit for the trouble as well ($20 or a bit more if you have to make a special trip for us). I know you guys are an altruistic bunch, but I appreciate the opportunity.

[evanfort]

If you have the time, I highly, highly, highly suggest a motorcycle safety class. moped/scooters all behave and steer just like motorcycles and they are very dangerous. especially if you don’t understand counter steering and the characteristics of a bike when braking. (bikes will pull to straight and upright when braking)

doing this in a class with an instructor will be the best way to learn. It’s only a saturday missed and about $100.

you can see an example here of someone who doesn’t know how to counter steer and trying to correct before running into a truck. You can see his incorrect jerky actions right before.

chances are, you’ll be fine, most people who rent them are fine, but in the event that you have to take any evasive action at all, you’ll want a little training before riding. IMO.

(the guy lives, FYI)

Before I took my motorcycle safety class to get my license, I had a very similar experience where I almost ran into a cop car, so I speak from some experience, heh.

[Ferman]

+1.
Riding a moped is NOT like riding a bicycle as some people may think it to be(not saying that you do) and if you can get to take a class it would be best.
I rode twist and go’s for a few years before they became easily accessible(sudden increase in number of riders without knowledge or common sense). While I picked up a lot of riding skills pretty quick, I would certainly have appreciated taking some formal lessons to learn more about riding.
The funny part is that before starting I was thinking I wouldn’t be riding that fast. Fast forward two weeks later and I was at the throttle stop any time the conditions allowed for it.
Don’t forget to wear a helmet(saves your noggin from a knockin’ or two or three).

[Nagyk]

Not to start an argument but that video has to be the most incorrectly used and titled video of all motorcycle videos. Counter steering is not something you choose to do. It’s just the way steering works at any speed above 15mph. You cannot decide one turn “I’m going to regular steer this turn but next I’ll use countersteering!”. Also, unless you’re the Hulk, you physically can’t direct steer a bike at those speeds unless you want to immediately kiss the ground. The correct title of that video should be “Concequences of not understanding how to avoid unexpected obstacles in a blind turn” or “Consequences of overshooting a blind turn”

The rider was outriding his skill, went wide, panicked at the sight of the truck and grabbed a little brake. This stood him up (put him on a straight line toward the truck) and further caused panic which is why he’s jerking all over the place.

It’s important to understand the physics of a motorcycle but everyone always explains countersteering as a technique that newbies need to start doing because they’ve been turning wrong. Even though said newbie has already been instinctively countersteering since day one (again because it’s the ONLY way to steer at those speeds)