That's exactly what I do. Always on the center stand and a little shake on my GTS before I leave, just to ensure everything 's ok. And when about to park, I always think as a car driver and not as a rider... It helps a lot that way. Very-very nice video!
Great video! As an ex-Noo Yawker (now on the other side of the Hudson, but still ride into town), I get the feeling Portland motorists are just a tad more-genteel than their tri-state area counterparts. Here's my approach to parking: - Crash bars are your friend: on my previous GTS, even "minimalist" crash bars (like Cuppini makes) kept that bike's gorgeous haunches unblemished after a low-speed lowside in the snow (supplemental note - no more riding in heavy snow/ice), *and* in a low-speed collision when I t-boned a car that blew a Stop sign last May. (Sadly, the bike got totaled when a car t-boned *me* the following December; just got a '22 SuperTech to replace it.) - When parking in an actual lot (as you demonstrated late in the video), I park closer to the edge of the space to be better seen, *and* park with the front of the bike facing out, avoiding the same issue you pointed out when parking on the street. - A Little Street-Psychology: if you must park between two cars (almost always the case in Gotham), don't squeeze yourself between two closely-parked cars…just because you have just enough space for the bike to fit doesn't make it a good idea to park there. Also, check both vehicles for condition: the more a car looks nicely-kept (the pricier the better), the more likely the owner will be a least a bit more conscientious, if for no other reason than not wanting to mess up *their* ride on account of bumping into yours. Conversely, if either car looks ratty, move on. Keep up the good work. And for everyone else, trust me on the crash bars.
I generally don’t wear gloves while making videos because it’s harder to feel if I’ve pressed the button on the camera. I might be talking to camera for a few minutes and then get back and realize nothing was recorded. Also it’s just personal preference. I have come off the scooter before. Got some road rash. But it’s my preferred way to ride. Do what works for you.
Those are some great tips! Some people are just horrible drivers and will hit you no matter what you do. I know a young lady that will actually back up until she taps the vehicle behind her. Then pulls forward until she taps the vehicle in front. I told her not to hit the cars... She says... Its just a tap. its not a "hit" .
Good god. That’s… an odd way to drive. And yes, they will just hit you! I was just taken down a couple weeks ago. Thankfully nothing too major. Be careful out there and thanks for watching.
Watching from Victoria, Australia. We can just ride up on & park on the sidewalk, as long as we are not blocking the flow of pedestrian traffic. This is helpful for when I take my other Vespa out of my mom's garage in Washington, however later on this summer!
Must be nice! We have the Americans with disabilities act here which aims to guarantee access for folks in wheelchairs so parking on a sidewalk can in some cases hinder that but quite often around town there is plenty of room on wide sidewalks for a scooter to find and everyone to get by. Maybe someday! Thanks for watching!
It is the same same in Spain where parking is limited. Park your scooter anywhere. We even have moto only parking zones. Also moto parking in the bus and train stations. In our village there is covered parking for scooters at the bus station.
Good tips and a great ride thru the city! Something that I do when I part in a parking spot is to back in to the spot. That way if someone does try and drive in to my scoot they will push in to the center stand rather than push my bike off the center stand. Also helps to just scoot to my next destination like the parallel parking example. Enjoy those tasty tacos!!!
in my country if you park a scooter between 2 cars in town vigils will move it from there and you 'll end up very mad and frustrated XD anyways good video .
I really miss Portland. My mother and sister live there and haven’t been back in over 2 years. When parking on a hill as you suggested, would you still turn your front wheel all the way to the left to engage the security locking system? Good points n parking on a street. (City) Buses are also notorious for knocking over bikes that are near a corner, especially if a bus is making a left turn and a b8ke is parked on the outside corner of the bus’ turn. Okay, you mentioned locking your steering towards the end. I never like parking near a sewer drain because there’s the added danger of dropping your keys into them, notable if you have a top case. I try to park at the back end of a parking space for the exact reasons you mentioned, but also because oil and other fluids tend to accumulate towards the middle and head of a parking space, and that’s the last place I want to park my wheel(s) on.
My stupid landlord makes me park on the street, despite there being plenty of room in the back. To make it worse, we live on a hill with street parking on both sides of the street. I have to park parallel to the curb (oriented like a car) because the curvature of the street itself (the camber). If I park at an angle, like you showed, the narrow center stand of the 2023 Primavera isn't very stable at all, especially when I crank the handlebars to the left and lock it up. Don't know what else to do. You ARE right about pointing the bike up hill though. I can almost feel the bike wanting to jump off of the center stand when pointed down hill! For what it is worth, in my city if the bike is a "moped" (i.e. under 50cc) it can be parked on the sidewalk or bicycle area. But if it has a motorcycle tag (bigger than 50cc), then it is illegal to park it on the sidewalk. I asked about electric scooters. Basically same thing applies (regardless of power rating). If it is registered as a motorcycle, you can't park on the sidewalk. If it isn't, park nearly anywhere you like, just don't block the sidewalk for pedestrians. I appreciate your videos, they deal with practical stuff that we have to deal with .
What about keeping someone from just loading it in the back of a truck an driving away with it? Im researching an interested in buying one...but crime is kinda high here lol
I use a Grip-Lock on my Primavera when I have to park it somewhere that is a little sketchy. It basically makes it a pain in the arse to steal. Same thing goes for most locks and chains, etc. A lot of thefts are crimes of opportunity. If you make your bike a bit of a pain in the butt to steal, making them spend more time and effort on stealing it, they'll probably pass and go on. That won't stop them from physically picking the bike up and loading it into a truck or van though. But in that case, it wasn't a random crime of opportunity in the first place. And your bike was going to be stolen no matter what you did. I agree, put an Air Tag on your bike. There are also other devices that don't rely on being near an iPhone. I used to work in a hardware store. People used to come in and ask for a lock for their house that was "unpickable". I told them that there really isn't such a thing. Say there was, and you put that lock on your front door. What's to keep someone from going around to the back door? Or kicking the door in. Or breaking a window and getting in that way. Etc., etc. I would then tell them something I heard a long time ago. "Locks are there to keep honest people honest." Basically, make it a pain in the butt to steal your bike and most thieves will just move onto an easier target.
Not sure if this is the whole story, but we have the Americans With Disabilities Act that is supposed to guarantee wheelchair accessible space on sidewalks. And our sidewalks are generally narrow anyway due to the car-centric culture. But yeah I agree - there are quite a few sidewalks that have plenty of room to accommodate both.
@@VespaPortland Depends on the city and the scooter. In my city, they will only write you a ticket if the bike has a motorcycle tag. And they will only write you a ticket for "mopeds" (stupid legal category in my state) if it is blocking a sidewalk. It irritates me because there is no difference in external dimensions between a Primavera 50 and a Primavera 150. I suppose it is because they don't want to get into dimensions and everything. It makes it easy on the parking fascists, I mean meter maids. What it means to me is that I still have to deal with finding an official parking place when I go downtown, thus negating a major advantage to riding a scooter. I suppose if I want to be able to park anywhere, I'll have to either use a bicycle (e or otherwise) or get an electric scooter without a motorcycle tag.
A protest came down the road in front of our shop a year or two back and a few people in the crowd shouted out that they got scooters from us and we were the best. 😆
Авто/Мото
Great advice for newbies like me! Thank you for taking the time to make this video.
You’re welcome, Amy! Thanks for watching and enjoy that new scooter!
I am just now I’m the research phase before going to dealerships. Are scooters allowed to park on a sidewalk?
Depends on the state. Colorado, yes. Oregon, technically no but people do it anyway in certain parts of the city.
That's exactly what I do. Always on the center stand and a little shake on my GTS before I leave, just to ensure everything 's ok. And when about to park, I always think as a car driver and not as a rider... It helps a lot that way.
Very-very nice video!
It’s nice to be reminded that you were doing the right thing already! Thanks for watching.
Great video! As an ex-Noo Yawker (now on the other side of the Hudson, but still ride into town), I get the feeling Portland motorists are just a tad more-genteel than their tri-state area counterparts. Here's my approach to parking:
- Crash bars are your friend: on my previous GTS, even "minimalist" crash bars (like Cuppini makes) kept that bike's gorgeous haunches unblemished after a low-speed lowside in the snow (supplemental note - no more riding in heavy snow/ice), *and* in a low-speed collision when I t-boned a car that blew a Stop sign last May. (Sadly, the bike got totaled when a car t-boned *me* the following December; just got a '22 SuperTech to replace it.)
- When parking in an actual lot (as you demonstrated late in the video), I park closer to the edge of the space to be better seen, *and* park with the front of the bike facing out, avoiding the same issue you pointed out when parking on the street.
- A Little Street-Psychology: if you must park between two cars (almost always the case in Gotham), don't squeeze yourself between two closely-parked cars…just because you have just enough space for the bike to fit doesn't make it a good idea to park there. Also, check both vehicles for condition: the more a car looks nicely-kept (the pricier the better), the more likely the owner will be a least a bit more conscientious, if for no other reason than not wanting to mess up *their* ride on account of bumping into yours. Conversely, if either car looks ratty, move on.
Keep up the good work. And for everyone else, trust me on the crash bars.
Great tips, Barrett! Thanks for writing and watching. Enjoy that new supertech.
My hands got cold watching yours ;) Great video, Andrew. Thanks for helping our community!
Thanks for watching! It is just as chilly today.
Don't understand the no gloves policy - what are you going to save yourself with if/when you come off ?
I generally don’t wear gloves while making videos because it’s harder to feel if I’ve pressed the button on the camera. I might be talking to camera for a few minutes and then get back and realize nothing was recorded. Also it’s just personal preference. I have come off the scooter before. Got some road rash. But it’s my preferred way to ride. Do what works for you.
Good job Andrew. I learned something new.
Happy to help. Thanks for watching.
This is some good piece of advice, thank you !
You’re welcome. Thanks for watching.
Those are some great tips! Some people are just horrible drivers and will hit you no matter what you do. I know a young lady that will actually back up until she taps the vehicle behind her. Then pulls forward until she taps the vehicle in front. I told her not to hit the cars... She says... Its just a tap. its not a "hit" .
Good god. That’s… an odd way to drive. And yes, they will just hit you! I was just taken down a couple weeks ago. Thankfully nothing too major. Be careful out there and thanks for watching.
Watching from Victoria, Australia. We can just ride up on & park on the sidewalk, as long as we are not blocking the flow of pedestrian traffic. This is helpful for when I take my other Vespa out of my mom's garage in Washington, however later on this summer!
I have also had the asshole back into my scooter and just leave it, but TBF I was a bit of a dick parked on their ass.
Must be nice! We have the Americans with disabilities act here which aims to guarantee access for folks in wheelchairs so parking on a sidewalk can in some cases hinder that but quite often around town there is plenty of room on wide sidewalks for a scooter to find and everyone to get by. Maybe someday! Thanks for watching!
It is the same same in Spain where parking is limited. Park your scooter anywhere. We even have moto only parking zones. Also moto parking in the bus and train stations. In our village there is covered parking for scooters at the bus station.
Spain is one of my favorite places on earth. I think you are lucky to live there. Thanks for watching.
"what is someone going to do to screw up my situation?"- me everyday 😂
An unfortunate but smart way to live!
Good tips and a great ride thru the city! Something that I do when I part in a parking spot is to back in to the spot. That way if someone does try and drive in to my scoot they will push in to the center stand rather than push my bike off the center stand. Also helps to just scoot to my next destination like the parallel parking example.
Enjoy those tasty tacos!!!
Good tip. I’ll try that next time. It was a nice ride but chilly.
Good tips, thank you~
You’re welcome. Thanks for watching.
Great video! Greetings from Argentina
Hello there! Thanks for watching.
Very good; many helpful hints/recommendations. Cheers!
Thanks again!
in my country if you park a scooter between 2 cars in town vigils will move it from there and you 'll end up very mad and frustrated XD
anyways good video .
Haha! Wild! Thanks for watching.
Thanks for the post. It’s easy to forget, so needs reiterating. Well done.
The is for watching!
These are great tips!
Hey thanks! Hope it keeps your scooter upright and pristine. Thanks for watching.
I really miss Portland. My mother and sister live there and haven’t been back in over 2 years. When parking on a hill as you suggested, would you still turn your front wheel all the way to the left to engage the security locking system? Good points n parking on a street. (City) Buses are also notorious for knocking over bikes that are near a corner, especially if a bus is making a left turn and a b8ke is parked on the outside corner of the bus’ turn.
Okay, you mentioned locking your steering towards the end. I never like parking near a sewer drain because there’s the added danger of dropping your keys into them, notable if you have a top case. I try to park at the back end of a parking space for the exact reasons you mentioned, but also because oil and other fluids tend to accumulate towards the middle and head of a parking space, and that’s the last place I want to park my wheel(s) on.
Thanks for watching!
My stupid landlord makes me park on the street, despite there being plenty of room in the back. To make it worse, we live on a hill with street parking on both sides of the street. I have to park parallel to the curb (oriented like a car) because the curvature of the street itself (the camber). If I park at an angle, like you showed, the narrow center stand of the 2023 Primavera isn't very stable at all, especially when I crank the handlebars to the left and lock it up. Don't know what else to do. You ARE right about pointing the bike up hill though. I can almost feel the bike wanting to jump off of the center stand when pointed down hill!
For what it is worth, in my city if the bike is a "moped" (i.e. under 50cc) it can be parked on the sidewalk or bicycle area. But if it has a motorcycle tag (bigger than 50cc), then it is illegal to park it on the sidewalk. I asked about electric scooters. Basically same thing applies (regardless of power rating). If it is registered as a motorcycle, you can't park on the sidewalk. If it isn't, park nearly anywhere you like, just don't block the sidewalk for pedestrians.
I appreciate your videos, they deal with practical stuff that we have to deal with .
Thanks for watching! Fingers crossed that landlord will lighten up someday.
Here in the Netherlands we can legally park on the sidewalk, matter of fact it's illegal to park in a car's spot.
Wish it was like that here!
@@VespaPortland it's amazing
Im new to this channel. Do ya have a vid on security devices?
There’s a vid or two on disc locks (a short) and a video on grip locks.
In Seattle you’ll get a ticket if you park closer than 30 feet to a stop sign.
I think technically that’s true here too but it’s never enforced. Good luck out there! 🤞🏻
True! Also true: In Seattle half the intersections have no signs! 🐔
I can't think of any scooters that have a plastic frame. I doubt any will be DOT approved in the US.
A plastic frame? Plastics around the metal frame, yes. Maybe I misspoke.
What about keeping someone from just loading it in the back of a truck an driving away with it? Im researching an interested in buying one...but crime is kinda high here lol
Unfortunately that will happen if someone wants it bad enough. Hide an Apple AirTag on it somewhere or chain it to a piece of street furniture.
@@VespaPortland thats a good idea. Thanks!
I use a Grip-Lock on my Primavera when I have to park it somewhere that is a little sketchy. It basically makes it a pain in the arse to steal. Same thing goes for most locks and chains, etc. A lot of thefts are crimes of opportunity. If you make your bike a bit of a pain in the butt to steal, making them spend more time and effort on stealing it, they'll probably pass and go on. That won't stop them from physically picking the bike up and loading it into a truck or van though. But in that case, it wasn't a random crime of opportunity in the first place. And your bike was going to be stolen no matter what you did. I agree, put an Air Tag on your bike. There are also other devices that don't rely on being near an iPhone.
I used to work in a hardware store. People used to come in and ask for a lock for their house that was "unpickable". I told them that there really isn't such a thing. Say there was, and you put that lock on your front door. What's to keep someone from going around to the back door? Or kicking the door in. Or breaking a window and getting in that way. Etc., etc.
I would then tell them something I heard a long time ago. "Locks are there to keep honest people honest." Basically, make it a pain in the butt to steal your bike and most thieves will just move onto an easier target.
Those tacos looked delicious!
They’re quite good! From Gonzalez Taqueria on N Killingsworth and Interstate. Old friends!
It's bizzare to me that motorcycles and scooters aren't allowed to be parked on the pavement in the USA.
Not sure if this is the whole story, but we have the Americans With Disabilities Act that is supposed to guarantee wheelchair accessible space on sidewalks. And our sidewalks are generally narrow anyway due to the car-centric culture. But yeah I agree - there are quite a few sidewalks that have plenty of room to accommodate both.
Yea it's crazy 🤪 imagine pedestrians wanting to walk on the pedestrian footpath 🤦♂️
Now you just wash your hands that touched the dog preed grass 😂
It’s good for the immune system!
Theres a reason you see scooters on the sidewalk. I wish I could trust drivers but I live in reality.
Unfortunately we’ve heard from riders in Portland that it’s a $250 ticket if caught on the sidewalk by a meter maid. Woof. Thanks for watching.
@@VespaPortland Depends on the city and the scooter. In my city, they will only write you a ticket if the bike has a motorcycle tag. And they will only write you a ticket for "mopeds" (stupid legal category in my state) if it is blocking a sidewalk. It irritates me because there is no difference in external dimensions between a Primavera 50 and a Primavera 150. I suppose it is because they don't want to get into dimensions and everything. It makes it easy on the parking fascists, I mean meter maids. What it means to me is that I still have to deal with finding an official parking place when I go downtown, thus negating a major advantage to riding a scooter. I suppose if I want to be able to park anywhere, I'll have to either use a bicycle (e or otherwise) or get an electric scooter without a motorcycle tag.
don't park anywhere near where people are camping on the street, rioting, protesting, dumping trash, blocking traffic and stealing stuff.
A protest came down the road in front of our shop a year or two back and a few people in the crowd shouted out that they got scooters from us and we were the best. 😆
Fake news. There is no parking in Portland.
😆
You should try parking the Vespa in the trash and buy a Harley like a real he/him/zim/zir
You can park your attitude in the trash. Thanks for the view.
Ha Ha, real men don't need extensions. I hope you enjoy your Harley as much as i enjoy my Vespa.