30th Annual Intl Motorcycle Show Announces Dates

The 2010-2011 International Motorcycle Shows 12-city tour schedule is as follows:

1. November 12-14, 2010, Dallas Convention Center, Dallas, TX
2. November 19-21, 2010, San Mateo County Event Center, San Mateo, CA
3. December 10-12, 2010, Qwest Field & Event Center, Seattle, WA
4. December 17-19, 2010, Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, CA
5. January 7-9, 2011, Rock Financial Showplace, Novi, MI
6. January 14-16, 2011, Washington Convention Center, Washington D.C.
7. January 21-23, 2011, Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York, NY
8. January 28-30, 2011, I-X Center, Cleveland, OH
9. February 4-6, 2011, Minneapolis Convention Center, Minneapolis, MN
10. February 11-13, 2011, Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Chicago, IL
11. February 25-27, 2011, Carolina First Center, Greenville, SC
12. March 9-12, 2011, Ocean Center, Daytona Beach, FL

The International Motorcycle Shows will feature gear, accessories, stunt shows, demo rides, new rider programs, must-attend seminars, kid’s activities, Media Previews and more. Additional opportunities will exist for licensed riders to test ride new motorcycles at five locations including Dallas, San Mateo, Long Beach, Greenville and Daytona Beach. An added Media Preview in Chicago will supplement existing media events in Long Beach and New York, showcasing the latest new vehicles and product debuts.

For more information visit motorcycleshows.com.

May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

After my recent post about how to make cars more aware of two-wheeled vehicles, it's fitting that May should be Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. The href="http://www.msf-usa.org/">Motorcycle Safety Foundation sent out a press release with suggestions on how riders can work to improve their riding abilities and make riding safer. It also had a couple of suggestions on how to impress upon car drivers the importance of being aware of motorcycles.

One suggestion that I thought was novel was to actually give someone a first ride on the back of a motorcycle/scooter. This gives them the perspective of what it is like to be a rider on the road. Of course, I first thought it was preaching to the converted, but then I thought better of that assumption. While my family & friends are aware of my scootering experiences and hear my stories of being a rider, those that have never ridden may not appreciate the inherent danger of being a two-wheel rider in a four-wheel world. I think I'll give it a try this month!

Another god suggestion would be to create an event where you screen a safety video and invite motorists to attend. The MSF has videos that you can buy. Perhaps have an event at a local restaurant or coffee house where your scooter club invites motorists to see the video, discuss safety and have some refreshments. It would be a perfect club activity to promote road safety.
Check out this video clip from the MSF's "For Car Drivers" site.

Scoot! @ Euro Motor Show & Swap 3/29

I'm a little behind on posts as I was in a car accident this past weekend and then promptly came down with a cold. I think I need a vacation...

If you are around the San Jose Bay Area this weekend, stop by the European Motorcycle Show & Swap at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds. It's put on by the Ducati Vintage Club, but it open to all European bikes, including scooters and mopeds. With all that has been going on at Scoot! we'll still have a small booth there. I would attend the event anyway, so we might as well throw up our placard, too. If you are there, stop by and say hello!

More Scooter Parking in Sarasota, FL

The Bradenton Herald recently posted an article about the city of Sarasota, Florida adding 21 new motorcycle parking spots to their downtown. Florida is a mecca for scooters due to the warm weather and the lack of a helmet law, so it seems natural that they would incorporate two-wheeled vehicle parking into their plans. The city was smart about it and placed the spots in "dead zones" that are too small for cars to park in.

If you are yearning for more motorcycle parking in your area, check out the article I wrote in our August issue (#41) about how my home town (San Jose) and other US cities have gone about getting more motorcycle parking. You can check out San Jose's updated parking map to see what progress we made.

Motorscooters a "new menace"

Australia's Yahoo!Xtra is carrying a story about how Australian drivers consider motorscooter drivers to be a "new menace" on city streets. Australian insurance company AAMI reports that scooters have sold 20% higher this year than last and motorcycle sales have increased 36%. That likely means lots of new riders. According to the news story:

"The research also showed 78 per cent of NSW car drivers in the survey said they had seen motorcyclists breaking the law and taking unnecessary risks on the roads."

and we can guess where most of the problems occur:

"Quoting figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, AAMI said almost half of the 120,827 scooters and motorcycles registered in NSW last year are located in Sydney."

I'm inclined to believe the reports. I've been to some scooter rallies where newbie riders and their inability to keep a straight line, nonexistent turn signals and general lack of etiquette have almost ruined my rally experience.

We all know that in a car vs. scooter altercation, the scooter always comes out worse. So, how can Sydney work to create a more amicable balance between scooter riders and cars? Since I have never been to Australia, let alone ridden there I can speak definitively, but it is likely due to education. In the US, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's "Scooter School" is a good start. It is only offered in a few locations and doesn't qualify for insurance discounts, but it makes a difference in getting scooter riders in road-worthy shape.

Another point that I think helps in traffic is (and I know I'll hear arguments about this) allowing lane splitting. I think lane splitting enables motorcycles and scooters that ability to improve traffic flow by allowing them to get through traffic quicker. That being said, I only lane split when traffic is at a stop or 5mph or less. I think it is too dangerous at higher speeds, and it can actually cause problems for car drivers who get surprised by a motorcycle zooming past them. But, when done right, lane splitting can lets riders take advantage of space between cars that is not used and allows them to bypass traffic. I have no idea what Australia's rules are on lane splitting, but if it is allowed, and cars/scooter drivers are given education about how it works then traffic and compliance could improve.

What do you think?

Sydney getting on board-Pt. 2

Maybe you saw my past post about the city of Sydney, Australia investigating better motorcycle/scooter parking. I decided to send an email to the Lord Mayor Clover Moore about how I have the same concerns for my city. I made some suggestions on how to improve parking and suggested that she look at cities like San Francisco for inspiration.

Today I received the following response from the Mayor's office:

"Hi April,
The Lord Mayor has asked me to respond on her behalf to your email about scooter parking. My apologies if I am too late for the recent edition of your magazine.

There has been very rapid growth in motorcycle ownership in Sydney, particularly ownership of scooters in the inner suburbs. However, motorcycle and scooter riders have relatively little parking available to them, because the operation of ticket parking schemes and resident parking permits (for parking on the street) are not well suited to motorbikes. Some regulations, which are controlled by the New South Wales government, are also anachronistic. (eg, only one vehicle - including motorcycles - in a marked parking bay)

To address the problem, the City has commissioned a consultant to develop a detailed strategy to improve conditions for motoryclists and scooter riders. The strategy will address the problems facing motorbike riders, and examine some possible solutions, including changes to the way permits and parking tickets are issued. There will also be some investigation into ways to improve safety for motorcyclists.

I understand this policy will be considered by Council in its draft form, then exhibited for public comment and feedback, probably late this year. We will be looking at lots of international examples of better ways to do things, including the problem of more secure parking for easily stolen scooters. There are a few design options, and we want one that is user friendly without having too much of an impact on the look of the streetscape. Maybe something like low bronze tethering racks parallel to the kerb, or pull-up rings in the pavement.

If I can help with something specific, please let me know.

Regards,
Anthony Mifsud, Research Officer
Office of the Lord Mayor
City of Sydney"

Well, I was impressed with the fairly quick response and I am glad to see that it seems to be a priority for the city. I will be responding to Mr. Mifsud later this week with some examples and names of DOT contacts who may help. Look to the August issue of Scoot! for a feature story on scooter parking.

Is your city doing anything specific about scooter/motorcycle parking? Let me know.

Win a Kymco Super 9

MotorcycleUSA.com is hosting a contest where registrants can win a Kymco Super 9 scooter. The webiste's "My Garage" is an area that "brings together motorcycle enthusiasts in the world's biggest motorcycle clubhouse. It's a place to post pictures of your bike and share your moto exploits through your own blog." The contest ends August 1st. Enter atMotorcycleUSA's site.

Honda Further Blurs the Line

If space aliens had motorscooters, they might look like the Honda E4-01 concept "motorcycle" which a high tech marriage of scooter and motorcycle.

The concept vehicle debuted at the 2005 Tokyo motorcycle show. But MotorcycleNews.com announced that Honda has applied for patents on the bike, which makes its release seem likely.

The E4-01 has a 900+cc three-cylinder engine which seems all-motorcycle until one finds that it has a CVT transmission. The photos show popular scooter features such as a 2-helmet underseat storage compartment, a very sculptural body that has very organic curves. I love the rear lights, which are reminiscent of vintage-style, sculptural car lights. While the mid section requires more leg lifting than a typical scooters, models like the Suzuki Burgman and Piaggio X9 aren't that much lower. MPN promises to have more news on the bike in the next few days.

If you'd like to see a slideshow of the bike when it debuted, check out the Honda website for more info.