Comments on: BMW’s safety scooter

By: Phil Bebbington

Phil Bebbington — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:16:42 +0000

All I see here is a lot of bare flesh – generally that doesn’t react nicely with tarmac – the photo gave me the shudders for that reason alone.

The problem with a motorcycle that has been built to appear safe is that it encourages people to wear less clothes, like they might in a car. Collisions on a motorcycle generally mean hitting the floor – you need skin covered in my experience – I have the scars, I was young and foolish.

It sure is pretty though.

By: Daryl Scroggins

Daryl Scroggins — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:27:29 +0000

And nobody even mentioned the airbags. You start to go over or get hit and the whole thing blows up like a puffer fish.

By: Cindy Scroggins

Cindy Scroggins — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 01:22:29 +0000

I am getting an aquamarine tricycle with a fancy wide seat, a flower-covered basket, two horns (one that goes brrrinng, another that goes honk), fancy streamers on the handlebars, and a little bumper on the back for political stickers. I will ride it wearing my little girl cowboy hat and my turquoise patent leather cowboy boots.

Eat your hearts out, boys.

(And, hey, thanks, Andrew–that’s the explanation I needed.)

By: Michael Smith

Michael Smith — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 23:49:04 +0000

I believe you Andrew. I’ll stay on my pedal powered machine and worried about car on bike violence.

By: Andrew Simone

Andrew Simone — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:18:09 +0000

The only reason the belt is on there is so you won’t hit your head on the roll cage. The reality is getting hit head means your probably screwed anyway .But fishtail or get side-swiped and you will wish you didn’t have the seat belt. I promise you that.

By: Michael Smith

Michael Smith — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:15:16 +0000

Andrew, won’t you get tossed around like a rag doll? This thing seems to have some sort of roll cage and I think I’d rather be rolling around in a steel cage than thrown into a wall or moving vehicle.

By: Andrew Simone

Andrew Simone — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:10:05 +0000

The point is, Cindy, if I am on a machine that can get tossed around like a rag doll at 50mph, then I don’t want to be attached to it when it does.

By: stefan michael ziewacz

stefan michael ziewacz — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:09:55 +0000

She never the saw the eighteen-wheeler that barreled through the intersection…

By: Andrew Simone

Andrew Simone — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:07:58 +0000

Cindy, if you crash head-on at a high speed then you are probably fucked. The issue is if you start sliding or fish tailing and need to bail: you are supposed to push the machine away from you so that you don’t crush one of your legs or get tangle up in some of the very hot engine-y parts.

By: Michael Smith

Michael Smith — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:04:45 +0000

Most tricycles have fixed gears, right?