125cc moped, I know nothing! Where can I find out please?

May I post here about my moped? or is this for bikes only?

I bought a 125cc Yamaha vitality moped for my commute from Bournemouth to Poole, basically to save money. I have driven a car for 23 years, never had an accident nor any points. I am a 40 year old female. I think I am a reasonable car driver and when I undertook my CBT I was complimented on my road awareness. I am not hesitant, nor aggressive.

I feel so vulnerable. I have been commuting daily for a month now. For those that know this area, it involves a dual carriageway (The Wessex way 40mph then 50 mph limit). At least once a week there is a problem, even from other motorbike riders (the big bike riders - but mostly car drivers). It seems that by driving a moped with L plates I am a 'chav' and everyone therefore has the right to dangerously pass me/cut me up/pull out on me. I drive at the speed limit, no less, no more. I lack experience, but how to get experience without actually driving? I am aware of other car users on their phone, eating, singing etc, I stay away from them -they unfortunately don't stay away from me

1. I am bright yellow from top to toe, so fluorescent I am brighter than the sun (I am also a horse rider so know the value of high visibility to car drivers). Is this annoying other bike riders? (I feel that if I am hit, the police will know I did my best to be visible).

1. How do you deal with wind gusts? Especially at 40mph on such a little machine. Wow they really shake me!

2. I bought an anti-fog insert that is tinted (recommended by the bike shop) but it said not to use at night-time - so its useless? (not even fitted it for that reason, so I fog up, open the visor, get cold, close it.. and on and on and on... is this what you all do?)

3. Any online training you would recommend about defensive moped driving? I contacted the two local training places for more training but neither have availability until September. Its also £33 per hour (I know, not much in the way of my life, but I would need to really save for a 2-3 hour lesson during rush hour).

4. What about a chest camera? I read the comments on helmet cameras and understood thoughts about wind resistance if its placed on the helmet, and annoying other drivers. I have no intention of using it to 'be the traffic police' but once a week there will be an incident of a car driver not seeing me, or coming into my space. I feel that getting a chest camera would help in the event of an accident/insurance claim, which I think WILL happen (though I pray it won't).

I hope you can help and advise, I want enjoy this, not pray every time I set off on a journey.

Thanks

Howdy, get yourself a pinlock insert for your visor to stop the misting.

Sounds like some extra training would be a good idea, it might be your road position, awareness etc, or you might just be feeling extra vulnerable having only been riding for a short while.

Don't worry about the high vis annoying anyone, better seen than sorry.

I wouldn't get a camera, it sounds like you have plenty to think about already without adding extra faff.

Maybe get out and about at the weekend when it's not rush hour and get your confidence up, i think if I had gone straight to commuting on a dual carriageway everday after doing my cbt i'd have struggled too.

Don't worry about the hi vis stuff. Some riders wear it, especially emergency service riders. Wear whatever you feel comfortable in.

Smaller bikes do suffer more from gusts of wind unfortunately and it's just experience that enables you to deal with it.

As Nick said If your visor will take a pinlock insert get one of those. A good bike shop should help you with that. A pinlock ready visor has two small holes in it to take the pinlock mounting pegs. However you do get the pegs with the pinlock and you can carefully drill the holes in the visor. Just takes some care with measuring etc. If your not confident in that again a helpful bike shop or friend may be able to help. Someone on here has done that.

Training is always an option to help with confidence but there is always a cost to it.

As already said don't bother with a camera yet.

To be honest as a "big bike" rider i tend to give learners a wide berth when passing and see no reason to blast past close and at speed, unless they are chavs on L being prats.

Ride defensively but not n the gutter, give yourself room to move an avoid the drains and being further out in the caridgeway can deter cars pushing past too close.

Enjoy riding.

I think a good portion of the public see L plates and think "slow, learner". When it comes to cars, they're right about a good many of them. Bikes have strange rules so it's not a given, but that's their perception. I'd get training and testing and get rid of them.

As other have said a pin lock visor insert will do a great job, though early days I'd just leave the visor open a bit (I quite like the added airflow).

You're right about a camera helping in an accident that's not your fault, but also its not Hollywood and so you may not capture what's needed. I'd spend the money on test/training.

All just my opinion mind, so take as you please.

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Sounds like you're taking the right approach to riding. Unfortunately there are many nobs who think L-plates are some sort of invisibility cloak but you're doing the right thing by keeping out of their way and not getting involved.

Wind on light bikes is always a problem - you just need to deal with it until you get something with a bit more heft. Pinlocks are great as already mentioned.

Have you tried your local IAM people to se if they can do a ride or two with them? Generally speaking they're a good bunch who like helping fellow bikers.

Otherwise, how about posting up on here in the ride-out section and joining in with a local social ride.

You can get clear pinlock (anti fog) rather than the tinted one the bike shop sold you. This can be used at night.

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When I was doing my various training things my instructor said whilst you don't need to be aggressive you can't be overly passive - for example if you are toottling along and a car is right up your arse don't move slightly over to the left - hold your position in the centre because if you move over they will see if as as an invitation to pass (normally dangerously).

Also some "big bike" people still give me crap like revving the hell out of it because I am filtering too slowly for their like. Ignore it and move over if there is a safe place to do so. Also they're not real bikers because we don't do shit like that to each other.

I occasionally get the whole "aggressive driver" up my back cause I am on L plates. Just keep calm and hold your ground.

As for the wind, I'm not sure what you can go to help it on a scooter. On a bike you hold on with your knees and loosen your shoulders/arms/hands.

Misting visor: +1 for the pinlock insert, if your helmet can take one (perhaps that's what you already have, but you need a plain one, not tinted). Alternatively, a bit cheaper, is a foggy mask. Makes you look a bit like a ninja, but it does the job well enough. I only have to open the visor to demist on the wettest, coldest days.

Wind gusts: Yes, it's practice. One thing to be aware of is that a good part of the problem comes from the wind blowing against you - it pushes you a bit and you push the bars and ped moves around. If you're a bit nervous, and you're gripping onto the bars and locking your arms, then it gets worse. When you're riding, practice relaxing your shoulders, keeping your arms loose, and being keeping a light hold of the bars. Practice when the traffic's less and when the wind is lighter and then you should be able to do it in heavier traffic and stronger winds. You'll be surprised how straight your machine can go when it's windy

Other drivers and riders will tend to look a moped with an L plate and think of them as an obstruction to get round. They don't realise that you can accelerate faster than a car and nip along at 60 -70 as well as they can. They take one look at you and expect to pootle along in the gutter at 34 mph. I don't know how you ride, but I think you should be riding fairly assertively, that is: genearally in teh centre of the lane (or perhaps better, slightly to the right); accelerate quickly to the speed limit whenever the opportunity is there to do so safely. It's a bit sad, but when people see you riding confidently they will lend you a bit more respect. Again where it's safe, try to manouvre yourself into a place where you're less boxed in. This whole area is where some training might help. If you phone your local IAM or RoSPA group and explain, they might be able to help. RoSPA is all run by volunteers and all they ask is that you cover the cost of the trainer's petrol.

I will disagree with everyone else and say get a camera. They are pretty cheap, and it is not like you need something broadcast quality for what you want so something cheap on eBay will do. The SJCAM SJ4000 is highly recommended (not any other brand with the same name). I have mine attached to the handlebars and just record 720p mode. It has the benefit of capturing anything that may happen, but the reason I got it was as a learning aid so I can go back and review things I through I did right and wrong. It was a great help so I would recommend it for that reason.

Whilst I had heard it said that people see L-plates like a target, I thought it would mean people would be more careful around me. Nope, it is a target. I have a bike and get people dangerously overtaking me all the time regardless of my speed and position. Generally it seems anything less than 10mph over the limit and someone will want to impatiently pass you. Usually by pulling out just enough to pass, not the full way into the opposing lane as the highway code says, then start merging back as soon as the front of their car is in front of you, passing your front wheel by inches.

Wind is not nice on small bikes, just have to keep your arms loose and watch out for breaks between buildings or trees.

The other thing I would add, if possible, is to go out at weekends when it is less busy and you will not be needing to get anywhere on time. That way you can just take things easily and enjoy it, as nothing helps more than experience and time spent riding. At least that is what works best for me, getting used to what others will do and letting things gradually improve over time. After some unlucky falls over winter knocked my confidence I was struggling, but what helped me was to go right back to the beginning and redo that, starting out simply on local roads, then each subsequent time going further and on faster ones.

Thank you everyone for taking the time to reply. Its really appreciated! Today I was more in the 'outer' part of the road, and had a nice thank you from a motorbike rider when I moved out of his way (I heard him coming up behind) - made me feel a bit better.

I have never heard of RoSPA so off to check them out, and the other group mentioned too. I am determined to succeed with this, and already it has made me a much better car driver! I am also spreading the word that I am the bright yellow Y reg Yamaha moped driver in the Bournemouth/Poole area - hopefully if folk recognise me they will be kinder.

Ill take my helmet to the shop re: 'pinlock' (I read 'drill a hole' and shuddered) and hopefully will solve the fog problem, and this weekend I'll be out and about (although the weekends here are perhaps more dangerous, tourists have no idea where they are going and make sudden unpredictable moves).

Thanks for the advice re wind too, yes I was locking my arms (out of shear fear), I'll try a more relaxed approach.

Cheers once more

As a newbie myself will emphasise what others have said about road position riding center / slightly right drastically cuts down the twats, still get odd one or two but less than riding in gutter.

As for camera always had a helmet mount and it's not the most discrete / aerodynamic and never caused any issues I've noticed did think about mounting on bike instead but problem with that (and chest mount) is it don't show where you're looking.

Also found that regardless of speed limit and being bang on said limit being on L plates seems to make drivers want to overtake you, I am at stage now I don't care and just hold my position but just be prepared if they are going to be really stupid.