Operation Moped: What Drivers Should Know

Many people buy scooters because they see other people driving them around town and think it looks like fun. Others purchase them because they need an inexpensive way to get to work. Many, however, do not understand what they are getting themselves into when they purchase a scooter, many do not even know how to drive them. The basics of driving a moped are pretty simple for anyone to understand. A helmet must be worn, scooter insurance must be obtained and adherence to the law must be practiced at all times. Although many states to not require it, insurance for motor scooters should be purchased before a driver even learns how to drive his new vehicle.

New scooter drivers often long for a manual to teach them how to drive their new purchase. Unfortunately, these vehicles do not come with a crash course for dummies. Classes can be taken to help drivers learn the basics, and it is always good to have a friend or family member around to teach you the things you may not realize without a good teacher.

Drivers should be aware of how their new scooter works: a two-wheeled vehicle like all others, the scooter stays upright as it moves because of a center mass over its wheels. In the case of a bicycle, this mass is provided by the driver. But with a moped or scooter, that mass is supplied by the bike itself. Therefore, it is not the bike you need to balance; it is your own body. Keeping your body balanced as you ride your new moped will at first be a challenge. This is much simpler to do with more speed. As speed builds, so does inertia, which means that it will be more difficult to fall over. The slower a bike is moving, the less inertia it has, and the more difficult it becomes to stay upright.

Another thing that new drivers must understand is how to start the scooter engine. This can be done via a few controls located on the front part of the bike. Drivers must take the time to learn their new bike's control panel before heading out onto the open road. The exact way to start a moped varies from model to model, but there are a few things each has in common.

To start the moped, drivers must first discover the ignition switch. This is turned on and off through the use of a key, much like that of a car. In addition to the ignition, there is a start switch. In order to start the moped, this switch must be in the "on" position. The bike may or may not have a kill switch if there is one, this must be in the "run" position. Now the bike needs a kick to one of the pedals to turn the motor over. Once the motor is running, the driver controls the moped's speed through the use of the throttle grip. Before you turn your moped on, be sure you know where the brakes are and how they work.

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Stewart Wrighter is researching scooter insurance for his mother.
For more information about scooter insurance go to
http://www.scooterinsurance411.com/ .

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