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Scooter "Death wobble" at 80 km/h

cdn-bigfoot

Junior Member
My wife and I ride a Harley together at home and she also has a 150cc Vespa. :rider I secretly love to ride the Vespa!
We took a cruise :newsmile092: in the Caribbean a couple weeks ago.
While in Roatan :HONDURAS Honduras we decided to rent a 150cc scooter at the dock and proceed with a self guided tour of the island. After a fantastic day of riding, exploring the island and snorkling :small3d004: the reef we headed back to the dock. This 150cc BWS could really go on the narrow 2 way roads that snakes up and down the island. Easily capable of 120km/h riding 2 up. While clipping along the little paved "highway" a pick-up truck pulled in front of us about 20 metres ahead. I saw something green and shiny falling from the crack under the tailgate. Was it grass? I can't see anything hitting the road. Then I see bubbles. :small3d014: My wife and I shared a laugh :bigsmiley20::bigsmiley20: as we rode through the bubbles made by what was obviously soap spilling out of the pick-up box. Still nothing was visible on the road. As we started to round the next corner at 80 km/h the scooter started to shake in a violent death wobble and slide towards the outside of the bend. :Banane10::Banane10: This was a real tank slapper! I let up on the throttle and kept it upright. Seems the soap we had just been laughing about had sufficiently coated the road and/or the tires of the scooter to cause loss of traction and create the wobble. :bigsmiley30: We felt fortunate to get back to the ship unscathed.
I know most of you will say "that dumb Canadian didn't know soap was slippery!" :newsmile078: Of course I know that. But at the time the ridiculous sight of bubbles flying towards us was comical enough to make us dismiss the potential danger. :bigsmiley40: As it was a very hot day I hoped the tarmac would bake the soap before the next unsuspecting biker (or scooter) came into that stretch of soapy roadway. :small3d031:

Only on vacation! :cheers:cheers
 
I'm glad you made it thru' the slippery stuff. Also handy to have soap available for cleaning your clothes after a wobble;)
I used to have a 1981, 150CC 2-storke Vespa with gear shifting done by twisting the left grip. I loved that thing, and regret selling it.
 
Glad you guys are ok man. But now that you are, I can't help but chuckle at the thought of adding the Vespa to the list of wobblers. Even more amazing is going 80 on a Vespa.

Sounds like other than that you guys had a great vacation.
 
There is something to always remember that trip by. Glad you made it through unscathed....
 
Video would have been fun to look at in years to come, glad you are OK and having a ball:s
 
Thanks for the great video that you described very well on OUR vacation ride together..

I was there with you guys from the start to the finish... Now I'm going to wash the soap off..:newsmile098: Thanks for the fun trip.EH

signed....BUBBIE
 
Hey, I thought you Canucks were used to slippery roads with your black ice. We couldn't keep our feet on the pavement in Ottawa one visit, and that was in late September, 2003.

Glad to see you're both ok!:s
 
Hey, I thought you Canucks were used to slippery roads with your black ice. We couldn't keep our feet on the pavement in Ottawa one visit, and that was in late September, 2003.

Glad to see you're both ok!:s

Black ice is no problem in a car, in fact I could expertly navigate any car around an F1 racetrack covered in pig snot. But 2 wheels on anything slippery scares the (EDIT) outa' me!

Please read this...

A Friendly Reminder - Harley Davidson Community

 
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