Since we no longer live incredibly close to our jobs and haven't been able to afford a second car I've been riding my scooter to work nearly every day.
The Southern California weather allows me to ride it probably close to 300 days a year, it gets around 80 mpg and costs $3.50 to fill it up with premium gas (which gets me around for a week). Also, here in LA you're allowed to split lanes. I can't begin to comprehend how much time this has saved me. Even during rush hour I can make it from the 101 to Beverly Hills (Wilshire & Doheny) in about 20 minutes. If you know LA that is ridiculous fast.
All that being said, it may sound like a motorbike is the perfect vehicle for a place like LA but it comes with huge risk. People here don't like to use their blinkers. When you're passing an SUV and you're in his blind spot and he doesn't signal that he's coming into your lane and just starts getting over it can be pretty scary. Everyone here is in a hurry and they ALWAYS run yellow lights and very often run red. As a motorcyclist you're the first in line at every light and if you don't check both ways before pulling out it's likely you could get clipped by a fast moving vehicle running the light. Most importantly, it's very, very easy for a car trying to make a right or left turn into or across fast moving traffic from a side street or driveway and not see you. They're focused on the gaps between the cars passing by and looking for one big enough for them to fit through. They're most likely not thinking about you on your scooter splitting lanes between these cars. In my opinion this is the easiest way to get really hurt.
With that, some tips on how to not die while motorbiking it in LA:
-Always look both ways before entering the intersecting when the light turns green.
-Always be on the lookout for cars entering or cutting across your lane of traffic from side streets/entrances. Even when going slowly!!
-Same rule above goes for cars turning left across your lane. Assume they don't see you and depth perception in this situation is crap (for both drivers). A tip here: Look at the spokes of their wheels, are they turning? Then they're probably going to turn right in front of you.
-Sometimes it's impossible to not tailgate. When doing so be on the lookout for wheel swallowing potholes directly in front of you until you can gain some space between you and the bumper of the car ahead.
-I think there is only one bike lane in all of LA (Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood) if you're riding in it (illegally) watch for heads in the driver seats of the parked cars as well as cars turning across your lane. Running into an opened car door will be ruin your day.
-If you're splitting lanes and the cars ahead slow down for no apparent reason, you MUST also slow down. There is a high probability there's a pedestrian walking across the busy street and stopping traffic (and you won't see them until they're right in front of you).
-Never make any sudden lane changes. Even though motorcycles here change lanes often, other drivers don't assume that. They could be passing you quickly and you may not hear or see them.
-Wear face protection. I've hit bees at 40+ mph a number of times and had them get stuck INSIDE my helmet, ALIVE! Bad times.
-You may think you're the only awesome dude splitting lanes. You're at full throttle on your scooter at a good speed (you think) and then a Ducati comes up behind you. Let him pass before he does something that puts you both in danger.
-This may be a racist stereotype but I don't care: Watch out for Asian drivers. Especially female Asian drivers. Not joking.
-I'm not religious but I pray before every scooter ride. Can't hurt right?
Good luck.
I hope you don't think a post about scooter safety means you can put a hayabusa engine in the scooter - still not happening!