Jimmy's Posterous

UMAD?

Can we do something about this? Please?

This is getting ridiculous, again.

Yikes, someone call the fashion police.

Bzzzzzzt.

Since moving to Naples, Italy in June 2010, many people have asked me what it was like to ride a motorcycle here.  Part of that query comes from the stories they've heard about Italian drivers, particularly in the southern parts of Italy and it's a legitimate question.  I've been riding my motorcycle here since July 2010 and it's been a unique experience that I'd like to share.  And considering I still don't own a car in the country, the bike is all I've got.

A little background on me.  I've got a 2009 Ducati Monster 696 that I purchased in San Diego, California well before I had any idea I'd be coming to Italy.  Coincidence is funny like that.  I've got about a solid year of motorcycle experience under my helmet.  I very closely live the motto "All The Gear, All The Time" and refuse to get on my bike without all of my gear and am a big fan of motorcycle safety.  I don't pop wheelies or do stoppies, I just ride and I love it.

Drivers in southern Italy are known for being crazy if observed by outsiders.  A friend of mine called them worse than drivers in Boston, which she was surprised to admit.  They're not bad drivers - they're just very different from what most Americans are accustomed to.  They ride close together, tailgate often, flash their high beams when they want you to move out of the way, drive faster, ignore the street signs (like STOP, for instance), drive in reverse to get back to an exit they missed, and occasionally follow the direction of lighted traffic signals.  So long as you drive in a similar fashion and follow the flow of traffic, you will be okay.

At times, riding a motorcycle in Naples has been safer than driving a car.  The culture here involves the use of mopeds and other motorbikes at all ages, but quite a few gain their experience before the age of 20.  In addition to their experience of being on two wheels, Italian law states that if a car and motorcycle are involved in an accident, the car is automatically at fault.  That also makes drivers here more defensive when bikes are around.

The majority of bikes on the road here are scooters.  Not the little Vespas that I'm sure people typically think of when they hear the word scoot, but a large assortment of moderately powerful bikes that aren't quite as big as sport bikes or cruisers.  The locals don't let that fact prevent them from going really fast, though.  Each day I ride I am getting passed by a bike or scooter with fewer cc's than my own.  Hey, whatever, do your thing.

For the most part I ride slower than most of the locals, I will not lie about that.  Lots of motorbikes will duck and dodge cars to pass them at high speeds with very little clearance room.  If that's within their comfort zone, that's fine.  It's not within mine so I don't mess around with that.  Depending on where I am and where I'm going will dictate how aggressive my riding is.  Here, I've learned that speed and aggressive riding is actually beneficial to you.  Never thought I'd say that.

Lane splitting is okay and generally expected.  If the traffic is slow and you're on a bike, you're basically expected to move on between the cars.  I typically do and it helps save a lot of time when traffic's bad.  (Learning to ride in California helped me a lot.)  When cruising down the Autostrade, sometimes cars will see a bike behind them and move to one side of the lane in order to let you pass.  Pretty awesome.  The shoulders of the road are also fair game for motorcycle use at pretty much any time. 

When driving in the fast lane, cars that want to go faster will flash their high beams to let you know they're coming up faster behind you.  If you're on a bike that tends to happen much less often.  I'm not sure why, but that has been my experience thus far.  Usually cars are much more patient with what I am doing on my bike.  If my head even so much as moves to the side as if I'm looking to see if my side is clear, cars will slow down because they're expecting me to change lanes.  Like I said, they're VERY aware of what I'm doing and watch out for me.

Riding in the cities can be challenging and dangerous.  New pot holes appear every time it rains, some roads are made out of bricks, other roads are made from asphalt which has bits of marble mixed in with it, and some portions of roads are entirely marble.  Turn a corner too fast even when the roads are dry and you still can find yourself losing traction at a very bad time.  Add rain into that mix and you've got some dangerous riding conditions to deal with.

Rain or shine, I have to ride because I don't (yet) own a car.  My riding gear keeps me mostly dry but I am not a fan of riding in the rain.  Winter in Naples means a lot of rain and sometimes hail which I think I'd like to avoid.  The drivers here are more careful when it rains so traffic will move slower, but it still moves along.  Water drainage is almost nonexistent so small lakes form at the low points of roads or, even worse yet, can easily cover a pothole.  I've been fortunate enough not to find any covered potholes but if I do, it likely will not be pretty.

As long as you understand what risks are out there and don't try to ride beyond your skill level, anyone can enjoy riding their bike here in southern Italy.  I know I'm enjoying it and will keep doing so as long as I am here.

New model comes with a bonus!  Push flap and receive bacon directly to your face!

There's a couple of questions in there I'd love to have the answer to.  Preferably before they smite me.

zomg! Ahahah

Thankfully it's a beautiful day!
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