scooterlife - photog's blog

India beckons

2006-04-19T11:30:00.001-05:00

Indushealth - one of the places you can visit to find out about getting fixed up elsewhere.

A quick Google of Medical Tourism reveals a growing trend for Americans to seek medical help in other countries.

Locally, an uninsured blue-collar worker needed a heart procedure. Duke University said they'd do it for $200,000.00 He had it done in an Indian hospital--including airfare and a bit of tourism--for $10,000.

There are hip resurfacing treatments available using european components, American and UK-trained surgeons, in hospitals licensed by US and UK universities, that are not done here because there hasn't been FDA approval.

THR--hip replacement--isn't really an option for me because I'm young and will destroy the hardware quickly, leaving me without prosthetic options in as little as 10 years. Resurfacing would take care of some of the problems I'm having. This stuff I have is progressing. I'm not getting better. That, we know, is NOT going to change. There are other complications but to be mobile would certainly help with my state of mind. I don't mind the wheelchair--it has been a wonderful tool to get me moving around and I've been virtually pain-free especially at night when it's typically the worst--what I hate is the uncertainty every day. My surgeon said they'd fuse me in a reclining position. Is this the hammer/nail solution that doesn't consider the options possible in India and Canada?

I don't own a lot. But I'm thinking hard about selling what I do have and going to India.

Besides, it would be way cool to do some scootering there.

Last thing my rheumo told me was to look for full-time employment that I could do disabled--pitch my current career and just deal with things from that perspective: I need a job that provides health care. I suppose, as I have thought that "things will get better" that perhaps I need to take off the rose-colored glasses and come up with a plan.

For today, it's PT and getting my head back into the game of getting control back of my body and my life.

2006-04-19T11:30:00.000-05:00

The elevator from hell

2006-04-18T21:35:00.000-05:00

The building I'm working in isn't exactly ADA-compliant.

This means that I don't have luxuriously wide doors that automatically open at the touch of a button.

Or a bathroom stall I can actually get to (yes, I have to "hold it" for 8+ hours).

Or hallways that are free from bookcases that jut out and block my way.

No, this old building--which is actually full of asbestos--is an older example of the classic ADA retrofit that meets the letter of the law, if not the spirit and intent, of the ADA.

The architectural style falls somewhere between Bosnian Bombshelter and 70's era American Dialysis Clinic. Simple, utilitarian. And filled with cubicles and stuff.

But it's got good landscaping.

Look, I'm not complaining about where I work; I understand that they retrofitted as best they could. And I love my job. I really do. And the building is sturdy, having housed my cohorts comfortably for years.

But the past month has made me feel like a raw recruit in boot camp. My first day in the chair full time I headed to work, convinced that my easy experiences rolling around Lowes and Target had prepared me for the workplace.

Right.

My n00b skills were no match for this fortress and neither were my wimpy arms.

At work, I've got this parking spot:

(note the rather comical set of stairs just beyond...no, it's not that hopeless, I just have to wheel up a hill to the front entrance)

But after slamming through 2 sets of locked double doors, and the hideously thick pile carpeting (it's like rolling uphill...with a headwind), I am greeted by the Jeffrey Dahmer Memorial Freight Elevator of Doom.

Two multi-ton blast doors (well, maybe not multi-ton) slide apart with a shoulder-splitting yank.

If you happen to have the footplate of the chair a smidge too far over the gap, then the lower section will rise up and smite thee. Hard. If you happen to really not mind the gap, it will slide past the footplate and smite thee on the kneecaps on its way up. That kind of smiting has resulted in a nasty bruise, scrape, and foul language.

Then there's another metal grate to be wrestled with before gaining entrance to Darth 'Vator.

Note the lighting. If I were scouting locations for a low-budget rip-off of Silence of the Lambs, this would be the place where bad stuff happens. Cue the spooky music.

Back to operating the JDMFEoD or Darth Vator (take your pick--both are evil). If you screw it up, your fingers get mashed (best case) or removed (worst case). Well, actually, worst case is you get decapitated if the thing falls on your neck. I hate this elevator. I think it will kill me. I'm afraid to write that because the absolute irony of writing "I think it will kill me" practically guarentees that this blog will be mentioned in a news report. "Ironically, she had just written that the elevator might possibly play a role in her demise." Luckily, I have only had one smashed finger and one shaved knuckle, in addition to the banged-up knee.

After that it's a fairly easy roll to my workstation, then back-and-forth to the studio.

I've managed to figure out how to work my way into barely-ADA doorways. I've mastered that damned hill--now i'm powering up it like Rocky the Crip. But that elevator really kicks my ass every day. On tough days, I arrive at my workstation with my shoulders burning and my hands shaking from the exertion. I hope I'll be able to get enough strength going in my upper body to handle it better. Sort of like the hill, which I used to barely be able to climb without my shoulders screaming.

My day is full of little things that I never noticed before--new challenges, new victories, new monsters in need of a good slaying.

On the plus side, my biceps are getting huge.

It's about the curb cuts

2006-04-05T10:36:00.000-05:00

I've ranted before about how clueless drivers will punt a scooterist into the curb--while said scooterist is doing the speed limit--just because they can. It's the illusion that a scooter will be slower that seems to goad people into aggression. I'm sure that's resonated with other scooter riders who ride in 35-45mph traffic where they can keep up, yet find themselves being passed aggressively for no real reason.

"YEAH!" you say. Darn Skippy!

Well, bear with me on this rant. Since non-scooterists don't understand the issues--and positive elements--of scootering, here's a little slice of life that people may not understand.

Prior to landing my butt in a wheelchair, I used to get uppity and self-righteous about people parking on handicapped spaces when the didn't have a license plate or hang tag that proved they were supposed to be there. I'd glare, point, and even confront these people as I walked by.

As I started using handicapped spaces, I found that they exist not just to shorten the distance between the car and the door, but there is a huge safety element: when I'm sitting in my wheelchair my butt is about 19" off the ground and my head is just above bumper-height of most SUV's and minivans.

Yup. Bumper height.

If I parked farther away, I'd be invisible as I wheeled past these vehicles, and I don't have the ability to sidestep one should it back towards me. The fewer cars you have to wheel behind, the safer you are. I'm not talking about the faint possibility that someone will back into me; any time I've wheeled behind a few cars, I've ALWAYS had a scare.

Oh, and those lines--the hash marks next to the spaces? They're so that lift-equipped handicapped vans can lower the lift. If someone parks there--whether it's car, motorcycle, or a bunch of lost shopping carts--the user can't get in or out of their van. It may look inviting as a scooter parking spot, but don't do it.

But here's the big issue. There's another component to handicapped parking spaces that reduce barriers, and that's the curb cut.

A curb cut is that little ramped spot on a curb that allows a wheelchair to roll up and down. It's a simple little thing, but for many of us in chairs it's the difference between going into a grocery store or sitting glumly by the curb wishing we could wheelie our chairs safely.

Those little curb cuts sit quietly outside the front of retail stores, grocery stores, post offices, airline terminals...just waiting to help someone get where they need to be.

They also tend to live in Fire Lanes.Sometimes they're hard to see--the paint has faded--but they're there.

Here's the problem. When someone pulls up to the Harris Teeter grocery store near my house and sits in the fire lane (to eliminate taking 20 more steps--why, that would be TRAGIC to have to walk 20 steps), they typically block the curb cuts that are placed near each door.

So even if I get into a handicapped parking space, I can't get into the store because some lazy fool is blocking the cut.

Last week, I watched someone pull over a curb cut and get out of their car--they were not only in the fire lane, but blocking my entrance. Ticked off, I decided to wheel down to the next one--which meant I was wheeling in traffic. No sooner did I get pointed in that direction that ANOTHER car parked in the fire lane in front of the curb cut. The college student--on her cell phone--lept out of her car and bounced into the store, without missing a beat in her conversation. Her activation of the car alarm punctuated her selfishness. It was mid-afternoon and the parking lot was not only nearly empty, but there were spaces next to the door just 20 feet away.

So while I'm not advocating that you confront someone who does not understand that parking their car in a fire lane AND blocking a curb cut is really, really stupid, I thought it was worth mentioning because I have done it myself many times as I thought I was politely helping a family member throw groceries in the car on a rainy day. I don't know how many times I've probably blocked a curb cut...while someone sat in a handicapped space and waited...and waited...for me to move so that they could simply go in the store. Curbside pickup is okay--we all do it--but I had no idea that by simply pulling forward a few feet or making sure I wasn't blocking a curb cut, I wasn't making someone sit and simmer needlessly--or worse, get stuck in a traffic lane because I had pulled in as they were exiting their car and making a beeline for the curb cut.

But know I know.

And so do you.

Cheers.

A Super 9 Update - yeah, it's cheap fun

2006-04-03T10:34:00.000-05:00

A bit more info on Super 9 commuting.

My current commute is 7 miles each way, give or take, depending on the route I take. The fastest road is a 45mph stretch. The S9 has no problems keeping up with traffic at any point on the commute.

Gas mileage is averaging 75-80mpg, running it close to redline for cruise, though I try to keep it in the 6K range for a comfortable cruise of 40-ish. At 35-40 in commuter traffic it has more than enough of its skinny little midrange powerband to overtake traffic and blast past them. Imagine that. It never ceases to amaze me how much fun a commute can be when you're stalking one car after another and passing them with 50cc's.

The bike has never failed to start. During the coldest nights when it was 20-30 degrees, I let it warm up for a minute or two. Never missed a beat.

The only observation was that when I starting riding it instead of the Stella, it ran rough for the first few days--enough that it would stumble when pulling into an intersection--so make sure you run it around a bit after a few weeks off before subjecting it to the "I need power now" demands of commuting.

New Set of Wheels. Four of 'em. No motor.

2006-04-02T20:56:00.000-05:00

It's been a long time since I've posted.

Thanks for all the emails expressing concern.

December through March were pretty good scootering months--I commuted daily on the Super 9--but an ongoing health issue finally took its toll and I'm going to be using a wheelchair for a while. I hope to be out of it eventually but right now, that's my life. Because of that, I'm commuting in my Jeep so I can haul the wheelchair to work. I'm ambulatory for short distances, so it's not all bad.

After months of simple, low-cost riding, it's hard to go back to 18mpg. And while the 20 degree commutes at night were a bit chilly, they were always fun.

The GS sits where I last parked it after teaching an MSF class.

For a long time I told myself that if I ever had to give up riding, that it would be okay. And for the past few weeks, I've done well--I've pushed it to the back of my mind. But today was tough; I really wanted to ride the GS, and I dreaded shoving dollar after dollar into the tank of the Jeep after spending $2 for a week's worth of commuting and errands.

I'll try to keep things updated, but for now, my focus is on healing. Perhaps this will be the only hybrid scooter-wheelchair blog. Talk about a niche market...but if you've ever wondered what it would be like to transition to a wheelchair, maybe this will be entertaining for you.

More soon.

Ride safe, everyone.

Raleigh Rumble 2005 - Saturday Report

2005-09-03T20:52:00.000-05:00

Today was Day Two of the Top Up NC & Brit Iron Rebels' Raleigh Rumble 2005--a weekend of well-ridden Britbikes and Scooters getting the lavish, slobbering attention that they deserve. It was wonderful--the people were very friendly making a painfully shy person like myself feel very welcome.

My immediate impression of this bunch was that these people are the Real Deal. I've hung out with a lot of different motorcyclists, clubs, and informal gatherings, and there always seems to be a percentage of posers. Not so here. All the bikes had serious mileage on them. Even the really pristine ones weren't low-mile restoration bikes trotted out for shows.

The clothing was authentic, too--more Davida and Buco helmets than I've ever seen in one place before. Jeans, leather jackets, lace up boots--all of it well-worn, instead of looking like a would-be extra in a Stray Cats video.

Here are a few quick low-res shots of today's breakfast and gathering.

A big thanks to the members of The Incriminators SC of Chapel Hill, NC, for their hospitality to this n00b.

Katrina

2005-09-03T02:24:00.000-05:00

I can't string together the words to adequately express how I feel here on the blog. I've been going back and forth with my friends on ADVRider for a few days, and the general feeling is one of frustration. To write more will no doubt plunge me back into that frustration I felt there on ADV, which is my online home, a place where I've met friends but also a place where I get a chance to interact with a sizable cross-section of our country as well as riders from around the world. Right now I just want to withdraw a bit and try to figure out the mass of images and statements running around my head right now, the result of 24 hour news coverage and the shock of seeing people dying in front of our eyes.

As more positive news begins to emerge during the rescue, perhaps we'll be able to focus on that, but invevitably, finger-pointing and blame will once again be prominent. I wonder how this event will plant itself in the collective psyche of our country, and how politicised our directions will be as we move forward.

For now, I feel intese sorrow and pain for those who lost loved ones during the storm, or watched them die afterwards as they waited for help. I've turned off the TV, logged off ADVRider, sent donations, and prayed for the survivors and rescuers.

Have I killed it?

2005-09-03T02:21:00.000-05:00

Here's a link to a post on Stellaspeed that I made after an apparent soft seize. I think that's scooterese for "I blew it up but it still runs okay."

Raleigh on $1 gas a day

2005-09-03T02:12:00.000-05:00

This was actually last weekend's ride, but I'm just now getting a chance to post things.

The day started out with a nice cross-town trek to a good IHOP breakfast.

Then we motored over to the State Fairground Flea Market, to join 3 billion other people in search of really cheap junk. First stop was the joint that sells leather jackets to the HD people. The lady there is really nice and if you snoop around you’ll find some nice stuff. But what really caught our eye were the patches available. GREAT! We’ll find something just right for the ADV scooter gang.

Note: there is no ADV scooter gang since there is no ADV Scooter Forum.

Oooo! This one is neato!

Wow! Such detail. I’m sure it took some Chinese 10 year old about 23 seconds to create this.

This is what happens when you run a bit too lean.

This one is setting up a Buddy Tow.

I can’t believe it’s not Buddha.

Over here you can let this guy draw a picture of your child for free.

We were having such a rollicking good time at this point looking at surplus Army clothing and overpriced Hummel knock-offs, that we almost didn’t hear the FWUMP of an elderly woman doing an endo onto the pavement. I helped drag her to her feet, and Skewt pulled a chair out from under a vendor (who didn’t want to offer the old lady the chair). The woman had apparently tripped over a dropcord stretched across an aisle. Why, O, why, hadn’t I pursued a career in litigation? I could OWN this flea market! Every last knick-knack! The poor woman had a good goose egg over one eye, her eyeglass frames had sliced open her cheek, and she had grown a 6th and 7th knuckle on one hand. After stitching up her wounds with the suture kit included in the Stella tool kit while asking her the square root of 7.34—dammit, why does everyone appear to be altered when I ask that questions?--I determined that she was my best shot at either being included in her lawsuit or her will, so we got security over there, which made them happy because they got to use the siren on the golf cart. Hell, no, I didn’t take pics. She was a mean little cuss. Maybe Stella needs to drop down a size on those needles.

Then again, maybe that wasn’t a suture kit.

Giddy from our experience with the bleeding old woman, we headed over to the Farmer’s Market, where I got a beer.

Hey, honey.

You sweet thing, you.

Here’s a high-centered Hoveround suffering from a lack of ground clearance.

Click...whirrrrr...click....whirrrr...she was toggling it back and forth, trying to get it off the speed bump. Just as I headed over there to give her a rescue shove, someone showed up. I honestly thought her relative in a Chevy pickup was going to try PUSHING her off the curb. “Just steer it, momma” But she was off and whirring towards produce in no time.

Then we found this gourd.

Fixed to reflect artistic vision.

So after watching granny get towed off the speedbump, we rode some more.

We went house shopping.

We liked it a lot, so we jimmied the door and tried some of the beer in the fridge. We might make an offer. We did another lap around the lake…

..and went home.

first plug check - break-in update

2005-08-23T21:49:00.000-05:00

This wasn't a proper plug chop--I just pulled the plug to get a look-see.

430 miles--about 315 miles on the Pinasco 177 kit, all but 5 of them by me. Idles well, no hiccups in acceleration, haven't gone for flat-out top speed. No hiccups at steady throttle other than the usual flat spot around 40.

If my 24G carb is stock (and I believe it is), according to SIP, and from what I know from the PO, the bike has the 120 air corrector, BE4 mixer, 110 main, and a 50/100 idle. That's the stock setup for a 24G, but the PO eased down to a 110 from a couple larger mains to be on the safe side.

I'm running a B8ES plug and altitude around here is 400-500 ASL.

Ran Bel-Ray semi-synthetic in the reservoir and about 1% in the tank up until last tank (didn't want to go too lean so I'm not adding any to the tank), and now I'm on just the Bel-Ray autolube. I plan on going to synthetic at next fillup.

Morning ride through the countryside

2005-08-21T13:55:00.000-05:00

Local cafe. Didn't check prices. Got a Gatorade at a convenience store.

The Dowco rollbag works beautifully on the Stella, too. Just use one of the extra velcro straps to secure it to the seat strap so that it doesn't roll backwards onto the tail light. DAMHIK

About 70 miles or so were added to the odometer by the time we got back from our biscuit breakfast, and the Stella performed flawlessly. Even with 70mph available, it was great to just plonk along at 45-50 and enjoy the scenery.

The Super9 was a great bike to ride with--easily held 40-43mph all day long and handled some steep hills quite well--even one that dropped me to 3rd gear.

One more thing

2005-08-20T23:03:00.000-05:00

I love this scooter.

I really, really, really love this little machine.

It's not for everyone but for the person who has fallen under its spell, the enjoyment goes clear to the bone.

After years of riding bikes that are considered to be mechanical perfection, this little beast has stolen my heart.

Tomorrow will be the first ride through the countryside. I can't wait!

Email to a friend

2005-08-20T22:47:00.000-05:00

A buddy of mine with FAR more scootering experience asked me a good question--will I be happy with the Stella, or is this nostalgic thinking taking over?

Both of us had experienced having acquired the same bike we had in our youth, only to find that what we remembered as sparkling performance had been enhanced by our inexperienced brains. Flexible frames and inadequate brakes did not feel quaint--they felt like inadequate brakes and flexible frames. And after decades spent on state of the art motorcycles, sometimes the older bikes just don't do much other than look nice.

So, he mused, would I feel the same way about a Stella?

Here's my reply:

Mine is running well, but I sense it could use a larger gulp of air to really unleash it. I've had to rely on it far too much this last week to try tweaking it, so perhaps next week I'll do some plug chops. My next move will be to combine jetting with adding a UNI filter. Overall, though, I'm thrilled. Aside from that damned seat being a torture device, anyway. But it is without a doubt the most willing, enthusiastic, personality-filled ride I've ever owned.

In my last blog post I noted that the Stella isn't for everyone. I think that came after the realization that it is a 20 year old design that--at that point--was drawing on experience from the 50's and 60's. It's really a relic and I think that speaks to your question. It may, at first blush, be attractive to anyone, but whether it's a long-term relationship worth investing in, is another matter.

I am quite nostalgic about some of the bikes I've had, and have had a chance to ride them again and found that some of them were pleasant, but could never be my only bike again--as they were when I had them. The sparkle wasn't quite there as I remembered it to be, especially when I didn't quite feel the same performance I remembered.

So how does the Stella fit in? I think you'll enjoy it. I think you'll enjoy it a LOT. It's easy to tinker with, and is STILL very much the right tool for a quick commute. The past few days I have had to run a lot of crazy cross-town errands where the GS would've been clumsy and the 50 too underpowered to do the job quickly. The Stella, even with the not-quite-right-jetting, made easy work of it, and there's no denying the nostalgic response I've gotten from others.

As far as performance goes, it's not the outright powerhouse of even a moderately competent Chinese 150cc automatic, but it goes about its task with all the elan that we want...and I think that is where the satisfaction lies. It works its heart out, and it does so with a lusty approach. The JL/SIP pipe is suitably boisterous, and the wickedly-quick steering allows for some entertaining heroics even on the 10" tires. It slices up traffic despite itself, if that makes sense. I haven't found a turn yet that'll challenge it.

I suppose if it were a larger roadbike, I would eventually tire of it not being quite up to par with even a entry-level bike like my Suzuki GS500 which, for all its simplicity, would easily spank any of my 350/400/550 Hondas from the 70's.

But as a scooter, it really does stand its ground and does not show its age...unless the rider is expecting an "easy" ride, like on a Honda Helix.

I can no longer look at the automatics in the same way. Yes, they are probably better all around, but after spending this past week getting to know every noise this one makes--wondering if it's fouling, listening to it break in, learning the shift points, exploring the limits of tire adhesion--the experience is much more intimate and as such I fully understand why people become slaves to these machines. They are alive and flawed and worthwhile, just like us.

I don't think everyone would be as pleased, but I think you would.

I'd continue your search. It's a fresh, new platform to work on all the mods you envisioned, and is probably just the first of a few more scoots in a your future. More than the bike itself, I think you will find all kinds of joy in the entire experience, just as you are hoping to find.

Initial Impressions

2005-08-19T18:07:00.000-05:00

With about 200 miles added to the clock since it first came home, the Stella has delighted and surprised me with every turn of the odometer.

I didn't expect it to run--the previous owner had not been able to ride it--but after changing out the plug and giving it plenty of room to run, it fired right up and has handled 200 miles of traffic, long stoplights, and a few hard accelerations without so much as a hiccup.

Owning a Stella is like finding a perfect Vespa PX150 in a barn. It is a brand new scooter with all the charm--and technology--of an 80's Vespa.

Mine has been spec'd well with a Pinasco 177, Dellorto 24G carb, and SIP (JL) expansion chamber/pipe. With these goodies, the bike is transformed into a very capable urban warrior--even though the stock bike is more than adequate for the job. The top end is most likely gear-limited at 70mph or so--and since I'm still in break-in, I have only seen that speed briefly. However, acceleration is more than enough to keep up with urban traffic.

Is it for everyone? No way. The newest crop of automatics are well-behaved and fairly potent beasts for their displacement, capable of making cross-town commutes an easy affair. The Stella is different; you have to work for your thrills. While the engine is much more luggable than you'd expect a small 150 to be, you still have to change gears and for some, that detracts from the scootering experience. For others, it's what defines the Vespa and Lambrettas of that period and differentiates "real scooters" from their newer CVT-equipped grandchildren.

The 10" tires are skinny and the ride is what you'd expect--quick steering combined with a bit of twitchyness off-center, but not annoyingly so. The bike is remarkably stable and sure-footed; you just have to remember that countersteering takes just the faintest of pressure instead of a shove to initiate or tighten a turn.

On even or undulating pavement the Bitubo shocks are a joy. On potholes and sharp, jarring bumps the rider is treated to a spleen-jarring smack in the hindquarters. On the upside, the bike isn't easily upset and somehow remains planted in tight turns when it encounters irregularities.

But I keep asking myself--would you recommend this bike to someone wanting a plain little a-to-b scooter? I keep finding out that the answer is "no". The Stella is wonderful, but it's a bike for those that want to be connected with the machine. The clutch is light and the transmission shifts smoothly, but it's a busy affair, just like any motorcycle in traffic. The ergonomics are a bit different from the cushy, upright new bikes; the Stella/PX retains a bit of that sporty forward cant of the rider. The legshield encourages creative foot placement for weightshifting in corners. The raspy engine--especially a kitted one--encourages feisty duels with other commuters. It may not win every stoplight to stoplight battle, but it'll win a lot of them, and those it can't win with acceleration, it'll win with sheer maneuverability. But to put those notches on your cowls demands a certain aggressive, lighthearted, fun attitude and willingness to ride hard. This isn't a bike that simply takes you from A to B--it is a small cafe racer.

At 300 miles I am just into the break-in stages, running BelRay semi-synthetic oil plus a smidgen in the tank (about 1%). I'll switch to Castrol TTS synthetic at around 600-800 miles and then continue to run that for the duration. The bike does smoke quite a bit at idle--not a cloud of blue smoke that envelopes the rider, but enough that you can see it swirling around the headlight at night. The jetting is still rich, but I'd rather err on that side during breakin and try to gradually lean it out.

While the stock headlight was moaned about on several forums, I found it was fine for my night rides--though the H4 conversion will eventually happen. I also plan on installing a license plate frame adorned with a bunch of LED's to help the people behind me note that I'm slowing down, since the small, low-mounted taillight isn't exactly a flamethrower. I may also convert my turn signals to running lights.

But the bike performs admirably just as it is. I can pull away from a stop in 2nd gear, and pull reliably from about 10mph in 3rd gear. I'm still working on the details, but it seems to like taking hard turns in 3rd and pulling smoothly through them--it has enough grunt to lug around in 3rd gear for most of the day in dense downtown traffic.

It's an attention-getter. Not that I wanted that--I'm the type of person that would just as soon be invisible. But if people are gonna look, they may as well have a neat bike to look at, and judging from the responses, people love it. I get lots of waves and honks. And since I'm typically leading the pack instead of holding up traffic, it would appear that the honks are friendly ones.

Even with its dated design, the original brilliance of Piaggio is clear. These bikes were designed to get a commuter across town or across the county efficiently. A quick touch of the starter button and the bike spins to life and settles into the pop-pppp-popppp uneven idle, then clears its throat as it winds through the gears. In no time you're up to 55mph and watching the scenery move smoothly past as the exhaust settles into a nice purr. The brakes are light and precise, and the riding position is so variable that there's no way you can't find a comfortable perch. Some buzzing creeps into the bars (a set of bar ends are on the list) but it's not terribly annoying. The entire experince combines to make it a very lively ride, not an insulated one.

Without a doubt, I am convinced that this was the right bike for me. The more I ride it, the more I realize what a special, unique experience it is to ride a PX series bike amidst all the automatics.

Stella Comes Home

2005-08-12T21:25:00.000-05:00

Thursday morning I headed to Georgia to pick up a sweet little low-mileage 2003 Stella in Atlanta. Another early roadtrip, another nice sunrise in my sideview. Ah, yes, the twin suns of Tatooine. Go to ATL, we must.

The E150 Cargo Van was fairly new, so I helped break it in.

Even at a cruise of 80+, the gas mileage wasn’t too bad. Somewhere around 18 or so. Still, this wasn't much fun:

With the cargo cage in the back, it looked like a giant Hav-a-Hart trap. So I put a quart of 2-stroke oil and a copy of the latest Scooterworks catalog in the back, waited quietly, and trapped this:

Here it is, restrained. You ain’t going anywhere, fella. Kayak straps, a bath mat, a towel, and my patented TLAR (“that looks about right”) method worked fine.

Got some fuel for me, and headed back.

These are just grab shots from tonight—fuzzy and the orange is washed out a bit with the flash in some shots, but they’ll give you an idea of what the 80’s vintage Vespa PX series—what the Stella is--looks like.

Note that there’s no spare tire under the left cowl. That’s an aftermarket SIP performance pipe/expansion chamber there, which negates the use of the spare tire carrier under the removable left cowl. The original exhaust was catalyzed. The battery stays intact, though the bike can be kick started and traditionally that’s how it’s prodded to life anyway.

That SIP pipe is a work of art. Nice welds and finish on it.

The Stella is practically identical to the 2005 Vespa PX150, but with a few key differences. One of them is the inclusion of upgraded Bitubo gas shocks on the Stella. You can see the front here and the Grimeca brakes. These bikes have single-sided forks up front, reminiscent of their Piaggio aircraft landing gear origins. The Stella also uses heavier-gauge steel.

The wheels are 2-piece, making tire changes a snap--especially if you just swap the spare. There's a pretty wide range of tire choices available. These are Conti Zippy's and they've got a good reputation; when they wear out, a sporty set will go on.

The engine and transmission snug up under the right cowl.

Here’s a glimpse of the underside, showing the pipe routing and the rear brake actuator (which is on the right floorboard).

Front locking storage is plenty for the usual—a quart of oil, gloves, tools, lock, and personal items.:

Here’s the engine/transmission. The Stella utilizes a 5-port (bridged 3 port) 150cc reed induction motor, while the Vespa uses a 3-port 150cc rotary valve motor. The Stella makes about 2 more horsepower than the Vespa—10 vs. 8. On a small bike, that’s a pretty big difference, and between that and the gas shocks (and the $1200-$1400 price difference) I was immediately sold on the Stella vs. the PX150.

Here’s the cockpit. Pretty simple stuff—the shifting is done with a twist grip on the left (along with the clutch), and the right front brake is where it should be. The rear brake is on the right side floorboard.

This particular bike has about 115 miles on it and only 5 miles on a Pinasco 177 kit, Dellorto 24/24G carb, and the SIP pipe. Top end should be 70+ and it should hustle its way to that speed fairly well, with the front end spending little time on the asphalt--though the Pinasco kit is considered a "touring" kit and is mild compared to others. Mileage should be around 75-80mpg unless I’m flogging it. Over the coming weeks I’ll work on dialing in the jetting.

MSRP on these critters is $2900. Used ones go for $2200 and up and are holding their value fairly well. This bike will be a daily driver for me.

Scooter Tie Down strategies

2005-08-04T09:21:00.000-05:00

Found this on Scooterhelp -- turns out that you just can't crank down the handlebars of a classic scoot like you would a motorcycle.

From the ribbing I'm getting over on ADV, it appears that the scooter is light enough that a few strands of dental floss wrapped around the radio knob would secure it.

Stella found

2005-08-04T08:20:00.000-05:00

My Stella is in Atlanta.

The best way to jinx this whole thing is to blog it, but I suppose if it fell through, that would be blogworthy, too.

Here it is, in all its tangerine glory:

It's a 2003 with 115 miles on the clock.

Included are an SIP pipe, 24/24G carb, and Pinasco 166 kit.

Another fellow ADVrider, Bueller, picked up his brand new shiny black Stella this week, and on the first day took it on his 100-mile daily commute to his Harley Davidson dealership. He said it did well, and that his cohorts at the shop loved it.

At this point I'm holding my breath. My dog-eared copy of the Scooterworks catalog is getting more dog-eared. I'm going through all that low-income angst: what if I need the money to cover unexpected bills? And despite that, I'm looking at little chrome bits for it.

The only downer is that the Zip must go. That little bike has turned out to be a rugged, dependable commuter, light tourer, and funmachine. I hope it finds a good home.

What 7 Means

2005-07-24T22:19:00.000-05:00

I watched Lance ride in the peloton today with tears in my eyes. I will miss that.

For the past seven years I've watched the Tour religiously--every minute of every stage, and through OLN's excellent coverage I've come to love the powerful stories and images of one of the few professional sports that I completely respect, even with the doping scandals and contrived accusations. If you don't ride, if you're not aware of the intimate intracacies of the traditions of the Tour, it probably doesn't make much sense. But in my years on this earth I never cried at sporting events prior to following the tour as an adult--though I did fancy myself a budding pro cyclist as a child. I have seen incredible acts of courage and sportsmanship and determination that unfold over the days of this grueling race that inspire me.

It was seven years ago that I began to have trouble with my joints. Diagnosed with an aggressive form of arthritis, I was at the point where I was barely able to stand up from a seated position. The surgeon told me that despite double hip replacement, I would soon have to accept that I would be bedridden as the disease destroyed the pelvis and worked its way up the spine. The pain was incredible--a nagging, throbbing, stabbing pain in my joints and muscles. People would say "My aunt so-and-so had arthritis and she took Advil and it helped." I would just nod and try not to think ill of their good intentions. With every movement I could visualize the bone spurs in my joints, spine, and ribs that had showed up on X-rays. "You're just eat up with this," the surgeon had remarked. Gee, thanks. As he shook his head and talked about how end stage would bring some pain relief as the joints simply became immobile and I was fused into a prone bedridden lump, the future became bleak.

After some aggressive physical therapy and some slight improvement I decided to try bicycling to supplement the work of Trish, a physical therapist and bicyclist who refused to let me give up. We worked so hard getting stiffened joints and muscles to move again that I passed out from the pain and exertion; I'd come to with her looking down at me, asking if I was okay. Then we'd continue.

I devoured Lance Armstrong's first book, It's Not About the Bike and found inspiration.

Within a year, I had gone from barely being able to walk, to riding my first century--100 mile bike rides through the gentle rolling hills of the North Carolina Piedmont. Weekend rides of 20 or 50 miles were common. The disease was still running its course, but I was fighting back. Six years later, I'm technically in worse shape due to the progression, but with the tools I gained from bicycling, I'm able to cope. I'm a bit more fragile now, and struggle terribly at times, but know that I can climb aboard a bike and ride a bit.

Bicycling is an accessible sport. You don't need the latest titanium or carbon fiber framed wunderbike to get outside and hear the commentary of Phil Liggett in your head as you roll through the neighborhood--any bike will do. Stick with it long enough and you'll find out that it takes more than pure muscle to spin the cranks. That's when the Tour begins to make sense, yet defy description.

If you're a cyclist and/or a TdF fan, skip ahead. If not, here's a bit of insight into what makes it a soul-stirring spectacle.

There are other fine races, but to me, the Tour is the opportunity to watch an incredible story unfold as athletes take on one of the most monumental physical struggles of our time. I've heard the snorts and snickers from those who think nothing of men piloting a bike at 60mph down a trecherous mountain pass on bikes with a tire patch measured in millimeters. Or riding up a grade that's steep enough that you could actually lean forward and crawl up it easier than you could walk. For days on end, these riders ask superhuman performance of their bodies, while carrying on the finest traditions of sportsmanship.

In one fine example--though it has been argued over many beers around the world--Lance's archrival Jan Ullrich waited for him after Lance crashed during a 2003 stage. While this one and other major displays of sportsmanship are well-known, even the smaller gestures bring a tear to my eye. On mountain stages it's not unusual to see riders battle it out in the middle of the peloton, away from the cameras--yet if you watch carefully, you'll see one finally crack under the strain--and then give his rival a shove forward, as if to say "you win--go on and do more". Teams literally sacrifice their bodies so that their leader can win, protecting him physically as well as providing the aerodynamic advantage to keep his legs as strong as possible. And then there are the inter-team rivalries that are occasionally put aside in odd bits of tactical alliances, as riders take a long "pull" that may be repaid later.

With every turn of your crank, you can experience a bit of what they do. Should you want to experience the mental anguish of a mountain stage, travel to Boone, NC and ride where Lance trains--or ride the annual Bridge to Bridge ride up Grandfather Mountain--billed as 103 miles of Hill culminating in a heartbreaking, lung-busting, leg-ripping final climb up to the summit of Grandfather Mountain. During the Tour, riders do 100, 150, and 200km stages day after day that include those kinds of climbs. It is not just a matter of legs, or tactics, or gear--more than anything, it takes the mind and heart working together to get past the scream of muscles and fear of an unprotected plummet down a ravine--riders have died for the yellow jersey--and as elite as that bunch of cyclists is--many of them making less than a low-income worker in the US--the chance to glide effortlessly along a flat, or challenge a hill, is available to us all.

In a few minutes I'll climb the stairs and get into bed--an act I cannot take for granted. I'm here today, and able to move under my own power. Though I'm sore from a day teaching MSF out on the range, a few years ago I couldn't have imagined being able to stand for 8 hours, much less move quickly enough to teach the course effectively. I'm punished more for it than the average person with days of pain and limping afterwards--something I don't admit to other instructors--but I can do it. I pay more for being upright; each movement can be a struggle. But I'm moving.

So is Lance perfect? Probably not, but that's the point. While blessed with some incredible athletic prowess and a bit more drive than most of us, he was faced with the great equalizer--almost certain death from fast-moving cancer--and fought back not only to live but to excel in one of the most physically demanding sports there is. He's felt pain and failure and fear, just like all of us.

Tonight I ran my hands across one of my bicycles--the same bike that took me most of the way up Grandfather Mountain and has inspired me to try to complete that ride before I check out. Slender tubing, delicate-looking but sturdy enough to take the relentless torque and twisting of a climb or 60mph descent, it's a work of art. As I leaned over it, my hips replied with a stab of fire and my chest ached with each breath as ribs ground against scar tissue. But I know that I can clip in tomorrow and spin--slowly at first, then steadily--and get underway. The pain will come and go. But at least I'll be underway and not alone--others are struggling in their own way and I'm sure many of them are spinning cranks to fight for every day they can make happen on their own terms.

Thanks, Lance.

gas mileage revisited

2005-07-19T11:12:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'll admit it.

I'm getting a bit geeky over gas mileage.

Enough so that I'm considering a Bajaj Chetak and Honda Ruckus (the little one) again, just to squeeze more distance out of a tank. Not just for the economics but also the joy of squeezing as many blocks out of a drop of gas as possible. I can't describe it, but it's addictive.

Last weekend during a trip to Virginia Beach, the '95 Saturn got 40mpg despite being flogged mercilessly up and down I-95 with the air conditioner running. I was thrilled. I mean, thrilled, like actually getting a free Coke with a winning bottle cap, or getting some sort of award. That's geeky. It was also helpful, given that the trip from Raleigh to VAB is a frequent thing due to ailing relatives. A few of those trips in a gas hog and it would be time for a second mortgage. Doing it every weekend will drain the piggy bank even in an economical car.

Okay, so if the Stella is the main project based on style, I suppose I am destined to find a 4 stroke scooter that will become the Gas Mileage King. Not since my parents used to hassle me about keeping the Fuel Miser light from coming on in our '75 Valiant have I obsessed about gas. Well, okay, that's not true. I actually squeeze 23mpg out of my 4.0L Grand Cherokee, which isn't bad for a 154K mile Jeep. I'll drive on the highway with one eyeball on the trip computer, which keeps a running MPG current/average.

"Hey, look! It's getting 24mpg right now!" usually elicits a groan and eyeball roll from the right seat.

The Bajaj folks say the Chetak will get 110 mpg and with 10hp, it's likely to have similar overall performance to the 2T Stella, though the torque curve and acceleration characteristics will no doubt be different.

I think I have become an econowonk.

GS and Relative Speed

2005-07-13T11:10:00.000-05:00

An older picture of the GS on the way home from Hot Springs

I had a NCMEF board of directors meeting yesterday--about a 60 minute trip each way via superslab, so the BMW GS was dragged back into service.

It's been sitting quite a bit since I've been commuting on the Zip, but the big oilhead rattled to life and settled into its familiar BMW oilhead thump. Heading out onto the Raleigh Beltline, it was fun to rocket onto into traffic flow by prodding its wide torque curve into motion with a big handful of throttle. A few minutes later I was on I-40 and headed west, slicing through traffic.

At about 90mph.

I kept slowing down, but my senses had been tuned to different scoot sensations. Cruising along at 60 on a GS feels almost too slow since it's got a tall overdrive, so the natural reaction is to crank it up a bit. Factor in the sense of speed that's warped from being closer to the ground on a scoot, and I had no idea how fast I was going. I kept creeping up from 60 to 70 to 80 and beyond, sailing along in the left hand lane with the rest of the speeders.

It took the entire trip to recalibrate my butt and eyeballs to Big Motorcycle speeds.

Bear in mind that I've decided that keeping my license clear of points has been a major priority lately, so an NCSHP Performance Award wouldn't be welcome. My squid days are over. Mostly. (Playing Rossi on the scooter is more along the lines of my current hooligan moves, since it's really hard to get ticketed in a 45mph zone when 43 is the max velocity I can get outta the Zip, yet I can pull 90+ degree corners at that speed on it)

The GS hoovered up the miles as it always does, shrugging off a 120 mile trip like it was a jaunt to the corner post office--it's more used to 800 mile days. The BMW GS excels at all-day, all-night runs that include fire roads and the worst pavement on earth. With some planning and fortitude, I can take the scooter to any destination. The GS says "forget planning--point me in a direction and we'll cope with whatever Mother Earth throws at us." It's a good Big Brother to the scoot.

Obligatory MSF mention: if you haven't taken an MSF course, do so--whether you've got years of riding under your belt or you're a total newcomer to getting around on two wheels. And if you've got some money or usable motorcycle stuff to donate, contact the NCMEF. These are the folks that keep the North Carolina MSF sites running with supplies and a fleet of training bikes. It's a great way to give back to the sport--by helping other rides get a safe introduction to 2 wheels, and making sure everyone has a better chance of coming home safely every night.

IlMostro gets a Scoot

2005-07-11T11:22:00.000-05:00

IlMostro--"Dave" to everyone else--sold me my Zip.

Dave and Linzi got two Vento Zips so they could ride in the True Grits mountain rally. In true ADVrider form, they pulled them out of the crate, put gas and oil in them, and then pinned the throttle for 100 miles alongside a few hundred other kindred souls propelled by 49 smoking cubic centimeters through the mountains.

When the joy of riding 38mph wore off, they parked them and eventually sold them. One had become recalcitrant and refused to start. Due to its reduced price, it came my way and became The Mighty Zip, Horsepower King of Raleigh. After coaxing it back to life with some TLC I found that the 100 mile flat-out "break-in" had done no harm. Matter of fact, I think it was good for the little beast, since it was destined to land in the hands of another ADVrider. We're not known for subtlety or being gentle on the twistgrip.

But IlMostro had been bitten. Granted, it was a tiny nip, a little mosquito bite, but it wasn't long before he started thinking about scoots again.

Now Dave and Linzi have gone over the edge.

Saturday ride

2005-07-09T17:11:00.000-05:00

Another visit to the local Vespa dealer. The GM was quite enthusiastic, but they still can't tell the differences between the LX and PX series ("The LX doesn't have removable cowls" was the explanation I got). The GM was willing to cut me a good deal on a PX but wasn't sure exactly what the numbers would be. I suspect I wouldn't get out of there for less than $4K for a PX.

So we went and got a hotdog.

I've posted a question to the Stella gurus on Stellaspeedto find out what Stella owners think about the PX series. The biggest issue for me--next to price--is that the LML-built Stella has the 5-port (okay, bridged 3 port) motor and reed induction, with about a 1.5-2hp gain over the Vespa. For the $1200 or so price difference between the two, I could have a Stella with lots of chrome. Another thing I like about the Stella is the Bitubo gas shocks. Nice touch.

It's really looking like the Stella is going to get the nod. As much as I'd like to buy from a local dealer, the price difference is too great, given the performance issues, and I'm not getting that feeling that the dealership is going to be a nice hangout for scooter owners.

In a bit of irony, the little Zip...the test mule for our scooterlife experiment...has grown on me to the point where I almost don't want to get rid of it. It has performed admirably.

Gas prices up again

2005-07-08T23:41:00.000-05:00

Regular just went up to $2.35 here at one station in Raleigh, around the $2.20 range near home.

One friend of mine theorized that noone will change their driving habits until it goes well over $3/gal, maybe closer to $5/gal. While that may be true for his friends that share the same tax bracket, I think the folks who are closer to the low end of the pay scale are going to feel the pinch and it's going to leave a nasty bruise. Gas, groceries, day care...the necessities are always a struggle for some families. Those that may just cut back on a few $8.50 movie tickets are in better shape than the ones that have to trade meds for gas, or groceries for day care, when they can't afford both.

While I'd love to tout scooters as the answer, I don't think tighter-budgeted families can just drop $1500-$2100 for a new scooter or even $700 for a workable used one. The money for a new Zuma would buy a servicable used car that could get kids to daycare, dad to work, mom to the grocery store. Even if they could get a scoot, not everyone is the situation where work, home, and groceries are in a 5 mile radius accessed by <45mph roads.

And while I've got no problem jumping on a public transit bus, I don't think it's within the mindset of most folks who haven't had to use a bus since they rode a big yellow one in junior high.

So as gas prices rise, one group won't feel the pinch as much but has the money for alternative transportation...and another group will feel the burn yet will have to rely on public transportation (if it's accessible) or simply cut out more of an already stressed budget.

Long-term, I think one of our biggest issues is how we've grown into a nation of commuters, dependent upon high-speed roadways to get anywhere, versus living in communities where work, play, groceries, and other necessities are within walking/biking/scootering distance. I haven't researched how planners are looking at this from a long-term perspective driven by oil prices--I've only heard it discussed from a holistic approach to create more compact communities and as such are less dependent on automobiles for families to function well.

It was only two bucks to fill up the scoot tank tonight, and I'm thankful that it cost about 30 cents to run to the post office, insurance company, DMV, and grocery store.

About the only thing I can do besides take care of my household is model behavior that might make alternative transportation attractive to others. The fuel I save is a drop in the bucket; it's negated by any one of the cars and trucks in our row of homes. But if one person--just one--decides that a scoot or a Prius or a bicycle might be the better tool for the job than their Escalade, then something might take hold.

OPEC hasn't sent me an e-mail asking me to come back to the fold and put the Trooper back on the road and the Zip in the storage shed. Oil's still pumping out of the middle east, SUV's are selling like crazy, and there's no letup in traffic on the Raleigh beltline.

It's gonna take more than a full-scale attack on our wallets via gas prices to get people to rethink transportation, because in doing so, they have to rethink the way their lives are structured--everything from how and where and why they work to how they live. That sort of change doesn't happen from external prodding--it's one of those things that happens from a decision made at a gut level, an evolution, a major shift in how a generation looks at a roadmap that details what a house looks like, what success looks like, that you trade in a car at 35K miles, that you live in the suburbs and commute to the technology center via the superslab. Anything more extreme than buying a Prius or Civic is akin to deciding to live "off the grid", with the grid being the Matrix of status quo. Personally, after doing it for years, I don't think I could go back to devoting 2 or more hours of my life every day to commuting--sitting in stop-and-go traffic on I40. But to avoid giving 10 or more unpaid hours each week to someone other than family, it takes are huge restructuring of almost everything in your life; like dominoes, changing one element will change others.

The revolution will not have a CVT.

Not for most, anyway.

So far, it's working fine for me, though. I wonder how many others there are out there like me.

While on the subject of crass generalizations...

2005-07-07T22:50:00.000-05:00

Someone on ADVrider asked "what's up with scooters?"

My answer:
Hard to explain.

From what I can tell, scooterists fall into one or more of these categories

1. Econowonks. These are people who abhor vehicles only slightly less than they abhor paying money for anything. They ride scooters because they get good gas mileage, didn't cost much, and get free parking. They couldn't care less about performance or for that matter, comfort. For them, life is a sufferfest made better by pocket protectors and OMB circulars. If someone put a 1-cylinder Onan diesel engine on a Big Wheel and sold it for $399, they'd be on it.

2. Squids. Kids who put a 70cc kit on a Yamaha Zuma and ride it to school for about a week before the cops catch them and confiscate it because they were wearing a skateboard helmet and doing a 65mph stoppie in a school zone while blatting out 163db of 2-stroke noise.

3. Adult Hooligans. These are people who justified it to themselves by combining both 1 and 2. "It'll get great gas mileage, dear," they tell their spouses, and "But it does a 1/4 mile in 12 seconds, d00d," they tell their skeptical motorcycle friends. The real reason they're riding is that it reminds them of the first time they snuck out onto a public road on their Z-50 when they were a kid, and it rails around a corner better than their R1. That, and commuting on it during the week enables them to afford to put gas in their Suburban on weekends so they can tow the boat.

4. Drunks. If the damn thing is only going 30 and the guy is giving everyone the finger, it's because it's restricted to 30mph to be classified as a moped so that the driver doesn't need tags or insurance. Which is good because the finger-waving driver can't get tags and insurance. These folks are easy to spot because they look really pissed that they are on a scooter and are weaving a bit as they struggle to tuck a 12-pack of PBR under their left arm while balancing a keg on the floorboard. See also, "Liquor-sickle"

5. Greenies. These folks ride 4 stroke scooters to save the whales from harmful emissions coming from those nasty 2T bikes and evil SUV's driven by uncaring capitalists. They are usually seen on Honda Metropolitans that, ironically, share the same motor as the fiesty Ruckus (typically ridden by groups 3 and 8). Note: if rider not wearing a Che T-shirt, you may have mis-id'd the rider. See category 7.

6. Dorks. Okay, I'm not gonna disparage anyone, but really--what else are you going to call someone in Members Only jacket, plaid shorts, white socks, and loafers, on a Silverwing? These folks run the gamut from 100 mile/year Snowbirds to the hardcore 40,000 mile Helix riders. They look like GL1200 riders, and as such, beware--they have iron butts in their wrinkly little hides.

7. Girliebikes. They're sooooo cute! They're, like, soooooo much cuter than motorcycles! Note: play your cards right, and you can get your wife on one of these scoots and it becomes a GATEWAY DRUG to bigger motorcycles. This is the first step to a 135-lb weight drop on your bike, transforming it back into the sport bike you once remembered. You can bear the Hibiscus Edition Metropolitan for this, especially if she starts getting excited about buying Bike Stuff on weekends. It's not a scooter, it's a strategy.

8. The Hardcore. This is group #3 that has evolved, transcending all rational thought and spending all their spare time ordering parts from Europe, dremeling ports to creamy smoothness. They can prounounce "Bajaj Cheetak" without sounding like they have a mouth full of novocaine, and are currently using their GS as a parts runabout for their scooter.

9. The college kids. I had to add this one and I apologize for the oversight. These are the kids that--glory be!--have decided it's senseless to crank up the car for a 2 mile run to campus. They throw on a backpack and ride the Zuma right up to the classroom building door, which earns them another 10 minutes of hitting the snooze button. Note to parents--send 'em to an MSF BRC class and they'll be much safer riders.

Stella it is

2005-07-04T07:44:00.000-05:00

I cannot ignore the craving anymore.

Somewhere around 2am on Saturday morning I was cruising the scooter sites and lurking on Stellaspeed. Two new colors are coming out this summer--pink and blue.

So I emailed SCOMO at 2am and told them that I've given in to these desires and must own a Stella. Soon. Now. Like, as soon as the next client check comes in for some video I shot last week. Forget groceries, it's going towards the Stella.

Not more than 5 minutes goes by and Chris emails me a very nice detailed message back--yes, they're taking deposits on the blue Stellas.

With a chuckle I sent him a note of thanks, wondering what he was doing up so early in the morning.

I don't expect a dealership to be open 24/7, but I sure do appreciate the enthusiasm.

I'll most likely buy from SCOMO unless a used bike shows up locally. For some things the dealer support isn't a big thing, but since I'm buying a Stella out of the desire to own something more than just a scooter, having a home base that understands the scooter lifestyle and history is important to me. Just as experienced motorcyclists tire of the endless brand-bashing and posers, scooterists tire of being treated as second-class citizens at dealerships that have a few scoots stuffed into a corner somewhere.

See you soon, SCOMO.

Sightings

2005-07-03T19:57:00.000-05:00

1955 Grumman US-2B Tracker
One of the restored warbirds of the Commemorative Air Force, this gorgeous bird is part of the Old Dominion Squadron. Rescued from the Boneyard, the Squadron members put tons of elbow grease and experience to work to bring it back to glory though it had earlier faced certain demise at the Boneyard.

I spotted the distinctive Grumman attributes--that massive tail with so much dihedral and the classic brooding brow--as I drove past and had to pull in to get a closer look. Nothing beats being able to actually lay hands on a piece of history like this--unless you could actually fly it. I wish I could've climbed aboard for a few minutes.

On the eve of Independence Day, this was a nice find at a quiet airfield in eastern Virginia. I couldn't help but wonder who had flown it, and what stories it could tell from its days as a sub tracker.

To find out more, visit The Old Dominion Squadron and please consider donating a few bucks to the Commemorative Air Force.

Local Ride

2005-06-27T21:07:00.000-05:00

Farmer's Market.

Corn, preserves, birdhouses. Lots of "Yes ma'am" and "No ma'am" and everyone moves a bit more slowly unless they're not from around here. It's a straight shot from the tables here to the local farms.

And flowers. Plants. Herbs. You can smell them the moment you ride up. I pushed the bike away from the entrance just in case a little 2-stroke smoke might've intruded on their perfume.

Worth noting: six big ears of fresh corn fit easily under the seat of the Super 9.

To the Jerk in the crimson Suburban

2005-06-26T21:58:00.000-05:00

That beeping noise--oh so hard to hear above the chattering on your cell phone--was my horn. You may have noticed a doppler effect as I moved laterally against the curb while you continued your trek to starboard, pushing me out of the lane and into the wasteland of glass-strewn curb and the great unknown of beer-bottle-littered grass.

I know that you think I'm a lesser being relegated to 50cc's, and you could never fathom the idea that I might actually CHOOSE to go places outside my walking and bicycling range without making some oil shiek giddy with glee over the cacophany of KACHINGing that happens when your 4-wheeled oil tanker shudders to a fume-sucking halt at the local Stop-n-Rob.

Or maybe you think I'm an SUV-hater, when in fact I've been a road racer and love the sound of finely-tuned F1 engines that are drinking petrol for no other reason than to go fast for a few hours. I own a 4.0L Jeep that I adore for its dogged ability haul my video gear around to put food on the table when it's not carrying my mountain bikes and kayaks to destinations around the country despite having 156K on the clock.

And if you didn't get all your information from FOX, you might know that real greenies ride four strokes.

Listen up, tough guy: though I could live off the land for months, you would be screaming for a Tastykake after 30 minutes of being on the AT, so don't even try the excuse that you use your truck for camping because if it doesn't fit in 2 saddlebags or on your back, it's ain't camping--it's hauling WalMart's sporting goods inventory from one place to another. I've never been run off the road whether I'm on my scooter, bicycle, or motorcycle, by anyone with a well-used Yakima rack, kayaks on the roof, or a goofy, drooling Black Lab hanging out the window splattering drool on the downhill bike on the spare tire rack, no matter who they voted for in the last election. Those of us who get outside a lot tend to give a bit of leeway to anyone who has wind against their skin.

And those of us who have busted their ass in crappy interim jobs to stay self-supporting rarely feel any sort of animosity towards someone getting from A-to-B in a cheap-ass 88 Ford Taurus or Yamaha Zuma because we've been there and while it sucks to have to work from the ground level up, it sure beats sucking up to the boss's no-talent son who runs the division because he couldn't keep a job stocking cans at the Food Lion--the same guy that drives a crimson Suburban that his dad co-signed for because his Camaro (the one with the Vanilla Ice mural on the hood) got repo'd the month he overspent on phone sex.

But you only saw a chick on a scooter from your lofty climate-controlled leather-clad perch in the left lane, and deemed the right lane your sovereign territory that you should take even if it meant that I'd have to fight for my life, not just for a little patch of pavement. Nevermind the fact that I was doing the speed limit. The sight of a smallish vehicle was just too tempting to your ego.

Am I guilty of making generalizations by suggesting you are making them as well? Maybe, but I'm not the jerk who ran someone off the road while locking eyes with me. You had a second to wave a quick apology. My first thought wasn't that you were a guy in an SUV--it was simply a huge mass of sheet metal being driven by someone who looked at me and pushed me off the road. It's America--buy what you want. Drive what you want. But the moment you start using that vehicle as a weapon, my tolerance meter hits zero and I get to extrapolate a bit based on the fact that A) you're an asshat and B) you're driving a large vehicle, which gives me a big rant target that involves my analysis of what fuels your nasty behavior, and the attributes of a largish vehicle that shows no signs of being used for any other utility than ferrying your solo butt around town.

Perhaps when I pulled up next to you and mouthed a rather unpleasant word that described a nether region of your flabby fanny (your numerous pale chins made that an easy guess), it made you mad. Good. Perhaps as I pulled away and flashed the digital universal indicator that we would never get along amicably, you thought your repeated horn blasts would reduce me to a quivering mass of fearful girlie tears causing me to topple blindly into the median and take the next public transit bus home, sobbing.

Not so, O short-penised one. That's why every honk earned another one-finger salute.

The $65.00 you just put in your tank will buy many swanky dinners for me and my adoring loved one, who thinks I am sexy whether I am on the scooter or the larger BMW GS--which, I might add, I can ride right over your ugly blocky vehicle leaving a nice Tourance imprint on that previously pristine paint. And if SUV phallus-measuring contests are the only thing you understand, try following my Jeep offroad. If accleration is the contest, you'll never get close enough to sniff the catalyzed exhaust of my GS.

And after those meals, the $1.65 I paid for a week's worth of gas to propel me through parts of town that still have yards and porches (anyone waved at you lately?) barely eats into the generous tip I'll give the folks who are working their ass off for non-tipping buttheads like yourself who are giving it one last try with Veal Medallions and Merlot to get your date to put out this time.

You, O lacking-in-driving-ability doofus, will still have a short penis, and an overbred truck that's embarrassed to hang out with its working class mechanical brethren with locking hubs because its capability never gets used for much more than carrying one router to a new client who won't rehire you because you're an ass. The guys you think are your Buddies snicker behind your back because they've yanked your great crimson beast out of your flamingo-embellished front yard each year during the Annual Raleigh Storm-of-the-Century 1/4" Snowfall, using everything from a '61 Willys Wagon to a Subaru Brat (both of which you make fun of), because you never learned how to drive in a light dusting of snow with your mighty 4X4. On those days you call in sick and watch soaps while your friends yank the inert alumni-stickered slug back into the driveway after you slid it into the neighbor's heat pump while backing out of the garage. When they get done, they go out and use their Jeeps and Subarus and old Land Cruisers to get folks to dialysis while you ponder--alone--whether Chet really did cheat on Sheila and whether that's a bad thing. Meanwhile, the kid up the street cranks up his 50cc scooter and gets to school, fishtailing the entire 3 miles trip and grinning at the applause he's getting from stranded drivers. (That part is true--you had to see it to believe it and it's a great story but one you won't hear from me)

I'm sure other trucks feel sorry for your truck--as if it were a veal calf dreaming of running the range with its free-range horned pals, instead of being stuck in suburbia waiting to be slaughtered at trade-in for the next truck with more SD slots and bigger GPS screen, never to shoulder a load of kayaks, tortured with a Billy Ocean CD on repeat.

You will most likely continue to sleep alone or in a mostly sexless relationship that is marked by sporadic 5 minutes episodes of loveless genital friction. You see, any chick that hangs out with mean guys who deliberately run people off the road will most likely put out just long enough to gain access to your bank account and then use your 8-mpg behemouth for all her in-town (ka-ching) shopping errands (ka-ching) because obviously you don't have personality, courage, or character to attract someone who loves you for who you are, instead of your cubic displacement (of your engine, bug-knocker).

The kicker? She probably thinks scooters are cuter than your SUV and is thinking, wow, not paying for $24 of Veal Medallions and Merlot is getting her $24 closer to that Honda Metropolitan.

That is, if she doesn't put it on your credit card first.

BTW, I got your tag number.

Motorcycle salesman puts foot in mouth, gnaws on toes

2005-06-21T18:49:00.000-05:00

Still dizzy from Stella lust, I make my way over to the newest Vespa dealership.

They are prettier in person than you can imagine, and the PX-150 is a jewel. My heart is pounding and I'm not only considering the PX over the Stella, but perhaps the purchase of a 200 series Vespa as well.

So we're checking out the new Vespas, and the one who has the checkbook--in other words, the one the dealership needs to cater to--wanders over to the other side of the dealership to talk to the sales staff.

The other half of the dealership is made up of high-end euro bikes. A nice combination--German, British, and the Italian Vespas. The dealership had just brought in new scooters, and two of the sales people seemed genuinely interested in them.

But not all of them. No, one of them was a total jerk.

Customer (commenting on Vespas): "Wow! These Vespas are GREAT! They're beautiful! When are you going to get one for yourself?"

Salesman (with wrinkled nose): "Never. You can't take them on the open road. Five minutes in a parking lot and you're bored with them."

Any bets on how many sales they're gonna lose with that guy on the floor? Did it ever cross his mind that the customer he was talking to had a checkbook in hand and was ready to buy the LX 200 as well as a PX150?

The search for a local Stella/Vespa dealership continues.

Stella lust strikes again

2005-06-21T14:01:00.000-05:00

Feverish and without reason, a relentless drilling in my brain, an obsession that won't leave me alone, distracting me from work--Stella lust has taken hold of my brain and won't let go. Just seeing one at the right time and place planted that seed again, and I'm at the point where I'm ignoring the dealer network in NC and lookint at SCOMO in Virginia, a bonafide scooter joint.

I'm counting up the potential revenue from selling anything I have that's of value--my beloved '86 Honda Nighthawk S, my old friend the '91 Isuzu Trooper, and all kinds of little things around the house are hitting Ebay tonight--mostly motorcycling stuff. In $50 and $100 increments I'm selling off what I've got for a scooter.

Egad.

This afternoon I'll swing by the new Vespa dealership in town to see what they've got. Perhaps I'll be swayed by something shiny there and whip out a checkbook while shouting "Ciao, baby! Rigatoni! Ferragamo!"

But I have a feeling I'll be aiming for a Stella.

The Super 9 will stay, of course. The Vento, as much as I love it, may have to go--but only to a good home.

More later.

It's a screamer

2005-06-20T09:09:00.000-05:00

I used the alarm for the first time this weekend. This doesn't include the numerous times I've inadvertantly armed it by grabbing the keys the wrong way. I've learned use the switchblade-style key by holding it gently by the edges of the alarm control housing. This makes no sense to you unless you have this sort of alarm system--and if you do, you know EXACTLY what I mean.

We had just returned from yesterday's all-day ride--Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Jordan Lake--and decided to stop at a local bookstore with a large magazine collection to see if they carried TNG (Twist N Go), the British magazine devoted to automatic scoots.

Note - it was with no small bit of pride that we commented that even after 140 miles on the scoots, we were still in the mood to run errands on them.

I had my Dowco luggage on the back, and wasn't really concerned about it, until some strange guy walked up and started asking me some weird questions about the scoot--in-between strange gestures and talking to himself. Although he was terribly annoying, I figured he was mostly harmless but perhaps lacking in judgement and wouldn't hesitate to plunder through what was in the bag, so I set the alarm as I left to go inside.

About 10 minutes later, I heard the alarm go off, screech for a few seconds, then stop.

I stepped outside the door in time to see a the blur of a 7 year old boy running as fast as he could away from the scooter while his parents babbled at him and with him in a foreign language.

It was hard to keep from laughing. Apparently, he had gone over to look at the scoot as kids will do, and must've jostled it, which earned him a high-decible greeting from the Zip.

The Hangout

2005-06-19T16:45:00.000-05:00

Michael's in Chapel Hill is one of the best motorcycle hangouts in NC. It's a low-key place--no burnouts, no attitude, few if any poseurs--just real riders and every type of motorcycle imaginable. On Sunday mornings about 100-200 riders gather there for coffee and breakfast, a tradition that's at least a decade old. You can find just about any motorcycle ever made there, along with riders that have hundreds of thousands of miles of experience aboard them.

Usually we're on the BMW. Today we decided to show up on the scooters.

That takes confidence. Not just to ride the 45 or so miles there, but just to have the guts to hang out and say, "Yeah, that's my scooter. All 50 cc's of it."

The laughs were good-natured, and folks seemed genuinely interested in the bikes, though the Super 9 was easily the attention hog.

The ride was easy. By cutting across the countryside in western Wake county and eastern Chatham county, we were treated to horse farms and lakes. We returned home after 140 miles of easy riding through rural countryside and urban weekend traffic. No sweat.

Dowco Standard Roll Bag

2005-06-19T16:08:00.000-05:00

These are on sale at www.cyclegear.com for $16.00. They are regularly $40.

They provide plenty of cargo room for under $20. Enough for raingear and other goodies, or jeans/t-shirt for an overnight trip.

Dimensions are 9 1/2" high x 14 1/2" wide x 9 1/2" deep with a 0.5 cubic foot volume. There's one pocket on the flap which also has a reflective strip on the rear-facing opening. It's not waterproof but survived today's rainshower just fine--the contents were dry after about 15 minutes of riding in light rain. If you need more water protection, wrap it or the contents in a bag.

The REI bag is a handlebar-mounted ditty bag and map case. I added it so that I could bring along a cue sheet for today's 140-mile ride around the countryside. With some fiddling about I'm sure I could've mounted it somewhere up front instead of on the Roll Bag but this seemed tailor-made for putting it here.

So far it seems to be well-made. It has plenty of attachment point D-rings and can be converted to a shoulder-slung bag. The built-in velcro straps attach underneath the seat for easy mounting, and you can still tilt the seat upward to get to the cargo area as well as the gas/oil fillers. Just hold it up with your left shoulder and fill the gas as you normally would.

Bike Routes - God's Gift to Scooterists.

2005-06-14T22:32:00.000-05:00

I took the Zip on one of the more insane errands today--going from West Raleigh (near NCSU) across town to Capitol Blvd to visit the Sam Ash music store. Well, it would be insane if I hadn't already worked out the cross-town cut-throughs.

(For those of you who are local, it entails going downtown via Western, left on Ashe, across a bunch of streets that I can't remember but have been driving on for 20 years, then north on what turns into Atlantic, then across via Brentwood's suburban roads to Capitol)

But here's the hint of the century, as REM would put it: If you want to stay away from really crappy traffic, find your town or state's bicycle route map and study the bike routes that are on public roads (not the greenways). If you're crafty, you can link those routes to get all over your town as well as your county and state. The bike routes in the countryside are typically fairly scenic, and sometimes you'll find they have decent pavement on the right side of the white line (a plus when you get crammed over there by a snotty driver). After all, bicyclists are looking for many of the same things 50cc scooterists want--less high-speed traffic, decent pavement, some scenery, and so on--and the bike routes are created accordingly. They're easy to follow since they're well-marked.

BTW, as a way of thanking those bicyclists for their efforts to champion alternative transportation, if you come across a peloton on a Sunday ride, wave at'em as you ride by at a moderate (and quiet) pace, leaving them plenty of room. We've got more in common with them than you'd think.

(Yeah, I do a lot of bicycling.)

gas mileage update

2005-06-13T18:11:00.000-05:00

With roughly 450 miles on the clock, running Castrol synthetic 2T, the 2004 Vento Zip R3i is getting 75 mpg. That's mostly ridden flat-out.

I haven't put gas in the Jeep in almost a month. Haven't put gas in the GS in almost 3 weeks.

I've saved about $60 in fuel over the past month with no compromises in capability, plus have done a LOT of joy-riding in the evenings on the scoot. I don't think I'd put more than $10 in the scoot's tank in a month but that could change--we're going to start taking longer trips, not just around-town jaunts.

The hook

2005-06-13T17:52:00.000-05:00

Having blown through the experimental phase and into the fun phase, I wasn't too surprised to find out that we're also in the utility phase.

Today I had several errands to run downtown during a fairly stressful work day--a location to scout out, some audio/video cables to pick up, a last-minute expendables run, plus a few things from the grocery store. Without a second thought I took the scoot. Normally I'm of the mindset to not do anything different from my routine on a stressful day, but the scooter has become the go-to method of transportation lately.

I grabbed my messenger bag, tossed a hair brush in it along with the work stuff I needed, and headed out. The temps were near 90 but at 30mph it felt comfortable.

Parking was a breeze, as usual, at all locations. As always, downtown traffic is its forte so I played cat-and-mouse with traffic just to take some of the edge off the stress. With one stop near the legislature--where improper parking can earn your ride a trip to the impound--all I had to do was park it at the end of a row of cars, toss the lock in the front wheel, and I was done.

On the last leg of the journey, I noted with some amount of pride that the little Zip, with its bag hook on the leg cowl, was perfectly suited for all of it. One bag of groceries swung happily as I buzzed home, mission accomplished, for about a quarter's worth of gas...versus a ten dollar bill for the Jeep.

So, out of all the stuff I did today, one thing stuck in my mind: get a scoot with a hook on the leg cowl. Like Velcro and pop-top cans, it's a simple little thing that makes a world of difference.

sightings

2005-06-10T23:34:00.000-05:00

2002 R1150GS

I wasn't sure at first, but the Graphitan color grew on me.

Rishi and the Dork

2005-06-10T20:07:00.000-05:00

While I was poking around in the discount deodorant basket--it's not every day that Right Guard is on sale for .68--the kid behind the register kept sneaking out from behind the counter and staring out the front door at the sidewalk.

I figured he was looking at the Zip. I grinned and kept plundering through the anti perspirant pile. Most of the sticks were guy's flavors so they'd make me smell like a factory worker at the Old Spice plant, but hey: cheap is good and as long as I don't smell bad, it's okay.

After loading up with stuff that had names like SPORT ICE and COOL FRESH along with one pink one with a more feminine scent name (and smaller, I might add), I piled the loot on the counter where Rishi had just reappeared after another stolen glance at the Horsepower King, the R3i.

"Is that a moped?" he asked.

I have learned to avoid explaining that it is a scooter though the state recognizes it as a moped; what they are really asking is "if I bought one would I have to have tags and insurance?"

"Yes, it is."

Second question followed like clockwork:

"How fast will it go?"

Second answer followed like clockwork:

"About 40".

Note: had he looked anything like a law enforcement officer, I would've immediately dropped that by 25%. Oh, how we live on the edge to keep that extra 10mph.

Just in case Rishi was The Man, I added, "but I keep it around 30."

He added up the Right Guard. "Cool," he said, "but I think moped riders look like dorks."

I'm sure Rishi is a big hit with the ladies.

Without missing a beat, he continued. "You want to sell it? I'd like to buy it. It looks cool."

I smiled at him. "I might later, but for now I'm very happy with it."

We chatted for a momemt about the usual: gas mileage, errands, and so forth. Tossing my newfound treasure trove of Aluminum Chloride 12% under the seat I buzzed home, embracing my inner Dork.

Another one of us!

2005-06-09T22:07:00.000-05:00

Wasted Electrons

Whoa! Some Googling turned up this fellow scooterist and Vento owner! And it's a blog worth reading, too!

Tonight's ride

2005-06-09T19:40:00.000-05:00

Guess where?

Yup, Ben & Jerry's.

Turned 400 on the Zip tonight. It's breaking in well.

Life is good.

Yep, really good.

Update

2005-06-09T11:15:00.000-05:00

It's been only a month, and life has changed completely with a scooter in the fleet. Not just one, either--the initial experiment was so successful that a second scooter was purchased just a few weeks after the first one came home.

Here's a few things I've learned, in no particular order.

30mph Restrictions - Many states require a scooter to be limited to a certain amount of horsepower and a top speed of 30mph or less in order to be designated a "moped" and therefore exempt from tags and insurance. In the good ol' days a "moped" was the classic bicycle-with-a-motor, like the ubiquitous Tomos, never to be confused with a scooter that doesn't have pedals. Now a scooter that meets those requirements is called a "moped" which is sorta confusing to us old-school folks. But what's important about that 30mph restriction is how safe you feel riding limited to that speed. For me, 30mph is too slow to be safe. Most of my rides are on 25-40 mph thoroughfares with flow-of-traffic typically exceeding 5-10mph over that limit. Hugging the curb at 30mph wasn't an option. I found this out when we got the Super 9.

Lesson: if you are considering a Restricted scooter in order to fit the "moped" category in your state or other such designations in order to avoid tags and insurance, be sure you do NOT need additional capabilty to be safe on the roads you intend to frequent. I found that the difference between 30 and 35 was huge. A scooter that sits in the garage does you no good and is a waste of money. If you decide to skirt the laws and limit your derestricted scoot's speed to 35 while running without tags, that's up to you.

My recommendation for most suburban/urban warriors is a scooter that accelerates briskly from a standstill to 35mph, cruise happily at 35 and can handle a stretch at 40mph. That should include any quality derestricted 50cc scoot.

Instruction - Take the MSF BRC "basic rider course". It doesn't matter whether you ride a motorcycle or a geared or automatic scoot--the challenges of riding in traffic are the same. I have more than 25 years of motorcycling experience; there is no difference in what I've faced on the road and what a scooterist will face in urban traffic. Besides, it'll make you a better cage driver, and may drop your insurance rates, too.

Apparel - Helmet, jeans, eye protection, and gloves at the very least, with an emphasis on bright colors. There's plenty of great motorcycle apparel out there that's visible to motorists, keeps you dry/cool/warm, and provides impact and abrasion resistance. How much you choose to wear is up to you. Picture yourself being flung over the handlebars onto asphault at 30mph and in one split second of frozen time, your body in a nice arc above the bars and headed towards a guardrail or curb or gutter filled with broken glass, ask yourself if you could change anything you're wearing. If you answer "yes" then you're not dressed properly. Part of the appeal of scootering is that easygoing feel of just sliding onto the seat, thumbing the little motor to life, and easing down the road at a relaxed pace with the breeze tickling your face; putting on a layer of ballistic nylon and armor doesn't seem to fit into that scenario of relaxed riding. But a crash at 30mph on a scooter is the same as a crash at 30mph ona sportbike. How much you gear up for the crash is up to you, but make an informed choice. Especially if you have to be at work on Monday. Even a relatively minor injury like skinned palms can make typing impossible, and big scabs on your chin may not make that next business meeting feel comfortable for you or your clients. Use good judgement. Also, if you've got good weatherproof gear, it makes your scooter an all-weather, all-season commuter and you'll get more use out of it.

Parking - At the local multi-level parking garage, I was told that as an untagged scoot I was supposed to park in the free parking area where the bicycles were locked. I checked it out--there were a few scoots there with chains and various cable locks, sitting there happily at no charge to their owner. Scout out parking before you need to actually use it. I've found little nooks, half-parking-spaces that weren't usable to cars, and other little valuable discoveries and have mentally mapped my city accordingly. Cheap parking is a big part of the money-saving and time-saving equation for scooters and besides, the scouting trips give you an excuse to ride. You'll be amazed how much time you save on a commute by simply riding up to one of those nooks, throwing the lock on, and walking into the store or office.

Locks - I use a combination of U-lock on my front wheel and a cable that loops from my back wheel to the U-lock on the front,along with the fork lock. When I'm downtown the cable lock goes around whatever I'm locking it to and back to the U-lock, along with the fork lock. The next level down is the U-lock on a wheel plus the fork-lock. The next level down from that is just the fork lock. And, of course, the "asking for trouble" configuration is just parking it. I have an alarm so I can add that to the various permutations. Since the smaller of the two scoots can be easily tossed into the back of a van or pickup, I try to lock it to something secure. At home, the two scoots are locked together with the alarm on on of them enabled. Anyone who really wants a scoot can get it...it's a matter of how hard you're gonna make it for the theif.

Cargo - I use a messenger bag instead of a backpack. The safest way is no cargo and the next best thing is to secure cargo to the bike in a manner that keeps it from coming loose in anything short of a thermonuclear event; everything else begins to give up a bit of safety for convenience. However, cargo capacity makes the bike more useful. I recommend the messenger bags since they're made specifically for 2-wheeled use (see an earlier post), and most have reflective bits for added safety.

Earplugs - I used them all the time when I ride my motorcycle and enjoy the same benefit of a quieter, more relaxed ride on the scooter as well. No, they don't keep you from hearing traffic or important stuff; they just filter out wind noise and other irritating stuff. Look for the little foam earplugs in any sporting goods store or motorcycle shop.

Eye protection - a Junebug travelling at 6mph can penetrate the cornea. You're gonna be riding at 30mph. Enough said. Look for glasses that seal around the eyes to keep out wind and dust, and are impact resistant. Got a faceshield on your helmet? Wear the eye protection anyway as a second line of defense, or for a cooler ride with your shield up.

Allies - No man is an island but he'll sure feel that way on a scooter surrounded by SUV's, motorcyclists, and skeptics. While people may not understand the joy of getting around on something smaller than a Cadillac Escalade, they'll probably catch on to the idea of great gas mileage and cheap parking. Smile and be a goodwill emissary. I've found that many of the people who ask me questions about the scoot are genuinely interested in the little critter. Getting more people on scooters will increase the market and perhaps increase the number of euro-spec scoots available to us. It may also help you build a bridge between you and your snotty neighbor who thinks you've put a weedeater motor on a bicycle. Or at least keep him or her from griping to the homeowner association. I can't vouch for that; I'm still working on it--some people are just too enamoured of the status quo to consider anything different as a solution to gridlock or selling our souls to the oil companies.

Scouting - This is one of the best things to do prior to deciding on a scooter. Figure out 1) what you want to accomplish (save gas, have fun, all the above) and 2) where you're gonna ride and 3)where you're gonna park. This will go a long ways in deciding what kind of scooter will work for you--whether it's a small 50cc bike or a larger one, and help keep you from making an impulse decision at the dealership or in someone's garage. If you're not sure if a restricted scoot will do the trick, simply drive at 30mph on your route to work and guage how traffic reacts; if that doesn't look good to you, map out an alternate route on quieter streets. Remember that 30mph in a car or on a motorcycle feels dreadfully slow but sub-40 speeds on a scooter feel just fine, so don't let that throw you--you're looking at whether cars are speeding past you at 50, not how the speed "feels" in the driver's seat. Take a look at parking availability and even ask around to see if the security folks will keep an eye on your scoot. As you start scooting, do a few dry runs before actually committing to real commuting, and if you commute, try doing it one day out of the week and work up. Scouting takes the pressure out of things.

Commuting - Take a page from the motorcyclists' and bicyclists' playbooks. Do some research on how they make commuting easier. Tricks include leaving a set of clothes at work, wearing specialized apparel made for commuters (protective gear that's easy to get in and out of), and apparel or vests made in high-visibility colors.

Four Stroke vs. Two Stroke - Two stroke engines are peppy, cheap to build and rebuild, and easy to hot-rod. They also burn oil as part of the combustion process and tend to be less environmentally friendly than a well-built 4-stroke. Four strokes tend to be quiet, durable, and with a smidge more torque on the bottom end in general, but are not always as easy to hop-up (consider them a "sealed" engine that's easy to maintain but may have less option for hot-rodding) and many are a bit slower than their 2-stroke rivals of the same displacement. A good example in terms of "best of breed" when it comes to bulletproof, environmentally-friendly 4-strokes is the Honda motor found in the Ruckus and Metropolitan scooters. A PGM-FI version found in Japan is further refined. A good "best of breed" example for a 2-stroke would be the Kymco Super 9, which is a water-cooled 2-stroke, or the Aprilia SR50, the Yamaha Aerox and Peugeot Speedfight, and some of the high-end Derbi bikes. A 2stroke engine (commonly abbreviated as 2T) requires a mixture of fuel and oil; most modern scoots allow you to add oil and gas in separate places and the bike will mix them automatically unless you want to pre-mix your own special concoction. Four stroke engines are like the engine in your car (unless you have an older Saab)--just add gas and occasionally check the oil level.

Remember that not all scooter are automatics--the Stella and some of the Bajaj models rolling off the assembly lines today, and the Lambrettas and Vespas of yore (whenever Yore was) are manual-shift bikes, also called geared scoots. The shift is on the left grip and is quite easy to manage.

That's a really superficial and barely-accurate explanation but it'll do for now.

Unrestricted

2005-06-08T19:57:00.000-05:00

I took the Super 9 to Capitol Cycle in Raleigh, where we bought it. After a bit of fiddling, the bike *might've* become unrestricted.

If it *was* unrestricted--theoretically, since, as a moped, it has to stay under 30mph or risk attracting undue attention from the authorities--it would probably do 50-55 mph, with the ability to cruise 45mph without breaking a sweat and still maintaing outrageously good acceleration off the line. One of the techs (allegedly) saw an estimated 60mph downhill before redline.

Imagine that--55mph from a stock 50cc scooter, still in break-in stage.

The folks at Capitol were enthusiastic and extremely helpful, and let me watch while they worked on it. They haven't sold a ton of Super 9's but seemed quite excited about this one, and have several more on order. If you're in the market for one, give these guys a call. (919) 212-2112.

gas

2005-06-06T12:04:00.000-05:00

About 145 miles between the two of us

The total gas bill for both (premium):

The Super 9 Comes Home

2005-06-04T20:24:00.000-05:00

After test riding a few scooters--the Yamaha Zuma, Honda Ruckus, and Kymco Super 9--Skewt ended up buying the Kymco Super 9s. The Ruckus was the front-runner, but we figured the extra speed reserves the Super9 had would be useful for commuting.

The Super 9 is a liquid-cooled 50cc scoot made by Kymco. They make parts for Honda and have been around for quite some time. They're regarded as one of the better scooter makers out there, and the Super 9 is their entry in the high-end race-scoot category that includes the Aprilia Ditech SR series and Peugeot Speedfight. From their little radiators to the gorgeous CNC'd bits, these scooters are marvels of engineering.

Check out the badass brakes up front--as if you'd need a sticker to know what they are:

...and in back, too! If you're not familiar with scoots, there aren't a lot of them out there with rear disc brakes.

After surprising me with the decision to buy it today, Skewt bestowed upon me the honor of riding it home. Before it had a chance to cool down, though, it was her turn to take it on her first run on her first scoot.

I know it's hard to see but that's one really big grin in that helmet!

Here in the US, many states require that a scooter be restricted to 30mph in order for it to be considered an unlicensed moped, so most are shipped restricted, either through the use of a bushing that keeps the CVT from upshifting, or electronically through the CDI to limit revs. Unrestricted, this particular scoot will hit 45-50 fairly easily, stock. With a few go-fast goodies, 60-65 isn't out of the question, and tuners are getting 80+ out of them. They're fairly popular on the racetrack.

Because they're designed to go pretty darned fast, the attention to detail is amazing. It's a small motorcycle, complete with real headlights instead of those cheapo Bic-lighter designs like you'd find on...a BMW 1150GS. (That's an inside joke--the marvelous BMW 1150GS has a dreadful stock headlight)

There's also complete instrumentation.

For this run, we knew we'd be riding pretty slow at 30mph so we stuck to back roads. (Derestricting will allegedly happen...or not happen...we won't say...next week. Upgrades will allegedly happen soon thereafter.)

I don't know how else to say this--but I had more fun on our two 50cc scoots than I've had on a full-size motorcycle in years.

Maybe it was just the fact that it was a gorgeous day and we were out riding.

Maybe it was that joy you get from seeing someone you love REALLY happy...and happy about riding. Maybe it was because we found this:

I am NOT going to divulge this playground. No way. Imagine 6 or so parking lots, each a perfect oval...turn into the first, do laps, haul ass out of the exit and then into the next...on and on, creeping that knee down bit by bit and hearing the hard parts drag a bit, while Skewt begins to find her limits as well, seeing just how far you can lean in a rev-limited 30mph turn. We did this until we were dizzy, throwing the bikes from one turn into the next, until the security guard finally gave us the hairy eyeball. We'll be back.

But we had an errand to run so we did another 15 miles or so.

We parked and admired them for a bit. Along with some other spectators. These things are unintimidating and people-magnets. How fast will it go? What kind of gas mileage? Is it fun? How much were they? None of the usual crap you put up with like "why do you wear so much gear" or "why didn't you buy a Harley?"

And they do have a cute ass. That's important.

So we stopped and got one of these:

And one of these...Mmmmm!

And some of these.

Nevermind the finger. It's not as obscene as you'd think. That's special code amongst GS riders for "darn it" when you're showing pics to each other.

After all, when you are an Adventure Rider, you're never too tough to buy feminine products.

Between the two of us, we had enough cargo capacity to almost equal a pair of Jesse bags, since most scoots have fairly cavernous underseat compartments, and my Zip R3i also has a nice little lockable compartment up front and a stash area underneath the front shroud. Errands are a breeze and you don't need to carry a backpack or messenger bag all the time.

The Zip is beginning to break in, and derestricted it cruises well at 35 and has a top end so far of 43. With a few tweaks, 50 isn't out of the question. It'll be a good match for the stronger Super 9.

I won't go into all the details about scootering. It's a Zen thing, one of those things that really works well for some but others just won't get it. If you have hooligan tendencies, you'd love 'em. If you like fiddling about with small motors and feel every 1/2 HP gain is a victory, you'd love 'em. If you enjoy easing quietly down a country road at 30-35 and catching details you'd missed before, this is your ride. As a friend decribed it on ADVrider, 30 seems ponderously slow on a big bike, but on one of these, you're in 2-wheeled nirvana. But, like I said, this isn't about convincing anyone to try these.

This is about someone having a really, really big smile on her face.

That's pretty good for 50 cc's.

It's taking hold

2005-06-03T10:29:00.000-05:00

We're at the point where one scooter isn't enough.

Ever considered the odd-couple dynamics of a 600-lb BMW and a sub-200-lb. 49cc scooter? While the BMW leaves it far behind in almost every category, the one category that matters in urban exploration is that hard-to-define zone where a scooter comes into its own. Downtown, it squirts through tiny openings in traffic and lands on small pieces of sidewalk. Slide through the frame and thumb the starter and with a tiny little burble it springs to life and launches itself down the sidewalk, off the curb, and back into the streets. If the BMW GS is the polar bear, the scoot is the arctic fox.

Likewise, it's a bit more fun to pair the fox with another fox than to try and match the darting speed of the Zip with the muscular lumbering weight of the GS.

So we're shopping for another scooter. Three front-runners have emerged, all very different: Kymco Super 9, Stella, Honda Ruckus. A few other stragglers appear and disappear on the list--the Yamaha Zuma, the Honda Helix. But in choosing between those primary three, the whole idea of scootering has to be defined.

Is is the thrill of 50cc's being tuned to its maximum potential in the Super 9?

The traditional charm of the Stella?

The irresistably underpowered Honda Ruckus?

The Maxi-scoots aren't in contention--they're simply automatic motorcycles, and we're looking for something small in order to capitalize on their inherent ability to find parking wherever you happen to shut off the motor. This also means that for the most part, any highway excursions are out. But it doesn't rule out long trips on back roads...and the cruising speeds (35 for the Ruckus, 45 or so for the Stella and Super 9, though they are capable of more) enforce a "stop and smell the roses" attitude towards touring.

The Scooter Saves the Day

2005-05-28T17:23:00.000-05:00

So I'm headed out on assignment, enjoying the cool spring morning in the Jeep. The CD player is cranked up, my gear is ready to go, and I'm on time to meet the client.

Without warning--and not a hint of anything amiss from the gauges and idiot lights on the dash--the Jeep rapidly loses power and a horrible clattering sound erupts from beneath the hood. Bear in mind that the 4.0L inline six is bulletproof; if I've blown up this one, I'll go down in history as one of the few lunkheads to ever actually drive a 4-liter Jeep into an early grave at 154,000 miles. Oil pressure--check. Water temp--check. I coasted my way across 4 lanes of commuter traffic to the right shoulder just as the engine cut off. From the right side of the hood, a wisp of steam emerged. Hmmm.

Apparently, the radiator had blown itself to bits--a large hole developed so quickly that it overheated rapidly, even before the temp gauge could catch up. Sure enough, when I turned the key, the needle began to climb. Golly, I said. Or something similar.

First came the apologetic call to the client. Thank God I got voicemail--those sorts of calls suck. I kept trying and finally got through to someone who could get through to them. I was sort of a tag-along, not an essential part of their field study, so it wasn't like their day was ruined, but I felt bad. Despite that professionalism, what I REALLY felt bad about was that my beloved Jeep was Tango Uniform on the side of the road. If the engine had gone bad, I was in deep doo-doo transportation-wise AND had lost the best packmule I'd ever owned.

After letting it cool, I held my breath and cranked the Jeep up--it started immediately and ran smoothly--good! About an hour and a half after my call to AAA, the tow truck arrived, yanked the green beast onto the rollback, and we were on our way to the local shop that's been maintaining my Jeep. From there, it was a 2 mile walk back home--uphill, unfortunately--with all my camera gear slung across both shoulders. That's 2 video cameras, assorted support gear, and so on...about 50 pounds total.

Aside from a Suzuki Marauder that stranded me every time I rode it, it was the first time since college--about 25 years--that a vehicle made me walk home, so I wasn't too upset.

But the next day was gonna be a busy one. We had one car between us, and I needed to pick up someone at the airport. The solution? The little Zip.

Here's where the Scooterlife test really came into action.

The plan was pretty simple--take the scoot to where the car was, and swap. This is no big deal on my end since I've been riding for 20 years but the 2nd half of the relay rider team for the trip home was going to battle downtown rush-hour traffic plus a short hair-on-fire jaunt on a high-speed 45mph thoroughfare (with average flow-of-traffic around 55) on the scooter for the first time.

On my way there, I was tempted to just keep riding. It was about 70 degrees with a nice cool breeze, and traffic was light. The Zip felt fine at the low downtown speeds--it's really in its element there with acceleration to spare.

Later on that afternoon I called in to see how the return trip was. You'll have to read the scooterlife2 blog to get those details.

No matter how much you integrate a scoot into your daily life, there may be a time when it REALLY becomes your only vehicle. Any work you've done to get ready for that day or undetermined period of time helps--figuring out a locking system, being familiar enough with it to tackle any traffic you're likely to encounter, and so on. Despite the 100 or so miles of that sort of experimentation, it was still exciting to strike out knowing that the bike had to run flawlessly or 2 people would be in deep doo-doo. And it performed as it always has--cranked up quickly, sliced through slower traffic, and disappeared into a tiny parking nook without stealing a full-size space from a co-worker.

Sightings

2005-05-24T17:04:00.000-05:00

We found this tiny chapel off NC Highway 209 near Spring Creek.

After a long ride, even with the time to reflect as the miles rolled by, it seemed appropriate to get off the bike and enjoy the silence, remembering what's important in life and giving thanks for all we have.

Built by Beverly Barutio after she survived cancer, it's open to everyone. The woodwork and stained glass windows were stunning. The 12 X 14 chapel was erected to fulfil a promise she made to St. Jude while battling Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. She hired builder Mike Ellis 3 years after her diagnosis, keeping her promise.

We stumbled across it while wandering along 209...more proof that there are no wrong turns on a good trip.

Stella test ride

2005-05-24T16:16:00.000-05:00

The great Stella test ride was one of the scheduled festivites for our weekend in Hot Springs--also known as the 2005 Eastern ADVrider Annual Rendezvous. About 75-100 or so adventure riders descended on the sleepy little burg of Hot Springs to get together and ride motorcycles, camp, eat BBQ, and tell stories.

Since for us this weekend was more about being pampered and not about the GS, we stayed in a cabin and relaxed. After arriving Friday evening and enjoying the cookout, we got some shuteye in preparation for a glorious day of visiting a nearby scooter shop in Asheville, then being pampered at the local spa. Sound expensive? It really wasn't. Besides, this was our first full weekend off in nearly a year. Most folks get a one-week vacation...we were thankful for two consecutive days off.

On Saturday we got up at a leisurly pace, rode Highway 209, and arrived in Asheville around lunchtime. The shop we visited was a Stella dealership as well as a rental shop.

If you don't know what a Stella looks like, think PX-series Vespa. The Stellas are in fact license-built vehicles from the LML factory. Here's a shot from the Genuine Scooter site:

We picked out a light green Stella to try, and both of us gave it a run around the hilly terrain of downtown Asheville. The engine fired right up and after a moment on the choke settled into its signature popcorn-popper idle. A quick check of where the turn signals resided, and I was off.

At no point did the little scooter seem challenged by the hills; it was as peppy at downtown speeds as anyone would want or need, whether cautious beginner or experienced hooligan. Steering was quick yet the little beast felt solid, never overly twitchy, even when I hit a few largish potholes. The bike was still in its break-in period; this showed in a bit of snitty behavior from the clutch, which grabbed a bit on uphills and gave me a rough launch occasionally. I'm sure that with some adjustment after the typical cable stretching, it would ease itself in after a few hundred miles. The transmission itself was positive and easy-shifting, with a solid thunk letting you know you had passed neutral on the handgrip and had found second. Third and fourth gears settled in nicely. Downshifting was equally easy.

It seemed to be happy whether it was being short-shifted or wound up a bit. I didn't find the 2-stroke peakiness I expected, but then, I didn't have much distance to really wind it up to feel it get on the pipe. Perhaps an aftermarket kit would give it that familiar 2-stroke slingshot feel, maybe the catalytic converter--a nice touch for environmental friendliness--had intruded a bit, or perhaps it just needed more break-in time. However, that didn't detract one bit from its jalepeno-flavored performance. This is a motorcycle that will welcome a new rider with its predictability, yet charm an experienced rider with its competency and willingness to be flung into corners.

The bike sits tall; my 30" insteam was challenged by the seat height and at a stop I was on tip-toes. No problem, though; the scooter is light and easily manageable. Steering is light but positive and there's plenty of room on the seat and good legroom fore and aft, though slightly less aft room than some scooters. If you are tall, you won't be cramped at all; I found myself a bit more forward, like a sportbike rider's crouch, and if I was taller I'd be more upright. Again, no problem--the bike is friendly enought with its light weight to welcome an inexperienced short rider while giving a taller rider, inexperienced or otherwise, a nice roomy cockpit.

It shows itself as a serious transportation device, solidly-built for decades of service on rough roads--true to its Italian heritage of conquering Europe 2-up and daily use on rough unpaved roads in India. I crawled beneath it to see if there were any flaws hidden beneath the cowls and peeking underneath it found only nice welds and solid machinery; the underside was as attractive as the rest of the bike, another indication of the durability this bike is intended to have through attention to detail. The disc brake up front is light and predictable and in concert with the Bitubo front shock, brings the bike to a halt quickly even over rough surfaces; the rear brake is quite effective though it takes a bit of adjustment getting used to moving one's right foot to the pedal, though it's roughly where a motorcyclist would expect it to be.

Getting used to the twist-grip shifting took only a moment and then became effortless. After a minute I was shifting like I had owned one for years. The throttle feels precise, and the engine responds with a nice linear answer to throttle input--more so than I expected from a two-stroke. It had enough pull down low that idling along in slow stop-and-go traffic was as easy as any 4-stroke.

What stuck with me the most was that the Stella is true to its rugged, practical, and sexy roots with a bit of upgraded parts savvy thrown in. Side by side with other Vespas in the shop, it held the same appeal: curves abound, with painted steel and aluminum everywhere--no plastic for the Stella. The chrome "Stella" badges are heavy and shiny; the paint is thick and evenly applied with no waves or orangepeeling. On the road, the Stella feels light, but never cheap or flimsy, with no rattles or chassis oscillations on rough roads, though the firm suspension felt harsh at times--again, some break-in as well as attention to the adjustable shock's settings may help there. Although I didn't have a chance to take it up to its top speed for an extended period, there's no doubt in my mind that it would be up for it, even with its smallish 10" wheels. I didn't look much at the speedometer while dodging urban traffic, so I can't say what speed felt like what, but that's the nature of that scoot, anyway: it's a bike that lets you focus on the ride with the mechanical methods of conveyance fading into the background. It simply goes, and goes well.

One of the salespeople confessed that it was tough to sell the Stella--the younger folks tend to lean towards the plastic automatic scooters, he said, while the Stella is a 30-and-up age bracket. Although he seems right, I still pondered that statement for hours afterwards. At $2900 it's not cheap, nor does it give you the freeway capabilty of a used motorcycle in that price range. What it does give you is absolute competence as an urban commuter along with gobs of style, plus the endless amounts of Vespa customization goodies, and membership in any of the scooter clubs worldwide that admire and ride these scooters with all the gusto intended by their designer.

I spent the five hour ride home figuring out what to sell in order to buy one.

If there is anyone who has longed for less motorcycle, but the same durability, with more classic appeal, this is the route to take. It is not a lesser being; it's not a compromise. It's a design that'll take years of commuting and weekend trips in stride. If someone is looking for a functional urban vehicle without the weight and wheelbase of a larger motorcycle, this is it.

If you're looking for a smallish bike to take to the end of the street and back every other weekend, I don't think this is the bike to have. It isn't a bigger version of a Honda Spree. It's a design that is the 2-wheeled Volkswagen for several generations, serious transportation with a bit of fun thrown in. The engine is clearly designed to be run daily; the bodywork is stout and easily replaced, and chrome fender guards complete the urban assault protection.

There is no doubt in my mind that the Stella could easily replace a car for all urban trips, lend itself to light touring duty on back roads, and welcome short jaunts on the freeway.

Since I have a bit of adventure touring background--I pack light and delight in detours--I'd have no qualms going from North Carolina to Alaska on one.

Precious

2005-05-16T16:55:00.000-05:00

Today was Bank Day. Not that there's a regular bank run day, but it was the only errand I needed to run.

I pulled into a parking space next to an older woman who was clambering out of her Buick. As I pulled off my helmet, she walked up to me.

"Ooooooo!" she cooed. And I mean COOOED, as in baby talk. "Isn't that the cutest thing! It's PRECIOUS!"

"Why, yes it is," I replied. Yup. Precious. I suppose.

She asked what kind of gas mileage it got and I gave the standard "100 mpg" answer that all scooterists do unless they're with another scooterist and then the talk turns to exact top speed and mpg ratings plus a 10% or more fudge factor.

"Why, that would be nice for going shopping," she continued, still in that baby voice.

"Why, yes, It would be perfect for shopping," I replied, noting with some degree of horror that my voice started cooing just like hers. Egad, I had assumed a level of girly cuteness I had never acquired as a motorcyclist. If the woman had called my BMW GS cute I may have glared at her. If a guy had called my BMW cute I probably would've decked him.

I stood there for a moment and explained how easy it was to ride, how the underseat storage was great for shopping. I offered to let her sit on it but she politely declined, and waved happily at me as she walked off.

Amazing. Absolutely the most non-threatening motorized vehicle I've ever had.

Sightings

2005-05-15T22:38:00.000-05:00

Bossman was highly regarded for his wit, sense of style, and willingness to sacrifice a better drag coefficient in order to bring bobbleheads to the masses.

MSF Hint du jour

2005-05-15T21:01:00.000-05:00

Slow, Look, Press, Roll.

If you've slacked up on doing that, drop and give me 20.

Remember to turn your head, too. NO, not just your eyes. Your whole head, Skippy.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, get thee to a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course. You'll have a good time while learning how to save your hide.

Stella Rant

2005-05-15T16:51:00.000-05:00

I really want a Stella. Matter of fact, there could easily be two Stellas in this household. But the local Stella dealership folded up, the Charlotte Vespa/Stella Dealership doesn't even acknowlege Stella on their website, and the Asheville company that allows you to rent/buy scoots and has Stellas in their fleet won't answer emails or phone calls.

The Super 9 has very little in common with the Stella other than 2 wheels. It's cheaper, but not so significantly so that it puts the Stella out of the running. But I can predict a Super 9 in my future before a Stella--even though I'd rather have the Sttella--because there's a dealership here. Someone to call if I get frustrated when it doesnt' start and I don't have the time or patience to troubleshoot it--"just come and get it and call me when it runs." I also like the idea of having a place to visit for goodies and to meet other scooter owners--and while the local KTM dealer that's carrying Kymco's isn't that kind of place, it beats no dealership at all.

The Super 9 is well-built and quick. It meets my demands for a scoot that will cruise at 45mph, stop on a dime, and corner hard. It doesn't have the timeless aesthetic of the Stella, but it does have its design roots in the competitive european market where these machines are built to commute daily, and race on weekends. That kind of competence puts it in competition with the Stella on my list.

I think Genuine Scooter Company, who owns the Stella--a PX series Vespa at heart manufactured in India by LML--has one of the best two-wheeled bikes on the planet. It combines the cultural icon of the classic Vespa shape with updated features like a front disk brake and Bitubo shocks. Aftermarket parts are cheap and plentiful. How anyone--scooterist or otherwise--could resist that bike, especially with gas prices at $2 and above for the forseeable future--is beyond me. But I do see where a potential buyer could make a lunge for one and get frustrated by the smallish dealer network. Granted, I think Genuine Scooter is doing a good job of managing their growth. However, I think they need to fill this local void FAST. Raleigh is a big town in an affluent area that has plenty of colleges and universities as well--it's a perfect scooter town. Stella needs to replace the failed dealership quickly.

Weekend Update - a ride on the Super 9

2005-05-15T16:33:00.000-05:00

The GS got more attention this weekend than the Zip, but some neat things happened anyway. Well, actually, the Zip got plenty of attention, but not by me.

Sunday morning Latte, Sunday evening ride...it stayed pretty busy.

First, the GS got its PIAA lights and lightbar installed. The wiring hasn't been done yet, but it's halfway there. Big thanks to Brad Vardy of TerraNova for making the lightbar happen.

The next cool thing that happened was a test ride on a Kymco Super 9, a liquid-cooled 49cc 2-stroke scoot that's the Porsche of the small scoot world, patterned after the euro scoots more commonly found on race tracks here and abroad, and a scoot that has earned its place in the hearts of hot-rodders. The local KTM dealership just got a few in, and were looking for an excuse to turn one into a demo, so I gave them that opportunity by picking the blue one over the orange one. Within a few minutes, it was ready to go.

They told me that they'd have to keep the transmission restrictor in to keep it moped-legal for the test ride, which would keep it below 30. So I hopped on, a bit bummed over the 30mph limit. Boy was this going to be boring, but WTF...free ride on any bike is fine by me. So I whacked the throttle open in anticipation of the usual CVT lag, and found out in half a second that there IS no lag. Not much, anyway, in scooter terms. That little sucker is FAST. With less than one mile on the odometer and the tranny restrictor in place, it practically hoisted the front end with just a crack of the throttle, and zipped up to 45mph before it found the restrictor and the rev limiter at the same time. I figure 50 would be easy, de-restricted, and who knows how fast it would go? The dual disks let it stop on a dime and the suspension was pretty good; some break-in time would probably smooth it out even more. I didn't push the corners since the tires were new but if my Zip will carve on its 10" skinny Cheng Shin tires, the Super 9 will most likely stick like glue with its 120/12 and 130/12 shoes.

When I got back, the salesmen had lined up for their turn on the Super 9. I warned them--"there's no lag" and each one got on, whacked the throttle, and their heads snapped back like they had just taken a shot from Ali. Crack-Snap-Zing!

If you've had any doubts about a 49cc scoot's potential for capable commuter, give this one a ride. Absolutely NO problems zinging along with traffic--none of the curb-hugging BS for the mighty Super 9. It's a large-frame scoot--I could barely get both balls of my feet down. Perfect for all you folks who have looked at the small-frame scoots and laughed your ass off at the miniscule proportions.

Perfect.

2005-05-11T04:17:00.000-05:00

Doesn't spill unless you're knee-dragging.

Threatened by 49cc's?

2005-05-11T03:46:00.000-05:00

So I'm walking back to the Zip after picking up drill bits at Home Depot. Why Home Depot and not Lowes? Because I could snake my way to Home Depot on back roads. Funny how your shopping choices adjust slightly.

Anyway, the Zip is sitting there, my helmet and jacket locked on it, looking like a shrunken sport bike. Next to it is a Mazda RX-8, idling. I pull my jacket and helmet off, toss the drill bits under the seat, and start to gear up. A man steps out of the Mazda and asks, "Is that thing REALLY turbocharged?"

I look over at him. "No, it's marketing and graphics on a 49cc two-stroke. You're safe."

I'm not sure if he was relieved (he sorta had that "I have a faster car than you" vibe going) or offended.

Next time I'll say, "Why, yes. Yes it is!"

From what I can tell so far, it takes no longer to ride the Zip to do my errands than it does a car. The only time suck so far is unlocking it for the first trip of the day and locking it up again at night. Same for locking the jacket/helmet to the scoot.

At night, it slips between two of our cars, still leaving room to get into either one. Locked and covered, it's fairly stealthy. I've been using the same technique for motorcycles for years since I haven't had a garage since the late 80's.

Parking is definately a strong suit, based on the scoot's tiny, "you gotta love me" presence. I believe that I could practically ride the scooter up and down the aisles of any store. So far there has been no resistance to me parking it right at the door of practically any store I've been to. I've stuck to the parking lots for the most part, but this thing is so non-threatening that I don't think people put up barriers to it.

A little over a week, and while the fun-factor is still there, the scoot is taking on a bit more of a workhorse feel to it than just a novelty. It's still fun to ride and I'm pushing its limits in the corners and having a blast while doing so, and my confidence level has come up quite a bit in terms of using it for day-to-day use--it's willing to work for a living.

Week One wrapup

2005-05-09T10:33:00.000-05:00

First week mileage was just shy of 100 miles. If I had more free time and/or could get past the guilt of sneaking away from work, I could've easily doubled that mileage just with joyriding. I was also a bit apprehensive about riding at first, not knowing what to expect or how reliable it is, so initial jaunts were within walking (or pushing) distance of home.

The oil reservoir leak around the oil level sensor is pretty common, from what I'm told. If I buy another 2-stroke scooter with a similar design, I'll probably remove the sensor and put RTV sealant around it as part of the initial prep process. It only takes about 10 minutes including removing all the stuff to get to the oil reservoir.

Aside from that, the bike has run flawlessly, revving furiously and eagerly. I can get an honest 42 mph out of it on the flats; I don't think 45 is out of the question once it breaks in a bit. At 30mph it's remarkably smooth, quiet, and feels relatively untaxed. It seems to be in its element when I'm either cruising at 30mph on a quiet suburban road, or (oddly enough) blasting flat-out from stoplight to stoplight in dense urban traffic, slingshotting from one city block to the next and slipping through holes in traffic.

Costs:
So far it's getting roughly 80mpg--much higher than I expected.

Castrol synthetic premix is about $6.50 per bottle. Can't quite track that usage yet because of an oil reservoir leak.

I bought a few tools to leave in the scoot--a better set of screwdrivers, an adjustable wrench--to the tune of about $10.

RTV-type gasket sealant to fix the oil revervoir leak: about $5.00

Future upgrade: higher wattage headlight--about $10.

Figuring that I'm doing a ton of joyriding in addition to errands, I've spent about $3 a week for fuel and whatever the 2-stroke oil consumption cost are. Easily under $20 a month for all the errands and goofing off I'd like to do.

If you're absolutely shaving every penny you can off your household budget, figuring out how long it would take to recoup your initial scooter purchase price by saving on fuel and parking is an individual thing. However, I don't think that the fiscal bottom line is the single best argument for riding the scoot unless there's a long-term commitment (1 year minimum, at least 2 years to see returns). Personally, I think the best part is the enjoyment of riding something that's quiet efficient and a lot of fun. After all, if it's not fun, you're not going to stick with it.

The fun part is pretty dependent up on the scooter's competency, however, as well as the ride gear that keeps you safe, visible, and comfortable. I've seen some bargain-basement scoots with shoddy construction and low-grade parts that probably would struggle to hit 25mph, and their braking is substandard even at those sluggish speeds. So perhaps if the aim is simply A-to-B, then a smallish, inexpensive scoot would suffice--with the caveat that build quality and brakes are a priority. If you want to get a kick out of the joyriding element, go for something that has a certain gut-level attraction, as well as the most mechanically competent scoot you can afford.

Also, since I ride motorcycles (at least 12K miles a year) I have plenty of great ride gear to choose from--armored jackets and pants, mesh jackets for summer wear, great gloves and boots, and so on. If you don't have those things, budget for them. If you shop around, good armored all-weather, all-season textile gear--a jacket and overpants--can be found for about $200. A decent DOT/Snell rated full face helmet starts at about $125.

Wrecking at 35mph on a scoot is the same as wrecking at 35mph on a full-size motorcycle. The choice for gear is up to the rider but I'd recommend an honest risk assessment. While part of the attraction to scoots is the "get on and go" simplicity, an extra moment spent pulling on a helmet, jacket, gloves, over-the-ankle footwear, and wearing jeans, is a cheap investment in safety.

First mechanical issue - but still smiling

2005-05-08T02:13:00.000-05:00

The first mechanical glitch reared its ugly head today. The oil reservoir sprang a leak. It's going to be a fairly straightforward fix, and I still have the Plan B of simply premixing my oil and bypassing the oil injection system. But I'm bummed--weekends are for joyriding the scoot and I already miss it.

Someone on another forum mentioned that I was hooked. I figured my reply was worth blogging:

The big bikes are easy--write a check, go really fast.

The little bikes take you right back to childhood. Any time you're out and about, you're looking behind every barn, next to every garage, looking for that little forgotten, unwanted machine that someone might part with for the wadded up bills you've got in your pocket. You're gonna spend an afternoon scrubbing the carb and then cheering when it fires for the first time and then practically peeing in your pants when it actually idles. Then there's the first ride--30mph never felt so good.

You've gone right back to that Z-50 you had as a kid, your first motorcycle.

How many big bikes do that? How many allow you to reconnect with one of the most pure moments of childhood? I think we tend to spend a lot of time and money trying to get back there with much more expensive playthings, when all it takes is simply...well, simplifying. Was the thrill being launched from 0-60 in 3 seconds? Nope. Was it having more titanium bits on it than the average F-15E? Nope. It was something sorta small, unintimidating, yet absolutely capable of propelling you anywhere at a speed that was just enough to let you know that you were experiencing the magic genie of the internal combustion engine, yet slow enough that the scenery going past wasn't a meaningless blur.

Bringing that into the present tense is pretty easy with a scooter.

The sportier 49cc 2-strokes are an absolute HOOT to ride. Once you get used to the miniscule power band, it's an obsession to rail that thing into a corner, timed just right so that the CVT hooks up mid-apex. Every corner becomes Laguna Seca. You don't need to break 40mph to have the time of your life. And they're totally unintimidating to people. Even if you've been acting the fool, folks will come up to you and ask where you got it, what kind of gas mileage it gets (always say "100 mpg"...when in truth it's closer to 70), if you like it, and so on. And then there's the fun of parking it in any spot you can find, most of the time w/o worrying about a ticket. They just look like they belong there.

And then there's the cheap factor: a 49cc rebuild/hop-up kit to 70cc (which can actually be quite a little slingshot of a bike) is about $150 and 2 hours worth of work.

I've gone from "aw, man, I'm on a small, slow bike" to "BWA HA HA HA HA! I am Rossi! I OWN these streets!" Once that transition hits, you're hooked.

I've been hit with bike lust so many times and so often that I had no idea that you could scratch that itch with an inexpensive scoot.

The transformation

2005-05-06T21:19:00.000-05:00

It's official: it's now an obsession.

I figured I crossed the line yesterday when I went joyriding after the official errands were done, just to buzz around town. It was no longer an experiment, just fun. And after that first thrill of zinging past traffic, a little bit of hunger developed. A little bit of anticipation.

I've been riding motorcycles for over 20 years and have a state of the art BMW R1150GS sitting in the driveway. Tomorrow morning I'll walk past the BMW, and get on the scooter.

I knew it was an obsession when I started looking at add-ons tonight, surfing the net for all the hot-rod goodies for the little horizontal Minarelli engine. Expansion pipe, fatter tires, and so on. I knew I had blown past the obsession phase and into a new realm of fascination when after I was done add-on shopping, I began plotting the purchase of my next scooter, a stablemate for the Zip.

The next scoot is gonna be something classic--either a Vespa or a Stella, maybe even a restored Lambretta. It's gonna be the main vehicle, rain or shine, and enable us both to be scooter-enabled instead of vying for the one Zip by flipping a coin, or arm-wrestling. Already when the Zip is done running errands, it's playing hooligan in the streets, or just cruising around the old neighborhoods. I've lived in this town for almost 20 years and the scooter enables me to explore neighborhoods that I never knew existed, humming past houses at a speed that lets me enjoy the architecture, and wave back to the people there.

I'm having more fun under the speed limit than most squids have busting the speedlimit on their 1300cc sportbikes, having more fun on a 20 mile ride than the long distance riders have while they develop butt blisters on a 1100 mile ride.

Is it for everyone?

I'm not sure. Obviously I've got a bit more riding experience, so the transition to scootering isn't too hard since I have plenty of traffic savvy--though I've had to adjust my riding style and expectations a bit. But already I'm finding that even a small 49cc scoot will take care of all the errands in a 10 mile radius of home without breaking a sweat. It starts at the momentary touch of a button, settling into a quiet little burble. A twist of the wrist, and I'm off. No shifting, so my mind is free to focus on the ride and the scenery. The tires are sticky enough to let me generate insane lean angles. Yet it'll hum along at a steady pace in traffic, content to just get from A to B, a willing little companion.

From a zen standpoint, it rocks. A cleaner-burning 4-stroke would have twice the Zen, but given the mission of uncomplicating my life and minimizing my transport mode, it's outrageously successful.

No martyrdom here. I'm having a blast. This isn't a sufferfest. It's fun, it's frugal, it's a cute little beast. And given the current gas prices, I think people in cages (that's bike-speak for 4-wheel vehicles) are looking at the scooter less as an anomaly and more as a viable option. All they need is a few more of us out there, and a bit of mentoring.

It's 10:19pm. I've laid out my Saturday clothes, eagerly awaiting an early morning ride to pay a bill or two, and just buzz around for a while. Maybe go by the BMW dealership and eat a few of their doughnuts.

Scootering is good.

Messenger Bags

2005-05-06T12:49:00.000-05:00

There are plenty of great bags out there. Chrome, Aerostich, and Timbuk2 come to mind. Other mainstream companies like Jansport and Columbia have messenger bags. Inexpensive knock-offs can be found at any big-box retailer like Wal-Mart and Target. But what is a messenger bag? It's made specifically for bicyclists and motorcyclists. The bag has one big compartment, a wide strap that goes around the shoulder, and another smaller strap that snugs the bag against the waist. The bag rests at an angle across the back, conforming to the rider's body. While the fine points may differ a bit--organizers, dividers for the main compartment, and so on--that's the basic idea of a messenger bag. The beauty of the bag is that it's very rugged, tends to shed water amazingly well for its design, and can be accessed by releasing the waist strap and sliding the bag to the front.

Here's a few of my Timbuk2 bags, showing off a few features.

Another option is the sling bag (look for the ones with a waist strap). This one is from REI:

Why the messenger bag over the ubiquitous backpack? Easier to get into it without removing it. Sits low on the body so it doesn't bump into the helmet. Fewer straps to flap about in the wind. Typically has reflective bits all over it. And allows for the maximum amount of mobility.

It's an acquired taste but most folks who ride with them swear by them. Most companies offer computer sleeves to make them laptop-friendly. When I'm not riding with mine, it's in use during the week as my laptop case. I have several Timbuk2 bags, used for everything from riding to travel luggage to camera cases. I'd like to try out a Chrome, but my budget isn't budging right now.

Here's where it gets to the meat of the matter

2005-05-05T13:09:00.000-05:00

So, the work day is mostly done and it's time to run errands. Your choices: nice comfy Jeep, big BMW R1150GS motorcycle, or the scooter.

Remember, this is a test. The mission was to do alllllll the errands on the little fuel-efficient scooter. Yeah, that'll show 'em! Big Oil can kiss my ass! Right? Well, yeah, except that this is the reality of scootering--those little moments where a voice in your head whispers "hey, noone will know if you take the Jeep". If the scoot is your only vehicle, hallelujah--it's motorized and your feet will be happy they're not slapping the pavement for the 2 mile trip to the post office. But when you have other options that happen to have plush seats and a CD player, well, hmmmm. You gotta question your commitment. Especially when you've got a bit of a headache and have been working since 7am.

This is sooo much like dieting.

But this is the reality. I'm gonna stick with the Zip. I'll start off by rounding up the messenger bag (stand by for another lesson), dressing properly (yet another lesson) and then head out the door. The flight plan has me going in two directions--the relatively short hop to the post office which is a fairly fun little romp, and the second leg of the journey is on that damned hilly high-speed section that isn't exactly the strong suit of a not-broken-in 49cc scoot that's screaming at the top of its one little lung to keep from becoming a hood ornament. But this is reality. I'll post more when I get back.

(tick tick tick)

Today the trip seemed a bit better. I had a better feel for what speeds worked on the still-not-broken-in Zip. 30-35 mph (indicated) feels pretty smooth. The dash to the post office took a couple of minutes and I found my stealth parking spot on the side of the building. Locked the forks but nothing else. Was in and out in a few minutes. I briefly considered going to the bank but at that point it was edging close to 4pm and crazed commuter traffic would push me to the curb on that hilly stretch. I pushed the bank errand to Friday. But since I was having a good time on the scoot, I took a quick ride downtown.

Once there, I was flying past slower traffic, beating cars from stoplight to stoplight, slingshotting from A to B and moving a LOT faster than I thought I would. It's in this environment that a scooter really comes into its own. I was thankful for the disk brake up front; I was pulling off a few point-and-squirt moves that had me doing max braking, and the excellent feel from the levers was reassuring. If you're buying a scoot, don't underestimate the need for serious brakes.

Anyone who rides in a spirited fashion on a motorcycle will NOT be disappointed with the perfomance of a scoot in an urban environment. There's a slight lag from stoplight, then the bike rushes forward past the cars. A quick diagonal across lanes to find an empty space, and then you repeat the process at the next light. I'd say I was using as much of my skills as I would've on a full-size motorcycle. And was grinning ear-to-ear. Yeah, this is working out okay.

2005-05-04T08:02:00.000-05:00

We're gonna have to do something about that headlight. I'm finding out that scooters just beg for mods. Some are safety-related, others speed-related, and the rest are just based on that human desire to tinker with stuff.

Expenses so far

2005-05-04T07:53:00.000-05:00

2004 Vento Zip $500
Expenses to get it home: $100
Oil, spark plugs, battery, etc. to get it running: $35

So $635 for a running scoot in very good condition and low miles (109) is a pretty good deal. I admit that it was quite a find, and the pricing was low because a friend cut me a lot of slack.

That's the GS in the foreground, dwarfing the Zip. But both arrived at the coffee shop at the same time.

I'm looking at insurance costs right now. They'll probably be less than $100 a year. I'm an MSF instructor so some places drop rates by quite a bit for MSF certification and some drop it even more for the instructors. Add in the tag fees and we'll probably see another $150 for this year, which will drop a bit in subsequent years. I'm tagging and insuring the bike not just for insurance purposes, or because it allows me to not worry about busting the 29mph restricted limit on scoots in NC, but because having the tag seems to me to send a signal to other drivers: this is a licensed vehicle...I belong here.

Fuel around here varies from $2.15 to $2.25 for regular unleaded. I haven't checked fuel mileage yet.

As for the "expenses to get it home"...I have GOT to post that story sometime. $100 was the Raleigh-Alpharetta-Raleigh leg of the journey but it was longer than that. The trip actually was a 1300 mile banzai run from Raleigh to Jacksonville, FL to deliver some tools for a friend who had his work truck and all his tools stolen. The riding community of www.advrider.com pitched in to buy him tools; one rider donated his truck. I picked up the tools from a little community about an hour and half from where I live, and drove them the next day to Jacksonville FL. A few riders donated my fuel money to cover the trip. I covered the fuel expense portion that was Zip-related to keep things honest. You know, if it wasn't for the ADV forum members' generosity, 1) one of our members would be out of work and 2) I'd be stranded somewhere between here and FL.

Like I said, this is an experiment based on NEED. I need cheap transportation! I don't have enough money to pay attention, much less put $2.22 a gallon gas in the Jeep for routine errands. Why? Yes, I'm gainfully employed. But health insurance and related health expenses wipe me out every month.

A day without scootin'...

2005-05-03T21:18:00.000-05:00

...is like a day without sunshine. Cliche' as hell but so appropriate. I had to work today and the Jeep was required. Thought I'd get to zip around (no pun intended) on the scoot afterwards on an unusually crisp, cool spring afternoon but no joy. Funny how you get addicted to it early on and look forward to riding. We're now seriously considering buying a second one. That'll happen when some money falls out of the sky.

Seriously, though...it may be a while. Lesson #1 (I may as well start keeping track of these since this is a "how to" site): if you have a significant other or best friend in your household and only one scoot, you may as well budget for two from the very beginning. It's more fun for both to ride together than one to come back and say "wow, I had a great time...I saw this and that and railed that great corner down the street" and all you can do is nod glumly. Great. Sounds like fun. I sat here on my ass and blogged while you played hooligan.

So, let's be concise, dear reader.

Lesson #1: Everyone needs their own scooter. If in a household of multiple scooterists, where people = P and scooters = S, under optimal conditions P = S.
P > S is clearly suboptimal. P < S is nirvana, especially if there are scoots of varied displacements. I'm beginning to think that P = 2S is about right, with one being a Stella and the other being a tricked out 49cc scoot like an Italjet Dragster or the new CPI GTR50 or a Ruckus.

Oh, one interesting thing. The local Suzuki dealership had a beat to hell 2002 Yamaha Zuma for sale. Over 14,000 miles on the poor bastard, scarred all to hell and looking like it had travelled every one of those miles through Bosnia and Baghdad. I asked one of the salesmen what they were asking and without blinking (and straight-faced) he replied "$1,450." Bear in mind that you can get primo used Zumas for $1500 and pristine ones for $1700. Same dealer is selling the UM X-peed for $1950. The Vento Triton--same basic scoot with better details--is less than $1500 shipped to your door. I don't know what those guys are smoking but I wish they'd share some of it.

2005-05-02T21:07:00.000-05:00

This ought to deter the casual thief. In order to deter the more serious felon, I'll be locking the scoot to the wheel of one of my cars. Note: the car is inoperable...no worry about driving off with the scooter being dragged along.

Canadian Motorcycle Guide Online - Test Ride

2005-05-02T20:57:00.000-05:00

Canadian Motorcycle Guide Online - Honda Ruckus Test Ride

First day of experiment

2005-05-02T20:46:00.000-05:00

Most of my work requires that I drive the Jeep in order to carry around the equipment I use as a photographer. Occasionally I'm teaching, so I've got quite a bit of stuff to cart around--a mobile multimedia lab of 6 laptops and 6 cameras. But other than that, since I have a home office, my errands are fairly simple--get groceries, get prescription medicines, go to the post office, go shopping. Just about all those places are no more than 7 miles from the house. So that's the basis of this experiment: drive a 49cc scooter for every trip where I don't need the cargo capacity of the Jeep.

And here it is, in all its glory--a 2004 Vento Zip R3i.

Today was the first trip, after the initial joyriding that ensued after the beast fired up. I headed out to the bank to deposit a check. This particular route was about 12 miles round-trip on a 45mph heavily-travelled artery during rush hour, complete with several tough hills. The scoot managed to hold between 30 and 35mph on the hills, 40 on the flats, and 42 downhill--all indicated speeds (I'll check them with a GPS later). A couple of times I waved traffic past as I hugged the white line, but for the most part I was able to keep up with traffic and held my place in the center of the lane. It didn't take me any longer than it would've in a car.

2005-05-02T18:11:00.000-05:00

Here's the Zip on the way home. This was after 16 hours on the road with another 7 hours to go.

Day Zero - minus one

2005-05-02T17:50:00.000-05:00

Why a Zip? Why a scooter at all? After all, I've been riding motorcycles for over 20 years. I'm an MSF instructor. I have a BMW R1150GS. I'm REALLY into motorcycling. Why buy a 49cc scooter?

Easy. Next to a bicycle, hiking boots, and public transportation, it's the ultimate in minimalist urban transport. It makes less and less sense as time goes by to fire up my Jeep to go 5 miles. I can do it on foot, or on my bicycle, but a scooter is a sane alternative that gets me where I want to go in the same time it takes me to take my 4-wheeled vehicle, consuming so much less fuel while doing so...and saving wear-and-tear on my high-mileage vehicles.

I guess I'll get into more details later. Maybe when I've written all I can about two-stroke oils and irate cagers.

But lets get right down to it. There IS a purpose here, a goal, a mission: use this scooter for 100% of my errand-running. Instead of Super-Size Me, I'm gonna Minimize Me. I'm gonna see if a real grown-up professional in an average urban/suburban environment can actually scooter their way to less dependence on foreign oil, as the pundits would put it. It's not so much a call to arms, but a how-to for anyone that wants to try this.

Day One

2005-05-02T17:42:00.000-05:00

It started as a trip to go get the scooter, and ended up as a mission of mercy. I'll fill in the details later because it's a story worth telling.

But the pertinent part of this: the 2004 Vento Zip R3i came home.

Laid over on its side, oozing premix, it was none the worse for wear 6 hours later. After going through it carefully and changing the plug, it fired right up.

109 miles on the odometer. But not for long.