I wanted to start small. I will have it delivered this weekend and I can honestly say I haven't been this excited since I got my 10 speed bike when I was a kid.
I think I need to make a motorcycle jacket out of some pink satin to go with it:
Pictures here:
http://www.nextechclassifieds.com/listings/view/303095/
My next purchase to make it more practical and be able to take Sebastian with me: http://www.scootboot.com/
niiiiice!!!!
Very nice. Enjoy that.
I think I'm gonna start a biker gang called the 'Flaming Chiffons.'
Like I said...I'm excited...
Yeesssss. Love the crash bungs!
Have fun... it will be a blast. We have had some sunny weather over in the UK, and mine has been out every day for a week.
>mine has been out every day for a week.
Yeah, me too. Spring is in the air; I've fallen in love with mine all over again too:)
Very cool, enjoy!
And don't forget to wear gloves (and obviously a helmet)! Those little wheels aren't all that stable.
>don't forget to wear gloves (and obviously a helmet)!
No kidding. I never realized that 30 miles per hour (48 km/ hour) was so fast until I rode this. I'm used to a bike I pedal, or riding a motorcycle with someone else. I've never had a "front row seat" like this before. The state of Kansas says only that you must wear eye protection if you ride one of these. I'm wearing my motorcycle helmet and gloves no matter what, though. I kind of value my head.
I was surprised to learn that this little moped is actually a collector's item. I guess not that many were made, and few are in this good of condition.
It has:
kick start (no pedaling to start)
a tiny little reserve tank for gas in case you run out
49 cc 2 stroke engine (but I don't have to mix the gas and oil, it does that itself)
an automatic transmission with two speeds (I'd *never* heard of that on any kind of motorbike before)
the gas tank holds half a gallon of gas
It's fun just for putting around town. And since Russell, Kansas is all of 5 miles in diameter total, it's all I really need. It seems stupid to use a car most of the time.
About three years before I had my driver's licence I use to ride in the streets of San Jose on a 200cc Vespa scooter. That was a lot of fun. The 200 cc two stroke engine was peppy but it had small wheels so it could get squirrelly. I was a dumb kid and never wore any protective gear. I guess in retrospect I'm pretty lucky nothing ever went wrong.
I've been really itching to get myself a street-bike today. I live too far away from riding areas and am too busy with the kids to ever go dirt bike riding but I'm wary of the drivers here. Have fun Grnidone, you probably live in an ideal place for riding.
>automatic transmission with two speeds
Are you sure it's actually automatic? Or do you select the gears without using a clutch? If it's the latter, then what you have is a centrifugal clutch, not an automatic transmission.... but who cares:) I used to have a 2 gear centrifugal clutch on my first bike - a honda 50 I got for my 4th birthday:)
>I'm wary of the drivers here
I moved out to Palo Alto for 5 months a bit ago with only a motorcycle. I used to drive it into the city on weekends on the 101, as well as over the mountains and up the coast, just to stretch it's legs. The combination of the crazy traffic, lane splitting, and having a bike that always somehow finds an excuse to go triple digit when no one's paying attention, made the experience one to remember for sure, but one I recommend with caution.
>I've been really itching to get myself a street-bike
I have to admit, as much as I absolutely love my S4RS, there's a new lady coming to town soon that is turning my head, and that I dream about... say hello to the 2012 1198cc Panigale Superbike, with 195 horsepower, shown here in it's limited edition 'Tricolore' livery...
(https://th3core.com/chat/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ultimatemotorcycling.com%2Ffiles%2F2012-ducati-panigale-1199-preview%25205.jpg&hash=8b5d229bfb26cb566fe55cbf6cb2dc8ed4063cc9)
...I have no idea how those italians cram that much sex appeal into a machine, but once again, they did. I am smitten.
>gloves
>helmet
Good. Good.
Look out for gravel. I hate gravel.
>Gravel
oh yeah, LM, this happened on the entrance ramp at Mtn View and 101... bike, meet gravel, dogboy meet pavement... thank god for sliders, jackets, boots, neckbraces, gloves:)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/13063_302937825251_587880251_9644389_3825974_n.jpg)
...gloves and a helmet are just a must for anything on concrete.
But at some point, if you are just running around a midwestern town on a scooter sized vehicle, I don't think you need to go on a safety pup rampage:) Just make sure you are visible. Maybe even look into little strobe lights if you aren't always staying up with traffic. Not sure how you are classified, but some might be illegal, so look into it before you assume you are classified as a bicycle.
but now that he said that, where you are, I think gravel will your worst enemy too. Little front tires are likely to snowplow when turned and then kick out.
...so where have you taken your new ride? Been off pavement yet?
Quotejust running around a midwestern town on a scooter sized vehicle
A cousin of mine got hit by a truck when he was doing exactly that, just out doing errands for his mom.
His helmet saved his life, but he had road rash beyond imagining, and one of his feet was amputated.
It's true that every cloud has a silver lining, though: he ended up marrying his physiotherapist.
@grindone you inspired me to the Suzuki Burgman road ready for the season today. I went for a nice long ride with a big grin plastered on my mug. ;D Thanks for starting this thread!
>A cousin of mine got hit by a truck when he was doing exactly that
yeah, that's always my worry. It's bad enough on a big bike that is fast enough to stay out of the way and loud... I think it may be worse on a scooter, hence my strobe light idea.
>one of his feet was amputated
One time I hit a fence post and my big toe basically popped inside the boot, when it got crushed, and left me with a 4" scar and a toe that doesn't bend on that foot. The surgeon didn't have to tell me I would have lost the inside of my foot had I not been wearing my boots, but he did (several times) as he put my foot back together. I always wear boots and they saved me a number of times since then.
>a nice long ride with a big grin
awesome:)
Jeee Dogboy, you live on the edge ;D
One could just as easily argue I'm just suck at driving and I wreck a lot:) But if she just got her FIRST bike then she should hear about these kinds of things too, just to balance the equation. Make her think twice before wearing flip flops:)
"Wear your gear every time, no matter how short a trip. No one ever plans to have an accident."
...Simple as that. At least then you'll never second guess yourself if you get hit by a truck:)
Agree, alway cover up. The one time Sue and I didn't, we went for an ice cream in shorts, and Sue got a horrendous burn off the exhaust.
Never been out in shorts again, or light trousers.
QuoteAre you sure it's actually automatic? Or do you select the gears without using a clutch? If it's the latter, then what you have is a centrifugal clutch, not an automatic transmission.... but who cares:)
@dogboy: it is completely automatic. I don't choose gears, at all. I just get on, kick it started and ride. I've not taken it out yet, as I need to get a license plate for it and insurance. But I plan on doing that today, so I'll prob go out tonight for a nice little ride.
And re: riding gear: I've learned through falls off my regular bike NEVER to go out without a helmet and gloves at minimum. I've been hit by cars a few times and lived to tell about it. I hit so hard I broke a helmet once. That scared some sense into me. I think I'd prob be a vegetable if I wasn't wearing a helmet there. Also, when I was married to Rob, he told me to never be a squid after seeing a sign for the local children's hospital that said "Syd the Squid forgot to wear his lid" with a little octopus with a bump on his head.
For non motorcyclists, a "Squid" is slang for "someone who rides a motorcycle with no protective gear."
QuoteI have no idea how those italians cram that much sex appeal into a machine,
Keep in mind, motorcycles and design are much more a way of life for Italians. Everything from little Vespas to full on crotch rockets. More people over there ride motorcycles than we do, so it's not surprising to me that they always have the most beautiful bikes.
>bad weather
I'd think you far are better off with 3 wheels in bad weather, than two, but I never rode anything with 2 wheels in the front. That new Ducati has ABS, traction control, and a 'wet' riding mode that cuts down the HP going to the rear wheel... it's really a breakthrough bike for them. the next generation with lots of computer aides to get all that power to the ground..
>it is completely automatic
how cool! I can see why it may be a collector's item.
>I've been hit by cars
ah, yes, I like to think of these as 'calibration' events, although I don't recommend having too many but they keep you safe in the long run:)
>mp3
I rode one around the dealers parking lot. Nice. I think having three wheels in contact with the road would be an advantage in areas that have a lot of rainy weather.
I have ABS on the Suzuki but so far have never really needed it. Again, on rainy days I feel safer.
I try to stay visible so I favor white helmets that show up even at dusk instead of black or silver/gray. I tend to also buy jackets that are either caution yellow or high-viz. I want all the cell phone yaking, SUV drivers to see me coming. ;)
Yeah, I rock the white helmet too... even have reflective tape on 3 sides:)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/7823_273019960251_587880251_9225252_4458315_n.jpg)
My new jacket has lots of white in it too, but mainly to keep me cool down here in FL. But I definitely prefer 'blur' to 'stealth'.
You know, grnidone, it wouldn't be a bad idea to go to a truckstop and buy some of that tape and touch up your bike so it really reflects.
>so far have never really needed it.
I assume you would know because you would feel it pulsate, like in a car, when everything gets mushy?
Curious Dogboy, do you keep golf balls in your pockets for people who ride your a##? I've found a deftly thrown golf ball will cause a car to SCREAM to a halt if they get too close to me.
The way I figure: if the choice is between their paint job and my body...I'll fuck up their paint job in a heartbeat.
QuoteYou know, grnidone, it wouldn't be a bad idea to go to a truckstop and buy some of that tape and touch up your bike so it really reflects.
I actually ordered some from 3M years ago. I went to a fire department and looked at the coats firemen wear to find out where to get it. I do think I'm going to add a bicycle air-horn to it (120 db of loud) and a strobe bicycle light to the back.
AND, I've got a reflective light weight vest thing my folks wore when they bicycled the Florida keys. I'm set in the visual wear area.
Also, I've learned when I ride on a bicycle -- since both Texas and Kansas view a bicycle as a vehicle the same as a car -- to take up the entire car lane.
If you ride near the edge of the road, people think they can "lane share", and they usually end up not going far enough around you and you end up turning sharply into the curb (or if you're lucky a ditch). If you ride closer to the center line, people have to go entirely in the other lane to get around you...AND, then you've got at least a couple meters to make a sharp turn to prevent hitting the curb.
I used to be ballsy enough to flip people off if they honked at me while driving slowly behind...but I seldom do that now.
>do you keep golf balls in your pockets for people who ride your a##?
No, I haven't ever had that problem before, and I have an entirely new appreciation for you're ingenuity now:)
They see this at the light...
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/310426_10150846584595252_587880251_21251810_808190614_n.jpg)
...and then they never see me again:) It's one of the perks of trading in the golf balls for real ones, and grabbing hold of 134 horses with one hand:)
dogboy, I have not had to do a really quick or near panic stop since getting the bike so nowhere near a lockup situation with conventional breaks. I had to pay a premium and special order one with ABS rather than take the non-ABS bike they had discounted on the showroom floor, but I thought it was important enough.
>golf balls
LOL Wow that is a new one on me but the best use for golf balls I've heard yet.
heeheh no, doubt, huh? you just wait until she gets that trailer!!! We'll see who is laughing then with their fancy ABS brakes with 10,000 golf balls coming at them!!
hehehehe wait, wait... serious...
hey, change out your fluids on that thing while you are waiting for your tags. you said it was a two cycle, so I guess you dont have an oil sump, but it still may have transmission fluid somewhere? And you have any brake fluid? Change filters, etc? A clean air filter can make a world of difference on a little engine.
...AND TIRES! Fill up your tires and check them often!
>I have not had to do a really quick or near panic stop
Well, I only had one on my '07 S4RS on this oil... note the big scratch in the pavement...
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/29738_10150171302165252_587880251_12545767_115689_n.jpg)
...and it didn't survive to see a second one, so you still might be on to something there! That's why I'm looking at some of new kit even though I love my 08. But like you said, it really jacks up the price.
But that $30 speedymoto slider I showed you saved me from replacing a $2500 watercooler that definitely would have needed replaced, and I was able to fire it up and drive it away like nothing happened, so a little prevention goes a long way on these things, so I'm long on prevention:)
Thank you DB. I was going to go online and learn how to take care of this thing. Thankfully, I have the little book that came with it.
I was able to get tags without insurance, though I'm still in the process of getting insurance, but to do so, I must change my auto policy over to someone else. Bummer. (What's a good motorcycle insurance place?)
I took Little Blue on a ride today to the local Sonic for happy hour to get a half priced lime aid and to the grocery store to get some cottage cheese. I dressed in my motorcycle helmet, heavy duty gloves, tennis shoes -- no motorcycle boots yet, and my work boots are filthy -- my bright green bicycle vest and a chiffon scarf which I tied to blow out behind me Red Baron style.
I've learned a few things:
Getting started is the most difficult part of this process. After nearly hitting a tree, I've learned the slow, put one foot up on the pegs at a time, policy. You kind of start and drag your feet and then one foot then the other. As a peddler, I'm used to having my feet locked in.
Riding a bike is WAY different than riding a motorbike. For one, I'm sitting straight up on the motorbike. I feel it more in my back this way.
There is no graceful way to get Blue up on her little kick stand thingy. One must dismount the bike and sort of haul it up.
If the key is not on AND the switch is set to 'On', Blue won't start no matter how much kicking you do.
If I need to go to the grocery store, I must wear a backpack to put all the stuff I need to wear in order to ride. No biggie, I just left my helmet on and got my cheese.
One cannot take a swig of one's lime-aid whilst wearing full-faced motorcycle helmet.
Other than that, the ride was successful.
>There is no graceful way to get Blue up on her little kick stand thingy. One must dismount the bike and sort of haul it up.
heheh, believe me it could be worse. When I take a break from the Yamaha, I have to basically pick it up and put it on its stand. Which normally isn't so bad since you can rest some of the 200 plus odd pounds on the front wheel, but after an exhausting ride, or rather after the 4th or 5th exhausting ride of the day, I start thinking about just resting on the bike.
Gotta love those first rides! Feels like.... victory, yes?
>little kick stand thingy
Normally you might just drop the stand... put your toe on it, so it doesn't just slide backwards ... and then just lean back, cantilevering it into position. That's what your doing already?
>scarf which I tied to blow out behind me Red Baron style
Remember, the Baron had his prop in front, and no chain and cog in the rear, that it could get tangled in, and rip his head off ;D
Same with backpacks with any kind. Straps in general are just one of those things that can go horribly and violently wrong on a bike.
>If the key is not on AND the switch is set to 'On', Blue won't start no matter how much kicking you do.
lol:)
and maybe get a new spark plug in that thing too.
QuoteFeels like victory
It really does. I think the next time, I'm going to make a conscious effort to really relax my shoulders. I was so tense and nervous that my back/ shoulders were really tight after I got home.
>spark plug
Yeah, I think I'm going to give Blue a once over in a couple of weeks. I'm a bit busy to deal with it now.
Oh, any recommendations on motorcycle insurance? I have USAA for everything else, but they don't do Motorbike insurance.
And...your scarf thing reminded me of The Incredibles where Edna lectures on NO CAPES!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNUbPRj9TGM
I use Progressive. I think they are pretty good. They paid top dollar for my '07, and $2500 in medical bills... so I made out ok, if you don't take into consideration all the anguish and suffering:)
>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNUbPRj9TGM
rofl:) See? I can't make that stuff up!!
I'm telling you, I'm like the wikipedia of ways to hurt yourself:)
>alternative to golf balls(?)
(https://th3core.com/chat/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffatchance.smugmug.com%2Fphotos%2F32009211-L.jpg&hash=0b572db637b254ba7c7aa85f42f4c443f7cedd54)
>or maybe something that shoots a bunch of golf balls, at once? Non-lethal(?)
(https://th3core.com/chat/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.autospies.com%2Fimages%2Fusers%2Fabramsv%2F323155749_5fecb56b97.jpg&hash=e3ea6a4b3f47a911e7d2d6b1ae0849d94ffd15cb)
Isadora Duncan died because of her long flowing scarf:
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/dancer-isadora-duncan-is-killed-in-car-accident
"No capes" is good advice for active contexts.