New opportunities

Spring in the Conestoga Valley is a beautiful time of year. While most of the trees are no longer in bloom, the fields are being turned, the trees are in leaf, and the weather is gorgeous. I've not been on too many joyrides lately, but my best friend and I were out for a bit on Wednesday while he was visiting members of our church's congregation who are confined to nursing homes. I was on the Sabre because I needed to give its battery a good long charge, and he was on his little Chinese Wildfire scooter.

He was actually clipping along fairly well. At one point, I clocked him at 45mph with my GPS. Not bad for a little fiddy. It was downhill, but still, my old Yamaha never topped 42 on the speedo even on an incline.

We parted ways in Farmersville, but a few hours later, he called to inform me that his scooter had blown another belt. That makes five, I believe. So, after having the entire CVT replaced, he's still blowing belts.

We might have a solution for him, one that he was highly enthusiastic about, which is an engine swap. We have a mutual friend with an old Honda Elite 150 that is just the frame, seat, and engine, which the prior owner had used as a pit bike. I hit on the idea of an engine and swingarm swap since the Wildfire R8 comes in both 150cc and 50cc versions using the same frame and body. My pastor's nephew is enormously gifted with anything mechanical, so he would be a resource we can tap into.

He's still ruminating on the idea. I will make further reports if we decide to go that route.

As for an additional opportunity, I will soon be taking a test ride on a Honda VFR1200. I am very excited at the prospect and will take some hefty notes. Having ridden my Sabre for seven months, I am completely sold on the V4 concept, and find the new Interceptor's lines intoxicating in their aerodynamic bliss. I'm a bit busy with work, but I will report again once I have taken the ride.