Scootin' Fool

Mobile devices for the Scootster

2012-01-09T10:28:00.000-08:00

I like to have music when I ride. I have put speakers in my helmet (as I've written about previously) so I can listen to music while I ride and still hear ambient noises. I started out with a cheap Wal-Mart brand MP3 player, upgraded to an iPod, and now have a Samsung Focus running Windows phone 7 (from here on, WP7). The generic Wal-Mart player is hardly worth mentioning. I don't even remember the brand and the quality was so poor it doesn't come close to comparing to better brands. The iPod and Samsung Focus WP7 will be compared here. I wish I had an Android to compare as well, but I don't.

As a scootster, I primarily use the music and photographic capabilities of both of my devices. These will be the primary focus of this entry.

We shall start with the iPod. It is a fourth generation 8 Gb iPod. It's capacity isn't huge, but for my purposes, it works fine. Sound quality is superb (it's an iPod), and the output is good in the standard iPod headphones. The music player is easy to use, but I haven't found a way to set up playlists on the device itself. It seems they much be organized on my computer. getting to the music player is simple enough since it's one of the main icons. I only use my own music while riding, so not having 3G or 4G isn't a problem. iPhone users can use Pandora Radio or Iheartradio (or other services), but these use the data plan.

The interface is easy to use with only a minimal learning curve. Using the camera isn't so bad, but the built in camera doesn't deliver the highest quality photographs. It's alright if the lighting is good, but bad lighting ruins a lot of pictures that I've taken. The biggest gripe I have is the lack of an external camera button. the only buttons on the iPod control the volume. One advantage the iPod has is a huge app store which has a plethora of photography apps, some of which make up for the poor quality of the camera.

Battery life is good. Constant music playing takes about 10 hours to drain it. Not bad. While not riding, I can watch videos on Netflix for about 6 hours. Good stuff.

As for the Samsung Focus WP7, the sound quality is excellent. Even the external speaker is quite good. The volume controls are easy to access on the side, and the lock screen displays playback controls when music is playing (the iPod doesn't, and I have not seen a setting to enable such a thing). Maximum volume in regular earbuds varies depending on the buds. Playlists are organized through the Zune software on a computer (much as the iTunes software is used for the iPod). I'd like to be able to switch things around a bit more on the fly, but I can see why such a function is not enabled. Since my phone does have a data plan, I can listen to Iheartradio, but not Pandora since it is not compatible with WP7 devices, but I prefer not to.

The interface has huge icons and a secondary screen accessed by the arrow at the top right, or by a finger slide. I think it's a bit easier for me to use than the iPod's interface. The camera is excellent, and even though there aren't as many apps in the Windows Marketplace, the picture quality is excellent. I took the picture of the iPod with my phone and vice-verse. The camera is a little slow if you use the autostabilizing function, but it provides a very sharp photo. The shutter button on the side of the phone is handy as well.

The battery on my phone is...not so good. It lasts about 6 hours with constant music playing and only about 4 if I use it for Netflix.

So, the better of the two? It's really close. The iPod is a better sounding music and media player, but getting back to the music player to pause or skip songs takes more than just a couple finger swipes. The Focus has a better camera and accessing the music player is simple and easy. It also has a bigger screen. If I'm just out riding, I carry the phone, but if I'm at work, I take both.

December scootin'!

2011-12-15T19:27:00.000-08:00

It's the halfway mark in December and nearly 60 degrees at 10pm. Wow. What a night for a ride!

It was a bit wet, but no chance of ice due to the temperature and the Silver Streak was feeling its oats. The long way home gave a nice opportunity for a stop at the airport. There wasn't any air traffic tonight, but the parked planes gave a decent backdrop for the scoot.

...and there were houses bedecked in Christmas lights on some of the side streets.

The pictures aren't the best quality, but I don't think they are too bad for having been taken by my Windows phone.

I hope you all are riding safe, and if I don't post again before Christmas, I wish you all a pleasant one. If you don't celebrate Christmas, have a pleasant one anyway. :)

Bull...dog.

2011-10-25T13:16:00.000-07:00

Fruitville Pike is usually busy in the afternoon and evening, but today I was headed north and the traffic started to bog down just north of Delp road. Coming down the hill and through the next light, it seemed that there was some hold up. At first I thought it was construction, but the traffic wasn't moving like it would if there was someone directing traffic. then I thought it might be a school bus, but the wait was too long.

I rounded the corner and was greeted by the sight of a fat English bulldog wandering around in the road. A good Samaritan had stopped to try to coax the canine out of the road, but when she would try to move her car to get it off the roadway, he would follow her.

I pulled the scooter to the side of the road and together we were able to get the dog into the grass. I sat with him while she moved her car. He was a friendly bugger, and really seemed to enjoy the attention. A few minutes later, his owners showed up to claim their missing mutt.

After the day I'd had, it was nice to do something purposeful.

Three years with Kymco...

2011-10-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

...And there's no turning back.

The Silver Streak is just about to pass 15,000 miles (24,116 kilometers on the clock), and is still purring along. It passed inspection like a champ, only requiring new tires, and still gets a consistent 80 miles per gallon on ethanol laced gasoline (89 on ethanol free when available).

Kymco started out as an engine and parts supplier for Honda in 1963 (ref. Scooter underground). As I recall, and I don't have the time to look it up just now, Honda cut them loose in the early 90's because they had grown enough as a company and no longer needed Honda's oversight or help. It's an interesting business model that one does not see happen very often, but my understanding is that this is normal Honda operating policy. If true, it's obvious that the move didn't hurt Honda any, and has proven a boon to folks who want a quality motor-scooter, cycle, or ATV at a reasonable price point.

With that in mind, one could reasonably say that when one purchases a Kymco, one is buying a Honda engine, with a reasonable pricetag, and slightly inferior fit and finish.

The engine works like a Honda, lasts like a Honda, and purrs like a Honda.
The bodywork is plastic, looks plastic, and feels plastic, but it does what it is supposed to do.
The suspension is good for a small bike. It has enough give for average bumps in the road.
Handling remains excellent. The bike is light and nimble making cornering a blast.
Braking remains reliable. Rear brakes are always worse than front brakes, especially when they are a drum, but that is by design since no one wants to lock up that rear tire in a pinch. The front disc is adequate and provides enough stopping power.

The most common question I receive is "Do you still have your scooter, and how is it running?" This should answer the question. I'll still say, it's not a Vespa, but that's a good thing. It didn't cost me nearly as much out the door (less than half the cost of a Vespa 150LX), and it's just as reliable. Yes, it's not as nice to look at (Vespa's do have that Je ne sait quois), but if you want that, get a "Like 200i", and you'll be a happy camper for several thousand miles. Buy yourself a nice flat screen with the money you'll save...ok, three or four flat screens...

Life's continuing journey

2011-10-04T11:25:00.001-07:00

Nissan (pretty sure it was them), had an ad campaign more than a decade ago that featured an Asian man and a small dog (pretty certain it was a Jack Russell), of which the theme was "life is a journey, enjoy the ride." It seems too profound for a car commercial, and the deep wisdom is there, regardless of it's original purpose.

Life's journey takes us many places that we don't necessarily wish to travel. When riding a scooter or motorbike, it's a bit more enjoyable, but for the most part, life's journey doesn't always take us through the fun twists and turns of mountain roads, but rather through the heartache and frustration of urban traffic.

When a family member has a chronic illness, or a child makes ill advised choices or a parent (or other loved one) passes away, these, among other experiences, test our mettle, resolve and integrity.

Sometimes faith is the source from which we draw our strength. Sometimes it is family. Others may look to distracting pursuits (anything from food, to sports, to video games, to television, or whatever), as a coping mechanism. Some of us look to a combination of these and may have other ways of dealing with stress.

These times of heartache are always rough...I wish life were easier.

All politics are loco

2011-09-24T18:29:00.001-07:00

Following these early Republican presidential debates and the news coverage of the campaigns has proven yet again that the media (including Fox) want to control the outcome by following only the candidates they like and giving only brief mention of the others, in hope that no one notices.

Here are the candidates as I see them. Bear in mind, these are only my impressions an should be taken with a grain of salt. If you're offended, oh well, deal with it.

• Mitt Romney: mandatory health care = bad. Sure, it was for a state and is not the same as a federal mandate, but still, I come from that state and have family members who got screwed by that law. Seems to regurgitate talking points.

• Rick Perry: can you say, "plastic?" He feels like a politician to me. We don't need more politicians in Washington. My fear with Perry is that he will talk well to get elected, but then turn around and do whatever is politically expedient. Seems to regurgitate talking points.

• Michelle Bachman: still plastic, though she's done ok so far. Also seems to regurgitate talking points, and her hair in the one debate was just plain scary. Shallow, I know, but just the same...

• Newt Gingrich: feels like yesterday's news and doesn't seem to know where he stands on certain issues all the time. Still regurgitates talking points, but doesn't get as much time to do so as the others in debates.

• John Huntsman: I really don't know much about the guy, but in the one debate I watched, he seemed evasive and looked something like a Ken doll with grey feathering in his hair.

• Rick Santorum: I like Rick, but he's been around politics for too long. He plays the game...maybe too well.

• Ron Paul: I really used to like Ron Paul, but seein him in debate with others, he seemed a little unhinged. I like his libertarian viewpoint and agree with him almost completely on political things (with a few exceptions).

• Herman Cain: now here's the peach of the bunch (he is from Atlanta). He has a tax plan. He doesn't go back on talking points. He is impassioned and you can feel it when he speaks. He's not a political insider. I could go on, but I will stop there.

There are a few other minor candidates, but these are the most visible. The media focus so much on Perry and Romney because they are (to their way of thinking) the most beatable candidates. Let's hear more from the people with real ideas, who are more than simply guys who look good in a suit.

Strumming along

2011-09-24T14:52:00.001-07:00

It may be an odd sight to see, but residents of East Petersburg and parts of manheim township may be starting to become accustomed to the sight of a guy on a scooter with a guitar case on his back.

As mentioned previously, I took up the guitar again a few months back. It often accompanies me to work, though I have yet to get up the nerve to take it to any parks to play. The gentlemen at the group home enjoy music of any sort, no matter how poorly played it may be, so there have been plenty of opportunities to practice.

This year, during Teen Week (my church's week of teen "camp") I had my first opportunity to play in front of a real audience. I played my harmonica as well and it was less challenging than I originally feared.

Last week, a capo and some fingernail picks were added to my inventory. I find the capo to be a little odd. I don't like how it seems to stifle the fullness of the instrument's sound, but it opens up a huge range of songs.

The fingernail picks are nice. I was playing without a pick, but since I'm a nailbiter (I know, bad habit, blah blah blah), it becomes uncomfortable after a while. Regular picks are hard to hold onto and seem to enjoy flying out of my hand, so the fingernail pick is very nice.

So the scooting guitarist rides again. Who knows, one day he might get up the nerve to play in a park, or on a sidewalk in the city. We shall see...

Rainy Tuesday...Gotta love New England

2011-09-06T14:15:00.000-07:00

The morning started off cloudy and dim. Not the kind of day on which one anticipates a relaxing time outdoors, but the roads were still dry and the scooter was running, so it was time to take a ride.

The first stop was Stanley Park again, to get some pictures of the flora. The light rain had left droplets on the flowers.

The roses were especially beautiful this morning.

This particular weeping spruce draws the eye as one travels toward one of the many paths leading down to the ponds. From this angle, it looks much like a slightly misshapen mastodon.

A stroll down to the duck pond and up the other side takes one past an old school house, behind which can be found the herb gardens.

This joyful little fellow seems completely unbothered by both the lack of water in his pitcher and the near miss from the tree branch that most likely came to rest there during the recent hurricane.

It was time to leave the park and continue down the road, but not before a picture was taken of the scooter in front of one of the park's many fountains.

More pictures from the weekend can be found here:

"My cathedral"

2011-09-05T15:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I woke up a little later than I intended, so I did church by myself. I slung my guitar case over my shoulder and scootered to Stanley Park. While sitting in the rose garden strumming chords, I was reminded of the Chris Rice song: "My Cathedral".

The song talks of worshiping the Creator in the creation. During the hour or so that I spent in those gardens, I felt very connected to my Creator and felt cleansed by the experience.
A wedding was in the process of starting, so I found my way out of the gardens and down to the ponds. There I met this little fella sitting amongst the pond weeds in the frog pond.

My mother had a family get together planned for the afternoon, but I even found some beauty in her backyard.

Today my mother and I took a jaunt up to Deerfield, Mass. to visit Yankee Candle. We stopped at a couple of farm markets and mostly just enjoyed the conversation and time together.

There were flowers everywhere, and lush vegetation. Unfortunately, there were several places where flood damage was plainly seen. I did not get any photos of the flood damage since I was in a moving vehicle, but I may take the time tomorrow to revisit some of the places I did not get to photograph today.

Trailered and trottin'

2011-09-03T22:07:00.000-07:00

Ok, so the title's lame, but hey.

Three weeks ago, I was given a pickup truck, so, since I was able to do so, I put the scooter on the back, strapped it down, and went north to Massachusetts. I have been long overdue for a visit home and needed some time to myself, but due to the holiday weekend, I was unwilling to travel the 300+ miles home on two wheels.

As soon as I arrived at my mother's house, the scooter came off the truck, and I took it all through about seven towns. It's running on fresh rubber since it wouldn't pass inspection without tires, and it had an oil change earlier today so performance is at peak levels. I ran it up some back roads through Russel Mass into Huntingdon, then up into Chester to a fresh water spring in Becket, then up into Blandford to walk around the fairgrounds and take in the horse draw.

I sketched a little while watching the horses, then continued on my way back down the mountains into Westfield, stopped in for supper at my mom's house, then headed to Holyoke to visit my sister and her family.

While the ride was fun and the mountain air refreshing, There was something that struck me; everything is run down, the people, the roads, the buildings. Everything.

Mills stand empty, where thirty years ago they bustling with activity.

Weeds and trees have started to reclaim these old buildings. Unfortunately, they seem to be reclaiming the people too in a way. The faces of the people I saw reflect a hopelessness I have never seen in this country. I spoke to three folks I met while riding, and each of them indicated they were out of work and unable to find any employment. These were just average folks, each of them very different in appearance and skills, and each of them struggling to cope with the difficulty finding a job in this state.

On an upward note, I visited with some old family friends who were quite taken with my scooter. They are older folks in their 70's and she's had hip surgery and can't ride his Harley. She loved the step through frame and the big wheels. So, I believe I have won another convert.

I'll have more pictures and comments in a day or two.

Riding around with the wind in my face

2011-08-09T18:28:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning dawned, and my wife awoke with a stomach bug. I had intended to go to the Ephrata Ride-in, but had to get my son to Sunday School. We rode the Sabre to Church and had a decent time of it. My son went to his class and I to mine, and it was pretty good, until I started to feel something stirring within my innards, and not in a good way (which would be pretty weird in church anyway). So, after Sunday school, we headed home so I could join my wife in sickbay...so to speak.

On the way home, the kid wanted to run by the ride-in to see the bikes. So, despite my discomfort, we popped through.

I handed the boy my camera and he was able to take a couple clear shots. It was 10:30 by the time we got there, and overcast, and there weren't very many bikes present. I'm not sure whether it was the time, or the weather, or a combination of the two. We passed a fair amount of riders leaving when we were going in, and about the same amount going in as we were leaving.

On the way home, I got lost a bit on the backroads between Ephrata and Manheim. I was a bit worried, but was able to hold myself together. It's one of those times I'm very thankful my Sabre is a smooth ride and that I don't own a Harley Vibro-Glide.

Our Bunny is growing bigger by the day. We found a bit of fencing at Pet-Smart so we let her hop around outside (with supervision). I'll eventually build her a hutch so she can be outside without supervision, but I'm not going to leave her alone in an enclosure she could hop out of or from which a predator could get her.

So life continues unabated. The scooter and the Sabre continue to be reliable transportation, and with gas prices continuing to bop up and down, I'm happy for their judicious fuel economy. Next week is camp week at Church, so I'll be putting back and forth to Woodcrest retreat on the scoot, and gritting my teeth on those bad roads at the campground.

Family addition

2011-08-05T08:59:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago, we added a new furry friend to our ever growing fuzzball population. She is a lionhead rabbit and has a sweet and curious disposition. I've wanted a rabbit for years and our finances allowed for it, so we decided it was time.

My son adores her and Mia (the name he chose for her), seems to take to him pretty well too.

We purchased a green and pink halter for her so we can eventually take her for walks, but she's still so small she slips right out of it. So...we tried it out on the cats.

Jojo was not impressed. He sat on the ground and did a dead man's crawl trying to get out of it. Lizzie's reaction was even funnier.

She held on to the doorjamb and wouldn't let us pick her up until we took it off of her. My hands now bear the wounds of that ordeal. The laughs were worth it.

I don't know how it would work, but I'd love to be able to modify my crate so I can take the bunny for rides on my scooter, but being a gentle animal, I doubt she'd deal very well with the stress of that activity.

True amusement

2011-07-24T10:27:00.001-07:00

Friday was a very hot day to spend walking around Hershey Park. With a heat index of 115, the weather was truly brutal. The youth group had planned this outing for several months, so there was no changing the date. Armed with a hydration plan and sunscreen, the boy and I set out on the Sabre to meet the rest of the group at the convergence of routes 72 and 322.

Riding through Lancaster, Lebanon, and Dauphin counties during the early morning was not too bad as the thermometer had not yet hit its apex. We had only a slight issue upon hitting Hershey when I became distracted by the smell of chocolate and stalled the bike. Oops...

Arrival at the park was met with a sweet surprise as I was waved in past the outer lots to a space nice and close to the entrance. Riding a motorbike has its perks.

We joined our youth group at the church's van and headed into the park. At this point, the sweat was already rolling off in buckets. We stopped for water (which we were provided with at no extra charge), and headed to the first roller coaster of the day, the Fahrenheit. It was an interesting nauseating ride, but not as bad as the Wildcat, which I did not enjoy all that much. I like wooden coasters generally, but the wildcat provides a bit more jostling than I prefer.

By the time the night was through, we had been on every coaster in the park (except for the sidewinder which had gotten stuck), and I found myself chuckling at the speed claims for each of the coasters. One of the coaster operators proudly proclaimed a top speed of 56 mph, and I thought, "I can do better than that any time I want, and I don't make myself nauseous in the process!"

On the way home, I topped that speed several times as we happily buzzed past the fields and forests on the way home. With as much as it costs to go to an amusement park, it seems rather silly to spend that money when I can go further and faster than any of the rides at Hershey Park, and see more countryside, while spending a whole lot less in the long run.

There's also the unfortunate side effects of walking around an amusement park and up and down stairs in 100 degree heat. Two days later, I am unable to walk without severe pain in my legs and hip. I don't have as much difficulty after riding for hours.

So, I'll continue to enjoy my back roads and hills in solitude, rather than milling about with sweaty masses of humanity. Others may choose to do otherwise, but I will be content.

Flora on the roadside

2011-07-07T21:13:00.000-07:00

Scooting down the road offers great opportunities to see the things on the roadside and beyond. Enclosed vehicles have roof supports (and the attached roof) that impede a good view. Here in Lancaster County, at this time of the year, there are flowers a-plenty on the roadside.

These yellow flowers are what my dad used to call wild mustard. Whether that's what they really are or not, I do not know, but they grow on the roadside not too far from the place where I work.

Then there are cornflowers, which are all over the place. It's interesting to note that most of them are blue (cornflower blue, oddly enough), but every so often, There will be a plant with white or lavender blooms. There is such a wonderful diversity in all species, as designed by the Creator, even in such little things as flowers, and all the way up to humankind.

Morning glories are often found on the roadside in Lancaster County. Here we see a mound of them above a stone culvert.

Riding a scooter provides so much opportunity for relaxation. The flowers are just the tip of the iceberg.

What's the difference

2011-07-03T18:38:00.000-07:00

I'm going to hypothesize a bit and possibly do a little intellectual wandering, so pardon my ramblings should they occur.

In the spring of 2008, I was able to convince my wife to let me get a scooter because gas prices were rising rapidly. They weren't quite $3.50 yet, but they were getting there. After gas rose above $3.50 a gallon all remaining 50cc scooters vanished quickly from showrooms and none of the dealers for the mainstream manufacturers were able to replace them until much later in the year, with the exception of a few of the smaller upstarts like Kymco, SYM, and Genuine, though they would get snapped up almost as soon as they rolled off the truck. Chinese scooters were available in abundance and many folks availed themselves of these with varying results.

Gas topped out (around here) at just a bit over four bucks a gallon toward the end of summer that year, and suddenly there were plenty of new 50cc scooters at the Honda and Yamaha dealer, but alas, the Japanese manufacturers were too late to jump on the bandwagon and many of those 2009 scooters still sit, awaiting the backside of a happy scootster.

Why?

Well, here's my theory, or theories really. First off, Gas prices haven't rocketed up as quickly. Certainly, they rose fast enough to cause some concern, but not nearly as fast as they did in 2008. Add to that the current drop in prices to under $3.50, and we can guess that folks may be breathing a little easier.

The second difference is the lack of disposable income for most Americans. We just plain don't have the extra money to spend, so it might take a bit more than gas at $3.50+ to force us to make the move to two wheels. Despite promises of economic recovery from our president and his doting followers, no such recovery has taken place, and unemployment remains high.

So, what will it take to get folks back into buying small motorbikes and scooters? Gas at $4.00 a gallon? $5.00? I guess we will just have to wait and see.

General update

2011-06-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

Spring has been here, and is almost gone. Yeah, I've been riding. I've been busy around the house. I did some planting about a month ago, and got this shot with my bikes in front of one of my gardens.

Aside from a week or two of warmer weather, the spring riding season has been wonderful. There has been rain in the evenings, but the days have been cool and enjoyable.

I missed this spring's scooter rally due to a family emergency. My wife was sick for three weeks during that time and was in the hospital the day of the rally, so it wasn't really a convenient for me that weekend. I was sorry to miss it but family comes first.

The cornflowers are out along the side of the road. My commute takes me past field upon field of flowers. It's really quite nice.

My family went black raspberry picking today. The sun was warm, but the air was cool enough to make it an enjoyable outing.

I've recently had to replace my classical guitar with a nice Ibanez acoustic. I've taken it a few places on my scoot, and I've been practicing with it. I have never been able to read music, despite trying for years to learn, so trading to an acoustic has allowed me to learn some chords. My fingers hurt like mad, but it's been a lot of fun. Chord changes are getting easier, and I'm actually to the point where I can sing along while I play.

Hopefully as the summer progresses, I can find some time to ride the scoot to a few of the local parks where I can play in the outdoors.

The summer's not even started, but I think it's going to be a good one.

Gonna shoot me a groundhog

2011-04-18T18:37:00.000-07:00

Spring has been here for nearly a month, and yet, there have been so few pleasant riding days. This year seems to be all gloom and bleh. O.K., that may not be a word found in the dictionary, but it's the only one that really applies. After all, I went out to ride my scooter to work on April first, and there was a thin layer of snow on it. Talk about an April Fool's joke.

The Sabre has a new set of plugs in it, thanks to the sunny day on Friday. The previous plugs were well and truly carbonated as they had not been swapped since I bought the bike. Later in the week, I'll try to impose upon my brother-in-law to help me get the tank off so I can get at the air filter and swap that out. The Bike's Fuel economy is slipping a little, and while the new plugs have certainly boosted performance, a clean air filter won't hurt anything.

It is amazing what a difference the clean plugs have made. The Sabre almost seems to jump out from under me. It's reminding me why I love that bike so much.

The Scoot is not forgotten. She awaits an oil change, a new Air filter (which costs $20, but trying to vacuum off the gunk is no longer effective), and a fresh plug. I also need to pop the cap off the engine and take a peek at the valves, though the engine shows no signs that they need adjustment.

So, I need a sunny day. I think I need to go groundhog hunting. He promised spring would be early and he lied.

Gas and go...

2011-03-16T18:22:00.001-07:00

It's one of the main talking points in the news again, just as it was three years ago. Gas is getting pricey again, by U.S. standards at least.

Another phenomenon has re-surfaced as well; folks are asking me questions about my scooter and talking about getting one for themselves.

Gas may not be as expensive here as it is in other parts of the world, but when you've only got so much budget to work with, spending above a dollar more per gallon than we were a year ago can make things interesting.

While it's not really the reason I own the scoot, it's sure nice to look at a $5.00 total instead of a $40.00 total when I stop at the gas pump. Filling up my wife's car threatens to send me into a panic, but the scooter, and to some extent, the cycle, are far less stressful at the pump.

My hope is that with this new surge of interest in scooters (and motorbikes) will come an influx of riders and fewer cagers. While there will be a learning curve for these new riders, I will cross my fingers and trust that they will come to enjoy their new mode of transport, thereby evening the odds against the crazies who want to kill us with their large steel and plastic enclosures.

Spring's inexhorable March

2011-03-10T15:05:00.000-08:00

There are few times of year that I find myself longing for as much as spring since I started riding a scooter. Winter riding, while necessary for me with my limited vehicular options, is not necessarily enjoyable most of the time, especially this past winter which seemed colder than other more recent winters.

Despite the rain outside, it appears the groundhog may have been right this year and we have ourselves an early spring. For the last three weeks, I rode the Sabre almost exclusively, leaving my scooter under the protective cover of a friend's enclosed porch. I was unable to get my scooter back until a week ago, but have been using it again due to recurrent rain. I am so very thankful for that full fairing.

Today was a balmy 52 degrees, but very wet, so the Sabre sits neglected once again while I ride my trusty 9 horses to work.

The onset of warm weather has me longing for another sunny day to either meander along country roads with the sun on my back whilst astride my trusty Kymco, or to blast down the highway or around some local twisties upon my Sabre.

The fever of spring is upon me.

Winter blitz

2011-02-13T18:42:00.000-08:00

I haven't written much this winter, but quite honestly, there hasn't been much to say.

It's been very cold. So cold that on more than one occasion, the scoot would not start. It simply protested and spluttered, but would not turn over for me. Riding has been utilitarian only. Even today, I will admit, I chose to use the wife's car to get to work, despite the 40+ degree temps.

The cover I bought last fall has been very effective and invaluable what with the ice and snow we've gotten this year. I do ride most days, despite the snow and cold, but it's not as pleasant as riding in warmer weather.

Today was the first day in a while that I can recall seeing more than one other rider, and rarely even that. About two weeks ago there was a squid on his rice rocket buzzing down Petersburg road at 100 mph (just a wild guess, but he was a blur) in 20 degree weather, but other than that, I've seen few other bikes, until today.

Today I saw four or five.

The Sabre sits in a friend's enclosed porch, out of the elements, waiting for pleasant weather, which should appear this week, but until it warms up to 50 degrees or more, it will stay where it is, and the scooter will remain the ride of choice.

Having a scooter has saved me a huge chunk on gas, and insurance. It's not, perhaps, the easiest vehicle to ride year round, but the benefits have outweighed the negatives. I do want a truck eventually, simply for the utility of having such a vehicle, but for now, the mighty scooter will keep ferrying me back and forth.

Merry Christmas to all!

2010-12-24T19:41:00.000-08:00

And if you don't celebrate Christmas and you're offended, I really don't care. :D

And I mean that in the kindest way I possibly can.

Over the past two days, I have not been out riding. I've had responsibilities that have required the use of my wife's Toyota, so I've been relegated to riding in a cage. Just the same, I did get a look at the new Honda PCX 125 yesterday, and it is a sharp little bugger. I plan to get over there sometime next week, so long as there's no snow on the road, so I can give one a test ride and see if it really is as sporty as it looks.

I'd have taken a picture, but I only had my iPod on me at the time, and it's picture quality for indoor shots is less than stellar.

We went to our church's annual Christmas Eve service tonight and I sang a duet with my pastor while our wives played accompaniment. As you can see, we only have one violinist, so the pastor's wife never ends up playing second fiddle...Buh dum bum.

Christmas Eve is the part of the Christmas season I most look forward to due to the solemnity of the observance.

For all of you who celebrate the holiday, a most blessed and merry Christmas to you. For those of you who do not, merry Christmas to you anyway. :)

Cold reception

2010-12-21T20:55:00.000-08:00

People are funny creatures. Over the last few months, I've learned to recognize a look I get from folks when they see me show up someplace with my helmet in hand. It's that look that expresses a multitude of thoughts all at once, including, "wow, that guy's committed!" all the way to "wow, that guy should be committed!"

Most folks don't get it, but I'm noticing that more people are beginning to understand. With regular gas at over three dollars, folks are once again pondering the wisdom of alternative transportation.

For myself, I'm happily buzzing along despite the cold. My chill-busting outfit makes all the difference and I'm content to ride to work, despite the nip in the air. The scoot takes a bit longer to warm up, but it's well worth it just to be outdoors, instead of cooped up in a vehicle recycling the same air I've already breathed a hundred times.

It's certainly one way to know you're alive.

Cold running

2010-12-17T20:26:00.000-08:00

Winter has set in yet again, and I'm still riding, mostly just to work.

It's been quite a while since my last post, but life has been treating me well of late and I've been out living it.

The Sabre's carb's are drained and tomorrow it will get some sta-bil in the tank and a new cover to keep the snow off. I wish I had the money to put it in storage, but I'll have to make do with what I have access to.

The scoot is running well, but has it's normal complaints and splutters with the cold, so it's been getting a bit more warm up time as it's gotten in previous winters.

I've been looking into getting a culinary arts degree and have checked out two schools so far. In fact, this morning, my son and I took the train to Philly to check out the Culinary Arts program at the Art Institutes. After viewing the facilities and hearing the sales pitch, we went down Market Street to the historic district. After wandering around in the cold, seeing the underground Ben Franklin museum and the Liberty Bell (and skipping Independence hall because they wanted us to buy a ticket for a tour), we ended up at the National Constitution Center.

They are currently featuring the Art of the American Soldier, which is an exhibition of art compiled over the years by the U.S. military through the work of combat artists. The artwork was very moving and thought provoking, and my son was enthralled by it.

About 2pm, we started walking back to the train station and it was a nice day for it. Between riding my scooter and spending hours in the cold woods, I must have built up a resistance to the extreme cold and hardly noticed it during our trek back up Market Street.

We saw a couple scooters, both Vespas. One was parked and the other was motoring down Market Street while we were heading out of town. I admire fellow scootsters who are willing to brave the elements, though their reasons may differ from mine.

As the winter progresses, I will continue to commute on my scooter, but will gladly hope for spring. I'm warm enough on my commutes, but the cold doesn't really lend itself to longer rides.

I have noticed more folks on scooters over the last month or so, despite the cold, and with gas now cresting the $3.00 mark, I'm not terribly surprised. If the gas prices spark another scooter boom, I hope that those of us who already ride can influence prospective scooter riders into starting with at least 100cc machines. 50's are good and all, but more often than not, they end up being stepping stones to faster machines. This isn't necessarily bad, but it seems more sensible to just skip that step and go with a slightly stronger machine to begin with, with more staying power.

So, despite my flying under the radar, I'm still here. I've been living life and enjoying it. I'm still hunting and riding the scoot to the woods and fields. I haven't gotten a deer yet this year, but I've used the scoot to get to the woods for both bow and rifle seasons.

Proving once again the versatility of these little machines.

I got it covered

2010-10-28T19:39:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since my last post. Unfortunately, life has been busy, and a little depressing. I still ride the scoot a lot, and the Sabre too, though the scoot has been getting more use what with the cooler weather. A fairing is a nice thing to have.

I'd had the scoot uncovered for a while due to the cover acting like a sail in the wind. I've had to replace enough broken parts due to falls, so I recently had a local amishman make a custom cover...

Well...two actually.

The pair of covers works rather well, and has allowed me to go out to a dry seat and non-cloudy mirrors for two days in a row now. Since the covers are fitted for both the front and the back of my specific scooter, they work perfectly and the wind has little extra fabric to get a grip on, so the scoot should be less likely to blow over.

There are gromets along the bottom as well, to tie the cover in place with bungees or twine, or whatever.

This will also make seat cleaning a snap once the snow flies...Just pop the cover off, and off we go...Though I'll have to clean off the floorboard.

All in all, I'm pleased with the cover. It has worked well since I picked it up on Tuesday, and despite the cost, it will protect my investment from the elements.

Bit of unfortunate scooter news

2010-09-27T11:23:00.001-07:00

The owner of the Segway Corporation died over the weekend. He was, apparently, riding a Segway at the time.

See the full story here.

It's ironic really. Sad, but the irony is undeniable.

And yes, I know the Segway is considered somewhat of a joke amongst many in the scooter world, but it is two wheeled transportation, and you have to admit, the technology is pretty darn cool.

Tuesdays @ Roots - Meetup and ride

2010-09-12T15:18:00.000-07:00

Meeting up with a fellow scootster at Roots Farm Market gave me an idea. I'm right here in East Pete, and so is Roots. Why not set up a weekly meeting with other scootsters in the area for every Tuesday at Roots.

Here's the plan. Meet at the two wheel only parking on the east side of the compound at 9am. Wander around until about 10, then at 10:30, go on a ride through some of the back roads for about an hour or so.

So, if you have a scoot or motorbike and you live in Lancaster County or nearby, meet me at Roots on Tuesday between 9 and 10:30am.

Quite a week I've had...

2010-09-12T14:23:00.000-07:00

It hasn't been a bad week, just a long one. Last weekend, the scoot took me hunting on both Friday and Saturday evenings, though Friday was brutally hot so the hunting that day didn't last terribly long. Saturday was nice, with lots of wind.

The fields were peaceful and sitting out in nature was a calming pursuit. Sunday found me exhausted, and I slept through a large chunk of it. Monday came too quickly, and I was back to work again.

(Image edited to blur faces for privacy purposes)

I worked a 16 hour shift since none of the residents had workshop. We all went to the Long's Park Arts and Crafts festival. The gentlemen all enjoyed themselves immensely, and I and the other staff had a pleasant time enjoying our time with them.

We returned home, and the shift changed at 2:30. The staff who had worked with me in the morning left, and two other staff came in to replace her. Both of them are now motorcyclists, at least partially due to my influence. The bikes pictured are a 2001 Suzuki Savage, My 1983 Honda Sabre, and a 1981 Honda CB 750 Custom. I've ridden both bikes, and they are both nice in their own ways.

The Savage is a little low and light for my tastes, but it seems a competent ride. The CB Custom is by far a completely different bike. The inline four does not like to rev as much as my Sabre's V4, nor does it have the same unbridled ferocity, but it's ride is so gentle and unhurried, I think I could ride it comfortably for hours. If I had to compare them to cars, the Savage would be a compact hatchback; functional and easy to ride, the Sabre would be like a muscle car (perhaps a late 70's Camaro); lots of punch and only enough comfort to make the ride bearable, and the CB would be akin to an old Buick; plush, unhurried, and comfortable with no question of getting to one's destination.

On Tuesday morning, I met another friend at Roots' Farm Market here in East Petersburg. He came buzzing in on his Genuine Buddy International (150cc). The picture was taken with a Helix I found parked on the West side of the complex. We walked around the grounds a bit, then rode to Columbia to take some flowers to my wife.

The Buddy seems like a nice enough scooter. It's got nice looks and is at least as peppy as my Kymco. He had whitewalls on it, and it was classy looking. I'd look into them for the People 150, but I don't think they would look right.

So, while Summer comes nearer its end, and autumn looms on the horizon, the weather has cooled and riding is enjoyable once again. Both my scooter and bike are inspected and my Sabre's speedometer finally works.

All seems to be well with the world.

Getting out

2010-09-03T19:34:00.000-07:00

Wednesday marked the first day of dove and goose season. I got off work at 9:30 and headed across the road to the neighboring farm where the cornfield had recently been cut. The landowner was happy enough to give me permission to hunt his land, and on my way back to my scooter, I saw this little bundle of fur piled up in front of a shed.

I'm a cat person...well, more of a kitten person really, so I had to have a picture. The little fuzzballs are about three weeks old, having just opened their eyes about a week ago. If I didn't already have enough cats, I would be very tempted to adopt the little black one.

My son had an appointment at 2:00, so while he was being seen, I went to the hardware store to pick up some bolts for making my rack more secure. On my way there, I saw this nice little Vespa LX150 parked outside a pizza shop.

I got my bolts and went back to get my kid, then at 5 pm, I headed off to the fields. My rack modifications worked great. The gun case stayed on perfectly and while I had to be more cautious of my width, it was well worth it.

It was warm, but not unbearably so. I'm so out of practice with my shotgun that the mourning doves were perfectly safe. I went through about a half box without taking any game.

The steers in the neighboring field did not seem to mind. They looked up every now and again, but the camouflaged hunter with the noisy shotgun didn't faze them.

As I was pulling into my driveway, my neighbor noticed the gun case on the back of the scoot. My neighbor had the perfect observation:

"You might be a redneck if..."

Nice rack!

2010-08-30T10:50:00.001-07:00

Perhaps the greatest challenge for the scooterist, aside from avoiding crazy motorists, is carrying the things you wish to carry, in order to do the things you wish to do, whatever that may be and wherever that may take you.

For this reason, most modern scooters come with a back rack and underseat storage. Some scooter companies offer additional add-on options such as front baskets, hard bags, and so on. Such things are also available as after-market items as well. The downside of this is that these additional items cost money.

If you're like me, money is probably something you are currently trying to save rather than spend, so you may need to be creative. While it is equipped with a rear luggage rack, the People 150's rack is tiny compared to some others, and will not accomodate a crate or other contrivance, so I had to modify the rear rack myself.

I looked at several options. PVC pipe was a thought, but I could not find connectors that would work for my needs. Copper pipe was another option, but I didn't think I wanted that kind of temptation out there for copper scavengers, plus, the stuff is not cheap. So I turned to my basement where I found some 1X3 lumber from a previous project.

A few slices with a saw, a couple holes made with a drill, and several countersunk screws later, and I had my rack extender.

I secured it with some bolts, and then decided to look at my options for carrying devices.

A crate will fit nicely and can be bungeed or zip-tied in place. While it doesn't look elegant at all, a crate can be highly utilitarian.

Since I don't have a car, I was concerned about how I could get my shotgun to the range or the fields without alarming other motorists. A shotgun slung over the shoulder would likely raise too many eyebrows.

I have two Plano hard gun cases, so I used one for some experimentation. For the moment it is secured with screws, but I will be changing that to bolts and wingnuts eventually to enable relatively easy removal.

A test ride revealed that the balance and aerodynamics of the scoot have not been affected. I will have to be careful to balance the load inside the box, but while empty, it doesn't cause any ill effects.

As I was riding, I stopped in at Lee's house. I've been meaning to get over there, and since my afternoon was open, it was an excellent time to stop in. We talked over some iced tea, and he suggested that I attach some reflectors to the box to minimize raised eyebrows from those with badges.

We talked a little more before I hopped back on the scoot. Lee had pointed out one of his neighbors who rebuilds bikes as a hobby. Since I was passing by that gentleman's house, I stopped to admire his most recent accomplishment; a fully restored 1984 Kawasaki 454. While we were talking, he said he had some reflectors I could have, so they are now on either side of the hard case.

I suppose it's a bit unorthodox, but as I said, sometimes you just have to be creative when you don't have any extra funds to throw around. All told, my day's expenses total exactly $0.00. That's a number I can gladly accept.

**Edited to add:**

I rode around with the gun case on the back a little more and one of the nuts holding the rack on came loose. I replaced it and put it on with a lock-washer this time. Now it should hold.

All I need to do now is stain it and try to weatherproof it a bit.

Relaxing after work.

2010-08-29T16:20:00.000-07:00

Today was a fun day at work. I mean that in the most sarcastic way possible.

It wasn't the residents, they were fine.

It wasn't my co-workers, they were fine too.

It wasn't the work, since I really enjoy my job.

It was the migraine I had from about 7 am until I left work.

I'm wondering if it's not something in the heating/cooling system ducts that might be messing with me, but it was not a good time in any event.

After I got on the bike and got the wind in my face, my headache went away. The Sabre thrummed along happily beneath me, taking me safely home. Once I got home, my son and I went fishing along the Conestoga River.

We took the car, since my wife wanted to come along, and she sat at a picnic table reading while we loaded some live bait on circle hooks and headed down to the water.

The water itself was refreshingly cool, despite the 90 degree heat, and I had soon settled into the rhythm of casting my makeshift fishing combo out into the flow of the river. It is interesting how necessity breeds odd bedfellows, as I did something with my tackle which would probably give a fly-fishing purist an aneurysm. I paired an ultralight spinning reel with my 15 year old 8 ft fly rod and I was amazed by the flowing casts I achieved. It also made fighting the smallmouth and red-eyes (rock bass) very entertaining.

The Conestoga is, perhaps, not the best smallmouth bass fishery in south-central PA, but it's not far from home and the bass aren't afflicted by any of the issues they are having in the Susquehanna River at the moment (odd fin formations and such).

My son did not do as well as I, but he did manage to hook a bullhead and one tiny smallmouth.

All told, I caught around ten fish, of which none were gut hooked and all were released, though one exceptional specimen (about 14 inches), was allowed to pose with me in the above picture. This was accomplished through the use of a circle hook, which I have come to trust as my weapon of choice for all live bait fishing. Circle hooks, due to their shape, tend to cut down on gut-hooking, which allows for more successful catch and release.

One important note, when fishing for bass it is pertinent that the fisher limit handling of the body of any fish that he or she will be releasing. Bass secrete a protective mucous on their scales which can be rubbed off by the hands of a careless fishermen; however, through use of a net and picking the fish up by the lower jaw, this can be largely eliminated (as illustrated in the above photo). This method does not harm the fish, and minimizes contact with the mucous which the fish depends on to protect itself from bacteria and the like.

It was nice to get out fishing this weekend. I've only been out a few times so far, and I have to say, I miss the sport dearly.

The price of exhaustion

2010-08-21T16:50:00.000-07:00

No, I did not wreck, but I did learn something about my limits this week.

I have read many times, and heard it said many more, that riding long distances or for long periods of time, can wear out a motorcyclist. For this reason, I have never ridden long distances without pacing myself and taking breaks when necessary.

This week marked the annual day camp and teen week for my Church. As one of the youth leaders, I pitched in and helped out with the teens on four of the five evenings. It was a genuine blast by the way.

This event is held at Woodcrest Retreat just northeast of Ephrata, PA. For the first three days, my wife and I took our son to the camp in our Toyota, but for the last day, my wife was not feeling well, so the kid and I hopped on the Sabre, and off we went. Knowing that the roads deeper into the retreat were gravel, I told him he would need to dismount once we were past the paved areas. Even so, I didn't proceed much further and parked the bike at the top of the hill instead of parking down the gravel drive near the pavilion.

Now comes the part about exhaustion.

After the teen camp festivities had concluded for the evening, I slowly coaxed the Sabre out of the graveled areas, and onto unbroken pavement, where my son re-mounted and we started home. We were nearing home when I started to feel some difficulty keeping the bike upright. It dawned on me that I was overtired and this was a symptom. I had worked all week, then devoted four hours each evening to the church's teen camp, and the week's activities had taken their toll. I said a quick prayer and was able to regain my focus, but I immediately got off the highway and made my way to quieter roads which would provide less risk to myself and my precious passenger.

We made it home without incident, but I have a new perspective on exhaustion and riding that I had little previous appreciation for. I'm not sure if it is a feature of ADHD or just something unique to me, but even when I am tired, I've never felt quite the same while riding, and riding my bike or scooter has never driven me to the point of exhaustion. We folks with ADHD tend to have higher metabolisms and tend to have trouble slowing down. Perhaps this accounts for my heightened stamina while riding, and could explain why I have never had the same difficulty riding as I experienced last night.

I wanted to take a ride tonight, but had worked another eight hours this morning, then spent a few hours at my church's annual carnival. Having learned my lesson from last evening, I decided to remain at home and watch Bicentenial Man with my wife.

My point is this, for less experienced, and even more, the warnings regarding exhaustion and riding must not be ignored. From personal experience, I can now vouch for how true these warnings are.

I'm very thankful that my experience ended well. I can't say I will never ride while exhausted again, but I hope I will be able to avoid doing so with a passenger, especially when that passenger is my son.

Inspection blues

2010-08-20T18:48:00.000-07:00

It just so happens that both of my bikes are due for inspection and registration renewal at the end of August. The scooter passed inspection, but needed a replacement left brake lever. The Sabre, on the other hand...

Let's just say the speedo issue is catching up with me. While I was able to replace the cable and sensor about a month ago, the speedo still bobbles up and down but doesn't register anything about 10mph, which indicates that one of the gears, either on the top end, or the bottom end has probably lost some teeth.

So, I've got the bottom end on its way from a seller on eBay. Hopefully this fixes the problem. I just have to find somebody with a jack and an air wrench so I can get the front wheel off.

This should be fun.

On the plus side, I was able to take a friend riding yesterday. He gets around in a wheelchair and had never ridden a motorcycle before. He held on for dear life, but reported that he had enjoyed himself.

Hopefully I can get this speedo situation resolved so I can provide more rides in the future.

Interesting electric concept

2010-08-15T16:44:00.000-07:00

After finishing my previous article, I got to looking at the Zap! electric vehicles website, and came across the Alias.

If it's not just talk, this could be a step in the right direction. It's still a plug-in electric and doesn't answer the problems of pollution from power plants, or the price aspects, but it does address some of the performance concerns, and a range of 100 mpc (miles per charge) is better than most other electrics. They make the claim that they are in collaboration with Lotus on the design aspects, which is promising.

It's a classy looking vehicle in the photos (though the above photo was obviously computer manipulated: the lighting and shadows aren't right).

If they can pull it off, and put a more affordable pricetag on it, the Alias might just be the ticket.

It's Electric!...

2010-08-15T15:47:00.000-07:00

But it only goes 40 miles on a charge and costs more than a Prius!

I've been sitting on this topic for a few weeks because I've been trying to ponder all of the angles and provide as fair an assessment as possible.

Chevy recently unveiled the Volt and it was touted by our president as groundbreaking and so on. Well, I hate to say he's wrong, but he's wrong.

First off, GM has been talking about the Volt for several years now. As I recall, it was supposed to have hit production a few years ago, but they hit some technological snags. Now, they present it as such a wonderful breakthrough and herald it as an eco-vehicle.
Well...It's not.

Let's start with the range. 40 miles, extended by a gas generator if necessary. That 4o miles is achieved by plugging in the car to a power outlet, where the power most likely comes from a coal fired power plant. Yeah, that's "eco-friendly" alright. Now, if it were powered by a nuclear plant, I'd easily concede that point, but with the current view of nuclear power by the current regime in Washington, that's not likely to happen.

The range on the electrical charge is about the same or perhaps a bit better than most of the completely electric vehicles from China.

Take the "Zap Xebra" for example. It gets 25 mpc (miles per charge) stock, which, if I remember correctly, can be extended to about 40 mpc with an optional expansion battery pack. The Xebra lacks a gas engine and only has three wheels, which are two of its biggest drawbacks. It qualifies as a motorcycle due to its wheel configuration, requiring the operator to obtain a motorcycle license. On the other hand, at $11,000, it's far less expensive than the Volt, and for someone who will use it for short commutes, it may be a far more attractive option (despite the country of origin and the inferior fit and finish that usually entails).

That takes us to the second issue with the Volt; its price. At over 40 grand, the only vehicle that Chevy currently makes that costs more is the 'Vette. The average American, struggling to break even in our current economy (raises hand), can't pay that much for a new car. The price relegates the Volt to "Fashion accessory" status for the elite who want to tout how "green" they are. This is as hypocritical as those who drive a Prius for the same reason. Even if they run the vehicle solely on battery power without ever hitting the gas generator, they still have to plug it in, which (as mentioned) probably uses coal power, which adds pollutants to the air, endangers the lives of coal miners, and so on. Then there's the question of what to do with the battery once it is no longer viable for recharging (which will happen eventually). The toxins in the battery will need to be disposed of and could be ecologically damaging (the biggest issue I have with the Prius).

It seems I rolled my third point into the second. In any case, I want electric vehicles to succeed. I want to see the U.S. move to clean, sustainable, constant power options (read clean nuclear). The problem is, the current electric vehicle market just doesn't measure up. Other than the Tesla Roadster, none of the electric vehicles that are currently available have anything resembling a respectable range. Not only that, but electric vehicles have yet to solve the problems of affordability for the masses and being truly environmentally friendly.

I hate to say it, but until something better comes along, the internal combustion engine is here to stay.

Whatever happened to Hydrogen Fuel cells?

Rough day - Some bright points.

2010-08-08T18:39:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning feeling dizzy. It was a poor start to the day. I was supposed to teach Sunday School for the teen boys at church, but I could not risk trying to ride 20 miles while feeling loopy, so I called one of the other teachers to have her fill in. I went back to bed and felt a bit better by the afternoon.

Unfortunately, my son decided it was time to express his teenager-ness. I know it's normal, but this was a bit over-the-top. I was hurt and was very close to losing my temper. Since I was feeling physically better, I went for a little ride on the Sabre to clear my head. As I was riding, I came across a field of Sunflowers.

The bright yellow flowers were a reminder of God's grace. He knew I would need cheering up, and led me to a road with just the remedy.

After shooting the above image, I passed a tractor pulling a haywagon loaded with kids. As they hollared for me to blow my horn, I revved the V4 and blew the Sabre's dual horns in glee as I whizzed past. I don't generally hotdog at all, and this probably only marginally qualified, but it was fun to hear the kids on the wagon cheer and laugh.

So, it's been a day of pluses and minuses, but in the end, I am aware that God is good. Even in my darkest times when I am feeling lost and hurt, He has control and will get me through.

More mechanical shenanigans

2010-08-07T16:55:00.000-07:00

Today was a very relaxing and mostly uneventful day. I started out the day by running to the local Honda dealer for some oil and a filter, then took my wife and son to Costco for the obtaining of household necessities, we then went to the local hospital to return a holter monitor that I had to wear yesterday to observe for heart palpitations (fun fun), and returned home after that.

The Sabre needed an oil change (hence the visit to the Honda dealer), so I got out the necessary tools and got to work. There's something about getting down on the ground with tools and getting grease and grime under your fingernails that is terribly fulfilling. I think I've said something similar before, but it's worth saying again. After I finished with the Sabre, I changed the scoot's oil as well. My kid helped me clean the scoot's air filter as well.

I then rode the Sabre to work since one of my clients needed to buy some things at Walmart, and it seemed to purr with the fresh oil in it. After helping my friend out with his shopping, I decided stretch the Sabre's legs a bit. and headed for the highway.

As I turned onto the on ramp for 222 south, I was confronted by a huge line of traffic which did not seem inclined to move. I backed off the ramp, as many others were doing, and went around by another route. I turned onto Hunsicker road to see if I could see the reason the traffic was not moving. At this point, it appeared that the vehicular constipation had eased a bit, but the cause was obvious. A truck had caught fire in the opposite lanes and was completely obstructing nothing. Hence the need to go slow and stare at the burned out hulk of the trailer (all that remained at the scene), even though the emergency vehicles and the tow truck had already departed.

On the positive side, I got to take the roundabout route, which allowed me to stop in Neffsville and give the Sabre a bath at the car wash.

After coming home, my son wanted to go for a bike ride, so the bikes came up from the basement, got a tuneup on the front walk, and once I got on the seat of my old 18 speed mountain bike, I almost fell right off. I had discovered the difference between a bicycle and a motorcyle or scooter: several hundred pounds.

I finally got my bearings and we were off to explore some of the local paved bike trails, and I was reminded of something else I'd forgotten: I am very out of shape.

On the other side of it, I had fun spending time with my son. I'll be sore tomorrow, but it was worth it. It felt good to be outside, moving myself rather than trusting an engine. Not that I plan to stop riding the Sabre or the Scoot anytime soon, but it was nice to break from my normal routine.

All in all, it was a good day to mess around with my tools and spend some quality time with my kid. He's had a rough couple months and seemed to enjoy the one on one time.

I AM VICTORIOUS!!

2010-07-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

After two months of trying to find the right tool for the job, I have finally managed to replace the overlarge radiator hose that was used to patch my bike up on my ride north in May. It took a very short screwdriver and several bruised knuckles.

I think I still need to tighten one of the hose clamps a bit more, but after fighting with it for an hour in the heat, I have retreated to my nicely air conditioned home.

There are major advantages to doing your own wrench work on a motorcycle. These I will proceed to relate:

No mechanic fees...until you break something that you can't fix yourself and have to take it to the mechanic anyway.
Extra hardware you never knew you had. Those screws and bolts weren't under your bike when you started, but now you have more to add to your toolbox, since they couldn't possibly belong anywhere...at least as far as you can remember.
The discovery that tools have multiple purposes, not only can you use them to fix things, but if they slip, you might suddenly have a piercing where you never expected it...and a nice ride to the ER to get the blood to stop flowing.
Cheap cologne, though the smells of oil, antifreeze, gasoline, and sweat tend to drive the ladies away rather than attract them.
New scars and bruises that you can tell your friends were from a nasty fall while taking a turn too fast, when in reality you caught your fingers on something while you were elbows deep in the engine, and while trying to pull yourself free, the bike fell on top of you.

So grab your tool kit, buy yourself an old CB-175 or something equally troglodytic, and go validate yourself while conquering your mechanical beast...Just keep your mechanic's number handy, and have someone else on hand to call 911...

Spousal permit test - First attempt

2010-06-30T13:48:00.000-07:00

The wife went to try for her permit this afternoon. She didn't pass, but only by one question. If I remember correctly, I only got to question 16 before I had used up all my wrong answers. She's going to brush up on the book some more and we'll go back again on Friday.

I went for a ride with my pastor again today. His scooter is back in working order again, and he's been riding around all day to visit various parishioners.

I was impressed at the lean he's able to achieve when cornering. He scrapes the center stand almost every time. Of course, he's about 250 pounds and riding on 10" wheels, so he's riding a bit lower than I.

All in all, it's been a pretty nice day. I'm sitting next to my kid on the couch, playing computer and video games with him. I'd go out and mow the lawn, but it's brown and not even the weeds are growing.

WHY!!!??

2010-06-25T07:19:00.000-07:00

This is getting entirely too irritating.

It seems like every day now, when I check blogger to see if there are any comments, there are one or two, and they are always represented by little boxes filled with Chinese language characters, with a link to some site that has nothing to do with the content of this one.

Need I say it? I hate spam and spammers! I especially detest those nefarious individuals involved in phishing and such.

The "bot" filter obviously does no good, and the disclaimer I've enabled has done no good either.

I will continue to reject comments that contain links, are not in English, or have absolutely nothing to do with the topic at hand.

Some of my readers do post links to legitimate websites with helpful information, and those will still be posted.

It's not bad enough that my Internet service is horrible. It seems now I have to wade through a bunch of muck just to blog a little.

Ok, enough griping, I have to go to work now. The scoot's low on gas, so I'm going to take the Sabre instead.

I was able to obtain the official replacement Honda radiator hose I needed. Had I known it was just the hose, and not the clamps that were to go with it, I would have shopped around and found the correct diameter hose. It cost $26.99 + tax.

With that, I really need to head out the door. I hope my readers have a better day than I have had so far.

Ride safe.

No riding today...and other odd ramblings

2010-06-17T17:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday started as it normally does, save for a slight tickle in my throat, and a mild mucousy cough. I went to work, came home played some PS2 games with the kid, then took a nap, a very long nap for me, which should have been a sign of certain doom.

Anyway, after my nap, my wife wanted to go ride the scooter, so I said sure, and off we went. I was feeling a little weak, but decided I'd be ok if I got some more rest. Shelly did very well, and even went on the short road between the parking lots. She is tightening up her turns a little, and is talking seriously about getting her motorcycle permit.

After we returned from the park, I rested some more, and actually felt worse when it was time to leave for church. By the time we got to church, I felt like my lungs were being stretched out and I was very lightheaded. We ended up at the doctor's office not long after that.

The PA who saw me said I didn't have bronchitis or anything like that yet, but that I was suffering from a bad sinus infection. Oh the joy! She gave me a prescription for a Z-Pack, and sent me on my way.

So, I've been laying on the couch, alternately sleeping and messing about with my various video game contraptions.

I really wish I were riding instead.

Lights on the horizon

2010-06-15T06:12:00.000-07:00

It's the middle of June, and already, a phenomenon I've observed every year I've lived in Lancaster County is occurring. I noticed it last night while I was riding my scooter home from work around dusk.

The cornfields on either side of the road were flashing and flickering with millions of little yellow lights. Fireflies seem to abound in the cornfields of Lancaster county. I'm not certain why, but it is beautiful to behold.

I pulled my scooter to a safe place on the side of the road and watched a while, wishing I had a camera capable of capturing the scene. The gentle putt-putt of the engine accenting the sounds of the night.

Rural Lancaster County is so peaceful and idyllic and is, in may ways, out of place. Not ten miles from where I sat, Lancaster City crouched like some noisy urban beast, ready to devour the peace and serenity of its surroundings. Even so, compared to most cities, Lancaster is small and relatively tame. The urban sprawl turns into Suburban sprawl, which suddenly mixes with patchy corn fields and farms, tapering off into farmland for as far as the eye can see.

And at night, in the late spring and summer, that farmland comes alive with lights far more beautiful than any city can produce, flickering and flashing by the millions.

Learning curve

2010-06-12T22:51:00.000-07:00

When I first learned to ride a scooter, it was an old Honda Aero 50. This was in the fall of 1993. I was in my first year of college at a little known Bible institute in Pottersville New York. One of the guys in my dorm, remembered now only by his nickname, Shleppi, owned the scooter and let me use it on occasion to pop around here and there.

It cruised at about 25, only hitting 30 to 35 on downhill slopes, but putzed along well enough with it's 4 stroke engine. I didn't know much about scooters then, but it got me into wanting one for myself eventually.

So, the time finally came when I would have my first scooter delivered to my home. The little red bugger arrived on the back of a truck, and I decided to ride it to work, only to nearly run into a curb while pulling out of my development.

Now, over two years later, I'm teaching my wife how to ride. I've learned from my experiences and she has come a long way in the four practice rides she has taken. Yesterday, we went back to the parking lot near the East Petersburg pool, and she rode with confidence. She is actually considering going to get her permit this week so we can ride some back roads together.

I wish I could get her a scooter of her own, perhaps a cute little 125 with a coat of pink paint, but money is tight at the moment, so she will just have to use mine.

It's been exciting for me to see how quickly she has taken to riding. She's still a little wobbly, but she is getting the idea of leaning and cornering. We'll still take it slow for a while, but I am thrilled to finally have my wife as a riding companion.

Breaking News: New Exfoliant Discovered!

2010-06-12T14:36:00.000-07:00

It's the tail end of spring, and motorcyclists across Pennsylvania are riding around the countryside without their helmets. I rarely ride without mine since I really like keeping my brains inside my head; however, the other day, I forgot to grab mine, was locked out of the house since my wife had our son at an appointment and I'd forgotten my house key inside, so I decided to take the risk and ride the motorcycle without it.

This is how I discovered a new exfoliant! Riding without a face-shield in the late spring is a great way to rid yourself of all that dry facial skin that built up over the winter. After riding several miles through swarms of bugs, you're likely to have little skin left on your face at all.

This led me to think about the other great exfoliants we motorcyclists and scootsters encounter.

Sand - Found in many places around the world, this natural exfoliant will not only take your bike out from under you, but it will also take a fair amount of skin off your arms, legs, face, torso, etc., should you leave them unprotected.
Gravel - Like sand, but courser. This exfoliant will leave you with brand new baby skin, after it grows back in a few weeks.
Birds - I have yet to actually hit one of these while riding, but I can imagine one of these would at least do a good job of changing skin coloring to a nice hue of blueish-purple if it hit unprotected skin. Perhaps not an exfoliant, but it would save the cost of a tattoo artist.
Pavement in general - I've been down once, thankfully only once, and I was wearing a protective jacket at the time, so I was unable to enjoy the exfoliating properties of pavement, but from what I have seen of other bikers and scootsters who have gone down, I can attest to the fact that it is, indeed, able to clean the skin right off of unprotected flesh.

After my discovery, I decided that I do not need to exfoliate that much, so I will make a concentrated effort to never forget my helmet again.

I've also had a reminder not to wear shorts while riding the Saber. I burned my calf on the left tailpipe while trying to put it on the center stand, and I almost went down when an idiot in an Escalade decided to pull out in front of me. So, I don't want to exfoliate that way either.

Disclaimer: Please take the above as tongue in cheek. I know many bikers have been seriously hurt in accidents, and my heart goes out to them; however, I think it is a good thing for us all to remember that the dangers we face are real. I was glad of the reminders I had this week, and thought it might be fun to write about it in a jovial manner.

Another Convert!

2010-05-30T17:23:00.000-07:00

I finally got to my wife!

SHE LIKES RIDING MY SCOOTER!!!! WOO HOO!!

I took her to a local private parking lot and she went for a spin. Granted, she topped out at 5 mph, but still! I am so proud of her for taking this step toward two wheels.

The only downside is, now she wants a pink Vespa!

Mid-Atlantic Scooter Rally, Spring 2010, Saturday Morning

2010-05-22T13:40:00.000-07:00

I left my house at 7:45 this morning and rode my scooter to New Holland over the back roads I love so much. She made it safely to Yoder's Restaurant where I parked her amongst the other scooters. There were definitely more scooters this year than last, and more were arriving by the minute.

The breakfast in the banquet facility was very good. We all went to the buffet and enjoyed the various tasty items available.

After Breakfast, Will gave a rundown of basic group ride protocol and how to ride in a staggered formation. He went over the planned route and we then departed to get on our scooters.

The ride was to take us from New Holland to Strasburg in three groups of up to 50 riders each. There were no mishaps on the way, though some riders had trouble riding in formation. I kept counting "one Mississippi, two Mississippi," when the rider ahead of me would pass a stationary object to keep my distance even, but the rider who was supposed to be in the left-hand side of the lane next to the rider ahead of me, kept falling back. This screwed up the formation and was a bit unnerving. Additionally, the rider ahead of me put her feet up behind her on the back of her seat at one point, which freaked me out just a bit.

All in all, the ride to the Strasburg Railroad was fun, but since I'd already been there a few times, I became a little bored after a while (not the fault of the leadership, rather just my short attention span). Luckily for me, another group had decided they wanted to get back to New Holland rather than waiting for the rest of the group. Since I'm hyperactive, I didn't hesitate and decided to go with them. The splinter group went to Kitchen Kettle Village in Intercourse, which I also found a bit on the tedious side, but then, I'm not into shopping at tourist traps.

We left from there to allegedly go back to New Holland, but I had to leave the group after a little while since I needed to get home to my wife and son. I will be going back this evening, but returning home gave me an opportunity to save the money I would have had to spend on supper.

Mid-Atlantic Scooter Rally, Spring 2010, Friday Night

2010-05-21T17:24:00.000-07:00

I hopped on the scoot this evening and motored over to The Hollander Motel in New Holland for the annual tire kicking and general breeze shooting that occurs on the first night of the rally.

I met up with Gerry, writer of the Scoot Lancaster Blog, and several others whom I had met last year. There were several more people there than I remember from last year, including one rider on a Honda SH-150.

The most common scooters represented were Suzuki Burgmans, but there were a number of Honda models and even a few motorbikes. One intrepid rider came in on a 1970-something CB125. It wasn't in the greatest condition, but it was still pretty cool. Unfortunately, I failed to get a shot of it.
There was a grill set up with burgers and dogs and some pork BBQ as well. I had a dog and some BBQ and settled in to talking with the other scootsters.

After a while, I had to leave so I could get back to my family, so I took some back roads on my way home and ran into my old nemesis: The tar and gravel road. There was so much gravel in fact that I nearly dumped the scoot. Pennsylvania townships really need to abandon this type of road repair. It may be an inexpensive option and may work for cars and trucks, but it could mean a serious crash for a motorcyclist or scootster. I hope we do not run into any of these roads on the ride tomorrow.

I also hope it does not rain.

Off to the Rally...

2010-05-21T12:19:00.001-07:00

Today is the first day of the Mid-Atlantic Scooter Rally. Tonight is just a meet and greet, but there will be a ride tomorrow. I'm considering taking the motorbike tonight, but I'm not certain.

I wasn't sure if I'd be able to go, which is why I had not mentioned it yet.

It will be a nice end to my week's vacation.

Honda Elite 110 : A pleasant little puddle jumper

2010-05-19T10:23:00.000-07:00

I finally had my opportunity to ride a Honda Elite 110 today. Yesterday, while at Lancaster Honda, I noticed the new Elite sitting there, and Kevin, the Sales Manager, said I should come back today for a test ride, so I did.

The little Elite carried me over to Fruitville Pike and back again so I could pick up some prescriptions for my wife.

It seemed to fit in very well on the suburban roads I took it on and I found that I could easily get used to it's snappy handling.
My initial impressions of the Honda Elite 110 are as follows:

Appearance: This is my biggest issue with the Elite 110. From the back, she's a prom queen. From the front, she's a drag queen. The front end looks ok from a distance, but when one draws closer, the horn vents look like a pair of cetacean nostrils (otherwise known as a whale's blow-hole). The back end is nicely done with a very streamlined tail light.
Fit and Finish: The Elite seems very well put together, but there were a few places where the paint was scuffed. There was also an issue with the seat lock on the vehicle I tested.
Noise polution, from the Elite 110 is minimal. This could be accounted for by the gigantic muffler, but there were no discernable extraneous engine or transmission noises
Seat height is good. I was able to stand flat footed when stopped which is comforting. I don't really like the feeling of being on my toes while stopped at a light. It's just a bit unnerving.
Footroom is fantastic and easily accommodated my huge feet. There are even secondary footpegs to either side of the seat, just in front of the pop-out passenger pegs, that could serve as an alternate foot rest. The footroom on this scoot is impressively huge.
Mirrors are wide set and allowed a good view behind me, but the one on the left was a little loose on the scoot I tested. I was told that this was an error on the dealer's part and not an issue with Honda quality.
Vibration is only noticeable at a stop, but it isn't bad.
Instruments are easy to read, with bright turn signal and headlight indicators. The speedo is dead center which is a nice touch.
No side-stand which could be difficult for more mature riders or those with difficulty lifting.
The underseat storage for the new Elite is gigantic. It's large enough to carry a gallon of milk, and a modest amount of groceries, but, while Honda claims that it will hold a full face helmet, they fail to mention that the seat will not close on top of one. Just the same, the storage rivals that of a Silver-wing and is perfectly suited for basic errands in an urban or suburban setting

Now, on to the ride.

The stability of the Elite 110 was surprising to me. The wheels are small (10 in rear, 12 in front), but the stability was quite good despite this. The scooter feels extremely well balanced.
The Elite 110 handles very nicely. She corners well and counter-steers around bumps and obstacles without feeling too loose or too tight.
I was completely taken aback by the suspension. This is a 110cc scooter, but the suspension felt better than its 150cc counterpart. I was so shocked (no pun intended), I even took her over a few manhole covers to reassure myself that I was not mistaken. Sure, you feel the bumps a little, but my experience with small wheeled scooters and even with my big-wheeler, is that even small bumps can be quite jarring. The Elite blew that particular perception away.
The seat comfort is decent. It feels softer than other scooter seats I have rested my hindquarters on, and seems to have a little pocket that one settles one's tush into. It's certainly a different feel, and I wonder how it would feel over a longer ride.

The Elite 110's performance is good for its engine size.

The fuel injected engine accelerates well, but does not seem particularly aggressive until it reaches about 20 mph (indicated). Between an indicated 20 and 40 mph, acceleration is much more peppy. Bearing in mind that this is a new engine that has not yet been broken in, the acceleration tendencies may change as the scooter is used.
The scoot motored up to an indicated 53 or so on the straight stretch outside the Honda dealer. Knowing the tendency for scooter speedos to be optimistic, I'd guess she hit about 45, which, for a 110, particularly one that is brand new out of the box, is not too bad.
Braking was competent. It was so competent that I failed to notice anything about it one way or another. I hadn't even realized that I had not thought about the brakes until I arrived back at the dealer. I believe that to be a good thing.

All in all, riding the new Elite was a conflicting experience. While I know the scooter is built in China, it has the solid feel of a well constructed machine.

It sounds beautiful, meaning that it hardly makes a sound at all. This is a scooter that you can stop on the side of the road to have a pleasant conversation with a friend, without shutting off the engine so you don't have to shout at each other.

I think Honda hit a home run with this machine, and with their current price incentives, the Elite's MSRP is $2,499, which makes it competitively priced (which is a shock coming from Honda).

Now if only they could do something about that front end...

New Honda 125cc coming to US market

2010-05-18T19:15:00.001-07:00

It looks like Honda has heard the distress of her American fans and has deemed that they shall bless us with another scooter, the PCX-125.

They claim that it is inspired by sportbikes, but I'll have to ride one before I agree with that assumption. It has 14" wheels, which are a bit smaller than those on the SH-150, so I'm a little leery of their claims of sportbikeyness (I know, not a word, but I don't care).

They are releasing this scoot to the US as a 2011 model, which means I'll probably be able to test-ride one around mid summer.

As it is, I will finally get an opportunity to test-ride the new Elite. I sat on one at Lancaster Honda this morning, but the weather was not conducive to a ride. I have to say, for a scooter seat, this one is more comfy than most. It's not quite up to the comfort of most motorcycle seats, but it's a far sight better than the seat on my Kymco (not that Kymco seats are known for their cushy-ness).

One other note on the PCX, it is, yet again, a fuel injected scooter. This is a good thing, and it gives Honda a nice little repertoire of FI scoots.

Safely back to PA.

2010-05-17T15:28:00.000-07:00

The ride home was uneventful, which is a good thing. The engine temp remained low, only rising when we would come to a stop.

We were told we would hit rain, but it didn't hit until we got to Lancaster County, which was, again, a good thing. It's a lot cooler here than it was up north, strangely enough, but this spring has been up and down with the weather.

Sometime this week I will need to take Natasha to the Honda dealer to get some radiator hose of the correct diameter to stop the cold leak that she has.

I'll write some more later. I am going to spend some time with my son.

Safely home and on the road again.

2010-05-17T09:07:00.000-07:00

We left from Danbury CT on Saturday morning, around 9 am. The ride was a little on the chilly side, but we decided to follow US 202 up into the hills. We caught Route 8 in Torrington and followed it to 44, 318 and so on until we came to that unnamed reservoir I always like to stop at.

My son enjoyed looking out over the lake and we rested for a little while before continuing on.

Shortly after arriving at my mother's house, my sister's family showed up. My nephews wanted to sit on the bike, so all three boys got on for a group picture.

The roadside repairs done to my cooling system seem to be holding up and other than a few cold leaks, it's been ok once the engine is hot. Thankfully, the engine has not been too hot.

I also did some repairs to my exhaust system which I do not have time to discuss at this point since we are stopped at a McDonald's in Danbury CT and my kid wants to get back on the road.

2010-05-15T05:50:00.000-07:00

Morning is here.

Wouldn't that be a great sight to wake up to?

It was for me. We had a good nights sleep and are now enjoying breakfast at the Super 8. It's your typical continental breakfast with bagels, waffles, and toast, a juice machine and a coffee machine, as well as a pair of cereal dispensers. Not exactly Denny's, but it works.

The room we got last night was surprisingly clean. It was a smoking room, but did not smell badly of smoke.

We awoke rested and are now ready to continue on our way.

Traveling Mercies...

2010-05-14T18:53:00.000-07:00

I remember hearing people pray for "traveling mercies" when I was a kid, but I never really understood what they meant. Until today.

I had planned to take a vacation to visit my mother this week, but had thought I would be unable to do so. My boss would not let me take back my vacation time, so I ended up having it anyway. My wife and I decided that she would go to her parent's house while I went to visit my mom, and our son would go with me. So, this morning, I started out by heading to work. I was about an hour late because, while I had set my alarm, I'd left my phone on vibrate, which is a great way not to hear an alarm if you have an LG Xenon. I got my work done and was home by 10:00 am.

I took a moment to pray and asked God to provide me with a pair of saddlebags so my son could ride with me. I really didn't have the money to purchase a pair, but I called Lancaster Honda and asked the sales manager, Kevin, if he had any used saddlebags for sale that might have come in on a used bike but were not attractive enough to sell on the bike. He did not, but said they had a pair that they were not sure of their ownership that I could borrow over the weekend. Answer to prayer #1.

Since I saved the money I had expected to pay for the saddlebags, I purchased an inexpensive tank bag instead, and hopped back on Natasha with my son and headed home. We packed our stuff in the bags and got ourselves on the road.

We headed up 222 to Allentown and hopped on 78 out to 287 in New Jersey. We stopped for gas, and continued on our way up 287 to 87 in New York. We got off the highway at Exit 16 and took US 6 east to where it connected with 202. We then followed 202 past the Taconic parkway, enjoying the Twisties around the Hudson.

Just east of the Taconic, in Yorktown, NY, Natasha suddenly erupted in a cloud of noxious steam. We pulled over to the side of the road and I turned her off right away. She'd been running a little hot, so I suppose this should not have been a surprise. After pulling over, I noticed a stream of engine coolant flowing from one of the radiator hoses.

I started out by praying and asking God to send someone to help, then I called my insurance company, but they were not of much help, so I looked up "Honda Yorktown NY" and the first hit I got was Mt. Kisco Honda, which I did not realize was about 45 minutes away from Yorktown. I also did not see that they were a car dealer, not a motorcycle shop, but I spoke to one of their mechanics anyway, and while he was unable to help me, he thought for a moment and said, "Wait, Joe knows motorcycles, let me get Joe on the line for you."

The next voice on the phone was that of Joe (big surprise, I know), one of the Service Advisors at the aforementioned Honda dealer, and after explaining my problem, he said "I want to help you," and asked me to text him pictures of the problem area. It took him a while, but he took time out of his Friday evening, to bring some hose material and clamps to fix my trouble. In speaking to him, it turns out that he builds custom street bikes on the side and seemed right at home with his bag of tools by his side and his hands buried in the engine of my Sabre. He changed out the faulty hose right there on the side of the road (it had a sizeable hole in it). I thanked him heartily and gave him a small amount of money for his trouble, though I don't think it was nearly enough for his kindness.

By the time we got on the road again, it was growing dark, so we had to find a place to stay for the night since I didn't want my son falling asleep on the back of the bike, so I prayed again and asked God for a room for $60.00. After walking into the Danbury, CT Comfort suites and being told they wanted $109.oo for a room, we rode down to the Super 8. After explaining my situation, the man at the counter gave us a room, for $60 plus tax.

So, three for three today. I suppose one could say that it was all coincidence, but I believe in my heart that there are no coincidences in life.

* Since I am sure someone will point out the handlebar bag on the front of the Sabre, I did move it to the sissy bar behind the seat, to avoid any possible overheating it might contribute to by blocking airflow. After the bag was moved and the hose was replaced, I had no more trouble with overheating at all.

Vespa Lancaster

2010-05-12T15:09:00.000-07:00

I knew this was coming, thanks to Gerry from Scoot Lancaster, and I've previously reported on this myself, but Vespa of Lancaster is now officially open. Keim Pre-owned on Manheim Pike, is where the dealership is currently located.

They still do not have a sign up, but they have received their motorcycle sales license from PennDOT, and their contract with Vespa. They only seem to carry the Vespa line since I did not see any other bikes or scooters there other than a used Kawasaki crotch rocket. I'm sure they could order other Piaggio scooters and Aprillia bikes, but for the moment, they have none in stock and I was only provided with a Vespa brochure.

The sales rep my friend and I met with was not terribly pushy, but my buddy (the one with the Wildfire), did seem to enjoy looking at the creme de la creme of scooterdom and they had a good conversation.

I'm guessing they may be moving the scooters to a different showroom at some point. Hopefully when they do so, they'll bring in some Piaggios as well.

For me though, Vespas are nice enough to look at, and if someone bought me one, I'd be elated, but I honestly can't see spending so much money on a scooter when my $3000 Kymco gets the job done at half the price and with the same reliability.

New opportunities

2010-05-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

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.

Vrooom!

2010-04-22T19:45:00.000-07:00

Small bikes are great. They are light and agile and force the rider to make the most of their capabilities, but big bikes have their own unique charm as well.

In a recent entry, I praised the virtues of riding slow and enjoying the countryside. While this is very true, I am very pleased to note that I have two bikes, which allows me to enjoy the best of both worlds.

Spring is here in full force, and with it comes fantastic riding opportunities. Both my scooter and my motorcycle open up different riding options. As I become more comfortable on the Saber, I find that running it through its gears and taking it around corners and over hills and such is exhilarating. It is capable of greater speed and acceleration than my scooter could ever attain, and while it does not handle nearly as nimbly, it offers other benefits.

One such benefit is the ability to easily carry a passenger. While the scoot has passenger pegs and space on the seat for a passenger, it really isn't designed to carry two adults, at least not American adults (yeah, we tend to be a bit on the heavy side). Today; however, I was able to finally convince my wife to ride with me. Admittedly, we only went around the block, but she actually admitted to enjoying the ride. It was a bit different for me, since I have never ridden with an adult passenger, but she did well with remaining still so as not to offset the balance of the bike, and the ride went without a hitch.

I hope that in time she will become more comfortable with the idea of riding, but we have made a start. Up until now, she was terrified of getting on a motorcycle at all. Now that she has ridden once, she is willing to try again in the future.

I'm hopeful that in time, she will become comfortable enough with riding that she will be able to ride along on her own motorbike or scooter, rather than on the same bike with me. Certainly, having her ride with me was fantastic, but having her ride alongside on a second bike, would be a blast.

Connections...

2010-04-20T21:48:00.000-07:00

Within the last week or so, I have had opportunity to speak to several people whom I have influenced to take up riding or take up scooting.

One of my co-workers recently bought a Suzuki Savage 650 due, in part, to my glowing praise of two wheeled transport. He is still adjusting to the manual transmission, but I am sure that, given enough time, he will become more comfortable. Now he just needs to ride his bike to work so I can get a look at it.

My best friend is still riding his Wildfire R8 50cc scooter, which still runs and started right up this spring. He has had no more problems with the transmission since it was replaced (one should hope not!), and he and I have ridden together several times already this spring. Tomorrow will be another opportunity I am sure.
My boss is considering buying a motorcycle, though I am trying to convince her that a mid-size scooter might be a better choice since she is uncertain if she wants a manual transmission. Unfortunately, she has fallen prey to the common misconception that all scooters are slow and are not for riding on the highway. Certainly, a 150 may not be well suited for such use, but a 250cc or larger engine will be up to the task. Perhaps I should introduce her to the Piaggio BV-500.

The last person on the list is another colleague. He is a gentleman who works for the maintenance team at Friendship. He rides a 2003 Nighthawk 750 (pictured with my Sabre above), and after seeing my scooter, he was full of questions. Since he is an experienced rider, I let him take her for a little spin, and he was even more interested. So, I think I may have brought another scootster into the fold.

If only I could make money convincing people to take up motorcycling and scooting, I'd be a happy guy. Unfortunately, my mechanical savvy isn't quite up to the point where I could start a scooter shop, and I just don't have the killer instinct to be a salesman (tried it once, failed miserably).

Maybe I could write a blog or something...oh...wait...

Planting time

2010-04-15T08:57:00.000-07:00

It's that frenetic yet paradoxically peaceful time of year when every living thing is actively pursuing the furtherance of their particular species. Trees are abloom, insects are buzzing about, there is a pair of mallards that are scoping out a nesting site in one of the gardens at work, and the Amish are plowing their fields using the same methods they have for centuries.

Unfortunately, my good camera seems to have given up the ghost, so I am stuck with the 2MP* camera on my phone, but if one looks closely, just a bit to the left of center, there is a dark brownish blob on the lighter brown of the field. That blob is an Amishman with his team of mules, plowing a furrow.

It was a brisk morning which made the ride very pleasant as I took the long way home from work. I still find that peaceful rides in the countryside are more enjoyable on the scooter. The smaller vehicle does not come with the temptation to goose the throttle and rocket up to 65mph in the span of a few heartbeats. It allows one to take a peaceful ride, unencumbered by the need for greater velocity, and unimpeded by the pop and growl of loud tailpipes.

No Speedo? No problem

2010-04-07T13:17:00.000-07:00

Shortly after purchasing my Sabre, I became aware of a glaring issue; The speedometer did not work. I took it back to the shop where it was purchased and the mechanic tried to fix it, but only succeeded in fixing it for a mile or so.
I have a replacement sensor and cable waiting to be installed, but cannot afford to pay someone to do the work, nor do I have the right tools to remove the headlight assembly so I can get at the plug.

I needed another option since I will be traveling on the bike this summer. I have a GPS, but buying a mount for it would cost nearly $40.00. I do not have that kind of money at the moment, so I needed another solution. Then it hit me: Velcro!

A modified rectangle of Velcro on the back of the GPS and a contoured piece on the bike itself, and voila! Instant speedo!

I tried it out on the highway, and it stayed put perfectly. I had to yank on it a bit to get it unstuck!

I also gave my scooter the same treatment, though without quite the same results.

I had previously used the suction cup post stuck to the plastic lens above the speedo as a mount but found that not only did this obscure too much of the built-in display, it was not secure and the GPS was prone to pop out.

With the velcro just above the speedometer, I am able to see enough of the readout to compare it with the GPS speed meter, and I can see my clock and gas gauge. Additionally, it also sticks very well.

Now I just need to get a power port on both my scooter and Sabre so I can use the GPS for extended riding.

Spring has sprung!

2010-03-16T08:23:00.001-07:00

While I have not yet seen a robin, I went out to my back yard to survey the damage and see about pulling some weeds before they got a good foothold. To my delight, as I went up the hill behind my house, I found some tulip leaves peeking up out of the flower bed.

I righted a bird feeder that had fallen over in a recent windstorm, and set back toward the house, when to my further joy appeared the flower that is synonymous with early spring; Crocuses!!

Only a few sticking up through the leaves and stubble from last year, but enough to get me excited for a little gardening.

Close calls

2010-03-14T18:33:00.000-07:00

Riding season is here in force, though delayed for a couple days due to rain, for casual riders at least. The temperatures have been in the 50's and 60's, making the riding much more fun.

Unfortunately, the idiot cagers are still out there. I've had more close calls in the last week than I had all winter. Early last week, for instance, I was riding the scoot home from work, traveling along 722 where it meets airport road just outside Neffsville, and watched as a light colored minivan blasted right through the stop sign, without slowing, and turned left in front of me (coming in from the right, on a corner).

View Larger Map

I was headed west, and the minivan came in from the north, right in front of me. I countersteered and laid on the horn all at once, but the only response I recieved was a blank stare. I can't believe how idiotic some people are.

I even had a close call in a 1997 Dodge 15 passenger van. It is one of the largest passenger vehicles on the road (short of a bus), and yet, an idiot pulled out in front of me, coming off 222 south onto 272 south. I had to brake hard to avoid him. Thankfully I had no residents in the vehicle with me.

So, to all my readers, happy riding, and stay safe. Remember, the guy in that SUV on the side road...He's out for blood.

Ephrata First Sunday Ride-In: March 2010

2010-03-07T17:33:00.001-08:00

The riding season has started, and with it, the First Sunday Ride-Ins in Ephrata. I was there at about 9:00 am, and there were perhaps fifty other bikes there already. I took the Sabre since it was finally promising to be warm enough to ride it comfortably.

When I left my house, it was 32 degrees, and my right thumb was numb by the time I arrived in Ephrata. The promise of a warm day had not yet been realized, but the sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The Sabre Growled to life and rumbled off down the road without any complaint, itching to stretch her legs after a winter of innactivity.

I only saw three scooters this morning, one of which was the Vespa 300 Super belonging to Gerry from ScootLancaster. One rider had a Piaggio BV-250 that he had repainted a brilliant shade of blue. It was quite eye catching, though I'm not sure I would have used the same shade of blue myself.

The Sabre seemed to draw a lot of attention. I was somewhat surprized, but I had several people admiring her lines and asking questions about her. I knew, yet again, that I had chosen well when purchasing Natasha last September.

I hung out a bit with the CMA folks, and looked around a bit, and finally left for church around 10:15. It was refreshing to spend time with other motorcycles, and it felt good to see my bike getting lots of positive attention.

Here's the photos I took this morning:

Scooter Racing?

2010-03-03T20:18:00.000-08:00

This was too good to pass up. I looked at my reading list this evening and saw that Gerry from Scootlancaster (See sidebar), had posted an item about the Mid-Atlantic Scooter Racing Commission. I think I'm going to have to check it out.

Looks like a lot of fun.

New perspective

2010-03-01T06:55:00.000-08:00

I've heard for much of my life that if I have enough faith, I can do whatever God calls me to do. I've even heard some preachers say that if I have enough faith, I can be rich in earthly wealth, though that hasn't happened yet, so either I don't have enough faith or they are idiots.

In any event, this past weekend, at my church's men's retreat, we watched a video of Louie Giglio entitled "How Great is Our God." The content of the video is enough to give one pause to begin with, but beyond that, he quoted Isaiah 41:31, which says (quoted from the New Living Translation):

"But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint."

He then went on to define the word "trust," which is rendered "hope" or "wait" in some other translations. He stated that the word has a deeper meaning of being in a time of deep need to the point of despair, and I imediately identified with that. He then went on to point out that the promise of scripture is not that I will find all my problems solved, nor will I necessarily be removed from the difficult situation I find myself in now, but rather, God will give me the strength to endure through these times, even though I cannot see the light.

My wife and I are struggling to keep our house. She has been unable to work for a while and is on medical leave from her work, and despite recieving some pay, it's not enough to meet all our financial needs. We recieved the first of the foreclosure warnings from the bank last week, and have a stack of bills that seems to get higher every day.

I struggle to get out of bed some days, but I was encouraged by this verse. "Those who wait for the Lord, will gain new strength."

I know that even if things get worse, which is a very real likelihood at this point, God will give me the strength to get through, if I trust in Him.

A retreat and a hockey game.

2010-02-28T15:06:00.000-08:00

I believe I mentioned last year that my church has a men's retreat on the last weekend of February every year. This year, as we have the last four years, we stayed in a cabin at Caledonia State Park, just outside Chambersburg. It was a good experience for me since I've had a bit of a rough time of it lately. To be in idyllic surroundings with men who are like brothers to me was a huge encouragement.

When I came home this afternoon, I found my son shoveling the remaining snow from our driveway. It was a few minutes after 3:00, so I gave him a hug and told him the U.S. and Canada were about to play for the gold medal in Hockey.

And what a game it was!

The first two periods were a little dissapointing as the Canadians got two goals, but the U.S. eventually got one, and then got a second with less than 10 seconds left in the third period. It was an intense game and was a blast to watch as it went into overtime. Canada was still able to score a third goal and win the game, but wow!

I'm not much of a sports fan, but I love hockey. I've only been to a few games, none of them NHL games, and I don't watch it much, mainly because I generally have other things to do, but when I can sit down to watch a game here or there, I generally find myself grinning ear to ear, much as I do when riding my scooter.

It was also a very pleasant thing to have my son sitting on the couch wide eyed enjoying the game next to me.

So, all in all, I haven't been out riding this weekend, but it's been a great one all around.

I'm such a mean parent.

2010-02-18T06:59:00.000-08:00

I am not the type of parent who believes that his child should own every gadget that exists. My son has a cell phone, but only because we do not have a land line in the house. He had lost his cell about 6 months ago and was told he would not get another until a.) he straightened up and started showing more responsibility, and b.) he could either pay for a replacement or we could get one for free.

Well, our contract came around to where it could be extended and we were able to get him a free phone. My wife was worried about him when he'd be home alone without a phone since that could be a safety issue, so, we were at Costco and they had a deal for getting a nice little samsung touch screen phone for him, so long as you signed up for a family text package. My wife also got a nice little Pantech flip phone with a full keyboard and I got an LG Xenon, but that's beside the point.

I warned him that I would be checking his text messages every day, and he thought he could trick me by deleting messages from his inbox. Unbeknownst to him, there's also a sent box, which he forgot to clean out. He looked at me with disbelief when I questioned him about some foul language in one of the text messages he had sent, and then we had a little talk about using appropriate words and clean speech. He was also warned that if he uses foul language in text again, or tries to delete the texts he has recieved, I will remove texting from his line. Strangely enough, this morning, I found all texts present and accounted for, and no foul language on his end of things. Of course, he knows that I'm a man of my word and when I say something, I will follow through.

We also had a discussion about using wholesome speech, specifically referencing Ephesians 4:29 which states:

^"Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them."

I wish I were able to do something about his friends language. I did send a message back to one kid telling him to watch his language since "parental filters are in place." I hope he gets the point.

So, I'm a mean parent, but I'd rather my kid be mad at me now over little things like this, than get in with the wrong crowd because I don't catch the little things.

Out of the snow...

2010-02-16T09:56:00.000-08:00

I'm experimenting with mobile posting, and as yet have not been successful. Hopefully it works this time.

My scooter sat in the snow under its cover for a week. My son and i were able to dig it out, and a neighbor helped me cut a parking space out of the snowbank for it with his snowblower.

The scoot started right up, and i took it over to the filling station to top off the tank.

I rode it to and from work yesterday without incident, despite the threat of snow and the wet roads after nightfall.

The sabre still sits in the snow. Due to some back and neck issues, i have not been able to dig it out, not that i could ride it if i wanted to.

Yesterday, when I looked out the window at work, there was a line of mist above the creek that runs behind the group home. The trees appeared to be floating above the mist.

As to the idea of posting this message from my cell phone, I had to edit it and add more photos after sending it. More of a pain than it's worth I think.

Faith for sale!

2010-02-13T08:14:00.000-08:00

I consider myself a man of faith. I'm not religious per se, since I don't perform any rituals by which I hope to secure my eternal destination. I wear my faith outwardly, but not on my garments, rather through my behaviors. I don't even wear jewelry other than a simple gold band on my left ring finger. I believe that if it is necessary for people to learn of my faith by my apparel, it is no faith at all.

I used to have a fish on my car, but I did that to keep myself accountable while driving.

That said, I was playing a game on Facebook, when I noted an add for the following:

I was repulsed. Even now, I cannot find the words to adequately express how utterly revolting it is to me when people use the Christian faith as a gimmick to make a quick buck. Perhaps it is the same revulsion and disgust that drove Jesus to pick up a whip and start turning tables over in the temple.

Whiteout and a surprise

2010-02-10T18:43:00.000-08:00

For anyone who's been paying attention (or who lives in the affected areas), the weather conditions in the northeast will come as no surprise. Today's blizzard conditions in Lancaster made driving home from work a bit of a trial. I had to make two attempts, and only made it a mile from work on the first attempt before I got my wife's car stuck in a snowbank. After about two hours, some good Samaritans and a pair of Manheim Township police officers helped me dislodge the Rav4.

I returned to work and helped cover the shift since one of the staff was unable to make it in. The snow finally stopped flying around 6:30, so I left work again around 7:30. I needed a bit of help to get the Rav4 our of the parking lot, but after that, I was able to take a circuitous route home. It took a bit of work to park, but I finally was able to relax in the warmth and safety of my home.

The snow really was beautiful, despite making the roads treacherous. I spent a lot of time out in it, removing it from the walkways at work with the snowthrower.

With my wife's recent illness, money's been a bit tight, and we were having a bit of trouble with our Direct TV bill. I called them to explain the sitiuation and ask if there was anything they could do for me. The gentleman I spoke with at first said there was little he could do, as they are trained, but after explaining a little, he transfered me to their "retention" division. The woman I spoke with, she gave the name "Olivia," was pleasant and conversational. She gave me a $75.00 credit toward my bill and helped me change my plan to something more affordable. I'm sure that, on the one hand, she was glad to speak to someone who was simply presenting the scenario of "Satelite TV, or mortgage..." as opposed to an irate caller.

I always like to give a plug for folks who do me a good turn. I like Direct TV. They have decent channel choices and cost a lot less than Comcast. Now there's another bonus; they have great customer service, at least from what I've experienced.

Times of sadness...

2010-02-05T15:19:00.000-08:00

My bike and scooter sit in front of my house, their covered forms collecting the new fallen snow. Their outward situation reflects my inward thoughts as I look back on the events of the day.

This morning, my wife woke me with the pronouncement: "Willie's having a seizure!"

I brought him in onto our bed and he seemed very weak. He seemed so light to me, compared to even a few days before. Over the past month or two he appeared to be losing weight, and we were worried about him, but we had no extra cash to pay for a visit to the vet. The last two weeks had been even worse, though he seemed to be rallying a couple of days ago.

When he started having seizures this morning, we knew the time had come to take him to the vet, though we suspected that nothing could be done. To make matters worse, our youngest cat was starting to show the same symptoms, so we put them both in carriers and headed out the door.

It seemed to take an eternity for the vet to see us. I sat in the examining room holding my dear feline friend in my arms, when I realized, this was the first time he'd ever sat on my lap for more than a few short moments in the ten and a half years he had lived with us. He didn't struggle because he just didn't have the strength to put in the effort. The thought brought me to tears.

When the vet finally came into the room, he gave us the news that we feared, but for reasons we had not expected. Willie was very sick, and his liver and kidneys had apparently failed and he had lost more than half of his body weight.* He said that they could run some tests, but that it was likely that there was nothing to be done for a senior cat like Willie and he agreed that due to his apparent suffering, the kindest thing to do would be to put him to sleep.

Willie let the doctor know how he felt about that by clawing him in the hand, but then collapsed and started into another seizure. They gave him a sedative and let him rest on the bench by the door while they examined our other sick kitty; Jo-Jo. Jo-Jo was in better shape, but still showed signs of a toxin* of some sort. Since he is only a year old, we opted to try some medication and were given some antibiotics and steroid for him (He's actually seeming a bit better this evening already).

All too soon, it was time for Willie to get back on the table. My wife and I hugged him one last time and scratched his head as the doctor put the needle in his foreleg. He slipped silently into what I imagine is the endless dream into which all lesser creatures must go when the pass from this life.

Perhaps there is a place in heaven for beloved pets (I know, it's not very theologically correct), but if there were, I can imagine that Willie is at this moment happily shredding a giant couch.

*Unbeknownst to us, Onions are toxic to cats. We found a bag of onions that had apparently gone bad and had oozed some juice onto the floor. Willie and Jo-Jo had apparently licked at it and became sick. Jo-Jo also enjoys stealing food and we use a lot of onions and garlic in our cooking. If you treasure your dog or cat, do not let them have anything with Onions or garlic in it. They contain a toxin that will cause anemia and possibly (in the case of our cats) liver failure.

Insanity and its derivatives

2010-02-03T13:19:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went outside before it was time to leave for work. The weather was crisp, but above freezing, so I decided to take the Sabre since it hadn't been run in more than a week and I wanted to clear the pipes a bit.

Riding a motorcycle without a windscreen in cold weather is insane. It was just at the point of being bearable, but I think I will pursue more balmy weather for riding that particular vehicle. The Sabre is fantastic for pure power and an exhilerating ride, but cold weather riding isn't terribly comfortable on it. It's also a machine that I will not ride in rain or snow, simply due to the weight. The scoot I will ride if I have to since it's so light I can muscle it around. Of course, it snowed last night after I arrived at work and there was about a half-inch on the ground by the time I was ready to leave for home. So, I parked the bike in the garage at the group home and called my wife for a ride in her SUV.

The scoot's been out quite a bit lately and I've actually seen several other intrepid cold weather scootsters out as well. This afternoon, I saw someone on a black Vespa right in my neighborhood. There's also a rider with a Flyscooters La Vie whom I see on a regular basis along the same route I use for work.

I'm not sure if this is due to the current gas prices, or some other reason, but I can't remember seeing as many scooters on my commute last winter. It's nice to see, simply because the more of us there are, the more visible we become, but just the same, with the recent bitter weather, it's somewhat of a surprize.

Leave it to the British...

2010-01-30T15:47:00.000-08:00

I have a new favorite TV show. Just out of curiosity, I turned on "Top Gear" on BBC America today.

The Lamborghini and Porsche they test drove at the beginning were enough to keep me interested, but it wasn't until they started test driving big rigs that I completely lost it and almost spit out my supper.

If you have not watched this show yet, and you have a television, it is well worth the time. The twisted British sense of humor makes it all the more enjoyable. It's reminiscent of Myth Busters, but I found it to be more entertaining.

For those of you with Netflix, Series 10 is available for online viewing.

My day is looking up!

2010-01-19T18:32:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm pleased to note that my home state has finally done something intelligent as far as politics are concerned.

For the first time in, what is it...almost 80 years, a Republican will be sent to the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts. That is amazing to me. Perhaps it signals change. Perhaps not. But just the same, I'm feeling a lot better.

As a bit of context, I am not a Republican and really don't have any love for the Republican party. I am a Libertarian at heart and unfortunately, both of the main line parties currently seem to stand for big government, just varying degrees of the same.

Rough ride...

2010-01-19T08:49:00.000-08:00

...Not so much in the literal sense.

My wife is back in the hospital again, and my heart feels as if it will break. It's beautiful outside and all I feel like doing is sleeping.

I've been searching my soul, praying, and trying to find an answer, and I have to say, I'm starting to feel like I can identify with Job.

And then I think of the people of Haiti, and I realize that there are always partners in misery and there are always others who have it worse.

I pause for a moment and say a prayer of repentance for my selfishness, but then, a few minutes later, I'm feeling awful again.

I know; however, that I can rest in the words of the well-loved psalm:

The Lord is my shepherd;
I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows;
he leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
bringing honor to his name.
Even when I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
protect and comfort me.
You prepare a feast for me
in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
My cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord
forever.

Psalm 23 (NLT)

Some days my faith is all that keeps me afloat.

January Thaw

2010-01-15T08:13:00.001-08:00

I just checked my Weatherbug and it's 45 degrees out (that's Fahrenheit for you folks outside the U.S.). Yesterday, it was 42 when I headed to work.

I took the Sabre to work in the evening so I could stretch it's legs (so to speak), and it was good. Very good. The big old Honda roared to life and after she had warmed up a bit, we headed off down the road. The day was beautiful and today looks to be even nicer.

It was, of course, a bit colder when I left work, but still bearable. There was no ice on the road (much to my relief), and the air, though a touch below freezing, was still refreshingly warm compared to my recent experiences.

My wife and I are going out on a little "date," but afterward, I think I will take the Sabre out again for a nice long ride.

Chilly Commutin'

2010-01-14T08:35:00.001-08:00

It's been a cold month so far. Today is the first day that the temp has gotten above freezing this year. Sure, I've been riding to work in the evenings. I'll admit, when my wife doesn't need her car in the mornings, I've been taking it myself, then riding to work in the afternoons.

It's been so cold lately that even while wearing gloves, the cold dry air has been doing a number on my hands, so taking the scoot or the sabre has not been as comfortable as I would like it. Sure, I'm warm enough, but the dryness of the air just seems to suck the moisture out of my skin.

One of my friends has expressed interest in getting a scooter. He and I went looking at Kymcos this morning and he seemed to gravitate to the 125 and 150cc scooters. It was nice to be able to give advice to someone else, especially when I remember my own first scooter purchase.

When I look back on the purchase of my Vino I truly wish I had had another rider whose brain I could have picked so that I would have known what to avoid and what to look for. I loved that little scooter, and I miss it, but I know now that I was ripped off by the dealer in the form of almost $300 in excessive dealer fees, on a scooter that had been sitting in their showroom for three years.

I also know now, that starting on a 50cc isn't necessarily a bad thing, but for the rural roads in this area, they aren't terribly appropriate. I've been passed illegally three times in the last three weeks while driving my wife's car, when I was proceeding at, or slightly above, the posted speed limit, this morning being the most recent occasion.

My friend seemed impressed by the sticker prices and will talk to his wife about the options he saw today. I might take him to the Honda dealer, but he seems to like the Kymco's, particularly the Agility 125's.

Come spring, it looks like I'll have another riding buddy.

Cold snap...new year...rider down

2010-01-02T16:33:00.000-08:00

It's cold. Dang cold. I was out hunting with my best friend today and got a few shots in at some low flying ducks and geese, though, with the wind, I didn't hit any. Thankfully duck and geese are still in season for a few weeks, so I'll have more opportunities to knock a few down.

The new year came and went. I slept through the ball drop. It's not really something that gets me excited. One year is much the same as the next to me. When I was younger, I found the celebration of the new year to be something of note, but now, it seems a pointless exercise and an excuse for revelers to party. I've never been much of a party goer.

I found an article on Lancaster Online about a man who was in a hit and run on his motorbike. It's one of the things that scares the liver out of me. One of the downsides of winter riding is the tendency for cagers to become even more lax than usual in their observance of those of us on two wheels. Some of us just don't have the luxury of riding in a cage, and others of us just don't prefer it (I'm a bit of both).

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T05:51:00.000-08:00

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Luke 2:1-20(NIV)

Beautiful Weather

2009-12-18T19:03:00.000-08:00

This week has been a bit on the chilly side, it being December and all, and we are expecting a hefty snowfall throughout the day tomorrow. I've been riding my scooter to work most of the week, though I rode the Sabre to a training on Tuesday. My new coverall has proven to keep me warm and comfortable, so long as I wear my polar fleece cowl. Even on the Sabre, I was unaffected by the cold.

I've seen a few other intrepid riders out there on scooters and dual sports, but few on cruisers or street bikes. We've had some warmer weather up until the last two weeks with weekends in the fifties to lower sixties. This gave riders a reason to be out enjoying the warmer weather before winter hit in force, and here it is. With the advent of winter weather, there are few of us who are still willing to be out in the cold with our two wheelers.

I'll freely admit that I will not be riding to work tomorrow morning. I will be firmly entrenched in my wife's Rav4 with traction control, appreciating the heat and the security of four wheels firmly planted on the ground and a protective cage around me.

Of course, if I had a dual sport with knobbies (and could actually mount one), I'd probably be tempted to ride it tomorrow, but, I don't, and I've not completely departed from my good sense, so the SUV will have to suffice.

The scooter and the sabre are both happily ensconced in their covers, with the scooter sitting in the lea of the house so as to be out of the wind. Perhaps I will find them coated with snow in the morning, sleeping peacefully...

Stayin' warm

2009-12-12T19:32:00.001-08:00

This has been an interesting week. On Wednesday, I woke up with a splitting sinus headache. I made it to work, borrowing my wife's car, and by the end of the am shift, I was glad I had. I was feeling aches in all my muscles and joints and had horrible chills. When I arrived at home and took my temperature it registered 103.3. So, I spent the rest of the morning in bed. Even after drinking, taking some Tylenol, and eating some jello, the fever would not diminish, so my wife took me to the Dr., where I was told to go to bed, drink a lot of liquid, take some Tylenol, and eat some Jello.

Great advice. So glad I went to the doctor.

Well, I felt better the next day, and feel even better now, two days later.

I got some birthday money from my mother and my coat was wearing out, so despite the fact that I couldn't really afford it, I purchased some coveralls. I was at K-Mart with my wife, and the price was right, so I got a Wall Blizzard Proof coverall. It is very warm, which is what I expected since my previous coat was of the same make.

I am very happy with it, even if it is a little bulky. For my short ride to work, I am impervious to the cold. It will be interesting to try it for a longer ride.

At the moment though, it seems to work great.

Happy Hunting!

2009-12-07T16:51:00.000-08:00

The day dawned with me walking down a trail into the woods in Perry County PA. It was a beautiful crisp, 15 degrees outside (Fahrenheit). Snow still clung to the hillsides, though in some places, the leaves showed through. My best friend/pastor had driven me up to his father's cabin and the three of us drove over to Tuscarora State Forest.

As I started walking down the path into the valley to take up my position against a tree, I realized I had forgotten my albuterol inhaler at home. If any of my readers are asthmatic, you will know and understand that this revelation almost always means certain doom, and like a self fulfilling prophecy, I had a whopper of an asthma attack. I began to pray for a miracle since my hunting partners were not answering their radios and I did not have the keys to the truck, nor was my home in easy driving distance. Just as I finally contacted one of my hunting partners on the radio, another pair of hunters rolled up in a big Chevy pickup, and asked if I was ok and if there was anything they could do to help. I replied that there was little they could do unless they happened to have an albuterol inhaler on them. They at first thought that they did not, but the driver of the truck had a realization and reached into the back for a bag. He produced an inhaler from the bag that had just enough albuterol in it to relieve my symptoms. I thanked them kindly and they rolled on up the hill.

You may say it was a coincidence, but I do not believe in such. It was nice to have my own little birthday miracle.

I was able to stay in the woods for several more hours, and I was glad of it. I didn't see any deer, but the experience of hunting, for me, is less about the taking of game, and more about experiencing the wonders of creation. I found a nice little creek which I plan to return to in the spring when trout season opens.

After returning home from the woods, I found an interesting ornament had been added to our tree. My wife and son then gave me my birthday presents.

Due to our current financial situation, the gifts weren't expensive, but I did get something I have wanted for quite some time; an am/fm radio that fits in my pocket. It's an authentic Sony Walkman so the sound output and quality are fantastic. I put my Nintendo DS speakers in my helmet, and went for a little birthday scoot. It was so nice to be able to listen to my favorite radio stations, though I noticed that the engine makes AM stations crackle a bit. The signal was clear, until I started the scoot, then suddenly the interference started. It's livable, and I am just glad that I can stay connected as I listen to talk radio or music or NPR, whichever I feel like at the time. The great thing is, I can still hear the ambient sounds, so I do not feel unsafe.

So, being 35 isn't starting out too badly aside from the one hiccup. I even got to share my birthday cake with the men at the group home, for which they were overjoyed.

Weekend update

2009-12-06T12:32:00.000-08:00

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Well, it's been a while since my last post here, due to multiple different factors; the first factor being Goose season and deer season. I've mentioned before that I like to hunt, and two weeks ago, my pastor and I spent two mornings out at the crack of dawn with shotguns at the ready and decoys in the field.

Our first outing brought no luck, but the day after Thanksgiving, we got some shots at a low flying flock of honkers. Unfortunately, I was so excited to have geese in range, I forgot to actually aim, and I missed all five of my shots.

The weather has been very nice for the most part, so I've been scootin' a lot, and from time to time I will take the sabre out for a spin. That's where factor #2 in not posting comes in. This past Thursday, I overshot a turn on a back road through a forested area and ended up with my back wheel in the leaves and mud on the side of the road. I was going about 10 mph, but just the same, the bike went down with my leg under it. I didn't recieve any outer injuries thanks to my protective clothing, but I pulled a few muscles and lightly bruised my left shoulder. The bike got a slight bit of rashing, but nothing terrible.

I was so sore that I was unable to go hunting on Friday as I had planned, and getting on or into a vehicle was an interesting proposition. So the scooter and the cycle have both been parked. My wife was at a ladies' retreat this weekend, giving me access to her vehicle, but getting into the driver's seat with pain in both of my thighs was a singular experience which I do not wish to repeat.

This morning, I awoke and the pain in my legs was gone. My shoulder still hurts, but that I can live with. There was a thin coating of snow and ice on everything, so I took my wife's Rav4 and left my snow covered two-wheelers where they were.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow morning. I shall be celebrating the end of my 35th year of life and the beginning of my 36th. My father used to tease me each year that it was "a day that would forever live in infamy," punning on the statement made so many years before on the same day of December.

But I shall once again try my hand at deer hunting. I usually go out on my birthday to give myself the treat of having a day out on my own, but tomorrow will be extra special since I get to go up to Perry County and hunt where I have never done so before.

So that is what is new in my little corner of creation. I hope to be able to report a successful hunt tomorrow and a full freezer to boot.

Good News and bad news

2009-11-25T06:23:00.000-08:00

First, the good news, Earlier this month, Pennsylvania's House Transportation Commitee approved legislation (House Bill 2070), to ban cell phone texting while operating a motor vehicle. When this will actually become law, I am uncertain.

This is good news as it has the potential to enhance safety for those of us who might otherwise be unseen by some idiot texting while they drive.

On the other hand, this is also bad news since it means one more law and one more opportunity for the commonwealth to stick their collective noses into the business of private citizens. Unfortunately, I'm convinced that this might be one of the times that legislation is necessary, but that does not mean I have to like it.

On the whole, I will admit that I will feel a little safer once this new regulation goes into effect, but then, I believe it was Ben Franklin who said:

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

Photographic experimentation and More barns

2009-11-22T17:54:00.001-08:00

I had to work today, as I do every two Sundays. I love my work, and today was a shining example of why. I took my camera to work in anticipation of going barn-hunting afterward. I also took my tripod, which I recently rediscovered in a box in my basement. Since I had these tools along, I decided to let the residents at the home take a crack at some photography.

Here are two samples from the two gentlemen who showed interest.

After work, I did as I had planned and went hunting for barns. Having my tripod along allowed me better stability and more options for standing off the road since I could set it up and be less wobbly.

The first barn I came upon was one I had passed many times before, and I think I may have photographed it previously, but I wanted to get another shot of it. The chipping paint around the windows give it a sense of character.

The second had a nifty little courtyard in front with a concrete rail around it. The upper windows really caught my fancy.

The final barn I photographed today was actually a pair of buildings. They had been recently painted, but still caught my eye.

All in all, this was a great day!

Old Timers and Old Barns

2009-11-21T14:16:00.000-08:00

I love talking to folks who have lived many years. When I was a boy, one of my favorite things to do was to go upstairs to the apartment above us where lived a man named Mr. MacDonald. He would play checkers and tell me stories about the days when the decaying New England village I lived in was a bustling town, back when the paper mill was in full swing and provided housing for all its employees. The area of Woronoco where the Strathmore paper mills were used to be called "The beehive" due to the buzz of activity. There was a butcher shop, a general store, a community building which at one point was used by a small college, and all sorts of other things one would expect to find in a mill town during the early 1900's through the 1950's. Hearing his stories expanded my imagination and I could picture myself in the black and white photos he showed me.

Mr. Macdonald has been dead for 25 years now, but today, I had the pleasure of speaking to a gentleman who reminded me a lot of him, and he was telling me about his Cushman scooter. I think I can safely call him Mr. Stoltzfus without violating any privacy morees, since that name is more common than Smith in this part of the country. In any event, Mr. Stoltzfus had seen my scooter and we got to talking about motorcycles and scooters. Mr. Stoltfus has to be at least in his 80's and hearing him talk about riding his old Cushman and the Honda's and Yamaha's he'd had brought pictures to my mind, just like listening to Mr. Macdonald.

This evening, I had opportunity to go for a dusk ride. The main roads were busier than I like, but the back roads were pleasantly empty. The color of the sky was breathtaking, but unfortunately my photographs don't do it justice.

I saw several old barns, most of which were on the main road, so I was uncomfortable with stopping to photograph them, but one was off the beaten path and I was able to get a few nice shots of it. There were Alpacas in a fenced area adjacent to it and they seemed very interested in what I was doing.

It's been a nice autumn for riding. The weather is cooling some, especially in the evenings, but it has been better riding weather than I expected so far.

Suited up for cold weather.

2009-11-19T06:46:00.000-08:00

I am not an ATGATT (All The Gear, All The Time) rider, but I wear what I can to protect myself while riding.

With winter on our doorstep, there are other protections to consider, aside from crash protection. While a crash is a possibility, frostbite from improper wind protection is a near certainty. So, wearing appropriate gear for the weather is a must.

For those among you who have ridden for many years, you are aware that leather provides excellent protection from the elements. Since I am not able to afford an expensive leather jacket (there's no such thing as a cheap one), I settle for my heavy canvas coat (pictured). This, coupled with my windshield, protects my torso from the wind.

It is also important to wear appropriate leg and crotch protection. Experienced riders will be nodding their heads at the mention of the latter. Even with the full fairing on the scooter, I found I was doubling up on jeans or wearing longjohns so that my knees would not get so cold. This also helped protect my...uh...inner thighs from freezing as well. On a scooter, even when your legs are only slightly apart, the wind channels right in between them, and it becomes quite chilly down under. A suggestion I've heard given by an experienced rider was to forget chaps since they only protect your legs. Instead, he suggested a pair of worker's winter coveralls. The thick canvas helps block the wind and keeps everything underneath nice and toasty.

During the summer, I may periodically wear my half helmet or 3/4 due to the heat, but I am very thankful that I was able to get a full helmet when I purchased the Sabre. By itself, it's good to about 40 degrees (fahrenheit), but with my fleece cowl underneathe (pictured on right shoulder of coat), it's basically blizzard proof.

My mother was kind enough to buy me a pair of heavy work boots when I was in Massachusetts in October. They don't have armor on them, but I am confident that the sides of the ankles will be superior protection to what I would recieve if I were wearing sneakers. The toes are lined, so I do not feel the cold through them. It also helps that they are waterproof, meaning no more soggy toes after a rain ride.

The last piece of gear is gloves. I have two pairs that I wear. The first is my Joe rocket waterproof gloves. They are only good to about 40 degrees, so I have a pair of suede leather driving gloves that do well to about 20 degrees. An older rider made the suggestion of wearing a pair of lady's gloves underneath as a liner. I haven't tried that yet, but it follows the good sense of layering.

This is what I do for the colder months and it works well for my short commute to work (four miles). I generally avoid pleasure riding in the cold since cold weather riding just isn't all that pleasant once your fingers, toes, and other things...start to fall off.

Biodiesel boondoggle

2009-11-17T07:49:00.000-08:00

I'm not certain I can write this without screaming my head off. Lucky for you, you can't hear screaming through text.

Let me start off by stating that I am all for taking care of my little corner of the universe. I don't litter, I drive economically sensible vehicles (my scooter and motorcycle are my primary transportation), I'm careful to dispose of used motor oil properly when I change my vehicles' oil, I turn off my lights and electronics when they are not in use, and so on.

I can see the point in trying to find renewable sources of energy. It makes a lot of sense to me, but from a cost perspective since I don't subscribe to the idea of global warming. I remember hearing from many of the earthy-crunchy types that bio-diesel was supposed to be this wonderful cure for hydrocarbon consumption. Several folks made their own Fry-oil using Volkswagons, and just last year, the biodiesel consuming Jetta was proclaimed "green Vehicle of the year"

But wait, Biodiesel is made from, among other things, the oil of the oil palm. Where does the oil palm grow? It grows in warm climates in places such as Indonesia. So, now we have the green movement up in arms because millions of acres of rainforest have been leveled to plant oil palm plantations.

The destruction of the rain forest means loss of habitat for all the little critters the greenies want to protect.

The whole thing is morbidly hilarious. First biodiesel is the most wonderful thing in the world, but now, it's horrible, and the greenies brought this upon themselves!

Perhaps clean drilling for good old fashioned dino oil isn't so bad after all?

I'll stick to my scooter and motorbike, thanks just the same.

The American Family...

2009-11-14T16:17:00.000-08:00

In these United States, we have a unique idea of family.

When my wife and I were first married, we had our first child within three weeks of our wedding. No, it wasn't a shotgun wedding, and the "child" was actually a cat. He was a black and white bi-color who chewed through phone cables and bit my toes through the blankets.

Within a week, he had a sister, and they were our kids. We lived in a small apartment in Columbia, PA, at the time, but soon moved to a single-wide trailer in Leola, PA. Madeline and Willie Nillie (those are their names), settled in with us, and within a year of our move, my wife suspected she might be pregnant with our first human child. Unfortunately, that was not to be. We lost the child, but soon gained another cat.

Frankie joined our family in 2003, and Annie came into our lives in July of 2004. Each of these cats were adopted soon after the death of a beloved relative. Frankie was a stray we found under our oil tank, and Annie came from the Humane League.

At this point we were up to four cats, but we didn't care, they were a nice addition to our family and it was comforting to come home to a cat purring on the arm of the couch, just waiting to be scratched under the chin. and at least one other rubbing on our ankles.

In September of 2004, our lives changed dramatically when we took a foster child into our home. Luis was adopted in 2006, and we are very proud of him. But with the adoption of one child, we soon had another in our family.

In August of 2007, Luis came home with a little ball of fur in his hands. A pair of kittens of no more than two weeks old had been abandoned on a neighbor's farm, and we inherited the calico. After two sleepless nights, she finally took to bottle-feeding. Her "mother" was a heat pack wrapped in a tea towel. Lizzie soon grew to be as playful as any kitten will be, and was welcomed as our fifth cat.

Then, insanity truly set in. We went to the Humane League, "just to look" and came home with our sixth cat last winter. Jo-Jo made himself at home and regularly sleeps on our bed with us at night.

For those of us who have them, pets are an integral part of our homes and families. We share our lives with them and they return our affection (at least the warm blooded ones do). Certainly, they are not the same as the human members of our families, but they are family just the same.

I watched "Marley and Me" with my son tonight and this seemed to be the overall theme of the film. Dogs and cats affect us in ways that we cannot easily put into words. Even if we sometimes find their behaviors annoying, they are a part of our lives and we love them.

Chilly days are upon us

2009-11-07T13:32:00.000-08:00

But I'm still riding, are you?

This morning when I went out to my scooter, it was covered by a thick layer of frost. Thankfully my windshield is low enough that its height does not require it to be defrosted.

My ride in to work this morning was very cold and the scooter was a bit hesitant at first. After warming up for a bit, she did just fine.

I went out on the Sabre after I arrived at home and while it was brisk, it was very enjoyable. The leaves have all turned and many are no longer on the trees. It was all I could do to restrain myself from blasting through the piles of leaves on the roadside.

Winter will soon be here. It is shaping up to be long and cold.

Autumn doldrums

2009-11-05T06:47:00.001-08:00

First off, I would like to apologize to my readers for not posting in a while. With my wife's illness I had retreated into a bit of a personal funk. It has been hard for me to do anything due to feelings of depression and outright hopelessness.

I have been riding though, and from time to time I still stop to take a picture of the scoot. The bushes in the photo above were so stunning I could not help myself.

I'm a little irritated that this picture didn't come out so well. The sky behind me was striking, but I think I should have turned off the scoot to eliminate mirror vibration prior to taking the pic.

To add more to my busy life, the home I work for moved to a new facility on Tuesday. The gentlemen in the home seem to be settling in, but it has been stressful for all of the staff, myself included.

I'm still waiting for a call from the local Honda dealer about the Elite 11o. They are running into issues with PennDOT since the scoots are apparently made in China and have an "L" vin. I've read conflicting reports about the quality of the scoots from different sources. I'm itching to see one for myself so I can make my own assessment.

Ups and downs

2009-10-24T13:00:00.000-07:00

Well...It's been a busy, and difficult couple weeks.

My wife has been in the hospital with a serious illness.

My son and I went north to Massachusetts so my family could help me through a bout of depression due to my wife's illness, this time in my wife's car since it was too cold to travel all that far with him on the back of the Sabre. We had a fairly good weekend, and it was nice to see my mom and family again.

We returned home, and I worked three days in a row, alternatively riding the Sabre or driving my wife's car.

I finally rode the scoot again last night after replacing the windshield. I did decide to go with another Slipstreamer Scoot 30. The price was right, and it would have cost about $30.00 more to buy a Kymco specific shield.

With the new windshied, I finally felt comfortable riding the scoot again. Today, I rode the scoot to Friendship Community's annual banquet. I parked it in front of Yoder's Restaurant so the scoot would be out of the wind. Nobody seemed to mind my parking it on the sidewalk next to a soda machine, and I checked with an employee just to make sure it was ok, and they thought nothing of it.

The banquet was nice enough, though the speech was a bit long. The keynote speaker was Anne Beiler, founder of Auntie Anne's Pretzel company. The speech was good enough I suppose, but I'm not a big fan of speeches anyway.

After the banquet, I followed the house van back to the group home (I'd taken the scooter since the van was full), and it started to rain. Unfortunately, I had not had the foresight to wear my rain gear, so my jacket got a bit damp. It wasn't too bad, but when I was ready to go home, it began to pour. I think I shall start making it a practice to keep my rain gear with me every time it's even a little cloudy. I must say that I was very thankful to have a new windshield. It kept me from getting completely soaked before I got home.

Windshields certainly make a difference. Acceleration and handling are greatly improved. Now all I need is a new basket for the back of the scoot and I'll be set.

No more floppy mirrors

2009-10-23T08:09:00.000-07:00

After my scooter's most recent wind experience (being blown over), the piece of metal that holds the left back-plate / mirror mount in place had snapped off. I'm not sure how, since it's a bit more than a 1/4 inch thick and round, but I suppose with enough force and the repeated times which the wind has blown the scooter over, it was inevitable.

I purchased a replacement back-plate and attempted to remove the old one. I had to remove several screws to loosen the headlight cowl so I could get at the screws on the old back plate. It took a while, but I finally got the cowl loosened. Kymco doesn't make it easy to get the plastics off their scooters.

To top it off, the handgrip was well and truly stuck to the handlebar. It took quite a bit of cajoling to convince the handgrip to slide off, but eventually I did. I slid the old back plate off as well (which you can see from the picture was somewhat scuffed from flopping around), and slid the new one on.

I replaced the handgrip, screwed in the mirror, and voila! The scoot is ready to ride again.

I'll take a little ride this afternoon since I have some errands to run. I'm looking forward to it.

All I need now to be prepared for the winter is another windshield (the old one cracked in the last fall). I've been looking at my options and while another slipstreamer scoot 30 would be ok, I'd really like something a little more sleek looking.

For the moment, I'm just relieved my mirror won't flop around while I'm riding down the road.

Another SH-150i review

2009-10-13T09:17:00.000-07:00

The November issue of Motorcyclist magazine has a review of the Honda SH-150i. I was unsurprised to find that the article is not mentioned on the cover, and was also unsurprised at their evaluation of the SH-150i in the little "They Say, We say" blurb set into the title photo which states: "They say: 'So hip, so smart, so Honda. We say: True, but it's still a scooter."

Of course, this is from a motorcycling magazine with no real love for scooters. I get the impression that they cover them to keep an aura of complete reporting.

Personally, I have a soft spot in my heart for scooters, but I'm willing to accede to the fact that not all folks share my particular vantage point, and that's quite alright.

Despite their obvious bent toward manual transmissions, they did a rather complete and accurate assessment of the SH-150i, mostly inline with my own. They did state that the SH-150i is "reasonably priced" and I still am not sure I agree with that. While it is probably the nicest big wheel 150 I've ridden, I'm not 100% certain it is worth dropping that much cabbage on. Is it worth the money? I think so, yes, due to its high quality; however, it is the highest priced of the big wheel 150's that I have looked at. Considering that the MSRP on a Piaggio BV-250 is only $400 more for comparable quality with a bigger (highway capable) engine, the merit of the statement "reasonably priced" rests with the individual buyer.

It's interesting to note though that this review concurs with my own (and all the others I've seen), that the SH-150i is an impressive scooter.

I can't wait to see the new Elite 110!

Autumn riding

2009-10-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like riding on an autumn morning. The crisp air and the fall colors refresh the soul. Lancaster county is beautiful this time of year. The pumpkins and winter squash are just coming in, and the corn has all turned brown.

In this part of the county, the land is mostly flat, with lots of farms and few trees. What trees there are, have just started to turn colors.

There is quite a bit of wind, which makes riding the scooter just a little dicey. When the wind is at its peak, I've been riding the Sabre. With its heavy steel frame, the Honda doesn't even budge even when the gusts would blow the scoot off the road.

Of course, that has given me an opportunity for autumn riding when I would normally be staying home. As flat as the land is around here, the wind whips through with no impediment. It makes riding the scooter like holding onto a wild bull.

Either way, regardless of whether I'm riding the scooter or the motorcycle, the briskness of autumn riding is something I truly enjoy.

Kymco strikes again!

2009-10-06T09:23:00.000-07:00

Ok, if Jerry at ScootLancaster can be Vespa-centric, I can be Honda and Kymco-Centric.

While browsing through the Urbanscootin' forums, I came across a thread started by the poster known as Metronid, with a link to an article regarding upcoming changes to the Kymco lineup.

There has been some buzz about these upcoming scooters for some time in the scooter-blogosphere, but this information is a little more up to date than what I had seen before.

They give some good information on the Downtown 300i, but nothing on the Like 200. It will be interesting to see whether the Like 200 is a true 200 or just another 150-180cc branded falsely as a 200. I'd really like to see a 19hp+ scooter with a 199cc+ engine. That might be hoping for too much.

If the Yager 200i is any indication, the Like 200, may still miss that mark. The Yager 200i has only a 174.5cc powerplant...which is still better than the People S 200's 163cc's, but is not truly a 200cc. At 16hp, it's just barely highway capable, which is impressive by itself, but something bearing the 200cc moniker should have an engine that at least approaches 200cc. Call me a perfectionist if you like.

Unfortunately, I could not find more information on the web about the Like 200 (or 200i perhaps), so I called Kymco USA directly and spoke to one of their representatives. Unfortunately, again, she had no information on the Like 200, but refered me to Kymco's main website (which had no info), and their marketing department (whom I emailed).

So, for now, I shall have to content myself with secondhand information, which is rather frustrating.

Safe return

2009-10-04T14:56:00.000-07:00

The sky looked grim this morning. I arose from the depths of my mother's basement and looked out upon cloudy heavens, but no rain. Just in case, I donned my rain gear, said my goodbyes, and mounted the Sabre.

About 10:00, I was cruising through Connecticut and the sun made its glorious appearance. I stopped to remove my rain suit along a dam on route 318 (I think), popped it into one of my bags and hopped back on the bike. I hopped over to route 8, and eventually made my way to I-84 West. I chanced upon a pair of riders heading in the same direction and fell into formation with them. The leader was riding some sort of custom chopper and the second gentleman was on a smaller bike. I didn't get an opportunity to get a good look at either bike though. They kept to a moderate speed, which was very nice, since I did not have to fight the wind as much.

They turned off onto US-7, and I continued on to I-684. I went down the Sawmill Parkway to I-287, then over the Tappan-Zee bridge. Despite the signs on either side stating "No stopping on bridge," some numb-nut decided to stop to look at the boats, nearly causing an accident.

The trip through New Jersey was uneventful, though not being allowed to pump my own gas was highly irritating.

I arrived in PA at about 2:00 and all was going well until Kutztown. Suddenly there was a knot of traffic up ahead, so I tapped my rear brake several times to alert the drivers behind, and slowed down as I neared the stopped vehicles.

It turns out that a rider on what appeared to have been a Triumph Speed Triple (from what remained of the bike), had been weaving in an out between other vehicles when an annoyed cager slammed on his/her brakes. The rider swerved, lost control, and was disconnected from his bike which did several graceless cartwheels down the road. The rider survived with what appeared to have been only a few scratches, though he was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance just to be safe. The bike was not so lucky. I wanted to get a picture, but did not wish to have an accident myself, or annoy the emergency crew that showed up.

When I arrived in East Pete, the road into town was blocked off due to another motorcycle accident. Apparently, the rider took the turn at the corner of Graystone road a little too fast and lost control of his bike. He was not as fortunate as the rider in the earlier accident. An eye witness reported to me that this rider's leg was almost entirely severed.

I, on the other hand, have returned home safely and without incident. My second trip to Massachusetts on two wheels was a success, and I look forward to another trip in the Spring.

Old bikes...Old memories

2009-10-03T09:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I visited my old school. I attended Pioneer Valley Christian School in Springfield Massachusetts from fifth grade through graduation from High School. They recently completed a new wing and while some of the building was familiar to me, there were many differences, almost to the point where I felt quite out of place.

I saw the three teachers who had the greatest memorable impact on my development into an adult.

The first was my science teacher, who taught me to explore the world and not be afraid to ask questions, even if they go against the mainstream. I learned from him that science, and life, should be approached with an open mind.

The second teacher has taught French at PVCS since 1989. I greeted her in French and carried on for a few minutes until she could apparently tell by my expression that I was starting to run dry. But I learned from her that while it is great to be an American, we ignore the rest of the world at our own folly and knowing a second language opens up new doors and opportunities that one would otherwise never realize.

The third teacher (Mr. W) was my sixth grade teacher, though he now serves in a more general role in the middle school. He taught me that it is O.K. to be a little different from everyone else and that we each must forge our own path using the gifts and talents granted by the Almighty.

All of the teachers at PVCS had an impact on my life, and I do not wish to diminish that in any way, but these three are the ones I can look back on and see that I learned more than mere accademics from them.

While I was talking to Mr. W, he wanted to see my bike, so we went out to the parking lot and he stopped abruptly as the bike came into view, grabbed my arm and exclaimed; "Is that a Sabre v45!" I confirmed that it was indeed, and he went on to say how that was his favorite bike of all the bikes he had ever owned (I hear that a lot from folks who've owned Sabres of that era). I let him start it up and rev the engine a little, and he closed his eyes in bliss.

So, while I took a trip down memory lane, I gave one of my mentors an opportunity for the same.

It's all good!

Happy trails...

2009-10-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

To me!

Yesterday, I left from home for a weekend trip to visit my mother in Massachusetts. The trip took a little longer than expected since I decided to avoid Danbury CT since I would hit it at about rush-hour. Since I was starting to tire a little, I thought it prudent to avoid that particular adventure.

I stopped to eat at the Milford Diner in Milford PA, and had a Cheeseburger with Fries. That's something that seems especially good at diners for some reason. Sure, I could have stopped at a McDonald's and ordered the "same thing," but a McDonald's hamburger and a diner burger shouldn't even occupy the same sentence.

The trip was uneventful, even with my wonky speedometer. I kept to a reasonable spead, using my tach as a guide since the speedo itself is funky.

It was a cold ride, and today is a bit better. The overcast made it somewhat challenging. A windshield is on the top of my list for the Sabre since it's brutal to ride in the cold with no shield. All in good time.

I found Wi-Fi at the Westfield Athenaum (fancy word for library with museums attached), since I tried without success to find a connection for free elsewhere. I did stop at a McDonald's in Holyoke Mass., thinking I could get Wi-Fi there, only to find that they have it, but want to charge $3.00 to use it for two hours. I like free. I'll gladly admit that I am cheap.

So, time to check my e-mail and the status of my cities in Evony, then off I go.

Dizzyness...and idiocy...

2009-09-27T16:19:00.000-07:00

I'm ashamed to admit it...I am an idiot...

Well...I did something stupid at least.

Let me start with my disappointment of the day. I am laying in bed, unable to rise due to dizziness. This means, that despite the nice weather outside this afternoon, I'm not out in it. This is frustrating of course. It's scary enough when I ride under normal conditions, but with these intermittent dizzy spells, I dare not.

Ok, that is out of the way...on to my stupidity...

Unfortunately...I have no video...probably a good thing...

But...

On Friday, my best friend wanted to hang out, so he said, "I need to head out to Kerper's Gun Shop to pick up my rifle that I just had a new scope put on. Why don't we put your scooter on the back of my truck so you can just ride back from there."

So far...no problem...except that I decided to ride it up the ramp instead of simply pushing it up...

I started out with a good running start, got about halfway up the ramp, and I didn't give it enough throttle...and we went down, the Streak and I.

Yeah, I know, I should have gotten video...

Thankfully, I am fine, and I have learned my lesson. When loading a cycle on a truck, push, don't ride.

The scooter suffered a broken lens to the rear left turn signal, and the top case mount broke. So, I need to replace my topcase (probably with a basket), and the lens will run $17.00. An expensive lesson. Otherwise, the scoot runs great and the bulb for the turn signal still functions.

So, as embarrassed as I am to admit it, I'm sure this will be amusing reading for some of you.

Big Bike, Little Bike - Take 2

2009-09-22T19:33:00.000-07:00

Over the last few days, I have had several opportunities to use either my scooter or my cycle.

On Sunday, after church, I took my son to ride his dirt bike, then after we returned home, we took a ride on Natasha.

We wandered around a few roads that I had never before explored with him, though I'd ridden on them by myself. The Honda performed very well, and I found myself settling in to the process of shifting more and more. It's really not too far removed from shifting a manual tranny in a car, just moved around a bit.

After riding around the county, we came home and then took a ride on the Silver Streak. We didn't go quite as far as we had on Natasha, but one thing was readily apparent. My son, all 75 lbs of him, doesn't feel like much of a burden on the Honda, but on the Kymco, every little move he makes seems to throw the bike off course. I hardly noticed it before, but now, after riding the bigger bike, it's very obvious. The Kymco is such a light scooter that it responds to every movement of its riders. In away, it's agility works against it when riding two-up.

I rode the Honda to get it inspected on Monday. It has an issue with the speedometer, which the mechanic stated he had run into before when the magnets inside the sensor got gummed up. We had some trouble getting the assembly apart, so we were unable to clean it out entirely. A project for another day. But everything else checked out and I have a nice green sticker on the bike, declaring me good for another year.

I rode the bike over to WalMart to check out some motorcycle covers. $20.00 for a motorcycle cover sounds good on the surface, but I hesitate to plunk down cash on something that may only last a year. I also looked at their full face helmets. They have some for $90.00, but they are some off brand and are only DOT approved. I need to get an FF helmet before winter since my 3/4 helmet is starting to wear out (It wasn't that great to begin with), but again, I do not wish to be stuck with an uncomfortable helmet that will perhaps last a year.

I didn't purchase either item since I did not have my scooter with the more capacious carrying abilities. In a way, going shopping while riding the cycle might prove a good way to save money, at least until I get a back rack and some side bags.

This morning when I left for work, I took the scoot. I was glad I did since its nimble handling and light weight kept me from plowing into a car that pulled out right in front of me, crossing to the far lane on the opposing side of the street. The driver had not even looked to his left before pulling out and glared at me when I leaned on the horn as if I were to blame for his incompetence. Of course, he was driving a Mercedes and I was only riding a lowly Taiwanese scooter. At least I could have had the decency to ride a Vespa. The nerve of some people. **insert sarcastic eye roll here**

I left work at around 9 am and reveled in the agility of my scooter as I puttered along toward home. At about 1:00, I recieved a call from the nurse at my son's school stating that he was ill and needed to go home, so I strapped his helmet to the little sissy bar on the back of the sabre and went to pick him up. After settling him in at home with some juice to drink and a blanket over top to keep him warm, I hopped back on the Sabre, since it was warmed up anyway, and rode to work. It may not be nimble and spritely, but the rumble of the engine and the visceral feeling of all those horses pounding the pavement beneath me was invigorating. Strangely enough, I arrived a work a little earlier than expected.

This evening's ride home was equally enjoyable, and thankfully, filled with none of the excitement of my earlier ride on the scooter this morning.

I am really not certain how that would have turned out on the bigger bike. I didn't have room to counter steer and my only options were to modulate the brakes or lay the scooter down. Thankfully, the braking worked and I did not lock either wheel. I was going slowly enough, having just crossed an intersection, that I did not have a tremendous amount of momentum, but I ended up within about three feet of the other vehicle's side panels. Looking back on it, I am thankful to the Almighty that He was watching over me.

So, my earlier impressions have held true. The two machines, though similar, are very different, with their own unique charms and disadvantages. I think, on the whole, while the power of the bigger bike is intoxicating, after my morning experience, I'm inclined to say I prefer the smaller vehicle, simply for it's lightfootedness...if that's a word.

The scooter is whimsical and fun, while the motorcycle is more serious and earthy. It's so nice to have both.