Bright light! Bright light!!

So, Technically, this is a Vlog entry.

Hope it's useful.

Standing Watch but not standing still

It's Friday now and I've had the PCX for two full days. Yesterday and today I took it the twenty miles to work in Lebanon, PA. It's a little different from the Kymco, but I'm quickly getting used to it.

Yesterday was bittersweet as my old People 150 changed hands and went to an older gentleman who needed a low key option to replace the big bikes he used to ride. Watching him ride away on it left me a little sad as that machine and I traveled a lot of miles together. I had changed the oil so it would have a fresh crankcase full, then took it for one last short ride around the neighborhood.

Riding to work on the PCX (still unnamed), showed me that my purchase was a wise one. Then riding it around East Petersburg and into Lancaster today made me feel even better. I rode it to the military recruitment center after physical therapy to stand watch for about an hour, then had to head to work.

It was nice to be able to stand watch again. I don't know if I've mentioned it here, but I've been standing watch at the Lancaster recruitment center since the Tuesday after the Chatanooga shooting. I had to take a brief hiatus due to a work injury.

Before it became too painful to sit for several hours at a time, I had been strapping a beach chair onto the Kymco and sitting in front of the center for a few hours each day. After I got hurt, the time I could spend gradually diminished. Today I returned to my post for about an hour.

Getting back to the scooter, there are a few things I've noticed after riding the machine longer. The first, and \most dramatic for me is the foot room is better than the Kymco's. I mentioned early on in my experience with the other scooter that the floorboard was too small for my feet, which are a very average size 11. On the PCX, the floorboards are alongside the fuel tank and would be long enough for the average clown. This raises the comfort level several notches.

The next thing I've observed is the speed. Now, I'm in the first 300 mile break-in period, so I'm not beating the tar out of her, but this little machine trucks along like a bigger bike. Yes, the top speed is around 60, but up to that point, it feels like I'm riding something much more powerful. Perhaps this is the fuel injection, but just the same, it's a quick little scooter.

The wind is not as big of a problem as I expected it would be, though I still can tell I need a taller windscreen. While I could previously run with the face-shield removed from my helmet, that isn't possible with the PCX. The stock windscreen is so short, it does nothing to deflect the swarms of gnats and Volkswagen sized mosquitoes common in August in Pennsylvania. Thankfully a new GIVI screen is on order.

I'm also starting to see why Honda has billed the PCX as a "sports" scooter. It has a very sporty feel too it, and even has a throaty exhaust note while under power. While chatting with a couple of the recruiters today who are Harley enthusiasts, they observed that it sounded pretty good for such a little bike. It's quiet enough at idle, but once that throttle gets a bit of a twist, the noise, though not overpowering, is quite pleasant. Then there is the handling. While not as sharp as the People 150, it's got a nice, low center of gravity that makes it swing around corners well.

I can tell that this is going to be a very easy scooter to live with.  Now I just need to install some underglow.

an end, and a beginning

If you search for Kymco on the Lancaster, PA Craigslist, you will find this advertisement.

Yes, the Silver Streak is for sale. She has served me well, but due to changes in my work situation, she's not going to be the best option for what will sometimes be a much longer commute.

While I will admit I feel some sadness, I am pleased to announce that the "Sold" signs on the pictures of the PCX-150 I tested the other day were due to it being in the process of sale, to little old me.

Tomorrow morning, I will be picking up the new scoot. The only thing she will need is a fitting name. I'm still working on that. I'm thinking a name with Onyx, or Obsidian in it, or something similar.

The lighthearted side of life

There are disadvantages to being in the minority. Sometimes it's hard to get respect, to even get noticed. People don't always take those in the minority as seriously as they do those in a majority.

But there are also advantages. In the minority, you don't have to fit a mold. You can be different, and if you're different enough, you will stand out and be noticed. I'm not talking ethnic or cultural minorities, nor do I intend to cheapen the difficulties that have been faced and overcome by people in those groups. No, I'm talking about motoring minorities.

Being a motorcyclist, by simple fact of numbers, puts one in a motoring minority here in the United States. Scootsters are an even smaller minority within this larger group. I think this may be part of the reason that those of us who ride scooters tend to be a little more on the quirky, even goofy side. I fall more in with the latter certainly; my headgear attests to that.

But here's the beauty of it: When you're quirky and goofy, you get noticed. For those of us who ride on two or three wheels, That's a good thing. Granted, I don't always have Maggie with me, but even with just Rowlf, I've seen people take a second and third glance, laugh, then nearly run into a utility pole. At least they aren't running into me.

On my way home from work, I will often take the highway home and very often will observe cell phones filming me as vehicles pass. I've long been a proponent of being visible while riding and this lends to it. Sometimes it's good to be just a little weird.

Marines to implement new strategy in wake of Chattanooga, TN attack.

After the tragic murder of four Marines and a Navy corpsman three weeks ago in Chattanooga, TN, the United States government has been slow to respond to a public outcry for better defense of our military personnel.

In the wake of the shootings Armed citizens stood up to keep watch at recruitment centers. This drew the ire of the Department of Defense, which released warnings to citizens that they should leave well enough alone and stop assembling peaceably to protect the servicemen and women inside the centers.

After weeks of pressure from the public, the Navy has made it known that they will be moving to arm soldiers in the Recruitment centers, per FOX News.

Not to be outdone, the United States Marine Corps has released details of their plans for protecting recruiters. Training is now under way for all Marine recruiters and eventually for the rest of the corps that will enable any marine to catch incoming bullets in his or her teeth and spit them back at the attacker. The technique, similar to the ancient martial arts technique of catching an arrow with one hand, should allow Marines to adequately defend themselves in the event of an attack.

When asked the President's opinion, White House staff declined to give Mr. Obama's position stating that he will formulate a response after he hears about it on the news this evening.

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Please note, the above is satire. Additionally, I have the utmost respect for our men and women in uniform and mourn with them the loss of their brothers. Our government, on the other hand, has droppped the ball in protecting those who so selflessly protect us.