Chuck just emailed me yesterday. I am not going to get the crate delivered to his home, but the shop of an auto mechanic who is a good friend of Chuck's! He says his friend has all the tools we would need--plus a fork-lift to unload the crate from the truck! How awesome is that???
With the plans for assembly finalized, I still need to figure out a couple things. The first is this: Will I make it home, riding this 2-wheel vehicle for 140 miles basically right out of the crate it came from China in? Not to mention what condition will I be in. I've never owned a motorcycle or scooter before. I've always done my point A to B in a car, truck, or van--always 4 wheels.
Well, I will have a few spare parts--like a battery, spark plug, etc. and a few tools. Plus I will have my cell phone. I'll leave early Sunday--its a 3 1/2 hour drive. Another thing is this--I'm not going to take the highway and try to deal with 70+mph. I'm staying on the state roads.
The final issue is licensing. I called the Kentucky state police. I said that I am buying a vehicle in Indiana, and I want to drive it back to Kentucky to license it. Would it be ok to drive it without a license--if I am driving it to GET it licensed. They said I should check with the Indiana state cops, but if it were in Kentucky, that would be ok if you have proof of ownership and you had insurance to cover the vehicle. I called Indiana just in case--the policeman told me that I would be a ticket if I did that. The only way to drive it is to license it. I asked him "even if I have someone follow me?" and he said if you drive without the vehicle being licensed and you are caught, you WILL get a ticket.
Well, then I thought of when I won the auction on my 1964 Ford Falcon. I drove all the way to Ohio, north of Columbus to get it. My brother Mike followed me home and we took the I-71...THROUGH Cincinnatti! So I'm guessing I'll be alright.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Assembly & Setup-Email to Chuck!
Given the nature of these MIC scooters, I needed to have somewhere to assemble and do all the pre-ride inspection and mechanicals. I could get the crate delivered to my apartment, but it is against the rules to change your oil or even wash your car there on the premisis. I started thinking that I might be forced to buy from a local dealer for a good bit more money that I wanted to spend. That's when I though of my friend Chuck. He has a nice house with a full 2-car garage. I asked him if he could loan his garage, and if he might like to help put the scooter together. He said he would love to!
So now, I'm going to order my scooter from Valley Scooters ( www.scootersus.com) and have it delivered to Chuck's house. I will have to do this on a Friday, taking a long weekend so that I can run it around locally for the break-in period. You have to make sure the rings are seated properly so that it will improve engine performance and life. You can check out this break-in method/theory at http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm. Most of the people I've spoken to swear by this method. Basically the nutshell is to run the motor hard for the first 20 miles or so. After this, I've learned that you must change the oil immediately. The assembly and quality of the engine is such that you will have the possibility of metal shavings that were created during the manufacture of the engine. You need to "rinse" these out by changing the oil after the initial break-in to prevent damage. It's like the flash you see on plastic things that are cheap. Sometimes this excess material happens.
The Chinese see only the bottom line cost and pretty much disregard quality. Fortunately (and arguably) there are mimimum standards--or else nobody would buy the product. I found out the steps that need to be taken on assembly & initial break-in. I outlined it in an email to Chuck:
Here's a short-run list of [stuff] we'll have to do that is basically mandatory for these Chinese scooters. They do not have near the quality of a Honda or Vespa. Parts are cheaper (though China makes a good % of parts for the brand-name bikes, on their own labels they will always choose the cheapest available) and assembly does not have standard quality control, thus a dealer-level PDI must be performed. Especially fluids and the rubber fuel and vacuum lines are very sub-standard.
Basic Setup & Assembly - this is mandatory stuff.
1. Perform any assembly up to and including front wheel & brakes, handle bars, windshield, trunk, etc. Are you scared yet?
2. Replace spark plug
3. replace battery
4. replace all fluids
5. replace all vacuum and fuel lines
6. check tires and inflation
7. inspect and tighten all nuts and bolts
8. inspect air filter & lights
9. adjust carb only if necessary
10.warm up thoroughly for 10 minutes
11. run hard for break-in of 20 miles (seals rings properly)
12. change oil again
13. give overall inspection and solve any problems
#4, 5, and 7 will involve some level of body panel removal.
Please let me know if you have the necessary tools for assembly and trouble-shooting.
Tools
Metric short and deep well sockets
Metric box and closed wrenches
multi-meter
screwdrivers phillips and flat head
allen and torx wrenches
pliers, vice-grips
pump oil can
I will just purchase any other tools that are necessary--i'll need them eventually. The only problem I see is if there are major problems out of the crate.
Does Sprint get reception at your place? I can bring the wireless card that I use to telecommute for work and use it to get the internet in case of emergency. I am a member of several boards and groups that offer a tremendous amount of technical support if I can contact them with questions.
So now, I'm going to order my scooter from Valley Scooters ( www.scootersus.com) and have it delivered to Chuck's house. I will have to do this on a Friday, taking a long weekend so that I can run it around locally for the break-in period. You have to make sure the rings are seated properly so that it will improve engine performance and life. You can check out this break-in method/theory at http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm. Most of the people I've spoken to swear by this method. Basically the nutshell is to run the motor hard for the first 20 miles or so. After this, I've learned that you must change the oil immediately. The assembly and quality of the engine is such that you will have the possibility of metal shavings that were created during the manufacture of the engine. You need to "rinse" these out by changing the oil after the initial break-in to prevent damage. It's like the flash you see on plastic things that are cheap. Sometimes this excess material happens.
The Chinese see only the bottom line cost and pretty much disregard quality. Fortunately (and arguably) there are mimimum standards--or else nobody would buy the product. I found out the steps that need to be taken on assembly & initial break-in. I outlined it in an email to Chuck:
Here's a short-run list of [stuff] we'll have to do that is basically mandatory for these Chinese scooters. They do not have near the quality of a Honda or Vespa. Parts are cheaper (though China makes a good % of parts for the brand-name bikes, on their own labels they will always choose the cheapest available) and assembly does not have standard quality control, thus a dealer-level PDI must be performed. Especially fluids and the rubber fuel and vacuum lines are very sub-standard.
Basic Setup & Assembly - this is mandatory stuff.
1. Perform any assembly up to and including front wheel & brakes, handle bars, windshield, trunk, etc. Are you scared yet?
2. Replace spark plug
3. replace battery
4. replace all fluids
5. replace all vacuum and fuel lines
6. check tires and inflation
7. inspect and tighten all nuts and bolts
8. inspect air filter & lights
9. adjust carb only if necessary
10.warm up thoroughly for 10 minutes
11. run hard for break-in of 20 miles (seals rings properly)
12. change oil again
13. give overall inspection and solve any problems
#4, 5, and 7 will involve some level of body panel removal.
Please let me know if you have the necessary tools for assembly and trouble-shooting.
Tools
Metric short and deep well sockets
Metric box and closed wrenches
multi-meter
screwdrivers phillips and flat head
allen and torx wrenches
pliers, vice-grips
pump oil can
I will just purchase any other tools that are necessary--i'll need them eventually. The only problem I see is if there are major problems out of the crate.
Does Sprint get reception at your place? I can bring the wireless card that I use to telecommute for work and use it to get the internet in case of emergency. I am a member of several boards and groups that offer a tremendous amount of technical support if I can contact them with questions.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Mechanical Skills
Now, you just have to face this fact: If nobody wants to touch your MIC scooter, and the people who normally would support it are many miles away, then you had better be pretty confidant that you can work on your own machine. If not, you need to spend the extra to either get a top of the line scooter, or order your lower-end locally (for hundreds more$) so that you have somewhere to drag it when it's broke.
I had to see if I have the level of mechanical skill needed to work on a small-engine scooter.
I had to see if I have the level of mechanical skill needed to work on a small-engine scooter.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Dealers: some ideas
I looked first at a company called GSMotorworks. The Better Business Bureau and a lot of individual people are not happy with them. They also did not have 250cc.
Next was Evo Sales. They were simply loved on the first site I came across called Motorcycle Muse. Later, I heard some bad things about their customer service, and found out that Motorcycle Muse may be run by Evo Sales. Several people who I consider "in the know" have privately told me that I should probably look elsewhere.
The next place I saw scooters was National Online Scooters, also not in good standing with the BBB.
I looked at scootertronics. They are considered reputable.
I looked at Valley Scooters. They are considered reputable by many and in good standing on the Scootdawg site. I was wondering what was the real difference between the makers if all the Chinese scooters use the same parts, so I filled out a form on the Valley Scooters web site, expecting a reply in a couple days. What I got was a telephone call from John Dikov who owns Valley. He spent around 30 minutes answering questions and giving me good information. I was pretty sure that I could safely order from this guy. If he would give customer support to a potential customer (let me also say that it was not a "sales" type support. It was informational and helpful) then I think that says a lot. He did not pressure me. He did not come off as a walking advertisement pushing his own company. He did not say bad things about other companies. Also, his prices are the best I've seen. With all that combined, I was almost sold. The only thing I had to do was see if I could find out any dirt on him, or Valley Scooters.
To this date (months of research now) I have seen only one thing that was negative. Weighed against the other positive comments, and other dealers, I am about 99% certain to order from Valley Scooters
Next was Evo Sales. They were simply loved on the first site I came across called Motorcycle Muse. Later, I heard some bad things about their customer service, and found out that Motorcycle Muse may be run by Evo Sales. Several people who I consider "in the know" have privately told me that I should probably look elsewhere.
The next place I saw scooters was National Online Scooters, also not in good standing with the BBB.
I looked at scootertronics. They are considered reputable.
I looked at Valley Scooters. They are considered reputable by many and in good standing on the Scootdawg site. I was wondering what was the real difference between the makers if all the Chinese scooters use the same parts, so I filled out a form on the Valley Scooters web site, expecting a reply in a couple days. What I got was a telephone call from John Dikov who owns Valley. He spent around 30 minutes answering questions and giving me good information. I was pretty sure that I could safely order from this guy. If he would give customer support to a potential customer (let me also say that it was not a "sales" type support. It was informational and helpful) then I think that says a lot. He did not pressure me. He did not come off as a walking advertisement pushing his own company. He did not say bad things about other companies. Also, his prices are the best I've seen. With all that combined, I was almost sold. The only thing I had to do was see if I could find out any dirt on him, or Valley Scooters.
To this date (months of research now) I have seen only one thing that was negative. Weighed against the other positive comments, and other dealers, I am about 99% certain to order from Valley Scooters
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Made-In-China Scooters, good, bad, and ugly
The first thing to get past is the idea that every single scooter out of China is crap. I know this can't be true because some people are satisfied. Heck, Darrel takes his on riding trips every weekend with his buddies. There ARE people around who've had good experiences.
I have heard the best and quickest way to get screwed is to order off of Ebay. I thought hell, isn't that what the feedback ratings are for? Everyone I have spoken to assures me that it doesn't matter. Order a MIC scooter off Ebay and you should go ahead and bend over.
You need to minimize problems. My research is telling me that the only way to do this, is to buy from a dealer who will fully support the purchase as much as they can, and who offers a decent warranty that they will uphold. Well, never having done business with any of them, how am I to know?
I have found out that Scooterbbs is very slanted against MIC scooters and any questions there will get you immediately flamed. The Scootdawg forum is friendly and helpful. If people tell you that your MIC scooter will be crap, they do it politely.
Something else I have learned was that when you order online, what you are getting is a some-assembly-required MIC crate-scooter that has not been seen by any American. They box it up at the factory where it is assembled, and ship it. Sometimes you don't get the scooter that you ordered. Sometimes you don't get the color that you ordered. Just about every dealer will not take back a scooter without a huge restocking fee, but also they will guarantee that the scooter you get will be of equal or greater value if it is not the exact model you ordered. If you don't get the right color--you just have to deal with it.
I have heard the best and quickest way to get screwed is to order off of Ebay. I thought hell, isn't that what the feedback ratings are for? Everyone I have spoken to assures me that it doesn't matter. Order a MIC scooter off Ebay and you should go ahead and bend over.
You need to minimize problems. My research is telling me that the only way to do this, is to buy from a dealer who will fully support the purchase as much as they can, and who offers a decent warranty that they will uphold. Well, never having done business with any of them, how am I to know?
I have found out that Scooterbbs is very slanted against MIC scooters and any questions there will get you immediately flamed. The Scootdawg forum is friendly and helpful. If people tell you that your MIC scooter will be crap, they do it politely.
Something else I have learned was that when you order online, what you are getting is a some-assembly-required MIC crate-scooter that has not been seen by any American. They box it up at the factory where it is assembled, and ship it. Sometimes you don't get the scooter that you ordered. Sometimes you don't get the color that you ordered. Just about every dealer will not take back a scooter without a huge restocking fee, but also they will guarantee that the scooter you get will be of equal or greater value if it is not the exact model you ordered. If you don't get the right color--you just have to deal with it.
Monday, November 19, 2007
Japanese vs. Chinese Scooters
I joined the Honda Reflex Owner's Group on yahoo last week--just as reference material--and also because the other scooter groups I belong to have sort of slacked off. I have a theory. I have not been on there enough to draw a solid conclusion yet, but here goes:
The problems with the Chinese scooters are problems with the
engineering, parts supply, and design of the scooters. Poor assembly and sometimes cheaper materials makes the Chinese scooters experience problems much sooner than the Japanese scooters. The same problems happen to your fine Japanese machines, but at 10,000 miles instead of 1,000 or 20,000 instead of 2,000. The real difference is the mindset.
With the Japanese scoots, you pay your money up front to forestall problems with your scooter and when they do happen, you pay your money to someone else to fix them. With the Chinese, you know there will be problems, you prepare for them, they happen sooner, and you fix them
yourself.
I see these guys talking about bad stators, wiring problems, muffler gaskets, even so far I have heard "hard to get parts" and "in the shop for weeks". So I'm guessing they feel all the same pain--just a little later in life!
The problems with the Chinese scooters are problems with the
engineering, parts supply, and design of the scooters. Poor assembly and sometimes cheaper materials makes the Chinese scooters experience problems much sooner than the Japanese scooters. The same problems happen to your fine Japanese machines, but at 10,000 miles instead of 1,000 or 20,000 instead of 2,000. The real difference is the mindset.
With the Japanese scoots, you pay your money up front to forestall problems with your scooter and when they do happen, you pay your money to someone else to fix them. With the Chinese, you know there will be problems, you prepare for them, they happen sooner, and you fix them
yourself.
I see these guys talking about bad stators, wiring problems, muffler gaskets, even so far I have heard "hard to get parts" and "in the shop for weeks". So I'm guessing they feel all the same pain--just a little later in life!
Saturday, November 17, 2007
My weight, and specifications
I most certainly do not want to be going down the road 5mph slower than cars and trucks. I do not want to be the hockey puck for larger vehicles. I thought I would be ok on the 150cc size because the top speed, and because all the manufacturers and dealers online list the max weight at more than me...I'm right around 325. These vehicles can carry 330-360. I have been spreadsheeting specs and asking a lot of questions on boards and groups. I found out a very important fact:
The specs listed by the manufacturer (and thus copied by the dealers/importers) are optimistic at best, and outright lies at worst! So what the heck was I to do? Well more questions and research led me to this nugget: Although a 150cc might work for me, I would be putting more stress on an machine that is already considered questionable quality by running it WOT (wide open throttle) much of the time just to keep up with traffic.
My dreams are shattered. There goes the idea of owing a scooter...
The specs listed by the manufacturer (and thus copied by the dealers/importers) are optimistic at best, and outright lies at worst! So what the heck was I to do? Well more questions and research led me to this nugget: Although a 150cc might work for me, I would be putting more stress on an machine that is already considered questionable quality by running it WOT (wide open throttle) much of the time just to keep up with traffic.
My dreams are shattered. There goes the idea of owing a scooter...
Friday, November 16, 2007
Shopping around Louisville - Roketa
Scootering in this area is still new. I have seen a few of the classic scooters around town, and more than a few "DUImobiles". They HAD to be selling them somewhere. I figured I would just keep my eye out. I did NOT bother to look at Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, or even worry about seeking out a Vespa dealer. I saw for sale only one make of scooter. It was Roketa. This is a MIC scooter so I started digging into the company and looking for comments and opinions.
I found out that you should never, never, ever consider a Roketa. They are all 100% crap that breaks down and most the time never runs. You can't get parts, dealers can't support them, and nobody else will even touch them. That is what I found out initially... However, on the Scootdawg forum, I have found some people happy with theirs. So I thought it might still be an option.
I was liking more and more the classic look. Roketa makes one called the Capri. It is cool looking with chrome handlebars like a motorcycle. I am not sure what is it styled after, but it looks nice. That was the one I really wanted. I found one to look at and sit on here in Louisville at Bluegrass Powersports. He wanted like $1600 for it. I am planning on getting one at tax time, so I figured I could swing that much.
I saw two other places that had Roketas. One was CC Rider. They wanted $1800 for another 150cc, not the Capri. I figured they could get the Capri for about the same price, but I didn't ask for sure. The last place was Jack's Motorcycles. They were listed as an authorized dealer in Louisville for Roketa. For the same exact scooter, they wanted $3500. I thought immediately this was off, so I checked online. You can order these things for $1200 including shipping! Jack was off his rocker!
Another authorized dealer wanted $1200. So I have a variety to choose from! I'll go with the $1200 guy for sure!
I found out that you should never, never, ever consider a Roketa. They are all 100% crap that breaks down and most the time never runs. You can't get parts, dealers can't support them, and nobody else will even touch them. That is what I found out initially... However, on the Scootdawg forum, I have found some people happy with theirs. So I thought it might still be an option.
I was liking more and more the classic look. Roketa makes one called the Capri. It is cool looking with chrome handlebars like a motorcycle. I am not sure what is it styled after, but it looks nice. That was the one I really wanted. I found one to look at and sit on here in Louisville at Bluegrass Powersports. He wanted like $1600 for it. I am planning on getting one at tax time, so I figured I could swing that much.
I saw two other places that had Roketas. One was CC Rider. They wanted $1800 for another 150cc, not the Capri. I figured they could get the Capri for about the same price, but I didn't ask for sure. The last place was Jack's Motorcycles. They were listed as an authorized dealer in Louisville for Roketa. For the same exact scooter, they wanted $3500. I thought immediately this was off, so I checked online. You can order these things for $1200 including shipping! Jack was off his rocker!
Another authorized dealer wanted $1200. So I have a variety to choose from! I'll go with the $1200 guy for sure!
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Insurance
I asked my carrier how much it would be to add a motorcycle (at this point for basic purposes, I was referring to it as a motorcycle just to make inquiry simple). They needed to know make and model so I just gave them a mock older Honda with a small engine. They don't carry motorcycles, so I started shopping around. The big names Geico, Progressive, etc wanted too much. I mean, I've had my share of speeding tickets, etc, but I've never been sentenced for vehicular manslaughter or anything... I decided to call some local companies, and I found one that gave me a decent quote. I asked them about renter's and car insurance and they gave me about 15% less per month than what I was paying. I switched. In case you're wondering and in Louisville, it was Glenn Martin insurance. Ironically, they are underwritten by Progressive, but I still got a better rate...hmmm...
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Prices...
There are three categories of scooters I have considered. The first is a brand new name brand scooter. Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki are everywhere. They carry motorcycles, ATV's and everything else. Easy to locate, but they cost as much as my used car. Now that scooters are becoming more mainstream, revival companies like Genuine and Vespa are popping up. There is one more sub-category of makes: The Taiwan scooters like Sym and Kymco. They are in-between, cheaper than the others, but supposedly as good a level of quality. They are not as ubiquitous as the others.
The second level would be a used older model of the same top-level. You can sometimes get them on craigslist or ebay. Depending on the age and condition, gems can be found. You never really know about somebody else's stuff. A small engine can take some serious damage if regular maintenance is not performed...moreso than a larger engine I believe.
The last, an considered by many, the worst is Darrel's option: A Made-in-China scooter. These things are cheaply made, cheaply assembled and are the lowest level of scooter. If you question some people about this, they will literally scream at you that you are stupid and to never buy a POS Chinese scooter. They feel so strongly about it. The worst ones though seem to be those who own nicer, more expensive scooters and have never had a MIC (made-in-China) scooter. Well, there is something to be said for paying cash, and not owing money. Also, insurance demands of me that I have liability on this second vehicle...well really my budget does that.
The second level would be a used older model of the same top-level. You can sometimes get them on craigslist or ebay. Depending on the age and condition, gems can be found. You never really know about somebody else's stuff. A small engine can take some serious damage if regular maintenance is not performed...moreso than a larger engine I believe.
The last, an considered by many, the worst is Darrel's option: A Made-in-China scooter. These things are cheaply made, cheaply assembled and are the lowest level of scooter. If you question some people about this, they will literally scream at you that you are stupid and to never buy a POS Chinese scooter. They feel so strongly about it. The worst ones though seem to be those who own nicer, more expensive scooters and have never had a MIC (made-in-China) scooter. Well, there is something to be said for paying cash, and not owing money. Also, insurance demands of me that I have liability on this second vehicle...well really my budget does that.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Motorcycle Instruction Permit
It only took a few minutes and $14 to get my motorcycle license. It took me a bit to figure out which building over at Bowman Field to go into, but I got it right first guess. I got all 20 questions correct which was easy because its all really just a test of common sense. They probably ought to institute some similar test for marriage and before you have children!
I was thinking that its good for two years, but it looks like three. On an instruction permit you can not ride without a helmet or carry passengers, neither of which really affects me. I have two kids and it against the law to carry more than one passenger anyway. As for the helmet, 60% of all motorcycle related fatalities are from head injuries, so knowing this, what d*mb*ss would ride without one anyway? I don't have one yet, but I think the kids are going to get me one for Christmas...not that they know it yet. I have decided that I'll probably get a full-face helmet.
One thing I heard somebody say was that in a crash without a full-face, you're choosing which part you want to lose. If you get a 3/4, you choose your lower jaw. If you get a 1/2 you choose your lower jaw AND nose. With a very small shorty type helmet, I figure you're screwing around and getting into that 60% fatality zone.
I do have a lined leather-suede jacket that I will wear until it gets too hot, then I plan on getting a textile jacket. These jackets are lighter weight made with technologically protective material like kevlar, and other super strong materials. Some of them even have elbow and spine armor. Whatever it takes to keep the best percentage of my skin on my body is cool with me.
I was thinking that its good for two years, but it looks like three. On an instruction permit you can not ride without a helmet or carry passengers, neither of which really affects me. I have two kids and it against the law to carry more than one passenger anyway. As for the helmet, 60% of all motorcycle related fatalities are from head injuries, so knowing this, what d*mb*ss would ride without one anyway? I don't have one yet, but I think the kids are going to get me one for Christmas...not that they know it yet. I have decided that I'll probably get a full-face helmet.
One thing I heard somebody say was that in a crash without a full-face, you're choosing which part you want to lose. If you get a 3/4, you choose your lower jaw. If you get a 1/2 you choose your lower jaw AND nose. With a very small shorty type helmet, I figure you're screwing around and getting into that 60% fatality zone.
I do have a lined leather-suede jacket that I will wear until it gets too hot, then I plan on getting a textile jacket. These jackets are lighter weight made with technologically protective material like kevlar, and other super strong materials. Some of them even have elbow and spine armor. Whatever it takes to keep the best percentage of my skin on my body is cool with me.
Engine size 250cc+ -"maxi-scooters"
These are the big touring scooters. They are every bit as big or even bigger than some motorcycles. The difference is they are cheaper and not as powerful. The Honda Reflex is pretty common. It's a $7000-8000 vehicle! I can not, nor will I finance two vehicles at the same time. At least not until Lexie gets to be 18.
Engine size 100cc-200cc Scooters
The next category, and what I find to be the biggest majority are the mid-size. They come in usually 125cc or 150cc.NOTE: These engine sizes are relative...the 150cc are like 144cc in reality. Doesn't matter in most cases.
The mid-size usually get up to max 45-55mph. I thought that would be plenty for me. I was just planning on riding it back and forth to work and short trips without the kids. You do have to get these licensed, you have to have a motorcycle license to legally operate them, and you have to get insurance. The classic scooters are of this size I believe. Not 100% sure.
Engine size 50cc "moped" 2-stroke
What I found out was that there are roughly three classifications of scooters. The 49cc moped type. A lot of people get these for specifically the reason that you DON'T have to license them. Younger people just scooting on campus, people who can not otherwise hold a regular license, or just something to putter around on. These things are cheap. You can get name-brand for $1500 or so, and the knock-offs for around $600-800. Hey, we all knew that eventually the time of disposable transportation would come. Also, many of these have what are called 2-stroke engines. I'm not going to pretend to think I know what that means except for one thing. Two-stroke engines are like your weed eater. They have to have a pre-mix of gas AND oil going into them.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
DUImobile
My first concern was this: I hate seeing those guys riding their scooters with the little orange flag. The first thing I think of is: This guy got arrested for DUI and he can't have a driver's license. The second thing I think is: This guy got his car repossessed. I know that's crappy, but heck...I'm being honest, man. Well, Darrel told me those were the little 50cc mopeds. I was like "I didn't see any pedals on them..." Research told me this:
If a 2-wheel vehicle is under 50cc of engine displacement, then it is considered a moped. Mopeds may not exceed 30mph, and it is not necessary to carry a driver's permit, or insurance. Basically it's like a bicycle.
Friday, November 2, 2007
I want an affordable second vehicle
I used to own a 1964 Ford Falcon. It was too expensive to maintain, license, and insure two cars. I had some trouble with my primary vehicle--a 2001 Oldsmobile Alero. I had to get rides back and forth to work with my girlfriend and that causes a hardship on her time and mine. It left me wishing for the hundredth time that I had a second vehicle.
This summer I started talking to this guy at work named Darrel. He told me that he goes riding every good-weather weekend with a bunch of buddies. They all have ...scooters... I asked him a few questions, like licensing, insurance, and cost... He said that he had to license his scooter because it was a 125. He said the smaller engines you don't have to register. His insurance averaged out to about $80 per year--he only rides 8-9 months. I asked him how much his cost and he said you can pick one up for around $1500-$1800 in the summer when they are selling. He got his from a guy who sold them for 3 months.
That got my wheels turning and now its time to do a lot of research.
This summer I started talking to this guy at work named Darrel. He told me that he goes riding every good-weather weekend with a bunch of buddies. They all have ...scooters... I asked him a few questions, like licensing, insurance, and cost... He said that he had to license his scooter because it was a 125. He said the smaller engines you don't have to register. His insurance averaged out to about $80 per year--he only rides 8-9 months. I asked him how much his cost and he said you can pick one up for around $1500-$1800 in the summer when they are selling. He got his from a guy who sold them for 3 months.
That got my wheels turning and now its time to do a lot of research.
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