Tuesday, May 27, 2008
300 mile Weekend!
This weekend, we took two rides, one Saturday and one on Sunday. Both days the weather was perfect and everyone had a great time! I put around 300 miles on my scoot and saw a lot of cool places and awesome roads! I think we're up to about ten riders with 5-6 participating at various times!!!!
Friday, May 23, 2008
Interest in Scootering and our Group!
This past Tuesday, we met--as we usually do--at Culver's on the corner of Hurstborne and Watterson Trail. I got to meet two new scooterists--a husband and wife team--Bernie and Becky. They seem like really nice folks, and both drive very nice sharp-looking modern Vespas. Also, the most awesome thing happened. After Marty, Bernie and I had eaten a bite at Culver's, a lady pulls up on her little 50cc Vespa. She came specifically looking for us, and she asked if we were "the scooter people". We welcomed her enthusiastically, and after a few minutes talking, we found out that this was the very first longer trip she'd taken out of her neighborhood! She's only been riding since March, and is not yet real confident on her scoot. I was overwhelmed on how cool it was to see a new-new scooter person who'd come up just specifically to meet up with us and our Louisville Scooter Group! I really hope she comes again, and that she continues to scoot!
Pierspeed Europa 400 Chinese Scooter
This is a cool powerful scooter. If/when I upgrade, it may be to another Chinese "clone".
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Should I buy a Chinese Motor Scooter???
Here is my advice on buying a Chinese Scooter for those people who have asked me...
Well, I must tell you straight out--unless you can work on the scooter, or know somebody who will do it for free, you should not consider buying a Chinese scooter online. Go to a local dealer if you've got one. Now, with that being said, there is a wealth of information and people to help you troubleshoot if you don't know anything SPECIFICALLY about scooters, but you know which end of the screwdriver is which. Where are you looking to get a scooter? Local, or online? In your research, include such sites as
http://scootdawg.proboards59.com
http://powerscooters.org/cgi-bin/discuss/YaBB.pl
http://www.scooterforumonline.com/smf/
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Chinese_scooter_forum/
http://www.oregonvintage.com/Scooter.html
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/tankscooters/
I have had a lot of luck with these resources. Its a LOT of really kind helpful people are at these sources to help answer questions and trouble shoot.
Word of warning: Whatever you do, DO NOT show your face at a site called scooterbbs[dot]com asking ANYTHING about Chinese-made scooters. There are a LOT of hateful people there who will do NOTHING but make fun of you for considering a Chinese scooter. They are completely biased, and should not be considered helpful for those of us wanting to own a Chinese Scoot.
Keep in mind, there are people who will debate this, but the Chinese scooters have come a LONG way in quality in the last two years. When you look at opinions, be sure to check the dates if available. The first people who purchased chinese scooters were a violently unhappy bunch. That's because their scooters (regardless of the sticker on the side) were pretty much crap with lots of little problems and even a few big ones. Do not get an older scooter. Get one made late 2007 or later. If you get something from 2006-2007, you will likely have more problems. I have just 2000 "miles" on my odometer, and mine did have some problems in the beginning, but they were not costly to fix, required no extra money to fix. I am probably lucky...
If you want to know everything I've been through, you can read through this blog from the beginning.
Keep in mind this one thing: You are not ordering a Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Piaggio, or Vespa. Chinese scooters cost 1/3 to 1/4 the price of these brands, and you can not expect the same quality. My seat is hard to latch. Some of my body panels do not fit together seamlessly. It takes 3-4 pushes of my starter button to get the scooter running. The lock on my trunk got jammed. There was a rattling chrome cover on my muffler. My radio is pretty useless. My alarm malfunctions so I don't use it. These are problems that could be solved if I put the effort in, but you know what? It starts, I can ride it, and I am getting around 50-60 miles per gallon. Also, it is FUN! Going to work was never FUN before!
Order online if you must, but seek out a local dealer. If the prices online are what is hooking you, consider the extra $300-$500 a local guy may charge as well worth it. I could have saved myself a LOT of headache if I'd bought from a local guy, and made my problems HIS problems. It would have been worth the extra $500. I bought my scooter from Valley Scooters for $1999. If I had purchased from a guy about 30 minutes away, it would have been more like $2500. I am satisfied with how i've been treated, and where I'm at now. But it was a bit of a rocky road!
Any specifc questions, you can more than likely find answers most efficiently at the links I gave you above. Last word of advice...if you DO get a Chinese scooter, brand is irrelevant because the same parts are used and much of the time assembled in the same plants. Don't let anybody tell you that one Chinese scooter brand is better than another. The main factor to having a good scooter, regardless of the sticker on the side, is to do your Pre-Delivery Inspection and be THOROUGH as HELL. Drain and replace ALL fluids. Check all hoses, lines, and wiring. Expect problems and be proactive. This will save your butt from any catastrophic failures. Change your oil OFTEN--more often that you think you should.
Good Luck!
Well, I must tell you straight out--unless you can work on the scooter, or know somebody who will do it for free, you should not consider buying a Chinese scooter online. Go to a local dealer if you've got one. Now, with that being said, there is a wealth of information and people to help you troubleshoot if you don't know anything SPECIFICALLY about scooters, but you know which end of the screwdriver is which. Where are you looking to get a scooter? Local, or online? In your research, include such sites as
http://scootdawg.proboards59.com
http://powerscooters.org/cgi-bin/discuss/YaBB.pl
http://www.scooterforumonline.com/smf/
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Chinese_scooter_forum/
http://www.oregonvintage.com/Scooter.html
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/tankscooters/
I have had a lot of luck with these resources. Its a LOT of really kind helpful people are at these sources to help answer questions and trouble shoot.
Word of warning: Whatever you do, DO NOT show your face at a site called scooterbbs[dot]com asking ANYTHING about Chinese-made scooters. There are a LOT of hateful people there who will do NOTHING but make fun of you for considering a Chinese scooter. They are completely biased, and should not be considered helpful for those of us wanting to own a Chinese Scoot.
Keep in mind, there are people who will debate this, but the Chinese scooters have come a LONG way in quality in the last two years. When you look at opinions, be sure to check the dates if available. The first people who purchased chinese scooters were a violently unhappy bunch. That's because their scooters (regardless of the sticker on the side) were pretty much crap with lots of little problems and even a few big ones. Do not get an older scooter. Get one made late 2007 or later. If you get something from 2006-2007, you will likely have more problems. I have just 2000 "miles" on my odometer, and mine did have some problems in the beginning, but they were not costly to fix, required no extra money to fix. I am probably lucky...
If you want to know everything I've been through, you can read through this blog from the beginning.
Keep in mind this one thing: You are not ordering a Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Piaggio, or Vespa. Chinese scooters cost 1/3 to 1/4 the price of these brands, and you can not expect the same quality. My seat is hard to latch. Some of my body panels do not fit together seamlessly. It takes 3-4 pushes of my starter button to get the scooter running. The lock on my trunk got jammed. There was a rattling chrome cover on my muffler. My radio is pretty useless. My alarm malfunctions so I don't use it. These are problems that could be solved if I put the effort in, but you know what? It starts, I can ride it, and I am getting around 50-60 miles per gallon. Also, it is FUN! Going to work was never FUN before!
Order online if you must, but seek out a local dealer. If the prices online are what is hooking you, consider the extra $300-$500 a local guy may charge as well worth it. I could have saved myself a LOT of headache if I'd bought from a local guy, and made my problems HIS problems. It would have been worth the extra $500. I bought my scooter from Valley Scooters for $1999. If I had purchased from a guy about 30 minutes away, it would have been more like $2500. I am satisfied with how i've been treated, and where I'm at now. But it was a bit of a rocky road!
Any specifc questions, you can more than likely find answers most efficiently at the links I gave you above. Last word of advice...if you DO get a Chinese scooter, brand is irrelevant because the same parts are used and much of the time assembled in the same plants. Don't let anybody tell you that one Chinese scooter brand is better than another. The main factor to having a good scooter, regardless of the sticker on the side, is to do your Pre-Delivery Inspection and be THOROUGH as HELL. Drain and replace ALL fluids. Check all hoses, lines, and wiring. Expect problems and be proactive. This will save your butt from any catastrophic failures. Change your oil OFTEN--more often that you think you should.
Good Luck!
Friday, May 16, 2008
eco2 concept
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Now even rain
Now, even rain will not stop me from enjoying the 65mpg from my scooter!
UPDATE: Rats! I found a tear in the pants! They're sending me a replacement, but there's rainy days this week I will miss out on. Grrrrrrrr!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Saturday Ride
Saturday, the weather was perfect, and a group of us took a ride. [name omitted], George and I met at Culvers at 10am. We waited until 11am but nobody else showed up. We left and headed out. Getting used to riding in a group is something I can tell may take a couple times. I was in the lead, George in the middle and [name omitted] was rear guard--he has the 500cc so that just makes sense.
At one point, I looked back, and saw that another motorcycle or scooter had joined up with us! That was pretty cool, so I pulled into a church parking lot. Come to find out, it was another person in our group, Jeremy, who had caught up with us on his 50cc Aprillia! Man, that little thing will fly. We had to stop and get some gas for him because he was on 1/4. I plugged "nearest gas station" into the GPS and we found a place to stop. We must have been pretty close to Taylorsville lake. You can see the signs at the gas station said "Welcome Fishermen" and "Live Bait".
By this time, it was getting late, so [name omitted] and George rode back to Louisille. Jeremy and I stopped for Subways, then continued on through Bardstown and then in to Louisville. All it all it was a great ride!
At one point, I looked back, and saw that another motorcycle or scooter had joined up with us! That was pretty cool, so I pulled into a church parking lot. Come to find out, it was another person in our group, Jeremy, who had caught up with us on his 50cc Aprillia! Man, that little thing will fly. We had to stop and get some gas for him because he was on 1/4. I plugged "nearest gas station" into the GPS and we found a place to stop. We must have been pretty close to Taylorsville lake. You can see the signs at the gas station said "Welcome Fishermen" and "Live Bait".
By this time, it was getting late, so [name omitted] and George rode back to Louisille. Jeremy and I stopped for Subways, then continued on through Bardstown and then in to Louisville. All it all it was a great ride!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
My Next Scooter
Check this bad-boy out!
http://thelab.thoughtlab.com/newimages/scooterteaser/ScooterFlyer.jpg
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Piaggio Sales Drop - Forbes
Are the high-end scooter manufacturers suffering because of the
"Chinese Junk"? This Forbes article
http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2008/05/07/afx4979829.html
doesn't mention off-brand competetion as being any percentage of the
Piaggio sales drop, but I am confident that it is having some impact.
To my end, I like this because it will only make the Italian and
Japanese scooters come down in price. Bad news for current owners,
but good news for scooting in general. The more affordable it is to
get into the trend, the better (IMHO). Even if you despise the
mainland China scooters, you can thank them for the global market
competetion they provide and how that will affect prices for everyone.
"Chinese Junk"? This Forbes article
http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2008/05/07/afx4979829.html
doesn't mention off-brand competetion as being any percentage of the
Piaggio sales drop, but I am confident that it is having some impact.
To my end, I like this because it will only make the Italian and
Japanese scooters come down in price. Bad news for current owners,
but good news for scooting in general. The more affordable it is to
get into the trend, the better (IMHO). Even if you despise the
mainland China scooters, you can thank them for the global market
competetion they provide and how that will affect prices for everyone.
Pushing the 50cc's
This article: http://www.walletpop.com/2008/05/06/take-a-tip-from-the-third-world-4-gas-is-scooter-time/
shows the media's focus on pushing the 50cc scooters at "100 miles per
gallon" without mentioning the "oh yeah, top speed is 35-45 miles per
hour..."
shows the media's focus on pushing the 50cc scooters at "100 miles per
gallon" without mentioning the "oh yeah, top speed is 35-45 miles per
hour..."
Ride Last Night
I met with my friend [name omitted] yesterday at Culver's after work. We spoke briefly and then rode around town for about a half an hour. We stopped at Skyline Chili on Bardstown road and had a soda and a bite of food. After that we rode a while longer. He has an Aprillia he bought at Scootopia and it looks like a nice machine. This was the first time I'd ridden with anyone else. I lead and he followed. It was really nice to have somebody to chat with at stops and at Skyline. [name omitted] is very big into promoting the whole scootering scene. He attends the rides the have on Thursdays at Scootopia at 6:30. I will have to find a way to join him sometime soon. He says they allow all makes and models of scooter to join them, so it would be great to meet other people and chat.
Today is calling for scattered thunderstorms, so I might take the car. Naaaa...I'll ride the scooter if it's not pouring, then just cover it up when I get to work!
Today is calling for scattered thunderstorms, so I might take the car. Naaaa...I'll ride the scooter if it's not pouring, then just cover it up when I get to work!
Fairdale Kentucky
I took the scenic route home last Wednesday because I didn't have time to ride after work. I saw the Fairdale sign, so I had to stop and snap a picture.
New summer helmet
This is the shorty helmet I got a Mike and Cho's in Radcliff, KY. It works pretty good, but is taking some getting used to. I feel kinda "out there" with it instead of the full face helmet, but I guess it will be ok. I'll probably suffer the full face this summer when I take a longer trip on the scoot. I put red reflective pinstripe (that I had bought for my scooter but have not put on yet). It adhered fine to the black leather on the helmet. Ignore the scary white guy in the picture...
Grocery Getter
I have used my scooter several times now to pick up a "few things" at the grocery. I have bunji cords in my trunk and I just ask for paper instead of plastic because it holds up so much better.This thing is really turning out to be a great vehicle. It's a convertible, a sporty utility vehicle, errand runner, touring bike. If I could only haul kids on it, that would make it perfect, but I think that defeats the whole purpose.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
1400+ China Miles
probably be changing belt and tires next year in March or April. That
works out great! This weekend, I REALLY want to get my plug changed,
alarm put in, and 12V plug put in the front of the scoot. I'll be
taking a moderate ride next weekend (hopefully with a couple guys) and
want to get the plug done. The thing about that is if you're going to
open it up for that, you should take care of the other items at the
same time.
pizza delivery
delivering pizza on the Roketa MC-54-250B!
It worked fine last night bringing pizza home from Little Caesar's.
This morning, right there in front of the place (it's on Outer Loop)
was parked a bright yellow Honda Reflex! I wanted to say "Hello!" but
it was parked with nobody around it. It was soooo pretty!
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