Kentuckiana Scooter Chronicles

Riding today

2011-12-06T12:36:00.001-05:00

It was spritzing rain. I had my Colorado chaps and jacket liner in. Hands frozen but otherwise unscathed.

300 day goal

2011-11-29T22:51:00.001-05:00

Though it was cool today I rode the bike to school. I was able to quickly remove the cover and shoot off to Sullivan. I did NOT have to share the motorbike parking area! My goal for December to December of 2012 will be 300+ days. We shall start the official count on Thursday.

Bike night at Wicks?

2011-09-17T19:46:00.001-04:00

I love wicks pizza. This is in New Albany...wonder if louisville has the bike night too?!?!?

Spacehog!

2011-09-16T09:25:00.001-04:00

It really irks me when somebody in an SUV parks this damn close to my bike!

Engine guards and pegs

2011-08-19T10:25:00.000-04:00

My 'amazing' daughter Lexie helped me put the engine guard and highway pegs on Alice, my 2008 Suzuki Boulevard. Now I feel like the bike is complete!

There were only four points to mount the engine guard to. One had no bolt. There was a hole, but it was not used for anything and had a little rubber plug in it--necessitating yet another run to H&S Hardware.

That top right side hole and the matching one on the left were VERY difficult to get bolted in. The bottom left was first so it was not bad.

In order to get the lower right side hole bolted up, we tied a loop of rope on the end and stood on it in order to bend the bracket down far enough to get the bolt in straigh and not cross threaded. It was a real bugger to get in there.

My little helper! (You can tell by this picture she was guilted to help a little beyond her comfort level).

Adding a windshield bag

2011-08-17T15:16:00.000-04:00

I bought a nice but inexpensive windshield bag from jafrum.com to add to my bike.

It came in looking as good as their stock photo. The only problem was that it didn't fit Alice's windshield strap. I had to end up making a bracket to fit it out of aluminum bar stock.

For some reason, I wasn't liking the look of the aluminum. I'm not much on shiny, and if I'd have my druthers, every piece of chrome on the bike would instead be flat black. That's just me... So I got some paint. I found Rustoleum undercoating and thought that would be perfect. The only problem is that it took forever to dry!

I couldn't bring myself to cover the chrome bolt I got at H&S for about $4, so I left it shiny. Here's a picture from a few feet away.

I feel like it looks a lot less obtrusive. No compliments either way on it so far. Here's the before picture, along with my awesome helper:

Here's the after picture. It works just fine (and I've always been more about functionality anyhow).

Does this count as cosmetic damage?

2011-08-12T11:38:00.001-04:00

I am hating on some careless woman right now. Stopped at Heine Bros. for a cup of coffee and ran over this in the lot with my back wheel. Pink nail polish! I removed one large shard by hand then got down on the ground and looked at it closely. I couldnt hear any air escaping so I dabbed some water on the area to see if I could see or hear anything escaping. So far so good but im gonna have to get it checked soon. Damnit.

Perfect ending...riding the storm out

2011-07-12T23:23:00.001-04:00

Today after school, I had to run an errand downtown. It had been mostly hot, muggy and miserable. Now you might ask yourself "then why does he ride?" and the answer is truthfully it is a matter of personal pride. If I can't say that I ride in almost all conditions, then I can't count myself as a Rider. Anyways, I got done around 3pm and jumped up on I-65 to beat it home real quick. About the Watterson Expressway exit the temperature dropped almost 30 degrees and I started seeing black clouds. I knew that the only thing to be done here was to ride straight into the storm and let Ma Nature go right ahead and unleash hell on me. I passed my Okolona exit and headed Alice for I-265... I rode into the spray of rain which felt awesome, and even enjoyed the lightshow sparking around me. Good tunes were on the radio and I didn't hardly notice the static from lightning. I felt at one with Alice and my surroundings there on the Snyder. It was a perfect end to a day.

Uneventful!?!?!!!???

2011-07-10T11:21:00.001-04:00

My friend Vince did his Saddlesore ride for the Iron Butt Association and I was lucky enough to be his witness. Sadly he said his ride was almost completely uneventful. I mean I dont wish anything bad would have happened, but at least something to talk about would have been good!. Better 'luck' next time buddy!

Parking at school

2011-07-10T11:17:00.001-04:00

I feel the time draws near I will be irritated at the poser people who take up m/c parking spaces. You know the type...only ride when its between 70 and 88 degrees and sunny. They should have seperate parking for Riders and piddlers.

Hillbilly Hotdogs, Huntington, WV

2011-07-01T13:22:00.001-04:00

These people are singing the weenie song. If they do it right they get free food. This place is nuts!

My first cruiser breakdown!

2011-06-04T21:40:00.001-04:00

and now for something surprising...

Kat and I went out to Thai Orchid for dinner (I had a groupon...). It was pretty good. I got this pad thai stuff and she got some hotter than hell chicken stuff. After that I deciced to take the long way home so started out south on Taylorsville road. I got a couple miles outside of downtown Jtown and all of a sudden I could not seem to shift! I was thinking "oh hell, not again!" remembering about how the jackass I had bought the bike from never gotten any done (in 2700 miles) thus causing me over $800 of clutch repair, and also passing that first 600 mile service on as well. Then I pulled off and saw the whole damn left footboard was pivoting around! It was being held on by only one bolt that swiveled. Instead of the clutch lever moving everything ELSE did!. I saw there was a frame bolt that seemed to be holding on a coolant line bracket so using the wrench included in my handy dandy Suzuki tool kit, I removed that and put it where the missing bolt was so we could get home. Now I know a lot of people would go look for the bolt but frankly they aint got my luck...I had forgotten that Kat was with me! We walked back and there it was...laying in the road! I switched the bolts back, tightened the hell out of it (Suzuki brand 14mm wrench) and came on home. Where before shifting from 1st gear position seemed like a bit of work with about six inches of travel to get into 5th, now a minute little tap up or down changes gears. It will take some getting used to but I think I shall indeed love it!

Riding the Storm

2011-05-26T14:37:00.001-04:00

Sometimes I ride in a group. They don't like to call it a club--it's mainly made up of folks that I don't really have too much in common with. Lately much has been said about riding in the rain, riding at night, riding on the interstate and riding long distances. It's the general opinion that riding is supposed to be done between 7am and 5pm, in good weather on slow back country roads of perfect condition. You should never take your bike out in the rain on purpose, never travel where you may run into gravel or get into a situation where you'd be required to exceed 50-55 miles per hour, stop every couple hours and trailer your bike if it would be over a couple hundred miles.

I've come to learn that riding is also about risk management. I have come to know that if you manage your risk by limiting the experience, you shortchange yourself. I gear up, always wear a helmet, and I am perpetually alert and aware of my surroundings when I ride, but on the other hand, I don't let "what could happen" or "what might happen" dissuade me from this two-wheeled mode of transport I love so dearly.

So I say: "You ride the storm, you become the storm." Once you truly own the experience, it is forever part of who you are.

Marcy's...

2011-05-20T12:01:00.001-04:00

The little round things began life as cheddar cheese cubes. They are tasty, but the breaded pork tenderloin is rockin'!

Stephenson's General Store

2011-05-20T10:34:00.001-04:00

This little general store is in Leavenworth Indiana. They sell handmade wood and pottery items, plus old-time and odd candy. They also have a deli counter in the back. The fellow who runs the place was familiar with Louisville and used to live in the Shively area so I doubt he's a Stevenson. They have a fair amount of touristy crap so it doesn't feel real authentic but I'd bet the building and business name are.

Derby Cycle in Louisville???

2011-05-07T17:42:00.000-04:00

A few of us in the LSG met up last week for lunch. It was pretty cold so we didn't do a whole lot of riding. Joan suggested we go check out the new Louisville location of Derby Cycles.

It took like four tries to find the place. All it was--a hand made posterboard sign on what looked like an office suite. Inside (it was unlocked) nothing much was there for sale. There was a couple people there who showed us the shop, but that was all they had and that wasn't really set up yet. Funny thing is I got this email back several weeks ago:

"We have opened our Louisville Store. It's located in the Bluegrass Industrial Park and the address is 11214 Bluegrass Parkway, Louisville, KY 40299. The phone number is (502) 267-7770 . Stop by and see us if you're in the area."

Hah, we stopped by...WEEKS AFTER THE OPENING...and nothing was there.

Airhawk durability

2011-05-07T16:26:00.001-04:00

I purchased my Airhawk last season and the end of the season so it didn't do much besides sit on a broken bike for months (which was inside out of the weather). I just looked at it the other day and I noticed how miserably faded the Airhawk has gotten. I am going to write to the company and ask them to replace it. It is now medium gray instead of black.

Cover for my Boulevard

2011-05-07T16:24:00.001-04:00

I bought this cover a while back and have been doing everything to keep it up off the ground. Its a really heavy cover of good quality made for a full dress bike. My bike is not a full dress touring (I'm working on it!) but it does have a windshield and bags. After I put the Givi top case on the rear, the cover fits a lot better!

Storage capacity

2011-05-05T07:19:00.001-04:00

The three things I look for in a bike are fuel economy, riding comfort for distance, and storage. since I was used Yamaha Majesty, my new bike falls short on all three categories. It came with saddle bags which help, but you can't really put something in a leather bag with no lock and expect it to be 100% safe....not even 80%. I had the Givi trunk from the scooter and since Kat and I put the rack on the back, I figured I would see if the Givi mount would work on that rack. It fits perfectly and now I have my storage back (or at least some of it). The saddle bags expand somewhat (which the underseat storage and the Givi never did) but they are not completely waterproof or secure. The Givi case has a lock, and I used it extensively on the scoot. Now I have engine guards and pegs to buy (for comfort) and then I will be comparable to the scooter. Shifting doesn't bother me, and on the highway where the scoot would get worse mpg (down to mid 40's) the bike gains mpg (up to almost 50).

Rear rack for Alice

2011-04-24T20:37:00.001-04:00

With Kat's help, I installed the rear rack on my bike. Was it quick and easy? No. Even though it was a matter of four bolts... Did I have to hack-saw through three of them? Yes. :( Like Carlos used to say, At the end of the day...the job is complete and I have somewhere to stow my crap other than the pillion.

Wet Airhawk

2011-04-20T09:31:00.001-04:00

I have a really nice premium cover for Alice, but the Airhawk seat cushion still got wet. I rode with a small towel on top of it on my way to class. When I parked, I put the "CoolAss" cover on. I was worried it would be too big since it was made for the Majesty, but it fit great over the driver seat and the passenger pillion (with some extra room to tuck in). One saddlebag has all my rain gear and the other has my leather jacket. I'm carrying my helmet with me until noon and then I'll lock it to the bike...I just wanna make sure it doesn't get rained in!

Ride to (little) Stonehenge (aka Clonehenge)

2011-04-10T18:40:00.003-04:00

This place was not difficult to get to. My riding buddy Vince and I rode the twisty roads down to close near Munfordville. As usual, we seen a lot of other bikes out, a lot of dead animals along the road, and even a couple cool things like a muddy river that was almost overflowed and an old Road Dog looking trike.

Roaddog made by William "Wild Bill" Gelbke.

Well anyway, we got there and checked the place out. It was pretty cool. It’s on someone’s private property, but they make it known it’s ok to pull into their driveway and park for a bit to go look.

Vince took this picture. I forgot my dang camera so we only had our cell phones to work with.

Here’s Vince with his Burgman 650 Exec.

These are a few better pictures showing just the stonework.

I don’t know if it’s exactly to scale but I think the placement is right. The center stone has a compass carved into it showing which direction is North, etc... Here’s a pic of me standing on the center stone.

As you can see, the sun caused the picture to come out not-so-good.

Also we can’t forget the other great reason to come out this way…FOOD! Unfortunately Big Bubba Buck’s Belly Bustin’ BBQ Bliss was closed on Sundays and we did not know. We ended up eating at a Subway!

Yes, looks like neither of us was gonna go home and smack our mama’s…

We did meet and talk with some other riders at the Pilot where the Subway was. They seemed alright but Vince did more talking than I did. I was kinda hungry at that point and just wanted to get some grub.

And what was the cool souvenir I took home?

My first rider-burn of the year!

It was a great ride. We just basically headed straight for the barn down I-65 on the way home after eating at the Subway.

Here's Vince's video!!

Between the Drops on Friday

2011-04-10T17:57:00.000-04:00

The second smaller Fleur went on the tail of my bike...

Between the Rains on Friday

2011-04-10T17:56:00.001-04:00

Between the rains on Friday, I needed to take a quick ride, so I went to the Highlands and bought a couple Fleur di Lis at the Why Louisville shop...

The large red one went on my windshield.

Clonehenge, my next adventure…

2011-04-06T18:44:00.001-04:00

Deep in the hills of Kentucky lies an ancient druid holy place that has been the site for many human sacrifices, naked fertility rituals, summonings and workings of other powerful magic.

Ok, that’s all b*llsh*t, really it’s a scale model of Stonehenge just off Interstate 65 in Munfordville, Kentucky

It is known by some as “Clonehenge” which sounds kinda cute to me. Anyways, I’ll probably be ancient myself (or more likely dead) before I can ever ride my bike up to the REAL Stonehenge and touch the mysterious monoliths, so when I heard about this place, I did a little research and discovered it’s just over yonder (like everything in Kentucky). Really it’s a little over an hour away—one hour and eighteen minutes with the old trusty Google maps (or one hour and fifty minutes if you like to take the scenic route (along state roads and backroads). Also, as an added bonus, I hear that “Big Bubba Bucks Belly Bustin BBQ Bliss” has some really good grub according to some folks…

“The folks are super friendly, and the BBQ is so super-duper-awesome that you will, in fact, slap yo mamma! ..."‎

“Just the smell from the big pig-shaped smokers outside alone is worth 3 stars.”

”this ain't no generic box of food...this is southern home cookin.”

”My favorite part was listening to the owner advertising her place on the cb radio to all the truckers passing by.”

(all stolen shamelessly from the interwebs).

I am going to make this trip on Sunday (best case scenario). If not, I will have to run down south very soon and check both these out…

Like Christmas!!!!

2011-04-06T18:17:00.001-04:00

The wind has been so bad it blew the covers of Molly & Alice multiple times. The creepy pothead from next door knocked on the door and when Kathy answered he said "Kella's (I'm disturbed he knows my name) cuv'r fer his motercickle was blown off 'n down the block so ah put 'er back on fer y'all!" Apparently he was looking for a reward or something. As I said, he's really one of those creepy guys you look at like he might have "child molester" written lightly on his forehead. So far he's not ended up in "Crime Times". Anyway, I decided to put the covers back on and then strap them down as good as I could so maybe they won't catch wind and flop around so damn much. Frustrating because now it'll take me extra time in the morning.

Painted Bridge with LSG

2011-04-02T20:56:00.001-04:00

I rode for a bit with the LSG folks and Ralph led us past the Painted Bridge. I really like that route.

Ralph & the Fajita

2011-03-18T16:07:00.001-04:00

Ralph showed up a little later. His fajita was steaming hot. He had a nice ride up also. He started with another fellow who had some mechanical issues and had to turn back. Ralph rides a Piaggio MP3. It may be the three-legged dog of the scooter world, but its a real good machine.

Corydon Indiana

2011-03-18T16:03:00.001-04:00

Corydon was the original state capital of Indiana. Apparantly they are very proud of this fact.

Riding to Lunch

2011-03-18T16:01:00.001-04:00

Three of my friends were able to make it this morning for the ride to Corydon for lunch at The Real Enchilada.

Rooster Run

2011-03-17T19:19:00.001-04:00

I took my first ride of any real length on the new bike. I was watching Princess Bride afterwards on the couch and fell asleep. When I woke, it was due to an incredible pain on the top of my foot. It was a cramp in my "shifter muscle"! I feel kinda stupid. It was however a fabulous day for riding, and with some highway miles my mpg improved slightly. I ran out to Bardstown Kentucky, visited the fabled "Rooster Run" and grabbed a soda. After that I ran past Four Roses distillery, and Jim Beam on the way home. My Barefoot Willies Cool Cup came today so I put it on and it worked great. Best part about that was that directly from their site it was only lik $23. I would like to get engine guards and pegs, as well as a sissy bar and rack for carrying a few extra things, but right now I will just be happy to get the power cable for my GPS installed. Today was a nice ride.

River Road Saddle Bags

2011-03-06T20:32:00.001-05:00

Alice (my 2008 Suzuki Boulevard) came with saddle bags already installed by the previous owner (PO). Not only had he burned a bit of the bottom of the right one (which you can tell because of the burn that it's PVC and not leather) but also lost one of the straps. The River Road saddle bags come with straps that have their "quick connect" on the leather buckle which is a plastic widgit usually found on backpacks, and other things with nylon straps.

I visited River Road's website but could not find a quick connect that looked like mine. A quick email was met with a quick reply. After asking for a picture, Sherrie at RR simply replied "I'm pretty sure we have the right one. What is your address?"

I rode my motorcycle in the rain...

2011-03-01T22:29:00.001-05:00

Kat took this pic of me last week when I picked up Alice from the shop. Yes, I have decided to name her Alice.

Finally got around to taking a few pix of the new bike.

2011-02-28T17:17:00.000-05:00

I hope you enjoy these. I may actually get to ride tomorrow!!!

2011-02-24T18:25:00.001-05:00

I picked up the new bike today. Between the repairs and the belated first service that the jackwagon previous owner didn't do, it was expensive enough that if figured into the purchase price, I would not have bought it. I drove in the rain with full gear directly to the county clerk's office where they did the VIN check and transferred the title to me. When I got home, I put the cover on and went in to dry off. I am doing pretty good making the transition from CVT to manual transmission. I'm still a little choppy in shifting but I credit that more towards getting used to the throttle. Besides the automatic trans, the one thing I am missing right now is the highway pegs. In order to have them on the Boulevard, I have to get engine guards. There are about two...one made by Suzuki which is really for mounting pegs only...it really doesn't protect the bike in case of tip-over. The other one made is from Cobra and extends quite a bit further out. They run about $175 (without the pegs). Both bolt right on with no big trip to the shop-bonus. I plan to take it for errands tomorrow and get some practice in.

Parts (aka UPS sucks)

2011-02-22T22:25:00.001-05:00

Well folks, I (though very uncharacteristic of me) optimistically went by the Suzuki of Lou today to check on the (as yet unnamed) Boulevard. The mech said that UPS used to come in at 9am…you could set your clock by them. Now they are lucky if we get UPS in before 2pm. It was 1:30 or so when I was there. I considered waiting around, but didn’t want to appear as the guy who pesters the shite out of them…I left.

This is how it went…

ME: So I guess the parts didn’t come in today?

TROY: We used to get them around 9am, but now we don’t get UPS in here until almost 2 o’clock some days.

ME (trying for nonchalance): So you can give me a holler when the parts come in.

TROY: (irritation in voice) I’ll call you when it’s ready to pick up.

So…prayers for either the parts to come in or my sanity are appreciated.

Torn apart...

2011-02-16T14:30:00.001-05:00

My bike is completely torn apart and ready for when the parts come in. They expect they will get the parts no later than Tuesday & can button it back up same day... That's great but I kinda was hoping they could get the parts in the next day or two so I could pickup Friday or Saturday... I have been down so long now and I am really feeling it...

Clutch pads, springs, etc.

2011-02-16T11:03:00.000-05:00

I got a voicemail from the mechanic at Yamaha-Suzuki of Louisville. The estimate is $450. He has to replace the clutch pads, springs, flush the gear oil, etc. It is basiclly (from the sounds of it) just this side of major work. He said he's ordered the parts and it will be 3-4 days to get them in. I expect the bike back next week, but I'm gonna run by on Friday and 'check in'.

Trailering…yet again

2011-02-15T18:34:00.001-05:00

Monday after class, Ralph and I run up to get the bike. Its good on the way up…Ralph is a very intelligent guy with lots of varied experience. It’s always cool to talk to him and hear about his experiences. I have always liked a good yarn…

We get to the VP and Brittney is still there. We load the bike up and this dude on a little Ninja sportsbike comes over for some small talk. He says how it looks like a really pretty bike and that “it’s pretty cold. I don’t blame you for taking it home on a trailer.” As I told Ralph later that is when I had the energy to want to kill somebody and this guy was it. I told him. “It’s not running right. That’s the ONLY reason I’m not riding it home. This weather is fine!”

Having already called the shops in town, I knew none were open on Monday. Ralph was nice enough to let me keep it on the trailer overnight. Furthermore he was nice enough to haul it over to Yamaha-Suzuki of Louisville for me. I talked to Ty in the shop and told him about the bike, that it was an 08 with only 2700 miles and I just bought it and had to have it towed and trailered. I told him that I needed it looked at that day—not necessarily repaired in case they had a huge waiting list—but I needed to know how bad it was. He was nice enough to get me in.

After school I went over to check. Sure enough it was the clutch. The mechanic said that somebody had overly tightened the clutch adjustment and the clutch pads had been rubbing and causing constant friction which is what burned them out. He said it was not great but not bad. I said “so are we talking like $1000????” and he said that it wouldn’t likely be that much even worst-case-scenario. I was relieved—I had the money to fix it (just barely). I asked him “what about $500?” he said with a couple hours and labor it might get into $250-300. I was relieved. I told him I know they probably couldn’t work on it right away because I figured a lot of other people were ahead of me. He said “I was gonna tear it down today and order parts. I can let you know something for sure tomorrow morning.”

That’s where we’re at right now.

Initial thoughts while on the side of I-65

2011-02-15T18:16:00.001-05:00

My primary thought was that I would REALLY like to get my hands around the throat of the guy who sold me this bike. Quickly after that, I start looking for something I must have done. My theory was that, with only 2700 miles on the damn bike, how could anyone have possibly screwed it up!?!?!?!?

I think “what about removing the baffles?” and “maybe test riders screwed it up” and “did I hit a button or something” and lastly “he did something to it on purpose”. I was fit to be tied. I did something slightly naughty. I had meant to call my insurance company at Kat’s moms and switch insurance from Molly to the new bike. I did that asap while sitting in Kat’s charger along the side of the interstate. One little bright spot—the damn bike was STILL cheaper than my 08 Yamaha Majesty scooter to insure…and with LESS deductible! Kat called the info for the Indiana State Police to try and get a wrecker. They were sending someone but he was about 60 minutes out. We decided we could wait that long. Almost that time goes by and they call to tell us there’s been a mistake and the first tow truck could not make it.

This is about the time a state trooper pulls up behind us. I am sitting here looking at the expired plate on the bike that I never changed. I am thinking about how I just an hour before got insurance on the vehicle…. Come to find out, he was a really nice bloke. He warned us of the laws we were breaking without documenting it or writing any citations. He offered to call dispatch about a tow truck and he ran the VIN on the bike to make sure it wasn’t stolen. He came back after running the VIN and said it was clean, but “with the laundry list of traffic violations he has, it’s good the seller is getting rid of this bike.” I thought that was a hoot, but not enough to smile. We told him we’d already called about a tow and so he asked if we wanted him to wait around until it got there. I thanked him profusely for his help and told him he didn’t have to stay.

Kat has to pee, and I am frustrated so I call my insurance company to see if I get any free towing. I explain that I just bought the bike and switched insurance about an hour ago then the bike died on the way home. The insurance company said they would send someone. About 10 minutes later a tow truck (sent by the police dispatch) showed up. He said he was sorry but still had to charge me $65. It would be another $65-70 for him to tow us into the next town (Columbus Indiana) so we told him to beat it after paying. Shortly after, the insurance dispatched truck shows up. He has a regular tow truck—not a flat bed. Still he says it won’t be a problem and he does this all the time. He puts the bike in a sling and lifts it with the winch. The seat bends and pops up!!! Still it’s too late so we let him haul it.

We end up at a Village Pantry which I have called and spoke to the manager to see if it’s ok to leave it overnight. She was kind and it’s no problem. If you’re ever at the VP in Columbus, say hello to Brittney. I called my friend Ralph who has a trailer and even though he’s at a basketball game, he takes a few minutes to talk and let me know that we can come up Monday with his trailer. At this point I am too tired and hungry to be upset or anything. We go to Target to get a couple bicycle cable locks to put through the wheels. Brittney gives us tape and I tape a note to the bike with my name and phone number and “please do not tow”.

The Suzuki Boulevard C50

2011-02-15T17:50:00.001-05:00

I found a couple of these around the area, but didn’t find any right in Louisville. I wanted to go see one near Munfordville on the weekend. Kat said she would go with me to look at it but reminded me we were going to Indy on Saturday. I made arrangements to see the bike on Sunday. The guy seemed nice. The bike was an 06 with only 4200 miles on it. The asking price was $4500 which is right around book value so I thought he might take a bit less. It was set up with a windshield, saddle bags, and a luggage rack. I would be sorely missing the storage capacity of Lois (my Yamaha Majesty) so I knew these would be very handy.

I phoned the fellow and he said he had a guy coming to look at it on Saturday but he would call me if it sold. I told him I would call and check with him. Saturday came and we rode up to Indy. On the way Kat asked if that was the only bike I liked in the area and if there might be any near Indy. I produced the print out of another C50 in Indianapolis…. Kat nearly insisted that we go see it. She is such a total sweetheart! I was surprised, but called to see if it was possible. The lady (Carolyn) said that it would be fine if we wanted to come and take a look. We went and saw it. It was a 2008 with only 2700 miles on it! It sounded loud, but was a pretty bike. I told them I would contact them if I made a decision. I wanted to see the bike near Munfordville first.

I called the guy about the 06 on Saturday night at 9:30 and left him a message. I thought he would probably get back with me in the morning. Morning came and I had heard nothing back. I looked on craigslist and the page was deleted…. We left for Indy with cash and a pretty strong intention to purchase that bike.

We looked, signed papers, signed more papers, and agreed on a price. They were pretty firm so I ended up paying the full amount. It was worth it…the bike books for almost $6000 with that kind of low miles! I found out the reason for the loudness—the jackwagon son who owned it removed the baffles from the pipes. I am thinking this whole time "I can get new ones to put in”. Meanwhile the thing wasn’t like Harley loud… I got my gear on and rode it to Kat’s mom’s house. I liked how smooth it rode, but I was kinda disappointed about how little torque it seemed to have. It felt like if you gave it too much gas instead of picking up speed it would just overrev. Still it was comfortable, looked nice, was shaft driven, fuel injected and my research revealed that it got between 40-50mpg and was not as heavy as Vince’s Burgman. The son also allowed the right saddle bag to rest on the pipe at one point. The bag was damaged but not shot.

We did our visiting with Kat’s mom and I just kept having this nagging in my gut about the torque/overreving situation. I called the son back about it. He said that he had never noticed anything like that. I thought perhaps that it’s just the way this particular bike handles. On the way out of town I resolved to experiment a little and see what’s what. I found that if you keep it down low in the gear it does fine, so you can accelerate, but the acceleration totally sucked. It got up to 70+mph on I-65 no problem, it just took it a while to get there. I was figuring that this is just the way a modern cruiser would ride… I did some more playing with the throttle and found if you let it just stay ‘overrevved’ for a bit then it would finally grab hold and put you back in the seat with a little g-force. That was nice to know. So now it would accelerate, but just had a little lag before doing it.

At this point I would like to state that 99% of my manual transmission experience was with automobiles…

The phenomenon I was experiencing was apparently called “clutch slipping”.

Yes, indeed. I was on I-65, about 35 miles from Kat’s mom’s and suddenly no matter what gear or how much throttle I give it…it is still decelerating!!! I go from left lane to right lane then finally to breakdown lane.

A new(er) bike…

2011-02-15T17:25:00.001-05:00

I have already resolved the motorcycle vs. scooter issue in my brain. I will always hold scooters first in my heart. They are easy to ride, perfect to learn on, and fun. They are great on gas mileage, quirky-cool, and the thinking man’s Harley Davidson.

My problem is that, although I do love scooters first and foremost, they are difficult to find at a deal. I cannot afford to plunk down $6,000 to $10,000 on a brand new scooter. I am not wealthy enough to do it on a car either. So with that as a given, I have always looked for a bargain. I want a newish bike with low miles for a good price. This is all but the holy grail when you are talking about a scooter, mainly due to their popularity being so much less than your traditional motorcycle. It’s the law of averages working against me.

Until I started riding, I never knew the joy and exhilaration. Once you understand, it becomes like a drug. It has become a drug I need. Just the other day somebody who knew my bike was down and I wasn’t riding any asked me how long it had been since I’ve been riding. My answer was “so long now that I just don’t look before crossing the street anymore…” The fun I get from riding is a natural mood enhancer that I have come to rely on. Without that, I am just not right. If you don’t believe me, ask my fiancée or my kids…

The GS850 has just not been working out like I need it to. It is a vintage bike which is really cool, but it is old-tech and that’s something that might not be a good decision for me. I ride year-round if possible. The Yamaha Majesty was perfect because it had wind protection and fuel injection. It would start up and go in any weather and give you a pretty comfortable ride wherever you needed. I have been 20,000 miles to Montgomery Alabama, St. Louis Missouri, Sturgis Michigan, and all over Kentuckiana on that bike. I needed something more reliable than a 30 year old dog no matter how cool it was.

It was time for me to hit craigslist again. This time, since practicality had won out over style on the scooter vs. motorcycle issue, I decided to find out what kind of motorcycle I was going to look for. I had some requirements:

1. Good gas mileage

2. Not a big engine(see number 1)

3. Not too heavy

4. Comfortable

5. Fuel injection

6. Shaft driven

Fuel economy was the primary reason I got onto two wheels. I was not giving that up for anything else the whole deal was pretty pointless in my brain. I didn’t want a big engine—firstly for gas mileage, but also I had heard that the more power the worse your insurance will be. I didn’t want a bike that was too heavy. The GS850 weighed in at about the same as my buddy Vince’s Burgman 650. I didn’t want to go much more than that. The bike had to be comfortable. If you can’t stand the ergonomics of the bike then its no good. The scoots excel at that, so I had to have something that was not too bad. Fuel injection as I have said before was something I have come to need. I have dealt with carbureted vehicles in the past in both automobile, scooter, and now motorcycle and cold starting always ended up leaving a bad taste in my mouth. My friend Jeremy warned me about older bikes and the adjustments that needed made and how often that would be required. That got me thinking about chains and belts in general. Well, the old 850 was shaft driven, so I was thinking I wanted another shaft drive bike.

I narrowed my search down to two bikes. The Honda Shadow 750cc, and the Suzuki Boulevard C50 (805cc). Of the two, I liked the Suzuki better…maybe because of Molly, maybe not. I started a search on these two bikes and found a few of them for sale on craigslist in the area.

Molly title issues

2011-02-15T16:57:00.001-05:00

Sadly, the guy I am (still) trying to buy Molly from has not been in contact with me about the title. The 81 GS850 is originally from Tennessee and he has never had it transferred to Kentucky. The County Clerks office explains that even though he signed the back of the title, he cannot legally sell me the bike. He has to actually have the title in his name first.

On top of that, I have been trying to ride the bike around the parking lot and a couple blocks in the neighborhood and it is difficult. In order to keep it running, you have to have the choke (manual) pulled out some…actually 3000 rpms. That makes it hard to get into first and is very difficult to manage. If you set the choke any lower, it dies at idle. It likely needs the (four) carbs cleaned out and synched, plus maybe the gaps set. I am not willing to do that.

I have decided that they fellow either needs to produce a title (which would allow me to own the bike—even though I have already paid for it!) or take the bike back and refund my money. I don’t care either way. It’s a nice bike and would be absolutely perfect with just a bit of work. Its only real fault is that its old-tech.

Sad...

2011-02-09T20:09:00.001-05:00

This weather is depressing me.

Wiring Harness

2011-02-03T17:49:00.000-05:00

I got the wiring harness for my Garmin done. Now I just have to attach it. I'm in no huge hurry for that. Snowstorms are on their way again. This is about the time of year I start thinking "the snow isn't sticking on the roads...I should be ok to take the bike..." and looking at the historical data on weather.com to see when it should start getting into the forties.

Molly rocks!

2011-02-02T19:10:00.001-05:00

The weather has been for shite the past several days so I have not ridden. Last time I rode the choke kept sinking back down and she was dying at stops. Not cool. The battery the seller included was his old ATV battery (complete with some mud still on it) and I have been wary of it.

Today at about 5pm I went out to start the Suzuki GS850GX (I found that similar to the Majesty, the Suzuki uses a letter to indicate year of manufacture) the G stands for shaft driven and the X stands for 1981. That old gal is a fighter! Even at 23 degrees she battles her way to life with only a couple pushes on the start button! I am quickly falling in love with this bike!

Grrrrrr....

2011-02-01T09:50:00.001-05:00

Finally after almost three months I get some wheels and then... . Day 1: rode it home Day 2: rode it a short distance to my sister's and back (almost froze) Day 3: weather forcast calls for snow and rain Day 4: raining (today). . I did find some very good internet resources for specs, diagnosis & troubleshooting the Suzuki GS models... Also (as you can see in the pic) I got my scooter cover to mostly fit Molly (with Ralph's help). I don't feel near as bad about leaving her outside now. . Maybe things will clear up and I will be able to ride Thursday. Tomorrow is professional dress day here at school.

Is she gonna start???

2011-01-30T11:10:00.001-05:00

My worst mechanical fears were not realized (for once). Molly, on full choke, grumbled awake with only 3 tries at 40-something degrees. God bless the Japanese!

Molly (named by Kat)

2011-01-29T18:52:00.002-05:00

This is my 1981 Suzuki GS850G purchased today in Pendelton, KY and ridden home to Louisville. I gave Kat the honor of coming up with a name. I really feel like I am a scooter kind of guy, but this is a nice little bike, well kept, and in very good shape. I hope to ride it for a while until I find something that is perfect for me. Who knows...if I get used to this bike, it may end up being with me a while. I already like the way the large diameter wheels and big cushy seat gives a nice smooth ride. I rode back KY-42 on the way home and got only got it up to 70mph for just a moment, but it seemed to have plenty of power. Since I had never ridden a shifting vehicle before, it took some getting used to and I killed it a couple times at stops. I am familiar with the concept of a clutch from automobiles which probably gave me a great advantage over someone who had never ridden before.

My biggest concern is starting an older carbureted vehicle (with a manual choke) during this colder weather.

Some other ideas

2011-01-12T17:07:00.000-05:00

The thing is...there are just a LOT more motorcycles out there than scooters...

Some more examples:

1983 Honda VT500 Ascot - $1800

1999 kawasaki 500 vulcan - $1800

2001 suzuki sv 650 s - $1950

77 CB 750K Stretch cafe - $1200

1999 Yamaha V-Star 650 - $2200

If you're not too picky (which I can't afford to be at this point in time), then there might be some good bikes out there. Some of you may be thinking a used bike would be trouble--especially an older one. But I have found that parts are not usually an issue--somewhere in the world they can be had. From there it is just finding someone who can work on the bike. Dealers will not touch anything that is more than ten years old. That is a statement of fact. You have to find a trustworthy mom-n-pop place, but there are good ones out there that will service older bikes. I have already covered the parts availability issue and finding a mechanic when I had the Roketa scooter. I know this can be worked around.

The stigma about a used vehicle never bothered me. If it ain't used when I buy it--it sure as hell will be once I get ahold of it. I don't purchase bikes to polish and let them sit. If I had my druthers I would ride everywhere I go, year round. Not everybody can say that and more than a couple who do might not be telling the whole truth.

Bottom line: Being without a bike is not mentally healthy for me. I have figured this out in the last almost one hundred freakin' days. Lets just say I don't look before crossing the street no more.

1986 YAMAHA RADIAN 600

2011-01-12T16:47:00.001-05:00

1986 YAMAHA RADIAN 600

So, what do you think about this? It would need some saddlebags and a case immediately..

This would probably be my new dream bike.

2011-01-12T16:40:00.001-05:00

http://kansascity.craigslist.org/mcy/2155921768.html

The touring package on this bike is pretty awesome. Too bad it’s about $4K more than I can afford right now. I have opened my list of possibilities up to include motorcycles. I feel like I am not right since the demise of my Majesty and I really feel the need to be back on two wheels as soon as possible. I would like to move up to a Honda Silverwing or a Suzuki Burgman 650, but those are a lot more expensive. I know the 02 and 03 Silverwings came in a really nice red color…

Vince on Goldwing

2010-11-20T11:48:00.001-05:00

While Vince and I was at Station Park Honda picking up the broken mess that used to be my bike, he tried out a Honda Goldwing to see how it felt. I was thinking the behemoth Goldwing doesn't look quite as big with somebody on it...only when its empty and sitting there by itself.

Joe at Station Park Honda

2010-11-11T15:01:00.000-05:00

Joe at Station Park is a heck of a guy. He said I have to let him know soon whether he's to put it all back together, or leave it like it is. He said he could even just slap it back together just enough so it would have the rear wheel and roll. He's only charging me an hour of labor right now. He also said no problem if I want to leave it there up to a month and try to find somebody who will buy it for parts.

Epic Fail

2010-11-11T14:57:00.001-05:00

My bike is toast. Damage to crank shaft, piston, rings, cams, cam holders, cylinder head. This is basically replacing the entire engine. Nothing can be saved. As my daughter says "epic fail".

What to do?

2010-11-07T11:50:00.001-05:00

I contacted all of my mechanically inclined friends for advice. Most of them said "get it to a Yamaha shop for a second opinion" but there were the few people in the scooter group who I know quite well and they insisted SPH would do a good job and were trustworthy. I went in Saturday and although Joe had no clue how it could have happened, he said that after Tueaday and one hour of labor they could tell the full extent of the damage. He called me later on the phone with devestating news. Joe said he suspects that when I did the oil change I put the new oil filter in backwards, and this completely destroyed the engine. I was completely in disbelief. I have changed the oil numerous times, and the way its set up, the filter has a small hole about the size of a pea on one end, and this fits up onto a peg. It has to go that way in order to put the cover back on. I could not believe I had done it wrong. He said he's seen this happen before on other bikes. Most likely I would be looking at a complete rebuild, not just rings, etc. I am gonna get in there on Tuesday so he can show me. I am still in denial...

Blown engine?

2010-11-07T11:41:00.001-05:00

Some of you will know that my bike has been in the shop for over a month now. This is prime riding weather for me and its really killing me to be caged. On the tenth of last month, I changed the engine oil, transmission oil, and all the filters (both oil-1 and air-3). I had done this before so I figured I knew what I was doing. After the regular maintenance, my friend Ralph and I took it for a test ride. Between 1/4 and 1/2 mile it had a huge power loss. I turned in at the first side street and it died. I tried to restart with no luck. There were no indicator lights of any sort, so the theory was that perhaps I had sprayed the air filters with a little too much filter oil, causing air starvation. We quickly removed them and tried to restart with no luck. I had dinner & club reservations, and was going to propose to my girlfriend that night so we trailered it back to Ralphs. I came in a day later and changed out the plug thinking lack of air caused it to get too much fuel and flooded, fouling the plug. Changing did no good. Both of us were unsure what to do next, so we decided to take it to the shop. They closest one was Station Park Honda, but they apparantly can work on about any bike. I double checked with them and Yamahas are no problem. The mechanic told me "hopefully it will be something simple like the carburetor." which sort of worried me. My bike is fuel-injected and does not have a carb! I didn't hear from them for about a week, so I went in to see if everything was ok. That's when they told me it would be another two to two and a half weeks before they got to it. I was bummed, but resolved to get it fixed. I went in every week and they said "almost" and "just a couple ahead of you". Finally they got to it on a Friday, and called me with the news. "Your engine is blown and will need a rebuild costing $1000-$2000." I was shocked to find this out because nothing I have done would indicate the bike's engine was ready to go.

Another *$@#%& week!!!

2010-10-27T14:57:00.001-04:00

They are now at 3.5 weeks. If it takes them very long to fix, they will have had it for over a month!!! As it is, I need to put my reg sticker on the plate & get it to the license branch somehow before 11/15.

13 days later

2010-10-24T08:14:00.001-04:00

I have been caged (cage=car) now for thirteen days, and it feels like months. The weather today is PERFECT...overcast to keep it cool, but only a slight chance of rain this evening. If I didn't have so many friends who like to ride, I'd hope for rain just so I wouldn't feel like I was missing out. When I first got my bike, it was for a dual purpose. First, I wanted to save money on gas because it was so incredibly expensive at the time. The other reason was to have a second vehicle in case my car was in the shop. Three years later, I am secretly wishing I had a second bike instead of a car. Yes, I know its not practical...I have two children and would never be able to be without a car of some sort, but...

Get Stung!

2010-10-22T15:39:00.001-04:00

Just spotted the Scorpion helmetsmobile here in Louisville...

Station Park Honda, Louisville KY

2010-10-15T14:11:00.001-04:00

I refuse to bash a shop who has given good service to several members of the scooter group, but I must state my disappointment. With the help of my friend Ralph, I did some regular maintenance on my scooter on Saturday. I changed oils and filters--something I'd done a couple times before with no mechanical issues aside for some frozen bolts that had to be routed out. I didn't expect anything different this time, but after about a mile test ride, the scooter lost power then died and would not restart. Monday I replaced the plug which didn't help, so Ralph suggested taking it to a shop. At first we thought of Yamaha of Louisville but its all the way on the other side of town, so-knowing Station Park had a good reputation with Ralph and other members of LSG, we ended up there on Tuesday. Needless to say I have been fit to be tied forced to drive the cage so much. I called them to check in today and despite that I let them know its my main transportation, they told me they hadn't looked at it...and it would be another 2 to 2 1/2 weeks before they could! This can't have happened at a worse time weather-wise. This is the perfect two months of the year....60's, sunny, little rain. I ride about 340-350 days a year, but this is prime time. Also there's the fact that almost the ONLY parking on campus is m/c spots, and that I need my bike to take my m/c driving test before November... I am drowning my sorrows in a corn dog and large tater tots at Sonic right now. Ever since about April of 2007, I have been a rider. Anytime I've been without my bike, it feels like half of me is missing...the half that helps keep me happy and sane. I will not even be able to ride on my birthday next week. I'm not supposed to have much sugar, but I feel a ice cream sunday coming on...

Broke down

2010-10-09T20:01:00.001-04:00

Bummer. Think i killed my scoot.

Twenty thousand miles

2010-08-08T22:00:00.001-04:00

I now have over 20,000 miles on the Majesty. The bike has held up pretty well and has done just about everything I have asked of it. This riding thing instead of driving is truly in my blood. It has been almost 30K lifetime miles in three years, and all of it has been a blast!

Red light district

2010-08-05T09:45:00.001-04:00

Although I hit just about every red light there was on my scoot-commute this morning, it was still a great ride. It was the first day in a while I wasn't cage-bound because of running my dog back and forth to the vet. I got to see a Ford Maverick rolling down the road (which was my first car...special thanks to Steve Lopp for trashing it with me). Also, you know its a good sign when you get to work bone dry though you hear all manner of thunderstorm hell breaking loose behind you as you ride. Song for the day: Riding the Storm Out by REO Speedwagon (but not the cheesy live version with the "little story" at the beginning).

The Transformation

2010-08-04T06:43:00.001-04:00

It has taken almost 30,000 miles but I am finally starting to feel like a Rider. The other day I was riding in my cage and this frigging jackwagon in a pickup got pretty close to me and I was gonna give him some horn. Instead of hitting the middle of the steering wheel in the Alero, I felt my thumb pushing...where the horn button would be on my bike. . Last week, I was getting the mail for my girlfriend while she is out of town. This guy pulls up to get his mail and says "you're a pretty big guy for that bike. You ought to be riding a Harley." I didn't say anything, mainly because foremost I dont want to come off like a braggart. It would not be me: "I've ridden more in three years than most Hardly riders have done in...". No, it would be about the machine: "You can do anything on this little bike that you can do on a cruiser and save money doing it!" or "This scooter is more economical, more comfortable, and cost less than a Harley." etc.

Wishes he had a scooter

2010-08-02T11:35:00.001-04:00

I ran in to Meijers to get a couple things (mainly the stuff to make a Bacon/Mayo/Tomato sandwich thanks to Becky) and this guy flagged me down to talk...twice! He said he has a 2000 horsepower Yamaha V-Max bike and wishes he really had a scooter. He said he was worried because he is used to all that power. I asked him "How fast to you cruise on your bike? 120? 125?" And he said about 60 or 65. I said "the Majesty will do that all day long and get 55mpg doing it." He started the accelleration argument and I said it still accellerates faster than any car or truck, and most cruisers too. I told him aboit the time Vince left a sportsbike sitting too...mainly due to the Burgman's power mode, and smoothe takeoff due to no shifting... The guy says he's gonna look for one. :D

Greeks Pizzeria

2010-08-02T11:09:00.001-04:00

Until Saturday the 31st of July, 2010 I was unaware that Greeks existed anywhere else besides that fine line between on & off campus at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Happily I found out different! When I rode up to Greenwood this weekend, Kat and I shared a medium. I think she has eaten here six times in the past ten days! If that's true, then why did she get to keep the leftovers??? :D

This takes me back

2010-08-02T11:03:00.001-04:00

I have not had pizza this good in over twenty years. And I believe I got to share the double green olive and extra cheese with the best girl in the world this time!

Welcome to (Geocaching in) Greenwood

2010-08-02T09:53:00.001-04:00

On the way up to Greenwood/Indy to visit my girlfriend's mom in the hospital, I stopped to find one geocache. It was right off the road and not too difficult to find. I left a couple trackable items. The trip up was ok. It was a great day to ride because it was overcast and cooler. I wish I could have went out with LSG because Ralph had a good route planned up to Veevay.

Rain?

2010-07-31T12:45:00.000-04:00

Another little audio note from the road. Almost to destination...

I-65: The Ashtray of America

2010-07-31T11:12:00.000-04:00

Voice note from the road. Some cursing involved, so listen with care...

Ride home from work.

2010-07-28T17:27:00.000-04:00

Usually I am really lucky. I ride to work and the most I get is a few
sprinkles either to or from. Today, on the way home, this might
actually be a little challenging.

Also....

......I rushed and left my rain gear at home!!

The Genuine CoolAss

2010-07-27T07:29:00.001-04:00

Since I have been parking under a tree at work every day, I have been concerned about sap, and crap. I saw the Genuine CoolAss in last month's Scoot! magazine and decided to give it a go. It doesn't fit perfectly on the Majesty as it is made in four or five sizes to fit most all bikes. I had to fold & tuck to get it to not look like a big gay floppy hat. I think the part that I get folded under the seat will possibly keep it from getting stolen. Construction seems visually like aluminum foil, but I can already tell its much tougher. It comes with its own carrying pouch and folds/wads up to less than the size of a bottle of soda. The "instructions" are humorous and well written. It promises such benifits as: 50% cooler when exposed to direct sunlight, greatly reduced likelihood of developing monkey butt, protects your saddle from fading and cracking, simple installation & removal, easy no hassle storage, will last for years under normal conditions, and improves appearance (as compared to using a garbage bag or towel). It has a few disclaimers: you can't ride on it, you can't expose it ti extreme heat (read: muffler) and its puncture "resistant" not puncture proof. Lastly, it is not washable. If I had known this I may not have ordered it. Also it says to keep your CoolAss out of reach of children, and adults acting like children. They do have a customer satisfaction "if for any reason" guarantee, so I guess that's good. I will report how it does, and what the company says about removing tree sap...if I have to contact them.

Reconstruction

2010-07-21T22:48:00.001-04:00

The rail depot which crosses the road to work is being repaired. It was really getting to be hell on wheels. My scoot felt like it was getting beat up pretty bad, so I would ride about 2 inches from the edge. Not so safe, but the only spot that wasnt beat to death. Today the manager of the industrial park (who was unshaven, jeans & t-shirt, looking more like one of the road crew) was escorted to my office by one of the warehouse guys. He gave me three pieces of rubber about 4" square and 1/2" thick and asked me to use them under my stand so it doesnt mark the pavement. Well...I was using something under my side-stand when it was blown over by the wind a couple weeks ago. The only reason I was using the side-stand at all was because they asked me to put something under it. After the damage, I didnt want to do anything which would cause instability. It is difficult to perfectly line up any kind of plate under your side stand, and even more so two seperate peices. Its almost impossible to do it by yourself. Plus my damn bike doesnt sink in to their precious assfault! I have been parking there for two years and there are no holes. I spoke to HR, and Judi said I should try parking on the concrete area between the office and shipping. That will be birdshit city, but its easier to wipe poop than it is to do bodywork. I still don't have the estimate!

Across to Indiana

2010-07-17T23:24:00.001-04:00

Of course it would never be acceptable to take the same route home as we did on the way there. :) We came back through Indiana. I was not feeling to gerat...I think from the heat, and the juge stromboli I had, but I was able to stick in there almost all they way back. We had a great ride back!

Outside the Jail

2010-07-17T23:22:00.001-04:00

Here's the crew getting ready to leave from Jailhouse Pizza.

Jailhouse Pizza

2010-07-17T23:20:00.002-04:00

We ended up at Jailhouse Pizza in Brandenburg. Ralph and Steve had wrangled out a nice route. We had a new person join us: Holly. She has a MP3-250 and does a fantastic job with it.

LSG Saturday Ride

2010-07-17T23:17:00.001-04:00

We started out at S & S Powersports in Brooks, Kentucky. They carry all the metric bikes.

Jason's Deli LSG Meetup

2010-07-14T21:52:00.001-04:00

We had a good turnout last night at the Louisville Scooter Group meetup. It was nice to see a couple folks who I hadn't seen in a while, and even a new face! The food at Jason's Deli was not bad, but next time I must remember to split a sandwich with Kat! My other half of my Reuben was lunch today!

19K+8K = 27,000 miles

2010-07-12T13:26:00.001-04:00

I have nineteen thousand miles now on Lois, my 2008 Yamaha Majesty that I purchased in February of 09. That is 27,000 miles total on two bikes in going on my third year. I have done some of those miles on my own, many with good friends, and now even several thousand with Kat, my passenger and life-partner-in-crime. It has been good. Thanks to all you friends who have ridden with me, corresponded, advised, wrenched, and just shared some of the distance of your lives with me. I surely do appreciate it.

Scuffs

2010-07-09T08:40:00.001-04:00

The muffler was also scuffed, as well as the MAJESTY emblem. The worst part, aside from the damage, was the fact that the landlord from Louisville Industrial Park made a fuss about some holes in their parking lot around the side of the building (where nobody has parked for a year) and so told our warehouse guy to tell me I need to park up by the building on the sidewalk instead of the parking lot. I knew it wouldn't look very professional so I used my side stand with a stand plate every day. If it had been on the center stand, this would not have happened from mere wind, unless it was hurricane force wind.

Deep scratch

2010-07-09T08:34:00.001-04:00

I think this passenger grab rail got the worst of it. I was worried about damage to the front cowling due to the pegs I installed, but those actually kept some of the lower front from being ripped up.

Underseat Storage

2010-07-09T08:31:00.000-04:00

The latch for the underseat storage (commonly referred to as the "pet carrier") failed spilling my helmet & other stuff out onto the parking lot into the rain.

Sad, sad, sad.

2010-07-09T08:29:00.001-04:00

This is the first cosmetic damage I've had. None of the "tupperware" was broken, but there were several scratches. I righted the bike as I have been shown (which probably saved my back) by "walking" it up.

Something I never wanted to see

2010-07-09T08:26:00.001-04:00

When I left work about 6pm last night I was the last person out the door. I set the alarm only to have an alarm of my own. To my great suprise, my bike was laying on its right side. Since it was the side opposite the stand and we had some brief wind, I assume it was from that.

LSG Tuesday: The Prison Ride

2010-07-08T16:03:00.001-04:00

Lately I have had a streak of running into correctional facilities on my rides around Kentuckiana scooter land! Regardless the foreground was beautiful, and the people at the farms and houses we passed seemed as friendly as anywhere. Well, they didn't point guns at us or anything!

LSG at Lenny's Sub Shop

2010-06-29T23:47:00.001-04:00

Lenny's Sub Shop turned out really good. We were very warmly welcomed, the prices were good, and the food was very tasty. I highly recommend the hot pepper relish! Afterwards, we rode to Utica Pike and around Southern Indiana then stopped for Ice Cream at a place I called Tradewinds by Garmin, Chillers on the outside of the shop, and Zesto on the cups and napkins??? Regardless as always it was a good ride with great friends. We even got to visit with Joan and Steph who didn't ride, but hung out with us!

On the way home

2010-06-26T14:37:00.001-04:00

I saw this guy with a couple what seemed brand new scooters. The plates said "Jerrys Scooters Corydon, IN". I was thinking how dumb that was...Rick at NuLu sells the same scooters, and he could have RIDDEN home!! I need to remind Rick that his advertisement budget might be suffering a little??

Harley-Vespa

2010-06-26T14:33:00.001-04:00

Subliminal message to my amigo Ken: buy this now! Harley was grillin' and offered me a bratwurst. It was good, but they should have had me running the grill: it was raw on the inside. :( Still, nice of them to offer!

Open House ~III: HarleyDavidsonBMWVespa

2010-06-26T14:31:00.001-04:00

Vesparley had something I have not yet seen: a Piaggio Beverly 500. Nice looking scoot. They also had a couple BV250's, one MP3-500, and even the Big Boss: Vespa 300ie. That was in red, and would be my bike if I could stand the discomfort of a non-touring scoot. I like upright footing as a choice, not my only choice.

Commonwealth: tempted

2010-06-26T14:27:00.001-04:00

If I could be tempted by looks and totally disregard the functionality, comfort, and efficiency of a scooter, I would so ride this Triumph bike...

Open House #2: Commonwealth Motorcycles

2010-06-26T14:21:00.001-04:00

Today was centered mainly around their Triumph brand, but I noted they did have a lot of Genuine. No Stellas, but a slew of Buddys (even one Blackjack).

S&S Piaggio MP3

2010-06-26T14:18:00.001-04:00

They had one final maxi-scoot, the MP3, so that makes it only 3 maxi-scooters so far. :( Not a great start to the day.

S&S: Lois in pearl white?

2010-06-26T14:14:00.001-04:00

I don't care much for white, but it has visibility going, and I bet the seat stays cooler!

S&S - Logan scooter?

2010-06-26T14:12:00.001-04:00

Logan likes the look of this little Yamaha. I personally liked the Zumas behind them.

First stop: S & S Powersports Open House

2010-06-26T14:06:00.001-04:00

S&S in Brooks, KY had an open house today. They didn't seem to have a whole lot going on that would interest me, so I left a stack of LSG cards and a flyer.

Tuesday night LSG ride

2010-06-23T09:44:00.001-04:00

We had more than a couple folks brave the heat for the ride. We grabbed a quick bite here at Wendy's and then swarmed off for the hills south and west of Louisville in and around Jefferson Memorial Forest. Its a great place to ride and we are very fortunate to have it right on the border of city limits which makes it easy to get to.

Scooter Rides, 25 cents!

2010-06-21T10:17:00.001-04:00

Ok, it was really not for 25 cents, but Kathy's mom had never ridden
on a motorbike before so I took her for a short spin. She did not
like the helmet but I think she liked the ride.

Mini DV cam

2010-06-20T11:05:00.001-04:00

The Mini DV cam I got for the purpose of scooter videos came right AFTER I got back from St. Louis. *grumble* I have only used it once so far and although the aiming is superior to the keychain cam, the shakyness of the video made it unviewable without first taking dramamine. If anybody has an idea how to fix that, I'm wide open.

18K on the Majesty (26K lifetime)

2010-06-14T15:23:00.001-04:00

I just realized I need to ride 4000 more miles this year to keep my personal goal of 10K per year.