Krispy Kreme

You just have to love a crisp ride through town that ends with a hot cup of coffee AND a hot gooey doughnut!  Now I'm at Highland Coffee Co. partaking of a soda and grabbing some free bandwidth.  I'm headed next to Jeffersonville in Indiana to see a friend's new BMW bike!  I can't wait.  She and I might do a IBA ride together sometime this year!

LSG "UK Rally-Style" Patches

Well, you learn something new every day.  I ordered a number of patches from this company in England.  They print them rather than embroidering them.  One of the benifits is you can have photograph-level detail on the patch.  The other thing is they are much less expensive than embroidered patches because they don't have to be digitized, converted or what-not.  So I ordered a sample amount of ten patches.  He said they are 'rally style patches' of 92mm width.  I was thinking that's ok.  Well not only is 92mm huge (for a patch) but there is another surprise...  They come as not what I would refer to as a patch, but more like just a small remnant of cloth...  I was originally thinking "Man, what a cheap-ass peice of junk!" but then I got to thinking...this is exactly what I thought of the Gasoline Rally patches.  They were printed exactly the same on a small swatch of cloth.  So that got me following the train of thought that "somewhere in the world, this is an acceptable patch".  Well wouldn't you know that it's the standard format across the pond, you know...where scooter rallies originated.

 

Next question (which I've put to some brit friend I know from yahoo groups and other lists--and also back to my manufacturer): if this is the traditional rally patch, how traditionally do you affix it?  I can't imagine a way to do it that would look decent, so I am seeking advice from them.  Hopefully I will turn up with patches on my riding jackets before too long...

Still Cold, But Warming (aka Scooter Weather is Coming!)

It is still hovering around 20 degrees F when I get out to head toward work in the mornings. Today its supposed to get up to 50, and I'm a little sad that it actually sounds warm to me. The Maj is starting just fine each morning. It took two hits of the starter this morning, but I hadn't started it since about Wednesday last week. I'm very forgiving! The ride is much more stable and smooth than the Roketa was. I know what you are thinking, but I just had to say it for the record. I have not done my first fill up yet, so I don't know the MPG. I'm down to about 1/3 of a tank (on the indicator) so I will know soon. I am hopeful for 50MPG, but we shall see. I need to see about any warranty that's left on the bike and see if it transfers to me. There is a 600 mile check and then the next is not for 4000 miles. After that it's every 4K. At 600, the FI is checked, brakes, steering, side stand switch, engine oil/filter change, transmission oil change, and brake and light switches. Not a real big deal. I need to call the shop and see how much they charge. The 4K is more intensive, but it's mainly just checking things.

I registered for the Cincinatti WKRP-XYL (Ten Year Lates Scooter Club) Scooter Rally. The kid's mother said she would trade me so I could be off that weekend from the kids. I also made hotel reservations on Priceline. This is the first time I did that. The room is cheap, clean, safe (from the google feedback), and 18 minutes from Metro Scooters. It's less than 2 hours away if I rocket up I-71, or almost 3 hours for a more leisurly pace up SR42 which would be the more normal scooter route. Its nice to have options though!

I have a friend who just got a cool new BMW bike, and we are talking about doing a Ironbutt Association ride later this year when weather is better. We want to do 1500 miles in 36 hours or 1000 miles in 24 hours. If it's still cooler, we could go south toward Louisiana or Alabama, but if it's warmer, I want to go up to Michigan, over into Canada, then down into New York and Pennsylvania then back to Louisville. I have thought a lot about it, and it's just something I want to be able to say I've done. I just read "Lois on the Loose" by Lois Pryce.

(Lois Pryce)

It's a book about her travel from Anchorage, AK across Canada, down through California along the west coast into Mexico, thru Central and South America all the way to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. It was a cool read. She used a Yamaha XT225 Serow trail bike. That is waaay more off-road than I would ever consider, but I want to see some cool places in the USA this year at least! She is so cool, and a redhead (!) so I think I'm gonna name my scooter, Lois!

Cold

It was pretty damn cold this morning. The ambient temperature gauge
on the Majesty said 19 degrees F. When I ran out at lunch, it was
closer to 40. Still not comfortable, but tollerable. I really hope
its a good 10-15 degrees warmer next weekend. I have got to put some
road down under those wheels before I go crazy. I have to figure out
some way to get juice for my GPS. I don't even know how to get to the
battery at this point! I'm reluctant to start wrenching on a 'brand
new' bike, but it's only a matter of time, so I might as well get it
out of the way.

New Bike

After putting 8000 miles on my poor little Honda Reflex Chinese Knockoff, I have come to the decision that with the amount of riding I have been doing, I just can't afford to keep it running. The Chinese Scooters are great for people who ride on the weekend for a couple hours, or back and forth to work, but I am completely and utterly hooked into this. I got in because it saves gas. That was the whole root of the thing at $4.00 a gallon you tell me that you WEREN'T looking at alternatives and dreaming of something Hybrid or Electric, the Bus Routes, Carpooling, Selling the SUV, etc. The whole Nation was! I had to do something. It was driving me into financial crisis man! Well anyways, my decision was a cheap Chinese Scoot. I had done ALL the research, knew the positives and negatives, etc. Well all that was mainly from people who didn't ride near as much as I did. When I came back from Gasoline Rally with Black Betty in a rented Uhaul truck, I knew it just wasn't working. I always had little issues which I was willing to work with, but eventually they drag you down. The seat lock wouldn't fasten. The brakes squeeked. The muffler guard rattled, I had to clean the carb, set the idle, it was neverending. I decided I would rather ride.

So this year, I searched and searched craigslist, ebay, cycletrader, high and low until I could find something in my meager price range, but still a good reliable machine, with a little more power than my old 250cc. I looked at the Kymco Xciting500, the Suzuki Burgman400, and the Yamaha Majesty (also 400cc). This Scarlett 2008 Yamaha Majesty with only 300 miles on her was what landed in my lap (and in my price range). She will do just fine. The pictures do not do her justice. I want to do some rides this year. There is the Iron Butt Association where you can ride 1000 miles in 24 hours (called a Saddle Sore 1000 - appropriately!) and I want to try that. I also have a couple rallies I want to attend in Cincinatti and again in Indianapolis.

I have come to realize this is just who I am.

2008 Yamaha Majesty Scooter

I am looking at upgrading my current bike with a 2008 Yamaha Majesty Scooter.

We shall see how thing work out with taxes and how everything allocates this year... But...Ain't she sweet????

Damage Control & Future Plans

It looks like there was some minor damage to the scooter. The cover was ripped in several places--enough to make me leave it until the ice thaws off. I figure if I try to remove it now, it might shred the cover. I will have to get another cover because that one withstood everything but a tree falling on it!

I have not been riding the past many weeks of cold, snow, and ice filled weather. I will likely have to pull the carb and clean it all out. That is almost a given.

My plan is to purchase a new scoot in a month or so. I'm going to look for a used Yamaha Majesty, Suzuki Burgman, or Kymco Xciting. Something in the 400cc or 500cc range. Next stop? That will be the Iron Butt Association Bun Burner 1500. You cover 1500 documented miles in 36 hours, turn in all your paperwork and proof, then they give you an award and certification pack. My first thought is visiting a little bit of Canada.

My Scooter...encased in ice.

Behold...the Icebike. A tree fell on top of my scooter and now it is encased in ice. I called the emergency mainenance at the apartments I live at first, then after that I sent and email to my insurance company. I don't know who will cover any damage, but I hope it's the apartments and not my insurance! It is THEIR tree.

My car also got a big portion of the tree on top of it. Both look mostly unscathed but its hard to tell because they are so completely covered.

86 days and counting for this Kentuckiana scooter club called LSG!

We have 86 days until the Cincinati WKRP Scooter Rally.  I just got info from one of the coordinators yesterday.  I am already making plans to rent a trailer so I can bring my scooter up there.  NOT!  My motto is if I can't get there on my own 2-wheels, I'm not going.  This motto completely excludes towing for repairs! ;o)

 

I hope to see many of my Kentuckiana / Louisville scooter friends there, and meet other folks from the Cincinatti scooter community (and all around really).  Should be a great opportunity to see all manner of Vespa, Piaggio, Lambretta, Aprilia, Yamaha, Suzuki, and Honda, scooters, as well as the poor Chinese step-child scooters like Roketa, Tank, Viva, Flyscooters, Lance, and others.  I also hope to see the Taiwaneese represented more with Sym scooters and Kymco scooters.  I'm specifically looking at the maxi-scooters for my own personal taste like the Suzuki Burgman, Yamaha Majesty, Honda Silverwing, Piaggio MP3, Aprilia Sportcity and Aprilia Scarabeo, Yamaha T-max, Kymco Xciting, etc.  It would be awesome to see a Can-am Spyder in action, not just sitting on the showroom floor.

 

I'm sure there will be plenty of Vintage Vespas, and smaller scooters like the Honda Ruckus, Honda Helix and Honda Reflex.  Yamaha has a good line also with the Yamaha Vino, Yamaha Zuma, etc.  It should be a real kickin time!

 

www.louisvillescooter.org

 

Scooter Club Patches

I finally found a resource for scooter club patches. They are smaller quantity and price because they actually are printed, not embroidered. The minimum quantities I've found for embroidery has been 30 and the total cost has been always more than my humble budget. These guys will print any quantity (even just one) for a good price. I'm sending graphic samples to the other forefathers tonight so we can vote on them!
Kelly via BBerry

Tuesday Meeting

We had a good meeting for a Tuesday night, when it is cold, raining, and gets dark before 630.  Everyone showed up on 4 wheels and we had no ride.  Still it was cool because it got to be after seven and only one person said "Is it time to go yet?"  but that was the guy who showed up hungry.  Highlands Coffee is no place to pick up a substantial meal.

 

We talked about membership, upcoming rallys, routing ideas for this colder weather.  My only problem is that are so many new and interesting places to see, not all of them within 15 to 20 miles of Louisville.  When it's a larger group, then the more people you please, the more restricted the ride is.  You get "I don't like to ride more than an hour." or "I have to be back by noon." or "Its too cold."   I'm pretty close to the opposite.  I won't start out if it's below say 30 degrees, or if it's already raining (spring, summer, fall) or might rain (winter).  I also don't prefer to start out a ride in the dark, but coming back is ok.

 

It's been cold and wet all week.  I'm just grumpy I guess.

Patches

I found a couple companies to do our Louisville Scooter Group patches.  Here in a couple weeks I hope to have some samples to show everyone at the Tuesday meeting.  I'll post them here, too.

Sunday - Good Roads

Typical backroads of Kentucky have scenery like this. I hate that its only the first of November and it's 40 degrees and many trees have lost their leaves. We had a very short fall this year.

Sunday - Downtown Bloomfield

This was such a cool little town. I stopped at the one gas station I found which was right in the middle of the little downtown with these cool old buildings. I got a cup of coffee and sat down and joined a dad and his three sons who were taking a break from hunting deer. There were some after-church people coming in for gasoline, everyone was friendly. It just gives you a real good feel to be in a little town like this.

Sunday - God's Land

I stopped at "Pleasant Hill Christian Church" which was just off the road. The people who attend here could honestly boast the claim their church lies in a beautiful piece of God's land. The scenery around was breathtaking.

Sunday - God's Land

I stopped at "Pleasant Hill Christian Church" which was just off the road.

Sunday - See Beautiful Rock City

At the beginning of my ride on Sunday, I stopped to get a shot of this barn. This type of advertisement was very common. Rock City and Mail Pouch Tobacco were the most common.

Scooting Saturday - Big Industrial Building

This big industrial building is in Speed, Indiana. Looks like it could have been a movie set.

Scooting Saturday - Old Filling Station

Near Hayden Indiana, I saw this old filling station. I don't know if it still runs, it was closed.

Scooting Saturday - The Covered Bridge

I found this cool covered bridge in Scipio, Indiana

Scooting Saturday

Among all the little towns I visited collecting town signs, I saw some really cool stuff.What are you supposed to do when the road is washed out? Luckily I had Eliza to tell me where to go (as usual).


In Butlerville, Indiana, I saw this motorcycle graveyard. I'm sure many would say my Chinese scooter looks at home.

Seat & temperature

For the record, the ATV seat cushion I got last month at Wal-mart works perfect for me! No more bum-fatigue! Also, I think I will have to draw my line at 50 degrees for "all-day pleasure cruises"!

Brewific Nostalgia

I could see Pabst Blue Ribbon, Old Milwaukee (shown) or something like Falls City beer being served with pride in many of the places I rode through this weekend. To commemorate the trip, I am finishing it off with a cold OMW. Not usually my "drink of choice", but oh well... Even though it seemed as cold or colder outside than the brew, it was still a very good weekend. Highlights were things like a flock of wild turkeys, beautifully colored trees among rolling hills, crops being harvested, covered bridges over running streams, little near-forgotten towns where they treat you nice, even if you're a stranger, ancient gray wood barns, and all the other things God has to offer you in Kentuckiana. The only negatives were the temperature, and nobody to share it with. Still, it was a VERY good weekend.

My New Vest

I didn't get the 500 miles in like I had hoped this weekend. I did get about 250 Saturday. I rode up to just North of North Vernon Indiana. The whole reason was to get a snapshot of Queensland, Indiana. It is not quite like my Holy Grain...that would be Xenia, Ohio. I did about 10 of those miles ON GRAVEL ROADS. For some reason over in Indiana, they have 90% of the white roads unpaved! In Kentucky, those roads are traditionally only 1.25 or 1.5 car widths but STILL PAVED! For the first 5, I did about 15mph. Then I started thinking that it would REALLY suck to be STILL on those roads after dark; so I brought my speed up to 20, then 25, and finally 30mph. At that point I vowed to get my arse back onto "solid" road and stay there. At one point I was on gravel, and Eliza (the tomtom) told me to turn onto DIRT!!! I had to go another TWO MILES to get back onto pavement! Anyway, I made it into North Vernon. I was shivering from the cold, and could find no Wal-mart, Target, or anything similar. What I did find was a Goodwill Store. I found there a 2XL sweater and this (pictured) 4XL fleece vest! I threw them on over my shirt, zipped up my tech jacket, and rode off a little warmer, although feeling a little "Maggied" (reference to Maggie Simpson when she is placed into her star-shaped snow suit that immobilizes her).

Scootin today

It is pretty cold. This did not keep me from exploring Indiana. I have been thru places such as Cementville, Sellersburg, Charlestown, Otisco, Marysville, Lexington, Kent, Lancaster, San Jacinto, Rush Branch, Butlerville, Nebraska, Grammer, Scipio, Queensville, and now i'm having a cup of coffee at the McDonalds in North Vernon.

Scootin' to the Polls

I wanted to have a t-shirt or sticker today that says "I Scoot AND I Vote!" but could not find one.  If I had thought about it before like 11pm last night I could have manufactured one...

 

Too tired at that point, however, I DID scoot to the poll and cast my vote.

Anchorage, Alaska

Ok, just kidding...it's Anchorage Kentucky!!!  I'm not going THAT far (well, not in two days).

Sunday...coming home thru Pewee Valley, KY

On the way home, I snapped a couple pictures.  Here's Pewee Valley...funny name.

Ken's ride

Here's a picture of Ken's sweet Vespa!  He says he would love to retire back in the hills behind his scoot.

Old Bridge

Here is the old steel and wooden plank bridge that was replace by the concrete one.