Blacksmithing

The guy at Falls City Ironworks is not merely a 'welder'. He designs cool stuff and does some beautiful work. He had a steel shelf about the size of a large baker's rack that looked perfect enough to be manufactured, though I would bet his weighs more and would hold up for generations. His shop is how a metalworker's shop should be...cool tools, steel stock, dust & dirt, and fabricating machines to do anything you can imagine. I could take six months out of my life and just hang out there and make things and learn. It would be heaven! He did a great job on the welds I needed.

The support strut

What I am calling the support strut (for lack of a better term) consists of a mounting plate and a bracket arm. Here you can see both peices together.

Exploratory

I had to take part if the cowling off to see where and how I will mount the plates for my footpeg holders. It was easier than I thought it would be.

Put up, or shut up...

Not to toot my own horn, but...

I ride in all kinds of weather. I use my bike to commute all year
round unless there is snow or ice. I have ridden in rain, in cold, in
hurricane winds, on interstate, county roads, gravel, and dirt paths.
I did the Iron Butt Association Saddle Sore 1000 mile ride. I ride
for fun. I ride for transportation. I ride for exploration. My bike
is economical (especially with new tires!), it's efficient, it can go
slow and fast. It's maneuverable in tight curves like no other bike
(except maybe the 250cc and smaller scooters). It has a ton of
storage space under the seat. It looks sharp in its Vivid Red
Cocktail. I can park it damn-near anywhere. I have seen over twenty
thousand miles of Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama,
Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio (and soon to be Illinois and
Missouri) on this little bike. Even still, I know I am nowhere close
to "badass" nor do I feel the need to be. This is just how and who I
am.

There is a small select percentage of arseholes with big cruisers who
like to give us scooterists a lot of attitude. They swagger around in
full dress leathers. They rev their engines right beside you in an
attempt to use the sonic vibrations of their straight pipe mufflers to
blast you off the road. They say "how fast does your little moped
go?", "I've been thinking about getting a scooter for my girl...",
"Why didn't you buy a REAL bike?" They buy lots of flashy chrome and
slap it on their bikes. They quietly make jokes and laugh at you,
sometimes even at the gas pump. They segregate, alienate,
discriminate, and (try to) dominate.

Come to think of it, so do a lot of the "go nowhere really fast" small
percentage of arseholes with sportbikes.

Here's the one thing that makes it hard for me to tollerate lip from
these guys...

In my (not so humble) opinion, trailers are for boats, lawn equipment,
trash, or for when your bike is broken down and you need to take it to
get it fixed. I just hope this guy is not in that small select
percentage. I have good friends who don't like to ride on the
interstate, in bad weather, or (usually) long distances, but they are
good folks who don't swagger, rev, mouth off, and discriminate. Real
Riders respect other Riders no matter what kind of bike they've
chosen. In that respect, if no other, I am an undisputed, Real Rider.

Official Documentation

I often get asked, sometimes with a sneer, "How fast does your little moped go?" The good news is that I now have in my possession verified state documentation which clearly states how fast the Yamaha Majesty can go. The bad news is the answer: "Fast enough to get a ticket for ten miles per hour over the speed limit." If you ever wonder how fast your maxi-scooter can go, I suggest you just keep on wondering. Velocity performance awards from the Indiana State Police are very cost prohibitive.

All joking aside I was breaking the law and "the law is the law". I
have excuses, but they still do not alter that fact. It was windy and
hilly which, unless I am watching my speedo closely, can alter my
speed up or down depending. I was daisy sniffing taking pictures and
observing the nice scenery. When I looked at my speed after the
officer turned on his lights I was only going like five over, but no
doubt was going faster back before that.

I thought briefly about calling the number provided and talking to
them... "Apparantly there's been a mistake. The officer pulled me
over and gave me a ticket for X miles per hour over the speed limit
for my little moped." ...but decided that'd probably go over about
like a turd in a punch bowl. I don't get many speeding tickets (about
one every five or six years) so I will probably just quietly pay the
fine and shut my mouth.

The bridges of some Indiana County

I am a fan of bridges. The more unusual, old, graffiti'd, built of
odd material or generally odd is cool to me. These two bridges look
to me like the same exact bridge so I suspect they were made around
the same time and designed by the same engineer.

Odd Freight

On my ride up to play with three generations of bingo-players (my
girlfriend, her mother, and her grandmother) I saw several trucks
hauling these huge whale-like things. I suspect they are fins to a
monstrous ship propeller.

Passing through Austin

I don't know old the Dairy Queen in Austin, Indiana is, or if it was ever part of what is now a national chain, but it sure looks old enough to be the original!

Friday Interviews: Postpone for Rally

I have not had enough hours in my regular day to do what it takes to be a daddy, keep Louisville Scooter Group organized and motivated, ride in this great weather, do bike maintenance, and prepare for HAMS (Heart of America Maxi Scooter) Rally next weekend, so sadly, I will have to go on hiatus for a week or two while I get all my stuff together.
.
Many of you readers probably know that since 2006 I have been a single father with custody of two young children. My little ones (with rare exception) always come first. Plus I am much of the forward momentum of the LSG. That is not to say all of it because I do have some really great folks in the group who pitch in quite a bit! Between these two roles, plus some other hats I wear (working joe, old-school game geek, mechanic, researcher, cinemaphile, pet owner, boyfriend, chief cook & bottle washer, explorer, artist, events coordinator, trainer, designer, reader, etc.) sometimes author/field reporter, editor and publisher for the Kentuckiana Scooter Chronicles goes on hold.
.
So far, I am very happy to say I have received absolutely zero complaints, so I can only assume my reading audience is satisfied. I am taking this as a good sign! Everyone have a great day. Take a ride on your scooter or motorcycle. Explore. See things you have not yet seen. Most importantly, be safe!
.
.
Kelly Nall
Kentuckiana Scooter Chronicles

Sixteen thousand 6 hundred & sixty 6 mi.

The Majesty is up to 16,666 miles on the odometer just as I pulled in at home. A little over six thousand more and it will be due for the valve check & adjust. That, my friends, is likely over my head and so will cost near a mint!

Can you spot the wild turkey?

Across this bridge which spans the Kentucky river you can see the Wild Turkey Distillery.

Jan's Bug Buddy

Jan had an extremely short relationship with an extremely big bug. She said "Well, he'll never have the guts to do THAT again!!!" I thought that was about the funniest thing I had heard all year! Jan is mega-cool!

Lunch stop

This is where we ended up for lunch. I think it was called Hernando's or something like that. It was a pub & grub and a little more upscale than what I was looking for, but it was a last minute decision. The original place, a little cafe in downtown Versailles was supposed to be open. I called them Friday to verify their Saturday hours. When we arrived...dark...open sign shut off... I will have to make a review on google about that.

Oops...

The others in our riding group don't appreciate gravel too much. The maps showed that this "road" went through, but it dead ended into a bunch of NO TRESPASSING signs! We had to turn around (carefully) and go back the way we came. The route also got stuck once and could not figure out how to get to the final destination (which ended up being closed!)

HAMS, Welcome To's & routing

One of my lifetime goals is to get a picture of the "Welcome To" signs
for each of the 49 states that can be ridden to.  The picture needs to
include my scooter so as to be almost irrefutible proof that I rode
there.  This becomes a tricky process. Sometimes signs have been mowed
down. Many times they are located in places where it is suicidal to
stop and take a picture. Frequently on the major interstate
superslabs, they are situated over the roadway so it isn't possible to
get your bike in the picture.  One way to seek out welcome-to-photo-op
is Google maps-Street View.  This gives you a vehicle-eye view of the
road and it will sometimes allow you to pinpoint the right location
for a sign.  The bridges between Indiana and Kentucky are the reason I
don't have my home state yet! It is impossible to stop both from a
legal and a safety standpoint. When I was last into Kentucky via
Virginia I didn't stop because I didn't feel it was safe. This,
however, did not dissuade my crazy friend Vince. The time before that
was from Tennessee and I was on my IBA certification ride, so I didn't
feel like I had time to stop. In routing to the Heart of America Maxi
Scooter rally in St. Louis, I have the opportunity to bag Indiana,
Illinois, and Missouri. The challenge has been finding that photo-op
"sweet spot" where I can get a pic.  This has led to some unusual
routing, and the discovery of some interesting roads, one of which is
across the Wabash River on the road named "the Wabash Cannonball"
which seems to be a very long one-lane wooden bridge!

I would also like to take a minute to put a puzzle before you.  Using
Google maps, it tells me (for example) my route will take 6:35. Using
the same exact roads turn-by-turn in the Garmin Mapsource software, I
get 7:15! After checking and triple checking, I get the route loaded
from Mapsource to the Nuvi550. When the actual GPS calculates the
time, it is like 5:45! I don't know how the processor & program of
each aspect is working this out, but I would like to know what causes
this variation...

Friday Interviews: Postpone for Rally

I have not had enough hours in my regular day to do what it takes to be a daddy, keep Louisville Scooter Group organized and motivated, ride in this great weather, do bike maintenance, and prepare for HAMS (Heart of America Maxi Scooter) Rally next weekend, so sadly, I will have to go on hiatus for a week or two while I get all my stuff together.
.
Many of you readers probably know that since 2006 I have been a single father with custody of two young children. My little ones (with rare exception) always come first. Plus I am much of the forward momentum of the LSG. That is not to say all of it because I do have some really great folks in the group who pitch in quite a bit! Between these two roles, plus some other hats I wear (working joe, old-school game geek, mechanic, researcher, cinemaphile, pet owner, boyfriend, chief cook & bottle washer, explorer, artist, events coordinator, trainer, designer, reader, etc.) sometimes author/field reporter, editor and publisher for the Kentuckiana Scooter Chronicles goes on hold.
.
So far, I am very happy to say I have received absolutely zero complaints, so I can only assume my reading audience is satisfied. I am taking this as a good sign! Everyone have a great day. Take a ride on your scooter or motorcycle. Explore. See things you have not yet seen. Most importantly, be safe!
.
.
Kelly Nall
Kentuckiana Scooter Chronicles

Vince's Eastward Quest

My friend Vince on his 650 Burgman Exec is travelling westward for a visit with family and friends. I was supposed to meet him for breakfast this morning but my darn alarm didn't go off! He was just getting ready to finish up his McBreakfast and hit the road when I woke up. :( I wish him safe travel abd godspeed. He said he might do a little blogging (at blog.ravenscooter.com) and may post a few notes on the LSG board (at www.louisvillescooter.org) but he will absolutely be mapping his progress on his iphone trail app (which you should see at www.ravenscooter.com). If you get a chance, run on over there and take a gander! Tell him I sent you! ;D

Javier Jarrin

Since it has been a while since WKRP, I called the idiot who wrecked into me again. I left a voicemail and told him I need to hear from him today if he is going to pay for the part to fix my muffler, or if I need to call my insurance company and the Ohio State Police. He called me back with some BS about losing my name, number, and contact info. I will tell you what he lost! It was his integrity (if he ever had any). I would guess he was just waiting to see if I would just forget about it. Well, Mr. Jarrin and pink Stella girl-power scooter rider...not everyone had $75 to just throw away! He promised (AGAIN) to "send a check today. $50 right?" he asked. No! It will cost $75 including shipping to replace that! I even offered to tell him where to look on the internet to see the price! He relented and said he would send me a check for $75 today. He called back and asked how to spell my last name so that's promising. Now I just hope the check is good...

Scala Q2 Headset Earbud Mod -Finished!

Steve, the electronics master did all the hard mental work. He figured out what wires go where. I did the manual labor tonight and made it solid as a rock. I used common speaker wire (I am not sure the guage) to reinforce the original Scala wire. Everywhere there was a joint, joining of two soldered wires, thin insulation or any gap or space that I couldn't use shrink tubing, I used lo-temp hotglue to "caulk" all these areas. The effect is like having a somewhat flexible 3/8 inch plastic cord with wires inside it. The only place I didn't do this was a 1/2 inch space that I wanted to remain flexible (each wire is still individually insulated and then insulated again at least one more time by shrink tubing) and then the manufactured female 3.5mm plug and one inch of the wire (also manufactured) behind it. I tested it multiple times before sealing completely and finishing up. I mounted it to my helmet and it still works!

The foot peg bracket

It was a real bear to bend the ten inch L shaped brackets. I used a
steel C-clamp and clamped the bracket (which is about 1/4 inch thick)
to my table, then pried up on the bracket. The first one went with
only minor trouble. The second one managed to break the C-clamp and I
had to finish bending it by beating it into shape with a hammer. They
do not match perfectly, but they are close. Originally I had thought
I would have a 1-2 inch section of bar stock welded to the bottom to
affix the foot peg to. This is what the foot peg is made for. But I
soon came to realize that in the space I had to work with and the bend
angles, it would be easier to just modify the round bar-mount foot peg
to a square shape instead. It still needs some clean-up work, and I
will still have to have it welded to the mounting plate (the part made
from the hinge) but I have no doubt it will hold any reasonable weight
put on it. Would I stand on it? No. But I would not worry about
resting my foot on it as long as needed, and that's the point.

Constructing the Footpeg Mounts

My first hurdle was trying to find some metal and a way that I could
work with it. I live in an apartment and have no workshop area. This
would require cutting, shaping, and welding. I looked at steel bar
stock at Home Depot. It's pretty expensive for a four foot section
and it would require my cutting every peice to length. I also needed
a flat plate piece to use for the mounting to my footboard. Home
depot did not carry any sheet metal except for two foot square sheets
which were very thin. I decided to use some items I found in their
hardware section. For the bars, I decided to use 10" L brackets, and
for the mounting plate, a large strap hinge (similar to the ones
shown, but the largest Home Depot had).

The plan was to cut the strap hinge apart and bend it to match the
footboard, and bend the bracket and cut it to the correct length.

Cruising Footpegs on the Yamaha Majesty

Cruisers often have "highway footpegs" that are used when taking long
trips. You see them mounted on those huge chrome engine guard bars.
Well, the Majesty not only is devoid of all chrome, but also all metal
bars on the outside of the bike. There is a frame, but it's
completely encased in plastic. Most any touring scooter has
footboards designed in a similar manner. The Burgman, Majesty,
Reflex, etc. all have a flat part where you can sit your feet
comfortably with knees bent as if sitting upright in a chair. They
also have a slanted 45 degree (or thereabouts) upper part where you
can put your feet and recline slightly to get a different riding
position. Neither of these, on my Majesty afford me the room to
stretch my legs out completely (or near completely) without holding my
leg up against either wind, gravity, or both. On a ride of more than
4 or so hours, I have noticed that my right knee doesn't like to
remain in a bent position for that long and I need to get off the bike
and move around. This kills you when you're really trying to make
time.

I have been to other rides and rallies and seen some examples of how
to mount "highway pegs" on a touring scooter. Generally they are
mounted to the footboard. The problem with this is: the footboard
contains not much structurally in the way of metal. The best example
I have seen was on a fellow's Burgman in which he created a large flat
mounting plate in order to take pressure off any one specific point.

Scala...screwed up

I used my Scala headset for a short period (like two short rides) and
it developed a short in it. I have the schematic Steve gave me so I
will be able to fix it (possibly). I have only a short time to get
this working and my highway pegs on...

Cardo Scala Q2 Fubar

I have been somewhat disappointed with the volume on my headset. Dont get me wrong...I love it. It just needs to be louder. I found a guy on advrider.com who did a mod to put a female plug in so you could use earbuds. I used to listen to my mp3 player on long trips, and I like the way it gave me good volume plus insulated me ears from wind noise too. I checked it out and it like it was pretty simple, so I tried it. Well, I had my mp3 player plugged in to test and make sure I was getting sound, but when I got everything soldered together...no intercom between helmets and no sound from phone or FM radio. The ONLY thing that was working was the mp3! I looked into asking my friend Steve for help with this a while back but he was reluctant to do it because he might mess it up. (I guess there is always that possibility even with somebody who really knows what they are doing) Now that it was no longer an issue, I asked him to see if he could fix what I had torn up! He said he would look at it, so I took both sets on the Tuesday night ride and gave them to him to work at. He sent me an email earlier that said he was able to fix it! Steve is pretty darn awesome! I really have some pretty kick-ass friends! I picked up the headsets, and it works perfect!

My initial review of the Metzeler Feelfree Tires

.

REGARDING WEAR:
-------------------------
I had the stock IRC tire on the front of the bike. The odo tells me I
got ~16,200 miles on the original IRC front tire. I changed the stock
IRC tire on the rear at 9,200 miles to a Birdgestone Hoop. The Hoop
has been on now for 7,000 miles which is not as good as the original
IRC, but I have been riding a lot more 2up with Kat.

Friends and I removed the front and rear wheels on the Yamaha Majesty.
They went to Yamaha-Suzuki of Louisville for mount and balance. I
put the 120/80-14 Metzeler Feelfree tire on the front, and the
150/70-13 on the rear.

Recap:

Front: IRC Stock tire 16,200 miles.
Rear: IRC Stock tire 9,200 miles. Bridgestone Hoop 7,000 miles

We shall see how the Metzelers do on wear. Only the future will tell that.

.

REGARDING PERFORMANCE:
------------------------------------
My friend Ralph who usually rides a Piaggio MP3 had some comments that
the rear felt "loose" and seemed to indicate a general sloppiness.
Coming from my own experience with this specific bike, I feel like the
Metzeler tires have a good response. When you lean in to turn, it
does drop into the turn quickly, but once I get used to it, that will
be a very good thing. If they are exceptionally good or bad on wet
road, I will report this, but I must admit my main concern has been
wear and how long the tires last.

Interview - Jerome from Philadelphia

Jerome was born and grew up in the Philadelphia, PA area and still resides there. He's been married for over 30 years, and teaches Computer Technology at a local college. He is a member of a local scooter riding club, and also rides with several local motorcycle clubs.

KSC: How long have you been riding? How long on a scooter?

Jerome: I rode when in college and then again afterwards for several years until the child bearing years hit full gear. I returned to riding in 2005. I rode a Vespa GS 160 Scooter in my youth (late 60's) and graduated to a Yamaha RD200 "pocket rocket" (early 70s). Upon my return I purchased a 1986 Honda Elite 250, which eventually gave way to a 2005 Kymco People 250, 2006 Burgman 400 and finally to my current 2006 Yamaha Majesty, which I have had since November of 2007.

KSC: Aside from the breaks, it looks like you've been on scooters most of your life. What inspired you to get the RD200? Did that experience steer you back to scooters?

Jerome: The breaks were pretty long, but I definitely have ridden scooters much longer than motorcycles. The RD200 was a great bike, and I went to it because it had more speed, a bigger gas tank, and got good gas mileage. I went back to scooters because I like the protection from the weather (I ride all year round), the underseat storage and the belt drive instead of chains (I could never afford the shaft driven motorcycles). The other reason I went back to scooters was I saw a local rally and thought that the 100+ scooters riding down the road look cool. I am a rebel at heart and like the idea of riding something different. If I had ran into a motorcycle group I like I might have went that way. The final thing that made scooters the logical choice was I had been riding mini-electric scooters and electric bikes from 1999 to 2005. I put over 35,000 miles on little vehicles whose top speed was usually 15-20 mph. Being very secure, the fact that I am almost 6' 5" tall at 235 lbs and that I looked ridiculous riding the little electric scoots, was not a deterrent. Getting a "big" gas scooter almost seemed like cheating. KSC: From your 158cc Vespa up to your Burgman and now Yamaha 400 you have steadily went with bigger bikes. Do you think you may continue on to a Silverwing or Burgman 650?Jerome: Up until 2007, I never thought I would every use a scooter or motorcycles larger than ~ 250cc. I moved-up "only" because I got interested in endurance long distance riding via the Iron Butt Association. I didn't want to just do a single Saddle Sore 1000 to join the organization, I wanted to do numerous and more difficult rides. A 250cc scoot would not be suitable, so I went one step up to 400cc. I have no interest in going larger unless a model comes out with a large gas tank that makes 200 miles a certainty even in difficult situations (head winds, mountains, etc). The mileage per tank of the Majesty is at least equal to that of the Silverwing and Burgman 650, so changing offers me nothing. KSC: I see you have owned both a Suzuki Burgman 400 and a Yamaha Majesty. Can you give us your observations on the differences between the two?Jerome: I owned a 2006 Burgman 400 on which I did my first SS1000. I loved it and it held up well until a really minor fender bender broke a lot of plastic on it and the replacement cost was ridiculously high. I traded it in at great loss on my current 2006 Majesty. The Majesty is superior in every way to the 2006 Burgman, but I believe they have caught up with the 2007 and later models. The 26k interval between valve checks still keeps the Majesty on top in my mind.

KSC: I really like my 2008 Majesty. What, in your opinion, is better about the Yamaha?

Jerome: Better is relative, but for me: I wear a XXXL HJC helmet that will not fit under any other scooter seat I have tried, including the Burgman 650, The passenger seat is split such that one can mount luggage there and still have easy access to under the seat storage, and its power band is made for highway riding. This will seen as a weakness by others as it gets poorer mileage in city driving than the Burgman. KSC: Can you tell me a bit about the local scooter club?Jerome: The EZriders is a riding club that incorporates a lot of socializing into its riding schedule. It is a "riders" club, however; meaning the ride distances are as great or greater than any of the local motorcycle clubs. There is one other IBA member, and we hold training rides with ever increasing distances for other hopefuls.

KSC: What kinds of things do you go over in the training rides? How many miles do you cover?

Jerome: We just ride. The first ride was 300 miles, the next will be 500 miles and then perhaps 750 miles.

KSC: Do you find that you enjoy group riding a lot?

Jerome: When I came back to riding, group riding was one of the main attractions. I am pretty tired of it now, and it is a dangerous proposition. I do it with local motorcycle groups in addition to my scooter group, when they are heading to a destination that interests me, using back roads. I normally don't ride backroads on my own, as I prefer the open space and safety of the interstates. Riding to Hooters or some other restaurant bar, ice cream stand, etc. doesn't do it for me.

KSC: I find, to the contrary, that I agree with William Least Heat-Moon, author of Blue Highways when he says "Speed corrupts travel far more than bad Chinese food." meaning of course that off-interstate travel gives you more opportunity for a wider range of experiences. You see a great variation of scenery, people, and places. Do you disagree?

Jerome: I don't disagree, but I don't ride to see the "real America". Interstate scenery is fine for me, but I do sometimes ride special roads like RT 50 through WV, the "Dragon" and nearby roads, the Chesepeake Bay Bridge, etc. All scenery is okay with me. If I want to see scenery or certain areas, I ride the interstate to that area, and then ride local roads. I ride for the pure enjoyment of riding "Destination is only an excuse". Unless a particular area or backroad route is exceptionally interesting, I usually am bored and tired after spending all day and going only a couple of hundred miles. Backroads are also second to city and suburban intersections for danger to two-wheel riders. Most of the top touring veterans I have known or have heard of that died on the road, where on backroads, often at night. The IBA has more than 40K US members who travel the interstates doing all kinds of crazy endurance rides and very, very few die on the interstates. Those that have trouble are usually on backroads (granted usually at night).

KSC: If you really do like to explore America and see different things, then I agree that it is handy to not waste time on slow roads when you can get there on the interstate quickly, then do your exploration when you get where you're going. But doesn't this really goes against your idea of "Destination is only an excuse"? I find it to be a conundrum. I too want to go places and get there quickly. We gain safety in this mode of riding, but what experiences are we throwing away at the cost of speed?

Jerome: I don't think some all day backroad riding is boring because of the time-to-distance ratio (slower speed). I don't travel the interstates to ride fast or even to arrive somewhere quickly, unless I am doing a certified ride that requires such. I ride the interstates because they are more exhillerating, and I don't find the backroads to necessarily be more intersting in terms of scenery. In the backroads you ride among the trees, but you can't see the forest. On the interstates you see the forest, but you aren't among the trees. Its a matter of perspective and preference. I reject the idea that backroads are more interesting by their very nature. I meet a diaspora of people at rest stops, gas stops, motels, etc., including many of the people who live in those backroads. It is not either/or for me, as stated earlier. There are some areas that I want to be "among" and others that I am fine with seeing from a far as an landscape.

KSC: You say you also ride with motorcycle clubs. With my Majesty I feel like I fit in both with modern scooterists, and also motorcycle riders. Some feel like they belong in neither group and tend to ride only with other maxi-scooters. What are your thoughts on that?

Jerome: I like to ride only with scooters or bikes that are highway capable. I do not identify with smaller scooters anymore, though when I first started, that is who I rode with. I rode to the big rallies like Philly, NYC, and WKRP, WDC, Baltimore, Three-mile-Island, etc., and it was blast for a while. I don't plan on riding behind a bunch of old two-strokes ever again. I do believe that neither traditional scooter riders or motorcycle riders feel I belong. Only other maxi-scooter owners truly accept me. This doesn't deter me from riding with motorcycle groups on their Harley's or other big cruisers, of course, as I can ride most of the local motorcycle riders into the ground, which become apparent after time.

KSC: I see this a lot too. Motorcycle riders often underestimate the capability of a maxi-scooters. They sometimes view them as toys. Do you find that motorcyclists take it well when you disprove their preconceptions?

Jerome: Most motorcycle riders barely ride. They are more interested in posing and playing out some bad-boy fantasy in their minds. They are scared to ride on the interstates so they claim it is boring, and cling to secondary roads where their big 900 lbs of iron are the worse possible choices for doing twisties. They like to use motorcycles as another social status tool, or chance to have a social life. I am not knocking any of my description above, its just that that isn't why I and many other endurance riders, and flower sniffing people have motorcycles. I could care less how non-riders take me. Serious riders be they endurance or just leisurely tourers see me as an novelty, which I am, and don't feel threatened in the least and have no problem riding with or being in the same organization.

KSC: What exactly is your definition of "flower sniffers".

Jerome: The creed for endurance long distance riding is to see how far one can ride in a given period of time. Flower Sniffers may also like to ride long distances, but it is the tour, the scenery, the relaxed pace that interest them. In other words, they want to have time to stop and smell the flowers. Endurance riders are driven to stop as little as possible. I am a flower sniffer at heart, but finances and my wife's lack of interest in two wheel travel have guided me more towards being an endurance rider. I won't be so selfish as to go on a 21 day ride across America while she sits home and twiddles her thumbs. A 3 day trip across, however, is tolerable and that way I get to ride across America (or wherever) and not be away from home too long.

KSC: With all your LD riding, and the fact that you said you'd like to get at least 200 miles between fuel-ups, have you considered a aux fuel tank?

Jerome: Actually I want my bike to be able to do at least 200 miles between fill-ups, but I personally stop every 150-180 miles. I just don't like running the tank to near empty every time, it is nerve racking. I should get an aux tank, but hate the concept. Rallies are the only time you can't carry extra gas, and I am not willing to get an aux tank just for the 3 rallies I am likely to do. It probably will cost me a finishing spot in the IB5000, but I will take my chances with the "stock" Majesty.

KSC: Do you feel that the uniqueness of the maxi-scooter is one of the reasons other riders see you as a novelty?

Jerome: Long distance and other motorcycle riders see me as a novelty because there aren't many maxi-scooter riders riding long distances, or riding with local motorcycle groups. There aren't many maxi-scooters period, compare to sports bikes and cruisers. Many people tend to be herd animals. Until the day comes that maxi-scooters make up a significant percentage of the riding public, they will continue to be a novelty. People are unaware of the capabilities of the maxi-scooters and have no desire to learn. They aren't going to ride one regardless of capability until "the cools kids" do.

KSC: What percentage of your riding would you consider endurance or long-distance riding? What specialized equipment do you use on your Majesty? Have you made any additions or modifications that allow for greater distance or more comfortable travel?

Jerome: About 80% of my mileage is from endurance riding, but only about 5% of my total riding time. I commute to work and around town and do small rides with local friends, groups, or ride solo most of the time. I don't believe in 3rd party modifications so I have made none. I have a gps and will be adding some extra lighting, and that's about it.

KSC: What type of GPS do you use?

Jerome: A Garmin 2720 and Garmin 2610 as backup.

KSC: About how many miles have you put on your 06 Majesty?

Jerome: I have put 27,500 miles+ in 30 months. I would have put a lot more (at least 8,000) but missed last July through September due to a accident. I also missed the Cape Fear rally this year because the dealer didn't service my bike right. Its an 2006 Majesty but it was a dealer demo and I didn't buy it until the end of November 2007.

KSC: Do you consider the YP400 a capable bike for something like the Iron Butt Rally?

Jerome: Yep, because I am going to do the IB5000 (~5,000+ miles in 5 days, this August). If I finish that rally I will be automatically accepted into next years IBR. Note, that if I make the IBR next year, that will probably be the end of my rallying, and there will be an extreme transformation of my riding from endurance (I will probably do 1 a year for a couple more years) to flower sniffin. If I don't make the IBR I will do a 10-10 as part of a 48/10, 50cc "Gold", and maybe a 100ccc, or perhaps create a new ride.

KSC: What do you like best about riding on two wheels?

Jerome: Exposure to the elements, small foot print, the need for greater skill and alertness, economical, therefore allowing me to travel the country, low cost of purchase and insurance, easy parking, and the closeness to the road at speed.

KSC: You speak about the small foot print...are you speaking of the fuel economy and smaller ecological impact of a scooter? Do you ever get questions about the gas mileage? What about the whole "green factor" of riding a scooter. Do you play into that or make a point of it?

Jerome: I just mean you can lane split (where legal), park where cars can't, etc. I don't think max-scooters are that much of a plus for the environment. They get crappy gas mileage in comparison to much larger vehicles. A 1200cc BMW motorcycle gets equal or better gas mileage than a Silverwing, Burgman, Majesty, etc at 75-80 mph highway speeds. A Prius and other small cars with 4-6 cylinders and hybrids do almost as well a single/dual cylinder maxi-scooter.

KSC: What is your all-time favorite stretch of road?

Jerome: The roads "around" the "Dragon" and I-81.

KSC: What do you feel like scooterist share in common with all riders?

Jerome: Danger.

KSC: What do you feel sets us scooterists apart from other riders?

Jerome: They probably ride for more utilitarian reasons rather than for social posing or the thrill of the ride.

KSC: Jerome, do you have any final thoughts for people who might be interested in endurance or long distance riding?

Jerome: Contrary to what many people would think, endurance riding is not a trial-by-fire. If endurance riding was painful or stressful, I wouldn't do it. I think I also speak for the LD endurance riding community. Select the bike that fits you best or make it fit you best. Stop and rest/stretch/sleep according to your most comfortable-productive rhythm, safety first, and always have a road service plan. My final comment is "for me", the Majesty scooter is the best all-around two wheel transport currently available.

Test ride

I let Ralph have the first test ride on the Majesty. He said it felt
like the back end was loose and suspected the bolts we took out. They
were corroded and threads were a little worn in places. I will get
new ones soon. The rest of the bike went back together no problems.
Ralph also said that the back end wobbled quite a bit when he got in
the 'groove' that is down the left third of each lane on Outer Loop.
I told him I thought that was probably just normal. He said it had
good pickup and didn't seem like there were any major problems. That
is good. I am not worried that the bike will do well for the next
several thousand miles just like it is.

Mount and Balance

Ralph is retired and is smart to know what a blessing that is! He has been kind enough to volunteer to take my wheels over to Yamaha/Suzuki of Louisville for me. They said that if they get them this morning, they will have them done to pick up by the end of the day!

Our friend Jim is going with him. I don't think he's ever been in that place yet. Who knows...he might see something Japanese that strikes his fancy! He rides a fabulous red Vespa...the kind of Vespa I would have if I thought they might be comfortable for me.

I think Ralph has the intention of asking them about the muffler also...about that bolt I snapped off that holds the muffler clamp onto the exhaust pipe. It seems like everything is going fairly close to as planned!! I may be up and running tonight!

Kathy and my kids have been really great also about being understanding of the time I need to take in order to get this done. HAMS is in two weeks, and it is mandatory before I ride all the way to St. Louis with Kathy for the rally.

Both wheels off

We got both wheels off with not too much problem. You can see how the rear tire is slick as hell. For the past week and a half I would not let Kat ride pillion and I was really babying it around curves. A couple days ago I just about lost it in a strip of gas some idiot laid down on Outer Loop. Tomorrow bright and early (9am) I have to call Yamaha/Suzuki of Louisville and try and get an appointment to get the tires rotated and balanced. If I can't get that done tomorrow then I will have to wait until Saturday to put them back on. Ralph is being extremely nice letting me use his garage.

Rear Wheel Removed

It was a bit of a deal getting the rear wheel off. First the muffler and airbox, then shock, then the whole bracket that holds everything together. Finally we took the axle nut off with Ralph's electric air wrench. The only thing that I had trouble with (beside breaking off that one bolt that holds the muffler on the exhaust pipe) was a couple of the lower bolts and Vince was able to break those loose. The front wheel was pretty cake.