Post by oldchopperguy on Jun 9, 2018 21:52:52 GMT -5
Well boyz n' gurlz…
While many riders simply enjoy riding their scoots for affordable transportation, a sizeable percentage of us also like to "put our mark" on our rides... a little like the wolf marking his territory... probably a bad example... LOL! Could THAT phenomenon be the origin of the "WHIZZER" brand? Nah... Little things can make a scooter (or any bike, car, truck, etc.) uniquely yours. Forget the comments...
"Look what that idiot did to a perfectly good ride...". They're just jealous...
Or, maybe they have better taste than us (or WORSE)... LOL! Doesn't matter, ride YOUR way!
Most of my friends here KNOW I'm hopelessly "Lost in the FIFTIES"... My missus just rolled her eyes last week when I started cleaning up the coffee table and found 3 issues of "Popular Mechanics" and got mesmerized by a feature on road-testing "the new HUDSON for 1951". Cheesh, those magazines are yellow and BRITTLE! Sorta made me want a Hudson though...
When I see a vintage bobber with a bumble-bee stripe paint job, or a Vespa with checkerboard and numbers, etc. it gets to my old geezer roots of old-school rough and tumble biking...
For nearly six years, old "Minnie Mouse" has suffered the indignation of a factory whitewall tire up front, but a painted fake whitewall on the rear. NO LONGER! I finally got the newly released Shinko 140/70-12 whitewall in-hand, and installed and balanced. A perfect cosmetic match for the little 120/70-12 donut up front.
Now, as James Bond might muse: "...her collar and cuffs now match..." Oh, James, how TACKY!
To celebrate her new saddle-shoes, I also gave Minnie a little facelift with some checkerboard, European "Hooligan" style.
The checkerboard material is "Racer's Tape" from eBay. It's excellent quality, and looks as good as glossy enamel. Only problem with it is it does NOT like compound-curves. Even on a gentle curved surface like the fender, or a helmet, you must cut strips of no more than two checkers and overlap them. Fortunately the stuff is as thin as a coat of paint, so all those seams don't show at all.
As for the new tire, it rides and handles as well as the original Michelin. I found a downhill stretch and got her to over 80 with ZERO shake, wobble, etc. Steady, sure and confident as Donald Trump growling "you're FIRED!" These Shinko whitewalls are really decent tires for general street/highway use. They look as good as premium auto whitewalls and they ARE P-rated (92-mph). They do give any scoot a "vintage Italian" look.
Obviously, my tastes are not for most... (yeah, I get it) but the point is that whether you like a look from the past, or a competition look, flames, scallops, cammo, metalflake, etc. break out the striping tape, rattle-can paint, a bevy of vintage reflectors... whatever floats your boat... your ride is a fresh canvas just waiting for you to make it your own.
Make it look the way you like, and...
Ride safe!
Leo in Texas
While many riders simply enjoy riding their scoots for affordable transportation, a sizeable percentage of us also like to "put our mark" on our rides... a little like the wolf marking his territory... probably a bad example... LOL! Could THAT phenomenon be the origin of the "WHIZZER" brand? Nah... Little things can make a scooter (or any bike, car, truck, etc.) uniquely yours. Forget the comments...
"Look what that idiot did to a perfectly good ride...". They're just jealous...
Or, maybe they have better taste than us (or WORSE)... LOL! Doesn't matter, ride YOUR way!
Most of my friends here KNOW I'm hopelessly "Lost in the FIFTIES"... My missus just rolled her eyes last week when I started cleaning up the coffee table and found 3 issues of "Popular Mechanics" and got mesmerized by a feature on road-testing "the new HUDSON for 1951". Cheesh, those magazines are yellow and BRITTLE! Sorta made me want a Hudson though...
When I see a vintage bobber with a bumble-bee stripe paint job, or a Vespa with checkerboard and numbers, etc. it gets to my old geezer roots of old-school rough and tumble biking...
For nearly six years, old "Minnie Mouse" has suffered the indignation of a factory whitewall tire up front, but a painted fake whitewall on the rear. NO LONGER! I finally got the newly released Shinko 140/70-12 whitewall in-hand, and installed and balanced. A perfect cosmetic match for the little 120/70-12 donut up front.
Now, as James Bond might muse: "...her collar and cuffs now match..." Oh, James, how TACKY!
To celebrate her new saddle-shoes, I also gave Minnie a little facelift with some checkerboard, European "Hooligan" style.
The checkerboard material is "Racer's Tape" from eBay. It's excellent quality, and looks as good as glossy enamel. Only problem with it is it does NOT like compound-curves. Even on a gentle curved surface like the fender, or a helmet, you must cut strips of no more than two checkers and overlap them. Fortunately the stuff is as thin as a coat of paint, so all those seams don't show at all.
As for the new tire, it rides and handles as well as the original Michelin. I found a downhill stretch and got her to over 80 with ZERO shake, wobble, etc. Steady, sure and confident as Donald Trump growling "you're FIRED!" These Shinko whitewalls are really decent tires for general street/highway use. They look as good as premium auto whitewalls and they ARE P-rated (92-mph). They do give any scoot a "vintage Italian" look.
Obviously, my tastes are not for most... (yeah, I get it) but the point is that whether you like a look from the past, or a competition look, flames, scallops, cammo, metalflake, etc. break out the striping tape, rattle-can paint, a bevy of vintage reflectors... whatever floats your boat... your ride is a fresh canvas just waiting for you to make it your own.
Make it look the way you like, and...
Ride safe!
Leo in Texas
