|
|
Post by oldchopperguy on Jan 21, 2014 17:02:47 GMT -5
Recently, it occurred to me that the mundane procedure of entering the freeway in a CAR, or on a big MOTORCYCLE is something we do without much notice... But on a SCOOTER, it becomes somewhat of an ADVENTURE.
After a youthful life on choppers and baggers, and 30 years of NO bike at all, then 6 years of getting around on a Chinese 150, I finally got an old Kymco 250 that is at least marginally able to venture onto the magic yellow-brick roads called "limited-access"... So, after recently savoring every aspect of the feat, I decided it might be fun to describe it, "tongue-in-cheek" for riders out there who have moved up the displacement food-chain, and are ready to "earn their wings"... LOL!
Now assaulting the freeway on a vintage 250 scoot, with 12" wheels may be as close to a fighter-pilot entering combat as an old geezer may ever get. Yup...
Your mission? Patrol the access-road, searching for the elusive "hole" in the high-speed traffic to merge into... The enemy is now in sight; the entrance-ramp is only a block away. You grit your teeth, you focus on the job at hand... Speed-limit is 45. You're doing 55, and QUICK... snap your neck left, right, nobody blasting by you on the left. Nobody sneaking past you on the right to cut in front. All systems are GO!
You go WOT, haul your mount over left, and engage the entrance ramp! Check the speedo; 60mph... You flash past the sign that warns "min. speed 55. NO pedestrians or motor-driven cycles". THE POINT OF NO RETURN!
Check the speedo; 65... 68... 70... And the "hole" in the traffic is STILL there... Focus! The hole is moving faster than you are... If ONLY you were piloting a mach-2 F-16 at full-afterburner into the fray! But NO! Like Bro. Snoopy, you're urging your aging-but-trusty 90mph Sopwith Camel into the Red Baron's deadly domain!
The adrenalin, no-lead and the Prestone are flowing hot and heavy... The old Taiwan Panda is pushing redline... She's giving you all she's got to give!!! Nearly NINETEEN HORSEPOWER throbbing under your clenched butt... Check the speedo!!! 78... 82... 89... Almost  ! But you KNOW that's only an ACTUAL  ... And suddenly, THERE IT IS!!! THE HOLE!!! The windscreen is bending, your helmet is buffeting... your ears are flapping! You MUST not miss the hole, OR... You'll be doing 80+mph through the old truck mufflers, broken furniture, hubcaps and beer-bottles littering the shoulder!!!
Then, in the blink of an eye, the HOLE in the traffic is NEXT TO YOU... One-and-a-half car-lengths of precious OPEN TARMAC beckoning, enticing... like a neglected maiden as the last dance begins to play! Check left. Check right. NOW... lean left, twitch the bars and LEAP across the flashing white stripes into REAL TRAFFIC!
Gotta keep that throttle twisted WIDE-OPEN... Now, search quickly for that lane of traffic doing less than and do a frantic snake-dance into the slower traffic... Sometimes it's on the right, sometimes on the left. Fate is a cruel disburser of safe lanes... This time, there's a NEW, extra right lane ahead! You go for it. Check right... WHOA! A 14-year-old in a stolen tuner Accord behind you is beating you to it at 155mph! You cringe as he streaks past on the right shoulder. The blast of his vortex pulls you 5mph faster as the sonic boom from his 10,000 watt stereo sucks the wind from your chest... Now, OPEN ASPHALT AT LAST! You rocket over into the sudden peace and serenity of the 70mph old-geezers' slow lane.
You MADE IT! Snoopy and the Camel have triumphed over the savage enemy. You un-clench your butt, sit up straight, and gaze around at the lovely scenery passing by at only a tad over a mile-a-minute. In a short time, Wally World is in sight. You close the throttle and coast lazily down the exit ramp... The cat-litter display shelves, and the beer-cooler aisle will soon be your domain. All is right with the world.
What an adventure! No trick at all in the family sedan... But on the SCOOTER... suddenly you're tattered leathers have castor-oil stains from your biplane's prop-wash, and your dropped keys become empty cartridges from your Vickers .303 as they tinkle to the ground while you dismount. The 650 hp Cadillac SUV is an enemy fighter, and the 500hp Diesel semi next to you becomes ominous as you watch the flashing lug-nuts on the front wheel, like the blades on a Roman chariot spinning a foot from your leg.
Ah, yes! The thrill of the freeway! Just WHY do we do it on a SCOOTER? Because, like sneaking a 12-pack home with the cat-litter... Simply put... WE CAN!
Ride SAFE... Watch yer' six... and keep an eye peeled for that pesky "Hun in the Sun"...
Leo (milkin' that Panda for all she's worth) in Texas |
|
|
|
Post by ramblinman on Jan 21, 2014 17:11:49 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by spandi on Jan 21, 2014 18:58:33 GMT -5
Redline Leo?......Captain she'll take na more!
|
|
|
|
Post by oldchopperguy on Jan 21, 2014 19:19:42 GMT -5
Redline Leo?......Captain she'll take na more! Beam me up, Scotty... or is it Scooty? LOL!  Leo (sure to warp SOMETHING here) in Texas... |
|
|
|
Post by Paladin on Jan 21, 2014 20:21:45 GMT -5
HA! On a 250 class scooter? For a real E-ticket ride try a 150.46cc 11.7 bhp 250 pound 11" front 10" rear wheel Genuine Vespa:  I have been slow before, I'll be slower in the future. In '62 my '53 Dodge had ... ah ... problems. I got pulled over for a noisy muffler. OK. Went to get a muffler... GEEZ! I can't afford that! Being 16, hence a genius, I found a can that fit, nailed lotsa holes in it, rammed it up the tailpipe. Hissed like a kettle pot, but was quiet. Went on the freeway -- could only do 55 mph, max, wide open throttle. In '66, in L.A., Sis' 1957 VW KG, 1200cc 25 bhp, lost downtown somewhere, no big deal just find a freeway, found the Pasadena freeway, accelerating, and see a STOP sign! What? Stop, see the freeway in front of my nose. You GOTTA be kidding! Luckily it is the '60's, less traffic, no one behind me. Good. Reverse, back up about 100 feet, PUNCH it and run the stop sign. In '67 I had a Yahama Twinjet, 100cc two stroke two cylinders. Was going down Davidson Blvd when the street dropped down and became the Davidson FREEWAY! Lay across the tank and I actually managed to keep up with traffic. '75 I got a Fiat 238 VAN. 43bhp, 5,000 pound gwr. Converted into a motorhome -- full size bed, sink, stove, refrigerator, 20 gallon water, 5 gallon propane, could carry my DT175 Enduro inside. Did I mention 43 bhp. I did 57 mph on the flat, no wind. Going to work there is a hill at Gage that slowed me to 50 mph. On the Interstate loaded semis passed me UP the hills. So when I thought of getting a scooter I rented one and tested it. Surprise! It could do it on the freeway. So I bought one. In 15 months 8,000 miles about 25% of those miles have been on the freeways. Going up the Grapevine was interesting. Both ways. Twice. |
|
|
|
Post by JerryScript on Jan 21, 2014 20:28:35 GMT -5
As always Leo  |
|
|
|
Post by nulldevice on Jan 21, 2014 20:35:08 GMT -5
The free-ways offer different challenges to the bigger scooter. I have a 40mumble horsepower Yamaha TMAX scooter and have no problems with the cars and trucks merging into and running with the traffic beyond the normal that a car will have. The problem is the mix of high test, Prestone, oil, and adrenaline caused by going 15 - 25 MPH FASTER than the 70 to 80 MPH traffic on the free-way as I merge. Slowing down at that point seems like it is not an option. Well, at least for the first 5 - 15 miles until the high caused by the merging burns off. The car that just pulled into the left lane when they see me coming? Poof! Pass him on the right and keep going. The car that has stalled his passing manoeuvre of the semi? No worries. There is a space about 5-6 feet wide between the car and the truck's drive wheels, and there is lots of room. With or without the trailer, it makes no difference. If I don't get a handle on this I'M GONNA DIE!  |
|
|
|
Post by urbanmadness on Jan 21, 2014 20:52:59 GMT -5
I love your posts Leo.... +)
|
|
|
|
Post by skuttadawg on Jan 21, 2014 21:53:12 GMT -5
I rode my 2T on the interstate for a few miles and man it was skeery . I have ridden my Echarm on the interstates a few times as it cruises at 60 just fine but above that it gets sketchy . One night I was on the interstate and danged if they did not groove the road by shaving off the top layer in order to repave it later . That was worse than driving drunk . I NEVER recommend anyone driving while impaired but I have a few times when I was younger as I am sure many of us had done so in our youth . When I had streetbikes I heard the draft of a semi trailer would pull me down the road . Me being me I can not take ones word for things so I had to test it . Sure enough if I got close enough and pulled in the clutch the draft pulled me down the road . It is waaaaaaaaaay too dangerous as I had to get so very close . I ride on highways with no worries but on a 150cc scoot I do not like to hit the interstates .
I can say for a fact if you have a speedy scoot getting the tires balanced and replacing the OEM tires with decent or premium tires is a great idea to do . Before on OEM unbalanced tires it had a terrible wobble above 60 MPH . Balanced took out the shimmy but a draft from a dumptruck going the other way made me swerve around .
|
|
|
|
Post by spandi on Jan 22, 2014 9:17:04 GMT -5
Well Leo, I didn't have such an anticipatory adventure as you. I was trying to locate the local Costco (of all things) made a wrong turn and ended up on the 10 heading for LA! Good thing it was a 250! (steady as she goes Mr Sulu)  |
|
|
|
Post by Jarlaxle on Jan 22, 2014 10:28:34 GMT -5
I have been on the highway on my Qlink...it does 60-65 with no drama, though accelerating to full speed does take some planning.
|
|
|
|
Post by wheelbender6 on Jan 22, 2014 19:44:37 GMT -5
Great narrative, OCG. You do have to consider the others on the road as potential enemies to survive. I ride my 125cc scoot to work on on a multi-lane frontage road and feel the same way.
I've heard that the 250 scoots work well on the freeway if you are willing to go WFO at all times.
"Sierra Hotel. Bogey goin' down. Give me a vector. I'm comin' home"
|
|
|
|
Post by rockynv on Jan 24, 2014 1:47:55 GMT -5
I guess I am spoiled and seem to be missing out with my 250. Zips up the ramps to interstate speeds sprightly and spend more time with the leaders in the passing lane than with the followers.
Almost kind of boaring compared to Leo.
|
|
|
|
Post by oldchopperguy on Jan 24, 2014 3:37:51 GMT -5
I guess I am spoiled and seem to be missing out with my 250. Zips up the ramps to interstate speeds sprightly and spend more time with the leaders in the passing lane than with the followers. Almost kind of boaring compared to Leo.
Well, remember, this WAS written in fun... All true, but definitely for entertainment value, comparing the scooter to driving a car... LOL!
My old Kymco will zip up an uphill ramp, and enter the freeway at better than 80, but as for running with the leaders in the passing lane... FORGET IT! I'd need a fuel-injected 4-valver for THAT... Running with the leaders in the passing lane here means running a steady +mph, and even then, you'll have cars, trucks, FAST bikes and even semi-trucks blowing by you at WELL, WELL over 100mph... in ANY lane, or the shoulder if no lane is handy. If you value your life, once on the freeway you'll prudently seek the S-L-O-W SLOWEST lane running 70-80mph. To comfortably run with the fast-lane traffic, I'd feel pretty "marginal" on ANY bike under 800cc, and even then, I'd probably be wishing for 1,200cc or more. LOTS more!
Back in the day, I had a Suzuki 250cc 6-speed "X-6 Hustler" which actually COULD run with the big boys, cruising (albeit white-knuckled) at 110, and would nudge 125 with no wind, on level road, on a good day... but THAT was an early, pre-crotch-rocket sixties toy, designed specifically to whoop the Brit 650 and 750's, which it would usually do, ESPECIALLY from zero to 100. If I recall, it weighed a paltry 200 pounds or so, had over 40hp, 6-gears and Fred Flintstone brakes. And suspension probably from a 90cc moped... LOL! It wasn't as scary-fast as those Kawasaki 3-cyl. widow-makers, but almost, and, just as HORRIBLY designed. Dang FAST 250 though...
My '07 250 Kymco is WAY out-dated, but suits my needs. I just have to remember its absolute top speed is just over an actual 80mph, and its absolute top cruising speed is between 70 and 75mph. That's good enough for me, but it will NOT run with the fast-lane traffic... Nope, not EVER!
Now my venerable Grandvista has been replaced by the new Kymco 300 flat-floor scoot, with fuel-injection, 4 valves and 300cc. It has 30hp, compared to my GV's 19hp. It will break 100mph and should actually cruise 90mph or better. Huge brakes, big wheels, very "today"... Pretty sweet, but too modern, and too expensive for this old geezer... LOL!
Ride fast, but ride safe!
Leo in Texas
|
|
|
|
Post by rockynv on Jan 24, 2014 5:18:02 GMT -5
The 350 Piaggio calls to me also but more than double the price of what my 2009 Sport City 250 cost new. Still gives me joy especially the looks I get when passing a BMW or Mercedes Sports Coupe on the interstate or some kid on a restricted Ducati Monster with a Youth Tag on it. The kids just get bent out of shape since no matter how hard they twist the throttle nothing happens (could also be that draft they are getting since their pants have ridden down in the back and their shirts up shining the moon at high noon) but some of the sports coupe drivers really can't take getting passed by an old gezzer on a scooter and really have to demonstrate what the extra $100,000+ they paid got them which a couple of times was also a speeding ticket by the time I caught up a minute or so later.
All good fun and part of the thrill riding to WallyWorld and the Outlet Mall.
|
|
! But you KNOW that's only an ACTUAL 
... And suddenly, THERE IT IS!!! THE HOLE!!! The windscreen is bending, your helmet is buffeting... your ears are flapping! You MUST not miss the hole, OR... You'll be doing 80+mph through the old truck mufflers, broken furniture, hubcaps and beer-bottles littering the shoulder!!!
