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Post by psychedelicode on Feb 3, 2015 21:54:32 GMT -5
So here's what we've come up with so far. 3-6 seem the best but tell me what you think. Option 1. There would not be room for the scoot inside the car at all. I have alot of stuff I am moving and thats being very minimalistic. I have and entire house full of stuff that I've already begun donating. Option 2. A box van is over $1500 just in rental, fuel would be about $800 for the trip given current fuel rates (which are most likely to skyrocket come spring when I'm moving). I would save a bundle by putting the bikes in it instead of riding them but my friends REALLY want to ride down there with me  Option 3. Looking at the photos of the work it took to but the hitch on, It seems like if I just cut the tailpipes off and left the muffler that the stock Contour hitch would fit the way it was designed (What does it look like to you guys?). It would not cost much of anything to have them welded back on so they would clear the new hitch. That and I already have an old snowmobile trailer I could put the scoot on. That brings the cost of the hitch plus fuel down to about $400. Scoot and my stuff can go on trailer and in trunk. Python in the back seat with its heater running off an inverter, Dog playing navigator. Option 4. Break the scooter down and ship it on greyhound. This would run about $225 but, I would have to make a 200mi drive to go pick it up from Albuquerque and shove it in the car because that is the nearest greyhound station to Taos. Option 5. Sell the scooter and hope I can find a nice Piaggio down there to replace it. and finally 6. Sell the car and get a Truck or Full size van. But I love my car. I bought it new just out of RTC for the Navy. One of 1500 built. If it were not for getting a new job much better than my current I would not make this trip. Its a huge hassle and I have to give away all the stuff I've worked and paid for in the last 6 years. But then again stuff is just that, stuff. However you won't ever be able to pry my hands off of my toys. A guys gotta have his toys  Option 7. Make one of your friends drive the scooter or take turns riding it. Get insurance on it first, including protection for the rider/s, then drop the insurance after the trip. You might check with Amtrak also but they have size limits. I don't know what other train services there are. You might throw the scooter in with someone shipping cargo there by train already. There may be forums for such things and there's always craigslist. You might get lucky and find someone there to haul your scoot. A trucker I know used to use an online service to find cars to carry back on return trips for as little as $300. I'd probably go with the hitch and keep all my junk. The scooter is not highway legal, Just a stock 50cc. Riding it would turn a day and a half trip into a week long affair and would take all the fun out of it for my friends. Since they are going to be donating their time for this trip I really don't want to disappoint them. I have not looked into CL but I already called BNSF and Amtrak today and Amtrak said its a no go...only on their vehicle express line which goes nowhere near Taos. BNSF said I need a full car load to ship. |
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Post by psychedelicode on Feb 3, 2015 21:49:34 GMT -5
You cold do a full tear down and strap everything on top of one of the vehicles being driven there. Only takes about 2 hours to do a full tear down on most scooters. Only one 4 wheeled vehicle is going on this trip. The other three vehicles are my motorcycles. The roof of my car is already spoken for by my bicycles on a proper Yakima rack. |
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Post by psychedelicode on Feb 3, 2015 21:07:42 GMT -5
Plants live
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Post by psychedelicode on Feb 3, 2015 20:45:24 GMT -5
So here's what we've come up with so far. 3-6 seem the best but tell me what you think. Option 1. There would not be room for the scoot inside the car at all. I have alot of stuff I am moving and thats being very minimalistic. I have and entire house full of stuff that I've already begun donating. Option 2. A box van is over $1500 just in rental, fuel would be about $800 for the trip given current fuel rates (which are most likely to skyrocket come spring when I'm moving). I would save a bundle by putting the bikes in it instead of riding them but my friends REALLY want to ride down there with me Option 3. Looking at the photos of the work it took to but the hitch on, It seems like if I just cut the tailpipes off and left the muffler that the stock Contour hitch would fit the way it was designed (What does it look like to you guys?). It would not cost much of anything to have them welded back on so they would clear the new hitch. That and I already have an old snowmobile trailer I could put the scoot on. That brings the cost of the hitch plus fuel down to about $400. Scoot and my stuff can go on trailer and in trunk. Python in the back seat with its heater running off an inverter, Dog playing navigator. Option 4. Break the scooter down and ship it on greyhound. This would run about $225 but, I would have to make a 200mi drive to go pick it up from Albuquerque and shove it in the car because that is the nearest greyhound station to Taos. Option 5. Sell the scooter and hope I can find a nice Piaggio down there to replace it. and finally 6. Sell the car and get a Truck or Full size van. But I love my car. I bought it new just out of RTC for the Navy. One of 1500 built. If it were not for getting a new job much better than my current I would not make this trip. Its a huge hassle and I have to give away all the stuff I've worked and paid for in the last 6 years. But then again stuff is just that, stuff. However you won't ever be able to pry my hands off of my toys. A guys gotta have his toys |
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Post by psychedelicode on Feb 2, 2015 19:44:03 GMT -5
Darn, Sorry to hear that. Here in Grand Rapids, MI The crime rates went down 7-15% last year in all areas except one...auto theft. Police are saying that the 25% increase in auto theft was due solely to Moped/Scooter thefts.
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Post by psychedelicode on Feb 2, 2015 19:09:03 GMT -5
I have to ship my scooter to New Mexico where I will be moving in a few short months. All of my bikes are going to be ridden there by friends. The problem is that all the motorcycle shippers want $600 to $1000 to make the trip and that's almost what my scooter is worth. I was thinking of one of those hitch mount cargo trays but then found out that nobody makes a hitch that fits my Contour SVT because the dual exhaust and ground effects are in the way of using a stock Contour type hitch. There is this ( contour.org/ceg-vb/forum/modifications-and-maintenance/general-mods/57068-modified-drawtite-24603-hitch-on-an-svt-contour ) method of fitting a hitch but I don't have a welder and all said and done it would cost as much as a shipper. How do the scoot shops ship their scoots so cheap? I would just sell it and buy another one when I get there but it took me 5 years to find this one (it actually found me..lol) TGB Deliveries are pretty rare find and I would hate to get rid of it. |
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Post by psychedelicode on Jan 27, 2015 15:29:33 GMT -5
What do y'all think of a MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE/GREEN GOBLIN! Theme?  |
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Post by psychedelicode on Jan 27, 2015 15:17:40 GMT -5
Well, I guess I over looked the paperwork when I bought the scoot. The petcock was replaced in 09 due to a cutting out issue. No, other issues were found.
I went ahead and ordered a new petcock just for giggles as removing the vent line and plugging it did not help anything. These petcocks are super cheap anyway, just $15 shipped.
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Post by psychedelicode on Jan 26, 2015 22:16:03 GMT -5
I'll go through the maintenance records again. I have a rather large folder of them from the previous owner..EVERYTHING! But it was all just the de restriction of CDI and Variator washer (The washer is actually taped to the folder with a date!) as well as weatherization for winter. She never drove it in bad weather. This winter is its first year out and it has taken its toll already on the chrome and whatnot. I know her well and she constantly complains that I ride all year on her old scoot (all in good fun, she knows that I love this scoot).
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Post by psychedelicode on Jan 26, 2015 21:50:40 GMT -5
And that is WHAT I AM telling you is WRONG BRO. #2 does not go onto a connector on the petcock. That Petcock has TWO fuel inlet connectors just like the one I posted. So listen up and take that hose off and just tie it up out of the way and let it VENT TO THE AIR and PLUG up the connector on the PETCOCK. Alleyoop How to quote, SEE THE QUOTE on the post just click on that and it will QUOTE it and copy it into your post that you want to chat about. Oh yeah the quote was right there. I am an  OKOK! I'll pull it off and plug it. But this is how TGB built it. Not sayin they are smart, right or, bright. Im kinda suprised it made it this far without a single problem. My Gy6 50 was notoriously terrible in comparison. |
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Post by psychedelicode on Jan 26, 2015 21:18:18 GMT -5
Thats a tough question. I have no idea how accurate police radar is or how often they calibrate their signs. There have been alot of discrepancies for them in history. I like GPS/Cellphone taped above the dash when checking speedo accuracy.
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Post by psychedelicode on Jan 26, 2015 21:03:49 GMT -5
Or somethings bent of course. The fork should be able to fully compress and not make contact with anything. It can lock up the front tire and throw you overboard.
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Post by psychedelicode on Jan 26, 2015 21:01:02 GMT -5
A difference in aspect ratio means that the tire is larger in diameter provided the width is the same. In your case. you went from a worn 130/60 to a new 130/70 That means your new tire has taller sidewalls and therefore a larger diameter and circumference than the old one, since they have the same width. Now this should throw your speedo off. We all know that chinese speedos are not very accurate.
Do you still have your old tire? If not you can probably get it back from the shop you had it changed at (they have to pay for disposal). Then measure the circumference difference between it and the new. The new one is going to have a larger circumference and diameter than the old.
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Post by psychedelicode on Jan 26, 2015 20:42:38 GMT -5
I had this same issue on the scoot thats my avatar. The front ends of these were designed like poo. Hard braking will bend the entire head tube easily (because you are pushing on the bars at the same time as the front wheel is braking and trying to tuck under the scoot) as well as potholes. They are very weak and only have that one point of support near the floor.
It takes some modding and a welder to fix the issue. But your front end will be alot more solid afterwards. Its not quite so step through anymore either.
If you have upgraded to a larger front tire you should put stock size back on. Changing front tire sizes is throwing your speedo off anyway.
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Post by psychedelicode on Jan 26, 2015 20:26:30 GMT -5
I will add, alot of 50cc riders do not have any issues with shinkos. They are the stock tire for many many scoots. In my experience $10 more for a nice tire is better than being worried. My scoot came stock with a kenda k761 rear tire that lasted 6kmi and I had only replaced it after picking up a few nails on a jobsite. I still have it around as well as a brand new k761 and I will take pictures. Its not half worn. It cost the same as a shinko.
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