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Post by oldchopperguy on Jun 6, 2018 0:46:49 GMT -5
Wow,
A tough one! I'm a BIG fan of BOTH.I guess I've seen all the Dirty Harry movies, and all the Dragnet/Badge 714 TV shows and movies. Considering everything both stand for in their respective characters, I vote for Joe Friday by a slim margin. He got me hooked back in 1951. I was five, and became a major fan of Friday's no-nonsense, "everything is black and white with NO gray areas" law and order demeanor. He reminded me a little of my Dad."Dirty Harry" has the same aura about him, but always "broke the rules" which wouldn't work in the real life police community. Joe Friday played by the rules, and in the process made chain-smokers out of thousands of adoring fans... LOL! Oh well, in the fifties who knew tobacco wasn't a health food?
Hey, if ya' can't kill 'em with hot lead, kill 'em with Camels!  I've always been a fan of the S&W .44 Magnum. Had a couple of 'em over the years. Good shooters, but today's factory ammo is loaded to WAY less power than the original1960's Dirty Harry era. Ruger single-actions could digest that ammo all day long, but the old S&W wheelguns couldn't stand up to the pressures the early ammo generated. My first one shot loose after only 200 rounds! However, Friday had no problem dispatching miscreants with his diminutive 2" .38... Good marksmanship is always macho!Leo (keep your powder dry, and a scowl on yer' puss) in Texas
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Post by oldchopperguy on Jun 6, 2018 0:03:45 GMT -5
"I took old "Minnie Mouse" out for a run to Wally World this morning, and realize that in all honesty she is pretty goofy looking by today's standards"There are unique little things I like about Kymcos contemporary to yours, Leo. That headlight on Minnie Mouse reminds me of "War of the Worlds."
Thanks! That headlight DOES look totally "War of the Worlds"... Of course, with those huge electric mirrors open, she still looks like a mouse... LOL! Now after six years, I know about every little Kymco GV quirk, both good and bad. On the negative side, she could use another 10-mph at the top end (like whose ride couldn't?) and, the seating position is made for an orangutan... Which, thankfully, fits me fine... On the plus side, she's been absolutely 100% drop-dead reliable, needing NO repair-maintenance whatsoever. Woo-HOO! She has impeccable handling manners at any speed up her max of around 75. She also gives a solid eighty-five mpg with a mix of approx. 75% city and 25% highway riding. Pretty sweet for a carbureted dinosaur!She is nearly identical to the typical Chinese 150 in size, wheelbase and general configuration which was something I was wanting. Pretty much like a Chinese 150 that's trouble-free and can run 70...Her MOST attractive features? The whitewalls and fishtail exhaust... LOL!Long term experience has been extremely positive. I have to admit that on the highway she has better manners than my old Harley Electra-Glide, and in town she's light-years better and costs only $120 per year for full-coverage insurance... I'm "ridin' with the Geco". Not bad for such an outdated design!And, she's old and valueless enough that I don't feel guilty about putting the light-up goose on her nose... LOL! I found that hood ornament on eBay and had a hunch... Got it and found it WAS indeed the same one I had on a 1949 Ford ragtop, and a 1950 Chevy. Familiar tool-marks and spattering of Harley Davidson silver cylinder paint told the story and brought back wonderful memories! A quick scratch and sniff of the silver paint spots and I was 14 again, transported back to 1960, building "Old Blue" in the family garage... The ornament's original bakelite wings were broken off, and I found BEAUTIFUL lucite repops and replaced the rotten 6V socket/bulb with a 12V LED. No matter HOW tacky, I just had to put the old Packard-style "Illuminated Swan" "in the wind" once more after losing track of it in 1964!
It's just an "old geezer" memory-thing most young folks can't quite understand...Funniest thing about the light-up goose is that I've had a few young crotch-rocket jockeys want to know where they could get one! Even I can't envision just how AWFUL it would look on a sleek rocket... LOL!Old "Minnie Mouse" just proves that you never know just what kind of weird ride you may end up liking!
Ride safe!Leo |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Jun 5, 2018 23:31:26 GMT -5
Jarlaxle,
Gotta agree with you on that vintage Honda. It reminds me of a mix of Moto-Guzzi bike, and classy BMW trunk and bags! A very nice combination but VERY "European" looking. I think the reason it didn't make it long-term may be that American riders (ESPECIALLY back then) were not in love with cross-wise mounted V-twins. Of course, the California "CHIPS" liked 'em in spaghetti-burner trim!We were terribly narrow-minded back then... I remember those Hondas and how they reminded us of Moto-Guzzi bikes. We didn't really like the idea of a crosswise V-twin, OR a shaft drive... Just too "foreign" and too "modern" for our tastes. A "proper motorcycle" simply HAD to have a traditional V-twin (OK, we could tolerate a Brit parallel-twin in a pinch!) and chain-drive... Duh... Of course, our knuckles bumped the concrete when stepping down off a curb, too... LOL! Today, "all growed-up" and more open-minded, I'd go for one of them too... Of all items, motorcycles probably conjure up more likes and dislikes because of cosmetics than any other critter... 
When I think of what I used to ride, and what I NOW ride, I'm even amazed at myself... LOL! What once looked pretty "tired" years ago looks pretty good to me nowadays! Ride safe, Leo
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Post by oldchopperguy on Jun 4, 2018 7:37:33 GMT -5
Welcome back! Needing CHEAP on a tight budget IS a challenge...  A 50cc is pretty limited in performance, so unless your jurisdiction allows riding a 50 without license and insurance, I'd consider going back to a 150cc if possible. If a 50cc will do the job for you, I would try locating a mint, high-quality one which someone is selling to move up to a larger scoot. A lot of new riders pay out for a high-end 50cc and then find they need more speed for their needs. When this happens, the minty 50cc often ends up for sale at a bargain price... It takes some serious digging to ferret these bargains out, but it can be well worth the effort when money is really tight... And stuck on Social Security fixed-income I can REALLY identify with your need to keep it cheap... LOL! New high-quality 50's are still not exactly cheap, so maybe you CAN find one for a budget price if the owner is selling to up-size. Best wishes on your quest for new wheels! Ride safe, Leo in Texas |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Jun 3, 2018 21:40:59 GMT -5
After surviving THIS adventure, you might want to do a "more macho" post like... Who's more macho? YOU or EVEL KNIEVEL... |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Jun 2, 2018 12:00:20 GMT -5
Wheelbender6,
Gotta agree with you on the Whizzer! There's just SOMETHING about them that is irresistible.
Sixty years ago, some of my pals had Whizzers. They were "motorbikes" but had that "motorcycle" appeal (sorta like the Cushman Eagle) and little boys went nutz for them.
For some reason, they seemed to be less than reliable: probably due to our infantile skill level with things mechanical... LOL! I'll bet the new versions are far better.
Your first pic shows the pedal-crank journal being used as a jackshaft... I made one like that in the early fifties and found the original cheesy crank bearings to hold up AMAZINGLY well under power, and spinning WAY faster than ever designed for! Just keep 'em oiled! I suppose one could fit "real" high-speed bearings in there, but not all that necessary... In short, it works!
Please keep us posted, especially if you do get a Whizzer. You just don't see Whizzers all that often, either vintage or new! But they STILL are the coolest "mopeds" on the planet!
Ride safe!
Leo in Texas
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Post by oldchopperguy on Jun 2, 2018 11:39:09 GMT -5
THAT adventure could have easily ended fatally... SO glad it did not!
You may have some aches and pains and stiff-joints later in life from this (I can tell all about that... but it didn't start until after sixty...).
Excellent learning post for all of us! Too bad the driver wasn't caught. You can about bet the farm it was an illegal alien in a stolen car. It's a rough world out there... Keep your eyes open one and all!
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Post by oldchopperguy on Jun 2, 2018 11:12:28 GMT -5
Wow. That is...hideous. It looks like someone binge-watched Robocop, Tron, the entire Mad Max series, and a couple sci-fi B-movies while on a Red Bull and LSD binge, and the voices in their heads told them to design that abortion.
Have a bone for an honest opinion... This is interesting! I agree with your all your ideas about the origin of the design... Robocop, Mad Max, sci-fi movies etc. but somehow I find all that a "plus" rather than a negative... Heck, I've always been a sucker for old sci-fi flicks... and enjoyed all the weird post-apocalypse rides of Mel Gibson and "Humongous" and his posse... LOL!
Everybody likes different stuff... Some love something and some hate it, all for the SAME reasons...
This is a classic example... I like it, you hate it... and all for the same features! That's what makes life a horserace...After some thought (and my old brain doesn't think all that fast these days...) I've about decided that the main thing I don't like about this unusual bike is that even if I could climb on and off it, I couldn't afford one... LOL!  Leo (ride what you like, and like what you ride) in Texas PS: I took old "Minnie Mouse" out for a run to Wally World this morning, and realize that in all honesty she is pretty goofy looking by today's standards... But I still love her... |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Jun 2, 2018 10:47:11 GMT -5
VERY interesting and informative post!
Welcome to the forum, and have a bone on The Old Chopper Guy!I can understand your situation to some extent. I'm over 70 now, and health issues keep me off the big bikes I've loved for a half-century. So far, a step-through scooter has been great for me. Your new electric scoot may be just what you want, and, as time goes by you may want to try a gas-powered scoot for longer and faster travel. You could still have the "no-physical motion" involved like your electric, with just throttle, front and rear brakes on the handlebars but enjoy in-town speeds on a small scoot, or highway speeds on a larger-displacement ride.I'm incurably "lost in the fifties" I suppose, and have a hard time comprehending engines with no carburetors, no points and condenser, etc. but the handwriting is on the wall... Electric vehicles will be the norm pretty soon. All the great new fuel-injection, computer-controls, variable valve-timing, sensors on everything to keep the gas-consumption low... All great stuff, but will soon go the way of the horse and buggy and the Stanley Steamer.
Instead of horsepower and torque, it's gonna be watts, amps and volts. I've driven a couple of electric cars, and must admit they are pretty sweet. Still a few bugaboos perfecting range, heat and AC but it won't be long until those are ironed out. I understand that the simplicity, zero emissions and near-zero maintenance make electric power nearly irresistible. Only real problem I see is ya' can't put loud pipes on 'em… LOL!  Enjoy your new ride, and... Ride safe!Leo in Texas
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Post by oldchopperguy on Jun 1, 2018 11:38:22 GMT -5
OK, I just HAD to see what this animal looks like! Pretty SWEEEEETTTT!The styling is so universal that this bike looks good "bare-bones" or dressed out with bags, trunk and windshield/fairing. What a great design for any rider wishing to upgrade to an over-the-road bike while maintaining some scooter features. Me thinks ya got a winner there! Please do keep us posted... And continue to get fully healed! Ride safe, and better get a bandana to cover your mouth... You may get a LOT of bugs on your teeth when you can't quit smiling!
Leo
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Post by oldchopperguy on Jun 1, 2018 11:02:08 GMT -5
howdy y'all i've been away long enough so thought i'd drap in fer a spell 'missed the oldguy and silverkat and all y'alll. i can second all that ocg says and mention that i sailed from the bv350 to a ctx700 that shifts itself and seems designed specifically for those of us with reduced performance levels. i liked both and have put about 16,000 miles on both so a good test ride for comparisons. like oldchopperguy, i'm challenged to get off and on, but find both ok in their own way. i leave the ctx on the side stand which lets me kinda get the knee on the seat and slide over without tippin' the two of us horizontal. after a spasm and uncontrollable gasp, we get on the way. i've put floorboards and a tail trunk on and built some brackets so i can throw a pair of soft bags over and head out on some sizeable adventures. anyway , this post is to encourage dreamin' which i'm still doing after my heart attack in israel a month ago. i got home tuesday night and was riding on wednesday morning. keep on keepin' on ken
Whew, YOU have had a LOT of adventure lately! Have a big kosher bone on the OCG!First, PLEASE post pix of the ctx700... Sounds like an ideal mix for the scooter fan who wants more serious road capability!
Next, we're SO glad to hear you are recovering fast from the heart attack! If you MUST suffer such a thing, Israel is a good place to be... God's chosen country, people, etc... I must admit though I'm not Jewish, I'm as excited as a kid over Jerusalem FINALLY becoming the official capital of Israel. It's about time!  Cheesh,, it's about 50 years past time!  I'll have to look up that ctx700 just to see what you're riding... Sounds like a definite WINNER!Ride extra safe while recovering!Shalom,Leo |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Jun 1, 2018 10:48:32 GMT -5
Like balancing a baseball bat in the palm of your hand. Place the BIG end in your palm, and it's hard to balance. Place the little end in your palm and it's easy! Same deal with small, and big wheel scoots... Whatever the cause, after dropping "Minnie Mouse" last week, in future years as I get "feebler" I may go to the Italian big-wheels... They handle like a bicycle that can run the freeways! THAT feature MUST be nearly irresistible to most riders! Ride safe! Leo PS: Soft saddlebags are "miracle preventatives" for damage from dropping a bike! LOL!  Everyone screams about low center of gravity,,,more weight over the rolling axis is key to a good handling bike,,,Honda developed a race bike with everything low,,including the fuel cell,,,it was a major disaster,,the bike handled like caca,,and was scrapped in short order,,,I don't see anything fantastic coming out of Italy except their debt is bigger than ours ratio wise,,,but they do have great design,,
I can really agree with that! I always found the early Harleys with iron heads and a full gas tank to be easier to handle than bikes with a low center of gravity. My own Kymco Grandvista has most of its weight down low, and while it's "classic scooter" and I'm very used to it, it is almost "squirrely" compared to a heavy bike with lots of steel, fuel, battery and fruit-salad up top.
I taught a LOT of people including teensy ladies to ride on my 1970 Electra-Glide and they all remarked how easy it was to balance... "Much easier than the mopeds and scooters they had tried".Just DON'T let that 900-pounds get tipped TOO far over when you're an eighty-five-pounder, used to lifting nothing heavier than lettuce leaves to your diminutive puss... LOL!
Weight "up high" vs. weight "down low" indeed makes a big difference in ease of balance... Especially at very slow "walking" speeds. That IS one small factor making many prefer a large motorcycle, but for us who are used to them, scooters are just fine, once you get used to them. Ride safe!Leo in Texas |
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Post by oldchopperguy on May 29, 2018 10:15:26 GMT -5
Hmmm...
Hard choice! Let's see: Any kind of brick is good for building stuff, and for tossing through windows... Cinder blocks are also good for building stuff, and forpropping up that old pickup truck in the front yard that uncle Bubba and his pit-bull lives in.
But then, EITHER ONE will totally kill some poor soul in a car when they're dropped through a windshield from a freeway overpass by a brain-dead schoolkid...
Both pretty macho: I call it a dead tie!
Leo (watch those pesky overpasses) in Texas
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Post by oldchopperguy on May 27, 2018 23:41:02 GMT -5
Great looking scoot!
Have a bone on The Old Chopperguy!
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Post by oldchopperguy on May 25, 2018 23:09:17 GMT -5
Not a lot of macho here... But I do love both of these guys' humor! I was a fan of Carol Burnett WAY back to when she was an "extra" on the Gary Moore Show... Whew, THAT does show my age... LOL! Tim Conway will forever be linked with Carol Burnett's comedy...
Bob Newhart is a favorite of mine too. His dry humor as a therapist (teamed perfectly with Susanne Pleshette) kept me laughing through the 1970's...
To be totally honest, I suppose it DOES take a certain amount of "macho" to get an entire nation laughing... I give them an even tie!
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