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Post by oldchopperguy on Oct 7, 2017 19:53:19 GMT -5
I've had bikers wave to me when I was on anything from pedaling my mountain bike to my 750 Kawasaki. I never understand this scooter versus bike thing. No one has ever belittled anything I ride. Wow... Same here. I've had nothing but friendly response from all types of bikers... Only other scooter riders seem indifferent, but not unfriendly. Maybe it's my gray hair (or the Colt in my jeans)... LOL! I've never had a guy or gal riding a cruiser, chopper, bagger, crotch-rocket, etc. fill up next to me who didn't give me a friendly greeting and want to check out the old mouse. I imagine the area one lives in makes a BIG difference in attitudes... Now, IF "Minnie Mouse" had a New York plate on her butt, it would make a huge difference in the attitude of others... So much so that it would be almost a certainty that some Bubba in a 4x4 would run over me from behind with no warning. I spent a couple of weeks in Georgia once on business, with a rent-car. Much to my surprise, I found that to avoid trouble, your vehicle not only had to have a Georgia plate, BUT from the same COUNTY you were in... Whew! Talk about discrimination... That was long ago, and I hope things have changed... At least maybe drop the county I.D. on the plates... LOL! Ride safe, and watch yer' six! Leo |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Oct 6, 2017 21:21:48 GMT -5
People here are pretty cool. I visit a scooter group on Facebook though and you can see the raging dislike they have for bikers in some thinly veiled statements. I own both bikes and scooters and just don't get the anger. If you ride you should be part of the clan, not a separate citizen.
Good point! Have a bone on the old chopper guy!
Indeed, riders should be a clan, not separate... It just seldom works that way though. For example, here in my "hood" it's "red-neck city". A lot of folks who love and ride horses. And, a lot of others who love and ride motorcycles. The two disciplines are SO similar that I'd think horse-riders and bikers would have enough in common to get along. But NO... They don't get along at all...
A half-century ago when I was a kid, I began my "big-bike" adventure with my chopper. Many pals rode baggers (dressers back then) as well as Brit bikes and SCOOTERS. Mostly Cushman and Sears "Allstate" scoots made by Cushman. A few Vespas and Lambrettas and the occasional Whizzer or Mustang. As long as they could keep up they were more than welcome as fellow bikers. We were pretty accommodating to our small motorbike pals though... Mostly, 50-mph was fast enough even on 2-lane "highways". Few limited-access freeways back then. NO problem for the frisky flathead Mustangs to keep up... But... If we had Whizzers, or Harley Hummers or Euro mopeds in the pack, we'd happily cruise at 30-mph so they could stay with us. I even remember ONE day when we had a whole tribe of "tweenies" on fat-tire bicycles, dreaming of soon jockeying their own Hogs ride along... THAT was one SLOW ride! But we had great fun with our snot-nosed little admirers. When we stopped at a roadhouse for a few, I brought out a batch of Cokes for the kids, sipped one with them and let them climb all over "Old Blue". Took a few for a ride... THAT locked in their love for the mighty Hog forever!
Yup! We were a clan (not a Klan... LOL!).Things today are just all different. Not unusual, just different for us old geezers. It must have been the same when folks transitioned from horses to ancient motorcycles, and from buggies to horseless carriages. Different "genres" just don't always get along... My Grandma saw the Wright Bros. fly at Kittyhawk. THAT knocked me out as a kid! SHE was NOT impressed... Said we already had CARS and MOTORCYCLES, to cause mayhem. WHY would folks want to fly through the air to get themselves killed? At least it's easier for most of us to get along with each other, than to get along with "Kimchi Yuk" of North Korea... Now, just WHERE did I put that pesky old nuke...? 
Play nice, wave to other 2-wheel pals, and ride safe!Leo |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Oct 5, 2017 21:26:42 GMT -5
I Have Ice bear Zodiac's 3 in fact I have many friend have Harley's with 2 wheels and 3 wheel trikes they tell many it's not the bike it is about riding. They couldn't care less what they ride, My friend say don't worry what they think it's what they do.
Absolutely! Have a bone for the good advice...I've been riding now for 55 years... Had my share of choppers, baggers, small bikes, big bikes... every kind of bike except a trike, or crotch-rocket. Loved most of them. Now, too much arthritis to handle the big bikes (and too little money... LOL!). I actually do enjoy riding my old Kymco 250 as much as I ever did my choppers and baggers. Really! And I don't pay attention to what others may think unless it's friendly.
Ride safe, and enjoy the site!Leo in Texas |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Oct 5, 2017 21:20:03 GMT -5
It used to be about Two Wheels, No matter what it was everybody waved, any Two Wheel broke down and other Two Wheelers stopped to help, never mattered what kind of two Wheels it was. It all about Bike Snobs these days, I ride the Wrong Bike, I wear the Wrong Helmut or a Helmut at all, all Scoots around here are considered Licker Sickles. Ya Whatever... We don't have the "Licker Sickle" syndrome here as all bikes have to be licensed and insured and riders must have a current, valid license... The 50's aren't any help to a DUI rider.
But, the rest is about the same.The big-bike riders are friendly as can be to me... even the young crotch-rocket jockeys. But the scooteristas are a different animal. Really more "just don't give a hoot" than snobby but definitely not enthusiasts.
I do use the mouse for errands, but I genuinely enjoy the ride, for the ride's sake... Just like this site is named. If I recall, I didn't even HAVE a scooter yet when I did the art for the banner... Just checking out scooter sites while thinking about getting one. Glad I did!
Ride safe, and ignore the snobs...Leo |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Oct 4, 2017 23:44:08 GMT -5
Considering my age, health and budget, I'm completely sold on scooters... But, I do wonder how many others feel the same.
Back in the day, when I'd haul my Harley over into a gas-station, beer-joint, coffee-shop, etc. along side other big bikes, friendly conversation would almost always start up... "Hey, nice paint"... ""What kinda cam ya' runnin'"... "Whatcha think of Limey bikes"... and so on. Often, I'd join up with some White-line brothers and sisters for a ride. THAT was a truly enjoyable part of the 2-wheel (or 3-wheel) experience. There are a lot fewer scooters around than big bikes, but when we meet up, there is SO little comradery. I often am filling up "Minnie Mouse" and another scooter will pull up just feet away, filling up from the other side of the same pump. Unless I smile, and initiate a conversation, the rider will just fill up and ride off... If I park next to some scoots, and riders are present, there is no interest in each other's rides, or having any conversation. When I do have the opportunity to talk with other riders, It's between thumbs on smart-phones... "Hey friend, how'd ya' like that Yamaha?" "Ah, it's transportation..." "Why do YOU ride a scooter, friend?" "Ah.. cheap transportation and I think green..."I do wonder what reaction I'd get if I broke their balloon by telling them scooter emissions are WORSE than a car... LOL!  I really ENJOY riding my scooter. I enjoy it as much as if it was a big bike. Sure, it's cheap transportation, but so is my car. Only at the organized fun-ride last August did I find others who ride SCOOTERS because the enjoy riding scooters... BIKERS usually ride for the experience of the ride. Everyday SCOOTER riders around here seem mostly to ride simply to get from point A to point B as cheaply as possible.Amazingly, even now, if I run into a posse of chopper-jockeys I usually fit right in. They have to give the mouse a close-up inspection, fin out WHY I'm NOT on a Hog, and usually invite me to ride along with them. I do wish the scooter crowd would have more interest in their scooters, but it seems they are usually viewed simply as transportation. When I find a scooterista who is enthusiastic about his/her scoot, he/she is usually an old-timer who has down-sized from big bikes due to age, like me. The younger riders are riding "just because the scoot is there" with little interest in what it is.
I believe the scooter crowd and the big-bike crowd are always destined to view their riding experience and their rides very differently... I do miss the biker-comradery of days gone bye.Ride safe, Leo in Texas
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Post by oldchopperguy on Oct 4, 2017 23:06:37 GMT -5
Tech can be a pain, can't it? Hopefully now there won't be any issues with the new set. (I had grief for awhile myself when the logic board went out.)    Spandi, Ya know the thing I hate MOST about computers? They keep doing what you TELL them to, instead of what you WANT them to...  |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Oct 2, 2017 15:59:12 GMT -5
Terrilee,
Glad you're back! Boy, do I understand computers going south! Have a bone...
Question: Are you still riding "Chrissy"? I've hoped your scoot stayed around, intact while you were away and would still be there for you to enjoy.
I finally traded my Chinese 150 on a WELL-USED Kymco Grandvista 250. Small, and looks like a Chinese 150, but with a lot more "giddyup" to keep up with MUCH faster local surface-street traffic, and even "sorta" able to run the freeways when needed.
Stay safe, and best wishes always,
Leo in Texas
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Post by oldchopperguy on Sept 30, 2017 22:43:01 GMT -5
I just saw this... I believe 75 is fairly reasonable for near-top speed. My old Kymco 250 Grandvista service manual conservatively lists top-speed as 67-mph. Most Kymco riders seem to be able to top out at around 70-75... (on the LEVEL and NO WIND). Mine is bone-stock except for the final drive being up-toothed one tooth by the previous owner. It tops out about 78 but 70 is all I like to cruise at since it is close to WOT. With wind and up-hills, I often must go WOT to maintain 70.From past experience with my old 150, I would HIGHLY recommend you first experiment with rollers, or better yet, sliders. I got WAY more performance increase with the roller experimentation than any engine mods. I'd make a wild guess that on your 300, you MIGHT just squeeze out an extra 5-mph with the right sliders! Plus, a little better acceleration too! Sliders seem to allow the variator to open AND close FULLY for higher top-speed AND better "grunt" off the line! If I ever get around to it, I'd like to see if I can get a few more mph from old "Minnie Mouse" by messing with sliders. My rollers are original, and have nearly 18K miles on them so it's probably about time... The doggone scoot runs/drives SO perfectly though, that I hate to change anything... LOL!
Also, I've found NO problem at speed with 12" wheels. However, it's necessary to have good tires P-rated for the speed and have the wheels well-balanced. Originally, I had new Kenda J-rated (62-mph) tires and they were AWFUL. Shimmy, bounce, and weirdness while slowing from any speed down through about 20-mph. The new P-rated (92-mph) tires, well balanced solved everything. The old 250 now runs as smooth at 75 as my old Harley bagger did. As for the all-out, full-goose-Bozo speeds... ONCE and never again... On a LONG downhill stretch of freeway, with a monster tail-wind, I got the old mouse to 99-mph on the speedo (which is 3-mph fast). The 12" wheels were still fine, but I was even exceeding the rating of the new tires. Of course, THAT did not relate anything to "real world" performance... But I DID get to see how it feels to ride a spaghetti-burner... LOL! I just couldn't resist a mile-long downhill and a 40-mph tailwind! Had I done a U-turn and gone uphill into that wind, I'd have been lucky to hit 55! Best wishes on getting that little extra speed! Ride safe, Leo in Texas
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Post by oldchopperguy on Sept 27, 2017 18:10:18 GMT -5
"And never darkened the door of an emergency room."Who needs an emergency room? Just wrap a little duct tape around that compound fracture. They distill their own pain medicine.
Ab-so-freakin'-lootley! Have a bone! And remember: "You MAY be a redneck IF you get TOO DRUNK to FISH...". |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Sept 27, 2017 18:04:32 GMT -5
Oh Leo, I'm so sorry that happened. What a bummer, after such a nice day. Be real careful with the rotator cuff tear--Mom had one and waited too long to have it fixed, and it never healed right despite surgery. She's lost so much strength and mobility in that shoulder. So you take care of yourself, you hear me?  Plus you're in my prayers, and I'll ask Momma to add you to hers, too. As for replacing the battery now, I really would rather wait 'til spring when I get the full tune-up. Then they can also double-check that the starter isn't any issue. And then everything's all fresh for driving. Assuming nothing happens before that to again sideline me  So do I just keep starting every couple weeks through the winter, with my fingers crossed? Or not? Will either make a diff to nursing that battery along until spring? >'Kat, who does NOT consider 300+ pounds of Peej "a little pooter"
Kat, you are a treasure!  Have a bone!Appreciate the prayers! I think they are working, as I'm MUCH better. Hope to be back riding next week. Those rotator cuffs ARE a booger! At my age, the docs don't recommend any surgery. Say it would likely make things worse for a couple of years, and I don't have much more than that left... How encouraging! LOL!
I'll be OK... Just need some time. I imagine your scoot will be OK with periodic starting/running. Just be sure to run it long enough to fully warm it up to remove condensation and dry out the motor. If the battery gives up the ghost and won't start it, you can jump it off a car battery (once you find the scooter's battery... LOL!). But just jump-start the scoot with the car motor not running. A full-sized automotive alternator may have too much juice for the scooter's electric system. I guess after decades of riding half-ton Hog baggers I tend to think of our scoots as "little pooters" regardless of size.. except for those huge touring scoots at least... Come to think of it, if I recall, my old chopper weighed less than 400 pounds... but with near 300 ponies, "Old Blue" was a tad friskier than "Minnie Mouse"... a little LOUDER too... LOL! Too much old age and arthritis now to ride the big stuff...
Times do change... I'll be mighty happy just to have the old mouse in the wind again!Heal fast, ride safe! Leo |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Sept 25, 2017 23:39:52 GMT -5
Sumo wrestler. They have the heart of a Samurai. -What's going on behind the redneck? This is a G-rated forum.
Hey, I think I know that guy... probably from a couple of trailers down my street...
What's going on? I think that zaftig lass behind Bubba is just checking to see if he's a genuine, honest-to-goodness REAL redneck... You know, a little "pink behind the ears"... while providing a little sisterly "titillation" in the process... LOLOLOL!    |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Sept 25, 2017 23:30:41 GMT -5
Well, for true training, skill, fighting ability, all that stuff, the Sumo wrestler has to get my vote.However, that said, I've run into some 6' 6" 600 pound rednecks who could kill most folks with their bare hands, and eat their carcasses for a snack. Some of these brutes have absorbed NUMEROUS slugs of various calibers, lots of 00 buckshot, and are covered head to foot with knife-scars. And never darkened the door of an emergency room. Their "take no prisoners, show no mercy" attitude, combined with their ability to become a "bullet-sponge" and still take their tormentors apart with their bloody bare hands, DOES rank mighty high on the "macho scale". Granted, a lot of their family trees "don't branch" and their mantra commonly is "if y'all ain't from my county, ya' gotta die..." Trained they ain't. Educated they ain't. But MACHO they is...Never underestimate the destructive ability of a King Kong sized redneck after a half-dozen cases of beer and a half-gallon of Jim Beam go down the gullet... along with a lively mix of pot and crystal meth...
Ride safe, and don't try out any 600 pounders, Sumo, OR redneck... LOL! 
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Post by oldchopperguy on Sept 25, 2017 23:09:10 GMT -5
Kat,
All good advice... Most likely though, your battery is about gone. A new battery will probably cure the problems.If your physical state prevents riding, you might get a friend to ride the scoot to the dealer for a battery replacement. If you desire, most batteries are quite easy to change out yourself, (once you find it... LOL!). I know you are good about using your dealer for proper maintenance, so possibly you could even call him and have an employee bring a battery over and replace the original for a small labor/delivery charge. (A large pizza and a six-pack is about a standard fee around here... LOL!) Or, maybe 20 bucks... Just a thought.
August 19, I messed myself up after that great fun-ride from my own dealership... I got home safe and sound (no surprise there). Then, I tripped in the dark over my own boots, fell into a piece of furniture, tearing my left shoulder rotator cuff, and breaking a bone in my arm... One of those "lengthwise" cracks, not a fully-broken bone, but cheesh! It HURTS!!! I'm STILL not quite ready to jerk "Minnie Mouse" off her center stand and ride... Amazing how "heavy" a little pooter 350 pound 250 scoot feels when just ONE shoulder and arm are REALLY messed up! LO not so L... I do hope to be back on the road VERY soon... I've missed a month of great weather, and the BEST Texas riding weather is just around the corner this fall...
When you get back on the road, take it easy the first few rides... We all lose a little of our "edge" after being off the bike for an extended time. Heal fast, ride safe!Leo
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Post by oldchopperguy on Sept 17, 2017 19:51:29 GMT -5
Came out in 1969... That explains it!
I was doing my hitch in the Army. My plastic model building days long behind me. They were SO cool though! As a kid I was amazed at how well (most) models parts fit and what a swell finished product a little nipper could build... IF he/she could avoid all those icky glue-fingerprints and apply a really perfect paint-job.
Building them today could still be a fine hobby for retired old geezers. They ARE pretty pricey today though... They were anywhere from less than a buck, to maybe $2 for a big one when I was 10... Nowadays, they can cost ANYTHING... The dollar ones are now like $35...
How times change!
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Post by oldchopperguy on Sept 16, 2017 20:44:43 GMT -5
Hmmm... I still can't imagine I missed that one!
Is it possible it came out after 1968? If so, I was in the Army spending my free time riding my brand-new Honda 305cc Super Hawk. THAT sweet little bike was THE most fun per cc and per dollar on 2-wheels I've ever had!
My heyday of plastic model building was from about 1952 through 1960. I actually snagged a full-time job building AMT models for display while in 6th grade... Had to get a Social Security Card, and special "work permit" and went to school until 3pm then worked in a hobby shop from 4-10pm 6 days a week! Needless to say, not much homework got done... Made a whopping $100 per week from AMT... THAT is $1,000 in today's money... Not too shabby for a snot-nosed 10-year-old.When times got hard, I was able to help mom and dad pay off the mortgage on the house... Wish I could do THAT again in my old age...
(sigh) My only modeling those Army years was gas-powered U-control model planes. I was a lousy ukie pilot, but a great builder. My lousy piloting gave me plenty of opportunity to practice my building... LOL!
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