Something different pics

...And now for something different...

You know, strange things happen when I'm alone with a scooter on a cold, snowy day. And to clarify the matter, although I DO live in Arizona, I still see snowstorms now and then here. It doesn't stick for long though. I think it stayed on the ground yesterday for all of, oh, twelve or thirteen seconds. It snowed for about an hour though. Once again, I digress.

So there I was, with nothing to do but wrap Christmas presents, clean the kitchen for company Christmas day, do the laundry, change the oil in both scooters, clean the guest bathroom and vacuum the living room. Plus do the shopping for Christmas dinner for about twelve or so. So see, I really needed something to do. So I decided to paint the Buddy.

I began to disassemble it; headset, seat bucket, speedometer assembly, and attempted to remove various plastic parts that proved to be smarter than me and stayed on the scooter. So I broke out the masking tape and, after about 3 rolls, had the parts I wanted to remain black taped off.

Then I moved to my "paint shelf" and grabbed a couple cans of Krylon Fusion paint in the color red. This paint is advertised to be specifically designed to be used on plastics with no need to prep. So I didn't. I just cleaned everything moderately well and commenced to spraying. The headset, nose piece, side rails and rear wrap-around were all sprayed a shade of red that had a bit too much orange for my taste, but, hey...it's what I had! Then I sprayed the speedometer bezel, passenger footboards, rear grab-bar and headlight bezel black. Someday, the fork legs will be black, the rims will be red and there will be a racing stripe of black down the center of the nose-piece. Anyway, it didn't turn out too...um, well...I've seen worse. But they used a broom. Naw, it ain't too bad. I'm happy with it and I think it looks better than it did. And the bonus...it's the ONLY one like it!!

I like that part!

C-ya...ride on,

--Keys

Pretty quiet around here...

I don't have a lot to say today. I haven't had much of an opportunity to do much riding...it's been fairly chilly. Looks like rain for the next couple of days, too. I did however,enjoy two or three short, 30 to 40 mile rides from Cottonwood, through Cornville (again...WHO thinks up these names....???) and onto Beaverhead Flats Road which I followed through the sweepers to the end...a mere six miles. To be honest, I haven't even done any messin' around with the Buddy except to label one panel "Flux Capacitor". Probably makes it faster. I still have to put a label on the engine compartment proclaiming there is a "Warp Core Generator" inside. Of course, I'm still considering painting the scooter Olive Drab and mounting two faux machine gun barrels poking through the holes in the front that are designed to mount a rack. I'd also like to see a couple of photon torpedoes on either side. ...give ME the finger, will ya? The ultimate "Urban Assault Vehicle".

I'm getting a new helmet from my wife for Christmas...I know this because I ordered it. When it came in, though, she wrapped it and won't let me open it until Christmas! It's a Z1R Metro open-faced helmet which has both a visor and a faceshield. It is specifically designed for the discerning scooterist and I will give you a thorough and honest evaluation. It comes in about six or seven colors (I ordered silver) and is DOT approved. They didn't mention a Snell rating, so I would assume it either doesn't pass their criteria or Z1R just didn't try. I was reading in one of the motorcycle magazines this week that when they tested full-face helmets, there was virtually no better protection from Snell rated helmets than DOT rated helmets. They still didn't endorse the little skid-lids, though, even if they're DOT rated. No mention was made of open-face.

I'm currently in the market for a reasonably priced all-weather jacket. I currently have a jean jacket that is covered with rally patches and pins and is not very good at keeping me warm on those 20 degree mornings and a beautiful Marine Corp emblem emblazoned leather bomber jacket. I kinda hate to subject that to the abuse I tend to deal out, even though it IS warm. I found a really neat leather motorcycle specific jacket by Fast Company (the same folks who bring you Draggin Jeans). It is called the Cutlass and comes in a number of colors. It has several pockets, the sleeves are slightly curved and rotated slightly forward for more comfort at the handlebars. It has a quality zipper and snap collar and sleeves and a zip-in, fully sleeved liner for warmth. And it is on sale (just the colored ones...not the solid black) for only $150.00!! I was WAY excited!! THEN I went to the web-site. They only have XL and XXL. Of which I am neither. Bum'r. Still lookin'.

So, that's all the news that's fit to print. Just getting ready for Christmas and a visit from my brother whom I've not seen a WAY too many years...he lives in Redding, CA. He is a regular reader of this blog and a supporter of my scooter endeavors. Until later...have a GREAT Christmas, and if I have nothing to say until then, a fabulous New Year!!

C-ya...ride on!

--Keys

Bigger, Badder, Louder!!

I admit it. I cannot own and ride a scooter without messing with it. There. Is there a 12-step program for that?

This affliction has now manifested itself upon my Buddy 125. I actually did just minor surgery, but the difference is major! I simply replaced the original (about 20 pound) muffler with a cute, little SuperTrapp slip on muffler. I first saw this muffler (a short tale of woe) hanging on the wall at Encore Performance in Prescott when I bought my Bajaj...which after manifesting my affliction on it became the renowned "Mad Hornet". I remember thinking that really belonged on a scooter...preferably mine...when I saw it. I never got around to buying it, though, but my Scarab buddy, Jes' Jim did. He suffers from the same affliction. Anyway, he put it on his modified Kymco People 250. And subsequently removed it. It seems no matter what spring he used between the end-cap and the end-nut, the heat adversely affected its "springy-ness". It no longer sprang. Or whatever. So Jes' Jim removed said SuperTrapp and put something else on he didn't have to constantly mess with and sent the 'Trapp to me. I never did find a was of mounting it on the Bajaj, but the Buddy was a different matter.

This last Wednesday evening, I rode the scoot up to the truck terminal where I work and commenced borrowing tools from one of the mechanics; Bo. I borrowed his little pneumatic cut-off tool and a couple of sockets and a ratchet wrench. I unbolted the muffler where it bolted to the engine sub-frame then fired up the cut-off tool and cut the head pipe off right under the engine. In the following pics you can see where the 'Trapp has slid over the pipe. When the muffler fell off (denting the concrete in the process) I test fit the 'Trapp. It fit like it was designed that way!! A tight slip-fit!

Next step was to take a little piece of 1/4" X 1" strap iron and put two bends in it. Again, that is depicted in the following pics. I put the holes in where I wanted them and bolted one end to the sub-frame and the other to the SuperTrapp. It was that easy. I added a couple shots of high temp flat black and there it was it all its glory!

I originally used all eight of the diffuser plates that came with the 'Trapp, but after two days and about 250 miles I decided that was a little overkill. It was as loud as most straight-piped Hardleys! So, in the interests of community spirit (and also because I thought it was just a tiny bit lean), I removed 2 of the plates. Brought it down slightly to a more appealing sound (still loud, though...just not obnoxious) and made it run just right.

Oh, and about the spring...I simply went to the dirt-bike shop owned by a friend and rummaged through his "spring bucket" until I found a clutch spring (which will withstand the heat) the right size and when I removed the two plates, I replaced the existing spring with this one and I haven't had to touch it yet!! Score!!

Thursday I put a couple hundred miles on it going to Yarnell with the full 8 plates. It sure ran well in the mid and upper range. The next day I remove the two and on Saturday I put well over 400 miles on riding to Phoenix and back. I lost next to nothing in power and it was much more pleasant to ride. It ran flawlessly at all altitudes from 6500 ft. to whatever Phoenix is...maybe 1000 ft. I highly recommend this change. HOWEVER!! Pay attention, class.

Genuine seems to be VERY picky about its warranty honoring system. I suspect they will not honor the warranty on ANY modified Buddys. Check it out before you do this.

Pics are just below...

C-ya...ride on!

--Keys

Bigger, badder, louder pics

Marathon day - Saturday

Ruckuschick, of the Scarabs scooter club posted a desire to have an impromptu ride on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. She got a few definite maybes and another maybe from me. My wife told me to go...it isn't often I get 4 days in a row off. So, yesterday at about 7:45 a.m. (with the temperature hovering around 38 degrees) I gassed up and went. Now you have to realize the ride was to be held just south of Phoenix in an area called Queen Creek. This was to be a RIDE!!

I headed east on Hwy 260 through Camp Verde and on up the goat trail to where it meets Hwy 87. I've described this junction before...about 6500 ft. elevation and heavily wooded with big ol' Ponderosa Pines. The road goes north to Winslow or south to Payson. I went south. Beautiful ride through the pines and the corners and curves and hairpins to the town of Strawberry, on through Pine then into Payson where I fueled up again. From Payson down to Phoenix proper is about 80 or so miles of mostly 4 lane highway with a 65 mph posted speed. I averaged about 55 or so due to a hellacious headwind. There was little enough traffic that there was plenty of room in the hammer lane to get around me.

I thundered into Phoenix around eleven or so, jumped on Shea Blvd to the west, followed it to the Loop 101 (also known as the East Valley Raceway) and went south to Indian School Road. Jumped off, heading west again to a little ATV/go kart/go-ped shop where I got a new tire and tube for my stepson's go-ped. I called Ruckuschick to let her know I was in town and the crew waited patiently at a Starbucks in south Phoenix for me. I made it there about 12 or 12:30. We said our hellos and made all the appropriate noises about everybody's new scooter or what they had recently done to their old one. Met a few new folks, too.

Ruckuschick led us south and east on a bunch of roads I didn't recognize to a little grill called San Tan Flats. No, I don't think we were in Japan, although the name might suggest it...

Expensive burgers, but good ones. We had some great conversation, some good food and a lot of laughs. A good time. Along about two we left San Tan Flats and Ruckuschick led me back to Country Club Road which, if you follow it north far enough, it turns into the Beeline Hwy...previously refered to as Hwy 87. One by one, Sean and Crys, Ruby and Jeremy, Tryg and Ruckuschick peeled off leaving me alone once again.

I continued north to the Ft. McDowell Casino where I hit a little Conoco store for gas. Coupla bucks, maybe. The next stop wasn't for another 75 miles when I blew into Payson once again. It had been getting pretty cold for the past 20 miles or so, so I was ready. I stopped, checked my messages and found one from Lucas, my son, so I called and chatted with him for a bit while I gassed up and put on more cold weather gear.

Speaking of cold weather gear, I wore my work boots, long-johns, jeans, a t-shirt, a long-sleeved button-down shirt, two sweatshirts, a jean jacket and finally my leather bomber. A leather-faced ski mask, skier's headband for my ears, my brain-bucket and goggles...topped off with some riding gauntlets. Even dressed like this, my butt is laying in a ditch somewhere north of Payson where I froze it off!

It was dark when I left Payson and the trip to where it intersects with Hwy 260 wasn't a bad trip. I turned left onto 260 towards the west and started on towards Camp Verde. A few miles down the road some moron in an SUV got on my tail because 5 over wasn't fast enough for him. High headlights right in my rearviews and him right on my tail annoyed me. I didn't slow down, but I didn't speed up for him either...I was going a sane speed considering how cold I was, how dark it was and how curvy the road was. He finally was able to pass and he did. Seems I forgot to dim my lights when he did. I refuse to reward idiots for their bad behavior. A couple miles up the road he was pulled off for some reason...sure enough, about 5 miles further, there he was again...right behind me. Again, he passed and again my headlight stayed on high. Of course, the headlight on the Buddy is anything but bright, so maybe he didn't even notice...

I cruised back home about 7 with the temps again in the thirties. Cold, yet wonderful ride. I'd do it again in a minute. Just under 12 hours, 412 miles and an average of 96 mpg. What a DAY!!

As for pics, I must apologize, I was about halfway to Camp Verde when I realized I'd forgotten the camera. I promise I'll make the trip again...this time with a camera.

C-ya...ride on,

--Keys

Yarnell pics

Not sure how these pics dropped off the previous post, but here they are now...

It's Baaaack.....!

Well, I got my Buddy (Urban Assault Vehicle) back from the dealer last Sunday. Turns out the whole problem...all the time...was simply a bad ground wire from the coil to the main wiring harness ground. Ron, the mechanic at Scoot Over simply took the ground wire from the coil and grounded it by itself onto the engine. VIOLA!!! Instant spark! They rode it around for a couple of days and then I picked it up Sunday.

Back and forth to work all week, no problems. Cool! Took it to work Wednesday night and one of the mechanics and I applied a SuperTrapp muffler to the exhaust system. Man-o-man...what a sound!!

Thursday was, of course, Thanksgiving and my beloved Ski had to work. In the past, I was allowed to join her and dine with her in the dining room there where she works. This year the new boss said "NO". Now Ski just couldn't bear the thought of me spending Thanksgiving alone (didn't bother me...) so she made me promise to spend the day with my adopted sister, Shelly (of crash and burn fame) and her family in the almost-a-town of Yarnell, AZ. I agreed because I love the ride to Yarnell. And because I love Shelly and her family, but enough of that...back to the ride.

At 9:30 a.m., the temperature was about 48 degrees, but I gassed up anyway and headed over the mountain. Since the day was warming up nicely, the temp stayed probably pretty constant to the top. No traffic, gorgeous roads. I was in about as perfect a state of mind as possible. I don't even remember any cars annoying me much. Blasted down the mountain into Prescott Valley where it felt a little colder than it had on the mountain. I wove my way through Prescott to Hwy 89 south. The last time I did this, I hooked a right where I should have gone left and ended up in Skull Valley. This time I did the "left" thing and went right where I wanted to. Go figure.

I got stuck behind a huge RV going out of Prescott and down the hill, but it was going a good pace, so that didn't bother me much. What DID bother me was whatever was leaking out of the beast and blowing onto my face!! Don't know what it was...don't want to. At the first opportunity, I passed him, rattling his windows with my new muffler. Take THAT!!!

Down the hill, fast, through the corners that vary from sweepers to hairpins just as fast as the Buddy would take them. Exhilarating! I hit the bottom where the road straightens out and levels out a bit. Still a few hills, but since they're straight and not curved, they lost some of their appeal. I averaged an indicated 65 mph, which, allowing for the 10% optimism of my speedometer was just shy of 60. Good pace for a 125cc scooter. I reached Peeples Valley where I fueled up and calculated (based on my optimistic odometer) about 96 mpg. I rode the remaining 4 miles on into Yarnell and had a great time with, oh, about 35 pseudo-relatives. In my case, they're probably preferable to actual relatives, for the most part. Good food, good company. Got to hold a few babies and toddlers. Listened to a little karaoke. Went for a walk with my pseudo-brother, Ray. Just a great day. Headed home about 4 in the afternoon. Pretty chilly, it was...

I climbed the hill above Peeples Valley and Wilhoit (where do they get these names???) , slowing down traffic a little, since it's a steep hill and I still have only 125 cc's. Hit the corners at the top, though and I outran those cars behind me...even uphill. What a great equalizer a hairpin turn can be!! On into Prescott where I put a whole dollar's worth of gas into the tank. With the SuperTrapp growling, I snaked my way through Prescott and Prescott Valley and started up Mingus Mtn. I noticed a BMW coupe behind me in my mirrors, so I stepped up the pace a little through the twisties. I must admit he did an admirable job of keeping up, but I also noticed he was rolled over so far on his suspension in the corners I thought he was going to lift the inside wheels!

I stopped a couple of times for pictures which are included here. Click on them to make them big...some great scenic views. Also one of the Buddy just before we left home, showing the new muffler.

I reached to top of Mingus just as darkness fell and discovered the guys at Scoot Over had readjusted my headlight so I was spotlighting owls. I'll fix that today. Anyway, I was forced by my headlight to hold it down to just over the speed limit. Got home about six, chilled to the bone but still in that fine state of mind I'd been in all day.

I have so much to be Thankful for...

C-ya...ride on,

--Keys

Not much...

You may wonder why I haven't posted for awhile. Well, my scooter has been broken down (the stator problem), brought back to life (for 3 days) broken down again (again the suspected stator problem) and now brought once again back to life. I actually gain possession of it once again the day after tomorrow. I'd do it tomorrow (impatience, thy name is Keys), but I have promised to do a piano bar at an old folks ho...wait a minute...that's not politically correct, is it? I guess you call them retirement villages now. Whatever. Old folks who dig jazz and blues live there and I play for them and get paid for it.

So, I rode my scooter home on Tuesday, October 31st. A 70 mile run down from Flagstaff through Oak Creek Canyon and Sedona to Cottonwood. A fast, chilly ride...down in the 40's. It ran GREAT!! I subsequently rode it to work and home on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Then I headed back to work on Friday to get my paycheck and a mile from work, POOF! No spark. Again. Just like before. I pushed it to work and got a lift home from a guy with a pickup.

Genuine required I send it to Tucson to Scoot Over this time, so it rode down in Wade's pickup. Wade, if you will recall, is the cat who runs the Flying Dorffini motorcycle and scooter repair shop in Flagstaff. He was going to Tucson anyway for the annual Fall Classic Tucson to Nogales scooter rally. Which I wasn't able to attend. Crap!

I called down there on Tuesday the...um...that would be the 12th and talked with Ron, the mechanic. He spent some time with a continuity tester and determined the problem was not the stator after all! Apparently, the ground wire for the coil feeds into the main wiring harness which has one main ground wire for...well, almost everything! As it turns out, the connection was bad where the coil ground joined the harness. So, I'd hit a bump just right and an instant absence of spark occured. Slapped me down every time. Ron then made a new ground for the coil alone and grounded it directly onto the engine. Instant spark. Instant go. He's been riding it around for the past few days just to make sure he corrected the problem. These guys definitely go the extra mile for customer service.

Anyway, Shelby was going to Phoenix this weekend anyway to visit her mother and is bringing the Urban Assault Vehicle with her. I'll meet her there with a friend's pickup, have coffee with some of my Scarab friends, load up my scooter and go home.

It's time to continue the terrorization of the Verde Valley's cagers...

C-ya...ride on,
--Keys

Some disappointment, some victories

My scooting is fraught with disappointment right now. The Buddy is STILL in the shop waiting for parts to show up! Therefore, there is nothing to update on there...

However, as mentioned before, I am planning a May trip from Cottonwood, AZ to Baton Rouge, LA to visit my son. I am planning to give regular updates on my blog and hope to peddle an article on touring with a motorscooter. I am also seeking sponsors for my trip who can be advertised both on the blog and in the article. So far, Scoot Over in Tucson (my dealer) and the Flying Dorffini (my mechanic in Flagstaff) and a design studio on Phoenix owned by my friend and fellow Scarab, Dave Creech have signed on. THEN I stopped to visit a friend of mine who runs the local Chevron station and HE offered a gift card towards my gas! BONUS!! So anyway, although I'm not riding my Buddy right now, I am still moving forwards on my proposed trip.

C-ya...ride on,

--Keys

Day after "Something For Nothing"

The Sunday following the Something For Nothing Rally was not a good one for the Buddy. Ski and I decided to ride up to Jerome after church to search for a halloween costume again. About halfway up, the Buddy just "up and quit". Just like I'd turned the key off. And in case you ask; no, I didn't. I turned it around and coasted back down the hill (at the speed limit, I might add) to the #1 Convenience Store at the bottom. I sent Ski on up to Jerome by herself to look while I tried to determine the source of my problems. By the time she got back, I'd narrowed it down. I had good compression and I had plenty of fuel. That left spark.

I utilized my Genuine roadside assistance card to get a tow-truck to take me home. The truck they brought could have carried, oh, I don't know...maybe 40 or 50 Buddys! When I bought my Buddy, I received, along with my two year warranty, one year free roadside assistance. And it works! Thank you, Genuine! I had just gotten the card in the mail the day before!

I did a little checking Monday and discovered I had power to the keyswitch, power to the starter relay, NO power to the coil! What the....?

On Tuesday, I called Ron, the mechanic at Scoot Over and he guided me through the testing procedure. Along the way, I got a crash course on Capacitive Discharge Ignition systems. It seems that within the stator (the source for all electricity on my scooter) are three coils. One is the charging coil; which keeps the battery charged. The second is the source coil, which supplies power to the CDI unit itself (which is just a large capacitor, or short-term storage facility). Then, finally, there is a pulse coil, which gives the signal to the CDI to release it's stored energy to the coil, thereby causing the sparkplug to fire. The pulse coil on my scooter no longer have any signals at all. So the CDI had plenty of energy, just nobody to tell it what to do with it. Bottom line? No spark, no go.

I called Shelby to let her know the prognosis and we tossed around the ideas of me getting the scooter the 250 miles to Tucson or of me replacing the stator myself. Well, I don't own a pick-up for transporting, nor do I own a flywheel puller for the removal of the flywheel. Then inspiration struck. Shelby...not me. There is a shop in Flagstaff (only 50 miles away) that is in the process of becoming a Genuine dealer. The shop is called 'The Flying Dorffini' and is a repair shop that specializes in European motorcycles (you should see the WW II BMW's there) and motorscooters. Wade Dorffi and Curtis Smith are Certified Techs in BMW, Triumph and Ducati motorcycles among others. For more info, you can e-mail them at flyingdorffini@msn.com. Anyway, Shelby called Wade, who agreed to do the warranty work, then she called Genuine who agreed to authorize Wade to do the warranty work! That Shelby is ONE smart cookie! That customer service is why I would recommend Scoot Over above all other scooter shops I know of. So I borrowed a friend's pick-up on Thursday and took the Buddy to Wade. I have had to ride Ski's Helix all week. Don't know how much longer I can hold out......I'm jonesing BAD!! As nice and stable and as nice as it rides and as fast as it is, a Honda Helix still corners like a Greyhound Bus. I miss my little Buddy.

C-ya...ride on!

--Keys

Something For Nothing Rally

This last Saturday, September the 30th, the local chapters of the Pharoahs Scooter Club sponsored a rally that began in Flagstaff, followed Hwy 89A south into Sedona, then into Cottonwood. Staying on 89A, they rode into Jerome to wet their collective whistle, then cruised up the hill to the top of Mingus Mountain where they camped and partied. My end of the story is somewhat different, but very entertaining nonetheless.

Six of us from the Scarabs committed to ride this year; Mike, Chris, Tim and Will, all from Tucson; Jes' Jim from Phoenix and yours truly from Cottonwood. Mike, along with his wife, Shelby are owners of Scoot Over in Tucson, where I bought my Buddy and Chris is their head salesman...who incidently bought my old Bajaj Chetak; the Mad Hornet. And once again, it lived up to it's name...I was SO proud. Tim and I have ridden together on several rallies and thoroughly enjoy racing each other. Will is a new guy who I just met that day. You met Jes' Jim on my "Over the Hill" blog.

The day started at the campground at the top of Mingus Mountain where the Tucson contingent had spent the night in anxious anticipation of Saturday's ride. Jes' Jim and I met at the parking area below the campground at 8 a.m. and waited. And waited. Finally, we decided to mosey on up the horrible dirt road to the campsite and were met halfway by Tim on his GB model Stella. He told us Mike's old, restored Vespa (with modern drivetrain) wouldn't start. We followed Tim to the site where Mike confirmed...the CDI unit pooped out. Major bum'r! The (I think it's a VBB) was loaded on the back of Mike's Suburban (subdivision...including it's own zip code) and with the trailer attached to the truck, we headed down the hill. Tim and I (as usual) led the way.

We hit pavement and the ride was on! Since I live in the area and ride the road frequently, they had me lead and I set a brisk, but not totally stupid pace. If I recall, we had to force a 4-wheeler or two to the side so we could continue unhindered. We stopped at a pull-off about a mile above Jerome to let everyone catch up. Will, who rides a Vespa GTS250 (and rather well, I might add) answered to the affirmative when I asked if it was a good road..."kinda scary, though..." he added. I sometimes forget that not everyone gets to ride on such superior roads all the time.

We rode through Jerome to Cottonwood where we stopped at my house for the camera I had forgotten. In the following post, the second picture is the five Scarab scooters in front of my garage. From the left; Chris, Mike on Tim's Stella, me, Jes' Jim and Will. Then on into Sedona where we fueled up in anticipation of the 50-some mile ride up Oak Creek Canyon to Flagstaff. Since I just RIDE to Flagstaff and don't really go into the town, I'm rather unfamiliar with the streets and I knew I'd excell at getting us lost, so I let Tim (who once dated a NAU co-ed) and Chris lead the way. We blasted out of Sedona at a good pace, with no traffic to annoy us and began enjoying the road. Oak Creek Canyon is full of turns; some smooth sweepers; some tight corners and some hairpins. About halfway up the canyon is one left-hand hairpin that left one of us with scars that day. Good thing chicks dig scars!

Anyway, Chris, on the Mad Hornet was leading and was going fast and on the left side of the lane. Tim was following on his Stella, fast, and on the right side of the lane. I was right behind Tim on the left side again. You get the picture...we were staggered, just in case... Well, "just in case" happened. Tim, on the outside of the corner and right on the edge of the tread on the sidewalls of his Continental Zippys, got into some gravel. I watched the Stella fishtail, then disaster! He went down. At about 45 mph in a 20 mph corner. He kicked away from the scooter and the Stella went ass-over-teakettle and landed about a foot and a half from a rock-filled arroyo. If she'd have gone over, there would have been nothing left. Tim got up to discover he had only bruised his hip and gotten a bit of road rash there. Painful, but not debilitating. We picked the Stella up and Tim announced it was done. He'd tried to push it and it wouldn't move. I suggested taking it out of gear. He did. Kicked it once and it started right up. So, with a slightly dinged clutch lever and a scraped up cowl and front fender, the two of them completed the ride. If ya gotta go down, that's the way to do it! Tim is my hero. He IS, however, slightly slower than before.

We arrived in Flagstaff at closed to the suggested time. Fortunately scooterists run on their own brand of time, so after several creative ways through town, we finally found the Pharoahs hanging out where they'd said they'd be. And since time schedules really don't mean anything to scooterists, we went down to a local bagel place and got something to eat before we left.

I got a couple of pics of the group leaving Flagstaff...let's see; they would be in the second set of pics to follow; the first one and the last one. Then down the canyon! The third pic in the second post is one I took at about 65 mph behind a kitted Lambretta and a kitted '63 Allstate. Those guys could fly! I'm not convinced they could out-corner my Buddy, though. The remainder of the pictures were of a stop we made so the Lambretta could be re-jetted. From then on, it was just a fabulous, un-eventful ride! Fast, too!. We took a left at Hwy 179 and stopped in the Village of Oak Creek for gas, then on over Beaverhead Flats Road. At the end of Beaverhead Flats, Jes' Jim peeled off, heading back the I-17 and Phoenix, since he had prior commitments the next morning. The rest of us flew out Cornville road to meet up again with 89A into Cottonwood. Since my band; Dry Head (www.dryheatbluesband.com) had a gig that night, I had to go home too. The rest of the group (from what I understand) stopped in Jerome for a drink or two and went up to the campsite for some serious partying.

Now then. About my Buddy. This little scooter ROCKS! It was able to outrun all the 150cc scoots in every condition. Uphill, downhill, flats. This included a Stella with a Sito pipe, my old modified Bajaj and a couple of Vespa 150's. I don't think anyone was able to out-corner me, either. Tim marvelled at the angle of lean I was able to get. I don't think there is a scooter out there that is more suited to my style of riding. And it looks good! I couldn't be happier with it!

C-ya...ride on!

--Keys

Something for Nothing pics 1

Something for Nothing pics 2

Don't get no better than this!!

Two Thursdays ago I got the contact I've been hoping for for years...my son, Lucas, returned an e-mail to me that I sent over a year ago! He's 25 and it's been since, I think, he was 18 since I've heard from him. Various forces outside either of our control kind of kept us apart...a condition that lead to great grief on my part. Lots of self-condemnation..."I should have done this better, or that better". You know the way it goes. But the bottom line is; he contacted me and there is NO animosity there. He seemed as genuinely glad to hear from me as I was from him. Fabulous!!

So, you may ask, what does this have to do with scooters? Here goes; Lucas lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana now. So? Well, I don't have the means to fly out there to see him, and visiting him is something I HAVE to do! Therefore, I am tentatively planning a road trip out there from here in Cottonwood in (I'm hoping) May. On my Genuine Buddy 125. "CRAZY", you might cry! Yeah, yeah, I've heard it before...

I'm looking at about an 1800 mile trip across northern Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, into Arkansas and south into Baton Rouge. I'm trying for secondary roads for obvious reasons. Now then, how many of you have heard of a 3600 mile trip for a 125cc motorscooter? Yeah, me either. So I'm going to try to find sponsors for such incidentals as, say, oil...tires...maybe even gas if I find the right guy. I'd welcome t-shirts, stickers, jackets, helmets, gloves...any gear. I also hope to contact the right person at Genuine and see if I could get mechanical and parts back-up from them if needed.

So what would a sponsor get out of this? Aside from helping a father reunite with his son after WAY too many years? First; I intend to maintain my blog and advertise for my sponsors heavily. Second; I also intend to write an article (with pictures, of course) of my journey that I would try to sell to various motorsport magazines...from Scoot! to Cycle World to Arizona Highways. I also hope to send articles to our local newspaper. And of course, much advertising for those who sponsor my ride. It's the best I can do, guys...

This may be a trip I make alone. Jes' Jim from the Scarabs Scooter Club (www.scarabsc.com) MAY go with me as far as Texarkana, but that is still up in the air. This should prove to be quite a trip with many good stories and probably a few bad...but it's all part of the game. I HAVE to see Lucas.

So far I have 2 committed sponsors; one is a design studio in Phoenix, owned by Dave Creech, another Scarab and the other one is the Flying Dorffini, a motorcycle and motorscooter repair shop in Flagstaff. I am hereby soliciting others who may be interested in sponsoring a totally fooling old man with a dream to see his son. Thanks for your consideration.

C-ya...ride on!

--Keys

Rally Pics

Trail-bike Pics

Rally and trail-bikin'

Time for another update. I was bored last Saturday after having taken a load of branches and brush out to the branch and brush pit behind my truck terminal. Time for a ride!! I roade out Hwy 260 to Finnie Flats Road on the east side of I-17 and chased it into the town of Camp Verde. The town was originally "Fort" Verde and was a cavalry post designed to protect the local settlers from...well, the worst I've seen are those nasty javalina and the wolf spiders. I'd welcome a little protection in that direction any day. But again, I digress.

I hooked a left onto Montezuma Castle Highway that leads towards Middle Verde, where Cliff Castle Casino sits. Montezuma's Castle is a ruin left behind by the Sinagua Indians who hung around our neck of the woods some six to eight hundred years ago, I believe. Nobody really knows where they went, but they left behind a LOT of city-type ruins in the Verde Valley. The ruins are very similar to what you'll find in Colorado at Mesa Verde. Anyway, I didn't go there. I went to the casino where there was in progress a big biker rally...a "Toys For Tots" rally and poker run. I met a few great people who actually thought my Genuine Buddy was...well, if not "cool", at least acceptable. At a benefit. I wanted to check out the concert later that was featuring Grand Funk Railroad, Steppenwolf and one of my all-time favorites; Blood, Sweat and Tears. I couldn't shake loose the thirty-five bucks required to get in, though.

I bailed from the casino and took Hwy 260 east towards Hwy 87, which goes north to Winslow or south to Payson. I just went to the top and took pictures until a likely bunch of Harleys thundered by. I just ripped up the asphalt chasing them down the mountain. They still won, though. Something about 1200 plus cubic centimeters and a straight road that leaves me choking on dust. I could hang with 'em in the corners, though.

I knew my buddy Steve at the Scooter Scoop (www.thescooterscoop.blogspot.com) would want action photos, so I fished the camera out of the glovebox and as I was cooking about 65 mph, I took a picture. It's the one with the brown blob at the top. That's my finger. The specks in the distance are Harleys.

Then, after fueling up in Camp Verde, I went back to the casine where I took a few photos. The Buddy and I; the Buddy, myself and a guy I met named Dan-knee, and one of the Buddy alone in a sea of black and chrome. Kind of a "where's Waldo" moment...

Then, having seen all there was to see, I headed home. Didn't make it. I found a dirt road near my house that seems to head directly for Mingus Mountain to the west. I just had to see. I went about 5 miles before my wife called and sent me home for some chores. Still haven't seen where the road goes, but I DID discover that a Buddy is an adequate trail-bike. Take it slow and it does just fine. Dust sure shows up on that black finish, though. Have to wash it someday.

I posted a few pics of that little sojourn as well.

Tomorrow, September 30th, is the day of the "Something For Nothing" rally that begins in Flagstaff, goes south through Oak Creek Canyon into Sedona, then west into Cottonwood, continuing west through Jerome to the "Potato Patch Campground" at the top of Mingus Mountain where the whole group will camp and party. Then on Sunday is the return trip. Last year we had, I'm gonna guess, about 50 scoots. What a GREAT time!

The Scarabs, however, are based primarily out of Phoenix and Tucson, so their plan is to motor up this afternoon (Friday) and camp tonight as well, then I'm riding up from Cottonwood in the morning to meet them just below the campground. From there we'll do the reverse version of the trip up to Flagstaff where we'll meet up with everyone else. Then after a cuppa joe, we'll all do the ride as a group (big group...much fun) to Mingus. Of course, there will be various stops along the way.

After they reach the campground, I'm gonna have to bail, since the band I play keyboards in (www.dryheatband.com) has a gig tomorrow night in Sedona.

A sidebar here; I had hoped to go on the Tucson-Nogales Fall Classic, this year, but the evil spirits of fate stepped in...Dry Heat has a gig that night, too. Gotta be there. Anyway, the Fall Classic is November 10th, 11th and 12th and promises to be a fabulous rally. Info can be found at the Scarabs' forum http://phxscarabsc.com/forum/index.php.

I'll try to get all the pic up in this post and the next one or two. Still haven't learned how to put them where I want them. Give you something to do...sort 'em out.

C-ya, ride on!

--Keys

A Fine and Pleasant Scoot

My wife, Ski, finally got back on her Helix last Sunday! This is good news! You see, when she saw my sister, Shelly, bounce Ski's Helix off of that Toyota on the Fourth of July, Ski has been just a little scared. Now, Ski slid to an unglamorous stop in our driveway back in May and sustained a broken rib and some road-rash, but it's a whole different thing watching someone else bite the dust! Especially when it's somebody you care about...

Anyway, I had forgotten whether my delivery time Monday morning (for my day job) was 5 a.m. or 6 a.m., so after church and breakfast I figured I'd fire the Buddy up and run up to the terminal to check. To my surprise, Ski said she wanted to go too! On her scooter! So we did. My terminal is in Clarkdale, about 5 miles below Jerome and about 5 miles from home. We motored on up to Clarkdale and Ski had just the biggest grin on her face. "Forgot how much fun it is, didn't you?" I yelled over the wind. She just nodded.

I checked my schedule and left the terminal, pulling up to a 4-way stop about a mile down the road. While at the stop, Ski suggested an excursion to Jerome and of course, I NEVER turn down a ride, so we turned right and headed up the hill. Ski was impressed with the power and speed the Buddy displayed, but she'd still get that evil grin on her face, goose the Helix and leave me in the dust. She likes doing that. We circled the town a time or two, receiving looks of derision from all the Harley riders. Like I care. How many of them put over a thousand miles on their new bike in less than three weeks, like I did mine? And how many of them are actually passionate enough about their bikes to have a restoration project in their garage? Off my soapbox, now. We parked in one of the lower parking lots and walked to a little shop Ski had spied. She's in the market for a Halloween costume and this shop had several she was interested in. I kinda liked the "Woodland Nymph" costume, but nobody asked me. The shop is built in a building that in the early part of the century was a brothel. They have all kinds of memorabilia from both the era and the business. Fun to look at. However, it was a small shop and more than about 4 people just didn't fit, so I wandered across the street to a shop specializing in outdoorsy/hiking kind of stuff. Found some saddlebags might fit the scooter.

They didn't have Ski's size, so we hopped on the scooters again and headed down the hill to Cottonwood where we stopped at the American Legion. I'm a member there, but since I don't drink, I very seldom go there. They had a 2 piece country band there giving the World War II and Korean War era vets something to dance to. They were having a fine time. Ski marvelled at two dollar cocktails. I drank coffee and gazed wistfully out the window at the neglected scooters.

We left the Legion and Ski suggested we go down Cornville Road, which has a couple of spots where the curves are entertaining. We got into Cornville where I led us to Page Springs Road which (more or less) connects Cornville with Hwy 89A heading into Sedona. It is a beautiful ride of about 8 miles alongside the Verde River. Nice, tight corners; shady trees overhead. At the stop sign where Page Springs Road intersects 89A, I asked Ski if she wanted to to home or to Sedona. Sedona, it was!

With the Buddy hitting speeds of 65+ mph and the Helix displaying vulgar amounts of power up to 75 mph, we cruised into West Sedona. We enjoyed a pleasant ride through town to the "Y" where 89A connects with Hwy 179 south towards the Village of Oak Creek. Nice, windy road through the red rocks for about 5 miles. We rode through VOC to Beaverhead Flats Road and turned right. Good pavement, fast sweepers. This empties out onto Cornville Road, where we turned right again, rode through Cornville and went on home.

All in all, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours and about 70 miles. What a great, relaxing, enjoyable afternoon with my wife. I highly recommend it as couples therapy.

C-ya later...ride on!

Dr. Keys

Over the Hill Ride

This whole story starts with an invitation to attend a meeting of the Scarabs Scooter Club ( www.scarabsc.com )steering committee this Saturday evening past at Dave and Vanessa's home in Phoenix. I hemmed and hawed about whether or not I'd go and my beloved Ski said "JUST GO!!" So I did. Friday, I begain experiencing a sore throat and some unpleasantly sore sinuses. I told Ski I may have to call the Scarabs and tell them I can't make it. She gave me "that look" and said, "Don't give me that! You KNOW you're going!" She knows me so well....

I was up at seven Saturday morning and had the Buddy packed in, oh, maybe 8 or 9 minutes. Now what? I didn't intend to leave until eight! So I stopped and had a MacBurrito and some MacCoffee, fueled up and set to! It was a beautiful, sunny morning in the seventies there in Cottonwood, so I coughed and hacked a little and commenced on my ride "Over the Hill" to Phoenix, some 150 miles away, by way of the back roads I was taking. The first place I came to was the old copper mining town of Jerome about 8 miles above Cottonwood. And when I say above, I mean above! Now, I'm from Colorado, and they build some towns on the side of mountains there, but Jerome is equal to the best of them! It's now kind of an "artsy-fartsy" kind of place except on Sunday afternoons when all the bikers show up on their Harleys (and Harley wannabes) and overtake the Spirit Room. I love parking my scooters in the midst of the Harleys and annoying them. So, anyway, the second picture in the previous posting is of Jerome from just below it. You will discover I haven't the foggiest idea of how to put the pictures in order.

So, I started up Mingus Mountain above Jerome to a pull off about 2 miles above town that overlooks the Verde Valley through a cut in the cliffs. A spectacular view! That particular photo is at the top of this posting. Don't know WHAT happened.

Then, I stopped about halfway up the mountain to take a picture of the surrounding country, that would be...let's see...the FIRST picture in the previous post. I also took a picture (the fourth one) of the road winding through the forest. And of course, what travelogue would be complete without a picture of the scooter at the top of the mountain under the elevation sign? Picture 5. Picture #3, in case you're wondering was a picture of the sign telling one that they have a quick (and fun) ride down through the curves, corners and hair-pins into Prescott Valley. I had a picture of the road leading into Prescott Valley, but it just didn't have enough pizzazz, so I left it out. Also, I ran out of room.

I headed out through Prescott Valley and Prescott proper to the west side of town where I picked up Hwy 89 heading south towards Peeples Valley, Yarnell, Congress (not the political entity) and Wickenburg. I was supposed to meet Jes' Jim (Scarab extrordinaire) somewhere around Peeples Valley. I was supposed to go straight down 89 to meet him. Somehow (I'm still a little hazy on this...) I ended up on the road to Skull Valley! That area is depicted in the seventh picture. The roads end up in the same place, but if Jim had been five minutes faster, I would have missed him since I met him about two miles south of where the Skull Valley road intersects 89. Clean livin' and righteous thought will bring about serendipitous events every time! Jes' Jim spun his Piaggio BV 500 around (more cautiously than I would have, I might add) and chased me on into Peeples Valley for my first fuel stop. We took a couple of pictures there, the scooters with Jim (picture # eight...with helmet) and the scooters with me (pic #9...without helmet). We swapped scooters there and rode into the little burg of Yarnell.

I discovered that 350 more cc's and about 260 more pounds makes for a rather substantial machine! The BV 500 had a fine write-up in the spring issue of Scoot! Quarterly. They really liked it! It's a big, touring machine capable of nimble handling, which most of the "Maxi-scooters" are not. It sports large diameter wheels, liquid cooling and a very comfortable seating position. I would guess, though, that if you are a tall guy, the quarters would be somewhat cramped. But, hey, this is a machine capable of almost a hundred miles per hour! You can put up with a little crampage! Anyway, the power was impressive to me...a fan of small scooters. You can tell from the pictures the discrepancy in size. Jes' Jim, however, was a gracious rider who didn't leave me in the dust.

We dined at a cafe in Yarnell called "the Buzzard's Roost" or something like that. Pleasant waitress, decent food. Jes' Jim had a big ol' breakfast and I had a cuppa joe and a biscuit. Dang cold was affecting my appetite!

We scooted out of Yarnell and over the edge of Yarnell Hill, a piece of road that is good asphalt, steep downhill, and corners of varying radii. Some sweepers, some tight ones. I just turned the Buddy loose and touched 75 mph in a couple of spots leaving Jes' Jim to try to catch me. Of course he did, when we hit to open road at the bottom. I would have taken pictures of this hill, but I was having too much fun to stop. You'll have to make the trip yourself if you want pictures.

We cruised along at about 65 miles per hour for a while and stopped at a rest area just north of Wickenburg. I got a pic of Jes' Jim on the phone to his beloved, Carol...another long-suffering wife of scooter trash. That would be the sixth, and I think, final picture..

South of Wickenburg (a haven of speed traps) we caught State Highway 60 south to Hwy 74 (also known as the Carefree Highway, of rock and roll fame). That was a little hairier for my little bike. The speed limit is 65 so everyone does only 80. I put my chin down on the speedometer to cut the wind and again saw about 75 a time or two with a good average of just over 65. Jes' Jim, of course, just cruised...sitting straight up and with what could have been a slight smirk on his face. A vulgar display of power. We jumped on 99th Avenue south to...well, how should I know? Jes' Jim was leading! Anyway, he was able to find his home where we downed a few gallons of water (it was quite hot out), listened to a couple CD's by the band I'm in; "Dry Heat" www.dryheatbluesband.com, and he chatted with a pleasant young lady who called and asked him to participate in a phone survey. Eventually we got back on the scooters and hit the Loop 101 Hwy that kind of circles Phoenix from the northwest to the northeast and then south. It's also known in the Scottsdale area as the East Valley Raceway. There have been motorists clocked at speeds over 140 mph there. Fortunately, they stayed home Saturday.

We moseyed on into Scottsdale to Scottsdale Vespa where Jes' Jim will be starting as a mechanic in a couple of weeks. They were closed, so we had Kung Pao Chicken at Panda Express. Then we called Scooter Invasion, since they are the local Buddy dealer and I'm trying to find an oil filter. They, too, were closed. So we went the a freindly Kymco dealer named Gary at Az Desert Sports. I'd give you his web address, but I lost his card. Great guy! If you live in the Phoenix area and are looking for a quality scooter dealer, he's the man! Though neither Jes' Jim nor I currently ride Kymcos, Gary was more than happy to spend about 45 minutes visiting with us. He is VERY Scarab friendly and hopes to be able to go to one of our rides soon. We would be honored to have him ride with us.

We left Gary's and headed towards Dave and Vanessa's through urban traffic. Since I don't live in a city, I found this to be a great adventure. Jes' Jim and I were on ultimate Urban Assault Vehicles! What a great time! At Dave and Vanessa's home, Dave brought out the feed bag and we dined on BBQ chicken, beans, coleslaw, rolls, etc. Had to get the best stuff before the rest of the steering committee showed up! We had a fine visit, then Vanessa got home from work. More dining. Then Damn Dirty Dave showed up followed by Cheese and Potatoes Rubio...also known as Irving and Cristian. We met and what we talked about is none of your business. You want to know, you have to join the Scarabs. Nanner-nanner-nanner.

Finally everyone left. During the course of the meeting, it had been raining like a cow peeing on a flat rock. Dave estimated the water level in his pool rose and inch and a half. Well, due to my cold, I had promised Ski I wouldn't ride home if it was raining and I always keep my promises to her. She's worth it. So the dogs (Max and Wiley) and I shared an air mattress until about 4:30 a.m. when they decided I was taking up altogether too much room and booted me off. I dragged on my clothes, wrote a note to Sir Dave and Lady Vanessa thanking them for their hospitality and headed home. The roads were still damp, but it wasn't raining. This time I headed straight up I-17 to the north. I figured that it would be relatively safe to take a scooter on a rural freeway at 5:00 a.m. on a Sunday morning. I was right. I annoyed nobody much and they pretty much left me alone. I stopped about 35 miles from home at a MacDonalds in Cordes Jct. where I again had a MacBurrito and some MacJava. Then, uneventfully, I scooted home. From Deer Valley Road in north Phoenix, where I gassed up, to Camp Verde...12 miles from home...I used .911 gallons of gas and averaged over 65 mph. It was about 90 miles. I went home with a cold in my head (still) and grin on my face. What a fabulous time! A trip of about 320 miles (including running around Phoenix) on a 125 cc scooter. I loved it and hope to do it again soon.

Hmmm. We are riding on our Fall Classic ride in November...I'd have to ride from Cottonwood to Phoenix, to Tucson, spend the night, then on to Nogales where we'll camp, then back to Phoenix and ultimately back to Cottonwood. I'd tell you how many miles, but I can't count that high....

C-ya. Ride on!

--Keys

Over the Hill Pictures

Over The Hill Pics

New scooter pics

Okay, so the pictures didn't show up as advertised...here they are...

--Keys

The new scooter

Okay, it's been awhile since I've posted here, so here goes... I kept pestering Shelby at Scoot Over in Tucson about getting me a Kymco Agility 125. Finally, after many phone calls, she is told by KymcoUSA that it would be perhaps mid to late September before dealers would get any. Some issue with the kill switch. Like, maybe there wasn't one or something. Anyway, the DOT shut down all shipments until they are fixed. Well, I didn't want to wait until possibly the end of September with the warranty expired on the Bajaj in August, so I just sucked it up and asked Shelby if she still had a black Genuine Buddy. She said yes and I said to hold it for me. This was on or about the 17th of August. Being all anxious, I told her that I'd meet her Friday afternoon down in Phoenix to pick it up. Everything was cool. Except...I couldn't find a pickup to borrow. Finally, I called her back and said I couldn't find any wheels and all I had was my '96 Chrysler Sebring convertible. I had taken measurements from the internet on the Buddy and administered them to the Sebring. DANG! The think would fit in the back seat!! However, the Bajaj to be traded in wouldn't fit. Shelby said she'd trust me for the Bajaj and just bring down the notorized title and bring her the Bajaj in a week or so. I took her up on her offer and, with the top down (no air conditioning), I headed out. Forgot a hat for my poor bald head. MAJOR sunburn!

Shelby was about an hour late...it seems as soon as she was getting ready to leave, people started pouring in. She sold 5 scooters before she was able to get away! And I had lunch at Whataburger.

She showed up and the Buddy went into the back seat easily. Of course, the front end was sticking in the air rather conspicuously. No top-up driving for me. More sunburn. As I was making the 100+ mile trip home, I got more grins from passersby than I think I've ever received before! In fact, one of those little Scion boxes went by, the lady driving giving me the ol' "thumbs up" and the guy in the passenger seat taking pictures with his camera phone. I thought I was being completely reasonable getting my new scooter home that way. Guess I was a little out of the ordinary. Who would have guessed?

Got it home and put about 5 miles on it before going to bed. Had to work Saturday morning. After work, I decided to visit my wife at work in the Village of Oak Creek (a bedroom community for Sedona). I hit the 25 mile mark and the scooter up and quit. Just like that! I looked and discovered gas pouring out the overflow tube from the carburetor. I stuck a stick in the tube and headed for home. Got there just as I ran out of gas. I spent the next 2-3 hours trying to find a fix. Apparently, the assembler at the Mikuni Carburetor factory forgot to tighten the bowl drain screw and it backed out on me and went away. This particular carb requires (of course) a SPECIAL screw that seats into another apperature to prevent the running out of fuel through the overflow tube. Hence my problem. No screw...much drainage.

I have a friend who runs a little dirt bike shop in Cottonwood who had a used screw that would just plug the drain hole. It wouldn't seal the other apperature, though, so I had to seal off the overflow tube. I did so and ran it for a week like that until the correct screw arrived in the mail from Scoot Over.

I picked up my Buddy on August 19th. Today is September 1st and I have just about 650 miles on it and two oil changes under it's belt. I have taken it over Mingus Mountain to Prescott once and was favorably impressed with it's handling. It doesn't feel as "planted" as the Bajaj and tends to slide a little easier on gravel or dirt, but I think that's a function of being some 30 pounds lighter and over 4 inches shorter in the wheelbase. Overall, though, I was quite smitten with the handling. I took the corners at least as fast as I could on the Bajaj. The ride is smoother and the grip of the stock Cheng Shin tires seems to be good. I averaged higher speeds overall than I did on the Bajaj...uphill as well as on the flats. I even saw an indicated 72 mph. Factor in the approximately 10% optimism built into the speedo and it still was about 64 mph. Averaged just under 100 mpg. Not bad for a 125 scooter.

Fit and finish on the Buddy is excellent for a plastic scooter. The quality is rivaling the best of the Japanese products, in my opinion. The seat is comfortable and the under-seat storage is large enough to hold my 1/2 helmet, my jean jacket, my goggles, gloves and the garage door opener. Bungees are in the front compartment which is big enough to hold a bottle of water, a calculator (so I can give you accurate mile-per-gallon figures), sunglasses and a big mac. A take out container of Kung Pao chicken and another of steamed rice are easily carried in a plastic bag hung from the hook mounted just above the front compartment and held in with one's feet on the floorboards. In other words, I don't need no stinkin' car!

Except for the aforementioned carburetor snafu, I have NO mechanical complaints! It goes well and powerfully and is easily accessible for maintenance. I had the carburetor out and apart three times that Saturday and it took maybe 2 minutes to get it out. I have changed the crankcase oil and the gearbox oil both and they were both simple, mere minutes jobs. The spark plug is easily accessible and the valve lash doesn't need adjusted. What could be simpler? I have considered mounting my little SuperTrapp muffler on the end of the stock pipe, but haven't really decided it would be worth it. It runs so well now I'd hate to screw it up!

I did, however, remove the ugly, headset mounted DOT turn indicators and plugged in the European lights mounted on the body. Looks much better. The lower wattage bulbs in the European lights make it blink faster, but I like anything that stands out and gets attention. SEE ME!! I'M ON A SCOOTER!! DON'T RUN OVER ME!!! I think the faster sequencing accomplishes the "SEE ME" thing. It's different enough to get attention. I also cut the "extra" rear fender that hangs down (WAY down) beneath the license plate. The tire has a little fender over it, so I could see no reason for the tail to remain. Zip! In the trash! Other than those two little things, the scooter is as Shelby delivered it and I really can't see any reason to change it. Maybe add stickers or some paint or something, but as a fun, functional scooter, it can't be beat out of the showroom.

The engine has won many awards in Taiwan and features an anodized piston, a pressurized oil system and a spin-on automotive-style oil filter. All of these should be significant in terms of reliability. Again, I'll let you know.

I have a major ride planned for tomorrow over to Prescott, down Hwy 69 through Congress and Yarnell to Wickenburg and on into Phoenix for a Scarabs Scooter Club meeting at 6:30 p.m. I'm leaving about 8 a.m. to enjoy the trip and play in Phoenix all day. Then the ride home at night. Should put on about 300 miles tomorrow. I'll be taking pictures and writing up a report. By the way, I'm putting up a couple of pics of the Buddy here.

C-ya later. Ride on.

--Keys

P.S. In the picture of the rear of the scooter, you will see the letters; "2 COOL". Those have been replaced with, of all things, "skutergruven".

Sometimes ya just gotta change...

I believe I told you all about Jenn riding her Vespa GT200 to Denver a couple of weeks ago for Amerivespa. Well, as it turns out, she broke down about 50 miles south of Denver on I-25. The centrifugal clutch part of her variator transmission stopped sliding on it's shaft, seizing in the "high gear" position. Well, the bottom line is that it totally fragged the belt and cooked the clutch to a toasty well-done. She sat alongside the road for about an hour and a half before her friend reached her with his pick-up. I just happened to call while she was waiting and we had a few laughs just to while away the time. She left the scooter with her friend and rented a car to get home. Her friend has since fixed it and someday she'll make it back to pick it up.

I also believe I mention my possibly getting a Genuine Scooters "Buddy" in the near future. Well, the evil gods of finance have stepped in and put a kabosh on that idea. It would have required my Bajaj and $1400.00 to consumate said deal. I have exactly $1000.00 available for a new scooter (otherwise it goes to bills) so, after talking with Shelby down there at Scoot Over, we discovered I could get a Kymco Agility 125 http://www.kymco.co.uk/scooters/agility125.html for the money I have available. I realize that this is a UK site, but these are the best pictures I've found of the Agility 125. They are available for the first time this month, so I'll end up with one of the first ones in Arizona. It is a small (about the size of the Buddy...220 pounds, give or take) European styled scooter riding on 12" diameter wheels instead of 10".

I test rode a 50 cc version of the Agility today at Encore Performance, where I bought my Bajaj. http://www.epfguzzi.com . They won't get a 125 until probably sometime in September whereas Scoot Over is getting two in on Tuesday, August 15th. I already have dibs on one. I don't care what color...I'll probably change it anyway!

As for the test, now. The 50 cc is a dog. Just flat SLOW!! I was able to reach 40 mph, but it took forever to get there. However, that being said, I wasn't testing it for the engine, I just wanted to see if it handled well enough for me to be happy and to check the comfort level. It seemed to take corners well, the rubber is significantly wider than that on my Bajaj (which is the standard by which all scooters will be judged in terms of handling) and gripped well. The ride was choppy and stiff, but I attribute that to the fact that the scooter only had 4 miles on it when I took it out (came back with 9) and the shock and forks have not had a chance to break in. If you are the sort to perch on the front of the seat, you won't like this scooter. Kymco has determined that a full-face helmet should fit under the seat in the little compartment there. That's well and good, but to make that amount of room available, the put a severe hump in the seat pan right at the front which allows for, oh, maybe 3/4 of an inch of padding there. If you ride a little further back, it should be fine. Kymco DOES however use very hard foam! Be warned...it may LOOK fluffy, but it ain't! The Agility is not quite as bad as Kymco's People 150 for locating your feet in one place. Only. Therefore, I give the comfort level a slight edge on the People. The People 150 is one of the most popular scooters in America, so the comfort level must be offset by the (surprising) power and reliability. The People will be offered in 2006 as a 50 cc, a 125 cc (same engine as the Agility), a 200 cc and a 250 cc with more modern and in my opinion more attractive styling. I tested a People 150 about a month or so ago and found it to be uncomfortable, but MUCH more powerful and faster than my Bajaj. It pulled a hill in Prescott at about 55 - 60 that I climbed today at only 45 on the Bajaj. I'm hoping that the Agility will also be impressive...although it's 25 cc's smaller, the scooter is about 20 - 25 pounds lighter. I'm also hoping that the engine is the same one that used to be the 150. There are some SERIOUS performance upgrades available for the 150. I've even heard of a 190 cc kit. Ooooo! 190 cc's and only 220 pounds!?!?! Someone could lose an eye!

I brought it back and was discussing some of the attributes of the Agility with the salesman, Matt and the mechanic, Will. We poked and prodded and marvelled at the little "buddy seat" behind the main seat that flips up into a backrest. Cool! However, nobody really knows if that will show up on the 125 or if it is just a 50 cc item. Guess I'll find out next week. Then we discussed the fact that the suspension will need to be beefed up to handle the (massive) power and speed developed by the 125. I did a little hunting on the 'net when I got home and lo and behold, somebody at Kymco agreed! The 125 will be sporting 2 shocks instead of just one. Both on the same side...single sided swingarm, you know...

Some of the specs:

52 inch wheelbase (just about right, in my opinion), 1.3 gallons of fuel (not enough...Kymcos don't get the best mileage), 12 inch wheels with what seems to be competant rubber and (thank God) analog guages. I just don't trust digital guages in the element-suseptible dash of a motorscooter. One drop of water in the wrong place and BOOM...instant darkness...or maybe instant stop. Maybe I'm not being realistic, but I'm old enough I can be a curmudgeon. More good; Kymco has an almost legendary reputation for reliability in the scooter world and their scooters also come with a 2 year, unlimited mile warranty. It does NOT, however, have available the free 1 year roadside assistance plan that Genuine has in place for the Buddy. Bum'r.

I'll let you know when I get it and give you my impressions. I'm hoping for the best, since I'll have it for at least 2 years.

Now then, let's see, I have a small supertrapp muffler in my garage, and the Kawasaki dealer in town carries K&N air filters, Encore carries a full assortment of carburetor jets...WalMart carries Krylon...MAN! The possibilities are endless!!!

C-ya...ride on!

Keys

Long Ride and a little catching up.

Took a long ride today. Since most of it was on the freeway, the Helix got tapped for duty. I rode from Cottonwood to Tucson. 450 miles round trip. I left at about 5:30 this morning and made it the 100 miles to Phoenix before hunger pangs drove me to the nearest Waffle House. A waffle, some bacon and coffee and a fill up for the Helix got me back on the road. I motored on into the parking lot at Scoot Over (www.goscootover.com) at about 9:30. Big hug from Mike Stirrat, the owner and on to some serious scooter talk. And testing. He told the salesman, Chris, to just hand me the keys to anything I wanted to ride. What a guy! First, I rode a little pink (ick) Buddy by Genuine scooters (www.genuinescooters.com). What a fabulous little scooter! It is a 125 cc, four-stroke, automatic scooter. Now, the initial impression one would have is; "So, it has a top speed of what, 45 maybe?" Well, one's initial impression would be WRONG!!! I had the tiny thing up to 65 in the space of about a block or so on a side street. PGO out of Taiwan manufactures the Buddy and they have done their homework! My helmet fit under the seat with room for a jacket, gloves and my goggles left. Maybe even a leftover burrito, too! I tested the kickstarter since no one had and one kick was all it took. Putt-putt. It weighs about 40 pounds less than my Bajaj and is several inches both shorter and narrower. Small, it is. Intrigues me a lot!

Next up was the 150 cc GTR by CPI. C'mon, SOMEbody buy a vowel! This scooter, um, I mean motorcyc...well, not really. Hmm. Kinda hard to catagorize. Anyway, I don't have a link to this one. The description (to the best of my abilities) is as follows. The GTR is available with either a 50 cc and 150 cc 4-stroke engine. It has large diameter wheels and tires and a trellis-type frame ala Ducati, replete with low handlebars and rear-set pegs. Yep. Pegs...not floorboards. Sound like a small sportbike, huh? Well, now, the engine is a horizontal cylinder layout, just like the scooters, and is an automatic with a CVT transmission, just like the scooters. The ride is very "motorcyclish", if you will. Turning radius is similar to that of a small motorcycle. On the road, the rearsets put one's feet up high and far back, which in turns slides one's family jewels forward onto the tank. I can visualize "uneven pavement" signs being replaced with "nutcracker ahead". Some moron came hauling butt through a parking lot I pulled into and I can attest to fine brakes on the GTR. It is a fantastic looking machine that handles well and would be a gas for short, fun rides. I would have hitchiked to Tucson before I would have ridden the GTR that far though. I spend a LOT of time in the saddle and the GTR would not be my choice.

Got a little information on the Rattler that Genuine is coming out with. It is based on the Black Cat 50 cc scooter, but is somewhat stripped down and will have a 110 cc 2-stroke engine. Could prove to be a very tasty product. Won't be available until 2007. I have a pic here somewhere of it. It is the black one with motorcycle-style handlebars and wide knobby-type tires.

Now on to the "catching up" section of this blog. Some of the previously forgotten websites I have used.

TGB - www.cobrasales.com

A comparison review between a Buddy and a Yamaha Vino 125 - www.justgottascoot.com/buddy.htm

Buddy and Rattler pics - www.motostrada.com

...and finally, a pic of me, and one of the Mad Hornet which may, indeed, be traded off.

As you can tell, I'm still learning to put photos on my blog. NOW I just have to learn how to place them where I want them....

C-ya, ride on...Keys

Lights out! And other stuff....

I guess I suspected it would happen sooner or later... My job requires me to arise at such ungodly hours as 11 p.m. or, if I get to sleep in, maybe 2 a.m. I, therefore, have to ride to work in the dark...regardless of what time of year it is. So, there I was this Tuesday past, just motoring along to work, enjoying the coolness of the night (and the lack of traffic) when suddenly the world went dark. A bit disconcerting, you might say. Fortunately, I still had a high beam and with a flick of my left thumb, I was able to annoy all oncoming traffic on my way to work for the rest of the week. Picked up a new bulb this afternoon and installed it. Who would have thought you'd have to disassemble the entire headset just to swap out the headlamp? You do, though, at least on a Bajaj Chetak! I once again have a full compliment of lights.

I've been looking at a new offering from Genuine Scooters, the folks who brought you the Stella. It's called (and I'm NOT making this up) the "Buddy". Whatever. Anyway, it is a re-badged PGO "My Bubu". Now "Buddy" is looking a little better. "Hey, hey, BooBoo...what'd the nice Ranger say...? But I digress. The Buddy is a 223 pound 125cc modern, automatic, plastic-type of scooter. PGO did a good thing by utilizing a pressurized oiling system and an automotive-type oil filter. Sure beats the screen on my Bajaj! Then, the engineers at PGO went a souped up the engine. I'm not kidding! That thing has a higher top speed than my 145cc Chetak! Of course, being thirty pounds lighter helps. Not me. The scooter. So, I called my friends down at Scoot Over in Tucson to see if they are carrying them and sho' nuff, they are! I feel a road trip coming on...let's see, about 240 miles one way...yeah, I can do it in a weekend. Maybe. I'm actually thinking this would be the perfect beginning scooter for my sister, RoadRash...I mean Shelly. Who knows, 60+ mph and 90-100 mpg and 223 pounds (I like my scooters skinny) might be enough to convince me to start scheming towards one of my own! After all, a two year warranty and one year roadside assistance and the dealer connections of Genuine look pretty good. And if I DO trade in the Bajaj, I still have the (still unrestored) Allstate for my "classic" scoot.

Another item; my dear friend (whom I also consider a sister), Jenn Chapman, rode her Vespa GT200 from Prescott, AZ. to Denver, CO. this week to attend the AmeriVespa rally. She did the 900+ miles in two days and pulled the interstates all the way. We're talkin' BIG BRASS ONES here. And she did it all by herself. Alone. Just up and went. I called her today and she was at the scooter swap-meet across from Sportique scooter center in...well, wherever it is. Aw man...a scooter swap-meet. Aw man! And I wasn't there! So anyway, her little Vespa did a fine job and appears no worse for the wear. Of course, she still has to make it home, but I have faith in the both of 'em. She's living on energy drinks and adrenaline and having the time of her life! If she and Michele (one of the Denver Scarabs) don't get arrested sometime this weekend, I'll be moderately surprised.

Later, all

C-ya...ride on! --Keys

4th of July, Flagstaff ride and TGB test ride

This post begins July 4th. My wife, Ski, and I went over to my sister, Shelly's house for a BBQ. Good food, good times. Then Shelly, her husband Joe, daughter McKenzie, son Orion and a couple of nephews joined us at the local Ford dealership (where Joe works) to watch the local fireworks. Ski and I rode our scooters, of course. Now, Shelly has been pretty interested in our scooters since the beginning but has never ridden one. She has experience on a quad, though, so I figured she would have some idea. Who would have guessed she was SO uncoordinated.

Shelly decided to try her hand on Ski's Helix, since it's an automatic and my Bajaj is a 4-speed. I pointed out where the brakes were and how they operated and where the throttle was and how IT operated. You know, I should have remembered that her car driving style is throttle on-throttle off-throttle on-throttle off...

She grabbed a handful of throttle and commenced to weave a quick, though unsteady trail through the parking lot ride towards the brand new Toyota Matrix owned by the couple about 100 feet away from us. Choruses of "BRAKE!! BRAKE!!" rang out...to no avail. Shelly was wearing flip-flops and the one on her brake foot hooked over the brake pedal, preventing her from being able to step on it. And of course, this had to happen during a throttle-on period. Sister and Helix both ricochetted off of the Toyota's front bumper sending both into a high-side slide. The scooter just got scratched up, the Toyota got black marks from the underside of the scooter on it's bumper (Geico will deal with it...) and Shelly got a pretty good collection of road-rash all up and down her right side. McKenzie freaked out for about 45 minutes, Ski dealt with the owners of the Toyota and I apologized my ass off. Shelly just laughed and sopped up the precious bodily fluids running down her arm and knee. She is still dead-set on getting her own scooter. Joe says she doesn't have the flesh to spare.

THEN today, I rode up to Flagstaff again through Oak Creek canyon. Again saw where the fire had ravaged the area. It seemed to look worse to me today than it did right afterwards. Maybe it was just my mood today. Beautiful ride up through the canyon until I reached about a half mile south of the Slide Rock Recreation area. It seems that a great numlber of people wanted to turn left into the area and the folks in the money-taking hut were operating very slowly. Traffic on the two lane Hwy 89A was at a dead stop for a half mile. I, however, being on a scooter, just slipped off to the right and rode the white line past them all. Several cars attempted to ease over to the right to cut me off, but they had packed in so tightly, they couldn't move much. They people in the cars were seriously annoyed at me. Here's the deal; our lives are determined and defined by our choices. I chose to ride a scooter. They didn't. Deal with it!

Got up to Flagstaff and found the local dealer for TGB (Taiwan Golden Bee...the Taiwanese equivalent of the Italian Vespa, or wasp). They graciously allowed me a test ride on a 150cc R9 Laser...I told them I was checking them out for my sister, which was true. The fit and finish was miles ahead of the Chinese scooters...very close to the Kymco. It had just five miles on the odometer, but it still had good acceleration. Mechanically, it felt very solid. No clanks, shudders, jerks or anything. Just a good, smooth operation. The CVT transmission didn't seem to engage at a low enough rpm for me...easily fixed with different weights on the clutch. Overall, I was impressed with the mechanicals. I shouldn't be surprised, though, since TGB manufactures the CVT's for Piaggio, Vespa, Aprilia and others. They know their stuff.

I was, however, disappointed in the feel and riding position. The seat is very high off the ground...I'd say a good inch and a half higher than my Bajaj. Then, the floorboards lock your feet in one position which put my knees up high with an uncomfortable bend in them. The whole feel was one of a very high center of gravity which, if it's really as high as it feels, could interfere with spirited cornering...one of the joys of scooting!

Overall, I'd give it a 7 or 7 1/2 outa ten. Mechanicals and power a good 9. Very close to the Kymco in power delivery. Comfort; 5.

Hit some rain leaving Flagstaff, but it quit soon and I was dry before I reached Sedona. The cars heading south were VERY uncooperative and kept me to the speed limit or less all the way. Made me very grumpy.

Stopped in at my wife's work in the Village of Oak Creek, just south of Sedona to say "hi" and put the top up on her Firebird (yes, she drove the car today...thank God!). Just as I was strapping my skid-lid on, the heavens opened up. If you've never witnessed a monsoon in Arizona, it can be spectacular! Well, this one waited until I was on the road to let loose. All of a sudden I was hit with gale-force winds and the accompanying sand and dirt and somebody dumped an entire lake on my head. Visibility was ZERO! I made it less than half a mile before I went back, defeated and with my tail between my legs. Windstorms I can handle. Rainstorms I can handle. Both at once tend to curb my enthusiasm. Soaked and cold, I allowed my wife to feed me. Then I took the Firebird home. Came back when it all quit and ride the Bajaj home. Fine ride home.

Tonight, I bought a new spark plug and gapped it a put it in. Since I was under the cowl anyway, I wanted to try some carburetor adjustments I'd been thinking about. Ever since I altered the air filter system, it had been bogging out a little on the top end. I was suspecting that it was running a little lean. Since the 120 jets that come stock in that carb are the biggest available, and since I don't have the right machinists drill to open the hole in the jet a wee bit, I just raised the needle a notch and tweaked the air mixture screw a little. I think I'm on the right track. I'll need a little more testing, but my initial seat-of-the-pants test ride suggests a little better acceleration as well as less top-end boggage. I just invented a word! It seems to reach and hold a slightly higher top speed up a slight incline to my workplace. Every little bit helps!!

Hey, C-ya later...ride on!

--Keys