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