Scooter Stereo

I just received my Boomtube EX which I plan to mount in a holder I will design to be removable and fit around the stock glove box. These are rechargeable and will not void the factory warranty. Did I mention how LOUD they are?!?

		It goes to 11 Our unique bass tube design blasts over 40 watts of unadulterated power for super loud sound—and that’s 10 times the wattage of the closest competitor.

			Big-time bass MaxxBass™ technology pumps your audio to a pair of matched bass drivers to deliver the biggest, baddest bass sound possible.

			Perfectly portable Compact tubular design with twist-on speakers make for a perfect fit in any backpack, briefcase or overnight bag. Now you don’t have to be the life of the party, you can just bring it.

			Plays well with others Conveniently compatible with any and all MP3 players, CD and DVD players, FM tuners, laptops, PCs, and Macs. Let us know if we left something out.

			Rechargeable Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries mean no more trips to the store or the landfill. Now you’ve got the power to listen whenever and where ever you want.

			Spread 'em A meter of speaker wire for each satellite speaker lets you spread those speakers out nice and wide for true stereo sound.

*See Amazon for great deals and free shipping*

Scoot Compute

It is well known that the speedometers and even odometers can be off on these scooters and often it would be good to know what kind of performance one is achieving and now that may be a realistic goal. The following computer can be had relatively cheap and will address the shortcomings of the stock equipement.


Sigma BCI200W Wireless Scooter Speedometer/Computer

A wireless computer for bikes and scooters! No more wires! The RDS wireless transmission system gives you an interference-free system, automatic start and stop, simple battery changing and it fits on old and new handlebar generations.

This kit also includes the BC1200 head -- features include a clock, current speed, total miles, trip distance, trip riding time, average trip speed, a stopwatch, maximum speed, ability to program 2 wheel sizes and summation of odometer for wheel 1 + wheel 2!

Made in Germany.

Tail Bag

Joe Rocket Velocity Tail Bag

• Wind/water resistant Rock Tex 680 construction
• Wear resistant PVC edging
• Two-zipper top for easy access
• Riveted handle
• Hidden rain cover
• Quick detach adjustable shoulder strap
• Reflective logo and stripes for safety
• Dimensions: 13.5"L x 10"W x 10"H

Collapsible motorcycle trailers

Bikelug Collapsible Motorcycle Trailers can be assembled and dismantled in seconds without using any tools, after removing one locking pin the axles can be removed and the trailer folds up into a unit just 39 inches long.

(see link in 'links section' below)

Violent scooter gang injures 12 in attacks

MENACE ON WHEELS:

Four members of a gang that rolled around Tucheng beating and slashing holiday barbecuers were taken into custody; the others remain at large.

(Link to article in the Taipei Times)

Scooting away from the Hurricane

Eleanor Gamer, with her scooter loaded with hurricane supplies, gets ready to head to her boat on Stock Island, Fla. Monday, Sept. 19, 2005 as Tropical Storm Rita approaches the Keys. She will ride out the storm on her boat, with four cats and a 100 pound dog. (AP Photo/J. Pat Carter)

(Link)

Idle

On Friday I began having trouble with my scoot stalling out on me while waiting at a light. It was fairly annoying but for the most part I was able to keep the engine running enough to not have it happen at every light. Saturday I took the seat bucket out and below is the idle adjust screw. Took a few minutes of playing with it (make sure scooter is on the center stand!) and it was purring real nice at idle. I took it out for a ride and at one point thought the car behind me had bumped me. I then realized I had the idle up slightly too much I guess as you can barely feel the power at the wheel. Its not enough to really move the bike so not unsafe but I may turn it down a tick. On the upside I noticed that my acceleration was a little quicker and the thottle slightly more responsive. It may be that just breaking in the scoot meant the readjustment was necessary. I do no its been pretty peppy lately, I got it up to 50 no problems today between two lights. A picture detailing where to look for the idle adjust screw can be found here.

Tire Options

Michelin Bopper

• Semi-Slick tread pattern
• Inspired by racing slicks, for exceptional adhesion in corners

Michelin Sport SC

• Inspired by the full-sized Pilot
• Offers superb steering, braking and handling

Bridgestone ML50

• Bias-ply tire designed for Aprilia RS50
• Can be used as front or rear

Pirelli SL26

• A modern sport-oriented tread pattern with the hook of a high-performance motorcycle tire
• Designed to give superb handling, a high level of grip and excellent wet-weather performance
• Front and Rear Tire

Scratch This

So my first minor scratches arrived on my scooter this morning while parking it at work. Its nothing major only a few little ones on the mirror which scraped lightly against the wall. Its one of those things where you hate to see the first signs of wear appear but it also reminded me why I bought this scooter; its cheap. In fact in my purchasing decision I decided that I wanted a scooter with easily replaceable parts and that’s what I got. Heaven forbid the occasion ever occurs I should be able to order whatever body parts I need. From what I’ve heard from other scooter owners, namely Vespa riders, is that if something breaks or gets damaged you have to go into the dealership and wait plus pay for them to fix it. So far I haven’t had any need for dealer service except having PSF do the initial setup.

-I wanted to add that upon inspection this past weekend I noticed that the plastic piece that goes over the front wheel is cracked in a spot where it screws on. It doesn't look too bad and hopefully won't spread or fall off. Im not sure what to make of it, whether it occured in production/shipping or if road surface conditions are to blame.

Straight from the horses mouth:

Power Sports Factory on the rx200hp:

'One of the major differences is the compression. The RX200HP is 180psi verses the average 140-150 of other GY6 engines. The reason is the piston size. We (PSF) use a 58.5mm piston on the RX200HP. Hence the moniker HP = High Compression and the 155cc displacement. The 1.5mm makes all the difference in the world on such a small displacement. Also the engine has a Qianjiang QJUSA designed Oil Cooler, no other GY6 does.'

Alternative Transportation

As gas prices rise more and more people are looking at alternative forms of transportation. Scooters sales have been at a record high but not everyone is convinced, evidently there are a variety of options making their way from concept to reality. To see more visit this fun site: www.worth1000.com

Scooter is fixed

Ok so I did it, I fixed the damn thing. Wasn't all that hard after all. The scooter liked the chinese lightbulbs and now both tail light and brake light are operational. I also too the time to change the oil and use 10w 40 motorcycle 4 stroke oil from Pep Boys. When I examined the oil I could see little specs of metal from the engine so Im glad I did it. I also checked the tire pressure to discover my rear was a little high and bled it. Went on a long ride and all seems well. I also took the time to take off the "Yamati" stickers and replace them with black reflective flames. I will be getting batteries for my camera monday I promise. Those things were a pain to put on but I think look pretty good. Well Im off to ride.

Gas thefts rise with gas prices

Thats the title of the story in the Washington Post today. I read the article this morning here, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9275313/. Besides drive-offs at gas stations apparently thefts are now siphoning gas out of automobiles. About 15 minutes ago my friend in Philly called me up to tell me that someone had stolen 3/4 of a tank out of his Jeep. Thinking it must have happened over night I inquired only to be told it had just occured. So in the middle of the day on a weekend someone stole his gas. Im glad I would be out only $5 max if this were to happen to me.

No Parking Tickets!

So I learned an interesting tip off scooterbbs this afternoon. If you attach your license plate to your scooter with velcro you can take it with you when you park. This way you are presumably exempt from parking tickets if up on the sidewalk as they cannot ticket you without your license plate. Please let me know what you think about this, Im interested to hear what you have to say.

Plenty of Scooter at Work, Not Mine

Lots of scooter have popped up at work in the past couple of days. I used to be alone in parking mine and have just noticed 4 others who have joined the ranks. There is one called a Hitong which I have never heard of before, appears to be Chinese or perhaps Korean? It has asian writing on the tires, I imagine they are stock, there are no other indicators as to model etc. There is also a nice (if you are into them) Vespa with a leather luggage roll on the back. One Yamaha 125cc, older model, is now present as well as one additional unidentified scoot. Looks like Im not alone, now only if I could manage to bring mine in to work. This weekend Im going to get to business on figuring out my electrical issues. I have recently become aware of a Baron with very similar issues and hopefully between us we can figure this out.

Chinese Bulbs

Stopping at the drug store on my way home from work today I saw they had auto supplies and a couple packs of 1157 bulbs made in China two for $1.99 so I bought them. It was way to dark to mess around tonight but tomorrow I will try them on. I figure they might get along better with the scooter. At the very least it will tell me which of the two previous bulbs was telling the truth. Or I'll get at it with the multi-tester. I really want to get this thing back on the road by this weekend, I miss it.

No Fix Yet

Actually its my fault, Im still at work... I did manage to pick up a multi-meter however and hopefully I will be out before its dark tomorrow to track this problem down. Too bad I didn't get to it today as I won't be able to ride yet again, oh well...

Google Map Site Visit

I have added a neat feature whereby clicking the rotating earth image below will take you to the interactive visitor log for the last 20 guests.

Seems I have some International fans, What's up folks!

(Please note, no personal information what so ever is collected or recorded. This is a service based solely upon geographic location and nothing more. In fact it does not keep any sort of cumulative stats what so ever. Enjoy!)

Gas Gouging

I just realized as I got a ride into work today how ridiculous gas prices really are. I still remember a few summers ago paying $0.86 for regular, yesterday I paid $3.49. I forgot to look closely but I think 93 octane was as high as 3.69! I mean even with a 1.7 gallon tank still too pricey. I also learned that when the tank is ¾ empty it still has ~.5 gallons. I had been wondering this as it always seems to fall off faster towards the end. I did also purchase a 2 gallon can to keep at home for when it’s not convenient to go to the store. Someone made an interesting point to me the other day regarding gas and fuel economy. While it is true these scooters get incredible mileage it is also often true that us enthusiasts often go for joy rides more often than or 4 wheeling counterparts. Not that we come anywhere close to the consumption but just reinforces how fun and economical these scoots are to enable such care-free operation. You think that guy with the Hummer is driving around for the hell of it, well ok yes they probably are but some people just must burn $$$!

Weird problem with the light

So I went to Pep-Boys today after work picked up some stuff including motorcycle 4 stroke 10w-40 so I can change out my oil. Had been using Sunoco Premium I believe. Also go my much needed tail light bulb. I unscrewed the screws in the lens and the panel below to get to the bulb assembly but after getting the bulb out the socket fell back behind into the tail section. This required me having to take the underseat bin out, the rack, and a top panel to gain access. I got my new 'red' bulb in there (I was unsure so went with red notknowing orig. is clear) and the tail light worked. Well that was good but now I had no brake lights. So essentially I had the opposite problem and it was too dark to continue. To be honost with you Id rather have brake lights so atleast I can ride during the day to work. Looks like Im grounded again tomorrow. Im going to take it apart and try the other bulb from the pack I bought and the original again to see what in the world could be going on. Just doesn't make sense to me. I will also try to stop by Radio Shack for a multimeter.

New Links

Just to let you know I've added two new links. The first is titled "Modify & Tuning" and covers a variety of upgrade mods. These are not necessarily Strada (or clone) specific but are still useful for reference. The second link is for a 35/35w (brighter) brighter bulb to replace the stock 18/18w.

Out of Gas

Um what better way to start off the work week then do get stuck without gas. I didn't even realize how low I was until it was too late. I had already moved the cars and took of the lock and cover and even started it up before realizing. I debated whether or not I had enough but I thought better of it as it drops more quickly as it gets low. So I had to pack it back up and catch a ride into work this morning. I think for the future I will buy a little 5 gallon gas can to leave at home, although I do like all the looks my scoot gets at the gas station. Well I have to go get my tail light bulb anyways so maybe I can get the gas can then. I think I want to order an LED arrangement to replace the bulb but will have to pick one up locally for the time being.

Lights Out

So I came outside to find 3 scooters in my parking space. Evidently my neighbors were having a party. They were nice looks scooters I believe all Vespa's and they were taking turns riding them around the block. I got to talking to someone at the party who was interested in learning more about my scooter. He informed me that the girls who's Vespa it was had it stolen 3 times already. He also said that in order to get parts to fix it (after whoever stole it dumps it) you had to go to a Vespa dealership and not only is it expensive but last time it was in the shop for 6 months! So now Im nervous about theft but happy that I can do my own service. Over the weekend I received my Haynes Repair Manual and it looks very informative. It covers 2-stroke, 4-stroke, and liquid cooled engines. So while it covers virtually all scooters 80-250cc it should come in very handy as reference. I will post more on this manual after I've had a chance to read through it some more. Also it looks like I may be doing some repairs sooner than expected, my taillight doesn't work! I've heard of others with similar problems with non working lights. I was on my way to my friends BBQ, about half-way, when someone in a car pulled up and told me it was out. I had to decide then whether to conitnue or not and I choose to come back home and park my scooter back with the rest of the gang pretty bumbed out. Hopefully I can fix this soon as I won't be able to ride at night until I do.

New Links Added

Sorry for the lack of recent entries but I was home sick the other day and haven't ridden in a few. I did take the scooter into work today however as I prepare for a wonderful and long weekend. To kick it off I have 2 birthday parties to attend. With any luck I will be able to recover tomorrow afternoon and head to the New Brunswick, NJ rally: (http://www.solerunnerssc.com/). So I've added 2 new links, one for an interesting product called the "bike barn" which is a very expensive cover and the other is for a "twist-n-go" repair book that may be of interest. I have one of these books on order and should arrive soon, I will give a review once it does.