I joined the "Scooter Club"

[patrickl]

Lol, I saw it, but lost track of the count.

I have to say, often motor cyclists look like they are out to get killed. They really act insane. For some reason they think they can overtake everyone/everywhere even when there really is not enough room to safely do so. They seem to assume that people will go out of the way for them anyway.

[boogieman]

Lol, I saw it, but lost track of the count.

I have to say, often motor cyclists look like they are out to get killed. They really act insane. For some reason they think they can overtake everyone/everywhere even when there really is not enough room to safely do so. They seem to assume that people will go out of the way for them anyway.

That's true.  I cant stand idiots who ride like that.  It really pisses me off when people split lanes and pop wheelies on crotch rockets and that.  Makes me want to open my door...  thats pretty bad, considering I ride too lol.

[shardian]

Had a crotch rocket pass me on a pot hole filled bridge once doing a wheelie, speeding, and in a no-pass zone with a blind "other side of bridge". I was simply amazed at the idiocy of that fellow. If he would have been struck by oncoming traffic, I would have been tempted to punch him in the face while he was down before offering assistance.

I avoid bikers like the plague when driving. Nothing good can come from being anywhere near them in a car.

[melarky]

Looks like a fun scooter.  I love scooters, I have a few of them.  I just finished recently putting a new cheap chinese knockoff 140cc engine on one of my old scooters (I guess technicall it's a motorcycle, but it's small so I call it a scooter).  It originally had a 90cc engine, then I put a 70cc engine on it I had from another scooter, now this new engine.  The 140cc is just about perfect on this bike, I'm able to keep up with traffic well, I can accellerate out of sticky situations if needed, but I still won't be winning any races in it

Here is a pic of my scooter (it's a Honda C200, not sure on the year, when I did the paperwork on it, I estimated it was a 1965, but I may be off a year or two):

[patrickl]

Lol, why does the smaller size make it a scooter? I thought the floorboard was the design feature that differentiates it from a motorcycle.

[patrickl]

BTW to see if you suffer from road rage here's a nice test

[melarky]

Lol, why does the smaller size make it a scooter? I thought the floorboard was the design feature that differentiates it from a motorcycle.

Yeah, like I said, I think technically it's considered a small motorcycle, but since it's only a 90cc originally, I always called it a scooter, and whenever I have to get parts for it, the bike shops all consider it a scooter.  It's a lot of fun though.

[Cakemeister]

So far I've got about 220 miles on the scooter. I measured MPG on the last tankup today and it was right around 80 mpg. My riding style is more "gun it and brake" though, so I probably could do better.

[SirPeale]

Pulse and glide, man...pulse and glide.

[Teknique]

  Someone might be thinking you're a religious person, based on the intolerance simmering in your views of others

Hypocrite.

That statement is quite insulting... to just about anyone who posts their opinions on a forum.  Nevermind the religious stereotype.     

How fast can I get this moved to PnR again? 

[danny_galaga]

Lol, I saw it, but lost track of the count.

I have to say, often motor cyclists look like they are out to get killed. They really act insane. For some reason they think they can overtake everyone/everywhere even when there really is not enough room to safely do so. They seem to assume that people will go out of the way for them anyway.

yeah. i have been a motorcyclist in the past and it was always drummed into our heads that you have to assume that everyone is out to run you over. sadly, the latest stats show that the majority of accidents involving motorcycles also involves male riders, booze, drugs, speed or a combination of all of those...

[Dermbrian]

I've had 3 scooters since 2001...an 80cc, 125cc, and a 145cc Bajaj.  Took the MSF course right off the bat.  Have about 15,000 miles of riding, and have organized several group rides in Dallas.

Cut to noon last Thursday,  I see a car suddenly turn left from the westbound lanes as I'm in the middle lane of the three eastbound lanes of an urban 40mph road.  I couln't even slow down significantly.  Suddenly I become the motorcyle rider strapped to the back board being whisked to the trauma center as my wife is getting a phone call.

Don't skimp on the protectve gear.  I need to arrange surgery for a complicated wrist break.  The deep cut on my leg thankfully missed my knee.  Somehow between the helmet, armored jacket, armored glove and jeans I survived the trip over the handlebars and the other car without other bruising or strains or horrible road rash.  At 52, I can't believe that was possible. 

So please consider wearing protective gear.  This was just a ride though the local restaurant row on a road I've ridden dozens of times. 



Brian

[danny_galaga]

BTW to see if you suffer from road rage here's a nice test

just did this test.

Safety:

You are a Very Safe Driver
Your Safety Score: 82.5 %

The average score among all people who have recently taken this test is 69.19%

Aggressiveness:

You are a Marginally Aggressive Driver
Your Degree of Aggressiveness: 57.5 %

The average score among all people who have recently taken this test is 57.02%

Courtesy:

You are a Courteous Driver
Your Courtesy Score: 75 %

The average score among all people who have recently taken this test is 73.75%

Rage:

You are a Potential Road Rager
Your Degree of Rage: 52.5 %

The average score among all people who have recently taken this test is 55.55%%

what i found funny was the offense database. i checked out the city im in and i saw one for 'not signalling during lane change'. thats funny because NO ONE in brisbane uses their indicators. 

[danny_galaga]

I've had 3 scooters since 2001...an 80cc, 125cc, and a 145cc Bajaj.  Took the MSF course right off the bat.  Have about 15,000 miles of riding, and have organized several group rides in Dallas.

Cut to noon last Thursday,  I see a car suddenly turn left from the westbound lanes as I'm in the middle lane of the three eastbound lanes of an urban 40mph road.  I couln't even slow down significantly.  Suddenly I become the motorcyle rider strapped to the back board being whisked to the trauma center as my wife is getting a phone call.

Don't skimp on the protectve gear.  I need to arrange surgery for a complicated wrist break.  The deep cut on my leg thankfully missed my knee.  Somehow between the helmet, armored jacket, armored glove and jeans I survived the trip over the handlebars and the other car without other bruising or strains or horrible road rash.  At 52, I can't believe that was possible. 

So please consider wearing protective gear.  This was just a ride though the local restaurant row on a road I've ridden dozens of times. 



Brian

hmmm, gonna try and fix the scooter? 

glad that you came out of it still able to walk. i ride scooters for a living (postman) and i have to admit, sometimes i let my guard down. as soon as i do, i kick myself for doing it. i constantly analyse what im doing wrong. of course, i should make sure i dont do it wrong in the first place! but still...

 

[DrewKaree]

  Someone might be thinking you're a religious person, based on the intolerance simmering in your views of others

Hypocrite.

That statement is quite insulting... to just about anyone who posts their opinions on a forum.  Nevermind the religious stereotype.     

How fast can I get this moved to PnR again? 

Then go back and re-read her statements.  If you're too sympathetic to her stated attitude, then apply my comments to yourself as well. 

It's pathetic that stating someone is "lucky" they weren't caused damage to their person or property simply because of their choice of vehicles can't be pointed out as being as intolerant as those who would accuse "religious whackjobs" of being.

It SHOULD have been moved when an intolerant myopic person thought it perfectly fine to post about her view of someone's choice of vehicles - the response has clearly to do with her "political & religious" view, but I don't see you decrying the statements she made.

Perhaps you might see things differently when someone posts about how "lucky" you were they didn't slash the tires on your Pious Prius

[mccoy178]

BTW to see if you suffer from road rage here's a nice test

Here are your personal scores/results in the four areas that we analyzed:

Safety:

You are a Safe Driver
Your Safety Score: 67.5 %

The average score among all people who have recently taken this test is 69.19%

Aggressiveness:

You are a Marginally Aggressive Driver
Your Degree of Aggressiveness: 50 %

The average score among all people who have recently taken this test is 57.02%

Courtesy:

You are a Very Courteous Driver
Your Courtesy Score: 82.5 %

The average score among all people who have recently taken this test is 73.75%

Rage:

You are a Potential Road Rager
Your Degree of Rage: 45 %

The average score among all people who have recently taken this test is 55.55%%

[Daniel270]

Here are your personal scores/results in the four areas that we analyzed:

Safety:

You are a Very Safe Driver
Your Safety Score: 87.5 %

The average score among all people who have recently taken this test is 69.19%

Aggressiveness:

You are a Marginally Aggressive Driver
Your Degree of Aggressiveness: 50 %

The average score among all people who have recently taken this test is 57.02%

Courtesy:

You are a Very Courteous Driver
Your Courtesy Score: 90 %

The average score among all people who have recently taken this test is 73.75%

Rage:

You are a Potential Road Rager
Your Degree of Rage: 52.5 %

The average score among all people who have recently taken this test is 55.55%%

[Cakemeister]

I took the scooter in for its 2000 mile scheduled maintenance.

Something is seriously wrong with it now. It doesn't accelerate nearly as well now, and it can barely get up to 40 mph now. The top speed previous to this maintenance was about 52-53 mph.

The left brake caliper was adjusted badly. It was a bit too loose but now it is so tight it hurts my poor carpal tunnels to keep the brakes pressed.

They "adjusted the valves" and "adjusted the idle speed" on the carb, among other things.

I talked to the service manager and he said that adjusting the valve gap was to make the bike "in spec" and that there is a tradeoff between acceleration and top speed. Is this guy full of crap? Why would I be getting a decrease in both top speed and acceleration?

Anybody know what could be wrong with it before I take it back?

[HaRuMaN]

It's a scooter.  You already start off with FAIL just for that.   

[patrickl]

I bought my GF a scooter with an electric motor. When it's nice weather I sometimes use it too. On short distances it's actually quicker than my car and it costs almost nothing to run (40 cents per 100 kilometers).

[ChadTower]

Not sure how I missed this thread the first time.  Must have been during my hiatus.

If you think people don't respect scooters on the roads you should try riding a bicycle regularly.  When the weather is appropriate here and I'm in training I do ~25 miles a couple times a week.  Bicyclists are targets, plain and simple.  Best case you're ever going to get is someone ignoring you.  People will gun their engines at you, cut you off intentionally, throw stuff at you.  I learned from the triathlon community that most bicycling injuries aren't accidents.  They are caused by motorists, either intentionally, or just by screwing around with you and making you dump off the bike.  I have been lucky so far that this hasn't happened to me but I have had close calls and I've seen it happen to other people firsthand.

Commuting to work on a bike sounds like a nice idea but from a safety standpoint it may be the least safe method mentioned in this thread.

[patrickl]

Commuting to work on a bike sounds like a nice idea but from a safety standpoint it may be the least safe method mentioned in this thread.

In the Netherlands it feels like we have more bike paths than roads for cars.

[ChadTower]

In the Netherlands it feels like we have more bike paths than roads for cars.

Yeah, I've heard that.  Lots of places do.  Not so here, though.  I'm about 12 miles from work so that commute on a bike for me would be a simple one in terms of work.  Problem is that it's all twisty back roads that idiots texting on cell phones are doing 50 in a 35.  The shoulder is probably 12" wide and it's mostly stone walls and hazards just off of it.  I would be dead in a month.

[HaRuMaN]

*Chips in to buy CT a bike*

 

[ChadTower]

*Chips in to buy CT a bike*

 

Get a nice enough racing bike and I will start commuting that way.   

Best arrangement I've seen is when someone has a workplace with a locker room.  Then they can bring clothes in a bag, shower there, and hopefully store the bike someplace safe.  It sucks to be on the far end of a ride and have something cause you to walk home.  Biking to work that distance, in your work clothes, really isn't feasible.  Too much road grime or bike grease to look presentable if you work in an office or someplace like that.

[HaRuMaN]

Best arrangement I've seen is when someone has a workplace with a locker room.  Then they can bring clothes in a bag, shower there, and hopefully store the bike someplace safe.  It sucks to be on the far end of a ride and have something cause you to walk home.  Biking to work that distance, in your work clothes, really isn't feasible.  Too much road grime or bike grease to look presentable if you work in an office or someplace like that.

My work has that, along with a shower.  My coworker sometimes rides his bike in (about 20 miles, one way).

[ChadTower]

My work has one shower.  For like 1000 people.  I've never seen anyone use it.   

[patrickl]

In the Netherlands it feels like we have more bike paths than roads for cars.

Yeah, I've heard that.  Lots of places do.  Not so here, though.  I'm about 12 miles from work so that commute on a bike for me would be a simple one in terms of work.  Problem is that it's all twisty back roads that idiots texting on cell phones are doing 50 in a 35.  The shoulder is probably 12" wide and it's mostly stone walls and hazards just off of it.  I would be dead in a month.

Yeah, I've been in a lot of places all over the states and (apart from the big cities) usually there isn't even a sidewalk. I couldn't even walk to the nearest store without risking my life.

[ahofle]

Bicyclists are targets, plain and simple.  Best case you're ever going to get is someone ignoring you.  People will gun their engines at you, cut you off intentionally, throw stuff at you.  I learned from the triathlon community that most bicycling injuries aren't accidents.  They are caused by motorists, either intentionally, or just by screwing around with you and making you dump off the bike.  I have been lucky so far that this hasn't happened to me but I have had close calls and I've seen it happen to other people firsthand.

Commuting to work on a bike sounds like a nice idea but from a safety standpoint it may be the least safe method mentioned in this thread.

We have bike 'lanes' on quite a few roads around here.  What is it about cyclists though that makes them ride RIGHT on the line as close as possible to the cars?  I mean I see it all the time -- there is usually several feet of bike lane unused and they are right on the bike lane divider.  You literally have to go into the other lane to safely avoid them.  It's no surprise to me that so many cyclists are hit by cars.  Seems way more dangerous than riding a motorcycle or scooter to me.

[TOK]

Not sure how I missed this thread the first time.  Must have been during my hiatus.

If you think people don't respect scooters on the roads you should try riding a bicycle regularly.  When the weather is appropriate here and I'm in training I do ~25 miles a couple times a week.  Bicyclists are targets, plain and simple.  Best case you're ever going to get is someone ignoring you.  People will gun their engines at you, cut you off intentionally, throw stuff at you.  I learned from the triathlon community that most bicycling injuries aren't accidents.  They are caused by motorists, either intentionally, or just by screwing around with you and making you dump off the bike.  I have been lucky so far that this hasn't happened to me but I have had close calls and I've seen it happen to other people firsthand.

Commuting to work on a bike sounds like a nice idea but from a safety standpoint it may be the least safe method mentioned in this thread.

They probably just do that because they know its you. 

Cakemeister, it sounds like they're just doing a valve adjustment, where they use a feeler gauge to adjust the clearance of the valves to the valve seats in the head when they're in the closed position. Its a simple job thats totally common now that high performance small 4 strokes have taken over the 2 stroke market.
If not adjusted properly, the valves will beat on the seats and eventually wear them out. Loose valves or worn seats will both cause low compression and poor performance.

Very tough to guess at something like this with the available information though, but it sounds like maybe they can't get the valve clearance in spec for some reason and they're just hoping to blow you off.

[ChadTower]

We have bike 'lanes' on quite a few roads around here.  What is it about cyclists though that makes them ride RIGHT on the line as close as possible to the cars?  I mean I see it all the time -- there is usually several feet of bike lane unused and they are right on the bike lane divider.  You literally have to go into the other lane to safely avoid them.  It's no surprise to me that so many cyclists are hit by cars.  Seems way more dangerous than riding a motorcycle or scooter to me.

Hrm.  First thought is it depends on the type of bike.  If you're on a racing bike stuff like rocks, glass, and sewer grates can be a problem so I can see drifting a bit to avoid them.  People on mountain or commuter bikes are riding knobby tires, though, so they shouldn't have any reason to be hugging the white line.  There is definitely as high a percentage of crappy cyclists as there are crappy drivers. 

[Cakemeister]

Cakemeister, it sounds like they're just doing a valve adjustment, where they use a feeler gauge to adjust the clearance of the valves to the valve seats in the head when they're in the closed position. Its a simple job thats totally common now that high performance small 4 strokes have taken over the 2 stroke market.
If not adjusted properly, the valves will beat on the seats and eventually wear them out. Loose valves or worn seats will both cause low compression and poor performance.

Very tough to guess at something like this with the available information though, but it sounds like maybe they can't get the valve clearance in spec for some reason and they're just hoping to blow you off.

My current theory is that they misadjusted the throttle. If, for example, they changed it so that the max throttle was, say, 85% of full, the bike would exhibit symptoms like what I am seeing, ie sluggish acceleration and lowered top speed.

Then again, I know virtually nothing about internal-combustion engines and vehicles. I've never changed my own oil.   

[protokatie]

My work has one shower.  For like 1000 people.  I've never seen anyone use it.   

So, that makes it 999 people who use it, and one who never goes near it? 



Quote from cakemeister:

I've never changed my own oil.   Grin

You have just won the "Throws like a sissy" award on BYOAC! (Sorry, had to throw that in, with all of the "macho" men on this forum, it seemed to fit...)

[ChadTower]

So, that makes it 999 people who use it, and one who never goes near it? 

Just so we're clear, is the jab that I don't shower at work?   

Or is that that I work with 999 filthy ---daisies---?   

[protokatie]

So, that makes it 999 people who use it, and one who never goes near it? 

Just so we're clear, is the jab that I don't shower at work?   

Or is that that I work with 999 filthy ---daisies---?   

The 999 people who use it should have been clear. (IE you are the 1 that doesnt). It was a simple jab. BTW, does smell transmit over fibre-optic and ethernet? I think I smell some BO from one person... 

(BTW, laugh a little )

[ChadTower]

We laugh when it's funny.  We'll let you know when you achieve that.   

[Sprucemoose]

Since this thread was started I have bought a 2000 Honda Rebel 250cc bike in order to save money.  The bike does not do as well as a scooter on gas, but I consistantly get over 65 mpg city commuting.  I choose to only ride when its not raining and/or to cold, but still have saved a lot of cash.  The $1200 investment for this bike will pay itself off in a couple of years and because these small bike and scooters stay in demand for good 'first' bikes the resale is great.  I still get looks from people on huge "hogs" but they usually give me the friendly wave as if to say, "at least you're riding."  Which make me curious...Do any other motorcycles or sccoters wave to you while driving your scooter?

Cakemeister,
I came accros this site that may provide some help for your problem or even future problems.  This link deals specifically with your problem and states some common issues:

http://yamahavino125.com/2008/07/01/troubleshooting-yamaha-vino-and-zuma-scooters.aspx

Per the link
Condition 1: Scooter is running a slower top speed than normal. There are several reasons this could be happening. Here are some things to check:

tire pressure  (doubtful)
drive belt wear  (possible, but should have easily been caught by mechanic)
Worn rollers or vee bushings  (not sure about this one.  Dont know how long these last)
High mileage or high abuse/conditions motor  (doubtful unless you are jumping ramps in those 3.3miles)

[Cakemeister]

Thanks for your link.

Sometimes when I see other people riding motorcycles they will give a "low five". I find that amusing.

[Cakemeister]

I got the bike back from the shop a few days ago. Essentially they said there was nothing wrong with it and the problems I've been having are temperature-related. They said that when it's cold outside, the bike will accelerate slower and will have a lower top speed.

That seemed weird to me, but it has been warmer the past week or so and the bike has indeed run better since I got it back.

I haven't owned a carbureated vehicle in a long time, is this sluggishness typical of bikes with carbs?

[Cakemeister]

Well I've had the scooter for a year.

There's right around 3000 miles on it. It rides really well. The top speed and power reduction when cold was a bit disappointing, but for the most part it has been reliable.

On short trips to and from work, I just wear a helmet, but for longer trips or on busier roads I wear full armored jacket, jeans, gloves, and over-the-ankle boots with the helmet.

I renewed the insurance with liability only. It cost $20.