This past Sunday I had a mechanical failure from a totally unexpected source. Galileo, my new 250 scooter, gave a strange shriek, shook a little and then stopped moving. I thought, "Darn. The drive belt broke." Fortunately I had my cell phone and Sara raced out to help me load it into our pickup truck and get it home. No simple matter, actually, as it took help from five strong men to load it in and three other helpers and gravity to get it off the truck. Then I opened up the side cover to discover not a broken belt, but a snapped transmission shaft had stopped the scooter. Now of course the rumor goes that you can't get parts for these things-Hah! Not only is a replacement shaft available from a Chinese parts seller but this shaft is the same as a Honda Helix part so Japanese metal it is. I should be rolling again in less than a week but I certainly didn't think that this would happen on a fairly new scooter. I guess that's why there's a two year warranty for the original purchaser. Since I'm the third owner, as near as I can tell, parts and labor are on me. I used Sara's Rebel to commute yesterday and each time I ride it I'm reminded of why motorcycles are so enticing. Some day I'll pick up another bike just to keep my hand in it.