The part came last week to fix my 250cc scooter and with just a few fumbles and choice words I had it back together. While I'm kicking myself for not getting to the bottom of the shaking at starts from a standstill I take solace in knowing that a dealer told me this is the third broken transmission shaft he's heard of. The first happened to his own and has gone 17,000 miles since the replacement. It wasn't pretty to see the broken shaft, but it was interesting.


In case you're not technically inclined it isn't supposed to be in two pieces. I can't tell you how surprised I was that a replacement piece was so easy to acquire. If you ask people on the streets they'll tell you Chinese scooter parts are impossible to find. The new one came from partsforscooters.com (mild plug) and arrived in two days from Florida after I ordered it. I complained to them that such service didn't leave any time to goof off on repair projects and they replied that they were happy to hear  of my dissatisfaction. I've used them before and they always deliver promptly. I also noted an entire section of parts for my engine on their web site so I know where to go if anything else happens.
Galileo (its name) is up and running again and has gone about 110 miles since the repair. It works well in the weather protection department allowing me to ride on cooler and foggier mornings than I might otherwise. I'm just glad to be around these Chinese scooters long enough to have the tools and experience to deal with minor repairs. That certainly got me through this dilemma. Now let's see how long I can keep riding. The price of gas is still breathtaking and the more my car sits the better.