Two Wheeling

These days most of my writing and riding centers on my big scooter. It's my main ride and has taken me to work, the doctor and Bike Nights at Gilligan's. Resting peacefully in the garage is the scooter that started it all, my 150cc scooter from GSMotorworks. It's time for maintenance came due the other day and I hauled it out of the garage to change the rubber belt that makes it move.

About six years ago I replaced the original drive belt with one made by Gates, an American company. It was m...

If there's one thing I rejoice in lately it's been the weather around here this Summer. Last year the Summer was more like Spring. I would bundle up in winter gloves and a scarf when I went to work at five in the morning. Seeing temperatures in the forties was pretty normal and made the commute uncomfortable. This Summer has been completely different. Morning temperatures have hovered in the upper fifties to lower sixties in the early morning hours and I have used my light leather gloves and...

As you can see by the video I attended another Bike Night at Gilligan's, a not so local Ice Cream place. I have to ride about fifty miles over local roads to reach it so it's about an hour long trip to get there. Fortunately the roads are quite scenic and possess many curves which is a motorcycle riders delight. The occasion was more than just a weekly gathering as the people at Yamaha were going to have a truck with their line of Sportbikes on display at the site. I'm a little old for the ...

In an amazing coincidence I acquired the members of my Chinese scooter fleet at about this time of year. Both of the scooters were brought into the fold at the end of July while the 50cc mini-motorcycle was purchased in August. This is my chance to make my State of the Fleet Address.

I see on the odometer that my Big Scooter is now at 11,872 miles. It has become my main ride for commutes and trips to the doctor in Johnson City. It is still giving me in the neighborhood of 70 mpg and just kee...

In my garage the motorcycles/scooters all possess one matching quality. The engines are all older devices from a bygone era. Many of today's available two wheeled vehicles are absolute Science Fiction next to the bikes I possess. I suddenly came to that realization recently when I told somebody with a scooter similar to mine that his was a virtual antique. The big scooter is a copy of a design from 1985. Motorcycles go through big changes every five years or so but scooters aren't so blessed...

I read another blog this morning by someone with a much larger readership than mine. He was praising his scooter because the odometer had just turned 28,000 miles. It seems that the owners of this particular brand of scooter regards 30,000 miles as the Holy Grail of mileage. My question is....”REALLY?”

I just looked at my calendar and it confirmed that it's the year 2015. In 1955, sixty years ago, reaching 10,000 miles was an achievement as the metal and electrical parts would wear out f...

I have been having a crisis of faith for about a year now wrestling with what I want to do next on two wheels. Don't get me wrong, I like the scooters but every time I throw a leg over either the 50cc bike or the Honda Rebel I am reminded what a hoot a motorcycle can be. I couldn't put it into words what the difference is between a motorcycle and a scooter ride until I read this on a scooter forum.

“Being conveyed by a CVT is just not the same as tapping through the gears on a shifter bike...

This might get a little preachy but bear with me. I have to say it somewhere and this will be as private as I can get. Let me start.

Scooter owners are NUTS!

Of course many of you will say, “But Jim, you are a scooter owner”. Yes, I am, but NO, I'm not. I prefer to think of myself as a Motorcyclist who is experimenting with other genre. I can jump on the Honda Rebel motorcycle just as readily as I can throw a leg over the Chinese scooters.

Why I say they're NUTS is from the reading I've ...

Since the riding season is now in full motion the usual group of maintenance tasks are now required. The big scooter, since it's my primary ride, was due for its regular thousand mile oil change. A simple oil change is not an epic undertaking on this scooter. A drain plug is in the bottom and on the side of the engine there is a cap with a screen filter and spring behind it. On a good day at a relaxed pace I can accomplish this task in half an hour from the first grabbing of tools to the fin...