June 18, 2014
I rarely check the mileage on the 150cc scooter, Lazarus, since it fluctuates with the amount of throttle I use. Today I had the opportunity to check when I filled up at a gas station in Masonville. After riding 57 miles the scooter got 73.5 mpg from the tank. I was pretty happy with that figure since it included my commute to Sidney and back. When I use my minivan exclusively for commuting to work I'm fortunate to get around 18 mpg. On the open road, without the climbs I make commuting to work, the car has gotten 24 mpg. That said you'll notice that the scooter gets about two and a half times the mpg the minivan does. While I've noted the mileage figures before on the scooter it reaffirms my contentment in riding to save money.
On an average trip to work my car will burn two gallons of gas in a day. The scooters will burn around a half gallon per trip. Saving the money on top of the enjoyment of riding is a dual benefit in my eyes. I won't go so far as calling myself a "Green Commuter", but heck, I am using less energy. Plus I get to smile while doing it.
My scooters both received their scheduled oil changes in the past week. Happily nothing surprising came out in the oil. Both engines are solid and holding together well. The big scooter got its usual supply of Mobil 1 synthetic while Lazarus received a refill of Quaker State non-synthetic. The difference in what oil I use stems from what the bikes received since they joined my fleet. The big scooter, I was told, originally received Amsoil at $12 a quart. Too rich for my blood. I switched it to Mobil 1 which can be had on sale for under $6.00 a quart. I'm sure the engine will last just as long with a lesser priced lubricant. Lazarus usually gets what ever brand name, non-synthetic oil I can find on sale. All oils are amazing fluids these days and will keep a well tended engine running for a long time and help me have fun and save money.
Posted by Jim Zeiser.
June 12, 2014
If there is one thing I have avoided for years it's riding in the rain. Heavy rain drops can be like tiny stones under the right conditions. While it's also not as bad as some places I've ridden the water splashing up from the road leaves a layer of slime and hides in all the nooks and crannies in a scooter. Even with a good wipe down the scooter never looks as nice without hours of cleaning work, something I'm not the best at. Yesterday, despite careful scrutiny of the various weather sites ...
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Posted by Jim Zeiser.
June 3, 2014
One of the joys of owning two wheeled conveyances is the need to perform periodic maintenance. Unlike a car where an occasional oil change or brake job is a regular thing, motorcycles, scooters and mopeds require more labor intensive maneuvers. Right now everything out there could use an oil change, the two scooters need new drive belts installed and there's at least one, OK two...alright three, machines that could use a check of engine valve clearances. Today I got off my chair and began the...
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Posted by Jim Zeiser.
May 26, 2014
The weather has finally begun to cooperate and my fleet is shaking off the dust of a long Winter. I have had the opportunity to ride the big scooter to work twice in the last couple of weeks, happily. Both the 150cc scooter and the 50cc bike have made numerous runs into Town for groceries, Pharmacy visits and Take Out pickups. While these trips sound boring the opportunity to ride is always an event and the savings in fuel has long been documented in these entries.
This past Sunday was one of ...
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Posted by Jim Zeiser.
May 19, 2014
In the grand order of things you would expect that the biggest scooter in my fleet would also have the most mileage. Last year I had the opportunity to ride the big scooter a lot, commuting back and forth to work. Not so this year. With the bad weather, hours cut at work and weekly visits to the doctor my commuting miles have been cut back drastically up to this point. This has caused a shift in the vehicles that get used most.
My 150cc scooter, named Lazarus, has been the long distance travel...
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Posted by Jim Zeiser.
May 11, 2014
This past Thursday I observed one of those situations that makes you shake your head. I had looked at two weather forecast sites on the web and they were very discouraging in my plans to take a scooter to work. Two of the three I use stated that there was a good possibility that it would rain so I was beginning to sink into a "Need to Drive" mindset. I was totally planning to take the car when I got a message from Sara that she had heard from colleagues that the day would be totally clear and...
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Posted by Jim Zeiser.
May 3, 2014
Every year motorcyclists have to go through the annual task of registration renewal and safety inspection. I have two options for getting the scooters and Rebel inspected. One is a fifty mile round trip to Walton, the other a scant thirty-two mile jaunt to Hancock. As much as I like the guys at Klinger Kawasaki in Walton I prefer the one on one relationship I have with Paul at Vetrone's in Hancock. Paul is an old time Harley guy who started out on a Honda. He treats my Chinese scooters like a...
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Posted by Jim Zeiser.
April 25, 2014
Yes everyone, it's that time of year again. The warm weather beckons everyone to get out of the house, visit people and make a few recreational trips. So what happens? The price of gasoline is rising again. Over the cold weather gas hovered around $1.75 and now I'm seeing $1.95 in spots. You know what I say? "Bring it on." I'm sad for those of you without the cheap transportation I have at my disposal, but I'll fight for all of you. The bikes in my garage have mpg capability approaching 70, w...
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Posted by Jim Zeiser.
April 18, 2014
With the sketchy weather we've had, either raining, snowing or bitterly cold, I haven't needed the big scooter yet. Today I finally dragged it out for a ride. It was great. I forgot how comfortable it is, how easy it is to ride and how well it carries groceries. This will be a great riding season.
I had to do some last minute shopping when the boys announced that they were coming home for the weekend. While the supply of staples was adequate for Sara and I, they needed bolstering with two Col...
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Posted by Jim Zeiser.
April 6, 2014
The weather is finally breaking and we're beginning to get warmer temperatures. In honor of the event I rolled the original scooter, the 150cc Bashan, out for the trip to work. As much as I like the 50cc bike it has some troubles climbing two of the hills between here and my job. The 150cc scales the inclines with barely an issue and makes the ride less of a challenge. It also has better weather protection with leg shields in front to direct the wind off my lower body. It does ride a little r...
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Posted by Jim Zeiser.
If you wish to comment my e-mail address is h1500e@hotmail.com. I'd like to hear anything-good or bad-that anyone would like to say. As they said in college, we're all lifelong learners.
