March 29, 2014
My next door neighbor has a pair of ear rings that are cursed. They're in the shape of snow flakes and as soon as she brings them out the Winter becomes brutal. Usually she just threatens her daughters with wearing them but this year she caused the Polar Vortex to descend on the entire nation by posting a picture of them on Facebook. The weather was taking a small turn for the better, when this week she posted the picture again and we had freezing temperatures and another snowstorm. She has decided to end Winter for us and packed them away in a spell proof case for the season so today we finally had temperatures in the upper forties since before Christmas.
That being the case you just had to know I would fire up Rocket, my 50cc bike, for another run to the grocery store. It was the first time in months that I ventured out with lightweight leather gloves and no scarf. Rocket was more than ready and the trip to the store seemed to take even less time than usual. It might have been the warmer temps and no headwind but I'm more inclined to think it was feeling the nice weather. The only blemish on the whole adventure was the sand and cinders remaining on the road, especially the corners. I always find it mystifying that the worst piles of sand and debris settle in the one place you need the most traction. Riders falling in corners on sand and gravel is a common tale but luckily I seem to have avoided the trap.
I had to visit three locations in my travels and Rocket was totally unfazed by the whole trip. In fact it seemed ready for longer. Easy Big Fella, there's a lot of Spring left.
Posted by Jim Zeiser.
March 23, 2014
I was scanning through Facebook the other day when I noticed that Matt from Parts for Scooters was inquiring, "It's the first day of Spring. Where did you ride today." I had forgotten up to that point that it was the first day of a new season. I've gotten accustomed to March 21st being the first day and the solstice was actually March 20th this year. That, of course, set my wheels to turning. I didn't want the event to pass without notice so I walked out to the garage, fired up Rocket (my 50c...
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Posted by Jim Zeiser.
March 12, 2014
Yesterday we had a typical "Day Before the Storm" kind of a day. The temperature soared into the forties, the sun was out making it feel warmer and with the snow coming today I just had to ride to work. Now which one of the fleet would both survive the salt covered highway and make the ride special? My 50cc bike, Rocket, of course. It has become my ride for fun and laughter in this dreary winter. It has just enough horsepower to scale the steepest hills slowly, and the feel of a small motorcy...
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Posted by Jim Zeiser.
March 1, 2014
As you can see by the video above I rode the scooter on a frigid day. There actually is a reason and it's not because I lost my mind. My faithful minivan suffered another parts breakage due to old age and the elements. I had the occasion to look the car over last week and noticed that one of the front shock absorbers, commonly called a strut, had broken and made the car hazardous. I slowly drove it to my local garage, they ordered the parts and I was without four wheels for several days. This...
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Posted by Jim Zeiser.
February 20, 2014
The temperature outside today finally moved away from zero to the mid-thirties and the sun made an appearance. I had to ride. There was a grocery list waiting so I even had a reason to go and not just joyride. The 50cc bike cooperated fully and fired up on about the third kick. I had to put some air in the back tire and with the choke secured the little bike just sat and held a nice, steady idle as I finished that task. It was time to go!
My driveway is covered in hard pack snow and traversing...
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Posted by Jim Zeiser.
February 8, 2014
I don't know which is worse. Looking out my window at all the snow, knowing how cold it is, or looking at the long range forecast, which is pretty bleak. Usually there's at least one thaw in the Winter and I get to ride something. It doesn't look like we can expect any thawing soon. Maybe in March, but certainly not in February. The closest I can get to any kind of riding is sitting on my fleet when I test start them every couple of weeks. The only kind of motorized activity I've had lately i...
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Posted by Jim Zeiser.
January 28, 2014
I was reading my facebook account the other day and Gilligan's Ice Cream in Sherburne had this tasty little note. "The first bike night is only 100 days away." One hundred days is still over three months away from now but but at least it gives a benchmark of when we'll be riding again under warm, sunny skies. The quote was accompanied by a picture of one of last season's bike nights with green lawn and people in short sleeves. It seems like I've been in sweatshirts forever but better days are...
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Posted by Jim Zeiser.
January 22, 2014
As I sit here and write this, the temperature out side is two degrees with a windchill of 15 below. There won't be any riding in the near future, that's for sure. Last week there was a glorious break in the weather and my fleet got a brief workout. As I wrote last time, I had the opportunity to ride the 50cc bike into town for groceries. On Wednesday I had another chance to ride when a shortage in some commodity reared its head. Much like on Monday the trip was special and I got even more fri...
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Posted by Jim Zeiser.
January 14, 2014
I have my monthly ride chain intact. It was in the mid thirties yesterday so i just had to ride something. I needed some small purchases from the local grocery store and Family Dollar and the 50cc bike was calling to me. A few kicks on the old fashioned kick start lever and it fired right up and off I went. Now I had a question asked of me and I'll tell you the honest truth. No, I wasn't cold even though the wind chills hovered around zero. Today's modern clothing materials are pretty amazing...
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Posted by Jim Zeiser.
January 2, 2014
It has been an eventful year, riding wise, for my fleet of two wheelers and me. The topper of the year was my daughter Cheryl coming to visit for the first time in ten years and riding a pair of Chinese two wheelers. I won't ever forget the ride to Wendy's to meet my buddy Marc and his family for lunch. Sara on her Rebel, me on the 50cc bike and Cheryl on the 150cc Chinese scooter. Cheri took a picture of the six of us and labeled it "A meeting of the motorcycle gang" on facebook. It got a lo...
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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.
