Fall Riding
October 2, 2012
It's very satisfying to commute to work or make grocery runs on my two wheeled steeds. The hills here are very colorful as the leaves turn bright shades of colors before falling off in advance of the cold weather. The rides too are beginning to become cooler as the hours of sunlight shorten. It feels like only a few weeks ago that the temperatures outside were sizzling but now are beginning to move into the cold department. I don't know if I've lost a few nerve endings or are finally getting accustomed to the cold here but I'm still able to ride as the thermometer sinks into the lower forties. The only thing slowing down my riding is the rain that seems to come whenever I plan to ride. I've taken the car to work a few times in the last couple of weeks and burned pricey fuel to stay dry.
The mini motorcycle continues to amaze. I had to buy a battery for it last week when its Chinese original finally signed off. I'm not surprised that it expired since most online dealers tell you to replace the battery immediately and I got three years of loyal service out of it. It was relatively painless, expense-wise, at a mere $28.00 for a new one. In comparison to the $130.00 I spent this summer for one of my car's batteries it was practically invisible. The 50cc engine continues to hum along like new even though its odometer just turned 3,000 km (1864 miles) on a recent trip into town. I described its dependability as "Honda-reliable" to a friend the other day. They sell larger, faster versions of this engine in different bikes online and I would love to try them. As easy as it is to just twist the throttle and go on my scooter, doing clean shifts with this different style engine is a challenge. It also makes such a sweet sound I would enjoy hearing it from a larger motor. Not to mention being able to run with traffic and climb hills easier.
As it looks I should be riding for several more weeks. Unless it rains every day or worse, snows, the 250 scooter will be serving me as a commuter until Halloween. I'll let you know.
The mini motorcycle continues to amaze. I had to buy a battery for it last week when its Chinese original finally signed off. I'm not surprised that it expired since most online dealers tell you to replace the battery immediately and I got three years of loyal service out of it. It was relatively painless, expense-wise, at a mere $28.00 for a new one. In comparison to the $130.00 I spent this summer for one of my car's batteries it was practically invisible. The 50cc engine continues to hum along like new even though its odometer just turned 3,000 km (1864 miles) on a recent trip into town. I described its dependability as "Honda-reliable" to a friend the other day. They sell larger, faster versions of this engine in different bikes online and I would love to try them. As easy as it is to just twist the throttle and go on my scooter, doing clean shifts with this different style engine is a challenge. It also makes such a sweet sound I would enjoy hearing it from a larger motor. Not to mention being able to run with traffic and climb hills easier.
As it looks I should be riding for several more weeks. Unless it rains every day or worse, snows, the 250 scooter will be serving me as a commuter until Halloween. I'll let you know.
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.
