Ever Have One of Those Years?

July 3, 2012
I spent last Saturday replacing the scooter's head gasket and did every trick I know to make it bulletproof. It didn't work. The scooter is still leaking and will require replacing the cylinder head, cylinder and piston to make the engine oil tight. I'm not amused.
Today I removed the cylinder head from the Yamaha and the news there is even worse. The valve broke off inside the engine and wedged itself in the exhaust port. On closer examination the camshaft is worn and the rocker arm that opens the exhaust valve is worn out. New parts will cost over $400, more than the bike is worth. I have a call in to a cycle salvage yard advertising a used cylinder head for $50 which is much more my speed. Stay tuned. 

Posted by Jim Zeiser.

 

Double Boom

June 26, 2012
While I was in the process of dismantling the Yamaha for its valve issues my Chinese scooter joined in the fun. Its mildly annoying oil leak turned into a full blown hemorrhage. Where it formerly used an ounce of oil every 35 miles it suddenly began to bleed almost a half quart at the same distance. I have the plastic panels off, the engine exposed and parts on order to repair it. The Yamaha sits forlornly in the garage at the moment with pieces removed waiting for me to finish the scooter. T...
Continue reading...

Posted by Jim Zeiser.

 

Boom!

June 10, 2012
In the last installment I was celebrating the success of my ancient Yamaha in carrying me back and forth to work. I should have kept quiet. On the hottest day we've had so far this year the engine suddenly locked up and left me stranded about two miles from home. In close to ninety degree temperatures I pushed it home over hill and dale sweating every inch of the way. A short examination, once I could bring myself to face it, revealed an engine valve stuck open and the piston had hit it locki...
Continue reading...

Posted by Jim Zeiser.

 

A Milestone

May 28, 2012
This past Wednesday I finally took a deep breath and rode the Yamaha to work. While the trip is only a few miles further than the run I made to get it inspected the mileage wasn't significant, it was where I traveled that was. Up here in the boonies we have large gaps in cell phone coverage. You go for miles without a cell tower in sight. My trip to work is mostly in a NO SERVICE zone so if the bike quit on me I'd be up a creek. Fortunately it behaved for the most part and got me to work quic...
Continue reading...

Posted by Jim Zeiser.

 

It's Legal

May 19, 2012


After spending a great deal of money, having to submit forms to the Vermont DMV and receiving a Vermont registration for the little Yamaha, it's plated in New York. Now begins the long wait to see what havoc the New York Title Bureau wreaks. In addition to having a proper plate I also took the bike down to my local inspection station and it passed. Going there submitted the little thing to its longest ever trip. It went 32 miles from here to Hancock and back. Two things to note. First, this i...
Continue reading...

Posted by Jim Zeiser.

 

Stormy Weather

May 10, 2012
I don't know what it's been like where you live but the conditions this week has not been "riding weather". Of course I have had the opportunity between rain storms to use the scooter for runs into Town for groceries but commutes to work have been out of the question. I was hoping to really get heavily into using my two wheeled fleet this month but Mother Nature has put a dent in my plans. So far I'm stuck at unlucky 13 for the number of trips to work but the report for tomorrow is looking go...
Continue reading...

Posted by Jim Zeiser.

 

Finally

May 5, 2012
As you know I've been chasing the stalling problem of the little Yamaha ever since I got it running. Today I think I've finally narrowed it down, maybe even solved it. The ignition switch has always been, as my Dad would say, "a little fluky". Unlike every other bike in the garage it doesn't snap into the start position but rather slides over and never has felt completely right. 
One day in the midst of trying to restart it after it stalled on me I twisted the key over and slapped the key down...
Continue reading...

Posted by Jim Zeiser.

 

The Scooter Dozen

April 24, 2012
As you may have guessed the scooter has finally reached twelve trips to work. It has a whopping 6600 miles on it, about to be 6700. I recently came across something that I wrote at the beginning of February stating it had 6100 on it which only heightened my understanding of how mild this winter has been. Last year at this time I was only beginning to ride and if I had one hundred miles on my two wheeled fleet, that was alot. Today is more winter-like with temperatures in the low forties with ...
Continue reading...

Posted by Jim Zeiser.

 

Get Your Motor Running

April 16, 2012
It's been a busy time with my two wheeled fleet and just in time. Gas here has climbed to over $4.10 a gallon for regular and filling the minivan practically requires a loan from the bank. The scooter gets filled from a five gallon can with about four gallons in it and it lasts about three hundred miles. I'm lucky to go about 80 miles with the minivan with that amount so the use of the scooter has been a bonus. I was able to ride both the little Yamaha and the scooter for trips into Town yest...
Continue reading...

Posted by Jim Zeiser.

 

Battle of Wills

April 8, 2012
I'm having a very interesting time with the 250 Yamaha. It was a warm, breezy day today and an excellent opportunity to use the Yamaha for a small shopping trip. It fired right up in the garage and I had a reasonably uneventful ride to the store. In one of my more brilliant moves I had forgotten my wallet and needed to go home for it. Of course as I rode home the bike suddenly went silent. As I fruitlessly tried to start it I noticed the directional signals were still on. Without getting too ...
Continue reading...

Posted by Jim Zeiser.

 
« Newer posts
Older posts »
 

My Ride


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.

Categories

Blog Archive

Make a free website with Yola