June 13, 2011
As most of you know I use the Big Ruckus sparingly but it does get used. Lately I use it most to fetch groceries from Town and see doctors in Binghamton. Today on one grocery run I noticed the odometer passing 2,245 miles. While this is hardly a large amount of miles, few in comparison to the Kawasaki's 20,000+, it did mark a minor milestone of sorts. When I received the scooter out of the dusty clutches of the trailer that held it, the odometer read 1,745 miles. It didn't run and hadn't run, I was told, for several years. After changing the oil, discovering it had been in a flood and curing its run, stall, run, stall issues I began to put miles on it. Now less than eight months later it has 500 miles more than when I got it.
Now that the weather has warmed up I ride much more, mostly on the Chinese scooter, but I should be making more trips on the Big Ruckus. So far, between the two scooters, I've done about 1200 miles and hope to be doing many more. It's just gratifying to see the Big Ruckus brought back from the brink and turned into a useful citizen again.
Posted by Jim Zeiser.
May 23, 2011
I just listed the Kawasaki on Craigslist and already I have someone who seems interested. He has to sell his bike first so it's not a done deal but it might very well happen in the coming couple of weeks. As much as I like the Big Ruckus it makes me feel like I'm selling out to old age keeping it and parting with the Kaw. It's smaller, lower to the ground and an automatic that requires nothing more than twist on the throttle to get it going. It's far less involving than the clutch and five sp...
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Posted by Jim Zeiser.
May 15, 2011
For the first time this season the weather cooperated enough that I was able to take the scooter to work every day. My job is pretty much part time at the moment so it was only four days but at thirty-five miles for the round trip it piled 140 miles on the little thing. It's handling the seventeen mile ride each way fairly well and I only have to flag a few cars by as I make the trip. I cruise well below the speed limit and most people drive somewhat above it so I watch my mirrors and flag th...
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Posted by Jim Zeiser.
May 2, 2011
Yesterday I had the rare opportunity of using three two wheeled conveyances in the fleet. It's always nice to be able to use some of the bikes for useful purposes and not just joyriding. My first trip was an unexpected call into work. The weather was quite nice and I felt like using the Big Ruckus as it seems to get pretty good gas mileage and maintains highway speed so there isn't the time penalty that using the Chinese 150 incurs. It covered the trip into work quite well and the gas gauge h...
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Posted by Jim Zeiser.
April 21, 2011
The weather has finally started to cooperate and I'm starting to put some miles on my two wheeled vehicles. First off, the speedometer drive arrived for the Big Ruckus and with a little help from my electric impact gun and some juggling I installed it. The old one jammed one of the gears and stripped the teeth off another rendering the unit junk. Now I know how fast and how far I'm going again.
The Chinese scooter is getting a workout and I used it as a grocery getter numerous times last week...
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Posted by Jim Zeiser.
April 13, 2011
The Big Ruckus has exerted its right to be needy just in time for the Spring riding season. When I took it to be inspected it broke its speedometer drive. It's not expensive in the grand scheme of things, just pricey in comparison to the Chinese parts I've been accustomed to buying. Fortunately it's available online, as all Honda parts are, so while I dislike paying shipping charges the price of gas makes it cheaper than driving to a Honda dealer, twice, and it comes to my door.
While I was r... Continue reading...
Posted by Jim Zeiser.
April 3, 2011
After an intense paperwork battle I got the Big Ruckus registered and had to take the final step in making it an honest citizen. Getting it inspected. Fortunately the person who does inspections here has reasonably flexible hours because he's also the man who owns the business. Also, the weather has been terrible with rain, cold or snow making travel on a scooter either an exercise in pain or danger anytime I had a free moment. This past Saturday Mother Nature relented a little and I got to t...
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Posted by Jim Zeiser.
February 20, 2011
In about a week I'll be facing a dilemma that will really have me tossing in my sleep-maybe. It's possible that the paperwork issue with the Honda Big Ruckus will finally be fixed and I'll have to decide what I keep and what to sell. I'm not like these people who have different bikes for different days of the week. I can only afford to keep one bike around at a time for major riding and the scooter for short hops into town. If I sort out the paper mess on the Honda either it or the Kawasaki ...
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Posted by Jim Zeiser.
February 8, 2011
Last year I let this site sit idle for the same reason you haven't heard from me in seven weeks. It's thirteen degrees outside and there's a foot and a half of snow in front of the garage. Obviously not riding weather. It's paining me not to be able to ride as the price of gas reaches $3.50 a gallon but I'm neither a masochist or a glutton for punishment. The roads are covered in snow more often than not and it's been in the twenties since the beginning of December. I was starting the bikes f...
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Posted by Jim Zeiser.
December 31, 2010
With the new year on the horizon it's time to look back and reflect. This was the year I got to take a long ride on the Kawasaki and do the MSF Experienced Rider Course in New Jersey, even staying overnight in a hotel. I purchased two scooters as speculation, although I might keep one, and rode all the two wheeled creatures in my fleet at least once. Let's see, that's two motorcycles, three scooters and two mopeds. All of which are running soundly.
Sara had her biggest year ever on her Honda R... Continue reading...
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.
