Scooting with Dru

This weekend I got to get back on the bike for a good long day of riding for the first time in nearly two weeks between kids and weather.  Not even the frigid sub-20 degree temps would keep me from riding :-).

Fall is such a neat season for me.  Watching nature change her wardrobe from summer greens to reds,  yellows and browns with so many colors in between.  As a rider, it is also a season that presents new challenges.  Leaves on the road, an exploding deer population, and other seasonal hazards are all things that have to be watched for.  Traditionally here in Atlanta, fall is also a very dry period of the year.  Unfortunately, we are so desperate for rain, that we cannot really afford too much dry.    So it was that this morning, when I rolled out of bed to get ready for work, I find myself in the odd position of being all too happy to drive the car as the pitter patter of the rain on the house could be heard.  

So here I sit at work, happy to drive, which for me is a very unusual thing.

One of the biggest hassles for me about my scooter(s) is tires.  While I can easily do most of the maintenance on the scooter, changing a tire really isn't one of them.  So in order to get my tires changed I have to take it in.  That's where I get frustrated.  Right now, the shop I work with doesn't have the equipment to do the job on site.  They have to take the wheel to the sister shop to get the tires done.   That means leaving the bike.  I hate leaving the bike, because I hate being without it.

*grumble*

Yeah, school is back in session, so I get to ride pretty much every day, and I don't want to give up the bike for even a couple of days.  Sad.  I need a life :-).  

Oh well, on that note, I was considering going with the Pirelli's this go around, but it appears that the price is almost double for the Pirelli versus the Michelin.  Since I've seen no compelling evidence that the Pirelli is really that much better a tire, I think I will go with the Michelin again.  That is a 12,000 mile commitment since I seem to wear out 2 rear's for each front.  I guess we will see. 

Mondays Ride Map

Well that was a long weekend :-).  We really didn't plan anything for the weekend, just the usual bits.  Saturday I worked over at the shop (Scooter Superstore of America in Norcross).  However, after work, I had to go to see my daughter's first game as a cheerleader.  The problem, the game is on the other end of the world.  Welcome to Atlanta.  It is 68 miles from the shop to the game, from Norcross to the far side of Kennesaw.  It doesn't help that home is in between the two, about 10 miles north, and that the games starts at 7:30PM. 

Weather was good, but the ride really showed how bad the face shield on my trusty SyMax has gotten over the last 2 years, I got there just in time for kickoff.  But whew, that was a tough ride, in traffic, on some of the very worst roads in terms of poor driving and a lot of threat analysis dealing with alot of incoming roads and traffic.  Personally, I find in-town driving with many lights and intersections to be less stressful than 45-55mph roads with many ingress/egress points, but few lights, and a left turn lane in the middle.  Too many points of threat to monitor easily. 

This week and next are all about politics here in the US.  Generally, I detest politics, so I rarely will go there.  Unfortunately, this years race is really starting to hit a hot button with me.  Like most people in the US, the economy is a worry, the war in Iraq (and Afghanistan) is an issue, but one that is unlikely to win or lose the election.  The economy is ultimately going to be the issue central to this election, as it should be.

The problem is that our economic problems are deeply rooted in several other issues yet it appears that the politicians are unwilling to talk about the fundamental problems, just the impossible solutions.  These fundamentals are things we have to deal with, not the fluff.

I think what rubs me wrong is that fact that so much of the issue is that we can't say what needs to be said without committing career suicide for the politicians.   We cannot continue the vicious cycle of raising wages to cover the cost of living.  Every time you raise wages, you raise to cost of goods or force jobs offshore.  Yet, that is the political solution, raise wages, adjust taxes. Interestingly, this also relates to the 'energy crisis'.  You see, the US has forgotten how to live frugally.  We have come to use our gas guzzling automobiles as a part of our self image.  Those of us that have chosen to ride scooters, often for entirely different reasons, have found out how much that self image issue is.  We hear the ridicule all the time.  It is just another aspect of the bigger is better culture that is so prevalent.

This is a subject of more than ample debate among motorcyclist around the world.  I don't know that I have strong opinion about the subject, as I don't know that I would personally feel comfortable doing it on a regular basis.  Of course, I don't actually spend much time on roads where it is relevant, but the few times I have found myself in a situation where it would be appropriate, I have to admit that I would like the privilege.

I think what bothers me about the whole thing is that as a rule, drivers don't get it, though they do it all the time.  I've lost count of the number of times I'll be first at a red light and have a car squeeze past me on the right to turn right on red.  Under Georgia law, this is failure to yield and they are clearly in the wrong, but is commonly practiced and largely not enforced.  Meanwhile, if I were to 'filter' forward past them for the same reasons, the same drivers get angry and antagonistic.  

The same holds true of lane sharing or 'whitelining' in traffic.  It makes sense, and as a rider, the safety of moving forward, not sitting in a position where it is like inviting a rear end accident.  I am convinced that if most drivers could, they would.  Look at the number of them ducking and weaving in traffic as it is.  

Not that I really grasp the concept of NORMAL, but with the kids going back to school this morning, my commuting patterns are returning to normal.  For the first time in 3 months, I knew I was commuting by scooter.  I was so excited, I was awake and ready to go a full 30 minutes early.  Yes, I really do enjoy the ride that much.  

This weekend was good though.  Atlanta is getting it's annual 'fall teaser' right now.  Saturday, we went from highs in the high 90's to highs in the low to mid-80's with a wonderful breeze.  This is mother nature's way of telling us to look forward to October, because she's about to blister us with a few 95+ days with 90% humidity :).  Yes that is facetious, but not far from the truth.  

Thanks to the weather, I did ride out to the scooter shop where I've been working Saturdays selling scooters.  It is a good time, and the shop I'm at everyone that works there rides scooters, most of us own more than one.  The ride itself is a nice ride of about 25 miles each way.  The problem is that it really isn't enough to 'get a fix' when you've been caged almost all week.  So Sunday, it was up early, mow the lawn, only to realize it was the last day of summer for the kids. The only ride I got in Sunday was a run up to my brothers to drop something off for him.  

This is my Kymco People 250 that started my scooter adventure in earnest.  While this was not my first scooter, it is the first one that I put real miles on.  In truth, selling it is harder than I expected, simply because it holds some great memories.  This is my Kymco People 250 that started my scooter adventure in earnest.  While this was not my first scooter, it is the first one that I put real miles on.  In truth, selling it is harder than I expected, simply because it holds some great memories.  

That said, I am selling it. The reason is simple, I want to replace it with a vintage project scooter to keep with the BV500.  I am just not riding the Kymco as much as I might wish, and I'd rather see it go to a good home.

So, with a clear title in hand, the People is up for sale, the sooner the better.  It is a 2006, with 8700km (5400 miles).  It has been well maintained with frequent (more frequent than recommended) oil/hub oil changes.  It is very capable both around town and around the burbs.  With a 250cc engine, 16" wheels and a large storage area, this is a great commuter with it's 65 to 70 mpg and 1.7 gallon tank.  

Well, once again my work schedule works out that I get to do another Chattanooga rally.  This year, my schedule will have me in Chattanooga the entire week leading up to AmeriVespa, so I think I'll stay on for the rally.  Should be interesting.  

Since I am riding up Monday though, I'm thinking about taking the long way and spending the day in the mountains.  Should be fun, and now, I'll be spending the rest of the weeks lunches planning routes on google maps :-).

Alpharetta to Destin

Sites

Alright so last week I took a vacation.  For the first time ever, I decided to take my scooter along on a vacation, so I would have some flexibility if work cropped up and the family could stay.  Turns out, I didn't need that flexibility but it was fun to have the scooter.  We have close friends in Destin, FL (they own a great little toy store in the Destin Commons), so we went there to visit them and some of the best beaches in the world.

Leaving early on Monday, I rode the BV500 with my wife in the car with the kids trailing along.  We left about 6am, and the weather was just perfect for  a ride.  I could have easily made it in just 3 stops, but we had a couple of extras in there for kids potty breaks.   The first leg, from Alpharetta to breakfast at Chic-Fil-A in Columbus was almost entirely super slab.  The BV handled that marvelously, cruising at an indicated 80mph most of the way, which worked out to 73mph on the GPS (in the car).  Filled the tank (58mpg), and prepped for the second leg, Columbus to the south side of Dothan, AL for a gas and potty stop. This stretch is mostly 4 lane roads, with sections, particularly from Phenix City to Eufala of 2 lane.  Speed limits are 45-60, so it is still a fast stretch of road.  Again the BV handled great, but at the end of this leg I was running into a problem.  The pants & seat had seams that where working against each other to try and chafe, so I pulled a towel I carry from under the seat to add a layer.  This seemed to solve the issue.  Next up was the final leg.  From I-10 down to US 98 is one of those dangerous roads where the speed limit jumps around alot, and in some cases will go from 60 to 55 to 45 to 35 in the space of a mile as you go through one of the old little towns, so it is a slower ride, but that's alright because it is also quite scenic.  We arrived safe and sound in Destin at about 1:30.