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I'm in Copenhagen, so not that far away. Though it will probably be hideously expensive to get to Zealand 
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Jun 16, 2010 14:09
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Mathturbator posted:I'm in Copenhagen, so not that far away. Though it will probably be hideously expensive to get to Zealand for some reason i read that as new zealand, just write sjælland you doof. srsly though, it fits nicely on any medium sized trailer, and it also runs, so you could be crazy and drive it yourself
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Jun 16, 2010 14:56
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AncientTV posted:I waved to someone on a ruckus today, and he did the snap-and-point thing back. I would like to formally offer this up for use by all scooterists as your Main Wave™ I am proud to say that this is already my standard wave to all scooterists. Well, without the snap, just the finger-gun that conveys a message of "hey partner, you're alright"
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Jun 16, 2010 14:57
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Also, I just went to the Birmingham Alabama rally over the weekend, and it was by far my favorite of the year. I had assumed that all of Alabama was a poo poo-hole full of rednecks, but Birmingham was really cute, and the Birmingham Scooter Syndicate were all super-nice super-awesome guys.
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Jun 16, 2010 15:01
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Frobbe posted:for some reason i read that as new zealand, just write sjælland you doof. Well, let me know if your buyer bails!
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Jun 16, 2010 15:34
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 Click here for the full 1366x1337 image. Picked up this 95 Elite 80 to compliment my 85 150 
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Jun 24, 2010 22:30
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TylerC, I must say the robotic and angular looks of your '80s scooters are really starting to grow on me. You'll see the occasional Beluga, Elite or Lead on Vancouver craigslist (usually for a pittance) and it's just so tempting to grab one. I guess I should get rid of the Dio first. Gay Nudist Dad posted:I almost always wave to scooterists even when they're on Chinese bikes and unlikely to return it. Not really understanding the hate on Chinese scooters. I wouldn't recommend one to a total noob but they can be a pretty good deal for anyone is willing to do a proper pdi (pre-destination inspection) and knows a set of spanners from their own rear end in a top hat.
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Jun 25, 2010 06:21
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Aguirre posted:Not really understanding the hate on Chinese scooters. That's sometimes true, but it's all-too-frequently true that they fail catastrophically for no good reason. And it's not like they're even nice when they're running.
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Jun 25, 2010 07:29
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Seeing a lot of '09 Kymco Agility 125s popping up at various dealers, trying to get rid of old models. Been looking to pick up a good scooter and seeing these drop from 2k to 1500 (plus ~200 for tax+fees) is pretty tempting. Unfortunately the dealer in town isn't doing the same, but I'll probably go see how I fit on one regardless. Before I think about driving an hour or two away before realizing if it's comfortable or not. Used scooters/motorcycles in my area is pretty bleak, it's either Harley's or cheap Chinese scooters people are trying to get rid of. While I know the Agility is made in China, it has more quality control and way more parts support than any Chinese junker. Only other options are either Yamaha Vino/Zuma 125 or a Buddy 125, but those are kinda out of my price range.
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Jun 25, 2010 10:14
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^^^^^^^^^^^^ I've heard some funny things about their fit and finish but they seem to be reliable. I don't know if they come with the same warranty as the rest of their lineup.
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Jun 25, 2010 15:27
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Hey, a scooter thread! I rode a twist 'n go Venice into the ground between 3 years in Los Angeles and 5 years in Seattle (and yeah, I knew/still don't know much about small-engine maintenance, but I'm learning). I picked up a new Kymco Super 8 two months ago and love it so much. I'm really looking forward to Scooter Insanity 23 next weekend. Pictures:  Waiting for the Bremerton ferry to go see a friend: 
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Jun 25, 2010 17:02
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Kalista posted:Hey, a scooter thread! I rode a twist 'n go Venice into the ground between 3 years in Los Angeles and 5 years in Seattle (and yeah, I knew/still don't know much about small-engine maintenance, but I'm learning). I picked up a new Kymco Super 8 two months ago and love it so much. I'm really looking forward to Scooter Insanity 23 next weekend. How are Kymco's anyway? I see a fair amount of them here around Taiwan, but I don't know much about them. I'm sorta in the market for a new (used) scooter so I'm curious. Reliability is paramount as scooters are pretty much your first and last line of transportation here. Also somewhat odd question for ya'll: Which do you guys prefer for cornering: leg out -or- leg in? I have a habit of keeping my leg in as it can get pretty dicey racing between cars in heavy traffic, but putting a leg out keeps me from leaning too far over in tight cornering. Its not like we have the kind of lean motorcycles have after-all. So I'm curious what is considered proper scooting technique?
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Jun 26, 2010 16:45
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HappyHelmet posted:How are Kymco's anyway? I see a fair amount of them here around Taiwan, but I don't know much about them. I'm sorta in the market for a new (used) scooter so I'm curious. Reliability is paramount as scooters are pretty much your first and last line of transportation here. From everything I've heard Kymcos are drat reliable. Some of their bikes are made in mainland China, and on those the fit-and-finish suffers (the Agility 125 I sat on confirmed this), but apparently they are still mechanically quite sound. I keep my leg in while cornering, but it's just preference. In most of the scooter racing I've seen they put a knee out like sportbikers, though.
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Jun 26, 2010 19:11
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Gay Nudist Dad posted:From everything I've heard Kymcos are drat reliable. Some of their bikes are made in mainland China, and on those the fit-and-finish suffers (the Agility 125 I sat on confirmed this), but apparently they are still mechanically quite sound. Thanks for the Kymco info. I'm still leaning toward a used Yamaha 150cc, as my current Yamaha 100cc has treated me right, but this will help me keep my options open. Kicking a leg out on tight cornering just feels more natural too me on a scooter for some reason. I gotta break that habit before I bust my leg on the back of someones car though  .
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Jun 27, 2010 02:04
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Having a 2 stroke, do I have to worry about the "up to 10% ethanol" gas and my oil mixing properly or is it just E85 that I should keep away from? I've had my Rattler for a little over a year and haven't had a problem except for the occasional backfire (which is cool as hell) but is there something I need to be doing to prevent future problems?
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Jun 27, 2010 07:20
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Ampersand-e posted:Having a 2 stroke, do I have to worry about the "up to 10% ethanol" gas and my oil mixing properly or is it just E85 that I should keep away from? I've had my Rattler for a little over a year and haven't had a problem except for the occasional backfire (which is cool as hell) but is there something I need to be doing to prevent future problems? In my region, premium fuel (91-94 AKI) usually doesn't have ethanol added. It may be unnecessary to use fuel of such a high rating but it's insurance for getting pure petrol. Does anyone know exactly how ethanol wrecks engines? Do they just carbon up faster?
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Jun 27, 2010 08:32
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I think the Ethanol actually loosens big clumps of corrosion which gently caress up your engine like a clot in an artery. It also dissolves the rubber parts inside the engine. I've heard that E83 will gently caress up a chainsaw so I assume the same is true with any 2 stroke.
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Jun 27, 2010 11:08
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It probably wreaks havoc on the crank seals among other things. I'm glad you told me about this. I recently put a tank of regular in the Dio. Won't be doing that again.
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Jun 27, 2010 15:18
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Ampersand-e posted:Having a 2 stroke, do I have to worry about the "up to 10% ethanol" gas and my oil mixing properly or is it just E85 that I should keep away from? I've had my Rattler for a little over a year and haven't had a problem except for the occasional backfire (which is cool as hell) but is there something I need to be doing to prevent future problems? Can you pin the backfiring specifically on the ethanol? Being a new 2-stroke it probably came from the factory leaned out to pass emissions, so I wouldn't be surprised if that alone caused your backfiring.
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Jun 27, 2010 20:44
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Yay, new scooter! Just picked up a blue 07 Yamaha C3 for $1200 on Craigslist, only 2k miles. Click here for the full 1024x1280 image. 49cc, fuel injection, 115 mpg, 9 gallons of underseat storage. Feels about as fast as my old Honda CH80, does at least 43 indicated on a straightaway. I tried to play "How much beer fits inside Nate's new scooter?", but I don't have enough beer to fill it. I'm guessing it'll hold at least 36 cans of beer if I ever have that many on hand:  Click here for the full 912x684 image.
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Jun 28, 2010 08:18
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HappyHelmet posted:Which do you guys prefer for cornering: leg out -or- leg in?  @ tight cornering on my scooter. I've got an early 80s Spree and there's a fairly tight turn during my commute which I can't make without scraping the scooter if I'm going over 15 mph or so. Sad. 
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Jun 28, 2010 17:13
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Ampersand-e posted:I think the Ethanol actually loosens big clumps of corrosion which gently caress up your engine like a clot in an artery. It also dissolves the rubber parts inside the engine. I've heard that E83 will gently caress up a chainsaw so I assume the same is true with any 2 stroke. It wont be good for the crank seals, which is what you need to be the most worried about on a scooter. I run premium on principle in all my 2-strokes, as the extra detonation protection that premium provides is worth it.
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Jun 28, 2010 17:52
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Had my first real encounter with a couple of teenage douchebags while on my lunch break. When I came out of the grocery store, they were sitting on their bicycles staring at my Stella and talking poo poo about how gay it looked. I just came out, loaded up my groceries, and they tried talking their poo poo directly at me. I just put on my helmet, aimed my pipe in their general direction and kickstarted her up. A nice blue cloud of smoke, and then all I could hear other than my exhaust was two retards coughing.
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Jun 28, 2010 22:35
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^^^ You should have asked them how much horsepower their push-bikes had. Nate Falls posted:
I always thought these resembled ice coolers with wheels and with a capacity of 36, it'll be put to good use. They seem pretty fast on the straights. How are they on hills?
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Jun 29, 2010 03:28
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CubanRefugee posted:Had my first real encounter with a couple of teenage douchebags while on my lunch break. You should have told them to go look up reaction formation and then winked at them and told them to come find you once they figure things out. Even if you aren't gay, there's nothing more hilarious than making awkward teenagers feel even more awkward. And besides, its a couple teenagers, who cares. Also, I just took an endorsement class last weekend, so I'm in the market for a scooter. I'm leaning really heavily toward a Stella. It seems to hit the sweet spot of looks, cost, reliability and performance. I really hate how most "modern" scooters look, and I'm hesitant to pay the premium for the vespa name, especially on something new. Anybody in Seattle want to buy a 1978 vespa bravo moped? NotJoe fucked around with this message at 07:13 on Jun 29, 2010 |
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Jun 29, 2010 07:04
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NotJoe posted:looks NotJoe posted:cost NotJoe posted:reliability NotJoe posted:performance All that said I fuckin' love my Stella, it's a way more rewarding bike to ride and to own than my Vino 125 ever was. I knew going in that buying a Stella would be buying me into a hobby with more depth than riding (that is, becoming an amateur scooter mechanic). As the mechanic - who owned classic 'brettas and Vespas but currently rode a GTS250 - at the scooter shop I bought it from said: even if you've never named a vehicle before, you will come up with a name for a Stella (or any other classic-type 2-stroke shifty scooter). Even when they work they have personality. Mine's a finicky bitch. Her name is Barbarella. Gay Nudist Dad fucked around with this message at 08:03 on Jun 29, 2010 |
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Jun 29, 2010 08:01
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Gay Nudist Dad posted:
In which way is the Stella more rewarding than the Vino? Simply in the sense that you've put more into it?
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Jun 29, 2010 16:18
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Thats the same reasoning that Ducati/Aprilia/Guzzi/whatever other european bike owners use to justify their bikes over the Japanese ones. Lets not get into the SOUL and PASSION world here. If you like wrenching on your bike, thats great, but it doesn't make it better than a bike with less maintenance requirements.
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Jun 29, 2010 16:37
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Phat_Albert posted:Thats the same reasoning that Ducati/Aprilia/Guzzi/whatever other european bike owners use to justify their bikes over the Japanese ones. Well I was going to say that the things that make it more rewarding include -having a manual transmission over a CVT, and thus having a direct connection between the engine and the rear wheel with no slack that I am in total control of, versus having to get some pulleys and belts and weights to do what I want; -the two-stroke goodness, because the smell is intoxicating and it has a ton of tuning/modification options that don't exist to the same extent on any 4t scooter and don't offer the same power/$ when they do. I've found that I like turning wrenches for upgrades/repairs and I just didn't have that opportunity on the Vino (in part because it "just ran"), there's very little out for it in comparison; -the vague bullshitty reason, where being forced to actually know what's happening under the engine cover makes me more in tune with how what I do with the controls affects the engine, for example now I actually think "Okay the bike runs like this and has this much power at this throttle position, and I'm mostly all on the main jet right now, so it feels like my main jet is tuned right." Phat_Albert I didn't say that unreliable = better, I said that I find it rewarding. Some people just like riding, and even on that front I think the 2-stroke and 4-speed make it more satisfying than a 4t CVT. Some people don't want to shift or tune or repair, and for them a modern 4t CVT scoot will be more satisfying because it will always just work. Neither is better, but Stella's better for me. Gay Nudist Dad fucked around with this message at 18:39 on Jun 29, 2010 |
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Jun 29, 2010 18:34
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Gay Nudist Dad posted:If you buy used. Theres a dealership nearby selling 'new' 2008 Stellas for about $2600, which is a little bit more than a used one on craigslist, but waaay less than even a used vespa. quote:If you mod it, carefully. They are loving slow stock. I've been riding a 50cc bravo, so I'm sure pretty much anything will seem fast in comparison. I don't expect to take it on the highway, mostly just for daily travel around town. quote:even if you've never named a vehicle before, you will come up with a name for a Stella (or any other classic-type 2-stroke shifty scooter). Even when they work they have personality. Mine's a finicky bitch. Her name is Barbarella. Is this only a 2 stroke thing? Is the upcoming 4 stroke expected to be less finicky? NotJoe fucked around with this message at 19:34 on Jun 29, 2010 |
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Jun 29, 2010 19:32
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NotJoe posted:Theres a dealership nearby selling 'new' 2008 Stellas for about $2600, which is a little bit more than a used one on craigslist, but waaay less than even a used vespa. $2600 is a very good deal; I got mine for $2800 OTD because my local dealer was going out of business and clearing their inventory. From a 50cc it will blow you away with torque, and if you spend like $125 and a couple hours to put on a Sito+, new air filter, and rejet the carb, you'll be alike whoa power once again. It's amazing how much power it gave. I don't think anybody knows on the 4t. I'd expect it'll be better, but they've been kinda indefinitely delayed by the EPA right now so it'll be a while before anyone has any clue.
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Jun 29, 2010 20:35
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Supposedly, it's going to have better emissions and more power. I guess it isn't that surprising considering the 2t is based on a half decade old design. It should be interesting. Test ride both when they come out and decide if emissions and fuel efficiency are more important to you than price, noise, and soul.  http://2strokebuzz.com/2009/05/07/the-new-stella-unveiled
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Jun 30, 2010 15:53
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Thing is, I want to get one NOW. I'd probably go for the 4t right now if it was out, but I dont want to sit and wait for it while all the nice weather is going on..
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Jun 30, 2010 18:57
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Tonight I saw a scooter that looked like it had training wheels. From a distance it seemed like a trike, but I'm pretty sure it still had the main back wheel and the two side wheels were almost the same size as the main ones. It wasn't a 50cc, definitely a bigger displacement scooter. WTH was I seeing?!?!
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Jul 1, 2010 05:03
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Was it one of these?
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Jul 1, 2010 08:18
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That sure seems like it. I wish I had seen it in the day, but that seems pretty much it. I can't imagine paying that price at all.
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Jul 1, 2010 20:17
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I was up in the Wisconsin Dells this weekend. Nice to see a town that is scooter friendly
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Jul 5, 2010 16:04
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I'm kinda considering grabbing a Ruckus off of CL to tinker with until I can pick up a reasonable S30 Datsun. Can anyone gimme a basic rundown on Ruck ownership, especially whether tinkering with it is actually rewarding? I get a faint vibe that most of the Ruckus aftermarket stuff is pretty much two-wheeled ricey stuff. The Ruckus appeals to me mainly because its a scooter (which appeals to me) that doesn't look like Prince's bike in Purple Rain (which doesn't). I'm not bagging on other scooter styles, they just don't appeal to me. I kinda like the Ruckus' Mad Max ratrod potential. Any other suggestions? Houston doesn't have quite the thriving nifty vintage scooter scene that other cities do, or I would probably be looking for some busted up 70s Honda.
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Jul 6, 2010 02:19
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Swordfish posted:I get a faint vibe that most of the Ruckus aftermarket stuff is pretty much two-wheeled ricey stuff. Is there any other kind of scooter mod? Ruckus' are good scooters but slow as poo poo, if you want to ride on anything other than residential or inner city streets you'll need to do an engine swap. With the size of the aftermarket these days it's not hard to get a 150cc+ GY6 and bolt it in though.
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Jul 6, 2010 07:01
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From what I gather, they seem to be more expensive to get meager gains out of them. They are, however, about as reliable as a brick so if you need it to start and run every day, grab it. The 150cc GY6 swap is definitely a good option but other than that there's not a lot to make them any faster. You're pretty much stuck with ricing it or fabricating your own suspension mods. If you're okay with the plastic fantastic looks and the possibility of catastrophic failure, a 2-stroke from Japan or Taiwan is relatively inexpensive to tune and mess with. You can buy big bore kits for minarelli engines (which most of them have) for as little as 100US. With the right combination of fuel mixture, lubrication, and witchcraft, it might even be reliable.
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Jul 6, 2010 16:45
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