Modern Vespa

That just sucks! I run the Vespa down regularly enough to know it flickers with the fuel sloshing. The Guzzi almost never gets low enough for the light to come on. The 5.5 gallon tank helps with that. I agree completely. It would be simple to add fuel level to the Guzzi digital display and an upgraded sensor in the tank. So what if the price of the bike goes up a notch. It certainly wouldn't be enough to stop most from purchasing, but for some, the lack of a guage may give pause to look elsewhere.

I get the point that it's not a bike that you're probably not going to ride for more than a couple of hours or more than 130 miles at a time but I really would prefer a working needle to a light.

I would much rather they left off the traction control and the spend the money on a decent fuel gauge.

Yes it generates a lot of torque but to have it cut the power each time you ride over a man hole gets pretty annoying.

When in doubt buy more bikes.

Yes.

Each one will have things you like and things you don't like.

But, on average, it all equals out.

stupidity:

the gumtree app on my phone let's me zoom attached photos in conversations

the gumtree webpage doesn't let you zoom.

As luck would have it there's another 96 R1100RT up for sale locally with just 23,000 miles on it and it's had a whole lot of expensive bits replaced, one of them being a clutch.

I'm finding it difficult to resist but the fear of having two money pits is kind of putting me off.

I received confirmation yesterday that my boss's boss has issued an edict forcing my boss to shut down the Copy Center that I work at. I still have a job, it just will be at our main shop.

They/we will be relocating everything I have in my small shop (5 printers, various bindery equipment, computers, tables, stock, etc.) to an area in our main shop. I'll still be essentially working alone, but my coworkers will be on the first and second floors of the building, instead of 8 miles away. It's also closer to home, and a more direct commute.

His reasoning is that my shop is not turning a profit. We opened on January 15, 2020. He's not taking into account what happened two months later. The building was about 95% vacant for a year, then went to 50% last year. Just now we're getting to 100%. Business is picking up, but he made his decision based on anomalous information. He doesn't see the value in having our department visible in the main headquarters building. He doesn't see the value in me being able to produce small jobs quickly for the people in the building. He has no experience in the printing industry - his entire career has been in the purchasing/procurement departments of school districts, so he doesn't understand how to run a for-profit print shop. And he disregards the opinions of my boss, who has 30+ years experience in the industry.

I'm trying to raise outrage in the people in the building, hoping that their feedback will get to him and make him change his mind, but I'm also not holding my breath.

So I'm pissed that I have to move based on an ignorant decision of a clueless Executive Director.

On the positive side, I'll have better access to help from my coworkers.

a black widow spider in my mailbox!

Traumatized right now. Beginning tomorrow I'm going to have to use these:

Check inside the Marigolds before putting them on!

Maybe fold up the open end and put a paper clip on them when you remove them after use?

Here in snow country New York we may have some nasty winters but not too many things that will kill you, well except for some so called "humans"!

I didn't win the Lego scooter at the AV raffle.

Feels weird to not care about winning a real scooter, nor much of the other stuff. OTOH, it could make a friend for life by gifting someone an aftermarket exhaust.......

Yet again, waiting in line at the checkout because some entilted lazy bastard can't or won't do his own bagging. The USA is surely the only country where when there isn't an employee to do the bagging the lazy inhabitants just stand there doing sweet FA except gaze at the ceiling while there's a queue behind them.

Then when all that's done, only THEN get out their purse or wallet and fumble about trying to pay.

GGRRRHHH

Well today it's UPS. I can remember when UPS was a good company and you could depend on something showing up in good condition and in a timely manner.

Well at 8:49 AM on July 1, 2022 I placed an order for something from a store in Rochester NY, UPS tracking says it left there facility at 10:20 PM that same day heading my way. At 11:54 PM that same day it was scanned in at the East Syracuse facility.

Now point of reference, my house is just 70 miles from the UPS facility in Rochester, NY and 25 miles from the East Syracuse facility!

Original delivery date was said to be July 2, 2022. Well when it got to be July 6, 2022 and it did not show up or any updates on deliver time I started contacting UPS. Talk about going down a rabbit hole! Spent over two hours most of it was online chat trying to get a human to talk to and even after that the "semi-human" I did talk to was of no help and more or less said "We'll check into it!"

Latest update using tracking number says it's "on the way" and will be here by 7:00 PM on July 8, 2022!

Over one week to move a small package 70 miles?

I have to wonder if being the package is from a drug store if some one in shipping department was thinking it contained drugs they could use or sell? Bet they might be disappointed to find they are just over the counter pills for upset tummy. Only reason I had them coming UPS is local store was out of stock and they offered me free shipping another store.

A side story to this is on June 30th I dropped off a large box with the back third of the frame of an XS650 Yamaha at the local UPS Store and it arrived in Waterford Mich. on July 2 nd! A distance of 500 miles!

More sad than anything.

I had a great ride Monday. Three hours on the Stella, around 100 miles or so with a couple of stops. It made me decide to keep her rather than sell her and get into a new Vespa.

Fast forward to yesterday, Wednesday. I woke at 4:00am to a headache, bedspins and nausea. I was sure it was a bout of Vertigo. I'm not prone to it, but it has happened before.

As the day wore on and the dizzy spells subsided, I noticed how sore and tight the muscles in my neck and back were. My eyes hurt. I was thinking meningitis? Weird COVID symptoms? Brain tumor?

I think I can blame it on the ride. I rarely spend that much time in the saddle. After much stretching and Tiger Balm yesterday I'm pretty good today. Still stretching things out.

The stance I have on the Stella is pretty hunched over. More than I thought. That long flat tapered seat lends to sitting further back. How do I know? I looked at my GoPro footage and even though the camera on my vest was at an upward angle, I shot three hours of my knees. No joke.

So I have decided the Stella is officially/unofficially up for sale. I contacted the local scooter dealer and told him if anyone he knows wants a good 150 Stella 4T with low miles send them my way.

So only the Stella, I hope?

I know my days of long rides might be over or at least not as many but often the discomfort the next day is worth the good feelings on the day of the ride!

Yeah, just the Stella. See, I bought it for cheaps because it wasn't running. I got it running, put in a new clutch and the PLAN was to sell it for much more than I spent on it. But then I liked it and, well ... you know.

I sit much more upright on my Aprilia Sportcity. As I would imagine I would on a new Sprint 150. I'll probably schedule a test ride with the local dealer soon.

Seamus26,

I am an old fart (73). The first few group day rides of the season are brutal
on my neck and shoulders. Even the weight of the helmet is a pain at first.

I have to break in the old body at the beginning of each season. Then,
on each day ride during the season, I take two ibuprofen every four
hours. Works wonders for me. I also use a Air Hawk pad on the seat
to cover my sore behind.

Hey, this scooting is suppose to be fun. If it is killing you, I agree, dump
the Sella. Aside, nice looking Sella.

Bob Copeland
Minnesota


The thrill of two wheeling is super - I will continue as long as I can stay in saddle.

Well I'm not as old as Bob! It will be 10 months before I'm "THAT OLD"!

Buy the time I catch up with you guys the hope is I'll be riding a whole lot more.

Clogged drain in basement! Mud in pipe. Pipe cracked. Pipe has to be replaced. Would you like to guess how much it cost?
I will give you a hint you could buy a brand new fully equipped Vespa 300. Not a good day at all. Still road Vespa with Grand children made it a little better.

That is a bummer for sure. We had to replace the drain from the house to the street a few years back. Original drain tile from 1952. It was not for the faint of heart.

I feel for you.

I used to run a municipal water/sewer department, I was the guy that usually had to tell people that their water line was broken or their sewer collapsed and we didn't cover it.

I will say this to anyone needing underground work. Get several prices. I've seen people pay 25 grand for a job another guy will do for 7 grand. Companies with 100 trucks and advertising domination should be avoided like the plague.

JohnnyTwoWheels,

You are spot on. The pipe between the homeowner and city line in
the street is the responsibility of the homeowner. Also, not covered
by most homeowner insurance policies.

This is a condition that dominates 50-70 year old homes. The pipe gets
cracked by earth movement or tree roots grow into the pipe.

However, many Home Insurance Companies are offering an endorsement
to the policy that covers damaged underground pipes. This is not a part
of the normal policy - you have to ask for it. Limited coverage, but it may
provide $5000 in coverage to help out.

So, all you folks with those beautiful older homes, get off your behind and
call your Homeowner Insurance Agent. Remember - not every company has it.
State Farm does.

Bob Copeland
Insurance Agent to The Stars


So, here I am in my Insurance Agency Office ready to take your money and deny your
claims. A customer called me with a bed bug infestation - not covered.

Hand Foot and Mouth Disease! What a shitty thing for a person to go through.

Our kiddo is on day two of the 'blisters/sores phase' and this madness and unbearable. Zero sleep last night and we're gearing up for another night of the same.

I'm only slightly comforted by fact that adults are slightly less susceptible to catching it.

I know people who have COVID right now and having an easier time.

Yuck - I'd never heard of that before. Hope it clears up soon!

So I'm at work yesterday dealing with an ever increasing pile of useless work (useless I say because all three of the scanning projects I'm dealing with right now are redundant work as the problems go back years and it's information I've given different engineers ad nauseam with no improvements being made so they are requesting the same information ... I digress) when I get a text from my wife : "Please don't be mad. I think I broke my foot again."

Two years ago, almost to the day, I was training in Detroit when she sent me a message about hurting her foot. Turned out to be a Jones Fracture (first time I had ever heard the term) and she was laid up for a good two months.

This time it's the same foot, different break. Just above the ankle. Looks like rotationally displaced. She's in a splint right now awaiting a specialist appointment Monday when they'll decide whether surgery is warranted or not.

This morning, as I'm doing dishes, I hear a "kaboom" from upstairs. She had tried heading for the bathroom on her crutches WITHOUT TURNING THE LIGHT ON.

I rarely scold my wife for anything; she's hard enough on herself. But I made her PROMISE that she was just going to slow the heck down and make better choices. I asked her if we were to read a news article about someone who fell over their crutches in the dark, what would be her first thought. She reluctantly agreed.

Lots of things on the back burner. And now my morning 4:00am workouts will consist of dishes and laundry. But that's just what you do.

My house was hit by lightning last night. Punched a hole in my roof and is affecting some electronics (still in discovery phase here). I feel (so far, at least) I've escaped major problems, but scared the crap out of me when it hit.

I'm praying for your scoots 🛵

Geez, Louise! That must have been terrifying.

As Rocket J. Squirrel would say, hokey smoke!

Here's hoping the damage is (relatively) minor.

TN_Sooner,

Little known Factoid: Years ago, most houses/barns had
lightening rods on each each peck of the roof. Worked rather
well. They disappeared with the introduction of property
insurance.

Is your property on the highest ground in the immediate area?

Have you been casting spells or doing who do voodoo lately?

Bob Copeland
Lake Wobegon Minnesota

In the continuing saga of the Copy Center/Graphics Department, our contract with one company for color printers ended June 30, and the contract with a new company started July 1. The new company wanted to be proactive and avoid user downtime like they experienced when they took over the black & white contract last year, so they started installing their equipment in early June. Great, except a lot of users don't have space for two color printers in their offices.

The aspect that is pissing me off is the fact that the people in the highest levels (Superintendent, Chiefs of Departments, etc.) have lots of room to store the outgoing printer temporarily, but they don't want it in their office. So I've had to find places to stash them out of the way. One department said they had no room, and when I told them I was out of space to store printers and suggested an unused corner of a break room or conference room, they replied that they could probably fit it in the conference room. I offered to come up and separate the two pieces and help move it. When I got up there, they had me put it in the back of the conference room - an area that they don't use, and where there is space for at least a half-dozen more printers. And they're the Procurement department, so technically this equipment is all their responsibility.

I just went up to a Chief's office to move a printer that they "didn't have room for," only to discover that if they'd rearranged some things in the room it was in, there'd be more than enough space for it to sit out of the way.

Hopefully the outgoing company will schedule pickups soon. I'm not holding my breath, though. When we told them that one of their printers was in a school that was scheduled for demolition on June 27th, and that they should pick it up, they replied that they would not pick it up until the contract was over. When we told them the school is being demolished, they said they'd charge us $385 to move it somewhere else prior to the end of contract, and to submit a purchase order. When we declined, they replied that the printer has no value to them, so instead of charging us the move fee, they'll simply charge us a $200 unreturned equipment fee, and leave it there to be demolished with the building. Were I in charge, I'd dispute that fee, because we took all the necessary steps to have them retrieve their equipment. If it has no value to them, why are we being charged $200 for not returning it? My boss' fear is that they'll tell us that most of the equipment has no value to them, and simply leave them all with us. We'll then have to arrange for our motor pool to pick them up and move them to a warehouse and prep them for auction. We might break even. Probably 95% of the printers are obsolete, so they won't have much value to most people, but they still work just fine.

I also understand that they're pissed about losing the contract, but when the current contract is up, it'll go out for bid, and our Procurement department will remember how they handled the end of this contract, and will score them lower on a new one. In theory, anyway.

It's a pretty flat area - formerly pasture land. Not the highest point around, as a couple of my neighbors have higher points.

I'm not saying anything about my "extracurricular" activities and pastimes…

I wondered why so few US houses and buildings had lightning conductors - around here anyway. Fairly ubiquitous in the UK.

July is Income Tax filing season in South Africa...
The SA Revenue Service staff is out on strike...
Nobody to answer questions.
Returns filing date still applies.

Have you bought a lottery ticket yet?

a month ago I tripped over the cable charging my laptop and damaged the charging port. (it's one of those usb-c charge ports, I miss magnetic). the port needed the cable to be held at just the right angle to work. got the port replaced after waiting a couple of weeks for the shop to get the parts in. worked happily for two days. buggered again. at least the shop refunded me.

a car just tried to kill me and at the next lights (50meters along the road) the driver just looked at me and smiled happily with no hint of an apology or whoops expression. bitch. fuck I hate cars (and no I don't drive - never had a car license).

This weekend my 8 month old GTS 300 decided to break down on the way to Weymouth Scooter Rally.

After 2 hours ( they advised 45 mins) a Truck turned up and loaded the scoot on the back, 30 minutes later he takes it off again saying he can't secure it safely.

The recovery guy says the scooter will be picked up in a about a hour but can only be taken back to their depot 10 miles away

2 more hours pass before a taxi arrives to take me the 91 miles home whilst the Scooter is still sitting there on the side of the road waiting for a suitable recovery vehicle.

Hopefully the GTS will be home tomorrow and then I have the hassle of getting it to a Vespa dealer for repairs.

That sucks Coddy. I can't believe the first recovery truck driver was not able to securely strap down your GTS, it's no different from any other motorbike.

Any ideas of the mechanical problem? - The first thing that springs to mind is the fuel pump. The faulty batch of pumps in the Piaggio recall program seems to be affecting scooters produced during 2021.

I suppose the only brightside to your ruined weekend is that your GTS is still under warranty and I presume the cover extends to the recovery of both you and your GTS?

Please let us know how you get on.