Modern Vespa

before or after?

Does it really matter? It's work.

FTR, during the flush. They fell out of my shirt pocket and landed crossways, thus saving themselves from certain doom.

Back in 2006 my former boss dropped her Blackberry in the toilet as it was flushing. Because she was at a mall, the toilets had that powerful turbo flush, and she had no chance of retreiving it.

When I bought my truck 3 years ago, I knew more about it than the sales person. Hell, I knew more about it than anyone in the dealership. But that's because it was a new model (Hyundai Santa Cruz), and I'd been waiting for it for years. Due to a Santa Cruz Forum, I was able to get the VIN for it before the dealership did (one of the members worded for Hyundai USA). I knew when it was arriving before they did.

But I was upfront with the sales person when I initially called her. I told her that I already had the vehicle I wanted reserved through Hyundai USA, and that I chose her to be my salesperson due to the positive reviews she had recieved on a car sales person rating site. I told her this was going to be the easiest sale of her career, because I understood that I'd be paying MSRP due to it being a new model, and that I'd already ordered the truck, so there wasn't much left for her to do. She ended up being on vacation when it arrived, so she had another sales person handle the actual sale. I didn't actually meet her until a week later, when I went back in to get the windows tinted. It was the best vehicle purchase experience ever.

The Service Department at that dealership has always treated us well (my wife's car is a Hyundai Veloster). The only issues I've had with them and my truck are fairly minimal, and somewhat out of their control. When I first got it, the 12v outlet (cigarette lighter plug) didn't work. I wasn't all that concerned because it had two USB power ports, and Qi inductive charging pad. But I did want it fixed because I was going to use it to power a dash cam. When I took it in to pick up the license plates, I took it to the service department and pointed out the 12v outlet problem. The service manager confirmed it didn't work, but said he had no idea how long it would take to fix it, because they hadn't received the repair manuals or any training on the vehicle. He asked if I was OK with waiting until I brought it back for the first complimentary oil change, which I was fine with. It turned out that the factory had not connected it, so it was a simple fix.

When I went in for the second compolimentary oil change, at 17k miles, they said that it was out of alignment, and needed a "fuel induction service". Ended up paying $451.61. Like seamus26, it's an all-wheel drive vehicle, so I figured I'd better have it done.

Everything else has been fixed under warranty, or I was able to do it myself (one brake/turn signal bulb had burned out, so I replaced all of them with LEDs).

Alignment needed at 17k is a possibility, fuel induction service is not unless you bought some really bad gas, something lousy ended up in the tank or it was throwing a trouble code. Dealerships can be a bit less than honest when trying to keep the doors open. At 80,000 miles my 2003 truck went in for a recall. Once the job was done they gave me a list of all the things that MUST be done to keep it running right. I knew of a couple of them, took care of them myself and 200,00 miles later, the truck still runs great. I don't blame the dealership for trying to hustle up business, but some were just ridiculous. Case in point: They said they did a free tire rotation during the recall and I needed all new brakes which included new rotors, pads, drums and shoes. I had just serviced the front brakes and the backs were good for another 100,000 miles. But they want over $700 for a job that cost me $70 with OEM pads. I thanked them, left and never went back. Trying to drum up business is one thing, trying to rip me off in another.

I have to admit that I've had exceptional service from my local Hyundai dealership for the past 5 years and they've never tried to up-sell me anything that I didn't need.

They didn't even try to sell me another car once the Finance was paid off.

There are some good ones out there.

The Hyundai dealership I use now has been great, but the first one I took my Kona to for service tried to bill me $150 for an oil change. On my electric car.

We have a winner.

Hertz was trying that for a while. Charging to fill your tank on Tesla's

Damn!

Again, damn!

Yeah, Tom Brady strikes again.

having to change out my silent block. been putting it off because I know its a PITA.

What capacity were they claiming the tank had?

About 1500 Amps.

Mine keeps sending me letters trying to get me to "upgrade" my 2022 Santa Cruz SEL Premium to a 2024 Santa Cruz SEL. Umm, no. Two trim levels below is not an upgrade.

Marketing strikes again.

for the past three years or so I've been getting my haircut at a highly regarded barber school in the area. I had an appointment for last Friday (July 19). On Tuesday (7/16) they sent me a text message confirming the appointment. On Thursday (7/18) they sent a text reminder about it.

I drove to the area to arrive 15+ minutes early, to make sure I could find parking. I drove around for 20 minutes looking for a spot, and finally found one a half-block away right at my appointment time. When I got to their door, it was locked.

I looked up their website and learned that they closed suddenly on Monday, July 15.

So now I have to find a new place to get my hair cut.

In the greater scheme of things this is no big deal. It's just hair. I'm more pissed off about the fact that their students are out their tuition money.

"Unforeseen circumstances". Sounds ominous.

Maybe they couldn't see the cuts that were coming.

Don't be bothered by your dealership offering to take your car in for a new one.
This is set up on auto pilot - no human involved. My problem on these offers is the price of cars are way up as well as the interest rate.

Forever, I was getting my new Hondas at 0% or 1.9% interest. If they are really trying to move out a model, these interest rates can still be found. The problem is obviously 30% inflation driving car sticker prices way up.

I had not been to the annual car show in years. It was sticker shock on every vehicle. I looked across the convention center floor and realized 75% of all in attendance could not afford these vehicles.

Bob Copeland

Getting the mailer isn't what pisses me off annoys me. It's that they want me to "upgrade" my vehicle to a lesser version. Granted, the newer model has some standard features that mine doesn't, but if I had wanted those features, I could have purchased the next trim level up. It would make more sense if the upgrade offer were a true upgrade. They obviously know what I have, since it is mentioned on the mailer.

Yet again I stumble over the fact that there are rebates available for things like home insulation etc - but only as tax rebates! That's no fucking good if you don't pay enough taxes to use them.

They got it right with EV purchase cash rebates. The same ought to apply to all these sort of initiatives.

Don't take it personally Mono.

It's probably a template and everyone is getting bombed.

It is for THEM.

I'm pissing me off.

I'm taking online college courses to (finally) earn a bachelor's degree. I have weekly assignments due. All assignments have to be uploaded to the portal by 11:59pm (local time) on Sunday. In one class, I finished the assignment and uploaded it on Thursday afternoon, before 4pm. Life went on.

Yesterday I received multiple emails from the grading system with my grade on that assignment. I received a 0/80 (F).

I clicked through to read the Instructor Feedback. She said that all I did was add my name to the template. I thought, "no, I spent a few hours on it." So I looked at the submission receipt that was emailed to me and discovered the issue. I had uploaded the original template, NOT the version that I had filled in and saved with the updated name. The actual completed version had saved into a different folder (Thanks MS Word/OneDrive!).

I immediately emailed my instructor and copied my advisor and explained that I had uploaded the incorrect file, and asked if I could reupload the correct file, or if she'd prefer that I email it to her as an attachment. I further said I understood that the 10% grade reduction for a late assignment would apply. Rather than wait for a response, I uploaded the correct file. An hour later she replied that she'd allow an exception this one time.

I need to be more careful of where the files save, and make sure I'm uploading the correct file.

Although the policy of not allowing resubmissions also pisses me off. If I email a file to a customer, and it's the incorrect file, I'll aplogize to the customer and send the correct file. I've never heard of a customer receiving the wrong file and simply replying with, "you sent me the wrong file, you've now lost my business!" As long as it's handled in a professional manner, it's not a problem. That's what the school should be teaching us - own up to your mistakes and handle them professionally.

nope

Does anyone have that friend who agrees to meeting up at a certain place and time and then asks if they can invite someone else along at the last minute ?

Don't do that.

That happened to me once at a three day campout in Kernville for custom built motorcycles. The guy my "friend" invited turned out to be really cool and fun, not to mention a much better rider. Sonny Jim, thanks for the great weekend! I no longer ride with the other guy.🤣😂

Is Bill the other guy here?

A bit over a week ago, I ordered a new sling bag from one of the trendy sling-bag companies. (If you're a bag whore like me, you can probably name the company in a few guesses). I've been patiently waiting for it, tracking its progress slowly from one end of California to the other.

Today it arrived. I haven't even opened up the interior to explore the pockets, and I already viscerally hate it. The strap is simultaneously too heavy and bulky while also, somehow, being too short to be used by a normal human. At full strap extension, the sling bag ends up almost in my armpit. I think it must have been designed for anorexic oompa-loompas.

Ugh.

nope

nope

Captain, I really think we need to see a pic to feel your anguish. It's troublesome to order something without having said item in hand before purchasing. The age we live in I suppose. Drives me nuts sometimes.

I will say this, finding a great riding partner is very elusive for me. I try and try but most are a compromise. In my sportbike days there were two. One is dead and the other has sold his machine, as I have as well. I would not hesitate to ride with Bill. He's already a nutter like I am about riding. I'm a fast rider but might have to tell him it's OK to only ride 700 miles in one day. I don't know how he is on short trips but I would love to have him ride along with me through Baja! When I get the time and funds to pull off a coast to coast here in the States he'll be at the top of the list for sure.

Thank you Rob. That's a very kind thing to say.

Truth is I'm not a fast rider at all but I can tolerate hours of discomfort for a good cause.

I finally find an Engineer whose willing to take on the RT's exhaust stud repairs and it appears that we've become friends.

The downside is that he's ADHD and suffers from bouts of depression and so on Friday nights I, by default have become his Councillor.

It's not like I don't have any issues of my own

Just fix my bike Mate.

Good on you for helping him out. Not an easy task. Hope he gets a chance to sort out the repair and the both of you prevail. Symbiotic for sure.

^^^^ Seriously, you two should organise riding in Baja - just carry extra fuel.

I posted in the Scooter Cannonball Forum about my preparations for the 2025 SCR for my 2018 Yamaha Xmax, should I choose to run it.

I said that all I would do would be to start with new tires, belt and oil.

And because it gets over 80 miles per gallon in the mountains, that I might not bring extra gas.

The 2025 route is going to be mostly in the western US mountains.

This was quickly met with speculation that the 300cc scooter couldn't possibly get that mileage, from someone who has never put a drop of fuel into an Xmax.

I responded that on a 900 mile, four day ride in Colorado in 2020, I had four consecutive fill ups of 86 to 93 mpg. On a four day ride in Western NC last week, I had three consecutive fill ups of around 95 mpg.

I told him that I used 80 mpg as a conservative scenario, so it wouldn't come off as an exaggeration.

This was met with more speculation from the first saying that the odometer must be wrong, maybe km instead of miles, or I was always running downwind.

Another chimed in comparing my mileage with manufacturer's figures.

I was essentially called out for lying, or at best, being too stupid to read a gas pump and odometer.

My figures were taken from actual fill ups with photos of the gas pump and odometer, recorded in Fuelly under 2018 Yamaha Xmax300, Big Ugly.

I keep track for myself and have no reason to doctor the numbers.

To be called out by two guys on the forum, them refuting my facts with their baseless speculation was quite disappointing.

Bill