Modern Vespa

Beach days always cheer me up! Who says Nevada doesn't have beaches? 😂

Oh, nothing worth mentioning.

I see what you did there.

Tread carefully, gentlemen. The rules have not changed.

That feeling when your scoot makes it to the shops and back without exploding or falling apart -> beer earned 🍺

Yesterday I ran the FIAT through the car wash because it should always be shiny. I pulled out into the vacuum section to dry the water spots. Next to me was one of the new Jeep Grand Wagoneers.

All women are beautiful, and I say that as a blanket statement. But we've all seen them. That woman who is unusually, remarkably, stunningly should be in magazines beautiful. This woman was that. Easily six feet tall, blonde hair and just Cindy Crawford gorgeous. I think I heard "Dream Weaver" in my head.

So I asked her about her Jeep. We had a nice discussion about what she liked about it, I reminisced about my own a little and I went on my way.

And I couldn't stop thinking about that Jeep. I went home and I looked up the specs. You can get it with - get this - a 3.0l twin turbo inline six that puts out 501hp. Amazing. I'll never buy one because they are stupid expensive.

But the point is my adult brain had no trouble focusing more on the Jeep than the woman driving it.

I am a happily married man. And that cheers me up.

Later on in the day she probably told her boyfriend about having a chat with a lovely guy who didn't objectify her.

I sure hope so. I know I would appreciate not being objectified from time to time.

How do you deal with being so superficially handsome on a daily basis ?

You little Studmuffin.

It's a blessing and a curse at the same time. Don't get me wrong, I love my adoring fans, but the paparazzi and autographs all the time ... it wears on you.

In other news I got really good Customer Service from my local Honda Dealership earlier.

That is all.

How is the new gear shift on the cub?

I'll put my hands up and admit that since the new shifter has been fitted the weather has been so awful it hasn't left the garage.

I walked to the dealer today to get a couple of batteries replaced in the keyless fobs which had both failed and the parts guy was quite specific about using a certain size coin to split the casing as some take chunks out of the plastic and others don't.

He didn't have to do that.

Got 4 free tickets to a Blue Jays game today. My brother offered them to me mid afternoon, so I found a couple of friends who wanted to join Darling Bride and I, and watched our Jays beat the Pirates in 14 innings. Though I must admit, after the 14th inning stretch I was ready to leave, but then our second batter in the bottom of the 14th hit a home run to put an end to it. Glad I stayed to the no-so-bitter end.

On Monday I was riding my old Harley chopper and it just quit. Main fuse blew. I replaced it, but could not get the bike to restart. Something fried the ignition module (dead). So today I had time to dig into it. I discovered two problems.

1) There was a chaffed wired to the tail light that caused the fuse to blow.
2) The voltage regulator should have protected the system from the surge from the generator when the fuse blew. It did not. This killed the ignition module electronics.

So, I fixed the wire and installed my spare ignition module. Now I'm just waiting for a new voltage regulator. When you get multiple failures, chasing down the root cause can be a pain. Figuring out the mystery has cheered me up today.

This cheered me up today,

Don't blame a clown for being a clown. Ask yourself why you keep going to the circus.

Rode out on the RT earlier and didn't crunch any gears.

Well, it's a start.

It's the last week of school for our 5yo. They are doing a 'spirit week' and today was tie day, which seemed a little dangerous considering how playground rules advise against loose clothes.

It made me happy to tie the little necktie around him, and he was also very happy to be wearing it. Instead of a collared shirt he selected his AC/DC 'For Those About to Rock...' tee shirt. This also made me happy.

At drop off, after he was behind the fence, my wife and I observed that no one else had ties on. 'Not a very spirited bunch.' I thought.

I then became concerned that tie day was perhaps another day this week, so I checked the school email again.

Today was tie dye day. Tie day only exists in my mental spirit week.

This mistake is probably going to cost me a Happy Meal or something.

Dog,

I did the same thing when the two keyless fobs for the Kymco ran out of juice. I let the dealer guy open them and replace the battery. He did it in seconds.

Just one more thing you do not have to worry about with an actual key.

Bob Copeland

As an IT Security guy, I'd say that an actual key is superior in every way.

Admittedly it's a fairly low bar to entry when it comes to stealing something protected by a physical key, but everyone who wants to steal that thing needs to learn how to defeat that physical lock and key. With these awful electronic keys, one guy figures out how to beat the keys (a much harder job than beating a physical key) then posts his code for any idiot to download.

When my eldest son's partner was showing off his brand new BMW, Child the Eldest downloaded an app from the dark web, then used that app to unlock and start the car in less than 5 minutes. All he had to do was have the app open when the key was used, in this case to lock the car, the app did the rest. No knowledge or skill necessary, just a tor browser.

When we use technology to solve problems that don't exist (was it really that hard to turn a key instead of pushing a button) we create vulnerabilities that will be exploited.

In my efforts to see if I have any interest in "motorcycles", I'm finally feeling confident enough that I treated myself to going up to the top of Mount Diablo--my longest trip yet on the ChibiGS. I got to practice all the gear stuff, and even panic stop when a ranger lept out trying to wave me away from an accident around a corner. Doubly pleased that I finally have my drink situation figured out.

60 miles ridden on the Cub today with its replacement one sided shifter.

Sure, I still cocked up a couple of gear changes but it's so much easier to use than the heel/toe version.

The Power Of Google Lens!

We moved into our bungalow 2 months ago and wondered what these L-shaped brackets on the wall (next to sinks) were?

So today I decided to Google Lens it


and now I know all about magnetic soap holders!

all these years wasted when I could have had my soap magically suspended by magnetism!!

Can you post a picture of the shifter you ended up with?

Looks like a solution for a problem that does not exist!

But if the magnet was just a little bit bigger I could fit twice as many scooters in the garage.

until I found out about the little 'crown' thingy that pushes into the soap bar, my mind was whirring away thinking that I'd need actual magnetic soap in order to use it

You would have gotten used to heel/toe, but to each their own. I had a Trail 125 here for a bit and it took about 50 miles of riding around town to get it down right. Most that pick up the Trail 125 end up doing the same as you by going to toe shift only lever. For letting others ride it, I had to explain that it isn't like using a normal foot gear, it's a clutch and gear shift in one. Explaining further, clicking into gear is the first part of shifting, second part is returning it to the rest position which is actuating the first clutch. The second clutch being the centrifugal clutch. Just clicking into gear and letting it go quick is like dropping the clutch quick. And on downshifts, of course, it is worse. Coming from a motorcycle back round this is easy enough to understand, but for a first timer, or some one used to twist and go scoots, it demands a little more attention.

Yeah, you don't know me very well. I don't date ugly people for the same reason. It's a compromise that I'm not willing to make.

It just makes more sense to shift like a motorcycle so now it shifts like a motorcycle.

Another 60 mile ride today and I fluffed 2 changes on the way there and none on the way back so we are making progress.

The shifter came from a Yamaha Fazer 600 and I think had a 10 or 12mm nut on it.

It makes perfect sense because it is a motorcycle. Not a scooter and certainly not a Moped. I had to look at the pic of the Cub when you first got it and realized the pedal is different from the one imported over here. A Cub bought here has the front of the shifter like the one you have now, like any motorcycle. All the backs are the same. I suppose that was to give you the option here of using it either way. I had also read that the OEM pedal was designed that way like yours so a rider with anything from sandals to flat shoes could operate it without having to hook under the toe of the pedal to upshift. I guess this works for some, and while you can get used to it, which I did, I found I really did not like it. Old habits and all....

I get it. For me life's too short.

I resolved it in my favour and that makes me feel like a man.

If I'm not mistaken, the Cub is technically an underbone, but nobody ever says that because it's too easy to make it weird.

I feel sorry for all the women out there on their cubs suffering through sub optimal shifting. If only they had a real man in their life.

Now that your manhood has been secured, will you ride it in the rain?

I couldn't find a shifter that looked like yours when I had my Cub. That's why I just cut the rear portion off.

Well done.

Did you cut it of yourself or did you pay a bloke to do it?

Did it myself. Used a hacksaw.

With your bare hands?

Yeah, Underbone feels weird.

If I can avoid riding it in the rain I'm going to do so because its tyres are really narrow and they are still "blue".

It is attracting rather a lot of attention which is a little concerning.

This. Without this handy feature, one has to wear proper shoes

...says a person, who used to live near a lake and ride there on a Honda Monkey. With flip-flops.