Modern Vespa

I'll let Genie and Jim answer that one. I'm guessing that London to Canterbury is around 90 miles ?
Regards
Billy-no-scoot

it's 97 miles from Hillingdon to Canterbury

if you're on L-plates we'll have to avoid the motorway and go down via A-roads, so i'd imagine we'll be cruising at 50-60mph or thereabouts. we could possibly arrange a slightly slower 'scenic' route on the way down, as i'm hoping that jim will want to do the ride back on some of those [*cough*] private roads he's always going on about

If a slower route is decided I know a really good route from Maidstone along the old A20 then down the A28 at Charing towards Canterbury.
There is always the quick route home along the A2/M2 once the gentle ride has been completed.
Regards
Billy-no-scoot

No L-Plates 8) but that's a long way for me, I think I'll leave you guys to it

oh come on. i've gone further than that on my 10-year old ET4 - so has Bill! a nice little italian tune up (i.e. WOT belt down the motorway) will do you and your scooter a world of good

Rode the ET4 to Abbeville and Lille and Brugge so what's wrong with you man ?
C'mon we'll even work the route around you.
Regards
Billy-no-scoot

love to see you all .... more the merrier ... tea for all

OK Border is having his hair and nails done tomorrow morning but I still need a ride out so I'm going to point the Green Hornet towards the 02 Arena around midday for latte and a sticky bun.
Really need to feel the wind through my helmet.
Whose about ?
Billy-no-scoot

not me sorry .... off to the market in the morning and will be spending the afternoon using a turkey baster to remove excess oil out of the 'Loper's sump .... okay well not all afternoon, but we have to fit some DIY in there too. and some skWii-ing (my christmas pressie to boyf was a Wii).

Thanks for the addresses.

Bill knows the area far better than me, so I'll leave the suggestion of a meet point to him.

Mail me thier postcode and I'll work a route around that.
Sound fair ?
Billy

That'd be fine by me, especially if there are some nice back roads to explore (assuming it isn't pissing it down). Can I ask we set a time to meet there, we can then all back-time to when we have to leave home. I'll be coming around by way of the M25, M26, M20, A229, M2. It'll take me 65 mins from home. My Mapsource suggests it would take Genie about 50 mins to get there.

Yes meet at the services at 1030 -11am on Sunday morning.
All happy with that ? Give us enough time to ride to Canterbury in good time for a cuppa and a gentle ride back.
Alright for both of you ?

That's good for me.

You lucky buggars........... that sounds a decent ride and I'd love tea at spiders and meeting up with you fine people alas something has come up last minute tonight and I'm gonna be tied up for a few days ( bereavement in family this evening). So ride safe, I might just also fit in my hair and nails !!

i'll be going A12-A2-M2 .... is the services the one just before/after the junction with the A278? i've never been that way before so it'll all be new to me, and probably won't be using the GPS as i've nowhere to plug it in at the moment.

That's the one, just after Jct4. Just get onto the A2 and then let it become the M2.

weather forecast is sunny and cool for tomorrow. i've prepped the Interloper (tightened the strap holding the glovebox closed, checked and topped up tyres, siphoned off about 250ml of excess oil ) all i've got to do now is bake some banana bread and i'll be good to go looking forward to it!

All I have to do is remember I have to leave by 09:30 and which direction I'm going in...

Bill, were you aware of the new fantastic bit of tarmac between Doddington and Faversham? If it's not out of the way it's worth taking in, either on the way there or the way back.

No I wasn't. What do you know about it ? The only thing I know about the roads around Doddington is that they are mostly country lanes but I'm happy to be directed.
Shall we get down there as soon as we can then take the slow route home ?
If we carry on down the M2/A2 we'll eventually come to the Aylesham junction which is way past Canterbury so that's quickest.
It's up to you guys because you have further to go than me.
Keep me posted.
Billy-no-scoot

The important bit is getting the 'Loper down to Spider's and having a good chin-wag, good roads on the way back are secondary. So let's whizz on down there, but afterwards if there's time we can wiggle back towards Maidstone and then we can go our separate ways.

Sure I've always liked the A28 at Windcheap out of Canterbury and then link up with the A2O at Charing then follow it back to Maidstone.
Good thinking Jim.
I'll see you both at the services between 1030 -11am.
Regards
Billy-no-scoot

Just to say that I haven't forgotten about these stickers/badges etc.

I have asked for a quote for some vinyl jobs to be done. Sorry it is taking a while but DSSC must have the best, if only because I don't want my work peeling off and looking tatty before six months is up and then you all cuss me!

Can I ask who would be interested?

you can count me in for a sticker!

I'll have a few.

I'll have a couple please Wonder.
Bill

Should we register a domain? Let me do it if wished for (I might anyway).

skok.me.uk and skok.org.uk are available...

Everthing under donkie-skok and donkei-skok is available as well.

We could have fun with a 'skok' domain, not just donk**.

I think that Donkieskok.com or .co.uk with an umlaut above the o should be reg'd.
Simple.

You can't have the umlaut. So org seemed a bit 'bloated', 'me' seems a bit more on-target...

skok.me.uk registered, with full hosting. Anyone want an email address they can receive from *and send from* from any connection?

The donkei subdomain will be configured some time later. It is 'ei' rather than 'ie', right?

Put me down for 3 stickers please.

Domain etc seems really to be a good way to go. skok.me - gets my vote.

I'd like two or three, please.

i think an ad-hoc vote/poll/punch-up a few pages back confirmed 'donkei' as the correct spelling.

Correct If you at the "back of the Fox" pictures the original spelling is Donkeiskok.
Long my it live.
Billy-no-scoot

Awake and about ready to roll on down to Kent...

YOU LOT ARE STILL HERE ON THE FIRST PAGE???
WELL DONE!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE HOPE YOU ALL HAD A NICE CHRISTMAS ETC.
I'M JUST BACK FROM BRAZIL, VERY COLD.

Anyway, I've been having a prob with Shirley ever since our Kent trip.
When I start her, she'll go ultra fast (i.e. the back wheel turning, when "idle"), literally around 35mph whilst still on the stand (although it won't show on the speedometre)

Now, I'll normally wait for her to calm down on her own, but it's getting worse and worse and she's staying that fast for ages, I fear for petrol wastage and also break pads wastage because sometimes I have to pull the back break so hard to hold it, it's like breaking AND pulling a full throttle.

When I take it off the stand when I feel she's a bit more stable and take off, sometimes if I let go of the throttle she'll keep going.
It was minor back then but it's now getting kinda fast so I have to keep holding down both breaks as I ride and stop.

I was away on hols for the 2 weeks and will take her to be checked out on Tuesday.

Does anyone have an idea of what this might be, or have had this happen?
She's clearly very aggravated by the cold, last winter she was dodg as well then had a fabulous summer, ultra smooth and easy.
Now this.
So I'm thinking it's either the cold (are the fluids being frozen, but how does that result in the excessive throttle), or my dad suggested it could be the throttle cable? Which would explain it starting to happen after our trip when I had her in full throttle for such a long period of time?

If you guys have any tips please speak up.

I would like to say that I have also now made up my mind and I will be looking at moving on from Shirls, it's time for her to find a new home and continue her personal journey through existence with another human who will show her other experiences and give her a happy retirement.
I am looking for an LX 125 (did you hear this guys, I'm going 125cc much to everyone's phews!), as young as possible, and in either of the colours:
- pink
- white
- yellow.

If anyone knows of such item please can you PM me. I will put Shirley up and release her into the world (she's over 18 now) when I find a substitute.

Lots of hugs to you all and have a great 2009. I'm off to Paperchase to purchase some stationary and sketchbooks to work on my resolutions!

x
Dessa and Shirley

PS: Georgey has got asthma as well and won't start the colder it is. Alex reckons it's the cooling fluid and will try that. He already filled up the battery water, but Georgey still struggles in the colder days. Please hope for Georgey's recovery.

ps: would like the stickers too and well done Kate x

Sounds like you need to adjust the tickover screw which is on the carb.
Do you have a manual for it? The directions should be in there.

Just want to say thank you to Spider and Tracy for thier hospitality today after a very enjoyable ride with Jim and Genie.

I hope the both of you enjoyed the ride home even if it was a bit parky.
Thats a road I've always enjoyed riding.

Jim - coming from an advanced rider point of view how did I do?
I know I do have a nasty habit of getting too close to the car in front but I'd be interested in your comments in my riding style or lack of it.

Dessa welcome back to the UK. We've missed you.
A good choice to replace the ET4 by the way.
Regards
Billy-no-scoot

welcome back dessa, and happy new year! sorry to hear about shirley, it does sound like something to do with the throttle cable ....

but i'm delighted to hear that you're going to upgrade everyone's doing it. why don't you just get any old LX and get spider to repaint it for you? I dropped off the Interloper with him earlier today and he's going to work his magic... I'll post pix of the final result

we had a lovely ride down to Spider and Tracy's in Kent today, with the temperature hovering around the freezing mark, and dry roads. I rode pillion with Jim on the way back, and got to experience the awesome power of the GP800. it was fun looking over Jim's shoulder at the GPS to see exactly how fast we were going

Well I need to sell the LX to fund a 300, so if you are interested.....

Never dropped, immaculate paint, crash bars, serviced and broken in!

edit - Aug 08 plate which is very new and still has its warranty.

edit - generally petted and given coats of paint enhancing goo which make it look soooperb

i've seen Kate's LX in person - it's stunning midnight blue, like the Interloper. The most beautiful colour, in my opinion.