Modern Vespa

Genie just how fast were we going ? Did my bum look big in these ?
Billy-no-scoot

Dessa without question Wonders LX would be a great scoot to buy.
It's a bloody lovely colour.

glad you all got home all ok .. lovely to see you all .. now we have the beast down here .. just to let you know will starting on her tomorrow before i head to work .. now the van is going well and running lovely going to start sorting out peoples scoots .. so anyone need a service or tune ups .. just let me know can come to you .. he he he ..

Mobile VespaMan ..
Spider

Bill i'm still trying to figure out whether the highlight of my day was listening to Spider's work stories, or seeing you in leather trews.

Jim and I were watching your rear end pretty closely on the way back and agreed that your lines are very nice indeed

Ah great news that the Interloper is in safe hands.

Any pictures of the trip?

Back home at 17:30, 202 miles door-to-door. Huge thanks to Spider and Tracy for their hospitality and a grand Donkei-Skok chin-wag, also to Genie for refuelling me with tea.

Bill, very smooth riding. Lines could be improved a bit for better vision, but all the IAM basics were there.

Back to Maidstone we were cruising at about 60 when we could, and may have gone faster at times, I wasn't really looking at the speed. Back to Hackney we nudged into three figures just once, but with a pillion on the back the wind around the sides made anything over 95 a bit uncomfortable.

Yeah I wasn't sure if I was taking my apexes wide enough but I was a little concerned about the slippery stuff near the white lines.
Thanks for the tips.
Genie liked the leathers huh ? I only put them on for you.
I don't know about you but it was just nice to blow the cobwebs out eventhough it wasn't much above freezing.

Tip of the day don't put your soft furnishings on the hot setting when you wash them. It's a bloke thing.

Billy-no-scoot

hmmmm interesting......... very interesting....

wery wery....

but kate no offense but the blue isn't my favourite colour.
genie,good idea to action spider's work to it!

let me have a look at it.

Shirley had to be left in Tottenham Court Rd as I bought too much stuff at paperchase and she was on the rampage, too dangerouos.
Alex will go check it out now, tomorrow she's at the doctors.
please send your prayers.

bill, thanks for the tip, I'll have a look now.

ps: kate, pm me with how much you want for it x

bill .. what goes on the mile stays on the mile ....

looks like im on the sofa that has its cusions too small ... he he he he he


or in the paint shop stripping down the GT ..

Ooooo

Snowing here, and it might well settle for a while. Three wheels tomorrow methinks (oops, today) - so glad we had today's ride. A bit shivery, but very refreshing, and such great company.

Don't blame you for switching to three wheels today jim, freezing today in the centre of town when I looked out of my window - snow melting and then refreezing is no good for my LX so I went in by tube.

Why I did I have no idea as London is dead, no one is back at in the office yet except for me and all the other muggins.

there's ice on the pond, ice in the water butt, and icicles hanging from the clothesline .... i'm very glad the Interloper is tucked up safely at Spider's.

decided to leave the scooter at home this morning, which meant running to the train station at 7.00am in the dark and snow

once i got into central london the roads looked fine but i may have never made it to the end of my (un-gritted) street if on the scoot.

Pah!! You soft bunch of fops... snow down by the sea today and cold as you like but that won't stop me and the Beast whhhoooaaarrrrrrrr

We (the Aces High SC) went for our Emma Parkin memorial rideout yesterday, great turn out 18 scoots in all, but it was as cold as a witches tit riding down to Shoreham airfield for a nice cuppa.




Afterwards the softies among us went home for a cry while the hardcore few blatted it up to the Eight Bells in Bolney village for a butchers at the landlords wall mounted crazy custom Lambretta

Then most headed off to back to Haywards Heath and Crawley while I went for a nice solo mooch about the country roads heading back to Brighton... nicest ride I've had for a long time, cold dry and nearing dusk, blew those flu cobwebs right out.

Looking forward to my ride home this evening

oi! who are you calling soft? jim, bill and i were out riding yesterday as well, at proper highway speeds i might add, not pootling along the back roads at 40mph [*ducks flying shoes*]. it was a 200-mile round trip for jim and i, with a wind chill on the way back of about -15C. stick that in your two-stroke pipe and smoke it!!

Alright, alright!! calm down lady, i was merely infering in others directions in a light hearted manner, Blimey! no need to get yer drive belt in a twist.
I too was at highway speeds yesterday so there (admitedly mine being not so fast as some) and even with my muffs and electricalated socks it were COLDS. Glad you had a nice day though and your on the case with the repairs to the loper.

I was supposed to take the GP800 for its first service today, but chickened out due to slippery snow on my road (if I could have staggered to the main road all would have been fine).

Gear on
Uncover bike
Sit on bike
Side stand up
Start up
Proceed forward three feet
...nuh-uh, bugger this!
Stand down
Get off
Bike cover on
Get changed
Walk to train station
Nearly freeze to death when 8:44 to Cannon Street cancelled

It's a bit frustrating now that it's sunny and dry. I have few errands to run that'll take ages on foot. Even my local car club car is broken down.

Yeah you tell him Genie. Out in the +2's doing 70 mph but with a big smile on our faces. I only wish that Border could have joined us.
I have to agree with Jim that Tracy and Spider make excellent hosts and oh a log fire to come and warm our freezing buttocks. Lovely.
Who would have thought we'd spend the time discussing the merits of Damien Hurts ability or lack of it.
Tell what you did today at work today Prison Officer Spider.
Billy-no-scoot

scooter stayed in garage today.......

wife went for big slide in car today taking boy to school....

i fell off my bicycle TWICE on the way to work

Did I dream it or was Dessa sorting out a location for the 17th of Jan to eat and talk bollocks ?
Billy-no-idea

oh yeah!
I did buy a personal diary at Paperchase, obviously a month late as the date I mentioned has not been written anywhere in my household.

Can I get an extension given Shirley's and Georgey's health situation?
They are at the doctors and stable. I have no further news at present.

Genie, is Interloper the name of beast?

This saturday I'm going round window shopping for my "either white, pink or yellow" LX 125 in mint condition with top box

Ah, and I'm getting Alex a Thermoscud for his birthday next week. Then the furry handlebar muffs for Valentines'. He's tough but given recent weather conditions he gave in.

I wasn't upset about using the bus this morning, there was snow/ice/frost whatever you call it, cold water stuff all over the roads.
I had a seat on the bus and walked from Kilburn to my place exercising and reflecting on my existence.

Agreed. An extension it is eventhough I'm off to the US on the 21st for a bit and I was hoping to see you all before I left. Sniff sniff.
Best of luck hunting for a new ride.
Billy-no-scoot

i am no longer Betty's registered keeper it was so much cheaper to insure her if i signed her over to the boyf that that's what i've done, as he's now the person who rides her most often. that means that as of the end of this month, when our present insurance policy expires, i'll no longer be able to ride the wee ET4.

that does it. i'm getting a garage

Just walk away Genie it's history now. Move on.
Billy-no-scoot

I'm awaiting the AA to take my non-starting ET4 off to the shop, for the second time in a week. *@¢∞ing weather!

A Polar Buff arrived in the post this morning - now I've just got to blag a Thermarest off a mate and I'm good to go for the Brass Monkey rally this w/e. Temps won't go below -4, so I should be snug in my tent.

I'd prefer it warmer, natch...

I got my Tucano Carmen riding coat cleaned and rebuttoned today - superwarm for riding. When I bought it I did not think it would be so good, but actually it is the best thing I have.

I also have a polar buff jim, though as a southern wimp I wear it all winter when riding.

This is all a bit academic however as I'm sitting in bed with the bad lurgi.

PS - the Brass Monkey rally must have interesting promotional materials, please post!

Argh, hope you feel better soon, Wonder. Better to be laid up now than during the good riding weather, anyway.

I wear a polar Buff all year round, as a total and utter wimp

My boyfriend got me a new one for Christmas - check it out!



(I may have mentioned to him that there was one with huskies on, but I didn't drop any hints, honest!)

Sorry to hear that, GWS. None whatsoever, all done by word of mouth and personal invite. Here are some (rather poor) photos from the 2007 rally - I was rat-arsed most of the time:
http://www.wotmeworry.org.uk/brassmonkey/bm2007.html

It is with a great wound in my heart that I come through this announce that Shirley Mary Rando is in terminal condition, the doctors advised there is no cure for her condition.

Shirley will be put down in due course.
As a donour, her organs will be passed on to other Vespas in need.

In memorium of such a loyal scooter, I would like to say a few words.
This scooter has been more than a mode of transportation.
She has brought me close to your lovely selves.
She has taken me places I never knew existed.
She has helped me overcome 2-wheels fear and stand up for myself as my parents are against them.
She has brought me independence beyond reason.

Together we have spent harsh cold and jolly summers.
We have gone on adventures, namely what was to be her last adventure, the mighty ride to Kent where she showed no fear or weakness next to her 125cc pals. She enjoyed herself immensely on this occasion and felt very proud of keeping up with such an experienced group and such pompous fellow scooters.

She has significantly reduced my drinking habit and has ALWAYS taken me home, even in her illnesses.
Not once has this bike put me in a condition of danger nor hurt me, despite her illnesses again.
She has hid from potential thieves, she has protected herself from tipping and other adverse weather conditions.
She has guarded my home loyal by my window as I slept.

Every morning she would greet me with her usual smile and take me to work despite my resistance.

She has kept me safe from dodgy public transport people and abuse walking on badly lit pavements, delivering me straight to my doorstep.

This is a scooter who made friends wherever she went.

This is a scooter that will live indefinitely in my heart and our memories.
Shirley Mary Rando, rest in peace, have fun in bike heaven and thank you for taking me out of the public transport shell and into the lovely world.

Yours,
Dessa Rando

at least you can still talk to her, see her, pet her...
I work visiting hours so can't even give Shirley a hug until Saturday....
***SOBS***

PS: IF SOMEONE WANTS TO BUY MY THERMOSCUD PLEASE SPREAD THE NEWS!

Aw, sorry to hear your news. What was the diagnosis?

Keep the Thermoscud, you may want it on the next bike.

Wow that sucks Dessa, what went wrong?

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engine is basically gone, no hope...
I had a hic up with the engine last year but she kept on going

options were to run it to the ground or spend £500 on a new engine (but that's nearly what I paid for the whole bike), so I decided to ride it till she felt tired of this world.

as I oiled it and all, looked after it properly the mechanics and us just decided the previous owner didn't care much about oil and stuff and the parts were really rough all over.
very sad really.

so hey ho, I'll check it out about selling for parts, either to them (she's at Rex Judd's) if they want or ebay, whatever.
I will sell the Thermoscud (soon to be live in the MV wanted/selling bit) as I'll be getting a LX125 or something, not another ET, much as I loved it.

if you know anyone who's interested, let me know

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