Modern Vespa

OK - we should all three check on Saturday afternoon/evening whether the weather is OK for this.

My big problem at the moment is some sprain in my groin - I can walk if doubled up like Gollum, but immobile otherwise. Luckily the Fuoco doesn't need my left leg down unless in an emergency! I suspect having to walk to the pub on Monday night (and back!) followed by some snow-clearing may have 'pinged' something. Bed rest of course, no problem. When I get to bed that is...

cheers guys, pm'ing as we speak

I've looked up the hendon routes on the pdfs and even "rode" them online via birds eye on multimap (geek alert)

hope the forecast for lots of snow again tomorrow is a hoax, i really don't want to spend more money on that oyster and actually now need to go to work

Genie how honest of you to share with us your story and yes I've done it too but it's a bit like putting petrol in a diesel you only do it once.

Did you hear about the guy who had a Honda 250 Super Dream which had a clatter in the top end which got louder when the revs increased so he had the engine stripped and rebuilt to find the cause.
Only afterwards did he realise that the noise was caused by his keys bouncing around in the ignition.

Regards
Billy-no-scoot

nope.

There was fresh snow on my windows this morning but it's been raining ever since. I hope my road gets washed clean so there can be some 800cc action over the weekend!

sleety and horrible in west london. wanted to ride in this morning but having had some experience with the icy road/two wheeled vehicle combination yesterday, i decided to risk public transport again already regretting it.

I treated myself to a train journey today in case we got the predicted heavy snowfall around lunchtime, and because I'll be going home late after a gig and I don't want to piss around on ice at gone midnight (might not be any friendly neighbours around to help push).

NOW I CAN BOOZE HAHA!

Only not too much because I gave blood at lunchtime.

I looked at the thick snow falling on wet roads this morning and went out and slipped around in the slush. I took the tube.

after a 2 hour journey home, involving tube, overground, bus, and a lot of waiting around, i'm wishing i'd taken the scooter

I took the cage and was home in 20 mins.
Sorry
Bill X

Advance Happy returns to Bill.... Ooh you are younger than me!!

Thank you Doug. I'm older huh ? Now that I didn't realise but I think you'll agree I'm better looking.
It's an even year so I don't mind so much . I'm not a big fan of odd years.
Even ones just feel a bit more complete to me.
My special treat on my Birthday is to go and see my Doctor to see if my hearing loss is temporary. Some people get a cake I get a nice man poking things in my ear. Pardon ?

Birthday money will be spent on a clear screen.
Now where to go for it or have I already asked that question ?

On a lighter note has anyone seen the Dairy Milk advert with the eyebrows - the VW Golf MK6 advert and the trailer for the new Watchmen Movie ? I'm reading the graphic novel (comic) now.

Comments please.
Billy-no-scoot

Oh yes I don't dispute that you are better looking. Just older looking

oh what a pain to use the bus this morning, grrr
hope it really goes.

bill is it your birthday? have you edited it?
how old are you? HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will be 44 of your Earth years on the 10 of Feb which is Tuesday of next week.
I'm kind of looking forward to it.
Regards
Billy-no-scoot

Poor Aquarian. Move back a month and join us capricorns....

Advance Happy Whatsits. But how old are you on your own planet?

I think its about 9 of your dog years.

How I miss those twin suns......and my family......

Bill

plans for celebrations?

I have to admit I have no plans to celebrate my birthday next week.
Not because I don't want to I'm just not that motivated right now.
On our respective 40th birthdays my other half and I took over a pub for the evening, had lots of lovely food plus an excellent band and invited everyone we'd ever met ever. It was a grand one.
Next week I'll go to work, go to the doctor then drive over to my girlfiends and maybe have an early night.
Party Central huh ?
Billy-no-scoot

I'm much the same Bill - I don't particularly celebrate birthdays, least of all my own. My idea of a good party is a good chin-wag down the pub.

Hope the Doc gives good news, and your hearing comes back.

Thanks for that. I'm hoping for good news. Conversations are a bit of a pain in the arse right now and I feel like an old person craning my head over all the time and doing that cupping of my ear thing.
No pain as such I'm just deaf as a post in my left.
Bill

So I'm having this dream last night when I was riding an old and beaten up ET4 that was painted red and blue and was in a pretty crappy condition.
I think I was in France with with another couple on a GT but they had no faces and were behind me.
The sun was out and the tarmac was very black and smooth plus the sea was off to my left and cliffs off to my right.
We are riding back from somewhere when my front wheel hits something and I get thrown over the bars landing on my back. I am fine but the ET4 has snapped it's front fork leg right through the plastic cover just above the caliper as clean as if someone had cut it.
It obviously can't be ridden so we drag it off the road on it's side and leave it under what looks like some concrete bike sheds.
I'm having a conversation with the other two about how I'm going to get home but they have no features - nose eyes etc.
This is the point where I woke up.
Explain that.
Didn't some of the femmes have accident dreams ?
Regards
Billy-no-scoot

Bill, I have dreams involving the scooters all the time.
as they are so close to our heart, it's very common that the subconscious uses it as a symbol
psychologists etc explain vehicles of all sorts to mean either your body (i.e. your way of movement about space) or your direction in life as well, i.e. if the bike stops and won't move you are kind of stuck, or if it's out of control, that could be you as well.
your one sounds to me like a sudden happening that takes you "off track" and makes you take a break
bikes are good too because if you're riding lovely smooth in your dream means that you are in balance

I had a number of dreams with Shirley, none with Velma yet.
I dreamt once that she would not brake and I had to turn off the engine so she would stop, at the time I was working non-stop like a mad woman. Funnily enough this is how she went in the end as well, there was no idle, and neither was there idle for Dessita.

lots of 'theories' say that our objects and certainly our vehicles become extensions of ourselves and reflect our own health, - even bruises - a lot of times with my car I would have scratched the bumpers and would have my own hips bruised as well from hitting furniture and stuff. Meant that my perception of space around me was prob off. i.e. your mud-guard can be referred to your shin? handlebars to hands, headlight to your face/sight, etc, wheels to feet and so on.

welcome Bill to Dessita's couch

I just saw Shirley on display looking glorious at ScooterPower.
She's got a new heart but I know she recognised me... they are flogging her for about £700.
If anyone loves me and wants to give me a loving gift please buy her back to me oh, and store her somewhere I can visit her regularly, preferably on my street so I don't have to walk far to get to her.
or simply no one buy her and I will test ride it everyday from Scooterpower

jim & kate, looking good for tomorrow!
just went for a ride on george, we are close pals now!
looking forward to our training ride. looks like hendon has no dates whatsoever, i find that strange. if it's true I may go for pinner then, tho it's so much further out

What time at your place tomorrow Dessa? I don't do early mornings remember. Might stop off for breakfast at the Ace on the way.

popped out tonight to see Charley Boorman give a talk on his adventures, was good, he's funny, well worth it

bought the Race to Dakar book and to prove i'd paid for it he signed it and made me have a photo with him i didn't realise he knew who i was, i'll have to be more careful going out in public in the future



pic is a bit out of focus and we look like we are just coming up on E but i blame it on the cameraman's parkinson's related shaky hand

Bugger. Bugger bugger bugger.

My indicators had stopped working, and I was getting down to fixing them. Twisted my dodgy leg again and now can hardly walk.

So with no indicators and leg not good it would be unwise for me to trek out to Hendon, so I'll have to cry off tomorrow.

Look on the bright side, we might hit warmer sunnier weather next time.

You met Charley Boorman huh you lucky fella, He comes over as being a really nice guy.
If you want to buy the DVD off me for a silly price just ask.
It's very good.
Has he got anymore adventures planned ?

Dessa thanks for taking the time giving me hints about my dream.
That's given me alot to think about. I'm thinking too deeply about the fact that the ET4 was blue and red and in a state.
More later about that.
Regards
Billy-no-scoot

he's the lucky one meeting me wifey is sorting me for the gaps in my collection, thanks all the same 8) 8) yes, he's planning a sort of "by any means" going up from Oz to russia thru japan so it means more motorcycles seeing as it's mostly thru the land of Honda etc 8) 8)

jim hope indicators and legs feel better soon

see, going back to Dessita's couch as I was telling bill - indicators/legs, all connected

Bill, you are not battered, forget the ET4's state.

Kate, if you still want to go for a wee ride tomorrow and give me hints PM me


lots of hugs

Thanks for not being mad with me - I am mad enough!

On checking later the indicators will work for about 10 seconds after the ignition is switched on, then die, and the 4-ways (hazard lights) won't work either. Switches are fine. The unit itself must be dying - it's due for replacement anyway as one of the two 12V input pins has already corroded into dust. Not a bad design of unit - just very poor placement of in on the machine, it gets all the crud from the back wheel, and is so hidden you can't see the contacts need cleaning. Piaggio aware, but no change in sight.

it happens, hope you feel better soon
i'll be a lone rider doing crazy 8's, if not so lonely if anyone will join me
pm me if anyone wants to watch me do figures of 8

mmm I had another dream last night but I'm not sure this is the place to share it so I might give it it's own thread just to see just how much more messed up other people are.

Jim how did you damage you knee in the first place ?
Sounds painful. I hope you recover soon young man.
Anymore more developments on the electrical problems ?

I'm happy today because I've just bought a used screen for the GT for a good price so hopefully that will be on before Le Touquet.
Thanks for your help on that one Maver.

More later.
Billy-no-scoot

Yes, let's restrict the dreams to scooter dreams only
even if they're "dreams of a bigger engine and accessories"

just back from my lone ride with George in Willesden
how do you guys do the damn u turn, I think I have a blockage of some sort
i found an estate with a small car park (as I wasn't managing on the actual streets - I tried in a couple of no through roads and some that had works so were closed, didn't manage ), so in this car park I was still having a hard time, when I nearly dropped Georgey for turning too much, obviously the throttle wasn't enough
so I got very nervous and took a cig break, after that I managed some and did several, just quite wide, not narrow enough, but I did!
I did figures of 8...
did narrower ones...

then George was knackered, fan on and all, so I went for a longer stint with him, tried on the streets again and didn't quite do them right... without the foot down... I think I'm scared, that's all, I know all the theory of it, etc etc, so just need more practice...
went back to the estate, did some more, rode up to Highgate and practiced some more "rules of the road" - I think I'm great at those, just need to get 10/10 on those u turns and actually do them on a street!

I hope they don't pick a really narrow road to test me on the u's..
agghhh

haven't practiced the emergency stop yet, this is my next lesson. Also need to go through the questions they might ask about oil and all that which I'm nearly clueless...
got a bit to go before I'm ready

Hey Dessita,
roll on the throttle very slowly and when you start to move go forwards a few yards to balance yourself. Then look over your shoulder to where you want to be not looking forwards at where you are going.

The roads i used in my test was supprisingly wide. I made sure i could do a u-turn in a single track road, which is possible on an LX, and it helps in the test as you know you have a 2 lane road.

On my CBT they got us to do a "slow race" where the objective is to ride as slowly as possible around the car park without putting a foot down. This helps a lot with u-turns as it is all about biting point and balance.

Just a thought... are you using the back brake balanced against the throttle to control your speed.

my thoughts exactly.

dragging the rear brake allows you to give it more throttle whilst reining the bike in by squeezing the back brake a bit.

this enables you to have much more control over a slow-moving scooter.

if you already know this, sorry for teaching you to suck eggs. just thought it might help.

thanks, Mike, anything helps at this stage, I just need confidence at this stage, think I'll ride the Scarabeo for a week to work so we REAAAAALLY bond.
Mike - in that case let me change my earlier quote: to
"I see more practicing sessions this week's evenings... if you see a nutter in pink fluffy slippers going round in NW London looking scared, wave!!! "

I know it's hopeless when everyone (kindly) gives different advice but here's mine:

My instructor told me to look up at a house which would be to my left and in front of the spot where I was hoping to come to rest.
Therefore, near the begining of the turn, I was looking over my right shoulder with my head tilted back slightly.
It worked for me...just!
I actually put my foot down on the nearside at I was stopping but that seemed to be OK.

Incidentally, a lady member of the X9OC really struggled with the U-Turn and just couldn't do it.
One morning she decided to go out and have a practice, successful as it turned out, and it wasn't until she'd finished and looked down she saw she still had on her pink fluffy slippers.
Worth a try!