Modern Vespa

hmm don't know if i can do the 7th, boyf and i have plans that evening and i'd have to be back in town by 5 at the very very latest.

I have been known to wear a collar and lead.

And speaking of goddamn furries, I affixed Genie's former muffs to the ET4 this morning and they are making me sooo happy with their paddypaw aesthetics.

They'll take a bit of getting used to, having just got used to the muffs I had previously - on my way in to work I tried to cancel the indicator and got the horn button instead. Four times. The bloke behind must have thought I was bonkers.

genie, you got rid of Ugly Betty? For why?

Me thinks that 5pm will be too early to return from France.
Shame.
I wish my lady wouldn't leave me for 5 whole days.
Huskyteer details please.
Regards
Bill X

sold her to the boyf - the insurance is waaaaay cheaper if he owns her. well it was either that or get married - motor insurance is cheaper for married couples, for some dumb reason

Get married and then get divorced and it stays cheap.

According to my boyfriend, anyway!

hah, i dont want too get married untill i am 30

Why 30 ?
I'm 44 and I don't have any aspirations to get married.
Still it would be a nice day out.
Bill X

Ooh, I thought that divorce was the thing that was really expensive. At least that's what I keep telling Mrs BB. Anything to stop her getting ideas...

Divorce itself is mega cheap and simple, if you can agree it.

But since nobody can, it's the lawyers that you get when you can't that are expensive. Of course if you hate each other enough to get divorced, you'll hate each other enough to get lawyers.

Okay you may get cheaper insurance if you are married, but it comes with its own terrible set of legal obligations (but not great stuff like he has to take the bin out or do the washing).

I'm married. I take the bin out (at least half of the time), and do the washing (who else is going to do it?), but I don't think we get cheap insurance.

Dear Cathy and Clare....what am I doing wrong?

I'm married, and glad that it has made zilch difference to my life, aside from confusing people as to my name (which I haven't changed).

The marriage shebang took 10 minutes and apparently there weren't any refunds so I stuck with it. That and someone told me there'd be a cake involved, which meant I turned up at the right time.

I suspect marriage does make a difference to your insurance risk profile, resulting a slightly cheaper premium. It is pathetic but if you think of insurers are the most conservative people you have ever met then it explains a lot about what kind of price you get.

And there's also the complication that my girlfriend is still bloody married after 8 years of separation. That kind of gets in the way.

Could I just say that I think that Border deserves a medal or at least a gold star for coming all the way from Portsmouth this Saturdays jaunt.


Mate I think you are nothing short of brilliant for doing that.

It looks like the weather forecast is looking good as well.

Rah rah rah

Regards
Billy-no-scoot

i have many tactics for that. I never give up riding for the clothes.
once I went for an interview at Austin Reed in Piccadilly and wore shirt/suit fitted jacket, tights. Over it all, riding jacket, waterproof trousers, boots.
Parked at the bay (building site opposite), pulled out my pencil suit skirt from top box (carefully wrapped in Sainsbury's bag), put it on OVER the waterproof trousers.
Unzipped bottom leg openings of waterproof trousers, pulled off boots. (high heels carefully laid out on the pavement), went from boot to shoe.
Pulled down waterproof trousers carefully.
Pulled up tights a bit as possible.
removed motorcycle jacket, put it in topbox.
Helmet/gloves in top box.
ready I was!
and many others, slightly more embarrassing.

So what did I miss? Why is everyone talking about marriage?
Simon you are a good husband, I take the rubbish out these days.
Though the fiance (I haven't used that word yet I don't think!) cooks.
I still don't know what to do about changing my name and all that.
Been to see priests at the parishes, as a good Catholic girl, I have all the paperwork. Alex is naughty and will need to get confirmed
all fun and games.

I'm just back from more practicing in prep for my test.
yesterday I spent 30 min at Sainsbury's car park again on Velma.
Jim's training was really good, thanks again Jim!!

today I came home from work and went practicing on George, me and the beast are pals now, so I hope.
done beautiful U turns.
not 10 out of 10 yet, but very good.
here's a video if you want to cheer for me. Friday afternoon is the big day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1jH8eDlSCU


ps: excuse the chav outfit, I had to feel comfortable, been in tight clothes all day, you know the story..

Private video - need user/pass etc.

ooops sorry, oh what the hell, nothing there no one couldn't have seen on the streets anyway!
public now, click again!

No Indicator for U-turn I think.

As far as I'm aware if a signal can be misconstrued then it shouldn't be used and if there is anyone within sight distance of your manouvere you shouldn't be doing it.

Nicely done though

Dessa, you is smooooooooth!

nice one dessa! that's a very narrow road too - you can expect the u-turn road in the test to be about half again as wide as that. all the more reason to feel totally humiliated that i put my foot down in my first u-turn attempt

do you like my pretend conversation with the instructor?

nice u-turn dessa.

although i was expecting to see a video of you getting changed at the roadside

Very good! The indicator should be used as you are changing lanes, and some vehicle who may not be visible at the start of it may enter 'the picture'.

You shouldn't use indicators when overtaking parked vehicles (can cause confusion, are you turning right?) unless you have to cross into the oncoming carriageway.

Use of indicators is closely allied to this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_a_tree_falls_in_a_forest

Well done Dessa. All that training paid off.
I was hoping for Kams idea as well but you can't win them all.
Having an early night because my sister flys in from the US in the morning and then I've got a very busy weekend with her lined up.
Hope to see all the special people on Saturday morning at 8am.
Regards
Bill X

very deep jim

well I did practice the change of clothing at home the night before I went to the interview to ensure no bum flashing occurred, much as I've been practicing the maneuvres, so there you go!
maybe I'll start a post on how to change in public without flashing anything.
fine skill really.
another suggestion is to wear a flared skirt so you can ride with it (unlike the pencil type ones), though i know genie is against skirt riding, I got a telling off once after being busted by genie on the Abbey Rd!

eep it's just that having dropped the scootie twice whilst learning, and seeing what even a low-speed drop can do to an otherwise shapely and attractive(ish) knee.... i kind of shriek inside when i see women scooting in skirts or dainty shoes.

much as i admire your skill and dexterity, i really don't see myself doing the roadside change anytime soon.... i don't even like communal dressing rooms in shops! next time i think i'll just bring a big bag, and duck into topshop/evans/m&s/whatever and borrow one of their fitting rooms.

waaaaaaahhhhhhh..... here it is. my Leo Vince pipe [*glee!!!*] it's all in bits, and lots and lots of stickers too.

i am going to attempt to fit this monster myself on saturday. while i'm reasonably confident that i can apply the stickers to the topbox and scooter correctly, i have to admit to some anxiety about fitting the actual pipe. my only experience in pipe-fitting has been a sito+ on an ET4 - and that's about as tricky as plugging a light fitting into wall outlet .... the LV, well hmm. i've read the instructions and there are all kinds of dire warnings about washers and spacers and correct alignment, not to mention that the f*cker weighs a TON and i'm a bit worried that i'm going to drop it on the pavement and start to cry. and that monster bracket??? yikes.

hmm. i'm off to read the technical forums. normally i reassure myself by telling myself that 'stupider people than me do this every day' ... but in this case i'm not so sure. maybe the stupider people just take the sensible route and let a qualified mechanic do it. thorts?

New toy alert! New Toy!

Genie...

Thank you for calling me a fairy in the other thread!

The most difficult bit chnaging this exhaust will be the 10mm brass nuts on the exhaust header. Do you have a wobbly extension? The other thing you'll need is a torx bit, not sure of the size. I have both if you want help, if you're coming over here anyway. You can even store the old exhaust in shed if necessary.

D

I fitted a Leo Vince to my daughter's Aprilia Mojito.

It was a bugger to fit, and took a fair amount of persuasion. I thought it was maybe just my own lack of competence but they apparently only fit where they touch, according to a mechanic friend.

I'd get your spanners out and give it a try. But expect some swearing and scuffed knuckles.

J

I have no shame and have been known to flash my pants at the side of the road while changing trousers

These days I'm almost always wearing overtrousers, so I can whip them off with impunity.

i had a browse through the technical forum last night and a peep under the scooter this morning and the worst bit is definitely going to be the brass nuts at the top of the header. i'm also a bit worried about aligning it properly sooooo .... once again, rock star doug and his wobble extension charge in and save the day

Putting the header nuts are the worst bits as they were on the sito pipe that I must have taken off the ET4 3 or 4 times.
I used to cheat and put the whole scoot on its side to do it but it never burnt any oil afterwards. Just don't forget to take the battery out and a blanket under the side panels.
The Hornet now has a nice screen on it and I'm going to test drive it on Saturday morning.
Regards
Billy-no-scoot

You can take the 300 for a spinette, both of them while the exhaust on yours cools down!

[*super-gleeeeee, dancing with joy, etc.*] you have to promise to let me do some of the work fitting the LV tho. you can just stand behind me with a coffee in your hand and issue instructions.

But I am a control freak and love doing it myself. I will try my best. Two of us lying flat on our backs on the ground underneath a scooter will look very interesting to the neighbours.

I have just ordered some weights for the JCosta from Sip. Hopefully I can put them in the weekend after next.

Scandalous!

Can I come and ride the Shitty?

I walked into Infinity Motorcycles today and had a serious moment of weakness. My excuse is that this a Chaser lid, which had 120 squids off....

ah! yes come over WM and we can have a race - you on the constipated scorpion, me on the otterishly-sleek 300

i've been working only half a mile from home for the last 2 months. i usually walk and am having serious scooter withdrawal.

just found out i'll be back at abbey road in late march. yipee!

when is the LV being put on?

why don't you ride on over to doug's as well? in aid of curbing your withdrawal symptoms. i'm sure doug will be pleased to find out i've planned a little party chez him