Modern Vespa

Tell it like it is Love it.

Much better thank you, I'm at home doing a little disco dance in my studio/garret/pigeon loft.

ARRGH!!!

Went out to start filling the bike up with 'stuff' for the Somme, and noticed that the chain had been adjusted - by a huge amount! Took the chain-guard off and checked the clearance at the measuring point. As you can see, it should be 38+/-2mm.

It was more like 48mm!!! Massively overtightened. Called them up and told them what I had found. The boss-man wasn't a happy bunny, and asked me to bring it over ASAP so the (presumably better) mech could re-adjust.

On the way over the bike stalled twice! ARRGH!!!

They re-adjusted the chain properly this time, and said they'd have to contact Piaggio to find out what the stalling problem was. I can cope with it if I know it's there, so not too fussed about going away with it like this. I'll point cheekythomas at this though...

Not impressed.

Hope it is all sorted by the time you hit the road jim.

So maybe CBS Whitton are not to be recommended then Jim? At least not for the GP. I'm surprised you didn't take it to St Albans. I think I will probably brave the 200 mile round trip to Lowestoft with mine!

oooh, suffolk - let me know if you want some company for the ride, it's beautiful up there.

just getting ready to take the 'Loper for a very very short blast up the A12. i gots the fear

I actually meant the Mana by mine when it is due something big like a belt change, but you are welcome! It will be fine. You off to Bluebottle?

I hope once they know I'm not a clueless idiot they might do it all properly. They've got all the manuals and tools and stuff - but obviously at least one mechanic who can't be trusted. The boss-man was not impressed with his worker's workmanship in this case.

I may be wrong about idle settings being adjustable (lets see if CT throws any light on it), in which case if they have reset the TPS I'm going to get angry at them for A: doing it and B: then lying to placate me.

no. for the first time in my life i have totally fannied out the thought of riding at 60mph on tyres that feel as though they've been greased has shat me right up. bill is meeting me at the O2 instead. oh, the humiliation

Are you sure Kelvin hasn't done something wrong? Not sure what. Let Billy ride it.... and say hi for me.

nope. tyres are installed properly, the pressure is right, kelvin even took it out for a test ride and announced that he absolutely loved the heidenaus. it's just my lack of experience on hard tyres with a rounder profile than the squishy squashy pirellis. i'll get over it. and yes i am going to let billy take it for a spin.

Leave CBS Whitton out of this, they have nothing to do with it, they are Good Guys! It was the Walton Road Garage cocking up. Through whom all Piaggio UK press-demo bikes are prepared, and where mine originally came from 4,000 miles before I got my hands on it.

Next service is meant to have chain and sprockets replaced - but I don't think they'll be anything like worn enough to make this necessary.

Oops sorry. I forgot they didn't touch these and misread the post. My bad...

CBS Whitton rule!

That's more like it, I'll let you off the two hundred lines. Mostly 'cos it'd take up far too much room here, and anyway you'd cheat and copy'n'paste.

Well, I am shaking with fury. Forgive copypasta from the X9 Forum. This was my journey home this evening:

So I'm on my way home from work on the ET4, riding defensively and keeping pace with the flow of traffic, when the driver behind (whom I've already pegged as driving aggressively and switching lanes a lot) beeps me.

We pull up next to each other at the lights - there are two lanes - and I hear a shout of "Are you f***ing stupid?"

I assume she's talking to her equally charming companion, but no, she means ME!

"Why are you driving in the middle of the road? You're on a little scooter - you should drive over to the side!"

I start to explain the principles of Advanced Driving, but before I can finish the lights are changing and she's shot off on amber.

I keep a respectful distance behind her over Waterloo Bridge, then inevitably filter past in the queue outside Waterloo Station.

As I go by, she throws her cigarette at me.

Normally I rise above road rage, but on this occasion I fear I raised a middle finger as I cruised past. I hope the cyclist behind me didn't think I was aiming it at him.

I just fell off my chair. Well done that gal! Well that wouldn't be the first time you've told me off.

We've all fot to learn somewhere and it's fun having you teaching us young Skökers how to tow the line

Full marks Alice! Hopefully more understanding drivers over the w/e (except for the multitudes of ex-pats).

99% Doug.

you showed admirable restraint alice. i'd have pulled alongside her at the traffic lights and read her the riot act. silly crunt.

billy has taken the 'Loper for a spin and pronounced the tyres just fine thank you. in fact i think he has taken a shine to the interloper i have to admit that my ride to the O2 and back wasn't terrifying. the tyres still feel a bit vague and i'm cornering like tinkerbell but i'm now confident that i'll come to like the heidenaus.

Silly billy.

+100

It's all I can do sometimes to control my road rage at twats like this, and I have to formally remind myself that I'm too vulnerable on the scoot to duke it out should they turn yet more psycho. But in my big ass cop-car? I'm never the instigator but when riled, I'm sorry to say I've done more than my share of stare-downs and even a couple of we'll-see-how-you-like-it-motherfucker chases. What I'm so shocked at is how much ire being on a scoot brings up in people. They seem downright pissed that I'm on THEIR road. Do they assume I can't keep up? Or is it just their goddamned American (I'm no patriot) sense of entitlement? Probably the same sort of thing you experienced, Alice; move to the side, little scooter...you're a second-class citizen.

Unfortunately, I found myself staring down someone that whipped around me on Juicy in the fast lane the other day with only a couple feet to spare, even though I'd been keeping up with traffic (easily going 50-60mph)...all the bitch accomplished was that she'd gotten in front of me, and could now see my eyes boring into her in her rearview mirror. What I wanted to yell at the stupid bint was to wipe the smug look off her damned face cuz I was on a new Vespa and she was in a damned 20 year old rusted-out Escort. I could have wiped my ass with her chewed-up old ride.

Reverse sense of entitlement. I caught that too. I may need therapy.

Yes had a good ride on the Interloper around the 02 link road and yes the K61's do feel harder and a bit vague on the front end but nothing to be scared of.
It's just a harder compound and a higher profile than the Italian brand.
I'm sure in time they will bed in and become less harsh than they are now.
It's a bit of an irony that earlier on today I took a look at my rear tyre and checked it with a tyre gauge. Erm 1mm left in the middle so I'm up for a change as well but what to replace the ever scary Sava's with?
The World is my oyster/s


Alice I'm sorry that you had such shitty ride home.
I suggest you should have taken her number and reported her to the police.

Jim That must have left a nasty taste in your mouth when you can't even trust trained staff to service your ride.
I think I'd be as livid as you were.

More in a bit.

Bill XX

I was very pissed off. I kept a reasonable 'face' on though as I talked to them. I did say the stalling "Nearly fucking killed me entering Hampton Court roundabout" but that was the harshest thing I said. I have to say, receptionist and boss-man were on the ball. I don't trust the mechs, and neither should boss-man. I suspect someone had an ear-bashing.

If the TPS was reset I'm demanding ever so sweetly asking for a new throttle body gratis.

Interesting to ride the Interloper and see how different it is to the Hornet.
For a start the engine revs a bit free-er (bad english) and it has more grunt off the line than the Hornet.
Me thinks that my engine is still a little tight as it has only 3000 miles on it and there is of course the LV pipe which seems to give a bit more grunt at low revs.
Going back to the tyres it feels as if the front tyre is running on more of a knife edge which makes it tip a bit more easily into corners but because the compound doesn't yield as much there is a distinct lack of feel when running off center.
All very interesting.

More later.

Bill X

I'm sure the German tyres will be much better once properly 'cooked'.

i love the softness and grip of my michelin pilot sports. i had a 'moment' this morning as i overtook a truck on the shepherds bush roundabout. i was going a bit too fast and hit a large pothole as i was leaned over. i stupidly grabbed a bit of brake for a millisecond before i realised what i was doing and released the lever. by all accounts i should have been off but the sticky tyres did their bit and i was ok. closest i've ever come to coming off though

i find the psychology of grip relies on trusting your tyres. once a few positive experiences build up the trust grows and confidence comes with it.

oh, and wankers in cars who throw cigarettes at scooterists should be jailed.

i was lanesplitting up near willesden last summer and a people-carrier full of 16-18 year olds started to give me grief - i suspect the driver was rather new at it, and was startled by a scooter coming alongside. we pulled up to a stoplight together and they really started to mouth off, particularly one charming lad in the back who started up with all of this 'yo, bitch' stuff.... what came out of my mouth before i could stop it was 'oi, back seat boy - have you even got a license?' his mates all fell about laughing, the light changed, and i high-tailed it out of there.

Well well well, I have had the most horrible of weeks, I haven't been around for a while and probably frequenting even less after what I've done. I felt I had to respond over the latest posts of inconsiderate road users in relation to thier half wit ferckin attitude towards "scooterists" there is a definitive mentality against scooter riders - even 125 small motorbikes on L plates get less agro than a scooter rider (regardless of capacity) . For me last Sunday took the biscuit - it actually ended up with some fat twat on his arse in a car park as I lost my rag well an truly. Not going to bore you with the details . I've ridden scooters solidly for the past six years of all descriptions previous to that was always a geared motorcycle. So Monday I visited a pal of mine owns a bike dealership and I've sold all my scooters...gone. Never to be revisited.
Going back to loud nasty motorbikes. Bought a mint condition Yamaha MT-03 with full Akropovic exhaust system 2000 miles from new and by god its good to get back to having as much power and acceleration on tap as one could possibly want. The bike is light at 170 kg incredibly manouverable and loud by heck is it very very loud. Not practical for the commuters if you have to carry anything more than your house keys (i don't fall into this catergory as I have no need to carry even house keys but jeepers is it fun and nothing on four wheels can keep up with ya let alone try and run you into a ditch:roll:

Ride Safe All

Enjoy the new ride as much as you can.

If a scooter rider rides 'assertively' (not agressively note) and considerately then even one on L plates will be given their own space. Having ridden a GT125 wilth 'L's on today I was pleasantly surprised that I found no problem riding around Hampton and Kingston. OK, they may not be the world's worst places for intelligence, but the car drivers were just fine. And every 'big bike' I moved over for gave me a wave of thank-you. Of course, they might just have spotted the NoToBikeParkingFees tabard...

I do agree with ya Jim and London is pretty tight on space and open roads.
I live in the sticks and I don't really ever venture in to town centres so I never have that element of suprise when a scooter can open up and go. I found myself almost forced into a ditch on sunday by some chav nob who got his comeupance, with so many twats out and about I never had the power to progressively ride to a point of safety in front of the four wheeled twats out and about half asleep after piggin them selves out on the sunday pub roast.
To be honest i have always felt slighlty vulnerable on a scooter probably why i kept changing but hey ho no worries there. I am not an incredibly fast rider by nature I like to cruise at my own speed( that doesn't mean that I can't ) but I do like power to "get out of the way" if I choose to. Unfortunately other than your GP Jim or Dougs Mana I doubt if any other T&G can do that with out ringing its neck.
I intend to ride for as long as I am permitted but it won't be on a scooter.

Hmm, I really find the aggression goes up a notch once I'm off the GP800 and on to the Vespa. Something about the little red guy gets people's wild up.

Border, you traitor Have fun!

I once trod on an orange.

Bill X

You posted that up before I got my next one in alice ..

I actually think that Scooterists have a much better social life collectively than any other passtime or interest (yes for some it s way of life ! I know) Trouble is for me to get to any of the runs or meetings I've got the best part of a mini touring holiday to do before I get started which isn't a problem if it wasn't for other road users. I am pleased than you can see the difference once you step off of the GP to the ET....
Bloody people

bill - give a pair of pilots sports a go 8)

oh, and loft 2010?

Really Bill .. it obviously had a lasting impression . Pure Orange , satsuma or tangerine... Isn't it past your bedtime ?

Back to the topic (there's a topic?) today was the first time for ten years that I had ridden a 'small scooter' (GT125). It was a joy in the 30 mph miasma. I found no less 'observance' by the car drivers - but I did keep an eye out (as you can guess from my post above) for any non 'L plater' PTW coming up from behind. I do know that 'L's are nearly at the bottom of the food chain, just a smidge above Pizza-Boys. This little bike had obviously been thrashed - it went like a dream even if the bodywork looked like it had been a pimps #5 best boy's transport in Paris.

Maver thanks for the suggestion. I've got about 3 or 4 on my list to choose from but I'll decide in the morning 10 minutes before I order them.

As for 2010 I can't commit this month due to it being an expensive one for me and other things have taken priority like my relationship fragmenting like an asprin in glass of water so I that's kind of clouding my future plans right now.

Once I've got that sorted I'll think about future vacations.

Sorry and all that but other things have got in the way.

Good to hear from you Maver.

Regards

Bill X

not you as well........

sorry to hear that

Give me a T and that spells......

Nite all

Bill X

Give me a C and that spells..... so many words !

The vibrator that my girlfriend/ exgirlfriend owns had learnt to read a map, open pickle jars, change a wheel, reverse park and explain the off side rule so that's pretty much rendered me useless.

Bill makes that fist shaking action that you only see old men use or maybe the janitor would direct at Shaggy at towards the end of an episode of Scooby Doo.

It's going to be another lovely day.

Be good

Bill X