Modern Vespa

Heh. Back to L plates again.

I did the same a couple of years ago - but shifting on a 125 is a 'mare, and I soon got disillusioned. Hopefully this Yammy is better than my not-lamented Suzuki Marauder.

Yes hooray for LOSER plates again. Oh how I missed them.

I have done some preliminary embarrassments on a Honda CG in Ealing so perhaps it shouldn't be too bad.

Getting going and changing up okay. Changing down variable. Stopping less good. Okay, I stop, but not in the right way.

..Jimc, nice to hear you had a good day, saw a little of it on the tv news..Any pics up on any of the scooter sites mate ? As would,nt mind seeing some...cheers.mart

call me thick but i dont see how learning to change gears on a bike would prepare you for a geared vespa

Consider if you don't have a car license either, and therefore need to learn about things like "slipping the clutch", "biting point", "rev matching" and "engine braking".

It's a much bigger step from automatic transmission to clutch+gear selector (regardless of hand/foot controls) than it is from foot controls to hand controls.

In fact, I have a hunkering for a Huyabusa. They don't make them in twist and go....

I had a brief flirtation with cars as a teenager and then realised that it sucks to drive because a) you can't drink and b) when you're a teenager in the countryside there's always some keeno who wants to drive girls everywhere in his Vauxhall Nova with the spinners. If I couldn't get there that way then I'd walk it instead, day or night.

In Cambridge that I had a bicycle and was drunk on that for a bit and then I moved to London and public transport took over.

always useful to be able to ride a manual geared bike.

in the old days i learnt to ride a bike by hiring a 125 honda motorbike for a weekend. there wasn't even a cbt in those days.

3 happy, and sometimes scary, days of riding 10 hours a day around london soon taught me.

a few weeks later i was dodging buffalo and thousands of people down the middle of a busy bazaar in india with a pillion on the back on a shifty motorbike. not my most controlled ride but i survived.

I did something similar in August. An hour in a car park, then 3 days hire (commuted to work for my first ride!), then Module 1, then another 2 days and Module 2. Not sure I'd recommend that to everyone though!

I also did a couple of hundred miles out in the greenery to get used to the brakes etc from higher speed.

Great fun - I get a deep sense of satisfaction from a well-executed gear change, but I am a bit weird like that.

I ended up selling my Yamaha TDM900 because it wasn't getting used.
It was brilliant for long trips and touring but not a patch on the GTV for town work. I don't regret doing the geared test though.....I can ride anything.

Kate has wanted a Triumph Bonneville since childhood, but I think that would be in addition to the GTS.

I, on the other hand, am considering trading in the SH for either a motorbike + 125 scoot, or a Mana. Having sat on a Mana today, I felt desire for a particular PTW for the first time, rather than the concept in general.

I think this year will consist of "being a better rider" (Bikesafe, LAM et al). It's a hell of a lot cheaper than gliding, and I get to do it with lovelier people.

Had a go on Doug's Mana. We liked that. We liked that alot.

I think the pillion did as well.

Actually I wouldn't mind a little ride on the 125 if a chance arises.

If I'm honest I don't miss big bikes because for me now scooters are much more fun.

Bill XX

I'm not getting rid of the Super, my first love is the scooters.

Scooters FTW.

But my dad had a Norton when I was little and I've always wanted to ride old British bikes. Gears have to happen then.

Insurance costs may scupper the Mana. I can buy a second-hand GTV for the price of fully comp on a Mana!

I once rode a BSA Gold Star and the torque almost ripped my arms off.

What a racket though.

Happy Days.

Bill X

I still plan to do DAS sometime - just so I can hire decent cc's abroad.

Those who might want to live, or re-live the ride can do so here:
&feature=related

Start at part 1 of 6 - and 'waste' an hour.

that looks like it was a fantastic ride

and wonders .... you've gone all biker-ey. what can we expect next? metallica pouring from the stereo next time we visit? fu-manchu 'taches and loads of tats? or maybe you'll be going the full leathers with a back protector to pootle down to the shops route?

anyway, congratulations .... but now i'm having motorcycle envy

Thanks for posting up the vid, jimc....nice one...only looked at the 1st one for now, blimey its a good thing they did,nt all bump into each other on the off.. ...close or what..shame it was a bit cloudy on the day..cheers anyway..mart.

Bump. 2nd page people.

C'mon someone say something funny about something.

Hornet comes home in two days.

Rah rah rah.

Bill XX

Page 2. Feck.


This evening I have run 10 miles, I am not sure why, other than to find out if I can. I can.

I am looking forward to the H4H ride in a few weeks, I have had patches made, feel free to buy some. It's for charidee mate.

What are peoples plans for the spring/summer? are there any rides planned that I can tag along with? (ones that will not cost anything other then fuel and lunch )

Marc

Marc lets book up a progressive ride where neither of us gets injured huh ?

Fancy that ?

Sounds good, but lets not forget that you are no doubt far more progressive than I am.

How about a semi-progressive ride, with the potential to bimble if the mood takes us. 8)

Yes but you have more torque and more top end than me.

Coast OK with you ?

Evening Bill & Marc.

Still .... if there is one thing I have learned here at MV, there is no substitute for experience. I will try my best to keep up.

Evening Big-7-Baz,

Are you joining our semi-progressive ride?

OK I'm going to suggest a quick ride to the coast fairly early on a Sunday morning starting from my gaff or nearby.

What we need is a date.

Hello young Baz.

When's that Marc?

16th May?

6th June??

13th June?

May 2nd ? I'd like to start fairly early so as to avoid the traffic.

Plenty of time to plan a route athough I do have a couple of good ideas.

Bill XX

There's a ride-out/rally at Hastings on the 23rd/24th April.
Tickets for the evening do's are available from the 1066 Saxon's s.c. site.

I've seen a poster for that gig Baz. I also have a contact in Hastings who I think knows one of the organisers of that night out.

Anyone else ?

May 2nd is ok for me. I will let you organize things Bill, I will follow you.

Will the Wonders come riding HD's and wearing leather chaps?

April is full up for me Baz. Everything in 2010 seems to be happening in April ffs!

Cool May 2nd is good for me. Reserved for the coast. Rah Rah Rah X

Whose with us ?

Maidstone to somewhere coastal.

What about somewhere nice for lunch?

Na lets go somewhere really horrid for lunch.

Let me work on that.

Bill XX

Pathfinder is dead

coming home from modra sunday, 15miles from home (245 miles each way to the rally) stopped at a level crossing, sarah sitting on her 300 infront of me said over the bluetooth helmet intercom (posh eh!) she could hear a rattling noise, i look round, couldn't see jed or any other clampets out in thier hillbilly car causing the noise and happened to look down at my vari casing to see the dipstick missing and oil being pumed out of the hole at a rate of knots.........

turned it off, pushed it into the railway station car park, oil EVERYWHERE, running down the inside of the panel, all over the varicase, yuk.......


chucked 250ml of oil in (all i had) and a spare dipstick (yes i carry one in case someone steals the shiny jettin one ) and rode home gingerly but by this time it already sounded like a bag of nails, the rattley noise was my scoot and yes the oil loss was severe enough to do the crank bearings which piaggio only sell with new casings wrapped round them so the pathfinder is dead

been a bit of a bad week as my Dad died the on the wednesday before the rally and before anyone says things happen in three's, he died potless and i've got to pay all the expenses

bugger.

Condolences Maver. I am very sorry to here about your dad.

At least the Pathfinder is just a machine that can be fixed or replaced.

I hope things start to get better soon.

Love and kisses from the Tailormarc-family.

sorry to hear about your dad, maver.

also sorry to hear about your bike being buggered. bugger.

maver, i'm so sorry to hear about your dad. condolences and a virtual hug.

gigantic bummer about the pathfinder that was a gorgeous scooter ... surely you can put new guts in? or is it time for a 300? have you any idea what happened? did some thieving toerag steal the dipstick?