Comments on: Advanced, Experienced Riding Technique

By: American Scooterist Blog

American Scooterist Blog — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:38:24 +0000

Maybe your guage is working, but some other reason is the cause of your quick-burn Vespa.

Yer not runnin' stock no more iz you...? ;)

Harv

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:58:58 +0000

Orin: Normally things go exactly like you indicate. It didn't this time because I failed to fill the tank when I reset the odometer.

Around here we can pump gas. Even at the full service stations they don't like putting gas into scooters or motorcycles for fear of spilling fuel on shiny objects. So we get to do it everywhere.

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:56:42 +0000

Mike Simmons: Picture taking is like a physical tick I suppose. I do it all the time. Some people doodle. I take pictures. There isn’t much I won’t point the camera at. Usually takes someone saying “don’t” to break the trance…

The gas gauge is sort of working again. Always fails when the ambient air temperature gets above 75 F. Must be a circuit crack or something. This morning at 55F it worked fine.

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:54:30 +0000

Ford: No, I am pretty wussy with the throttle generally. With the motorcycles I do try them out when it's prudent to do so but all that has transferred back to my Vespa is a sublime appreciation of the utility and function of the scooter for my riding lifestyle.

My throttle hand didn't cause my fuel incident. It was my failure to fill the tank. How did I miss that?

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:52:19 +0000

Brian: I have not made a single overnight trip. I've ridden 350 miles in a day but always in a big circle. Someday though. For now I am in local tourist mode.

cpa3485: For a moment I thought something happened to the engine. While coasting I started to wonder if I miscalculated the fuel and I was glad to find that I did.

Next time I just need to make sure the tank is full before counting miles.

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:49:48 +0000

Chuck: I've thought of carrying gas but instead I might just bring a tube to siphon gas. A West Virginia credit card or so my West Virginia father called it. Any accommodating rider or passing motorist could help. Barring that the unknowing could as well...

On a trip though like the one you describe I would probably have extra gas. Even with the gauge working there have been a couple times I thought I would run out because the fuel oasis I expected to use was closed.

And I didn't make the fog picture. By the time I was ready to go I needed to meet someone for breakfast.

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:46:13 +0000

hrw115: Where's the fun in a functioning gas gauge?

SheRidesaBeemer: It's sort of amazing what goes through a mind when things aren't going the way you think they should.

Ronman: I like to kid myself that I lead a quiet, soft, easy on the environment life but then I look at my truck, my house, the furnace, the place I work, the food in my frig and just know a lot of stuff happens to support my life.

But I do ride a scooter!

By: Orin

Orin — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 03:15:14 +0000

Interesting that you go 100 miles on a fill. My GTS goes 130 miles before the low-fuel light comes on, and depending on how long I choose to ignore it, takes 1.7-1.8 gallons (my technique is to put the nozzle in as far as it will go, and squeeze the trigger just hard enough for fuel to flow; when the nozzle clicks off, the tank is full, or at least at a consistent level, with no fuel flow into the evaporative emissions canister).

Oh, and I just found out in Oregon, if you ride a scooter or motorcycle YOU CAN PUMP YOUR OWN GAS! The Oregon Legislature changed the law in 2002. Don't know what the sitch is in New Jersey...

__Orin
Scootin' Old Skool

By: Mike Simmons

Mike Simmons — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 02:18:04 +0000

Steve,
I find it really neat that your first instinct in the confusion was to take a picture - you're a true photographer. I agree with hrw115, a gas gauge fix would be good.

Great story - glad it turned out well.
Mike

By: Ford

Ford — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 22:55:09 +0000

Do you think it is possible that riding all the high horsepower motorcycles lately has acclimated you to faster acceleration and you’ve been compensating by twiting the throttle more aggresively?