My Vespa is nearly ready for the road again. Snow tires mounted, drive-belt and rollers replaced, new spark plug, wire, and cap, oil and filter changed, everything ready to hit the road. Aaron Grove, the technician at Kissell Motorsports who was working on the scooter, showed me the faulty plug and cap. Somehow the threaded end of the plug stripped out and fused itself in the cap of the plug wire. Not sure how it happened but with the new parts I should have another 30K kilometers of trouble free riding.
At least.
Aaron is a year round rider like me which meant he understood why my exhaust system was so heavily rusted. You ride in the winter with salt on the road and things happen to metal. He rides a vintage, (I think I can call it that) 1970s Honda CB400. Raining hard outside he assured me that he would have ridden to work if the bike wasn’t apart in his garage. I’ll have to keep my eye open for him this winter.
Steve:
there’s nothing wrong with laying on the couch. It’s Christmas and time to relax and eat.
the Turkey must be making you tired, or perhaps it’s the dessert, or the third helping, or the beverages . . .
bob
Riding the Wet Coast
Heck Steve…I did not realize you were still scooterless!
No wonder you sounded a bit blue in your last posting.
Hope you get your scooter back soon…I prescribe you ride it with home via a route that involves a minimum of two gas tank refuelings.
dom
Redleg’s Rides
Colorado Motorcycle Travel Examiner
I like watching my service tech work on the Symba. He, too, moves confidently and I appreciate the rhythm and relationship he seems to establish with the bike. I know the bike is an inanimate object, but I’m careful never to let my Symba know I know.
I like this post very much. I will have to share my shame on my blog soon. My Honda is gutted and stored.
I’m impressed by your patience. I can’t ever remember having someone else work do maintenance on my vehicles. Things that require machine tools, maybe, but not always. Not really sure why but just the way I am.
I also have the week off and the temperature ensures that there is much laying around.
Richard
Steve,
Like you, I am riding year round although this year is my first shot at it. I’ve looked at a variety of snow tires for my Vespa 300 but wonder what you use.
By the way, don’t you just love the looks from cagers at stop lights as you sit there on your scooter in 25 degree temperatures? Makes me chuckle every time!
Best wishes for a New Year and I anxiously await your posts this coming year,
Von In Ohio
bobskoot: I’m raising couch laying to an artform and rethinking my decision to not retire….
No turkey this holiday save for cold cuts. But many helpings of lots of other things.
Charlie6: Scooterless no more! Brought the Vespa home a few hours ago albeit the shortest route. Now I have to get my head around the bone chilling air. And it’s only 25F.
I’ve gotten soft…
Circle Blue: I try to deny having any sort of relationship with the Vespa.
But things sort of sneak by.
Tiny Puppetmaster: No shame in putting the scooter away for the cold weather. I think about it all the time. And I recognize growing resistance to braving the cold. For now I’m still riding but who knows what tomorrow will bring.
RichardM: I hope someday to become more involved in maintenance of the Vespa. It’s certainly not complicated but time, space and tools keep it from becoming reality.
Patience is something I am still learning. Having the scooter in the repair shop builds character!
Von: I have Heidenau K66 LT Snowtex tires that I purchases from Moto Amore in California. They make a difference in the cold and for loose snow and slush. Not a lot of difference on hard packed snow or ice.
People do notice me in the cold and often ask questions when we cross paths. I can go for many weeks without seeing another scooter or motorcycle on the road.
thanks for your post.