Riding two wheels....

For some time now I have been considering posting this view on this thread and see what comes out of it.

I have been riding my moped to and from work for many years now and am on my sixth and seventh mopeds. The others I have literally worn out.
This works out well for me as the distance to work is about 8.5 miles one way. The advantage in this state of this mode of transportation is that there is no requirement for license, inspection, or insurance. Mind you now I own two four wheeled vehicles. A truck and a car.
Intrestingly enough ..about a year back I overhauled the engine in my pickup truck and drove it mostly for about three months. One day I decided to ride my moped to work instead of my truck. I got on and began riding to work and realized how much I had missed riding two wheels.

What I have learned and experienced about two wheel transport is this. Working the back shifts and not being much of a daywalker, I really enjoy the ride to work. The ride home at night is much better. Currently my shift is 4 to midnight. My favorite shift is 11pm to 7am. Did I tell you that I am not much of a day walker?? Mostly it is having the road pretty much to yourself where you can enjoy the ride. THe new interstate has bled alot of the traffic off the local roads making the ride more enjoyable.

To me riding two wheels is about a close to the solitude of Sailing on the open water as one can get. Thats about as best as I can describe it. It becomes a type of PEACE.
I can after years see why dedicated two wheelers really like riding.

I have learned several things about riding two wheels from experience and talking to old timers.

IF you are going to do alot of riding get the most comfortable seat you can. On my moped if you ride it long distances your backside goes quickly to sleep. Good support for your backside is very nice. The old timers are quite correct here.

Riding two wheels...has quickly taught me to watch out for the other guy. It also taught me how crazy people are in thier automobiles and dont count on them seeing you. I am more than ever now ..aware of others on two wheels.

Keep foul weather gear on hand...always.

Keep on your vehicle a small stock of tools and parts..light bulbs, spark plug and spare inner tube. and hand pump.

IF you are able..do your maintenance. Be aware of the condition of your vehicle. Not just two wheels but four also.

I have taught myself to do most of my own maintenance on my mopeds, Decarbonizing, clutch work, exhaust work etc.

I have also taught myself how to make them go faster. This took a couple of years but I have been able to pull this off for different models. THe Puch models were the first ones I tried this on. Today I ride a Tomos Moped ...two of them to be exact. I decided to purchase another one when the gas began going up rapidly. I figured I would make it up in the long run. One moped will go 42 miles per hour and the other will hit almost 50MPH. Mind you I dont always run them this fast but it is there if I need it. It makes the trip home pretty quick. About 20 to 25 minutes.
I ride most of the year, Winter and Summer..rain or shine. One moped has over 10,000 miles on it the other about 1500 miles. I also have one of my remaining Puch mopeds in the garage. It has over 30,000 miles on it. Its pretty worn out but I still keep it around.
These are two stroke motors. I tend to run them on the oil rich side. Makes them last longer. The Tomos mopeds I have removed the oil pumps and oil tanks and just mix my own gas on the oil rich side. This is my preference on a faster running motor with after market parts.

While I am glad to see the gas prices coming back down ..I dont think it will last long. It will be going back up soon enough. When it got close to $3.00 per gallon lots of people were asking me about my ride at work. Many were considering going two wheel. Many people around here are purchasing motorcycles and those scooter looking two wheelers...the ones with the fat type tires. European looking gadgets.

I am not really into motorcycles per se..but I am begining to think about one of those large type scooters made for the open road. They will go some 60 plus miles per hour. I have seen a few of them around here. They seem pretty nice.

My biggest beef with motorcycles is they dont have much carry room on them. On my moped I like to mount one of those double wide milk carton type things from the Grocery stores. You know the ones they put the milk in from the delivery trucks. They are heavy duty. I only like the double wide ones. It keeps my lock and my back pack to and from work.

This is some of what I have learned about riding two wheels. As best I can describe it ..it is like Sailing on the open water...especially at night...my favorite time.

Gotta get ready for work now...riding my moped...need to do my pre trip inspections and preparations.

Any of you folks have experiences with two wheels and would like to share them??

Thanks,
Orangetom

Ahh the joys of two wheels.

Bad points: The worries of diesel, black ice, potholes, car drivers who can't see anything less than 4ft wide, lorry drivers who have right of way no matter what, wet bones, frozen bones, broken bones, bouncing along tarmac on a busy Saturday thinking 'Bugger', having to slowly and cautiously remove your hand from your inside wallet pocket as security run over after walking into a bank with the crash helmet still on...

Good points: Cheap thrills on glorious sunny days! Roundabouts, corners of all shapes and sizes, insane grins wider than your head after a 'moment'.

Ups and downs: That moment when your bike is delivered in complete bits to your house on the back of a recovery truck, your girlfriend has no idea, looks out the window, realises it's yours and... then you walk round the corner with a wink and a smile. TOP HUGS!

Hands down winner. Two wheels every time.

Jak

[Tip of the decade: Get the proper gear. I thought a few hundred quid was expensive for just a pair of boots, last crash would have taken my foot if it wasn't for them. Best buy ever.]

[edit on 18/10/06 by JAK]

I like the fact that I was able to get a brand new vehicle, that gets around 48 MPG and still does the quarter mile in 12 seconds flat, all for about $8000 - just bought a 2007 Kawasaki Ninja 650R this fall, the first new vehicle I have ever purchased.

On the downside, the cargo-carrying capacity is definately limited.
Not the greatest vehicle to take out Christmas shopping ;-)


[edit on 12/22/06 by xmotex]

For me, riding two wheels began due to necessity.

I've ALWAYS ridden a pushbike (from BMX to my current 21-speed MB and 10-speed (velodrome) racer), even when I owned a car. but when I first moved to SEAsia, I didn't have the money to buy a car, so had to get a bike. Which became 2 bikes, then three.

These days the collection has grown and shrunk (and is about to shrink again, by two bikes), but no matter what bike I'm riding, I surely don't miss my old car-sized fuel bills.

I've got a 900cc Honda (1982, so don't think Fireblade) for when I want to go fast out of town and a CB 750 which is up for sale (do I really need identical 900 and 750? The wife doesn't think so!).

And I get around town on a 400, but I have a 250 for standby.

Here's the thing, size doesn't matter. The CM250 can be just as much fun as the 900, and in town it's often more fun, and for way less expense in fuel.

The down-side is every idiot that opens his door without looking, every moron that turns without indicating or looking, every idiot that comes too close without looking, in fact every other idiot on the road seems never to look.

Boots, jeans, jacket, gloves, no matter what the weather, can be bloody uncomfortable on a 42 degree summer day (and your jacket begins to really SMELL after a few of them!). And wearing a helmet means never growing my hair longer than army-regulations dictate, I don't want to save money on petrol and spend it on shampoo!

But all of this pales in comparison to the unbelievable savings on petrol, and my economising doesn't come close to the missus, who rides a 180cc Yamaha scooter.

And FUN. I ride during the day, so it doesn't feel like solo sailing, but get the 900 out on the highway and just eat the kays up. Or flog the trail bike around on country gravel roads. Or cruise passed all those Cherokee and Land Cruiser owners trapped in peak-hour gridlock while the 250 lazily idles along in 3rd...

Plus, there's my uni students who, being young, are impressed by a lecturer who wears a leather jacket and rides a big (even if old) bike.

Ive been thinking about one of those two wheeled motor scooters around 200 CC or so...3 to 4 hundred cc is good too if they make them that size. Not sure about this. I dont have much experience with one.

The thing I like about my mopeds is that there is no insurance and no inspections around here.

I am considering upgrading to one of those motor scooters or a dirt bike with on/off road abilities. Agree with one of the posters however...the ability to carry much stuff is limited unless you can fashion some kind of carrying system.

Definitely the gasoline savings is a huge plus.

Thanks,
Orangetom

I ride two wheels too..



AND I LOVE IT!!!!

Semper

bicycles I have are a Ironman and a Mountain bike both by Trek
I also have a Honda Nighthawk 550
I am either gonna get an electric bike by Velo
valuride.com...

or a Yamaha Scooter Zuma
www.powersportsnetwork.com...

or Honda Big Ruckus
www.powersportsnetwork.com...

the new electric motorcycle IS COOL
www.vectrixusa.com...

This is a great thread. Motorcycles are fun.

I dirt biked a lot when I was younger but stopped shortly before college when I screwed up my shoulder pretty bad (not motorcycle related - FYI). I never got another bike even though my whole family proceeded to get into street bikes at that time. My brother has actually been racing crotch rockets for the past three years and he's had the pins in his ankle to prove it, but I never wanted to go back to two wheels for some odd reason. I had never ridden pavement and I was a little freaked out by it, I loved dirt and cars made me nervous.

So I just recently moved to a town where work is only a few miles from home and my dad lent me his Zuma scooter for the commute. Let me tell you, it is a fun little ride. It'll do 45 (top speed) on flat land and doesn't require a motorcycle endorsement to ride. It's an automatic and the huge bonus is that it'll get 110mpg.

I'm sort of amazed more people don't ride them with gas the way it is. It does have it's drawbacks as people have said, storage capacity, safety (no people will not see you so for Pete's sake wear a helmet!), and though it does have a seat for two, I don't see myself giving my friend a lift any time soon (that makes me think of that scene in Dumb and Dumber). But for a weekly gas cost of about $3 and a fun ride, I'm sold.

As an added bonus it has flame decals down the side (cause it's HOTT) and since it's my dad's he put a fancy exhaust pipe on it and souped it up so it has a bit more take off and goes a bit faster.

I feel like the most badass geek in town Now I'm feeling a need to get a big bike for distance and speed. This is addictive isn't it? And here I though I was done with two wheels.

Jesse

Originally posted by HowlrunnerIV



The odor is part of the allure.



Cutting your hair costs in the
long run.

Well, that's my opinion.



Lucky man !!!



More impressed if you had hair.

Regards,
Lex

Hey Tom,

I used to ride a Kawasaki motocross bike when I was a teenager. There was a dry lake bed, mostly red clay, that I used to ride in for hours and hours. I know what you mean about the sailing. The open air around you and the unhindered view make for a more exhilarating mode of transportation. I would like to ride a street bike in the mountains one day!

There was a year in my life where my only transportation was a small honda street bike. I can add some additional lessons I learned even tough it was a while back because they are very memorable. First off rain hurts at 50+mph. Have rain gear. Next wear glasses or have a shield because bugs get in your eyes at night. And the worst thing that ever happened to me one summer was I got hit in the chest by a june bug at 60 mph. I thought someone had shot me. I had to pull over to catch my breath

Still riding to work?

I want a Hayabusa. Those things are fast and I love speed. I want to get a motorcycle license, but will have to wait until I finish High School and move out.

I have 2 wheeled on everything from a Honda 90, BSA, to one of the new Indians. I don't ride anymore to keep domestic peace. My GF is a part time emergency room nurse and regularly tell me horror stories. For me the thrill isn't worth the potential to get seriously ******up thru no fault of my own. Now my only 2 wheelin is on a Mt. bike Diamond Back on the desert trails. Plenty of thrill with that!!

Don't drink and drive or ride!!

The Busa is an awesome bike, but most people I know who start out on superfast bikes crash them quickly, and quit riding (if they live) afterward...

You're much better starting out on something like a Ninja 250, which is still faster than almost any car, but is a lot easier for a beginner to get the most speed (& fun) out of. Out here there's a guy who habitually beats full-on 600cc racebikes in the canyons with his Ninja 250, so they're plenty quick. They're also only $3500 brand new!

You can find a used one in excellent shape for half of that, though the new 2008 model is a lot cooler-looking.

I also recommend the MSF Basic Rider Course as a good way to get started. In most states if you pass the course, you can skip the state riding test.

Scootering. A Way Of Life.

Kelso 2007

YouTube Link

Isle Of Wight 2007

YouTube Link

ive had many bikes. some of my favourites were the ninja 900, suzuki GT750 (a 3cyl, 750cc TWO stroke ) and an XS750 triple, yam.

you have to treat everyone else like they are complete idiots.
if you expect everyone to do the worst, your always prepared for the worst.

always wear jeans + a jacket. a road on a hot day is like getting a red hot cheese grater and running it over your back + arms - not pretty, doesnt look cool, and kinda hurts a bit.


a bikers best friend is a gear sack n rack for the rear of the bike, or my favourite was a tank bag.

tank bag is a bag with magnets in these little flaps and it sticks to your metal fuel tank, holding itself on.


oh and keep it rubber side down

I've been a biker since I was 16, approximately 20 years ago now.. give or take a few..

My first bike was the original Yamahahahahaha DT 50 which I rode fromLondon to Plymouth and took me 14 hours to complete at 30 mph...and several over heat break downs...oh and the rain...and cold seeing as it was the weekend before christmas.

Then I had a Suzuki GT250, which I didn't have a license for but my dad thought it was a 125... so...

Then I tried a Kawasaki AR125, mostly to get my licence... upon which I whent out and got myself a Kawasaki Z750. Best choice i could have ever made.
Bomb proof engine. The Z series engine is roughly 30 years old and is still being used. Most recently in the ZR7, which was my very first 'brand new' vehicle.

Have ridden several other bikes in between as stop gaps, either from buying broken bikes to build up as a complete model and sell on or just looking after friends bikes whilst their away..

A group of us used to ride 40 miles out of the city to some woodland where we would ride deep into the forest and set up a camp for the night..complete with fire and marshmallows.

Take it easy...but take it..

Wow!!

I had not thought this thread would move much at all when I originally posted it over a year ago. It appears I was in error in my thinking.

I thank Big Whammy for reminding me of this thread. One of my tasks today is to refill my two gallon gas can with a two stroke oil/gas mix. This should last me easily a couple of weeks. Gasoline down the street is $3.15 and expecting to go up more..for the information of you folks out there. I am in a city called Hampton in the state of Virginia, USA.

I have known for many many years that gasoline prices have been much higher in Europe and other places than here in America. Hence two wheeled transport has always had more appeal in those countrys.

However ...here in America there have always been dedicated two wheel riders and owners in spite of our love affair with the automobile. I think this will be changing in the future for many of us.

I know people who are working about 35 miles up the road and across the river in the electricity generating plant. Many of them are considering switching to two wheels. I think many buisnesses or places of employment will be making more and larger two wheeled parking accomodations in their parking lots in the future.

You are seeing a noticable increase in the motor scooter crowd. There is a substantial increase in them in the last three years. Most of them are limited in speed but there seems to be a new generation of them out or like my mopeds there are speed kits out on the market by which the talented can take advantage. No hurry to get a scooter to ride to work as my mopeds are much easier to park and I can park closer to the gate..unlike my automobile. I do like one facet of the scooters...they ride much smoother and more gentile with those bigger/fatter tires.
I have been hearing that some companys have out or are working in these scooters in Diesel Fuel. This would be a nice set up for many peoples.

I still have my fathers olde Lambretta in my garage ...where it has been stored for years. It is a two stroke engine and it was built in the 1950s. One of these days I will have to get it on the road again. It is a three speed with clutch. Now days most of these scooters seem to be some kind of automatic shifting transmission...or belt drive.

Oh..I recently overcame a problem with one of my mopeds and it has been laid up for over a year...shortly after making my opening post here.
It seems I could not get any spark/fire on the wire. I tried everything I could in the way of substituting parts from one moped to the other, in the aide of troubleshooting, with no success. Finally I began to think that perhapsed I had a bad magneto. After consulting and posting on a couple of scooter forums..I paid for a magneto set. When it came in I installed it and got spark immediately. What a surprise. Up to this point I had never had any experience with a magneto or magneto problems. There are so few moving parts on a magneto it did not occur to me that they would go bad. Well I got an education there. The magneto is a bit expensive for the set at $160.00...but you know I think I am going to order another set and keep it aside as a spare. I figure in the long run I will make up the costs easily in gasoline savings and file the whole experience to a big plus as
educational awareness. The cost and experience of learning.

Thanks to all for some great posts on here,
Orangetom

Tom, when you get a chance let me know what model, year of manufacture etc and I'll be able to let you know how much it is valued at etc.

Here is a link to the UK Lambretta Club site.

www.lcgb.co.uk...

Unfortunately we are seeing more automatic "twist n go" scooters on the Scooter Scene, however, each to their own.

I am strictly a Lambretta man but respect to anyone on 2 wheels.

Scootering. A Way Of Life.

Freeborn,

Wow!! Thanks for that site. I have bookmarked it for easy access in my Favorites stack.

I will check out the model number. I know this Lambretta was purchased new through the PX system when my Father was stationed with the Air Force at Orly Field, in Paris, France from 1955 to 1959. We took it with us around the world to many duty stations and it allowed my father to assemble it when we got where we were going. He drove it to and fro work allowing my mother to keep the VW Micro Bus. It has about 5,000 plus miles on it. It is not very complicated internally ...once I learned some basic mechanics in dealing with my mopeds. It is merely scaled up in design from my Puch and Tomos mopeds.
As I recall this is some kind of shaft drive not belted as are so many today. It seems to be some kind of shaft drive in a case suspended in gear oil.

Yes, I will look up the model and year if it is on the label plate. I also have the windscreen somewhere in the garage..though the plexiglass has long since cracked and broken.

By the way..am I to understand that parts can still be obtained for these older machines with enough research??? I would like to put it back on the road as there are not that many miles on her. My mopeds actually have more miles on them. One more thing..this machine is all metal..not plastic as is the rage today.

Thanks,
Orangetom

[edit on 12-4-2008 by orangetom1999]

Freeborn,
Went out into my garage to find the label plate with the model number and other data. Was not able to locate the plate. Is there a standard location where this plate is mounted. Looked on the steering column and inside the glove box but did not find it.

Where are the locations for these label plates on the various Lambretta models. Looked in the owners manual I have with it but could not find the location.

Thanks,
Orangetom