New POST!

Back from Korea! back in the good old USA. now in the next few days i will start new post, but for now, its good to be back.
good day

Structural Integrity

Sometimes when a piece of metal has been exposed to the elements for 10 years or more, there develops a certain “cancer” in the metal itself. This oxidation can continue threw the entire frame work practically unnoticed by the rider. And so this is the problem with the Dead Ped. Do to the previous owner leaving the scooter on the street in the snow and ice and salt trucks coming by there has developed a weakness in a few key structural components of the scooter. The Fork is the first one I noticed, I saw an area where it looks as it the paint had a crack in it, as I chipped away at it I noticed that the paint just flaked off like the crust of bread. The fracture ran all the way down from the weld where the fork meets the steering steering column. The other spot I noticed is where the shock meets the frame in the rear, it too has a nice sized crack in it, and it is just a matter of time until the weld breaks.
Taking these factors into account, I had decided to retire the scooter. I found another under a bridge. I had to fight many of trolls to retrieve it but it was worth the effort. The Daelim Message 50cc. This was probably the diamond in the ruff I was looking for, Most of the electronics had been yanked out of the battery box, and it was covered in a thick layer of Dirt, Road Grim, and grease, But most importantly, it was out of the rain and the snow. And it cleaned up rather well, It was originally used for Pizza/Food Delivery for a restaurant that has since been shut down do to “progress” for the new part of the city. After pushing the scooter for about 1 kilometer I made it to the scooter repair shop. I know this fellow that does not speak a lick of English, but he loves Kimbop, (which is like a seaweed taco). So after a beer and some chow we got to work. We took the Starter Relay, and 90% of the electronics from the Dead Ped and installed them on the Message. And after hooking up all the wires properly the scooter has full use of lights, signals horn and even an electric start! God how I miss electric starters. After a few more tweaking of the system, he took the bike around the curb and down the road to test it out. For 50cc its got a lot of pep in its step. When I went to pay the fellow for his trouble, he would not accept the money. So feeling that I owe his something in return for his troubles I gave him the Dead Ped, It hurts to part with it, but he will use the parts to make other scooterist happy in the long run. And now I have a fully functioning scooter, HooZA!

4 wheeled scooter Tomahawk

The Dodge Tomahawk was made some time ago by a few geniuses in the Dodge company that said “hey lets put a Viper engine in a Motorcycle”. However the 10 cylinder engine is much to heavy and creates balance issues for just 2 wheels so a new platform was made for the cycle. That gave us the Tomahawk as we see it today.

Skip forward a few years, Rip off artist in China have made a scooter that uses the same kind of platform that the tomahawk uses, except 1/3 the size. Now at first I admit that I wanted one, I saw one in fact going down the road in Itaewon next to the base, it parked by a shoes shop and I managed to get a few pictures of it. After close inspection I saw some huge Flaws in its design.
1. The shocks on the front are the same quality that you might find on a Wal-Mart Bike. That means when the shocks break, you Tomahawk scooter is going to drop to the pavement and or flip end over end if you at a high enough speed.
2. I saw some defects in the Welds, im not even a good welder but I know a rush job when I see one.
3. Plastic body panels which seem to break effortlessly.
Good points I saw were few but.
1. The engine on the scooter seems to be plenty powerful enough to move the 200+ asian man down the road at a high speed
2. Braking power did not seem to be hampered even with the large man. It went from 30 to 0 in less that 20 feet. Sometimes 4 wheels are better than 2

I would say If you bought one of these, consider souping it up, Take it apart, Reinforce the frame, Make way for Bigger higher quality Shocks, and take off those ridiculous plastic panels and just rock it with the engine showing.

Three wheel Scooter car

So since the weather here has been hovering in and around Freezing for the last 4 months I finally decided to get a Seat cover for the Scooter, if you have read anything from before then you know that this particular scooter has less than 10 dollars invested into it. So keeping to that, I managed to find a Sheep Skin Car seat cover the other day, that does not exactly fit well, but it does keep the buns nice a toasty when I have to go start it up in the frosty ill gotten mornings.

While walking around Inchon the other I found a most bizarre three wheeled scooter. It has radio, roof, windshield wipers, a seat warmer and even a place to hold you coffee. It was called a Season 125cc. However it is an obscure brand name. so after a little searching on the internet I found that these are more popular in Japan and Korea than anywhere else. I asked the fellow about the scooter. He managed enough broken English to tell me that the scooter was a replacement for his car since he and his wife live alone they no longer need a car or the expensive insurance that goes along with it. He apparently traded his car even for the Scooter in summer. They also sell clear vinyl side covers with magnetic snaps that act as doors to keep you dry in monsoon season. It might as well be a car with as many bells and whistles it had on it, but with the 125cc engine it gets about 90 miles per gallon, and not many cars can claim that.

I have been looking around for another scooter project that can keep be interested while im here. I have a plenty to choose from being that there at least 6 in the area that are abandoned due to the scooters missing parts or repair work being needed. It will prove hard to properly work on the scooters with the tools I have at had, being a small but nice set of sockets and some few adjustable wrenches. Most of the parts that I find for the scooter are just trashed part from the scooter mechanics place that is conveniently located across the street. Its not much of a part bin but they have a few nice things every now and then. I have however been figuring ways to attach a 125cc engine onto my frame. With my 50cc I am toping out at 40ish mile per hour, this is after taking off the variator and cleaning out the carb. I believe that if I can manage to attach the 125cc I will top out at a clean 60mph. which will give me the ability to get out of the larger cities and visit the southern end of this country via scooter. The train ride is around 40.00 but I much rather drive it myself.

Ruckus

Back from a vacation that was needed. This morning on my way from the gymnasium I saw a Ruckus rolling down the street, It had the lowering kit on it as well as some modifications to the engine and steering components. I managed to keep up with the fellow until he got to his work, (which was as a deliveryman). Where he drives another scooter around to deliver food. I managed to take a quick snap of the rider before he parked. The Honda ruckus is for all intensive purposes the closest thing we can get to the old minibikes of the 60s and 70s. I use to have one back way back when. Even though it was crap it was something fun to have around. During my time shopping for scooters I found the ruckus and the metro to be the some of the highest quality scooters around. I was no more than a day from making the decision to buy the ruckus before I found the Genuine Scooter Company. With the same body dyes at the classic Vspas I could not withstand buying it. I also needed the higher top speed. But back to the Ruckus. For 2,000 dollars you can get a great fuel efficient bare bones scooter, something you can depend on though thick and thin. And since there introduction to the market, many companies have made aftermarket parts and accessories for them. About 1/2 of the Rucki/Zoomers that I see here are heavily modified. Most of the companies that offer cheap aftermarket parts are in Korea and Japan, so it makes over all cost of the part a lot lower than what you might be able to find in America.
There are Modifications that range from the Mundane to the Extreme, and you might spend about 1,000 dollars just modifying your ride to how you want it. I can say without any real doubt that my next ride will be the Ruckus. That is if I can find a decent paying job in the greater piedmont area. I am placing a few sites that I know have great pictures and parts for the Ruckus and Zoomers. Check them out. And if you have any advice you can give me it would be appreciated.
Here are a few sites you might want to check out:

1. These guys know how to fix up some rides, and it can give you some great ideas for a build http://zoomerboys.freeflux.net/blog/
2. For some nice parts and other do dads you want the Battlescooter store is the one stop shop for many of the ruckus needs https://ssl.perfora.net/www.battlescooterstore.com/sess/utn;jsessionid=154987ee7d04bf0/shopdata/index.shopscript
3. A few more parts from a different sorce.
http://www.hondaminitrail.com/ZOOMER%20RUCKUS.htm
4. And here is a link to a great blog about ruckus specefics.
http://ruckusriders.wordpress.com

The Buck Stopped Somewhere Behind Us

A Post from a well known Scooter Blog has inspired me to figure out ways to save money while Riding Scooters. CAUTION. Most of the methods I will describe are illegal and could possible poison or harm you in some fashion, (but that’s just good old American fun).
Siphoning gas is the first way to save an extra Buck! I use to do think in college all the time, I would Go to a Frat house with an old Jerry Can I kept on my jeep and get about 4-5 gallons of gas. It’s an easy way to save a little bit of money, however with Scooters we really don’t have to worry about spending too much on gas to start with. But I did not have to pay for gas for months at a time. This is also a good trick to use if you just need a gallon or so and the stores are closed, but if you do this, be courteous and leave a few bucks on the wind shield wiper, and says thanks!
2 Cycle Oil can be rather expensive, and sometimes you need to just bite the bullet and spend the extra 15 bucks. But you should start running a synthetic oil, its better for your bike and its an ashless formula so it’s a little better for the environment. HERES HOW TO SAVE A FEW BUCKS.
1. Buy 1 gallon of standard Cheap Two Cycle Fluid, Buy another of synthetic 2 cycle fluid. Its usually about 15-20 bucks more than the regular.
2. Go home and pour the Synthetic in a large container. THEN pour the Regular 2 cycle oil into the Synthetic container. So now it looks like the Synthetic has never left the container. (Take care when taking off the top, not to damage the foil more than necessary, use a razor!)
3 Take the 2 cycle container that has the regular back to the store, with the receipt. (remember to pay in cash) I hate paper trails.
4. BOOM! You just saved 20. bucks give or take. I did this little number all the way threw college. I have 3 gallons of synthetic sitting at home in a jerry can.

Spark plugs. Spark plugs are one of the most easiest things to pocket in a store, preferably a Wal-Mart or K-mart. Just get 5 of what you need, pocket one and when you get to the register just put the other 4 down and say you’ll be right back. I have to go get my wallet. Or something of that nature.

Stainless Steel Bolts. Now this is not a necessity but LOWES HOME DEPOT and TRACTOR SUPPLY have some of the worst security I know of. Just find the proper bolt and nut combination then get a lot of standard bolts and put them in the mix, you will be able to tell the SS bolts from the standard bolts by looking at the top. Then just pay for the few Standard bolt with the SS in the mix, its another good scam to run.

What to buy with your Store Credit?
1. Fix a Flat (you know the green slimy stuff you like to play with in the store)
2. Tire Repair kit, if you get in a nasty situation
3. Bike PUMP! It works just the same with your Vespa tires as a bike tire
4. Tool kit, Get a decent Metric Kit to put in your console. (Sockets and Screwdrivers, WD-40 and some pliers and Duct Tape)
5. LED headlamp (you need something to work in the dark with)

You might think that it is improper to put this information up here, and that it is irresponsible of me as a bloger to inform people how to do this. Truth is that most people probably already know these tricks they just don’t use them. But keep them in the back of your mind incase times get tuff.

On the Long Haul

Lets start with the simple things. And think about making a check list. Whenever I took the old Stella out on a long trip either to the beach, or maybe to the mountains I would make a check list of things that helped the most. If you read in one of my previous post you will see that I Listed Towels as a HOT item to carry with you. Im going to add to the list here. And maybe this will help you when traveling long distances.
1. Backpack with hip belt
2. 2 Towels
3. Sleeping pad, the kind that roles up. Its normally made of Foam
4. Tent, At least a two man tent, I would say three man tent, it gives you and your gear adequate space when you sleep.
5. Sleeping bag. This is best kept in the bottom of your backpack.
6. Neckerchief, worth its weight in gold on a cold night.
7. A nice set of Tools, When your in the middle of nowhere and your out of cell range you have to depend on yourself. So prepare yourself.

This is the REI Halfdome, just like the one I used when I was in Pilot Mountain, despite its size it is quite cozy and there is plenty of space for you and your gear.

This is a decent image I found that shows you how you should have your gear stashed. The best thing you can have as an add on to the backpack would be a Sleeping pad, it gives the backpack a way to keep the weight off you and on you seat. This in return helps keep your back straight.

My Thermarest, it is to be sworn by, this is a 30 dollar pad, but it is well worth it. It is the perfect combination of soft and firm.

The Slumberjack is know for it great construction, but something they dont advertise enough is that it can fit into an area the size a Football. Its not heavy enought to worry about in the backpack.