Sunday, July 8, 2007

Day 26, 412.8km

Not a lot of riding this weekend... busy on the homefront. Of course, I managed to run to get some good beer (the place had no SNPA, but they had another excellent, hoppy choice -- Sweet Water 420, Atlanta, GA), and a modicum of groceries... still waiting on my apparently backordered Binetto BN-T28 top box, ordered from The Scooter Shop on 6/22... of course, they charged my card right away!

Still having to play with the throttle to keep the thing running until it's thoroughly warmed up, but it's running well. Got an indicated 40mph up the killer hill on Premiere Ave. (the one on which the Vino bogs down to 9mph).
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6 comments:

  1. Thinking about purchasing an Agility 125 or maybe a Super 9. What has been the top speed you've managed on your scooter? Did it come "restricted/governed" and have you de-restricted it? Was it difficult/expensive?

    thanks
    wm

    ReplyDelete
  2. wm -- As far as I know, "restricted" generally only applies to the small, ~50cc 2-stroke scooters, and not the larger 4-stroke models. That's done because in many states, there is a speed restriction requirement instead of (or in addition to) an engine displacement requirement for this class of bike, typically referred to as a "moped" or "motorized bicycle." The licensing, registration and user training/equipment requirements of these smaller bikes vary from state to state.

    Since I'm still breaking in the Agility, I haven't ridden wide-open-throttle, yet, but I can say that it gets up to 40-45mph indicated without any trouble, and seems to have about half the throttle left, on level ground. The dealer said it would top out at around 60 mph, but would take a while to get there. For my use, being able to easily maintain 40-45 mph in any terrain is perfect. If you need more than that, you really should consider a 250cc+ scooter.
    .

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  3. Everything is a trade-off. I like the mpg on the 125, the price and the back-up kick start. Most likely would never commute from the burbs to the job on a 2wheeler anyway so more speed is not a requirement.

    Bought the wife a People 50 2 weeks ago and can't keep her off the thing - even on days when rain is in the offing. She's having so much fun I figured I better look at a scooter for myself.

    Enjoying your blog - keep it up.

    wm

    ReplyDelete
  4. Another question for you. The Agility 125 review at http://www.motoring.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3443093&fSectionId=759&fSetId=381 says "The wheelbase is very short ... making the footwell a little cramped for riders over 1.75m tall – I banged my knees against the handlebars on tight corners a few times".

    I'm 5 foot 11 and I was wondering if the 125's dimensions have been an issue for you.

    thanks
    wm

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm 6'3 with a 32 inch inseam and had no problem when I test drove an Agility. Granted, I didn't ride it for hours but it was comfortable enough. My advice is to test drive any scooter you might want to buy.

    ReplyDelete
  6. wm -- I'm only 5'9", size 9 shoe, but I've got plenty of room. I can see it might be cramped for a bigger person on a long ride, but a 125cc air-cooled isn't really designed for the kinds of long rides I would imagine taking.

    Scott's right -- if nothing else, sit on the scooters, and see what you think.
    .

    ReplyDelete