New Poll

Over to your right, dumbass.

Fast food, banking, pharmacies... how often do you use drive-thru windows when riding the scooter?
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Welcome, Frank! Franck!

... or Franck, perhaps? I don't know... I didn't get your business card! :)
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Rain Scoot

It's fun when its warm, anyway. :)
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Cheese It! It's The Cops!

Yep; I done got my very first traffic stop on a scooter -- and yes, it was while I was on the Vino.

I was heading east down Charlotte Ave., and passed a cop who was stopped in a business lot, signaling to enter Charlotte heading east. I got two blocks before he lit up the blues.

I signal, pull into another parking lot, shut off the scooter, and draped my wrists over the handlebars. The very young MNPD officer approaches slowly, asks for my license. Says he stopped me because I have no tag on the scooter.

"Well, it's my understanding that this scooter is considered, under Tennessee law, to be a motorized bicycle--"

"Nuh-uh. How many ccs is it?"

"49.5."

"49.5. Where does it say that? Do you have a registration?"

"No, sir -- I could be wrong, but I also understand that motorized bicycles do not require registration under state law."

"Does it say '49.5cc' somewhere on the bike?"

"Well, I think so, on one of these stickers..."

"Stand over there, sir."

"Sure." He bends over to examine the several decals that Yamaha affixes to the scooter, including the VIN decal, all the while resting his hand on his weapon, my driver's license between the fore- and middle finger of his shootin' hand.

"I don't see any 49.5cc anywhere, on there, anywhere."

He bends down, kneels on the ground, clearly more at ease (I'm at least six feet away from him, giving him space), looking around the variator casing, and underneath the scooter.

"I could've sworn one of those labels had the displacement. Can you run the VIN, and see if that tells you anything?"

"Yeah, let me write that down. Just sit tight and I'll be back with you in a minute."

Several minutes pass, and I notice he's leafing through a small book. I slowly approach the car, and say, "Officer? I think I have the relevant statutes in my under-seat compartment."

"Do you have any weapons or anything you shouldn't have under there?"

"Of course not. You can open it if you like."

"No, go ahead -- I'll take a look at what you have."

So, I get the relevant statutes, hand 'em over... I figured that'd help him find the spot in his little book that should read exactly the same. Lo and behold, that's exactly what happened.

Cop says, "You don't have ANYTHING that says it's a 49.5cc bike?"

"Not on me, I don't suppose. I mean, if you write me a ticket--"

"I'm not gonna write you a ticket."

"Cool. But what I'm sayin' is, I could pull information off the Yamaha website, and match the VIN to the model, and show a judge that I was doin' what I thought was legal. I've been ridin' it since April, 2007, and this is the first time I've been pulled over."

There was a pause. Then, he says, "Well, dang... I'm tryin' to figure out how you can keep from gettin' pulled over, again." I mention that'd it'd be cool if Tennessee would offer a special plate -- one that didn't cost $85. He agrees, and points out in his code book that registration on motorized bicycles is voluntary, which he thinks is stupid: Why pay $85 when you don't have to?

We made some small talk, then. He'd seen my scooter at Target a few days ago... asked me what kind of mileage it gets, etc. I mentioned that I'd reported an attempted theft on it back in March ("Oh -- that's how you got all the scratches and the broken speedometer?").

He didn't apologize (heh -- do they ever?), but he shook my hand, gave me my license back, urged me to be safe, and went on his way.

Another day in the concrete jungle.
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I've Got Some On The Way

Leave a comment for details!
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Tales From Topographic Oceans

We're having some quite pleasant August weather here in the 37209. Evening temps into the 70s, and great opportunities to cruise around briefly on the Vino in unsafe shorts and t-shirts (helmet, of course).

One thang I enjoy when the nights get a little cooler is riding around, and noticing the simple physics that rule our world. I used to note this when I had the convertible, too -- hit a dip in elevation, especially where that dip is part of a much larger valley, and the temperature can really dive inside just a few yards.
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Meta-Blogging: Scooter Training Wheels

This is a phrase that's been bringing visitors to this blog for some time.

Please, please, PLEASE! If you came here querying this phrase, simply click this link, and live long, prosper.

Thanks!

UPDATE: No; I am serious. If such a thang existed, I would question your ability to pilot a scooter, as surely you must!  Leaning the bike is 85% of handling it, effectively and safely. I'm not talking about these freaks who buy special-pants-with-Kevlar-hockey-pucks-in-the-knees-leaning-over. Just everyday leaning, like a bike with a motor. Get in a class, now!
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WANT!

... to provide one and all with specialized location-based services.

HOWEVER... nothing is ever simple, easy or cheap... right?

I learned that if I decided to go the way I was going, my customers would have a major re-investment due in 2010.

I can't do that to people and want to make a living doing it, no. I can't leave people stuck in a year or two.

Doing this right means it takes some time. Bear with me. New info coming, soon.
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Dealers said an inexpensive tracking device for scooters will be out soon.

Heh.

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History

What you see here is the very first scootrak.com version 2.0 phone.

Works like Bob, and more features than you would ever want or need.

This one's connected to my server. Mine. No one else's.

Big doin' is afoot.
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Because It Has A Scooter In It

... and monkeys riding dogs always makes me laugh my fool ass off.
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Very Spooky, Very Cool

Dood in Colorado who shares my name (first and last) wrote a kickass GPS application and server product. I'm evaluating it now, courtesy of his server (or is it my server? The name thang's got me cornfusled... heh).

So far, so excellent! Danged accurate... and his server app can use a number of different Internet mapping APIs, including Microsoft Virtual Earth (shown above in "bird's eye view"), Google Maps, Yahoo! and more.

More importantly, the mobile app only reports to the server when there's a certain distance that the unit has moved. That'll conserve power.

Accuracy: See the bullseye? The scooter is actually parked in the white striped area just a few feet to the southeast (about 10'o'clock, a few millimeters, on a 1024x768 display).

I feel that scootrak.com is fixin' to bust large.
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Fulmer AF-655 and All-Kleer

I'm really happy with the Fulmer AF-655 helmet, and it has replaced my Icon Mainframe Halo as my main riding helmet. Keep in mind a lot of my riding is low-speed, short-range scooting on the Yamaha Vino... and while I know I could go chin-first into something, even on the Vino, the improved airflow seems worth the additional risk, to me.

I've even helped to sell a few of them over at East Side Scooters. :) One thing that's great about the AF-655 is that I can don/doff it while wearing my eyeglasses. I've demonstrated my technique (tugging slightly outward on both straps while donning/doffing) to several customers at ESS, and so far, all seem happy with their choice.

One thing that summer riding brings is bugs. Insects. Lots of them, here in mid-TN, btw. And after dark, they all make a bee-line for my faceshield... dunno about your experiences, but I bet you know what I'm talkin' about.

So, keeping the visor clean remains a challenge. However, the product pictured above is a great way to combat the bug guts and other nasties. It's called All-Kleer, by Black Lab Corp. An 8oz. bottle costs around $8-9, retail, and it lasts for quite a long while, as you only have to use it sparingly.

I can vouch for the claims -- using it regularly does make it much easier to clean the nasties off, as the finish it leaves is very slick (and improves raindrop clearance, as well). It's easy to use, too. Just put about a quarter-sized blob in the middle of one side of your shield, and with a soft cloth, rub all over the surface of the shield. Allow to dry for a few minutes, until hazy, and with a soft cloth, buff. Repeat on the other side of the shield. I prefer taking my shield completely off the helmet, but if you're careful, it's not necessary.

Use on the inside surface does offer fogging protection, for about a week or so. I find that unless I do a lot of night riding (which I don't, normally), a weekly or bi-weekly cleaning is all that's needed.
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Me, The Vino, and Beer

Taken outside Kroger, about an hour ago.
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Thanks, MNPD!

I was coming back from a trip to the Harpeth River State Park yesterday, when a landscaping truck (big Ford pickup hauling a trailer loaded with lawn care equipment) rolled a stop sign, and pulled out in front of me without looking. Now, the driver did this far enough ahead of me that I was able to react calmly and safely, but c'mon... this is a neighborhood.

We come to the next intersection, where the driver rolls this stop sign, too. He wasn't paying as much attention as I was, 'cause I saw the Metro police cruiser pull up to the left perpendicular of this 4-way stop, and clearly heard the officer announce over his P.A., "Stop sign!" Well, it took another half a second for the cop to whip in behind our landscaper, blue lights ablaze.

Thanks, officer. Get these fuckers to think about their driving.
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Boo-Boo

Me gots boo-boo on my knee-bone.

I was facing the camera as I stopped at this intersection, right there behind the stop line. For some reason (the lean of the road?), I started falling downhill, to the north, and I couldn't stop it. All I could do was slow it down. No damage, other than what you see above.
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Comment On Current Poll

I should qualify that it probably cost me about $400 or so to rent a truck and pay for its gas to get the People 250 from Tallahassee to Tri-Cities to Nashville. So, that $2350 is more like $2750.
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Rummy

Aw, shit. There goes the neighborhood.
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"That's My Moped!"

Oh -- almost forgot.

I put some gas in the Vino at the Pilot @ Centennial and Briley, last night. A dude approached me, asking the usual scooter questions. Then he said, "Where did you get that?"

"From a private individual."

"That's my moped, man! It was stolen not too long ago!"

"Well, okay. I've had it since April, 2007, and have a title. Go call the cops, and they'll check it out for you."

"No, man... I know that's my moped!"

"Like I said, call the cops -- 862-8600. West Precinct is just a few miles from here; they'll have a car out here in under 20 minutes. I'll wait for 'em. Look -- here's the VIN number. Write it down, call the cops..."

"Naw, man. Naw. It just looks like my moped. [pause] Man, I know that's mine."

"Here is the VIN. Follow. My. Finger. Dood. [pointing, then prying off plastic frame cover] If it's yours, that VIN number will prove it."

"Naw, man. Forget it. Forget it. I don't wanna call no cops."

"Well, that's the only way to settle it, 'cause I'm sure as hell not giving you my scooter!"

Guy turns and goes into the store. I leave without incident.
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Light Scootin'

I rented a car Friday to hang out with my buddy, sittenpretty, and came home Monday. We shot some incredible video at Steele Creek Park, in Bristol, Tennessee, as part of an ongoing project of hers to do a YouTube series on caring for and feeding pets.

So, back in Twangtown, just me, the Vino, the People 250, and the two cats. And lots of cat hair, always.
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