Useful Hand Signals for Scooterists, Part I

This one helps with tailgaters. The ones paying attention, anyway... who aren't complete assholes
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The 120kph Lifestyle

I think I like the fast lane. No school zones, no rolling stop signs (school buses), a lot fewer traffic lights and stop signs.

Plus, my commute is the opposite of the direction that 90% of local commuters are trying to go, so... I can't say I have the freeways to myself, but it's pretty gentle as fast riding goes. I just worry if it's a strain on my aging Kymco.

One thang is certain: I'm getting some hellacious fuel numbers. Here's some interesting figures from past years to compare... I just discovered this link, btw.
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Yeah, It's Getting Put to the Test

I can do two whole days of commuting to and from work before filling up on my 2.1-gallon fuel capacity. That fourth leg, I might be down to 0.2 gallons, but yesterday, I had nearly 0.5 left. Gas mileage is getting better.
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Shorter Days

Longer shadows, colder winds.

Are you riding, still?
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Laundry Night In America

I hope I have enough quarters.
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Five Years

Without a car. Yeah, bud.
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Leaves Are Falling

... and when they're wet, they are dangerous. Keep this in mind when you ride the twisties near you.
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Yes, A Museum

The scootnashville.com gang was hankerin' for a ride, as the weather is ass-kicking, the trees are blooming, etc. So last night, Ross made and executive decision, and we went to Lane Motor Museum, today.

Today was one of the rare event days, where they give out the "basement tour" (the museum only has enough space to display about half of the available collection at any one time), and they fire up some of the old cars, too. Lane tries to keep all the vehicles in running condition, which I think is pretty awesome.

UPDATE: Here's me, Steve (face obscured by rearview mirror) and Tara in the one "photo car" that you can touch and actually get inside, a Citroen 2CV of indeterminate vintage (probably 1970s):


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The Cold

When we've undergone a couple of weeks of mostly sub-freezing weather, it feels good to get out at 39°F.

Smell the smoke from wood stoves... dodge the remaining patches of ice on the roads...

Comments will be restored shortly, btw.
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Holy MPG, Batman!

I have to believe that the last fill-up has tossed a wrench in thangs, although theoretically, it shouldn't, since fuelly.com calculates by how many miles you traveled and how much fuel you put in. If you'll recall, I filled-up last Sunday before my ride with Jason, but I only needed about 1/2 tank to top up. Still, any time you fill it to the cutoff point, fuelly wants you to treat that as a fill-up (and any time you don't, you log it as a partial, as that will throw things off if not recorded as such).

As a waypoint, my highest recorded mileage before today was 66.1MPG.

Regardless, I'll take 63.11MPG average since the repair.

UPDATE: 9/3, 7th fill-up, 64.6MPG last tank. New average, post-repairs is now 63.33MPG.
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It's 2010!

Yeeee-haw! Where's my flying car, dammit?

Be careful out there on these sub-freezing days... and be wary of black ice. I've been riding, sparingly (for trips I had to make) this last week of frigid (for Nashville) conditions, and I've noticed several unexpected drainage spots on local roads that have iced up. Keep your eyes peeled, and take your time, scooting. Staying a little slower keeps you warmer, anyway. So, stay safe, stay warm!
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How The Other Half (of 1%) Live

I had errands to run, but the weather was nice... sunny, 63°F... so I took a ride through Belle Meade and Forest Hills, where the wealthy who haven't moved to Franklin still live in Nashville.

Now I don't know if you could call that house (shown) a "McMansion" or not, but it was certainly 7000 sq. ft. or more. And I bet the police are there in under five minutes if they have a problem with an errant company emptying a nearby dumpster at 4 a.m.

Oh, who am I kiddin'? The only dumpsters they ever have in that neighborhood are the big construction barges, that get picked up in the middle of the day.
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Draggin'

oellrichm talked me into going up to Music City Raceway this past Friday. I figured it'd be a fun way to see just what my stock, nothing-special scooter could do, and it was, but it was less exciting than I expected. Maybe it was watching the crotch rockets better than lap my time. :)

I made two runs (why waste gas?). The deets:

Run One:

Reaction = +0.3000
60ft = 2.7760
330ft = 7.9298
ET @ 594ft = 11.6947
1/8 ET = 12.5620
1/8 MPH = 51.88

Run Two:

Reaction = +0.3570
60ft = 2.7448
330ft = 7.9020
ET @ 594ft = 11.6639
1/8 ET = 12.5327
1/8 MPH = 51.79

No, I dunno what most of that means. :) It was just for fun, and for $15, I guess it was fun enough just to ride up there with oellrichm and touchton (who's in the photo, above).

Probably won't do it again, though.

UPDATE: Here's some footage of touchton and oellrichm gettin' their drag awn.


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Speed, Dark, Wet, Wind

I've been riding this stretch of Briley Parkway around the northwest quadrant of Nashville almost every night this week. In the dark. In the rain. In the wind. At 65mph or more.

Let me tell ya: It can be a little unnerving on a 367lb. bike.
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Throttle Calluses

Heh.
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Leaden Skies, Immaculate Timing

As anyone living in Middle Tennessee can tell you, it's a soggy mess, right now, and has been for a week.

I worked almost every day at ESS this week, including Saturday. Saturday was generally sunny, except for the time I rode to work, and the time I rode home.

Then tonight, after not raining for hours, I set out on a short trip. I got caught in a drenching, two-minute downpour.
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Is All Gas Created Equal?

Well, who can know, without labs and shit?

Anyway, since using Fuelly, I've noticed upward ticks in my mileage after filling up with Exxon and Shell, rather than the usual fuel I get at Pilot (which is nearby, and several cents cheaper than just about anyone else in the neighborhood). I noted that Exxon did not have any ethanol notices on their pumps, and so the next-to-last fuel-up was at a small, nearby, independent station that proclaimed they were dispensing ethanol-free fuel. My mileage was only average on that tank.

So yesterday, I filled up at Exxon, again. Let's see how this tank goes.
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Verdict

Broken.

Cam.

Chain.

At 8600km. Right after a blown head gasket at 8400km. Major, major repairs on a bike that should be under warranty. To replace this, the engine has to come out, the case cracked, and many, many hours of hard labor.

Up next: Open Letter To KymcoUSA.
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Now It Can Be Told

A series of three videos, re: Chuck Mead.

Here's his new video for "I Wish It Was Friday":



Now, here's the behind-the scenes video (which I have posted here, before):



AND!

The OUTLAW OUTTAKE!


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Da Bidness

Q'Pon, a Vulcan woman.

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