Don’t Commute … Scoot!

When I took my Stella sidecar out to get familiar with it I got more than I bargained for! Not only did I practice how to start, stop, and turn, but I also got a chance to practice changing a flat!

On most scooters changing a flat tire on the road is impossible. For one thing you usually don’t have a spare with you.

Stellas are a different, for three reasons:

1. Every Stella comes with a spare tire.
2. The wheels are mounted only on one side.
3. All the tools necessary to change a tire are in the tool kit that comes in the glove box.

The traditional way to change a flat tire on a vintage scooter involves laying the scooter on its side. That’s not an option when you have a sidecar attached.

Fortunately, when we attached the sidecar we decided to leave on the center stand. It’s no longer needed for parking, and has to be removed to install the sidecar, so most times it’s just left off. But in this case it proved to be invaluable!

Here’s the story: After practicing my starts, stops, and turns at MCC I decided to stop at Tops to get a muffin, so I pulled into a parking space (no bicycle parking for a sidecar!) Of course I had to deal with the instant crowd, but after getting my muffin I started up the Stella and backed out of the space.

It was very hard to back up – it felt like I had parked in a hole or something. When I started going forward, however, I knew something was wrong.

I got off and checked the tires – the rear was completely flat! Fortunately I was still in a parking spot (pointed across it, but still between the lines!) so I just shut the engine down and put down the center stand.

Putting down the stand lifted the front wheel about six inches off the ground. Pushing down on the front caused the rear to raise up enough to get the tire off and mount the spare. Unfortunately I can’t be be pushing down on the front while I’m changing the tire in the rear! I’m just not good at being in two places at once.

I called Gary and asked him to come give me a hand, and then I got out the tool kit. The fender over the spare was easy enough to remove (gotta love those levers!) and with the tools in the kit the spare tire was soon on the ground. Then I started on the rear wheel.

Three of the nuts on the rear wheel were easy to remove, but to get to the other two I needed to rotate the wheel. In the process I realized that, if I had to, I could lift the back of the scooter up with my knee while taking the flat off and putting on the spare. My knee would probably complain for days, but it could be done.

At that point the sidecar worked its attention magic, and a guy named George came over and asked if he could help. He pushed down on the front, and in about fifteen seconds the flat was off and the spare was on!

The rest was just tightening the nuts and putting everything back together. And calling Gary to tell him I no longer needed his help.

One last comment: Sidecars in the US are mounted on the right side. This makes it more difficult to work on the Stella’s engine (which winds up between the sidecar and the Stella’s chassis) but makes it real easy to change the wheels because they can all be accessed from the outside of the vehicle.

I still haven’t determined why I got the flat, but I’m sure glad the Stella came with a spare tire!

It finally happened – the weather forecast said sunny and warm (high 50), on a Saturday, and I wasn’t traveling, so I decided to take the sidecar over to MCC and spend some time learning how to ride it.

The one thing I hadn’t counted on was freezing! (I neglected to notice that the overnight low was around 15!)

At 8:30 am I set out for the MCC parking lot. It’s about two miles straight down South Clinton. No turns, not much traffic.

Part way there a small herd of dear decided to dart out in front of me. Fortunately I was far enough away so I didn’t have to stop, only slow down. That’s when I realized I couldn’t feel my fingers, so I stopped and switched to my ski gloves. (I’d loaded the sidecar with a few extra items, just in case.)

Once I got to MCC I spent about 45 minutes doing lots of slow speed maneuvers – starts, stops, and turns. The security guard thought I was just a little crazy, but gave me his blessing anyway.

A few observations:

A scooter sidecar does not make for relaxed riding. Even when going in a straight line, it’s always wandering one way or the other. We did not install the steering dampener that came with it, so maybe that would help things a bit.

Be prepared to move your butt, especially for tight right turns. Failure to do so, even at low speeds, will result in the sidecar coming off the ground when turning right. (This is called “flying the chair”.) Sliding off when turning left will help keep the sidecar’s wheel from screaming at you. And yes, you slide towards the inside of the turn.

The sidecar pulls to the LEFT when stopping, so be prepared to counter-steer.

The sidecar pulls to the RIGHT when accelerating, so be prepared to counter-steer.

Stopping is better when you use BOTH brakes. Stopping with the rear brake results in less “pull” than stopping with the front, but the front brake has more stopping power. Your best result is to use them together.

Even with a sidecar strapped on I can STILL pop a wheelie on a Stella! (Not that I ever try to, but you know how it is!) It seems to happen to me a lot when my fingers are frozen.

Stella doesn’t like fourth gear when the sidecar is attached. I was able to get to about 35 in third, but when I shifted to fourth my speed immediately dropped to 30, and was only able to get up to 45 after going down a hill. The Stella is still completely stock engine-wise, so I suspect that the Sito Plus pipe and a new jet will be installed Real Soon Now.

Parking a sidecar WILL draw a crowd! I stopped at Tops to get a muffin, and had three people asking questions even before I got my helmet off.

Changing a flat tire on a Stella with a sidecar is a whole new experience! But that’s for another post.

I figure that a few more trips out and I’ll be ready for parade duty. Anybody want to ride in the chair and wave?

Our first Black Jack!

After months of anticipation, Urban Village Scooters has finally received its first Black Jack!

(Please excuse the quality of the picture. My cell phone was the only camera I could find.)

John, our mechanic, wasn’t working today, so it isn’t yet ready to ride, but all the reports I’ve seen from other dealers (in warmer climates!) say that the performance upgrades are worthwhile. The NCY suspension in particular is reported to give it a very smooth ride (probably helped by the cushy banana-style seat) while the engine and transmission upgrades result in noticeably increased power. I can hardly wait to take it for a spin!

Please note that the scooter does NOT come with the performance exhaust installed (which is why you don’t see it in the picture). The exhaust is only approved for off-road use, so you’ll need to sign a waiver before we will install it for you (which we will do at no charge).

Anyway, we finally have a Black Jack for your inspection. Come on in and check it out!