Don’t Commute … Scoot!

This time of year I’m often asked about riding in the winter. Does anybody do it? Is it safe? How late in the year do you ride? Does the scooter need to be adjusted? Do you need snow tires?

There are a few intrepid souls who ride year round here. Jack Allart and “Uncle Bob” are the two names that come immediately to my mind. Gary Bogue has done it, too.

I personally plan to ride regularly through Thanksgiving, and then on days when it’s clear and sunny. The latest I’ve ridden regularly was January 15 a couple years ago.

The main determinant of whether or not I ride is the road conditions. If there’s any hint of snow or ice on the roads I won’t ride. A small patch of black ice can really ruin your day. Other things to watch for are tar snakes, manhole covers, and painted lines. They can all be surprisingly slippery when cold.

Your scooter shouldn’t need any special adjustments for the winter. If your battery’s in good shape (and not frozen solid) the scooter should start about the same in winter as in summer, but it will take a few extra minutes to warm up.

I’ve recently seen snow tires for scooters, but I don’t know how well they work.

The biggest thing you’ll need is warm clothing. Think “snowmobile suit”. Start with a buff. We have some “Motley Tubes” that stretch to fit around your neck and/or head and are surprisingly warm for how thin they are.

Next, keep your hands warm. You want gloves that are well insulated, but also flexible enough so you can work the controls. Or you can try some heated grips.

By the way, a full face helmet is warmest, but you’ll need to do something about the face shield fogging up. We have breath deflectors that fit some models that you might want to try, or you could wear a modular helmet that is easy to flip up while you’re waiting at stop lights.

For more information about riding in the winter you might want to check out Steve Williams’ Scooter in the Sticks blog. He has written numerous articles on the topic. There’s also a Cold Weather Challenge issued every year by 2 Stroke Buzz that you might want to check out.

Bottom line is that winter riding is entirely up to you. Just dress warmly and be prepared for uncertain road conditions.

How aware of your surroundings when you drive? Are you really?

Here’s a video that’s been kicking around YouTube for a while. Prepared by a group in the UK, it reveals how aware you actually are.

Prepare to be disappointed in yourself!

On the way back from my second trip to Home Depot yesterday my front brake went out.

I was riding on Brighton Henrietta Town Line Rd. at about 40 when the light ahead of me changed. I pressed firmly on both brakes when “FSSSTTT”, the front brake handle came all the way into the throttle grip. I gripped the rear even tighter, and wound up stopping part way into the intersection.

Fortunately it was a T intersection, and I was in the right lane crossing the T, so I wasn’t in the path of any traffic. While I waited for the light to change I tested the front brake. It seemed to work, but much softer than before.

After evaluating my options – how far to the shop, how far home, and the fact that the van with the carrier on it was parked in my garage at home – I decided to proceed cautiously back to the shop. The route back was all along South Clinton Ave., which is mostly four lanes, lightly travelled at this time of day, and only has two serious intersections to worry about, so it was a safe bet.

All the way back I kept testing the front brake. It felt like it was gripping, but wouldn’t stop the bike.

As I brought the scooter into the service area I told Gary about my problem. One look at the scooter revealed the cause – the right side of the front tire was covered in brake fluid. Looking up under the fender we could see that the brake line had gotten between the tire and the fork, and the tire had rubbed a hole in it.

How did it get loose? Well, it turns out that there’s no hose guide on the front brake, nor was there one on a customer’s Roketa that we just happened to be working on. We checked our Tank Viaggios and discovered they ALL had them. (The Viaggio is the same body style as the Roketa Sicily.)

I just checked ALL the scooters in the shop, whether ours or a customer’s, and they ALL have a guide of some sort to prevent the front brake hose from coming into contact with the front tire. All EXCEPT the Roketas.

Just something to think about the next time you’re shopping for a new ride!

According to the Learn2Ride website, MCC is now accepting registrations for the Basic RiderCourse. The first session starts April 2, and sessions are scheduled through the third week in October. I counted 76 classes, meaning there is room for 912 students.

Aparently there is still a problem with the online registration process, so you will need to sign up in person.

These classes fill up quickly, so sign up early!