Don’t Commute … Scoot!

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!

This is a picture of the Sicily 150 that I own and ride – a lot. I’ve put over 1200 miles on it in less than two months. Other than the fact that it’s a little small for me (my knees sometimes get in the way of the handlebars) it’s worked quite well for me.

When I first got it there was a bit of a dispute over whether I should ride this one, or the St. Croix 250 that I bought at the same time. The St. Croix is a bigger machine, and I was having a bit of a problem handling it. With its longer wheelbase it has a smooter ride, but turning it is more work. Besides, the Sicily is, in my opinion, a more typical “scooter” in the minds of most people.

Anyway, the St. Croix had some electrical problems, so while those were being worked out I started riding the Sicily – and haven’t stopped!

Now that it’s getting cold I wish it had a wind screen, but other than that I have no complaints. With proper clothing (warm gloves, a sweater under my jacket, lined jeans, and a balaklava to keep the wind off my neck) I’ve been able to ride when the temperature was in the 30′s (think five degrees Celsius) without freezing.

Of course, if it were a heaver bike it would be more stable in the wind, but hey! I shouldn’t ride in 50 mph wind gusts, anyway!