Are electric scooters safe?

So I was reading about an electric scooter company called Vectrix based out of Rhode Island. They produce an electric scooter that's comparable to a gasoline-powered one. It can reach up to 62 mph and can travel 65 miles between charges. The company only has one model out, the V1, and it's a bit pricy, over $5,000, but still cheaper than a car, both to buy and operate. It's also larger than most scooters and highway legal.But no one is buying them because they aren't available in many places. Apparently they were hoping Piaggio or another scooter company would buy the design from them, but it didn't flesh out. They are finally opening sales centers throughout the U.S.If I get a bigger scooter, I'd definitely prefer electric, but my  boyfriend brought up some good issues. I've heard of people with electric vehicles just plugging in to the first electric socket they could find, but don't people mind? Eventually as, or if, electric vehicles become more popular and prolific, those who have electric sockets out in the open and easily accessible might start getting big bills from their electric companies, unless the infrastructure is put in place at gas stations. I'd get a little annoyed as a home or business owner if someone just walked up to my house or business and plugged in their car or scooter.The other question my boyfriend raised is the safety of the vehicle in an accident.I looked it up and MSN autos had a good article talking about this subject. According to the editorial, it said emergency workers are currently taught to make sure the key is out of the ignition and the battery cables are cut on a gasoline powered vehicle before a rescue to make sure airbags don't suddenly deploy during a rescue, which could cause serious injury to EMTs and the injured. According to the editorial, hybrid cars and electric vehicles are designed so once there is no charge from the ignition, there is no charge running through the car. As for scooters, most of the time the injured party is far from the wreckage, so I don't see it as being a hazard to EMTs. Tow truck drivers and mechanics, on the other hand, would have to worry since they'd be dealing with the damaged system.But isn't there always a danger to them from a damaged vehicle? You might as well say gasoline powered cars are too dangerous because they can catch fire and they have toxic liquids leaking everywhere after a crash. So mechanics have a choice: get blown up or electrocuted. As mechanics, they should be well-versed on how all vehicles they might come in contact with should be handled and fixed, shouldn't they? A doctor wouldn't have any excuse for not knowing about a disease or how to treat it, aren't they supposed to keep up on the latest news and information to be an effective doctor?Personally, I think safety is a really weak argument against electric cars or scooters. No vehicle is going to be absolutely and undeniable safe. Even horses and carriages are full of danger, you can get run over by the horse or the carriage could go out of control and crash into a tree or over a cliff.I also found a blog post recently on "V is for Voltage Forums" about whether or not loud pipes save lives and if electric scooters and motorcycles had that against them in the safety arena. The poster, reikiman, made a good point, loud pipes don't always factor into whether a driver is paying attention before they slam into a motorcyclist. Regardless of whether your scooter or motorcycle is quiet or loud, safety really is depenedent on the cyclist because drivers just don't pay attention.

Scooters, scooters everywhere

My boyfriend and I once discussed scootering in Key West and we both thought it would be nice if the world was more like it, with scooter shops everywhere and everyone able to rent one for cheap to get around.

That hasn't exactly occurred anyplace else that I've been too, but I thought it notable that Greensboro, NC, which we are currently visiting has its own little slice of Key West cool - Scooter Nerds. It's a shop on one of the Main Streets in the city and offers an array of scooters of all engine capabilities, including what looked like an off road scooter to me called The Rattler withh some high front forks offering some major clearance.

They don't rent, unfortunately, so I was stuck riding around town on a bicycle that was much too big for me and feeling way to intimate with it.

We also didn't luck out on new carboratuer jets, which we seem to have trouble finding.

The guy in charge of the shop said they didn't make anything for Geely anymore, but then my boyfriend spotted a scooter that was EXACTLY like our Geely, the same seat and fender style, even the exact same speedometer. The brand was Keeway.

So I guess that's what we should be looking for. Funny enough, when I looked up the Keeway brand I found a Web site saying it was owned by Quangjing in China, (looks like still made with the same Geely parts). The model that's like our Geely is the Venus.



As you can see from this "borrowed" photo, the Keeway Venus has the exact same seat as our Geely, the same headlight, well, the same everything.






Here is our Geely.

On the road again

Well, I don't know if it was a break-in now. My boyfriend finally got around to looking at the ignition switch and he think he might've broken it moving the scooter around after he locked it. Apparently the switch covering is really cheap aluminum, easily bendable and breakable.

So he took it apart and we can start it now with a screwdriver. Not really road worthy since I can't turn it off without a screwdriver, but I did take it around for another spin. I went up and down the alley. The first run I was really nervous, mostly because it was about 6 p.m. and everyone was coming home from work. A lot of people park their cars behind their garages rather than in them and I was afraid I might run right into one.

But nothing bad happened, though I went so excruciatingly slow I was dragging my feet at one point, afraid I'd tip over.

My boyfriend said that was a bad move cause I could break an ankle or foot. I was also starring way too much at the giant potholes and patchwork in the alley that I wasn't sure I'd get over easily.

The next run I did what he said and went faster and focused on where I was going rather than on the ground, and it worked out much better.

The next step, outside of getting the ignition fixed, is taking the basic motorcycle course. I'm a little nervous. I'll have to learn how to use a clutch on the handlebars, which the scooter I have doesn't have. I'm afraid I might grab the clutch thinking it's a brake.

The Gang in Blue Mob

Someone left a comment calling the cops that on the story about the ABC producer who was bullied then arrested by the cops in Denver.
It's sad but true that police don't look out for the rights of the people. I've probably only heard one good cop story in my lifetime and it was about them helping their own. How about they do their job properly and help the people for once?
To watch the video of the harassment, click here.

Hilarious, but real?

I saw this on the Scooter Scoop and had to pass it along. Why is it the Japanese and Chinese make up the worst movies in all seriousness and they somehow are so funny?
Watch this trailer to see what I'm talking about. (And be sure to read the subtitles. There's one in there about noodles that I was snorting over so bad.)

A scary series of warnings

This week in my town three people have suffered serious injuries, all of which could have been lessened by the use of a helmet. A man crashed after trying to pass someone on the highway and he is still in the hospital with serious injuries. No helmet.
A little girl rode right through a stop sign without looking and ran into a car. She's also still in the hospital. Again, no helmet. And an ATV passenger was seriously injured when the vehicle she was on the back of had a serious accident. The driver, who turned out to be drunk, had a helmet on, but the girl didn't. She's also in the hospital looking forward to surgeries and a long stay.
It's one of those things so often overlooked. The uncomfortable, dorky looking helmet. But when you are flying at an object, out of control, you're really going to be wishing you had one.
I've heard many people argue that if you drive safely you don't have to wear a helmet. But what about the millions of other motorists on the road? Do you think they are driving safely. It's such a roullette game to think that way. There's only one guarantee, if you get into an accident without a helmet, you could be a vegetable.
The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration recently released a report on motorcycles and crashes. Out of more than 4,000 accidents it found the following to be true:

* The majority of motorcycle crashes involved another vehicle, usually an automobile.

* A motorcyclist is 37 percent more likely to die in a crash, per mile traveled. Mostly because there is no roll cage protecting their body.

* In those fatal crashes, head injury was the leading cause of death.

* Helmets reduce the liklihood of fatality by 37 percent. So if you're 37 percent more likely to get into a crash wouldn't you like that same percentage to favor your chance of living, and not like a vegetable?

* In its evaluation of crashe, the NHTSA found that helmets are 67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries. While I would love it to be 100 percent, it's still way better than the 0 percent effectiveness of not wearing a helmet.

* From 1984 to 2006, helmets saved the lives of more than 19,000 motorcyclists. The NHTSA says if all the people involved in fatal crashes in that time period had worn helmets, more than 12,000 people would have been saved.

* The NHTSA also found that in states where only minors were required to wear helmets when riding on two wheels, only 40 percent of children wore them. So leading by example does happen. Betcha if mom and dad wore helmets the kids wouldn't be so hesitant to put them on.

Now, I'm not sure if I like the idea of people being forced to do something. I've always been of the philosophy if someone does something dumb and gets hurt, why should the rest of us be legislated to death because of it? However, when it costs me money because someone is doing something dumb, I've got an issue with it.


According to the NHTSA report, costs to cover medical bills for motorcyclists in Florida who didn't wear a helmet and crashed were $10.5 million for "charitable and public sources." That is 21 percent of the motorcycling population involved in an accident in Florida .. just Florida. The report said one of those public sources was Medicaid.

Last time I checked my pay stub, I had an awful lot going to that program. While I don't mind helping someone out who is in need, I do mind that money being used to help someone who made a stupid decision when they should have known better. I'd rather see it go to help someone who's suffering isn't their own fault.

Now, before anyone starts lambasting me for being "anti-motorcyle," I'm not. I love motorcycles. I think motorcyclists too often get a bad rap. I'm just concerned that with the increase in popularity of motorcycles (and scooters which are often grouped in that "class" of vehicle) stupidity will take over and smart riders will suffer because of it, if not all ready. There's enough of a stigmatism attached to riding on two wheels, shouldn't the motorcycling and scootering communities be pushing for responsibility before we start getting legislated to death? It hasn't happened yet, but it certainly could.

Another obstacle

Sometime in the last month someone got into our garage and tried to steal the scooter. My boyfriend just noticed last week that the ignition had been messed with. We knew the battery was dead from someone trying to turn it on, but the ignition had been fine then.
Now we'll have to pull the whole front off the scooter to get at the wiring. When my boyfriend stuck the key in, nothing happened. That's when he noticed the ignition was loose, like someone had been jiggling it.
It's really unnerving to realize someone got into the garage somehow. I feel like we should put this place on lock down with cameras everywhere, but the one I have was pretty expensive.
By the time we get everything fixed, it will probably be winter.

Hitting pedestrians

I was always taught from Kindergarten on up to stop before crossing the street and look both ways to make sure no cars were coming. Apparently no one in the town I live in ever was taught that, cause they don't stop or look, let alone give any clear indication that they are going to suddenly start walking in the street.
Where I live there are a lot of pedestrians. And the biggest complaint in town is how annoying it is that they walk into the road while you're driving past.
Some say that drivers should stop and let pedestrians meander in no direct line across the main street, that that's the law. But I don't think the problem is drivers not wanting to stop, I think it's the fact that pedestrians don't stop and look first.
I have seen it a million times and have almost had a heartattack as someone, who seems very focused on hustling down the sidewalk suddenly, without warning, veers into the road, not even stopping, looking or slowly their pace. I had it happen to me just yesterday. The person was not even five feet in front of me when suddenly they were in front of my car. I'm sorry, but I don't think it should be my fault if someone walks in front of a moving vehicle and gets hurt.
If they were a driver, it would be considered reckless driving to suddenly pull out into traffic without looking to see who was coming.
What's worse, they don't even seem to realize that there is a car or bike right there. And then they look at the driver with this shock and anger on their face. It's not like people are driving their vehicles on the sidewalk!
Rather than drivers getting the rap for not stopping for pedestrians, maybe it's about time pedestrians get ticketed for not following the rules of crossing the road.
And now that I'm about to be a scooter driver I worry, will I be able to move around them quickly enough without crashing? Hopefully I will notice them more since you naturally do when you are on a motorcycle or scooter, but will they notice me? And since they don't have the foresight to stop and look before crossing in front of a car will they have the intelligence and understanding to recognize that I can't stop as quickly as a car because I don't have the braking power.
I don't want to wipeout because some idiot didn't stop and look before stepping into traffic.

The monkey bars

Last year, as my boyfriend and I were driving someplace I spotted someone with extreme ape-hanger handlebars on their motorcycle.
For those of you who don't know what an ape-hanger is, it looks like this:



Though that's a pretty extreme ride, what with the tailpipes sticking up in the back like that.
But when I saw a similar bike, instead of saying, "Whoah, look at those ape-hangers" my mind did a Freudian slip and what came out was "Whoa, look at those monkey bars."
My boyfriend started laughing hysterically. "Don't you mean ape hangers?" he said.
I felt like such a fool. But he won't let me live it down, and just last week, as we were driving back to the airport from Lake Placid, N.Y., we saw some bikers heading the opposite direction with one rider who had ape-hangers on his bike.
My boyfriend decides to stick his head out the window and yell, "Yay, monkey bars!" at the guy as he drove past.
I bet he'll still be doing that when we're 80. Though, will they have ape hangers and motorcycles still?

Check out this ape hanger stroller:

Unique scooter paint job

Was looking through old photos of my Key West trip when I came across this awesome shot of a custom painted scooter.

A town in need of a scooter shop

I had the luck to take a spur of the moment trip to the town of Lake Placid in the Adirondacks, N.Y.
It's a former frontier town with its past displayed in its architecture: the Olympic stadium where the 1980 games were held, old german churches with unique square shaped steeples that look like hats, and Queen Anne style buildings that now house a vibrant downtown business district.
It reminded me of Key West, but surrounded by mountains and pine forests. There were outdoor restaurants everywhere and all the hotels had balcony rooms so you could take in the gorgeous view of the mountains surrounding the lake, much like in Key West, though there the view is the aquamarine ocean. But both have towns full of people in love of flowers. Almost every house had windowboxes dripping with them and even the empty storefronts were well-kept and had flowers blossoming all around.
Lush is the perfect word for it.
And the rains can be just as fickle.

As we drove down the main street through Lake Placid, I noticed they had electric cars. Little four seaters with no doors and open roofs, just like in Key West. And while there were many people on their own scooters and motorcycles, I didn't see any scooter rentals.
The towns are close together because you can only build in certain areas since the towns are surrounded by parkland. And there is very little street parking, making it the perfect place for scooters. I was very surprised, therefore, when my boyfriend, who goes up many weekends for work (which was one of these), told me they don't have any scooter rental places in any of the Adirondack towns!
I was very surprised.
With all the empty storefronts and the perfect driving conditions for scooters, Lake Placid is certainly in need of a good scooter rental shop.
There is one setback — the winter. I'm sure there'd be no business in the snow; but why not have a scooter rental place in the summer and a ski rental place in the winter? As it stood, I saw many of the empty storefronts were still decorated with advertisements for skates, skis and other winter sport offerings. I'm guessing they didn't figure out a way to keep the cash flowing. It's plenty touristy in the summer, too. So why not take advantage of the lack of scooters?
After some discussion, my boyfriend and I agreed. If we had the money, we'd certainly relocate and take advantage of the market.
We'd always discussed taking off and living in Key West with a scooter rental store supporting us. But there are so many of them in Key West already.

When crime drives people from what they love

I hate it when criminals force good people to give up something or compromise their lives.
This entry in the Baltimore City Paper's Newshole by Chris Landers ends with this comment by a woman who had her scooter stolen: "I think I'm done with having a scooter," Tomlinson says. "I'm taking the bus to work."
How awful, to give up on what you love because someone's stolen it.
Of course, she may have no money to replace her scooter. According to the article, it was a 2007 Kymco, which goes for more than $2,000 on the high end.
I think, when they find the thiefs, she should be able to take away from something they love. It's only fair.

Mistakes on two wheels

I was reading an article on Union.com about the increase in scooter use in Nevada, and how people are getting hooked on the vehicles after buying them just for economical purposes.
At the end was a comment that, in light of my previous post, makes a good point.
It was from a man named Neil who said, in part, "sheesh, I sure hope these boomers bopping back to two wheels spend a little time practicing, maybe even get their M1 endorsement like their supposed to do -- mistakes on two wheels are mistakes on two wheels, regardless of whether you're riding a step-through with automatic trannie or straddling a Harley."
In Pennsylvania, they offer free motorcycle beginner's courses.
You do need a motorcycle permit, which you get by taking a test, much like a driving test, at the DMV. There is a cost for the permit, $10, but you don't have to make an appointment, just show up and take the test.
I have to admit, I have yet to do this, but scooters are treated differently in Pa.
According to the DMV's Web site, I will need to get my scooter inspected and it must have a license plate. It doesn't say anything about engine requirements. I've heard that if the engine is 50cc or below, you don't need to do this, but the DMV doesn't say that anywhere on its site.
The DMV site does say "Its engine must produce between 1.5 and 5 brake horsepower."
I don't know if that means it can't be driven on the road if it doesn't or what, but I think my scooter is well above that.
You must have protection for your eyes if you ride a scooter in Pa. And it says helmets are required for scooter passengers and "some drivers."
The list it gives is as follows:

* Driving a three-wheeled, closed cab scooter

* Older than 21 and have operated a motorcycle for at least two years

* Older than 21 and have completed a motorcycle rider safety course approved by PennDOT

* A passenger aged 21 or older who rides with an exempted driver

So helmet for me until I pass that basic safety course.
Oddly, the site also says, while motorcyclists with experience don't have to wear a helmet, bicyclists do. Hmmmm.
Sorry, but I think bikes are a little safer than a speeding motorcycle/scooter.

A questionable statement

I was reading the news this morning when I came across an AP report out of Philadelphia, and I was kind of taken aback by a statement in the story.
It's about the reaction of Ohio State University's president to the death of his son-in-law after a scooter crash in Philly. He apparently died. The president, Gordon Gee, said his daughter was undergoing rehabilitation for injuries she suffered in the crash.
According to Philly.com, Gee's daughter, Rebekah, was on the back of the Vespa scooter she and her husband were driving in Bryn Mawr when they crashed into an SUV.
This is the part that bothers me. In the AP story, it says, "Gordon Gee says she got into bed with her husband at the end so Moore died in 'a magnificent way.'"
What? Is that implying what I think it is?
I don't know, no matter how much I loved a man, that I could do that at the END.
Kinda creepy.

It is easy to commute on a scooter

I was telling a friend about my scooter and she said she was jealous. She'd love a scooter, but then she said she didn't think it was practical for her to have one since she commuted such a long distance to work.

I didn't understand that.

She claimed that because she used major, congested highways, it was too dangerous, and would be "hard" because of the distance.

I thought about it and don't think that's true. Of course she lacked any experience, but I don't. I've ridden long distances (at least the hour that she was talking about) on the back of a motorcycle on highways, and I'd have to say that it's only a little more tiring than driving a car. But it also is more likely to keep you aware on the road.

It is more dangerous riding on a scooter or motorcycle not because of what you are doing, but because other people are not paying as much attention in their cars. So you have to pay more attention.

Of course if you are like the majority of commuters, you probably aren't really paying attention as you commute because you always travel the same road and have become complacent (or are half asleep because you felt you had to watch that "American Idol" rerun).

The only detriment I see is if you have to carry a great deal with you to work, like some of my friends who are teachers.

But if all you need can fit in your scooter bucket, a scooter is perfect. You can actually fit a lot into the boot of a scooter. And you can scoot around other cars sitting needlessly in traffic.

I'd recommend being careful about doing this since drivers aren't going to notice you with their peripheral vision as they would a large vehicle, but there's not point sitting in traffic adding to the congestion when you could get around everyone and be one less vehicle on the road keeping things stalled. It's really handy. And can save you time commuting to work.

She was worried about getting into an accident. And that is highly likely no matter what time of day simply because of complacent drivers. But you can also get into a deadly accident in your car. In fact, I thought back on all the accidents that I'd heard about on her commute route and realized that all the people who died were in cars, so I don't know if it would make a difference what you were driving if you get hit on that route. You might as well try saving money since the odds don't seem to be good anyway.

But I also thought about the fact that she was taking a major road when there are plenty of options for her to take going in the same direction. While major roads can be faster, if you're on a scooter you want to enjoy the ride, so why not take alternate routes with less traffic and enjoy the fact that you are outside having fun on your scooter?

It seems the only thing stopping her are her fears and a lack of knowledge.

If everyone commuted in a scooter or a smaller vehicle, we'd be a lot better off.

Below are some tips on how to commute on a scooter.

Wondering about the rain

After a day of pouring rain, I got to wondering what I should do if I'm ever stuck on it in the scooter. I don't have raingear, so I guess I should buy some, but that's pretty pricey. My boyfriend has been looking for some reasonably priced rain gear for a while now. It looks like he'll have to spend the $100 or so.
The reason rain gear is so expensive, I believe, is it has to stand up to wind whipping against it.
My boyfriend bought a cheap rain suit one year, and after an hours drive down the highway, all that was left on his soaking wet body were a couple of strings around his wrists and ankles. The suit literally shredded and flew off him.
If you've ever been on a motorcycle you know that rain is no fun. It can be hard when you're just standing in it, but add speed and those little drops feel like bullets. They sting against your exposed sking.
No fun.
Add to that the slipperiness of wet pavement and it can be a nightmare to ride in the rain. When you only have two wheels, your traction can be lost a lot faster than in a car. And you're already distracted by the discomfort of being soaked, pelted by bullet like raindrops and then freezing to death because you are trying to get somewhere fast and the wind is whicking away all your body heat.
Bleck.
But I'm also concerned about the scooter. I'm thinking we need to cover the exposed wires so I don't wind up with a shorted out headlight at the worst of times. I'm also wondering how slippery the foot rest will become in rain and if there are any parts to the scooter that could start to corrode if I'm caught out in the rain too often.
This isn't a new scooter so I don't think it was manufactured for everyday driving, like many new scoots are.
Guess for now it's a fair weather ride.

more cat pictures

A little thing called safety

For some reason people think scooters are safer than motorcycles.
Sure, they run a little differently. Most scooters don't have a clutch you worry about and brake handles on both handlebars, but many of them can go just as fast as a car. So why is it people think they are safer and don't require a layer of protection?
I wondered this when I visited Key West for what will probably be the only time.
In that island borough scooters are everywhere, and they aren't to strict about who can rent them. Problem is everyone goes around on them without a helmet or proper shoes.
Maybe it's the laid back element but just because it's a small machine with just enough power to go on a highway doesn't mean it can't lead to a dangerous situation.
Without the proper shoes you can have rocks fly up and cut your feet, or get them run over by an unthinking driver.
Just like a motorcycle, you're exposed to the elements, wind, rain, heat. So you should wear the proper clothing.
And just like a motorcycle, scooters are small, so unwitting drivers are less likely to notice you and more likely to pull out in front of you and cause a deadly accident.
Yet, too many people don't wear helmets when riding them. Don't wear the proper shoes. Don't wear pants that cover their legs and protect their skin from abrasions if they fall. Don't think that yes, it's small and fun to buzz around on, but that SUV following you isn't. And isn't thinking to be very careful.
That's up to the scooter driver.

And there are a lot of people who think anyone can do it. Watch the fool below who doesn't even buckle her helmet before she crashes. (Won't do you any good if it's not on your head!)

Broken already

I came home the day after I learned to ride the scooter, at least in parking lots, and learned the throttle handle was broken. It's got this crack about halfway around it.
It actually looks like someone tried to cut it off. It's very odd, esp. after we found someone had cut the wiring for the headlight. I'm wondering if this scooter was vandalized while sitting idle in my boyfriend's cousin's yard.
There's no real reason why those two things out of everything else would be broken unless someone was trying to make sure it wouldn't be ridden again.
In light of the stories I've been told about the previous owner running amok in Philly on the machine it may be possible he pissed someone off who decided to do some damage.
Just waiting on a new throttle lever now.

Tottering along

Well, I'm a little nervous about the headlight, since it dims a great deal when the bike isn't running full force. Also because my boyfriend had to splice the wires together since someone (or thing) chewed them up and they weren't connected.
We also need to figure out how to get a proper title for this scooter. The only thing we've got is a piece of paper that served as the receipt and is written in Chinese.
My boyfriend's cousin never got a proper title for it and I'm assuming he'd have to be involved in this somehow.
The one thing I'm not nervous about? Whether or not I can drive it.
I didn't crash!
I was very nervous. So nervous that I forgot my helmet after nagging my boyfriend to wear his. It was like those stop smoking commercials that say "If you can quit smoking you can do anything."
Smoking has never been one of my habits, but I felt so distracted and numb, my mind not working right.
My friends know craziness and daring are my habits, but I was very worried that this daring move could kill me.
As I traveled to Memorial Park to meet my boyfriend who had scooted on ahead, I could barely focus on driving. Not a good sign.
Taking deep breaths as I stood there, I tried to listen as closely as possible as my boyfriend gave me instructions. I just had to remember not to grab the throttle when I was trying to brake.
So I get on, push it off the stand, and start it up, forgetting to hold the back brake at first. But I got it going. As I let it move foreward I was afraid to take my feet off the ground and put them on the footrest. I worried that I wouldn't be able to stop myself from either falling over or rocketing forward. (Like that would make a difference if I'm going very fast.)
Cramps started to plague my legs since I was holding them funny so I took a rest as my boyfriend scooted around the parking lot.
Eventually I felt comfortable enough to put up my feet. It was a little hard to keep it steady going slow, but I was too nervous to give it more gas.
My boyfriend showed me how to do a couple of turns, telling me to look where I wanted to go. Apparently the worst thing you can do is stare at the scooter, cause you lock up.

I tried it, and it worked! I didnt dump the scooter!
So I did a couple of more turns but decided to quite while I was ahead.

Apprehension rises

After a road trip to Maryland and a daylong reassembly the sooter's mostly ready.
I feel like such a slacker cause my boyfriend did most of the work while I was at work. But I helped near the end to keep him calm and help with some tight spots. (Small hands are useful sometimes.)
It looks pretty chic with its line of checkers down the side. Though I don't have a photo of the front. Looks cool from the back too.

My boyfriend took it around the block for a trial run after we got most of the parts on. The gas gauge doesn't really work. Read E even though it had gas in it. Might need a new one of those.
It seemed to move pretty good. Didn't think it would go that fast. Ed said it went up to 60, but that's as high as the speedometer WILL go.
Ed had me practice walking beside it as it ran because I was nervous about riding it right off. I have this fear that I will turn the throttle when I'm trying to brake and cause myself to skyrocket into something, like a telephone pole or garbage can.
My boyfriend said I needed to practice keeping my fingers over the brakes. There are levers on both the right and left sides. The right controls the front brakes and the left the back. You don't want to grab just one or the other cause it will make you slide.
That didn't calm me much cause it's one more thing I could screw up and killed by.
So I had to practice braking cause I forgot as I was walking along and grabbed the throttle when it started going too fast.
We're supposed to go out to the old Rickels parking lot on North Charlotte tomorrow and I'm going to take my first ride. I'm a little nervous that I'm either going to get really hurt or destroy this scooter my boyfriend has been working so hard on.
Wish me luck!

Pimped out

The scooter coverings are painted.
They look pretty sharp. My boyfriend said hopefully I won't crash it right off.
He immediately began looking for new pimping up parts. Some sharp handles, an alarm system, then he stumbled on a sub woofer. For a scooter!
I asked him if the scooter had a radio.
Of course not.
So why would I need a subwoofer!
But the alarm system sounds like a good idea.
As my boyfriend put it, I'll be driving down the street, ggrrr, grrrr, chug, chugga chugga chugga, chuchunch. Beep boop.
Alarm system set.

Safety is everything

I'm a little worried about having the scooter in Pottstown.
Recently the house in front of my apartment (which is also rented) was broken into, and my boyfriend's car had its window smashed by some petty criminals while it was parked right outside my window, and while I was awake. (Never caught the guys.)
I'm a little worried, what with gas prices and all, that someone's going to come along and spot it and break in to the garage and steal it.
My boyfriend is smart and removes the battery on his motorcycle when he's not using it. You can't move it without the battery or the key.
But I don't think the scooter battery is that accessible. It's also not very heavy, so someone could easily carry it away, well, two people.
I'm hoping that we can pimp it up enough that it would be hard to miss, but if someone's determined enough they can hide it and strip it.
We're considering getting an alarm on the door so at least it will alert the neighbors, or us, if someone tries to break in to the garage.
My boyfriend got me this gigantic chain to secure it with when I take it out.
I don't want to find myself at the Walmart with several bags and scooterless because of some jerk who couldn't bother to find a piece of junk scooter of his own and fix it up.

Almost there!

The call came today and the scooter body panels will be finished tonight.
But I'm having second doubts about the colors. After much debating, my boyfriend and I settled one hunter green and silver. (I wanted white but he thought that would look a little cheesy.)
Then someone at work pointed out that silver and green were the Eagles colors.
Now, I'm not in to sports so I'm not an Eagles fan, but I also don't have anything against them. I don't really know anything about them. But I don't want it to seem like I am. I also don't want to look like a traveling sign for a sports team.
I just wanted it to be an extension of me.
My boyfriend says the colors won't instantly remind people of the Eagles.
I hope not.

Decked out scooter seats

Should a scooter seat be garish and standout? Is it a requirement?
I have been told that it's the standard for the seat to contrast with the rest of the scooter.
Some businesses have arisen around this fact, most notably scooterseatcovers.com.
Colored leopard prints and fuzzy seats seem to be big. I don't know why since they must feel kind of slimy when hot, like most synthetics.
The scooter my boyfriend is putting together will be green and silver, but he wanted a totally crazy seat, made to look like a Japanese flag (as a send up to Yamaha). While I thought that could look classy if done right, I'm not sure if it would be taken well by the WWII vets in town. I don't need people throwing their canes at me as I drive by.
There's still a backlash amongst people 50 and over against any country the U.S. has warred against, at least in small towns like Pottstown.
So what should the seat look like?
I don't want to keep it the way it is, with a nice track across it from the former owner's bike laying on top of it for years, but leopard print, un uh.
I don't mind a normal looking new seat, but will that make me look like an obvious scooter novice?
I've seen a lot more scooters around town since gas prices have been skyrocketing and none with tricked out seats or bodies, but I think most people are just desperate at this point, not really into scooters.

Eurotrash — The group

This is not me by the way. And yes, I know it's not a scooter.

When I first drove into Pottstown it struck me as a microcosm of a city.

Rather tall buildings for a little town.

There was also a European flavor about it. Everything was walkable, there were parks everywhere, one with a flowing fountain downtown. The garden club keeps up the flowers hanging from lampposts and giant flowerpots in the business areas. There are also wooden park benches everywhere.

The buildings are mostly brick and dating from the 1800s. A lot of them could use fixing up and some have crappy vinyl and aluminum siding hiding them that dates to the 60s and 70s. But it has potential.

It now has an awesome coffee shop, Churchill's, that opened a year after I moved here. It's technically a chocolatier's, which is very European. How many towns can boast a chocolatier?

And it finally has a wine shop downtown, though it could use some asthetic improvements.

Which brings me round to the Eurotrash concept.

My boyfriend loves everything Euro: cafe racers, cool mini cars and coffee shops. So when the scooter became a reality he wanted to start a scooter club for all those folks who love everything Euro but were American. He wanted to call it the Eurotrash scooter club.

I guess the idea of it being "trash" is because we're American and really don't have the "Euro" thing down, but love the style. But we dumb down a cool pair of graphic but sexy shorts with flat sandals, which really doesn't look good, but hey, we're American and we love comfort.

Plus you really can't comfortably stop a scooter in high heels. Though I'm sure Italian women have figured it out.

What have I got myself into

  This is not what girls my age do. 

   It all started with a simple statement from my boyfriend after he moved in.

  "We should go get my cousin's scooter for you."

  One of those statements I disregard because it came out of the blue. It was a whim, surely. Wasn't it. 

  He asked a couple of more times, obviously intent on getting it fo

r me whether I responded or not. 

  I was very hesitant to want it. First, where were we going to put it?

  We live in a tiny apartment over a garage, and while I'm allowed half of it, my mini cooper and his sport bike just about fit — along with all his junk from his old apartment. 

  Second, the only time I've ever ridden a scooter, I

 almost s

mashed head-on into an SUV as I attempted to turn a corner in Key West. 

  Nightmare.

 

  Let's face it, 

motorized versions of the bicy

cle aren't good for everyone. Most people can't figure out how to handle a clutch in a car. (I have and I like it.)

  But most scooters don't have clutches, so I can't let it out too fast and crash, right?

  But I still wasn't sure.

  I didn't want to get hit by an SUV and die just tooling down the street. But I guess that could also happen while I'm walking ...

  Then one weekend my boyfriend announces that he's borrowing his coworker's truck and running down to get it.

  I'd already had plans and this was out of the blue, and when I came home that night, it was in the garage, in pieces. 

  I still have no visual concept of what this Geely will look like once he gets the pieces together, but the body has been sanded and sent out to be painted. And my boyfriend has dedicated a lot of time to fixing it mechanically, so I can't really say no at this point. 

  But what there is of it here looks so small. Almost like it belongs to a child. Which makes me a little nervous. 

  Check back. Hopefully I'll have  a video of my successful ride down the back alley.