Today was a day of off and on showers. When I got ready and left for work no rain but a very dark and ugly cloud heading my way. Work is 15 to 20 minutes away depending on traffic, well I thought I would just make it, and would have if I didn't hit every light on the way.
The rain started 1.5 miles from work, and by the time I was 1 mile from work the sky open traffic slowed and the water on the road just stood there and got deeper.
The ruts in the road hold lots of water and SUV drivers had great fun drown me in it, if I slowed down they slowed down, so I let them have their fun.
When I arrived at work, my jacket was soaked but my shirt was dry, my pants soaked, but this is not bad, as we have at work a drying room with a glove drier and a clothes dryer, and I keep a change of clothes in my locker so I was able to work dry.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Rally and adventure.
Saturday June 23 2007. I took my scooter to a motorcycle rally and ride, this one, our first was hosted by the Lakewood Washington Police Department, and was part of Lakewood's Summer Fest. We arrived at the city hall and saw about 60 bikes, mostly cruiser style, and most of those were Harley's, probably 40, then there were the big sport bikes including one beautiful 'Busa.
Also in attendance was a young lady on a 50 cc Aprilla sport bike, and myself and my scooter TANTOR, a 2006 Yamaha Vino 125.
After I registered us, I had a dough nut, it was hosted by a police department after all.
Then they had a small skills test area that lots of bikers were trying, some of the larger full dressed cruiser were having a tough go in making it through, but most made it on their third try, all most all of the sport bikes made it through on one try. I watched for about 20 minutes then I mounted Tantor and took my spot in the staging area, I must admit I had an advantage in not having to use a clutch, I was also the shortest wheel base there, so needless to say I nailed it the first time.
When it was time to go we had a route and safety briefing, then we formed a column of twos and left.
We rode through Lakewood,University Place, and into Ruston,and the Tacoma water front and on into King County, where we had a stretch of interstate 5, about 3 miles.
{ Please note I do not condone taking a scooter with ten inch wheels and a small 125 cc engine out on the freeway and I did so only because we had a police car at the end of our group. I can say it is nice to know that my vino 125 will do 63.4 mph but that is with the throttle pin wide open and turning 8400 rpm which is 100 rpm off red line. There were three such runs in this ride.} Ten inch tires and grooved pavement make for a sphincter tightening ride. The only time that I lost site of the group was when we pulled up an 8% grade, with the throttle wide and motor screaming I went up at 30 MPH but I caught up to them in about 2 miles
The first 72 miles I spent behind a Harley, this would have been more enjoyable if he had been able to corner, I had to keep slowing down as I kept riding up on him because I could corner alot better than he could and I could not pass him as he had 60 to 80 horsepower and I have 11.
The day was fun and I learned alot about my scooter and myself, it's nice to know that that Tantor is capable of short stretches of freeway, I could go off on a longer ride but would like to stop about every 60 to 90 minutes just to stretch and get blood flowing back into my backside, and finally if I stay on secondary roads I can get over 100mpg but the freeway run at WOT dropped my mileage down 90.5 mpg.
Also in attendance was a young lady on a 50 cc Aprilla sport bike, and myself and my scooter TANTOR, a 2006 Yamaha Vino 125.
After I registered us, I had a dough nut, it was hosted by a police department after all.
Then they had a small skills test area that lots of bikers were trying, some of the larger full dressed cruiser were having a tough go in making it through, but most made it on their third try, all most all of the sport bikes made it through on one try. I watched for about 20 minutes then I mounted Tantor and took my spot in the staging area, I must admit I had an advantage in not having to use a clutch, I was also the shortest wheel base there, so needless to say I nailed it the first time.
When it was time to go we had a route and safety briefing, then we formed a column of twos and left.
We rode through Lakewood,University Place, and into Ruston,and the Tacoma water front and on into King County, where we had a stretch of interstate 5, about 3 miles.
{ Please note I do not condone taking a scooter with ten inch wheels and a small 125 cc engine out on the freeway and I did so only because we had a police car at the end of our group. I can say it is nice to know that my vino 125 will do 63.4 mph but that is with the throttle pin wide open and turning 8400 rpm which is 100 rpm off red line. There were three such runs in this ride.} Ten inch tires and grooved pavement make for a sphincter tightening ride. The only time that I lost site of the group was when we pulled up an 8% grade, with the throttle wide and motor screaming I went up at 30 MPH but I caught up to them in about 2 miles
The first 72 miles I spent behind a Harley, this would have been more enjoyable if he had been able to corner, I had to keep slowing down as I kept riding up on him because I could corner alot better than he could and I could not pass him as he had 60 to 80 horsepower and I have 11.
The day was fun and I learned alot about my scooter and myself, it's nice to know that that Tantor is capable of short stretches of freeway, I could go off on a longer ride but would like to stop about every 60 to 90 minutes just to stretch and get blood flowing back into my backside, and finally if I stay on secondary roads I can get over 100mpg but the freeway run at WOT dropped my mileage down 90.5 mpg.
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