Man, when I go for a 20 or 25-mile ride I feel like I have really done something big. But I heard about these crazy guys who are riding from SAN FRANCISCO(!) to Ocean City, Maryland on their scooters this week.
It’s called the Scooter Cannonball Run, and it’s a bi-annual event that has taken place in 2004 and 2006. This year there are 28 riders, and the rules require that the scooters all be less than 252 ccs. Check out their website at http://www.scootercannonball.com/.
Some of the guys are also blogging at
http://www.modernjess.com/cannonball/
http://oz-gt.livejournal.com/ <- this one has the best photos and is updated throughout the day
http://vespacoast2coast.blogspot.com/
http://royscannonball.wordpress.com/2008/09/
The last day route weaves through Maryland (starting in Oakland, heading through DC and then out to the Eastern Shore) on Saturday, September 20th. If you’re along the route, show up and wave! The anticipated ending point is somewhere around 23rd street. I wonder if they know it’s also Bike Week in Ocean City? Hmm, that might make for some interesting altercations. Those scooterists are scrappy, though, so I am sure that they can hold their own in a pissing match.
9.11.2008
the joys of tricking out
Odometer: 160 miles
Today’s post is in celebration of one of the most exciting parts of the scooter lifestyle: accessorizing! One of the best things about being a proud scooter owner is that you can add all sorts of little bins and gadgets to make he scooter work just right for you. It’s not quite the same as tricking out a Harley, but, really, who needs all that chrome?
Last week was my birthday, and I received two great gifts for my scooter. The first is the front inner basket (Honda part number 08L51-GET-101A, $40.95 retail price). Unlike a traditional bike basket that installs on the handlebars facing forward, this accessory installs on the inside of the leg shield facing the driver. It has a weight limit of 3.3 pounds (that’s 1.5 kg for the metrically challenged). Being a rather tall gal (5’11”) I was a little worried that the basket would cut into the space for my feet and legs, but it actually tucks right up inside the leg shield and doesn’t interfere at all.
Installation couldn’t have been easier, because I got someone else to do it for me. Seriously, though, installing the basket was a snap: it only took about 30 minutes start-to-finish, and that was after two vodka tonics. The only tools required were a drill and a screwdriver. The installation process was also minimally invasive: only four small silver screws show on the outside of the leg shield (see the photo below).
With the basket, I can now take my scooter on the most important run of all: COFFEE. My second gift (rear carrier, Honda part number 08L42-GET-100, $79.95 retail price) is on back order but it’s supposed to arrive today. Once that’s on, I can also use my trunk – which will make errands much easier. Stay tuned …
9.09.2008
Scooter Spotting
Found this beauty at the Columbia Athletic Club yesterday. The Buddy 150, a “rugged” style scooter (though, really, how rugged can a scooterist really be?) Still, it’s great to see others around the neighborhood and making use of the bicycle racks.
Also saw this lovely Yamaha C3 today near the MVA on Dobbin Road. I love the cherry red color and also what looks to be an **AMAZING** amount of storage under the seat. You could practically fit a baby carrier in there (not that you would, of course ….)
So I guess this is a shout out to my other Columbia riders. Keep scootin’!
Also saw this lovely Yamaha C3 today near the MVA on Dobbin Road. I love the cherry red color and also what looks to be an **AMAZING** amount of storage under the seat. You could practically fit a baby carrier in there (not that you would, of course ….)
So I guess this is a shout out to my other Columbia riders. Keep scootin’!
9.08.2008
WARNING!! Little Patuxent Parkway Unsafe for Scooters!
Mileage: 160
Out for the longest ride I have taken so far (25 miles, most exciting!) I stumbled upon a significant danger yesterday: graded road. For you riders in Columbia, this hazard is located at the end of Little Patuxent Parkway, where the road crosses over Cedar Lane and forms a lovely 3ish mile loop at the end (see photo above).
This spot is normally one of my favorite places for riding, so I was disturbed yesterday to find that the road has been very roughly graded and not suitable for scooting. Even worse, the signage at this particular area is lacking – one sign saying “BUMP” really does not describe the poor conditions. In fact, I nearly bit it right into a huge hole right at the edge of the graded roadway. But thanks to the newly acquired “Quick Swerve” move that I learned in motorcycle safety class (more on that later), I managed to avoid disaster.
Be cautious in this area, scooterists! Above is a quick map showing you where I encountered dangerous terrain. I will keep an eye on it and post an update when the road project is finished.
Plan Ahead for a Tune-Up!
an interesting bit of info for those of you that have replaced your gas-guzzler with a scooter for commuting. Plan ahead!
"You Can't Just Turn Up for a Tuneup"
The Washington Post
Monday, September 8, 2008; Page D02
Cheap to fill and easy to park, scooters are hot. So the list is long for tuneups.
Leonard Merriman's motor scooter is an integral part of his job delivering pizzas for Domino's. Faster than a bicycle and easier to park than a car, it's the optimal mode of transport to jet from the L Street outpost of the pizza mega-chain to the homes and offices of his customers. A day without his scooter is sure to be a day when he makes less money. So when he called the Vespa service center in Silver Spring to schedule maintenance, he was disappointed to hear he'd have to wait a month....
(read the rest of the article here)
8.28.2008
Etiquette Lesson
Odometer: 133 miles
To the Columbia, MD owner of the black and gray Honda Metropolitan. Saw you out on Brokenland Parkway last week while I was rocking my blue and white Metro. I waved; you didn’t. What gives? It’s part of the package, dude: when you buy a scooter you agree to be quirky and jovial and wave at the rest of us. Come on, man. Don’t hate on the scoot.
To the Columbia, MD owner of the black and gray Honda Metropolitan. Saw you out on Brokenland Parkway last week while I was rocking my blue and white Metro. I waved; you didn’t. What gives? It’s part of the package, dude: when you buy a scooter you agree to be quirky and jovial and wave at the rest of us. Come on, man. Don’t hate on the scoot.
8.25.2008
Scooting Across State Lines
Odometer: 128 miles
Sorry for the long break from blogging: three weeks out of town has meant no scooting or writing. I was away on a combination of work and vacation, traveling to San Francisco and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Both places are excellent places for scooter riding! San Franciscans have clearly harnessed the idea, because I must have seen three or four dozen scooters of all shapes, sizes, colors, and ages while in the City by the Bay. My personal favorite was a buff motorcycle dude tricked out in black leather riding a bright yellow, shiny-new Vespa. I guess you never do know.
My favorite vacation spot – Corolla, NC – is also an excellent place for scooting. The Outer Banks (OBX) are a skinny spit of land that sticks out into the Atlantic Ocean, about 70 miles long and 6 or so miles wide at it’s widest point. The terrain is extremely flat and very scenic, with wide sandy beaches on the East side and the Currtuck sound on the west side. From many points along the beach road, you can see both the ocean and the sound. From Kitty Hawk North, there is only one main road, the two-lane Highway 12 that runs 20 or so miles north to the Virginia line. The roads are perfect for scooting, and I even saw two other Metros while there: one blue like mine, and the other a luscious lime green.
I decided against taking my scooter on vacation (just one more thing to pack!), but after a few days in the OBX I wished I had brought it. But the disparity between state licensing laws makes scooting across state lines difficult. For folks that travel frequently – or for those of us that live close to other states – this could become a real conundrum! I personally know several Maryland residents who would like to use a 50 cc scooter to commute into nearby Washington, DC but are unable to do so because the licensing laws don’t jive. DC requires scooter to be tagged and Maryland doesn’t allow it. What’s a scooter enthusiast to do?
Sorry for the long break from blogging: three weeks out of town has meant no scooting or writing. I was away on a combination of work and vacation, traveling to San Francisco and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Both places are excellent places for scooter riding! San Franciscans have clearly harnessed the idea, because I must have seen three or four dozen scooters of all shapes, sizes, colors, and ages while in the City by the Bay. My personal favorite was a buff motorcycle dude tricked out in black leather riding a bright yellow, shiny-new Vespa. I guess you never do know.
My favorite vacation spot – Corolla, NC – is also an excellent place for scooting. The Outer Banks (OBX) are a skinny spit of land that sticks out into the Atlantic Ocean, about 70 miles long and 6 or so miles wide at it’s widest point. The terrain is extremely flat and very scenic, with wide sandy beaches on the East side and the Currtuck sound on the west side. From many points along the beach road, you can see both the ocean and the sound. From Kitty Hawk North, there is only one main road, the two-lane Highway 12 that runs 20 or so miles north to the Virginia line. The roads are perfect for scooting, and I even saw two other Metros while there: one blue like mine, and the other a luscious lime green.
I decided against taking my scooter on vacation (just one more thing to pack!), but after a few days in the OBX I wished I had brought it. But the disparity between state licensing laws makes scooting across state lines difficult. For folks that travel frequently – or for those of us that live close to other states – this could become a real conundrum! I personally know several Maryland residents who would like to use a 50 cc scooter to commute into nearby Washington, DC but are unable to do so because the licensing laws don’t jive. DC requires scooter to be tagged and Maryland doesn’t allow it. What’s a scooter enthusiast to do?
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