Post by Sasquatch on May 28, 2011 6:28:44 GMT -5
Some of you may remember that I was thinking about getting some kind of two-wheeled conveyance a while back.
Some of you might also remember that I nailed a deer with my trusty Jeep as well.
Fortunately, the Jeep totaled out for more than I figured. I kept it, spent around $800 to fix it, and went in search of an affordable bike of some sort with the change, which was considerable.
For me it was down to a smaller motorcycle or a larger scooter. I didn't want to spend the money for a car on a bike, nor did I want something nearly as large as one. Good heavens, some of those Gold Wing style bikes were huge, and had more buttons than an airliner cockpit! Not that there is anything wrong with that, mind you, but I just wanted to save on gas, not ride for pure enjoyment. The smaller scooters were just too small and lacked the power for traffic, in my opinion. Finally I spotted a larger, used scooter for sale at Andersons, a huge local outdoor equipment store.
The brand was SYM, the model HD200. I had never heard of them, but research turned up good reviews. I was initially after a Honda, but SYM used to make scooters under the Honda label so I checked it out. It doesn't look that hot, but I really don't care about that so much. The price was just over $1000, and so were the miles. Moreover, the thing looked new and had obviously been taken care of. The owners manual bore evidence of frequent consultation and there were notations with regard to preventative maintenance inside. All good signs.
It is a larger model, more motorcycle sized, with 16" wheels and a bigger engine.
Not knowing crap about bikes, I called in a more experienced rider to give it a test run, and bought it.
I finally got my permit the other day and took it out on the road for the first time. Keep in mind, I had never even ridden an ATV before and had only made laps around my driveway for practice. Now all of the sudden I am going to be speeding down the road in what amounts to a chair with wheels.
The road in question was highway 256! Talk about a tight sphincter. Fortunately there is a county road about 300 yards away.
I made myself relax and have been taking short rides for the last three days. I got it up to about 60 mph (plenty fast enough for a squatch) and was not unduly terrified.
You would laugh to see me. I bought a black jacket with armor padding inside for the elbows shoulders and back. The padding makes me look about four feet across the shoulders. The only color that my size helmet (4x ) came in was, you guessed it, black.
I look like Darth Vader. Incidentally, I was pleased to see that the breast pocket conceals a large .45 very nicely.
The thing I like best about this thing is how quiet it is. I don't care for loud motorcycles or cars. (I know, I know, it's un-uh-murrican, but it's true)
I also like the rather unattractive aftermarket windshield. It makes riding more pleasant.
Here is a pic. Behind it is the resurrected Jeep, still bearing it's shattered grill and damaged bumper, not to mention the stylishly askew vanity plate.
BTW, I got the Jeep back, a scooter, and still had several thousand in change!
Some of you might also remember that I nailed a deer with my trusty Jeep as well.
Fortunately, the Jeep totaled out for more than I figured. I kept it, spent around $800 to fix it, and went in search of an affordable bike of some sort with the change, which was considerable.
For me it was down to a smaller motorcycle or a larger scooter. I didn't want to spend the money for a car on a bike, nor did I want something nearly as large as one. Good heavens, some of those Gold Wing style bikes were huge, and had more buttons than an airliner cockpit! Not that there is anything wrong with that, mind you, but I just wanted to save on gas, not ride for pure enjoyment. The smaller scooters were just too small and lacked the power for traffic, in my opinion. Finally I spotted a larger, used scooter for sale at Andersons, a huge local outdoor equipment store.
The brand was SYM, the model HD200. I had never heard of them, but research turned up good reviews. I was initially after a Honda, but SYM used to make scooters under the Honda label so I checked it out. It doesn't look that hot, but I really don't care about that so much. The price was just over $1000, and so were the miles. Moreover, the thing looked new and had obviously been taken care of. The owners manual bore evidence of frequent consultation and there were notations with regard to preventative maintenance inside. All good signs.
It is a larger model, more motorcycle sized, with 16" wheels and a bigger engine.
Not knowing crap about bikes, I called in a more experienced rider to give it a test run, and bought it.
I finally got my permit the other day and took it out on the road for the first time. Keep in mind, I had never even ridden an ATV before and had only made laps around my driveway for practice. Now all of the sudden I am going to be speeding down the road in what amounts to a chair with wheels.
The road in question was highway 256! Talk about a tight sphincter. Fortunately there is a county road about 300 yards away.
I made myself relax and have been taking short rides for the last three days. I got it up to about 60 mph (plenty fast enough for a squatch) and was not unduly terrified.
You would laugh to see me. I bought a black jacket with armor padding inside for the elbows shoulders and back. The padding makes me look about four feet across the shoulders. The only color that my size helmet (4x ) came in was, you guessed it, black.
I look like Darth Vader. Incidentally, I was pleased to see that the breast pocket conceals a large .45 very nicely.
The thing I like best about this thing is how quiet it is. I don't care for loud motorcycles or cars. (I know, I know, it's un-uh-murrican, but it's true)
I also like the rather unattractive aftermarket windshield. It makes riding more pleasant.
Here is a pic. Behind it is the resurrected Jeep, still bearing it's shattered grill and damaged bumper, not to mention the stylishly askew vanity plate.
BTW, I got the Jeep back, a scooter, and still had several thousand in change!
