Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - I saw a messenger on a scooter today...

no not a razor scooter, that would have been funny. no, it was a motorized scooter, it was sad.

I was driving back to frederick, md, leaving dc when I saw him. His helmet endowing him with a false sense of danger, as he screamed down the road at what must have been ten miles per hour. Look out kids, he might beep his horn at you... His red and black bag looked oddly of Lazer Couriers, what a sad day that would be. When I got next to him all I could think was, this guy could bennefit from riding a bicycle. Maybe this was what he rode on extremely hot days? No, there were plenty of other messengers riding their bikes, this was no bicycle rider, not even close.

Oh well, he had a giant smile on his face, something few bikers have while they ride through dc.

maybe ignorance is bliss....

You don't understand the messenger hierarchy. At the very bottom are the bike messengers. Next, the car/truck guys. After that you get to the scooter types.

And the creme de la creme, the titans of the messenger world.. the walkers. I mean, look at 'em : they're old, they're wise, they're speaking in tongues half the time. Perhaps one day, you too can be a walker.

There is an old saying that goes....
Scooters and fat girls are great fun to ride, until your friends catch you.

There is an old saying that goes....
Scooters and fat girls are great fun to ride, until your friends catch you.
:roflmao:

oh man, I forgot all about that phrase!

I understand the whole hiarchy thing, as an electrical technician I am at the bottom in my company. it seems that no matter what you do, the higher up you climb, the lazier you become, it's like the air becomes thinner...

Hey, my other vehicle is a motorscooter. ;) At least it gets 100MPG and can negotiate traffic in much the same way as a bicycle. Maybe he's a bike messenger with a heart problem and he can't ride anymore. I dunno. I did deliver pizzas on it for a short period of time, with a rack on the back. Fun stuff.

Scooters are great fun, and I'm proud to admit it. And besides, the bigger the cushion, the better the pushin', right?

peace,
sam

Hey, my other vehicle is a motorscooter. ;) And besides, the bigger the cushion, the better the pushin', right?

peace,
sam

Well now. Everybody now knows what powers your crank. :) :)

Oh, I'm not picky about what powers my crank. Sometimes its things I'd rather my friends not know about, but mostly its just my own muscles that power my crank. You know, just a man and his crank, all alone, late at night. Gettin' sweaty. You know.

peace,
sam

sam, you rock

oh man, I forgot all about that phrase!

I understand the whole hiarchy thing, as an electrical technician I am at the bottom in my company. it seems that no matter what you do, the higher up you climb, the lazier you become, it's like the air becomes thinner...

Electrical technician? IBEW/conduit bender, or event tech?

Electronics tech is lower, trust me.

I don't undderstand the shock. Scooter and motorcycle couriers are super common in the UK and some areas of Asia. A scooter gets good mileage, and is more effective for longer hauls than a bike. In cities that allow them on the sidewalk to park, they can be used almost like a bike. And now that the 125cc engines are making it into North America, you an get pretty good top speeds (55mph, no problem).

Wait, isn't a car messenger called a mailman?

Scooters rock, it's all you see in asia.. some cars but not a lot. It'd be great if North American urban areas were the same when you consider there would be far more room on the road for everybody, especially if it were 1 person per scooter vs 1 person per car. Family of four on a scooter is a common sight in southeast asia, family of 5-6 if they got infants.

They're great fun on steep curvy hilly roads, it feels a little silly at first, like sitting on a moving chair, and even the best are a lil dicey up really steep hills with a passenger, both lean forward, lean back on the steep downhills.

I'd have one if I had a use for one here, but I don't so bike or transit I remain.

The real problem is most scooters in developing nations tend to be badly tuned 2-cycle machines with bad or non-existant mufflers. All this adds up to an unbelievably loud cacophany of buzzing plus out of control emissions. They may be very fuel efficient, but they're super polluting.

But you can get modern clean burning 2-cycle or go with a 4-cycle engine with a proper muffler. You'll sacrifice some power, but it'll be quieter and less polluting, a perfect urban getaround motor vehicle.

Velosolex.....the best of both worlds......or worst?
http://www.mopedsonline.com/m-o-l/shopping_center/scooters/images/velosolex.jpg

Wow! That's substantially ugly.

Your classic moped looks about a million times better.

My scooter is an Aprilia, modern two cycle, its actually fuel injected, and can be equipped with a catalytic converter. Its 50cc, goes 55mph, gets a hair over 100MPG, carries two people, is as loud as a sewing maching, has a trunk and provisions for a rack and saddle bags, and meets the most stringent Euro emissions guidelines through 2010. Of course, in developing nations most are not this nice. But these scooters have been on the market for a few years, and the few biggest two stroke engine manufacturers, Piaggio and Minarelli/Yamaha are starting to make fuel injected versions. More power, less emissions, more efficiency. Whats not to love? ;)

BZZZZ!!!! WHEE!!!

peace,
sam

Wait, isn't a car messenger called a mailman?

most mailmen in our city walk

Sorry man, rural Maine most of the year and I can't get main in NY (shady subletting reasons, you understand).

Hey, my other vehicle is a motorscooter. ;) At least it gets 100MPG and can negotiate traffic in much the same way as a bicycle. Maybe he's a bike messenger with a heart problem and he can't ride anymore. I dunno. I did deliver pizzas on it for a short period of time, with a rack on the back. Fun stuff.

Scooters are great fun, and I'm proud to admit it. And besides, the bigger the cushion, the better the pushin', right?

peace,
sam

actually, the phrase goes The bigger the cushion, the "sweeter" the pushin', or so i have read . . .

My scooter is an Aprilia,
Aprilias are sweet.

My wife has a Honda Elite 80. Ugly and slow but reliable. The scooter, not my wife.

Wow does that Velosolex bring back memories, we had one all in white, and thus actually even uglier, that some friends gave us. That thing could just barely haul one of us 60 or 70 lbs kids up the hills where we lived.

Wait, isn't a car messenger called a mailman?


There are probably twice as many car/truck couriers than bikers in any major city.

Electrical technician? IBEW/conduit bender, or event tech?

Audio/Video/Teleconfrencing fabrication and installation. not union, hence the reason I have to save up to buy a $100 wheel... Alot of our engineers and project managers are old event tech dudes.

actually, the phrase goes The bigger the cushion, the "sweeter" the pushin', or so i have read . . .


...The bigger the waitsband the deeper the quicksand...
..

big bottoms, big bottoms
talk about mudflaps, my girls got 'em

I just cannot leave this behind

i met her on sunday,
was my lucky fun day,
you know what i mean

do you need a license to drive a scooter?

do you need a license to drive a scooter?

It depends... Just about anywhere you go in the US and Europe, at the minimum, you have to be 16, and possess a valid driver's license to operate a scooter with an engine size of less than 50cc, and top speed of less than 30mph.

In some states, like California, you have to have a motorcycle license to operate those scooters. Europe can be even more strict, like requiring 'stepped' licenses that let you ride larger and larger vehicles, and require different tests for scooters and motorcycles.

Here in Missouri, if its under 50cc, it counts as a 'moped' by law, and requires no registration, no insurance, and no motorcycle license, you just need a regular driver's license. Which is frankly wack, because I can kill you just as easily on that as I could on a 125cc or 1000cc, but because its a 50cc, I don't need to carry insurance! I do, because its the smart thing to do, but I'm not required to do so.

Now, it gets tricky, because many states have a law that says the scooter is a moped if its under 50cc, goes less than 30mph, and produces less than 2.5 bhp. But most cops only know the first part, under 50cc. So scooters are usually sold 'restricted' either by software in the ECU or physical means, or both, so they meet those qualifications. They also suck like that. Clever folk can remove the restrictions, and all of a sudden your 'moped' goes 55mph, and produces 7 bhp. Its now technically a motorcycle. But if you go to the DMV and ask to register it, they say, "Its under 50cc, its a moped" and you say, "But, it goes to fast." and they say, "No, its a moped, I can't even put it into the computer if its got an engine of that size." and you say, "Okee dokee, mam". I've talked to cops about it, been pulled over on it, etc, and no one has ever called me on the legal gray area, because all they care about is engine size. In the city environs, I'm as fast as any motorcycle out there, and faster than most cars, but for some reason, the law doesn't care. I'm not gonna complain. :)

peace,
sam

oh, too bad — don't have a license. would've been nice to try.

I had a permit and was driving my girl around the last two years, but it expired twice and I never took the test. driving is stressful anyway, I'm too old and think too much of liability, insurance rates going up, the cost of possible damage, injuries, and people dying on the sidewalk. if I was younger I would've been more carefree and driving would actually fun.

I guess I prefer my bike cause it's easier to dodge obstacles.

I rode my friend's brand-new scooter on the day he got it. Got about 20 feet and crashed it into a curb. Put a few nice gouges in the front fender, smashed the front light, and broke in his helmet. Gas with right hand, shift with left, what? BANG!@ I'll stick to my bike.

I rode my friend's brand-new scooter on the day he got it. Got about 20 feet and crashed it into a curb. Put a few nice gouges in the front fender, smashed the front light, and broke in his helmet. Gas with right hand, shift with left, what? BANG!@ I'll stick to my bike.

On a real motorbike;
Gas and front brake right hand
Clutch left hand
Shift left foot
rear brake right foot

NA car;
Gas and brakes right foot
clutch left foot
Shift right hand

UK car
gas and brakes right foot
clutch left foot
shift left hand
and....keep left!!!!!

Most 50cc scooters have constant variable transmissions. They aren't 'automatics' persay, but you don't need to shift them. Their gear ratio is constantly changing to match your RPM to your speed. Its very effective when tuned properly, and is a simple, easy to repair mechanical system.

Scooter:
Right hand = go and front brake
Left hand = rear brake
feet = whatever you want!

peace,
sam

Jim Davis didn't switch to a moped until he was seventy. The Aprillas are OK (I guess) and there's a Ferrari scooter that I've seen parked on capitol hill. If I'm still messing at seventy, maybe I'll get one of those!

If Jim didn't get emphysema, I think he would still be out there on a bicycle. He quit smoking twenty years before he got sick. Now he needs to have a tank of air with him and he can't even ride the scooter. I know it's part of the fixie riding ethos to smoke butts, but you might think twice about following that fashion.