Post by spacecowboy on Sept 21, 2008 18:59:28 GMT -5
Now, I'm not into this whole escorting business but when some friends asked me to escort their daughter on her new Buddy 125 west from Tulsa to Stillwater, OK on Highway 51 I jumped at the chance.
After all I got to put the first few miles on the buddy the day before, bringing it home for them. Any excuse to ride my Kymco People 150.
We set out at noon and about an hour and a half later arrived in Stillwater. The Buddy handled the highway just fine, and Kim (My scoot) has no problem with any road that isn't limited access (Interstates). Bugs were splatted, cars passed.
All the other bikes on the road were either Harley's or Hondas with roughly ten times our engine displacements. Which is fine with me.
Two-fingered salutes were given, and received. 51 is a very easy road to ride, with the exception of the drivers who seem to think it acceptable to attempt to pass on the shoulder.
After saying my farewells, Kim and I got back on 51 and headed back towards Tulsa.
Stillwater is a nifty town, and I'd love to have time to explore it more but not today.
Twenty five miles out of Stillwater the tone of my scooter's engine suddenly changed and became louder and deeper, "burping" whenever there was a bump in the road. Suspecting a muffler problem I pulled over and checked underneath. Sure enough, the lock-bolts holding the muffle intake tight to the engine exhaust had vibrated themselves loose.
Desperately over the next 40 miles I looked for an auto parts store or hardware store. There was exactly one. And it wasn't open on Sundays.
So easing back on the throttle, I made for Tulsa.
When I got into town I checked my muffler. The slender pipe that connects it to the exhaust port had snapped off and luckily, gotten caught in the center stand. I still had a muffler, but it was in two pieces. And my bike was as loud as a Hardly Ableson. And the little plastic cover over that part of the engine had been melted by the exhaust.
But on the bright side, the muffler looks fixable.
And that's it. I got to ride with a friend, put my Odometer over 5000km, brake my muffler, and melt some plastic. Good times folks.
After all I got to put the first few miles on the buddy the day before, bringing it home for them. Any excuse to ride my Kymco People 150.
We set out at noon and about an hour and a half later arrived in Stillwater. The Buddy handled the highway just fine, and Kim (My scoot) has no problem with any road that isn't limited access (Interstates). Bugs were splatted, cars passed.
All the other bikes on the road were either Harley's or Hondas with roughly ten times our engine displacements. Which is fine with me.
Two-fingered salutes were given, and received. 51 is a very easy road to ride, with the exception of the drivers who seem to think it acceptable to attempt to pass on the shoulder.
After saying my farewells, Kim and I got back on 51 and headed back towards Tulsa.
Stillwater is a nifty town, and I'd love to have time to explore it more but not today.
Twenty five miles out of Stillwater the tone of my scooter's engine suddenly changed and became louder and deeper, "burping" whenever there was a bump in the road. Suspecting a muffler problem I pulled over and checked underneath. Sure enough, the lock-bolts holding the muffle intake tight to the engine exhaust had vibrated themselves loose.
Desperately over the next 40 miles I looked for an auto parts store or hardware store. There was exactly one. And it wasn't open on Sundays.
So easing back on the throttle, I made for Tulsa.
When I got into town I checked my muffler. The slender pipe that connects it to the exhaust port had snapped off and luckily, gotten caught in the center stand. I still had a muffler, but it was in two pieces. And my bike was as loud as a Hardly Ableson. And the little plastic cover over that part of the engine had been melted by the exhaust.
But on the bright side, the muffler looks fixable.
And that's it. I got to ride with a friend, put my Odometer over 5000km, brake my muffler, and melt some plastic. Good times folks.