Sep 4, 2007

Labor Day Ride

I got the scooter out for the longest ride yet; 102 miles! We rode some in the city and a lot in the countyside east of Columbus. I rode with my brother and he knows all the back roads, so most roads we traveled had speed limits of 45, but some were 55. On the way back we even ended up on one road that is limited access for a few miles with a limit of 65. I had the throttle pinned for a few miles and the speedo reading was about 62 (my best guess is still about a 5 mph optomistic reading on the speedometer). Not bad! This road was level, but there was one road we rode for a couple miles that had a few very step hills. Going down was great (one time when I was not held up by someone in front of me, I saw an indicated 70mph). But going back up I slowed to about 50 and may have slowed a little more if the incline would have been longer. Many of those back roads are very twisty; on motorcycles those are our favorites. The scooter handles very well. Steering was precise and stable. Transitions were smooth and predictable. The front end has a little vibration between 50 and 55 mph, but above that it smooths out. And it wasn't until I got home and reflected on the ride that I realized that the wind never bothered me. Not once did it occur to me to wish for a windshield. Fuel economy for the trip was 78 mpg. That may not impress some people, but considering how hard I was riding, I think that's pretty darn good.

No comments: