Scooting to Work

The weather this past week has been really nice. An unseasonably warm 70F during the day. I rode my SV650 each day. I felt like it was time to get another bike out, so I took my Kymco Super9 on Thursday.

I really enjoy riding the scooter. It’s a fun and easy twist and go. The Super9’s little 12” wheels makes it feel like you are going much faster than you actually are. “I was totally doing 60mph wide open…” “What?? I was only going 30mph?” lol. I also love that I can park it anywhere including bicycle racks. Yay mopeds!

It it also easy to stop and snap photos or gawk at the spring flowers. I snapped this one at a park I like to ride through in Roseville. The park is really nice on a bicycle because then you can actually use the bike trails.

It will be a little bit longer before I get my WR250R out. It needs a bit of work, and I’ve been spending most of my free time in the garden or the kitchen.

Winter Scootering

This weekend was exceptionally warm for a Minnesota winter! It was in the mid 40s for most of the time and didn't freeze overnight; no ice! I took this opportunity to take my girlfriend out on a scooter ride. It was my first ride in over five weeks.



We rode around several of the nearby lakes. Even though it was very foggy and spitting rain, we both has a good time. We rode for about an hour stopping several times to look at the different lakes.



Several of them had ice houses for fishing. With the warmer temps, the ice has been getting thinner, so no one was driving on the lakes. It is supposed to get cold again soon, so perhaps we can take the ural out on lake soon. I like to wait until I see trucks parked on the ice before I ride on it. If it can hold a 4000 pound truck, it can easily handle my little 800 pound sidecar.



On the way to the last lake, we spotted a wild turkey standing in the road. We briefly chased it with the scooter until it ran off into the woods.

It was a very fun ride. I am hopeful to begin riding the ural again as soon as my upper body is strong enough which I hope will be in a couple weeks.

The hour on the scooter was about ten minutes longer than I should have ridden, but we were having fun. A great day to be out on two wheels. Lots of smiles.

Disability Plate on a Motorcycle

I saw the above scene a couple weeks ago and at first I thought “wow, what a rude scooter owner to park in a disabled spot.” Then I looked closer, and I saw it had a MN motorcycle disability plate. I was confused. In all my years looking at motorcycles, I’ve never seen one before.

I spent some time on the State website to learn a bit more about disability license plates in MN. According to Statue 168.021 a motorcycle can be licensed. If the owner already has a disability plate on another vehicle, they can apply and automatically get one for their motorcycle. Neat.

168.021 PLATES FOR PHYSICALLY DISABLED PERSONS.

Subdivision 1.Disability plates; application.

(a) When a motor vehicle registered under section 168.017, a motorcycle as defined in section 168.002, subdivision 19, a one-ton pickup truck as defined in section 168.002, subdivision 21b, or a self-propelled recreational vehicle as defined in section 168.002, subdivision 27, is owned or primarily operated by a permanently physically disabled person or a custodial parent or guardian of a permanently physically disabled minor, the owner may apply for and secure from the commissioner (1) immediately, a temporary permit valid for 30 days if the applicant is eligible for the disability plates issued under this section and (2) two disability plates with attached emblems, one plate to be attached to the front, and one to the rear of the motor vehicle, truck, or recreational vehicle, or, in the case of a motorcycle, one disability plate the same size as a regular motorcycle plate.

I read further in Statute 169.345 to what qualifies as a disability to get the eligible plates. The list is pretty long, so if you’re interested check it out. There are several on the list I think could still permit someone to operate a motorcycle safely such as “because of disability cannot walk 200 feet without stopping to rest”.

I was glad I saw the plate and took a picture of it. It encouraged me to stop and learn more about options for disabled folks. I’m happy to see Minnesota offering the disabled parking privileges to those on a motorcycle who need them.

Have you seen a disability plate on a motorcycle before? Does your State offer them? Let me know in the comments below.

Santa Rides a Polar Bear (SBC#5)

Previously I posted about the “Polar Bear Crossing” sign we found in South Padre Island, TX. Down the block and around the corner, I found this yard completely decked out.

First Two Wheeled Ride of 2012

As is usual, I end up riding my Super9 before any of the rest of my bikes. The rest are snug away resting for the winter and hiding from the salt. The Super9 and Ural are the only two that get to play year round.

After the second day of above 40s, I couldn’t resist. I had to take it out for a short sunset ride. There were still plenty of patches of ice and piles of salt to keep me busy and focused. The photo is my scooter parked in front of a frozen lake. The little red house out there is an ice fishing tent. Only a few inches of ice on the lake, so I’m not comfortable riding on it yet.

It was a fun ride. My Super9 is so much better than the scooter I rented on South Padre Island. 

Scootering at -21F - PBC#25

It was predicted to be very cold this morning. I was excited for the opportunity to break my coldest riding temp of –12F. I set the alarm for 4:30am so I could get up and get out the door before the sun warmed things up.

The first problem was my digital thermometer didn’t want to work correctly. I put a fresh battery in it and sent it back outside. It finally registered –21.5F!

Still bundled up, I proceeded to move the hippo hands from my Ural to the Super9. My previous cold ride on the super9 made my hands very, very cold. I wanted to prevent that from happening this time as I wanted to go further than 2km.

I put on all the usual winter riding gear except for the boots. I switched to my dirt biking boots instead of the Sidi on-roads. I wanted more ankle/foot protection as there would be a good chance for crashing. I layered up well. According to NOAA skin can freeze in under five minutes at this temp!

The scooter didn’t want to start at first, but eventually got going. It’s funny how picky mechanical things can be at –20F. After a few tries to started right up and I was on my way.

The roads were pretty clear and I was able to maintain about 30mph without too much fear. Per NOAA, –21F at 30mph is about –53F with the wind-chill! I was happy to be completely covered. The hippo hands were working great at keeping my hands warm. I could feel the cold, but I wasn’t cold. It was great being on two-wheels again!

I stopped at my usual outdoor thermometer for this photo:

It’s usually a few degrees off from my house thermometer which is a bit more accurate.

When I stopped to take the photo, I turned the choke off. Big mistake. The bike ran for a minute or so and then died. I couldn’t get it restarted. Even with the choke on. After what seemed like a very long time, my video told me it was only seven minutes, but it felt like an hour, the scoot started back up.

The rest of the ride was uneventful, and I enjoyed empty streets. It was great. Our driveway has some hard, packed snow which was a bit exciting to ride up. I ended up pushing it the last few feet. Lucky for me the Super9 weighs just over 200lbs.

A fun ride, and a new record temp! Enjoy the video!

YouTube Video:

Kymco Super 9 Front Tire Replacement

This documents putting on a new Kenda K761 120/70-12 front tire on my Kymco Super 9.



Tools needed:

• impact wrench 
• 19mm impact socket
• 14mm wrench 
• Philips screwdriver 
• torque wrench 
• axle grease 
• tire gauge 
• Velcro strip (to hold the brake lever)
• includes affiliate links to support the blog

Step 1: Loosen the front axle nut with the 14mm wrench and the 19mm impact socket. I also used the Velcro strip to hold the front brake to make it easier to loosen the nut. After loosening the nut, remove the Velcro strips from the brake lever.


Step 2: Get the front tire off the ground. I used some carabineers from climbing around the handlebars attached to a deer hanging frame and pulley system. I purchased the pulley system from a sporting goods store for about $20 and use it to easily haul tires and other heavy things into my attic.

Step 3: Remove the fender with the Philips screwdriver (optional). You don't have to do this, but I found it easier to work around the tire.

Step 4: Remove the brake caliper (optional). I didn't do this, but I will next time. It was a pain to get the side collar and the speedo pawl lined up while dealing with the rotor and caliper.

Step 5: Remove the axle. I found it helpful to keep my foot under the front tire to keep things steady and lined up.

Step 6: The side collar will likely fall off during step 5. If not, remove it now along with the speedometer gear unit.

Step 7: Replace the tire on the rim. I did learn one tip this time through that was helpful -- I put the tire in front of a space heater on low for about 15 minutes to warm it up. It went on easier than I remember putting the rear tire on.

These two links helped me learn how to change tires:
1) Neduro's Tire Changing Class
2) Easy Tubed Tire Changing (yes, I know the Super9 doesn't have a tube, but it is still a good video) Here is my old and new:


Step 8: Grease the axle, side collar, and speedometer pawl. Then, reinstall the axle. I found it helpful to again have my foot under the front tire as I lined things up. Make sure to line the tabs up on the rim with the grooves in the speedometer pawl. The speedometer assembly also has a slot that fits into the tab on the side of the fork. After reassembling the front axle make sure the tire spins freely.

Step 9: Torque the axle bolt to 49.0 N-m.

Step 10: Check the air pressure and set to 25 psi.

Enjoy your new front tire! Remember new tires are slippery for about the first 100 miles and first few heat cycles.

Written by Chrisluhman for Everyday Riding. All rights reserved.

Kymco Super 9 Rear Tire Replacement

This documents putting on a new Kenda K761 130/70-12 rear tire on my Kymco Super 9. When I purchased the scooter the existing rear tire was badly needing replacement.


Tools Needed:

• flathead screwdriver 
• socket wrench 
• 10mm socket 
• 12mm socket 
• 13mm socket 
• impact wrench 
• 13mm impact socket 
• 24mm impact socket
• torque wrench 
• allen wrench 
• zip tie  and wire cutter (hold brake caliper)
• axle grease 
• tire gauge 
• velcro strip (to hold the brake lever)
  
• includes affiliate links to support the blog

Step 1: Remove the rear axle nut with the 24mm impact socket. It helps to hold the rear brake with a strip of velcro

Step 2: Get the rear tire off the ground using the center stand or a floor jack if the center stand is missing. The center stand mounts make a good jack point.

Step 3: remove the exhaust muffler by removing the two bolts from the rear fork and the two that attach to the engine. Tools used: 10mm (near engine), 12mm (top), 13mm impact (lower)


Step 4: remove the rear brake caliper by using a 12mm socket on the two caliper bolts. If you used the velcro strap in step 1, remove it now. Do not touch the rear brake lever after removing the caliper from the rotor or else the pads will compress together and make installation impossible. If the pads do compress, use a C-clamp to push the piston back in to make room for reassembly.

Step 5: free the rear brake cable by removing the allen head bolt on the middle cable support and the 10mm on the rear fork

Step 6: secure the rear brake caliper out of the way by using a zip tie to attach it to the lower grab handle.

Step 7: remove the collar with even pulling pressure. I used two flat blade screwdrivers for this

Step 8: remove the rear fork with even pressure

Step 9: remove the axle spacer

Step 10: remove the rear wheel again even pressure helps here.

Step 11: replace the tire on the rim. Rather and write (and show) how bad I am at changing my own tires. These two links helped me learn how to do it:
1) Neduro's Tire Changing Class
2) Easy Tubed Tire Changing (yes, I know the Super9 doesn't have a tube, but it is still a good video)
Here is my old and new:

Step 12: reverse the steps put everything back together. I greased the axle and the rear fork bolts when I reassembled.
Step 13: torque all the bolts to spec:

• Rear fork bolts: 29.4N-m
• Rear axle nut: 98.0N-m
• Two bolts on rear caliper: 34.3N-m
• engine exhaust bolts: 11.8N-m

Step 14: Fill the rear tire to 28.5 psi for one rider or 32 psi for two.

Enjoy your new rear tire! Remember new tires are slippery for about the first 100 miles and first few heat cycles.

 

 

Written by Chrisluhman for Everyday Riding. All rights reserved.