Old dog considering new tricks (scooters)

We scootered to an RV show today. The Blonde is getting tired of "helmet hair" the past couple weeks, and told me she is going to come up with something to help with that.

I kinda laughed that off.

I really shouldn't do that.

http://captnjim.blogspot.com/2013/03/scootering-to-rv-show-and-helping.html





Best wishes,
Captain Jim

Announcing the solution to "Helmet Hair"!!!!

http://captnjim.blogspot.com/2013/03/announcing-solution-to-helmet-hair.html

The windshields came in. Thanks to YouTube, I not only knew where to undo the body panel, I knew what tools I'd need for the job. The first one took about 15 minutes (counting getting the tools out), the second was less than 10 minutes.

Before...



And after...



I was able to get the job done in between "dates" for the day. My first one without my wife, then a double-date with her. I'm probably getting too old for this stuff.

http://captnjim.blogspot.com/2013/03/i-had-date-today.html

Best wishes,
Captain Jim

Looking forward to that windscreen review!

Nice blip you have there on the blog about bowling. I know a little bit about the game. It has been my business for 30 years here in So Cal. Keep your thumb at 10 o'clock and don't drop it too early, and you'll be fine.

Enjoying your post!

Thanks, Samthg. I coulda used that bowling advice last night.

The windscreens do make a difference. Here's a link to the blog post regarding that...

http://captnjim.blogspot.com/2013/03/rode-scooters-all-way-to-key-west.html

Below 35 mph, the windshield is perfect. Above 35, you hear more wind noise than with the original. I'm willing to make that trade-off for the wind protection. WAY less wind on the torso. Also, it may be the half helmets (with flip up shield) directing the noise. It will be interesting when we get back to Texas and have our other helmets to try. I am pleased with the windshields.

Also, we did a "test run" of putting the scooters in our pickup. The ramp worked good (Harbor Freight), there was room for both, I need to refine my tie-down technique to go any distance. Here's that link...

http://captnjim.blogspot.com/2013/03/practice-loading.html

And a preview...



I put the V-Strom up for sale in that thread here. We won't be back to Texas for a couple weeks, but there has already been considerable interest. It's a great bike, but it isn't getting the use it should - someone is going to get a nice low-mileage adventure cruising/touring bike.

Best wishes,
Captain Jim

A good service experience - one in a row!!

http://captnjim.blogspot.com/2013/03/break-in-service.html

Western Honda in Scottsdale, Arizona, are good guys. Kudos to them for making sure things go as they say.

Best wishes,
Jim

Day three of not much scooter riding... commitments and chores getting in the way. Yes, even in retirement, you still have to get stuff done. Fortunately, on the way back from the store this afternoon, the Blonde said, "Tomorrow, we need to go for some wandering on the scooters!"

That was almost worth spending the day washing and waxing the 5th wheel. :huh

Day one: taking the scooters across town (Phoenix is a big town) for service.
Day two: helping in our daughter's classroom.
Day three: work, work, work.

Yeah, that's about enough of that crap.

Best wishes,
Jim

Out scootering about. More "Live to Ride, Ride to Eat", and finding a Yacht Club in the desert...

http://captnjim.blogspot.com/2013/03/really-its-desert.html

A preview...



Best wishes,
Captain Jim

The bikes are loaded in the trailer, we'll hit the road in the morning. 1348 miles... and it seems like most of it is across west Texas.

I am living vicariously through you right now. I live in Newfoundland and am itching to ride. Unfortunately there is still snow on the ground. It makes me happy to think that at least you guys are enjoying your scoots. I could be out riding but I like to wait until the salt is off the road.

A good thing about Newfoundland: the weather can change very quickly. It is also blessed with thousands of miles coastline (meaning: beautiful views). And traffic is very sparse. So, until I can ride again, I'm living through you guys.

Safe journeys back to Texas.

Rob

Thanks for the kind words, Rob. One of these years, we'd like to get to the Northeast and up into Canada during the summer. I have heard great things about how beautiful Newfoundland is. I have a contract for this summer in the Pacific Northwest (boat captain, San Juan Islands), 'cause my wife likes us to be "productive" once in a while.

Last summer, we were on our boat, and left the motorcycle at home. The two previous summers, we were in the Tetons (Grand Teton National Park) - great motorcycle riding! BUT, the speed limit in the park is 45 mph... it would have been great with the scooters, too!

I'm hoping to take at least one scooter with us this summer - we'll see how that works out.

There is a lot of nuthin' across west Texas. The speed limit is 80 mph for about 500 miles of that... with good reason. We won't do that speed while towing. Won't be any scootering for the next week or so. :huh

Hope it thaws for you soon!

Best wishes,
Jim

Express RVing... it's usually a 4 day trip for us, but we made it in 3. The scooters rode in a rental trailer behind the 5th wheel, and made the trip fine. I did stop frequently to check on 'em.



Home, sweet home. Well, for a bit. We'll need a couple days to get moved back in, I'll get some detail photos of the V-Strom 650 I have for sale. Need to do some sprucing up on the boat since it has been in storage for a couple months... then, in about 4 weeks or so, we're off again.

I'm working on how to take at least one scooter with us... would be nice to take them both, but there is only so much room. We'll see.

Best wishes,
Captain Jim

I'm jealous. When I grow up I hope to be able to travel around the country with an RV haul a scooter along

Whoa - I didn't know "growing up" was a necessity! Well, I have no choice about getting older, but I'm doing my best to not be a grown up. When traveling with the RV, it isn't much work to hook up the Featherlite trailer behind the 5th wheel. It will comfortably hold both scooters.

We'll head out in another month for a summer on the boat. I can fit both scooters in the back of the pickup (tried it once), but it doesn't leave me room for anything else... and we rarely travel light. It will probably be just one scoot that makes the trip this time.

We'll be doing a "fun summer job" (my wife's description); I'll be driving a whale watch boat in the San Juan Islands. She already said to me, "When we're done with that job, we should take the RV, the scooters, and the kayaks to Branson and spend a couple weeks."

Getting moved back into the house today, every muscle in my body aches... and we'll do it again in a month to get moved onto the boat. And, now she's talking about "the next move"???:eek1

Before you get all jealous, it's a lotta darn work having all this fun!

Best wishes,
Captain Jim

I know what you mean about growing up vs getting old.

I'm in the process of moving so I also can relate to the aching muscles.

Having fun can be hard work but it's worth it to me. I'm not someone who's idea of fun is laying on the beach all day. I'd rather go for a long ride and end up really tired at the end of the day.

Anyway, I'm enjoying your thread. I may never grow up but someday I'll be able to retire and hope to do something like you are doing.

Keep on traveling, riding, and just having fun.

One scoot in the back of the truck and the other on a hitch carrier. That leaves half the bed for other stuff.

Jim, I sent you a PM regarding your V-strom, looking forward to hearing back from you....(can't find your post that you mentioned regarding the bike)

Thanks,

Chris

Hi Chris,

I replied to your PM. Here is the link on the V-Strom for sale:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=21022207#post21022207

Best wishes,
Jim

Hi cdwise,

That would work if there wasn't going to be 9,000 pounds of boat following the truck. In the past, the truck bed has been a "resupply base" while we're on the boat (we have a color-matched fiberglass tonneau cover). I'm willing to give up some of that storage space for a scooter, but I really don't think my wife would be happy giving up ALL that storage.

Even with the Class V hitch on the truck, any kind of a hitch carrier won't work with the boat.

When RVing, we have a Featherlite enclosed cargo trailer that we haul behind... no way to make that work with the boat, either. WA and OR don't allow double towing.

I'll make some big decisions... and then go with what the wife wants. I've been married over 40 years - I know what it takes to make things work.

Best wishes,
Captain Jim

klaviator, being retired is my favorite job so far! We were fortunate (OK, maybe hard-working) to get an early start on it. I had a 23 year old first mate on a cruise boat I was driving who said, "I was thinking about going back to college, but I think I will retire, instead. It seems to be working out real good for Captain Jim."

Ya gotta have a plan!

Best wishes,
Jim