My Long distance ride (VA to DE)

[Tao50]

Hi all, Im new to the forum and also new to scoot ownership. I Recently purchased a new tao tao 50, and plan to ride it from woodbridge, va to rehoboth beach, de this weekend. I will be taking lots of pictures and such for you to see! any comments and tips from others who have ridden a long distance are welcome. 

I plan to change the oil before i go, using rotella 15-40, and putting a new ngk iridium ix spark plug. will be bringing a spare. im going to wire a 12v outlet to the scoot tonight, so i can charge my phone if neccesary, but i will be using a handpicked route i made on google maps (for backroad/low mph limit roads) 

I will be leaving saturday evening, riding about half way there, and camping in the woods somewhere off the grid, then will finish the journey sunday morning, and come back sunday night.

Stay tuned!


What a trip! I did not make it to delaware, as i only had the day and a half, and i underestimated travel time   
I did however, go as far as i could after work, leaving at 6 pm, and at least got out of the state of virginia. I came across a nice park that had a free campground, and set up camp in Point of Rocks, MD at around 11:00pm. This was an excellent first distance trip on the scoot, and i'm looking forward to planning better for a bigger trip in the future!

PICTURE TIME!


All set and ready to ride!





First backroad, one im actually quite familiar with. This road i learned how to drift on back in the day when i first started drifting with my e36 bmw.









Generic scenery pics









One of my favorite roads on this trip, Evergreen Mills






Better get some gas! $2.81 lasted me the whole trip, and i still have a half tank







Posted up at the campsite!







Campsite had a boat ramp into the potomac








More generic scenery pics














Stopped at a winery after i had a close call with a gravel patch that appeared in the middle of the road while i was doing about 40













Had my girlfriend meet me at the campsite, and on our way back she got a flat tire, scooter to the rescue! 








More generic scenery pics
















Had to get a little rebellious










Girlfriend insisted on getting pictures of me 












Its been real maryland, see you next time! (insert breakfast club music)

[pinkscoot]

I wish you luck, thats a long ride. How are you crossing or going around the bay?

[Senna1Rossi]

Welcome!

Have fun, and be safe!

[bluegoatwoods]

We're glad you joined up here.

Best of luck. And be sure to give just as much detail as you can manage about your journey. It'll be excellent info for others who are considering going off cross country.

[spaz12]

[thephranc]

How are you going to navigate getting across the woodrow wilson and Bay Bridge? A 50cc scooter can only travel on roads with Speed limits 45 and under.

[gsx600racer]

I wish my body could handle a road trip like that.

[2stroked]

Welcome.
Sounds like a hella fun ride. Be sure I keep us updated.

[90GTVert]

Tao50! I'm interested in seeing your trip route.

May 3, 2017 18:42:44 GMT -5 thephranc said:

How are you going to navigate getting across the woodrow wilson and Bay Bridge? A 50cc scooter can only travel on roads with Speed limits 45 and under.

It's roadways over 50MPH that motor scooters can't travel, and the bay bridge is 50MPH. Technically, I guess it can be done. Realistically, I have had no desire to cross it on a 49cc and I'm not sure how it works off the bridge. On each side of the bridge, it's 55MPH and 3 lanes.

"A person may not operate a motor scooter or moped on a roadway where the posted maximum speed limit is more than 50 miles per hour, or on an expressway or other controlled access highway. If the roadway has a bike lane paved to a smooth surface or a paved shoulder, a person operating a motor scooter or moped must use the bike lane or shoulder and may not ride on the roadway except for a situation identified above as (1 through 6)."
From : www.mva.maryland.gov/safety/motor-scooter/scooter.htm#

At one point as it was written, I translated the law to mean I was fine on any road if it had a shoulder. Now it seems to say more clearly that the shoulder is part of the roadway, and we can't go on a roadway over 50MPH, so even the shoulder is not legal to ride on the highway where it's 55MPH.

[Tao50]

pinkscoot I will be going further north through Mount Airy and to Westminster, then crossing over the Susquehanna river, through Elkton, where i will go south to Rehoboth.


thephranc 90GTVert I will not be going on the bay bridge, as fun as it may sound Thanks for the info, thats good to know.


bluegoatwoods  2stroked I'll do what i can!

[90GTVert]

May 5, 2017 10:02:41 GMT -5 Tao50 said:

I will be going further north through Mount Airy and to Westminster, then crossing over the Susquehanna river, through Elkton, where i will go south to Rehoboth.

Nice. That's a ride I considered at times, but I've only really been that route to go to Cecil County Dragway in Rising Sun, MD in cars/trucks. If you go through Chesapeake City there's a cool tall bridge and some scenic areas if you want to explore I think. The bridge has no shoulders and may be a pain to climb, but it's prob fun to ride the hill down. That's on 213. I believe Route 9 in DE is a popular motorcycle road with lots of scenic coastline riding. That's another one I've yet to ride, but have considered. The downsides that I hear for it are pretty much no shoulders the whole way and there are areas that can be flooded so you may have trouble during high tide.

[pinkscoot]

I never went over the top of the bay like that. Before I was born my family lived outside Denton, This predated the Bay Bridge, the crossing was by ferry. When they would visit friends in Baltimore they would go over the top and down, this also predated 95 so they were always sure to pack a lunch.

That will be a nice ride up to Mount Airy over to Westminster. Those are roads I traveled with my old job in Maryland.

[Tao50]

Edit posted

[Tao50]

Post updated! had a blast, will definitely do this again

[90GTVert]

Nice pics. Glad it all went well. Not funny that she got a flat, but kinda funny that the notoriously unreliable Chinese scooter was there so you could rescue the car.