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Post by bluegoatwoods on Jun 10, 2020 11:19:49 GMT -5
It looks like the vehicle from a late 60's early 70's TV show that the characters in costumes rode around in. The name will come to me at 2:00 in the morning. How about the chariot from "Lost in Space"?
That's what came to my mind.
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Post by bluegoatwoods on Jun 9, 2020 14:17:44 GMT -5
One other bit of distorted memory: in my mind it was wet, brown mud.
But black/gray slag makes much better sense.
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Post by bluegoatwoods on Jun 9, 2020 14:08:59 GMT -5
I think that's probably exactly the same photo that's been in my memory all this time. Some differences, though. I seem to recall less of the actual town being spared. But no doubt that's distorted memory.
And "Aberfan" does ring a bell. I guess I did know that name at one time.
The children killed at school! And their parents and neighbors frantically trying to dig them out......What can one say? It hurts merely to think about it.
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Post by bluegoatwoods on Jun 7, 2020 19:03:43 GMT -5
Now that you mention it, this cousin by marriage showed me some video footage of that village from about 50 years ago. And it included miners coming out of the mines. It looked as though the mines were on higher ground than the village itself. And that reminded me of a tragedy that happened not long before that. 1966, if I remember right.
Another Welsh village. With a coal mine up in the mountain above and behind. There'd been heavy rains and the mountain all but collapsed in wet mud and dirt. I still remember the photo in Life magazine.......I was only a kid then......of a huge brown, wet landslide with merely the ends of the town sticking out on either side. I was told that the townspeople were digging childrens bodies out of the school, weeping and crying as they did it. And I believe it. It would surely make me cry.
If I ever knew the name of that village, then I've forgotten it. But that photo left an impression on me.
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Post by bluegoatwoods on Jun 7, 2020 13:43:05 GMT -5
I guess it was about a month ago now. The weather wasn't quite summer-ish yet. Still a little cool and wet. I took a scooter ride and got caught in a rain that wasn't expected. Plus the temperature went down. I got under shelter before I got soaked to the very bone. But I got fairly wet and wasn't dressed for it. I got pretty cold.
But when the rain passed, the Sun came out. I couldn't quite decided if I was so cold that I needed to go home right away or if I was recovering enough to keep on riding. So I decided to go visit a relative by marriage who lived not very far from this spot. I figured I'd chat with him for twenty or thirty minutes and then I'd know whether or not I was warm enough to stay out.
So I knocked on his door. He told me to come on in. But I told him that I shouldn't do that because of the corona virus. We shouldn't ought to be trading germs. I asked him to come on out and we'd spend a bit of chatting in the yard. So he came out.
But he stumbled in the doorway. I already had my back to him. But I recognized that sound, of course, and I turned back to catch him if necessary. Or possible. But I was too late for that. He had caught himself on the outdoor garbage can that he keeps by the side door of the house.
He had a troubled look on his face. But I interpreted that as him being annoyed over the stumble itself. But he was a little bit slow about standing up straight from there. I wish I had picked up on that. Instead I asked him, "Well aren't you going to come out into the Sun?"
He started to follow me and then he stumbled in the other direction and crashed into the fence at the property border. This time I caught him quickly under the armpits. I had begun to wonder if he was good and drunk. But I was nearly nose to nose with him and I didn't smell anything. So I asked him, "Are you okay?"
And he straightened up and said, "Yeah, I'm okay.....I have seizures". And then he straightened up and started walking out toward the road. I was watching him and thinking, "Does that mean that you're having a seizure now?"
But he was walking upright and seemingly competently. He walked about ten feet to where my scooter was parked. He stopped and turned back toward me and said, "Hey! I like this scooter!"
I had just managed to say, "Thank you..." when he did a face-plant right into my scooter. From the scooter's right side. Even though I was watching him, his exact movements are hazy in my memory. But I think he must have used his hands on the scooter to brace his fall. The scooter flopped over on it's left side as though it had been hit by a wrecking ball and my cousin flopped back the other way onto his butt and then onto his back.
As I approached him he said, "I've broken my leg. You'd better get Anna." (his wife) I wasn't absolutely convinced of a broken leg at that point. But his certainty in the matter told me that this was more than just a boo-boo. So I went and hollered for his wife and told her that he'd hurt himself and needed her help.
Then I started heading back to him and he said, "I can see the bone". That brought visions of a bone sticking through the skin into my mind. But I had to get that bike back up first. I said, "I'm sorry..but I've got to get that bike back up or we're gonna have a fuel spill". But that took no time, of course.
As I went back to him.......hoping I guess to move him to a more comfortable spot.........he pointed out to me a spot just above his right ankle. The skin wasn't broken. But I could see what should not have been the butt end of that main bone......tibia?.........pushing up against the skin. And moving a bit. That was a bit squeamish.
He said, "You'd better tell Anna to call an ambulance". I went back to the doorway and called in, "He's gonna need an ambulance".
She screamed back.......loud enough for the whole neighborhood!, "He doesn't have money for an ambulance!!"
He screamed back, "I'm covered!!!"
I told him, "If she won't call an ambulance, then I will. But we'll give her another chance first."
And I went back to the door and hollered, "He really needs and ambulance!!" And she said she'd call one.
Then it was just a matter of waiting. I tried to make him more comfortable, at least. But he could not move at all and it was awkward. I got a piece of plywood propped up by a cinder block behind him. But I couldn't get it very close because he couldn't move his hands from behind him. He was using them to prop himself up. And all movement was painful. Eventually he leaned back against it out of exhaustion.
But the ambulance didn't take very long at all. The paramedic who was dealing with him most had a whole string of questions. And at one point he had to turn to Anna and say, "Ma'am, would you please stop shouting over his answers?" My wife and her family are an excitable bunch.
When they picked him up to load him on the stretcher his foot dangled off of his leg in a way that made me want to puke. I went over to his wife and Mother-in-law......sitting on the front porch steps...........and asked them what they thought of that they acted as though they hadn't seen anything. Maybe I had a better view of it.
Anyway....at the hospital they inserted a titanium rod that stretches just about from knee to ankle plus various screws and....I think....a plate or two.
I've visited him three or four times since and he's doing better than I'd expected. He's cheerful and expects to walk lightly on it sooner than I'd have guessed. I'd have guessed half to three quarters of a year.
He appreciates my visiting. He says I'm the only one so far. I don't quite get it. He has a good reputation in the family. And I don't think they're concerned about germs since I think they're actually more careless about that than, for instance, my wife and I. I think they've been mixing with at least some other households all along.
So I guess that puts me at risk over visiting him. But I'm not too concerned. If I lower my risk, then I'm satisfied. I won't insist on zero probability. That's impossible. Plus I definitely must visit this poor guy.
For many years I've had the habit of carrying some soap and water in a spray bottle plus terry cloth towels. With covid I've simply hardened that habit. When I'm out and about I wash my hands an awful lot. I'm going to have to rely on that.
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Post by bluegoatwoods on Jun 7, 2020 12:15:05 GMT -5
Hey, Milly!
I have a cousin-by-marriage locally here. He grew up in Wales. Came here as a young adult in the early 1980s after marrying a Yank. My wife's cousin. The name of his village is Cwmamon. Or maybe Cwmaman. We'd pronounce it C'mom on. I suppose you'd pronounce it similarly.
Is it familiar to you?
I've seen a few photos of the place and it certainly looks a good deal like the photos you post.
As a matter of fact there's a recent story about this guy that has a scooter connection. I ought to share it with you folks. I'll do that in another thread.
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Post by bluegoatwoods on Jun 2, 2020 8:03:39 GMT -5
Very good!
My Mom is 91 years old. Her general physical condition looks similar to your Mom. And she's still pretty vigorous.
But I doubt if I could get her to take a seat on a scooter.
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Post by bluegoatwoods on Apr 13, 2020 10:37:10 GMT -5
Oh, my goodness! The Carera is a sweet looking commuter.
It's not a brand I'm familiar with. But I'd be comfortable on that bike. For many years now I've outfitted my bicycles much like that.
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Post by bluegoatwoods on Apr 10, 2020 9:31:14 GMT -5
Nice bicycles, Milly! I like the Claude in particular.
I'm using my bicycle right now a lot to get out of the house legally during covid lockdown. I just log onto one of the restaurant delivery apps. A typical day is about 4 hours and 30 miles or so. 50 miles on a busy day. Human contact is very minimal. The restaurants are doing a good job with that. I carry a spray bottle with soap and water mix plus terry towels. Wash face and hands all the time.
My family tells me to just stay home if I don't actually need the money. But high blood pressure and weight gain will kill me much more certainly than corona virus and I'm being careful of giving germs to others. And I'm pretty confident I don't have any bad germs to give anyway.
One bonus is that there are a lot more people out riding bikes, walking their dogs and so on. We say "hi" to each other from 15, 20 feet away as we pass by. Yesterday the wind was strong, steady and cold. And there were still people out and about. It gave me the chance to crack small jokes like, "Dig that breeze, huh?". And we all get a laugh.
In this way....at least.....corona virus might be good for the USA.
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Post by bluegoatwoods on Mar 9, 2020 21:50:05 GMT -5
Hey! Nice kit.....
I suppose I might have guessed that something like that could be found. It just never occurred to me to wonder, I guess.
It's pretty tempting.
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Post by bluegoatwoods on Mar 9, 2020 16:33:33 GMT -5
This thread is reminding me of the summer of 2008. When gasoline reached abotu $4.50/gal in the USA.
Cheap Chinese scooters multiplied like flies and then......dropped like flies. I had no experience with them at all at that point. I doubt if there were many here at all before that.
But I picked up on the bad reviews of them and was horrified at what I heard as well, mammandia.
But eventually I came to understand that the people who were doing all that complaining simply didn't understand just what it was that they had bought and didn't understand the trade-offs involved with such a low price.
I think it was this very forum that helped me to understand the Chinese scooters. I don't think there's anywhere else that I might have learned it.
The engines, frame, suspension and such seem adequate. The engines might even rate a bit higher than that. That's mu suspicion. But I'm not experienced enough yet to declare it as fact.
The 'softer' componentry...........electrical, fuel lines and so on...........seem 'low end'. They're good enough to do their job. Even for quite some time in plenty of cases. But failures are going to happen.
But parts are incredibly inexpensive and easy to get. Most Chinese scoot owners are forced to be their own mechanic. But these machines are really pretty simple and it isn't all that hard. And it's interesting.
For that matter I own a Honda as well as a few Chinese scooters. And I've found that the two authorized Honda dealers within a reasonable distance do not want to work on the scooter very much at all. So it looks like I'll need to be my own mechanic even with the Honda. Plus I'll need to buy parts........and pay through the nose.........from the same dealers who don't want to work on the scooter. I doubt if I'll buy a name brand in the future.
I can tell that you're feeling better about your purchase after reading the comments ahead of this one and I'm glad. I doubt if you'll regret your Icebear. It'll need TLC from you from time to time. But you're likely to be just fine with that.
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Post by bluegoatwoods on Mar 9, 2020 15:57:27 GMT -5
Our winters here are about halfway between you lucky folk in the UK and you poor souls in Minnesota and such. If you picture the point halfway between Chicago and St Louis...that's us. I've often noticed that my weather is the average between what's happening in Chicago and what's happening in St Louis. It actually does follow that formula almost every single day. So.....fairly rough winters.
I used to ride a bicycle almost all year. I'd even manage quite a few rides in January. Less in February. Still.....those months were certain to give at least some weather where riding just wasn't possible. But I'd ride almost year-round. But about the time my mid-50s hit me I did find that just dressing up and down for the weather outside and inside became pretty exhausting. So I've been kind of a winter wimp since then.
I don't winterize my scooters. Instead I either ride them a bit locally from time to time or I at least start them up and idle them a bit. Same thing with my daughter's motorcycle and with my generator. Same thing with my lawnmowers, too. But I didn't get around to them this winter. I hope they start for me.
As this winter was kicking in I was filling my truck at the local gas station. Looking at the pump while filling, I noticed that their premium fuel was ethanol free. I could hardly believe I hadn't noticed that before. And I knew where I was buying fuel for small engines in the future. In fact, I went straight out and bought a brand new five gallon gas can, filled it up and mixed in some Sta-Bil. For small engines through the winter. But I had just filled them all up with regular fuel and it turns out that I didn't run them enough this winter to need re-fills.
But I've been riding the scooters for the last three weeks or so and they're all just about needing a gallon. So that winter fuel will start getting used soon.
Hat's off to you, AtariGuy, for having the discipline to give your bikes such a thorough going over. I'm always so impatient to ride that I cut corners and put off stuff until "later".
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Post by bluegoatwoods on Mar 9, 2020 14:44:49 GMT -5
I had a bit of bad luck yesterday. I took a ride and picked up a nail in my rear tire.
I imagine everyone hear is well aware that a flat tire on a scooter is a real problem. And the possibility had occurred to me before this. So I'd already formed the habit of carrying automotive tire plugs and even a bicycle patch kit. This is just fine.
But I hadn't gotten around to carrying a tire inflator. In this case it wasn't a big deal since I was only about 7 miles from home. I called my wife and had her bring down a 12 Volt inflator. While I was waiting for her I plugged the hole. I used a tiny twelve V inflator plus receptacle with clips for the battery that I keep in her trunk at all times.
And I found myself thinking that I'd better start carrying the same thing on my scooter. But with an improvement: a mounted twelve Volt receptacle that won't require removing the seat bucket when in use.
I think I'll also augment my plug/patch kit with a brand new box cutter. That'll be in order to shave that plug off as flush as possible with the surface of the tire. After that I'll put a bicycle tube patch over the plug with a coating of rubber cement.
I'm sure that patch will wear off in no time. Naturally. But it might hold on long enough to seal the outside of that plug so that the road doesn't rip it out of the tire. It's worth a try.
So now I'll also carry that tiny inflator with me. And then the nails and other road debris can do their worst. I'll have a fighting chance of still just riding away from it.
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Post by bluegoatwoods on Mar 3, 2020 10:44:05 GMT -5
I also have two Honda dealers within a reasonable distance. I've found that neither are very interested in really working on them. I tried the second one just before Christmas. I took two scoots........the other one being a Kymco......into there and asked for a pretty thorough 'evaluation' and maintenance. I said things like, "Imagine you were fixing up an old scooter for your teenage daughter. That's how thorough I want you to be". And, "I understand I'm not going to get out of this for the price of an oil change". The guy even acknowledged that last one. Nodding his head up and down.
Yet they still did a slap-dash job. I'm done with those guys. I'll only go back when I absolutely must. Or I'll give up on the bike.........I can understand that in a way, because I couldn't really make much money even just working out of a home garage for lack of business. That said, when you sell the scooters, it seems like you should act just as happy to work on it as you would with any other vehicle that you sell... even if you secretly loathe it. I have had a Yamaha trained motorcycle mechanic working at a dealership contact me to ask me how to perform a service on a Yamaha Zuma before. IIRC he said something along the lines of working on motorcycles every day, but he just never sees scooters. At least he was trying to make sure he was correct, though Yamaha should have excellent service manuals available to their techs. Sorry to be kind of off-topic. I'm sure this is exactly why they don't want to work on them. The volume is too low.
It sure is a good thing that these vehicles are simple enough to work on for ourselves.
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Post by bluegoatwoods on Feb 24, 2020 22:29:16 GMT -5
As far a I recall Bantams were firstly 125 then 150 both 3speeds then 175 4 speed. I never heard of a 50cc but who knows. They were a copy of a German one in the repatriation ( if that's right word) deals after WW2. Either MZ or DKW from memory. I had about 16 of the sods at one time which I swapped for a Panther model 120 650cc. Nice looking bike your mate has there. You're right. It surely does look like a DKW or NSU or a Victoria. I could have believed Jawa or others from the continent, too.
Ahh....to have a Fichtel & Sachs 98cc two stroke on some classic small motorcycle frame.....
That'd be livin' the dream.
I agree with the notion that not riding that bike would be a shame and a pity.
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