Scooter Girl got her scooter

Today Maureen went on her first ride on her new scooter. She got a 2010 Buddy International Pamplona. It's a great scooter and perfect for her height. So be on the lookout for some Buddy maintenance videos soon!

She named it Isabella

Going on her first ride

Vespa Variator Roller Change & Bendix gear cleaning

Scooter girl gets some help in her latest installment of scooter maintenance videos. Learn how to replace the variator rollers and clean the "sticky" bendix gear on a Vespa LX150 with a LEADER engine.

Monday, June 20th is Ride to Work Day

Get out and ride your bike to work on Monday!

Congratulations Scooter Girl on passing your motorcycle course.

Maureen passed the required course by the State of Florida today. This week she'll be getting her motorcycle license. I have to give her a lot of credit it's 95 degrees and the UV index must be off the chart. She stuck it out and spent all weekend on the black glob of melted tarmac they called a course. She can't wait to finally take the LX150 out for a proper ride. 

The Dracula ride: a Halloween event

It was two days before Halloween, and I led a ride for the St. Pete Beach scooter club from Treasure Island to Dunedin, FL. It was a beautiful evening for a ride. Unseasonably warm, which made for a great ride. I left my trade mark aloha shirt at home, and wore a special Halloween Margaritaville long sleeve T as my costume.

I realized that my route to Treasure Island took me over Florida Highway 666 "The Devil's Highway". I thought it was appropriate for this spooky event. My Vespa was covered jack-o-lanterns which light up for the ride back to Dunedin.

My costumed Vespa on "The Devil's Highway"

When we got to Dunedin, it was packed with witches and ghouls of all types. There where even a few other scooters on Main street. We left our scoot-o-lanterns flashing and started down Main street. We stopped in a Pan y Vino for dinner. We ordered some wood fire pizzas, and I had a great glass of wine. While the food was really good, we did feel it was a little pricey. I definitely recommend Pan y Vino but be prepared to spend more than your average pizza place.

Stella and Vespa decorated with glowing jack-o-lanterns

After dinner we took a walk to the park and caught a few minutes of the classic Dracula. The park was packed with people. Not being able to find anywhere to sit, we walked down to Flanagan's Irish Pub for a pint. We were entertained by Peter Robinson singing some classic Irish songs with lively audience joining it. Flanagan's is a great place, and we stayed for a couple hours, and a couple pints, having a great time.

Peter Robinson at Flanagan's Irish Pub

While there wasn't as many scooters on the ride as I had hoped. The six of us who showed up ended up having a great time. Next time, maybe we'll skip the movie and go straight to the pub.

Getting ready for Halloween

October in Florida is a great riding month. The humidity is down, and the temperature has been in the 80s. Florida is a great place for Halloween rides, as the weather is warm enough to wear any costume you want.

On October 29th, I'll be riding with the St. Pete Beach Scooter Club to Dunedin for Movies in the Park Friday. They will be showing the 1931 version of Dracula.  

I thought I would get in the spirit and decorate my scooter for the ride. Today, I started testing out some decorations for a Jack-o-Vespa theme, some of which I can use only during the day, and some which I can keep on all night. I plan on doing a test ride to make sure it all stays on.

  

Vespa Rear Drum Brake Adjustment (How to)

Scooter Girl demonstrates how to adjust the rear drum brake on a Vespa LX150. This procedure can be applied to any scooter or motorcycle with rear drum brakes.

TIP: If either the lock nut or adjustment nut will not loosen, possibly due to corrosion, the outer cable must be held stable. There is a 7mm nut at the cable sheath end of the threaded shaft (at the opposite end from the locknut) specifically for holding the cable steady.  See image below