Daily Use

The place to discuss rides, accessories, or whatever is tangentially Spree/Elite-related

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RIOT_S
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Daily Use

Post by RIOT_S »

Good Day!

So after my ride in to work this morning I am wondering a few questions on use:

1. How many folks out there are using there scoots for their commute vehicle to work or school? If not, what is the main purpose of yours (racing, pit bike, etc)?

2. How many miles is it round trip (OR how many miles do you put on it doing what you do for racing, pit bike, etc)?

3. What kind of driving is it (back roads 30mph or less, busy 4 lane roads up to 45 mph, dirt roads, or ______)?

4. Did you buy it because (saving gas money, enjoy scooting, dont have auto license yet, or ______)?

For ME:

- I ride mine every chance I get (rain or high winds are the only things that keep it in the garage) to work! My round trip is 64 miles. Most of it is backroads where the speed limit is 35 mph or less but there are about 3 miles mixed in each way that are 4 lane roads @ 45mph. That is why I had to derestrict my se50P and get er' going! :coolcruise:

I bought my scooter because I always wanted to ride a scooter, wanted to stop riding the freeway( go-stop, idle..., go-stop, idle...) and wanted to be better on gas. I got mine for $225.00 not running, have put $240.00 in to it and loving to ride every chance I get!

How about you?

RIOT
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motormike
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Re: Daily Use

Post by motormike »

Hey RIOT_S..........I'm not sure why you were wondering all that.....I guess with 64 miles your mind will entertain itself......my scooter virginity was lost in the summer of '08 when my son, then age 28, bought me an '85 Aero 50.......at the time, I was virtually homeless, couldn't afford gas to keep in my Ford Fairmont, and needed to get to doctor appointments, therapy, etc.........clocked 6k miles that year in rural community of Lafayette, TN.......all weather......my blind dog, Magoo, rode faithfully in the milk crate just like he was part of the scooter.......so deeply did I enjoy those difficult days that as soon as I was eligible to draw disability social security, I made a switch to '86 Elite 80.....I now have a decent pick-up truck and scooter riding is not as essential as before, but I still ride hard and often......the bikes have increased in number and riding is my primary activity......since age 12, I have had some sort of two-wheel bike and now at 58, no reason has been found to stop......never rode to work because my employer required me to use my own car on the job.....bike not allowed.....currently mine are 5 Honda Gyros, 2 Honda Express,1 Elite 80,1 Honda CM 450, 1 Yamaha Champ 80.......Racing an '85 Gyro S with local minimotard club, riding with local moped club, the dead peds, on Monday nights, weekend rides on the 450, daily errands on the Elite 80......If I could work, you bet I would ride to the job......any distance, any weather.....I hope that when my time comes, I'm on a bike, WOT, and nobody else gets hurt....rock-on
RideRed
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wood10214
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Re: Daily Use

Post by wood10214 »

I ride mine 3-4 days aweek, 25 mile round trip all on 45mph road.
only reason to ride scooter is save money on gas, but now I enjoy to ride it.
Paid $500 for both spree and elite, but the spree end up sitting in my garage, it just too slow.
I don't mod my scooters to go Fast, just want to keep it running!

87 Elite SE50
86 Elite CH150
98 Yamaha Zuma 50cc
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motormike
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Re: Daily Use

Post by motormike »

what size Elite you ride, wood10214 ??
RideRed
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Storm
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Re: Daily Use

Post by Storm »

1. Commute to work and occasionally tootle round the neighbourhood/ responding to fire calls if its out of the shed at the time

2. 30 miles round trip

3. Main roads/back roads

4. Saving gas/ having a bike to ride as had to sell my bigger 2 wheel fun/ having fun
Not one day that we are here on this earth is promised to us, so treat every day as if it is your last, and every breath as if it were the same


198? Honda Spree NQ50M (got parts of two different bike mixed up in there!)
wood10214
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Re: Daily Use

Post by wood10214 »

motormike wrote:what size Elite you ride, wood10214 ??
50cc, but i did not hit 45mph, just on the 45mph road, 39mph on gps.
I don't mod my scooters to go Fast, just want to keep it running!

87 Elite SE50
86 Elite CH150
98 Yamaha Zuma 50cc
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Wheelman-111
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Re: Daily Use

Post by Wheelman-111 »

Greetings:

My regular work commute is between 2.5 and 3.5 miles. City street for 1/3, then Deepinnaharta Freeway for the rest. Rush-hour traffic limits the speed. Usually this is a 70+ MPH road, but traffic congestion at on/off-ramps keeps things a lot slower. Still, I get to buzz up to 60-65MPH most days just before my exit, which F3.26 can manage fairly easily. Once a week I can use the scooter to go to my remote office, which is about a 30-mile round trip. I take backroads that let me run 45-55 most of the way. So far no breakdowns. 42 hours on the TinyTach Timekeeper and about 1500 miles on this Corsa bore. Every trip is an Adventure. :nervous:
Wheelman-111
Most of my money is spent on scooterparts. The rest is just wasted.
"ISO": '03 Vespa ET4 Malossi187 74MPH
Flash 9: 2001 Elite SR Contesta 72 ZX Tran, 9:1 Gears, Stock Airbox/Carb/Pipe 58.8 MPH
Punkin: 2010 Vespa/Malossi S78, 61MPH
RIOT_S
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Re: Daily Use

Post by RIOT_S »

Why did I wonder all of this...because, as stated, 64 miles riding can have me wondering about scoots, why folks got them, and how much they are used. :geekdance:

Recently I joined a scooter group here in MN and am gearing up to go for some rides with them! Looks like a good group of folks that get together just to ride!

So, I havd my first en route to work break down... If you go back 2 months ago I switched out my ramp plate for a non-restricted one AND put in a performance variator from Daywot... well low and behold Im on my way to work and (enter VERY high rev moise) WHEEEEEEEE my scoot is losing speed and sounding like *!! I shut her down and pull off the road. I try to restart and same noise, no go. I know right away that either my belt broke or the nut that holds the variator together came loose :surprise: . Karma treated me right that day (THANKYOU! :worship: ) and I was 2 blocks from a parts store. I pushed it over there, bought a couple of screwdrivers, and 8, 10, and 15 (I think) mm sockets and wrench and went to town. Sure enough, the nut had come loose. SO I go back in, buy a rubber oil wrench and get that nut back on TIGHT! Put it back together and she runs like new. I now have a permanent tool set in my backpack!! Luks for me the splines (ridges on the drive shaft) were not wrecked and she's running great now. Got home and put a small amount of locktite on that nut.

Anyways, good fortune on the first breakdown for me!!

RIOT
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ute
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Re: Daily Use

Post by ute »

Quadrophenia..........I ride a GS scooter with my hair cut neat


But realistically I ride 3-4 times a week 20 km round trip not above 25 mph ( back roads) got it because its a pain doing ATGATT just flip flops and a beanie helmet ---good to go

Out of all 4 rides , its a blast - i don't know why but it is ..................As much fun as the Ducati or GSXR ...just different .
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phatkix
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Re: Daily Use

Post by phatkix »

1. I use my scooters to commute to work. When it's nice I go on cruises with a few people.

2. 1 mile round trip, maybe less.

3. My commute is city streets up to 30mph. Pleasure riding is twisty back roads up to 50mph.

4. Bought for fun.
elite_dub wrote:As for you phatkix you speak as you please, I know you can't play with the big boys.
catsailor
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Re: Daily Use

Post by catsailor »

I have recently sold my 1984 spree and purchased a 2 stroke Kymco People 50. I love the bike, and it makes my daily commute much more enjoyable. It is very quick off the line, accelerates quickly to 28-30 mph, struggles a bit to 35 mph, and then again is very quick from 35 to 45-50 mph. It cuts my 22 mile each way daily commute to work from 50 min to about 40 min. It is a mixture of 35-45 mph rural roads, and 25 mph downtown Providence city roads. I bought ny scoot because I fell in love with riding my Spree which was initially bought as an accessory to my catamaran (ground transport).
1984 Spree With Taz BBK and Gears
1988 Seawind 24 Catamaran
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Wheelman-111
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Re: Daily Use

Post by Wheelman-111 »

Greetings:

A 90-pound Spree might be a very desirable Cat-Companion for shore leave. A 200-pound+ Kymco Pipples not so much.

On the other hand, is the purpose is for commuting 20 miles, I can see why you like the Kymco so.
Wheelman-111
Most of my money is spent on scooterparts. The rest is just wasted.
"ISO": '03 Vespa ET4 Malossi187 74MPH
Flash 9: 2001 Elite SR Contesta 72 ZX Tran, 9:1 Gears, Stock Airbox/Carb/Pipe 58.8 MPH
Punkin: 2010 Vespa/Malossi S78, 61MPH
catsailor
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Re: Daily Use

Post by catsailor »

I agree with you on that one wheels. The purpose changed. I did end up cooking the kymco yesterday. Rode at wot for more than a few minutes, seeing 50 mph+. Was enjoying ride so much didnt want to slow down. Dumbass.... I believe that I cooked the head gasket. There is little to no compression. She all of a sudden just died, and there was smoke coming out of crankcase vent. Did I say dumbass? The engine still turns over, but a whole lot easier.... I need to locate the parts to repair. Does anyone here know the engine type (minarelli/Jog etc.) on the Kymco 2 stroke people 50? A good place to get parts/ possible big bore kit? Did I mention that Im a dumbass? :mrgreen:
1984 Spree With Taz BBK and Gears
1988 Seawind 24 Catamaran
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CNI Dawg
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Re: Daily Use

Post by CNI Dawg »

catsailor wrote:I agree with you on that one wheels. The purpose changed. I did end up cooking the kymco yesterday. Rode at wot for more than a few minutes, seeing 50 mph+. Was enjoying ride so much didnt want to slow down. Dumbass.... I believe that I cooked the head gasket. There is little to no compression. She all of a sudden just died, and there was smoke coming out of crankcase vent. Did I say dumbass? The engine still turns over, but a whole lot easier.... I need to locate the parts to repair. Does anyone here know the engine type (minarelli/Jog etc.) on the Kymco 2 stroke people 50? A good place to get parts/ possible big bore kit? Did I mention that Im a dumbass? :mrgreen:

found this with a google search:
http://www.motorscooterguide.net/Kymco/ ... eople.html
The smaller People 50 scooter utilized the same 2-stroke engine found in all of KymcoÔÇÖs 50cc 2-stroke models. This motor is a clone of HondaÔÇÖs nicely designed AF18E/AF16E motor found in North American scooters like the ÔÇÖ94-ÔÇÖ01 Honda Elite SR. This motor is hugely popular worldwide and has quite a following of aftermarket parts. You can read all the in-depth information this motor including information on derestricting it on the Kymco Super 9 page.
61Aand Still Having Fun !
Keeping the Dream Alive ! :)

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catsailor
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Re: Daily Use

Post by catsailor »

Thanks Dawg
1984 Spree With Taz BBK and Gears
1988 Seawind 24 Catamaran
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