Community Build Post Awesomeness

The build was great, even though its a week later but life keeps me busy so here it is. The build was as awesome if not awesomer then I thought it was going to be. Basically there was some awesome builds going on, mods being performed, and general tom foolery going on.

Quarter Kick was great enough to provide parts for me E50 build that I did not have and was able to use Chad's tools that I did not have and sorely needed. As for the actual work, there were plenty of experienced people there willing to throw a hand in to help every now and then. Questions were answered and general awesomeness ensued.

Food was awesome, Poor Richard's has probably the best breakfast menu ever created in man's history with everything from steak and eggs to chili omelets. Last day we ate at Martini's which had awesome food and beer. I randomly got Matilda from Goose Island Brewery there and fell in love with it, best beer this year that I tasted.

Oh raffle was great too! Won a pipe and after some horse trading got $60 and a 70cc Kstar reed kit. Didn't win the Puch Cobra :(

Here's some pictures:

Chad Burke's Community Build pre-awesomeness

If you play with anything that has 2 wheels, pedals, a motor, and live around the Fortress known as "Michigan," or have the means to make a pilgrimage to the Moped Mecca of the world or as it's known to the locals "Kalamazoo, home of Bell's brewery and some other stuff." Then you are in for a treat, okay I haven't been to the 1st one last year but around 20 people showed up to it, which was the 1st time, and now Facebook has over 80 people confirmed. So I'm guessing this is going to be the biggest Moped event where a ride isn't going to happen and there will be 1150% more beer and/or booze.(I plan on doing more because I plan on staying for the slumber party, w00t no driving home!)

When I heard of this I was thinking to myself that this will be awesome, get some help on a engine build, get away from home, drink copious amounts of beer, and maybe smoke(not weed, well at least not me). Now I hope to maybe help people out with my skills, weld shit up, give people bad advise, and learn something about albino hamsters.

How could this suck? It won't.

PS bring me a beer

PPS bring me another one

PPPS just bring me a 6 pack instead

PPPPS hell just bring a keg

Keep wrenching,

-da Goochman

Rusty Tanks

They suck...

I used vinegar, this didn't suck...

I also used pennies, which failed, therefor sucked...

Anyways if you have a tank, plug it up, pick your poison, and keep a eye on it. I'd also recommend using steel shot or BBs, either that or just nuts(as nuts and bolts). Pretty strait forward, chemically mill away and further mill the chunks off with nuts. Pennies just slosh around and don't do a whole lot.

Also, don't keep your petcock in, get a rubber stopper(s) or use other ways to close it up tight, like a dolphin's butt, water tight!

Puch Differences

Its been awhile since I posted something so I thought I'd post about the different Puch frames...

Most Common types are:
Maxi
Magnum
Pinto
Swinger
Freespirit

More lesser known types:
Cobra
Dart
Korado
Macho
Magnum LTD
Magnum X
Murray
Newport

The two main differences in frames are either stamped vs tubed construction. The other differences are small details such as make of the frame, for instance the Murray isn't built by Puch, same goes for the Pinto. The frames on the Maxi differ from other models too, I forget which one but they use different fenders, such as the rears. As for the tubed frames there are major differences, one would be the overall length of the frames, the Magnum frame is the longest, while the Murray/Freespirit follow behind that with the Pinto and Swinger having the shortest frame.

I know with that the Murray frames use about a 2" diameter pipe with a wall thickness of .120" which I think would be about the same as all other tubed frames. The mopeds with top tanks or rather the ones with a crossbar with a tank on them would be the Magnum series, which would include the Cobra, even though the Cobra and Magnum look similar there is one difference in the frame and that is that the Magnum has a bend on the crossbar while the Cobra is strait. The crossbar is also smaller in diameter compared to the rest of the frame being around 1.75" in diameter.

As for other minor differences in the frame is the suspension. Magnums use different length forks and shocks then the others. Same goes for the Maxi's vs Murrays vs Pintos. The different length forks and shocks will assemble onto other Puch mopeds but there will be a difference in the tilt of the bike. This would be like adding Magnum forks to a Maxi, the front end would be higher then the rear.

The other differences are the engines used, there are 2 types, the E50 and the ZA50. The E50 is a single a speed engine while the ZA50 is the 2 speed model. The Magnums, Cobras, and Maxi Mk2s had the ZA50 while Maxi's and just about everything else has the single speed engines. If you don't know what engine the bike has, on the right side of the engine the clutch plate is squarish on the ZA50, roundish on the E50.

There are also a difference in stock cylinders, there are sleeved cylinders and aluminum cylinders. There are also hi torque cylinders which are sleeved but have a smaller diameter bore with a piston thats offset and different when compared to a non-hi torque cylinder which gives it's high torque ability. The hi torque cylinders have 3 number series, the 11,22, and 33. As for the aluminum cylinders, there are new and old style stock cylinders with many different kits.

Since most stock mopeds are restricted, there are usually restrictions with the carb. This would include the intake manifold, or the bent tube attaching the carb to the cylinder. Normally they are either 12 or 14mm's, there may also be restrictions which can normally be taken out. As for the Carb itself, they usually correspond with the carb, you will either have a 12mm Bing carb w/intake or a 14mm Bing carb w/intake.

This is a basic overview, if you have any questions look at MA wiki...

Things to learn...

After several days of having the new air filter on, I put on a new front sprocket. I took off the front snap ring and decided that it was garbage and that I'd have to buy a new one. Now you can go the easy way and buy one online, well I went the long but shorter route(if that makes sense) and drove to the hardware store. Somehow I never really thought how hard finding a 16mmx1 snap ring was going to be... I ended up going to 3 hardware stores, 2 box stores, and a partridge in a.... in the end just let your fingers do the walking and phone places.

So after the installation of the front sprocket, with the new snap ring, it seemed a little wiggly. After reading online that it was normal in 1 post, I was off! Moped Mondays at Founders, where everyone was running late so I decided to go for a ride. Well after probably riding 20 or so miles, the new sprocket decided it didn't want to be attached to my bike and kindly went and hid somewhere. So luckily I was 1/4 of the mile from the GRGR shop and rode my moped on the sidewalk like a bike. I soon asked on MA forums and the answer I received was a "snap rings have a rough and smooth side" take a look at one, like all sheet metal, its smooth on either side, if I go across that posting I'm going to call BS on it.

Anyway not a whole lot of riding, though the short time I did ride with the new 17t sprocket, it was noticeably faster! Going up hills was just a wee bit slower but who cares?

Right now I have a new rear sprocket and will keep my original 15t sprocket on. So it'll be gear at 15:42 instead of 15:45, only problem is the pedal chain is too short and will require some lengthening due to the fact that it limits the drive chains length as well due to the rear wheel is limiting the whole thing.

The Gooch will ride again!

Moped Problems Fixed

Found out why my moped was running on the slow side, it was due to air leaks in the carb. I was able to remedy this by putting new gaskets in the Bing carburetor and there was a noticeable difference in the performance. My guess is the leak started when I replaced the my jet for the second time after figuring out that I had jetted it to high. I also think my speedo is way off and just got worse so I really need another means of figuring out my speed and on top of that the engine doesn't like to run in hot and humid weather.

I did tho put on a new high flow air filter after I got the moped tuned and after the install it runs like a champ. One guy that rides every Monday, on a similar moped, with a better cylinder, a 28mm pipe that looks stock, and a 18t front sprocket was riding and I was able to out perform him where before he would usually out run me when he reached his moped's top end.

As it stands now, my moped has plenty of bottom end, I probably will do a sprocket install tonight and with a little luck I'll have a higher top end and will hopefully cruise a whole lot faster.

Moped Problems...

Moped is acting up, I hear a load, high pitched noise when I'm up to speed but anyway I'll figure it out. I assume its either exhaust, clutch, or I highly suspect the carb. I haven't put on the new sprockets because of this issue, I also have a new high flow foam air filter.

I plan on taking off and putting on a new exhaust gasket, take off and put in new carb gaskets and seals, and probably replace the tranny fluid. If that fixes it, I'll probably put on sprockets and the high flow filter. If that fixes it I'd be happy and there'd be great rejoicing!

Sprockets!

Today I just received 3 sprockets, 2 for the front and one for the back. I don't plan on making my gearing that tall, the highest would be 18:42. Basically what I bought was a 17t and a 18t sprocket for the front and a 42t sprocket for the back. With the 16:45 setup I can have 6 different setups which means I can only go up in speed.

Many might think this is a stupid idea but with my Proma GP pipe on the stock engine my power band is really nice. I can basically beat everyone off the line and probably to 25mph from there on out my top speed is lagging. So in a effort to boost my speed I plan on exchanging some bottom end for some top end. Either I'll find a happy medium or I'll just have extra sprockets, if successful I'll have a good top speed and a happy off the line accel.

As for the hot weather, its quite humid and the dewpoint is high, which makes me hitting my top speed nearly impossible. Seemed better on top of a hill on Burlingame for about a few blocks. Didn't really matter this Monday on the weekly GRGR ride, it was all city streets so I blasted off from stop to stop while everyone with their top speed tuned bikes were struggling, though they did buzz past me when I hit the 20's.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll have some time in the morning to work on changing out my front sprocket, don't really know how to do it but I hear there is a snap ring. Maybe I'll take a few pictures and make a tutorial on how to do it.

'82 Murray is almost done....

Well at first I bought the Murray thinking I'd throw a kit on it but after riding it I became attached to it. Its like with cars, you have one for awhile and it grows on ya, while others you just wish they'd die so you could sell it for scrap. Speaking of which, does anyone want a '96 Taurus?

Either way, I've tinkered with it abit and have it cruising 35mph+ and hopefully with some sprockets will make it go 40 and thats pretty much how fast I want it to go. I learned alot, everything from tires to cables, to exhaust and up jetting. I think this summer I'll just add some bearings to the engine and maybe tune the clutch and thats it for this moped.

The only question is what to get next? I know the GRGR like the E50 engine and can mod the shit out of them but I'm kinda looking at a Tomos LX, now I know that probably made a few people shudder but its a moped that I've wanted for awhile. Sure they are gay because they are what they are but I like the top tank look and want to make it a mini crotch rocket. I haven't seen one that goes 70mph yet and would love and try to make one go that fast with a 70cc or 75cc or even a 80cc kit.

Right now I'm just waiting for a cheap moped to go on sale nearby but they always go the same day and my schedule would have to align with the stars in order to make a sale go thru.

Sapporo Moped Contest Continues...

With less than six weeks remaining to submit a picture, there really hasn't been a whole lot of great photos. Most are of scenic landscapes, others with just a person on them, while others are just random things. People don't really seem to try a whole lot except for one community. Said community has a lot at stake, if you can't guess this community then you fail at life. Well maybe not if you said photography but the community I'm talking about is the moped community. The scooter community is opening up too....

When Sapporo has a "show your star moment," and there is a random dog in the photo, it really just indicates that the person put to much thought into the photo. There are also those photos that look good but don't really deserve to be in this contest. Some photos are very creative but again don't follow the stated primus of the contest.

Anyway here are some of my favorites that I found, I didn't get to cycle through all the photos but I probably went through a couple hundred, maybe more. Even so I think these are pretty awesome, I didn't put them in order of awesomeness either because they are all pretty awesome. I also added annotative opinions because I thought I'd do something different.

Mopeds and fire, the only things that are missing are beer and tits. Either way the glare and shadows of this photo are pretty amazing. The silhouette created in the foreground with the giant fire in the background, along with the motion is pretty sweet. 

With the colors and the moped the thing that brings this photo together is the two people on it. Having a girl on the back puts a image of love and something most guy would want. The heads being cut out also makes it great in the sense that it could be anyone with their girlfriend or possible perspective girlfriend. (by far my favorite one out of the mix)

This photo probably wouldn't mean much outside of the moped community but riding in style at the Dorais race track with graffiti has a certain weirdness about it. Yet its a awesome image, even with the contrasts between the rider, the track, and the crowd the colors kinda bring out the most.

Rally pic=instant favorite, especially with such a awesome picture. The road goes off into the distance but its covered up by the guy in the foreground so its a well balanced picture of super awesomeness.

Moped in a bowl is out of place and yet you can imagine the amount of fun it could possibly be.

This photo just has vintage appeal to me and with the simple jump makes it somewhat classic...

Boston, Dirtbikes, and Bastards

The press has decided to print a article about "motorized bikes" which painted a bad picture about anything with two wheels with a motor that isn't a motorcycle. article here

To summarize, some individuals decided to ride dirtbikes and quads in the city and off road in a park. This is illegal, then a shooting happened. Police complained that it affected their jobs, so now the mayor of Boston decided to put a ban on unregistered bikes and crack down on those who operate "motorbikes."

This is a video of what is happening in Boston, this is in Baltimore tho, different location, same shit...

What this means is that the mayor is making something thats already illegal, illegal again. In other words, wasting time doing paper work when this should have been quashed long ago. Why is the mayor doing this? From the little research that I did, I mean real little, I mean like a google search and some youtube videos later, I found him to be a liberal retard with the speech of a 5 year old who suffers from mumbling to the extent where you can barely understand him. Not to mention he's been mayor there for 10+ years and has no real big accomplishments.

Overall this situation is one big fuck up, you have guys in the hood doing some rad shit. The cops haven't done a whole lot to curb the guys riding around at all or at least tried to stop it. Then when a shooting happens  and the mayor has a idea about banning something thats already illegal, hosts the media, and looks like hes doing his job when he really isn't doing anything but putting pressure on the police. Then you have the fallout of idiots online like this individual(link here).

What should have been done was a crack down by the police a longtime ago. Now everyone with a legal moped, scooter, street legal dirtbike, or small motorcycle is going to suffer from this. Is it the police's fault? Yes and no, they didn't act on illegal activity and should have. Yet its also those guys who rode around in the streets, they need to know that its illegal.

Laws aside I think its cool that they ride together off road in the park. Doing illegal stuff like this off road away from the streets is no big deal for me. No harm, no foul. Of course they gotta be responsible for their actions, no helmet and a accident is your own fault.  As for the crap they do on the road, I don't like it and the cops should shut them down there.

In the end it doesn't matter to me since I don't live in Boston but we don't need more reasons to have more laws passed for moped/scooters. Even if they affect very little, less laws are better and idiots like this will screw up shit for the rest of us who go about our business the legal way. It also reflects badly on us, its disrespectful, and will only make things worse.

I like the moped community as it is right now, even though I'm new to it, there is plenty of new things that I learn about mopeds and moped culture every week. I'd hate to see things change and I don't need to hear negative shit from strangers...

One of those days...

Yesterday I worked till 8pm so no moped riding with the jolly GR bunch but wait thats not the best part, got something stuck in my eye at work, probably foam or wood, its a annoying sensation. Woke up at 2am due to said sensation and then struggled to sleep. Now I hopefully will go to the eye doctor and maybe work, well maybe not work because my niece's 1st birthday is today and there is going to be lots of food at my brothers. Either way I'll make it to my niece's 1st but money would be nice too.

Back to my moped situation, need to ride...

Still need to do plug chops, found the road I'm going to do it at, its probably 3 miles away to my first stop where I'll switch plugs and then I can WOT it til the end, which is a little over a half mile long. Afterwards if all is hunky dory I'll probably make a excursion into GR via Indian Mounds and try a new route that runs by the Grand River.

Proma GP Installation

Finished the installation of a Proma GP pipe onto my Murray moped. I learned several things along the way, overall the pipe installation went smoothly and didn't have any big problems. The only thing that was a pain was my neck because I pulled a muscle earlier the day of before the project began.

To begin with, taking off the stock pipe was no big problem, one thing that I've noticed was the header was leaking crap. Basically looked like black sludge, most likely caused by the lack of gasket. Once off I cleaned the surface by the exhaust port and then proceeded onto the installation.

The installation involved very little thought except for attaching the pipe in back of the pedals where the old one was attached. Before that I placed a new gasket between the threaded studs and then placed the new pipe on, wire is advised for mounting otherwise its hard to keep it in place while screwing on the exhaust near the port. Afterwards the hard part begins with attaching the back of the pipe onto the frame. I was able to do this by using a piece of copper plumbing pipe, a spacer, a bolt, and nut. Not that hard to fabricate and is easy to put on and replace if need be.

The only thing that sucks right now is that the center stand knocks on the underside of the pipe, I'll most likely get a side stand so that there is no interference for kicking it up during riding. Apart from that the only other problems that I've encountered were minor and only involved the 14mm Bing carb on the bike.

When taking the Bing off the bowl has to be put on a certain way, once everything is off, including the cable, I had to turn it counter clockwise. Make sure you don't loose the choke dingus when you unscrew the top part though. One thing that pissed me off was oxidation on the main jet/atomizer, one piece of advice is hit it with either electro contact cleaner or carb cleaner, otherwise your going to seriously mar the jet. One thing that I accidently did was take the spring off the upper part which was a big pain to put back due to the cable.

Now I made sure everything ran, the exhaust pipe works with no leaks and sounds awesome! The overall quality of the clear coat of the pipe is good, not as good as a chrome one but I like seeing mars from the stamping operation along with the colors and heat affected zones from the welding, and also the brazing looked cool.

The only thing left to do is to do plug chops, this might happen Tuesday depending on work. Probably won't ride a whole lot this week, including going to Founder's tomorrow, which sucks but I need the cash. I'll also probably order some new 70's range jets, I put a 68 jet in the carb but who knows how the plug chops will go so I might hold off...

Anyways Mongolian Beef and Sapporo went great with this project, hunger and wrenching don't go good together...

Michigan Moped Accident Statistics

Here in Michigan with gas prices above $3.50 currently, people are starting to notice more mopeds on the roads. This includes scooters too but with these many consider the dangers due to their low speed. So how credible is this thought?

First lets look at the overall numbers of mopeds registered in the state of Michigan, the 2010 statistics show that there are about 41,000 registered mopeds in MI, which is over double the number of registered moped a decade ago.* Since then I could only find crash statistics for mopeds in the years of 1992 thru 2009 off the Michigan State Police website, this should paint a pretty good picture.


Here are the crash numbers:
Year- Fatalities/Injuries/Property Damage
1992-4/256/78 
1993-5/301/69 
1994-6/278/92
1995-3/261/77 
1996-1/219/76
1997-3/174/69
1998-2/202/67
1999-6/185/75 
2000-6/190/89
2001-3/172/80
2002-3/141/85
2003-could not upload report
2004-1/202/83
2005-2/220/60
2006- 3/218/64
2007-could not upload report
2008- 3/315/78
2009- 5/249/68


Using years 2006, 2008, and 2009 and looking through the reports(the only reports with in-depth figures), most fatalities occurred due to a construction zone or due to alcohol. These accounted for 5 of the 11 fatalities with one being due to a bus accident, the rest were not categorized, there was no category for cars. As for injuries most were due to alcohol, construction zones, and deer. Surprisingly there hasn't been a recorded snowmobile/moped accident!


Just looking at the numbers there hasn't been any significant changes, the fatalities, injuries, and property damages seem to change inconsistently yearly. So even with registered mopeds doubling, there is really any big change based on looking at the numbers, of course this is without running it through any statistic algorithms(might run one on excel later...).


*http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2011/06/18/Car-oriented-Michigan-embraces-mopeds/UPI-92351308409280/

Exhausting Pipe Search for my E50...

On my last post I was talking about needing a new exhaust, many go for the the Tecno Boss or Bullet, others pay more and go for the Estoril or just a Bi-Turbo. For whatever reason I decided upon the Proma GP, now I said I was going to get one last post but between that time I wasn't entirely sold. I probably thought about it for several hours, though I didn't loose sleep over it, it still was a hard choice. Figuring what I want to do, what side of the power band I want to be on, etc.

When it came down to it, it was between a Boss and the GP, GP won because I didn't want to peddle to much off the line. I also decided a GP because everybody seems to have a boss and I really haven't heard a whole lot about the GP's. So its more experimental then anything but from what people wrote and some advice from GRGR, I'm going GP. As for whats next and what kits? I don't know, people will probably tell me to get new gearing but I'd like to get a kit first which will cost money and time and tuning and then more time.

Right now possible kits that are on my list are a few from overseas from Moparts, like their complete 50cc kit, has a 6 port cylinder with a 15mm Bing and high flow filter. The only down side is the Bing takes the large jets and they do carry them but I'm not sure what sizes to get and then on top of that I'll probably be paying $50-60 in shipping. The Polini 64cc kit is still in my head but meh.... Apart from that I just might get the Treats 50cc or 70cc(version 2, aka v1.5) kits, quick and easy, cheap too. Not to mention out of those I haven't heard anything bad about them. Then I'd also have to up my carb so the first choice might be the best...

I personally wouldn't mind getting a larger kit but I'd like to stay with 50cc's, mostly due to personal preferences and the thought of a 50mph/50cc moped. Most other bikes that go that speed have a 64-70cc kit. Either way thats what I'm thinking about right now. Hopefully the Proma GP comes next week Wednesday or Thursday...

Time for new exhaust...

This past Monday I went out and hung with the Ghost Riders at Founder's, awesome bunch of people, met a few people and learned a few things. First thing I learnt was its fun to hang out with other moped "enthusiasts," I would encourage anyone with a moped to go out and find a crowd of like minded individuals. Even though I feel like a outcast to the group, they seemed not to mind me and I bet it'll be awhile until they warm up to me. Either way it was a blast!

At Founder's if you can't find them, stand by your ped and they'll find you, if you wish to find them just look for the nearest seating outside on the veranda. After standing around talking to everybody we all went for a ride and learned another thing, don't trust your speedo! Mine goes up to 40mph and it was bouncing off the 40 mark the whole way, yet everybody was blasting by me and I bet I was barely going past 30mph. Either way it didn't matter how fast I was going, I had fun even though I was the last person in the group for most of the long distance runs by the Grand River. The upside to having stock everything is that my low end power was great, so when we drove around in the city I was with the upper half of the group on speed since we hit several lights and those with crap bottom end power got passed.

At the end of the night we all headed over to a bar and had some PBR, $3 pitchers FTW! I was able to get advice on a lot of things, while talking with a group I was able to learn the best route to take for my moped with what money I have.

As for what I want to put on my bike, I plan on a low budget for this summer and save a few dollars here and there. I'll most likely get a Proma GP pipe and some Bing jets for next week, along with gaskets and sealant. This should get me to the back group crowd. Then come a month or so I'll get a hi comp head w/gasket and add that on and probably do some plug chops and make sure I don't need to up my jet. Then this winter I'll get new bearings and seals along with a Polini 64cc kit. I figure if I'm going to get a kit, I might as well get the best I can. As for the carb, I'll stick with a 14mm Bing and maybe move to a 15mm Bing next spring or maybe pick something else up cheap. All told I'll hopefully be spending less then $350 in parts w/o shipping which is about what I paid for the bike but I want to go at least 45mph, is it worth it? Considering a crappy motorcycle costs about the same and then I have to jump thru hoops to get a license and then the insurance which is a arm and a leg, I think I'll stick with putting money in my moped.

MMRL- Michigan Moped Racing League and The Thunderdrome

After seeing a story on MA and 1977 because hey I'm a lazy, I thought I'd carry on some information to those who might stumble across my blog.

The MMRL is a new racing league oriented toward those who wish to race their moped. To me that is a awesome idea since nowadays all motorcycle racing that does take place is all 100+cc's and the Grand Prix 50cc(later 80cc) racing ended in the late '80s. Their site is here, and it has the basic information on rules and prices at the track for racing.

Being a Dutchman and being a frugal one at that it seems like a cheap way to have some fun and show off skill of your moped riding capabilities. As for safety, seems like it'll cost about $100 more with a full faced helmet, racing clothes(just mostly leathers), ankle high boots, and a few things done to the moped. Basically same thing as The Thunderdrome which is coming to the Gilmore Car show this weekend! Actually the MMRL is having races in Jackson the same day as the Thunderdrome in Kalamazoo so it should be interesting.

I'd actually like to see something near Grand Rapids, even though Kalamazoo is about an hour away I'd like to have a race much closer. Maybe a more relaxed race without to many restrictions and have it informal, more like a underground thing. When you give a person the chance to perform on their own terms its a whole lot more fun then having a whole set of rules, if a guy in a super mod'd ped wishes to blast a all stock ped then by all means have at it!

Last night on my late night beer run, a thought popped inside my head that I had to go to the Indian Mounds dr. which is one of the roads that I'm gaga over. Anyway I went there and even though I went down that road numerous times, I noticed something new, at 9:30pm I stood in front of a gate at the starting end of a one way street! Now this came to a shock to me but then like the founder's of Thunderdrome I came to the conclusion of a moped race because the Kent Trails bypass said gate which can accommodate foot/bicycle/moped traffic onto the one way road and also gives us a buffer against any cars.

The only downside to this idea is that I don't know what time they close up the gate, I assume its at/near dusk because of the Hopewell Indian Mounds Park. Which is weird since its over a mile away and its a one way street. Either way I plan on scouting this territory and figure out when they normally close off the road.

Hopefully near the Summer Solstice a moped race might commence in the evening(a night race would be sweet!), be it a 1v1 or timed track(using hand held radios) or maybe something else. Its not everyday that a road is closed off that is about 3.5 miles in length!

Satan Since 2003

If you haven't seen this video yet? If not go here.

Basically its a mockumentary with the Hells Satan's playing the roll of a moped gang in competition with another gang around Richmond. With it being a short film, it actually has a decent story line and shows a lot about moped culture. I think if it was stretched out in time and was a full length movie with more depth, sub plots, etc. it could easily be as good as Easy Rider, then again I doubt there would be a big following but if you look at how Boondock Saints was born and ultimately ended up, one could probably create a low budget film and have it easily become a cult classic. Has Satans Since 2003 become a classic? Being that its the only fictional film without to much of a plot (at least made in this decade, "On the Move" aside) I bet it will be classic.

The impact of this film is probably anyone could relate too, especially if they own a moped. A sense of community and the feeling of purpose when another group threatens what you love. It also shows how easy things can go sideways when shit happens and you decide to throw everything out the window in order to get revenge. Having a moped myself and even though I'm not apart of the MA, I can see something similar happening though not to the extent that this movie portrays(but from the stories I've read something very close). I should really get in touch with the Ghost Riders, I haven't ever been in a group ride and am curious on a few things moped related. So hopefully they'll be at Founder's tonight when (or if) I ride over there.

Overall I liked the movie, the Hell's Satans are real but the plot isn't. I sure hope to see another full length movie sometime in my lifetime and I think this movie is a good benchmark. Even if you don't own a moped or just looking for something entertaining to watch this short film is definitely a good one. Some things that I really liked about it is the music and even the camera work is impressive. Some of the shots like the moped doing the flip in the air definitely added something to the film.  Acting was good for a mockumentary, people seemed to be people with no rhythm of a script at all, all the minor flaws of a regular person's speech were there and it didn't even seem like a movie in the since that things were scripted.

There is just a good all around feel about the movie but I think the build up to the end and the end itself was kind of fast and it didn't seem like a complete film. Another thing is that it seemed kind of choppy throughout the whole movie, it really didn't take anything away from the story or plot but was kind of annoying, then again for this type of film style there is some choppiness to them but there wasn't a whole lot of flow to it, some parts just seemed random but if they ever wanted to turn it into a full length film, it could be done with better flow. Which would turn it from a good film into a excellent one.

  

I Love Michigan!

Took a week off but still need to write about last weekend...

Basically I went to my parents cottage near Crystal, MI so the ride was a long one since I live in Byron Center.

The ride took 3 hours both ways and it didn't seem too long, took about 1 tank of gas to go one length. Though I just dumped my extra gas I was carrying because I didn't feel like guessing how much further my moped could go, I'd hate to be in a tough spot and have the engine cut out due to the lack of fuel. Even though I was traveling thru the back roads, I've noticed that the whole trip was weird in the sense that heavy traffic appears out of nowhere. Even on roads where heavy traffic was supposed to be, it wasn't there while where the least traffic was expected wasn't always true.

Overall the trip on the way back was more enjoyable due to the fact that it was sunny and 70dF. The trip there wasn't that great, it was high 50's, low to mid 60's and it was very cloudy and was definitely on the cool side even with a long sleeve light white hoody. I traveled along roads that ran in middle of fields, in middle of woods, and a mixture of both in some instances.

When it was warm and sunny the differences in appearance of the land was great. I traveled along a road and didn't notice the beauty on the way there but on the way back a dark green field turns into multiple colors of green with hints of pink and purple flowers. Dirt even looks better in the sun, especially large expanses of it. That Monday would've made a canvas painter envious of the colors and light/shadows. Not to mention all the different smells, visual appeal was there but the smells of lilac seemed to flicker as I rode along. Even the smells of low lying marshy areas had a sweet musty smell to them. Though I didn't care for going by a pig farm  all other farms though smelled nice.

Anywho, it was a long ride there and a great ride home in the sun.

Sapporo Contest of Epic Moped Win!

Sapporo USA Facebook Linkage

Starting May 30th, Sapporo will start a contest and a lucky person might have a custom Sapporo moped! It looks to be a photography contest in which your supposed to get a photo that "Shows Your Star Moment," which shouldn't be that hard, I have everything from Heineken moments to Bell's Moments on a monthly bases, lol jk.

I'm all for free stuff but especially when it comes to mopeds and especially when it comes to Sapporo, I love them even if they don't know it!

Either way this should be exciting, chances of winning a moped from a company don't come along to often, I bet the last one was either in the late '70s or early '80s.  Not to mention I love Sapporo, their beer is light bodied and its quite sweet with a little bitterness, has a very clean finish to it and is the best thing to have when its hot out. The bikes though look way better then any bike I've ever seen, as for what they are? Seems to be all custom and the consensus on MA is that its a Batavus HS50 frame with Tomos swing arms, forks, and engine(A55), with a Negrini Tank. Did I mention they have 8 mopeds to give away?

This is taken from Sapporo's Facebook Page, awesome sight isn't it?

I do like how Sapporo is trying to market its brand too, being kind of hip in a retro style. For a premium brand, Sapporo isn't trying to sell their beer like other beers in the sense that your either are 1. a Sports fan 2. a Loud and obnoxious idiot 3. a Hunter 4. Out to party and get wasted 4. to high society 5. get laid 7. pick up chicks. If you look at their photos its for a relaxed party with just friends and thats what kind of interests me on the ad side of things. Even though I just purely like their product and probably buy it more then Bud Lite and any other brand of light beer combined with fufu drinks like Mike's hard lemonade. Its purely the beer that I enjoy even though it'll never be a micro brew but its by far my favorite adjunct lager brewed beer! I'm not one for BMC's even though High Life and Busch are my favorite all around budget beers, I'd still pick up a Sapporo.

Now I bet some of you are questioning me on why I just went on a rant about Sapporo but its beer, I love beer, I love the taste, I love to brew it at home, and I love to share my love for beer to others. When mopeds and beer come together in a purely forum based discussion, I just loose myself in both worlds within the conversation.

I personally plan on taking some photos for this contest, not sure what of but maybe get some friends together and have a few beers. Though I doubt I'll win, still I'd rather have some chance at winning then no chance of winning at all. I'm so excited! Hopefully it ends before the riding season is over...

Registering Mopeds in Michigan 2-Benefits of MI compared to other States

I've been lurking in quite a few forums lately and thought I'd put forth further commentary on the registration process. Now some people may not know this but Michigan has probably the best laws in the United States for owning a moped. What makes it so great? Well compared to other states it has lots going for it!

A good example of how awesome Michigan laws are is registration, some might find it a hassle or if your far in the right outfield, a encroachment on our personal freedoms. Unlike Michigan, Indiana doesn't require registration or tags but that upside is clearly a downside when your moped gets stolen and a tag will be in a computer system so if its ever recovered either in state or out of state you'll receive it back.

The other upside to registration is that in Michigan you only need a bill of sale, a title is good but what happens to them is they get lost because most people get their hands on a moped, loss interest in them and loss the title. The other great thing is that it only costs $15 for 3 years and even though it carries a cost, I don't mind when you think about it costing $5 a year to ensure that if it ever gets stolen you might have a chance of it getting returned.

Somethings that you probably didn't think about is how laws work out of state. To keep it simple, your home moped laws will stay the same once you leave the state. Depending on what state your from or going to will also depend on how much you'll get hassled. This works 2 ways, the legal side and the justice side, I may be incorrect in the wording but here are a couple examples.
-In Illinois, in order to register a moped, when you buy your moped from another owner in Illinois you have to get a title. Otherwise you'll have to run thru loops to get it retitled and have to pay insurance in case of counter claims. While if someone from Illinois were to travel to Michigan and purchase a moped and only have a bill of sale from Michigan, they could register it in Illinois. This has been done before, the only problem is that not everyone at Illinois, or from what I hear, knows that this is a acceptable way of registering so it is possible but depends on the person you get. Some people will use Michigan to circumvent Illinois law to save money on getting their mopeds retitled.
- On the justice side we have road rules, in some states, like again Illinois your required to have your moped registered and plated, along with insurance. Now lets say I drive to Illinois from Michigan on my registered moped without insurance and get pulled over for not having a plate. Will I get hassled? Yes because I lack insurance but as for registration I just have to point to my sticker. In the US, individual states honor other state's laws for vehicles registered in other states. This deals with cars and motorcycles, each state will honor each other's laws. So I won't necessarily be required to have insurance, even though it would be a good idea just in case. This also goes for licenses too, for example in California your required to have a special license in order to operate a moped, I think they go by M1 and M2 but anyway. If I were to drive my own moped there and got pulled over I wouldn't need a special license as long as I'm on my moped thats registered in Michigan and have my Michigan driver's license. Now if your on a California registered moped I'm not sure what would happen so I'll have to get back to that some other time.

The only thing when riding in other states is that sure your registration and licensing is welcome, you might have to obey different road/traffic laws. This goes with international law too, such as Canada, which will honor your licensing and registration but you'll need insurance of a certain amount(I think its above $200k), either way you'll have to obey Canadian law so make sure you have a speedo thats in kilometers. As for other countries out side the US I do know that in countries such as Japan that you'll need at least a international motorcycle license, even though a Japanese individual with a car license can drive a moped but not a person from abroad with a international drivers license, go figure?

Some other things that I'd like to touch is people with DUI's, even though I pity them for their situation because its hard to get to work et al. In Michigan its illegal for them to operate a moped if they have a suspended license. I've read articles whenever mopeds get into the news and then continue on reading in the comments section about people's opinions. If you read on there is always that one person who says something to the affect of "...anybody can ride a moped, you don't need a license!" Which is totally untrue and should be pointed out how wrong they are, I did that once and even though I sounded like a dick, they apologized and now I certainly do feel like a dick and no matter what I thought about replying could make me feel better, so I didn't open up my cake hole again.

The only downside about Michigan moped laws is that there are no provisions on parking on sidewalks. I know in some colleges it is legal and in other states too. For example if you park in downtown Grand Rapids, your going to get a ticket if you park and lock up on a bike rack. Where in Holland, you can park on bike racks on Hope College's campus, same goes for either UofM or MSU(I forget which one). The upside is that cities like Grand Rapids have established two parking areas for "scooters" or rather mopeds, I know I say "moped" alot but scooters fall under the legal definition as moped in Michigan. Any who, parking in the two locations is free, no meters or anything. Those two parking spots are found here. You can also check for nearby colleges, like GRCC offers free parking at their campus for mopeds and motorcycles too. Smaller towns without a police force I wouldn't worry about unless its some sort of public school or a large mall that gets patrolled alot.

Most people who ride mopeds are usually responsible adults, there are those who are younger who ride dirty(without any license) which even if caught could get a slap on the wrist to getting their mopeds towed away and impounded. Just depends on the cop and circumstances but the offender would have to be quite young. If your 15 you can get a special moped license which I wish I would've gotten...

Another law short mentioning is Michigan's helmet laws dealing with helmets. Which basically states that if your 19 and younger you have to wear one. If your older its optional, I personally would suggest wearing at least a half shell lid on your noggin. Though there are those who choose not to, I totally respect that but I don't care to be vegetable after a accident.

Now that I probably bored y'all to death with legal mumbo jumbo, the common laws that are broken and people get away with: Registering, if you have a bill of sale without a sale price, then one has leeway on taxes, this can be foiled quite quickly by the SoS contacting the seller. The next common is kitting your moped out to over 50cc using a kit, there is no real way of enforcing it since nobody can really tell if your bike is kitted or not. Which brings me to thee most common law broken, its the 30mph law which is done by modifications usually derestricting the bike, its broken the most and isn't really enforced to my knowledge. Occasionally I'll hear of police testing bikes on a portable dyno but thats just insane to have it happen in west Michigan, I only heard of it happening in a big city like Boston or NY once.

Laws that you shouldn't skirt around are the riding double, easy to spot. Riding dirty can be done but if you get caught the end result depends on the situation and how nice the cop is(could get your bike impounded). Now even though I said you can get away with speeding, if you go 45+mph past a cop, most likely you'll get stopped, your better off speeding when no cop is around. Though one could always blame the wind at your back and the road has some slop on it.

So don't go breaking the law! There I said it, even though I don't frown upon mod'd bikes and speed everything else I do. Cops usually won't care unless your acting like a idiot or really standing out. I have deep respect for police officers, so far I have only came across all the nice ones and have always cooperated with them. Forgery and tax evasion shouldn't be done either, even though with mopeds, in my mind, seems like it would be easy to do, don't do it! Also I know its kind of hypocritical of me to say this but somethings may or may not be true but what I've stated is the best knowledge I have and if you've heard or know otherwise please speak up.

Mopeds are a learning experience, legal matters included, I sure hope this helps someone. For best legal advice contact the local cop shop, SoS, lawyer, court, or just lurk around and read on the moped/scooter forums. What is written here is mostly opinion and facts that may change or be incorrect so make sure you get proper legal advice and double check anything your not to sure on.

Big Ride Plans

This upcoming weekend I plan on doing a 150+ mile ride to a cottage and have myself some fun. Now here is where planning and logistics come into play. First I look at my moped on whether or not I can make the trip, then I look at the possible routes and choose a primary and secondary route and weather, this comes in handy if road traffic looks bad or if something unforeseen event is happening. I then look at the distance and how many stops I need to make for breaks or for gas. Lastly its looking at my pack that I carry and seeing what I need to bring and/or wear.

I plan on riding from Byron Center, MI to Crystal, MI which is approximately 75 miles away, my tank holds about .7 gallons and gets about 100mpg so I will need to either fill my tank or carry extra. After thinking it over, I'm going to do both for the OSS(Oh Shit! Scenario). This really is a problem since one I'm nearly there, its pretty much all field about 20 miles in every direction and I wish to have plenty of gas and two, again I don't want to get stuck in middle of fields. I'll probably be carrying a spare set of clothes with a spare pair of long pants and a long shirt so my load with tools will be high so I'll most likely take 2 breaks, one for gas and another for my back.

A good thing to do when figuring out a route is whether or not a map is needed, I try to keep my routes simple with as few turns as possible. Right now the plan is to travel down Byron Center Rd(84th St) and then hang a left on Alden Nash and take that. Alden Nash turns into Lincoln Lake and then turns into 19 mile/Sydney Rd which goes into Crystal, MI. The alternate route is get to Seranac and then follow the Grand River and then take the Lyons/Muir route to Crystal. My third alternate route is take 21 to Lyons/Muir and take the same route north as my 2nd route.

Overall the weather looks great and the only problem should just be the traffic...

Sorry no pics, I'll take some pictures if I remember my camera...

Awesome Ride!

Monday I thought I'd drop by Founder's Brewery and see if I could meet up with the Ghost Riders of Grand Rapids. It was a nice sunny yet warm day, it was probably 55-60dF with not a cloud in the sky. So awesome weather, afternoon rush hour just ended and I was off.

I decided to take the long way there, take 84th to Homerich to 76th to Kenowa to 56th to Canal to Chicago Drive and then I turned onto Broadway and took the back roads to Wilson. I finally went onto the best stretch of road in west MI, the Indian Mounds Dr! It was great! Drove down it like a bat out of hell, it was great fun! There was a slight 10mph wind out of the NE but it only killed about 3-4mph off my top speed. I breezed past people riding bike and turned a few heads. It wasn't long until I got halfway when a van was in front of me driving the posted speed limit of 25mph, I was going more like 35mph... The good thing is he pulled off the road about 200 yards after I started following. All the while riding I was impressed by the Grand River and how much it has risen and flooded the area, if I went off the road, I'd be wet. There were a few cool things I saw, herrons and other wildlife. People parked alongside the road was kinda strange, I'm used to seeing those people fishing or picnicking, though I guess they just were there to ride bike or something. So I zoomed on until I hit Market.

Now Market street is a 4 lane road, I'm going slower, it wasn't as bad as I thought. I'm use to driving on country paved roads that are 2 lanes and its surprising how comfortable it is, the only thing that I wasn't used to was starting and stopping with all the lights, I need a hi hi compression head from Treat's... So I continued down into the lower left armpit of Grand Rapids and got lost a little bit, soon finding Grandville where Founder's is located. I zoomed pass it a few times, getting used to the roads. Why a few times? Didn't see another moped there so I rode on venturing into downtown GR. Its fun driving downtown, except for those buses who make wide left turns. I swear they are out to hit you and anyone else in a car.

One good thing about driving in town, it forces you to shape up your hand signalling and sharpens your senses. Even though I wasn't overly cautious, you soon pick up what things to look for when doing certain things, one is watch for "Stop" signs because cars like to hide them and don't take your eyes off the road for too long. Even with heightened situational awareness, riding on a moped/scooter in a city isn't comparable to anything else, unless your on a motorcycle. Being able to have that much more vision without all the blind spots that a car creates with its roof and all the columns by the windows. Its just mind blowingly awesome! I then circled by Founder's again, still nobody there so I took a spin around the city again.

A good thing about mopeds is that they attract attention, in the best of ways! I had one girl say "hey, I like your bike" me being the shy guy I am said "thank you" and was on my way. Should of asked for a phone number or something. Either way plenty of good looking girls looked at me when I rode by, I never get that with my Taurus that has a hole in the exhaust when I gun it! Now even though picking up chicks isn't my prerogative with a moped, it still is quite fun to have that much head turning power.

Now on my exit out of the city was by Division, again I wasn't sure of 4 lane roads but this just seemed like a test ride to me and had to try new and different things. Now I started on Division by the four way stop at Fulton which was in downtown, lots of stop signs and buses. Started off well, nothing really bad, people were going a little faster then my ped but I was keeping up. I soon passed Wealthy, clearing away from the large buildings I was soon getting that NE wind at my back. Cruising at around 40mph was fun, even though most people were going 45-50mph on a 40mph limited road. It was fun, then a couple of police cars with their lights were in front of a store on the opposite side of the road, I went 30mph pass them...

I was soon cruising again hitting a couple of stop lights, not that many people were creating dangerous situations. Sure there was a handful of people getting ready to pull out of driveways but being vigilant nothing bad happened, everyone saw me and didn't cut out in front of me. One car did cut across the opposing lane from a driveway and I doubt it seen me until I was right behind him because I slowed down enough to keep myself out of his way. Which was a big doom on you feller!

I continued on my way home, seen a few scooters but no mopeds. Overall made it home, it was a fun ride, and a good day!

Murray Brake Cables

So I finally got my cable, basically I went to Treats and looked for a Puch one, since thats what people on MA told me will work. After getting it out of the package I took off the side panels and went at it, took me longer because snaking it thru correctly was important to me. After that I started to adjust it, everything was going really smooth then I hit the big snag, the cable was a little on the long side. I'd adjusted it all the way as tight as it would go and still couldn't engage the brakes.

Now at this point I'm like Luke Skywalker learning who his dad is in my head. So I ask for a second opinion, I'm thinking knarps, everyone on MA is thinking knarps, my dad isn't thinking knarps. So he says why not make a spacer? I'm like ok, since it'll take 3-9 business days(most likely 3) but the weekend is coming so with 3 business days it would've most likely been here Tuesday. He says he can have it done at the latest by Friday night. So we went out measured it, came up with a design, I had to work and so did he but he had a lathe at work and was able to fashion a spacer out of brass.

Heres a basic blueprint:

Heres some pictures of it finished:

So everything went really well with its installation, the spacer works better then a knarp in my opinion because you don't have to cut anything off or worry about slippage. With this spacer it lets you have a better adjustable range on the threaded part by the brake. If your able to get your mitts on a lathe and have the machine tool know how, I strongly suggest making this spacer. I bet you could make one out of wood to but brass or aluminum would probably better since it doesn't corrode like mild steel.

There are some thanks involved, thank you MA for your wise advise, Treats for your awesome service, and to my dad for your awesome lathe skills, seriously who else can mill a slot with nothing but a drill shank?

Still no moped, damn you cable!

Finally got the cable in the mail, attached it onto the frame, sheath was the right size, had everything placed where I wanted it. Started to adjust the cable and the cable was too long. So here I sit, sweating it out in front of the computer, sulking because I want to ride.

The good news is that its entirely fixable, there are two ways of fixing it in this situation. One way is to knarp it which consists of putting it onto the cable and replace the stud thats already on it. The second option is to make a spacer, which would go between the hand brake assembly and the sheath. I'm going with option 2 because I don't want to wait for a knarp to come in through the mail next week, when I could be riding this Saturday and Sunday.

I think if it is working this Saturday, I'll head out early in the morning and drive to downtown GR for a fun ride. I'll most likely take 84th west, head up Kenowa, hang a right on 56th and then turn left onto Canal. Take that and then turn on Chicago drive and then go on Wilson, turning onto the Indian Mounds Dr. I know I talked about it yesterday, well I drove my car out that way since I was out in that area and the road is clear of flood waters and big branches. From there I'll probably head on Market and turn on Wealthy and just go ape shit on GR for the fun of it.

Probably wondering why early? Well early mornings on Saturday the roads are fairly clear of heavy traffic that you expect during the regular weekday traffic. People that work in the city on the weekdays are at home twiddling their thumbs or playing a round of golf like the corporate tool they are. While the people you see are most likely people that keep the city going, going out for breakfast, going to see family, or going shopping. Which beats the myriad of other excuses that people use to drive around their mobile phone booth.

Hopefully Sunday I plan on finding another road that is like a rare gem. So far finding awesome gems involves one constant, roads that aren't used that often due to expressways. I love a majestic road all to myself with wonderful things to look at. I did find another stretch of road that I have rode in my car that would be great fun for riding on a moped/scooter. Its not as great as Indian Mounds but its a great ride none the less, its McClelland St that turns into Barry St, its located between Hudsonville and 8th St, just north of I196. There are some good roads north of there in a new subdivision where they are putting in a few lakes too. Its a short ride tho, about 3 1/2 miles and the views are of low lying farmland, its a nice ride with some sharp turns.

Maybe I should put together a rally and link all the awesome lengths of roads that I know together...

Awesome Weather, No Moped, and the Indian Mounds Dr.

So here is the skinny yo...

I currently am waiting upon a rear brake cable thats somewhere in our fine postal service. What that means is no riding in a nice sunny 80dF and its partly cloudy, awesome frickin weather! I just got my chain cleaned off and lubed with some Tri-Flo, went to the post office, no cable...

Its a big bummer when you loose a important component that your bike needs and then the nicest weather in months comes along and your sitting on your thumbs singing Elton John songs. I'm not coping well either, I'm like a crack addict that hasn't had crack in 2 days and one thats hands are shaking like a man with Parkinson's disease. Sure it sounds horrible but it seems like a cruel joke to me. Some would blame God the Almighty, nay say I! Satan is the only one who can be this fiendish, using the post office against me!

On another note, a 19yo man, I say man because young adult seems to demeaning to anyone who rides a moped/scooter, he died today when a drunk driver hit him and dragged his ride 3 miles down Wilson Ave in Walker/Grandville area at about 1am this morning on the way home from work. WZZM news says they are following it, I'd link the story but I'm lazy right now. The suspected drunk driver turned himself in so at least the driver has some balls, people need to learn that driving under the influence isn't worth it, stay where you and sober up! Same goes with you boys and girls, drinking and driving isn't worth it. Its sad that someone from the greater GR area has to die, especially at such a great age when you want to enjoy life.

This area is also where there is a fantastic road to drive on, those who go thru that area on the Kent Trails probably know what road I'm talking about. Its the Indian Mounds Dr SW, its a one way road that starts from Wilson and turns into Market St, its about 4 miles of riding bliss that has no equal in the GR area or for that reason in the whole western Michigan area. If you haven't been on it, make your way toward it on bike, moped, car, or unicycle. Its a beautiful drive that runs under a canipy of trees that snakes along the south bank of the Grand River, car traffic is rarer then finding rock music on MTV and the only people you share it with are those on the Kent Trails. I remember seeing a video of a Ghost Ride and knowing the exact road they where on because its that unique!

The only bad part is that its one way, it goes from east to west but I doubt anyone would care if you switched directions since its a 2 lane road most of the way but one side is for car traffic the other is for the Kent Trails. I'd also like to add, don't drive on the Kent Trails, I ride my bicycle on it and lets just say I'd be pissed off if you'd drive pass me but less pissed off on the Indian Mounds Dr. The road does have plenty of spots to take photos, go fishing, picnic, etc. So its overall a great place to ride, its one of those places that I get fuzzies inside from just thinking of it. You do have to go thru hell if your coming from the south part from downtown Grandville and then you have to know where to enter, its a unassuming drive on the right side and can be frightful just getting to it.

The above picture is from the drive during the spring floody season, since its along the river it can get flooded so meh...

Below are some random pictures that I found, they are good but don't do the road any justice in its awesomeness.

The above picture is a steel truss bridge for the Kent Trails, its really cool and there is a bench nearby for you sitting and watching pleasure.

Moped Maintenance Today...

After a long trip, I've mentioned that the rear break cable snapped because of fraying. Since then I've ordered a new one from treatland, brakes that I bought. Hopefully the brakes come tomorrow because they are easy to install, literally they take a minute to install and then probably 5 minutes adjust. This brings me to a point, check brake cables if you haven't in the past month or so.

Anyhoo, moped is down so its a good time to double check and fix things. One thing that I wondered about was my chain and how worn out it is, there are many methods of doing this. One is to check by stretching some links and see how much travel it has between the rollers and the chain. Mine didn't have much give between them but I'm no expert and I'm guessing it was the original chain. Another way to check wear is to see how bad its worn laterally, basically lifting it up on the side and see how much it sags. If it doesn't sag at all its good if withing a couple of feet it sags all the way down its pretty much worn. Now mine needs to be changed soon but since I didn't see any wear when I was changing tires so I think it'll be a later purchase.

One thing that I am doing is cleaning up the old chain so that I can get several more hundred miles out of it without to much more wear on it. Since grease and grit picked up during normal usage will constitute the vast majority of the wear. The best way I've heard is use gas, kerosene, or diesel, since those are quite expensive at the moment I was able to get some free jet fuel, basically when they check the fuel they have to check visually for water, so thats what I got.

Items that I used was a metal container and some safety wire. I took the safety wire and attached it to the chain where the master link would go, this is so that when I'm done I don't have to fish out the chain with my fingers since jet fuel is smelly. Once done placing it in the container, I poured in one quart of jet fuel into it and placed the lid on and shook it. Currently I'm letting it set over night and then I'll most likely take it out and clean it with a rag tomorrow. I'll probably save the jet fuel to...

Heres some pictures...

Oh yeah, heres a picture of a looped brake cable, if you have a moped and ever loose the karp, please fix your brake cables right. I understand that this is the cheap way but its half arsed and should be replaced!

(The cable is the think in middle of the picture thats going over the edge of my tool bag)


Remember clean parts work better then dirty ones and will wear less during operation!

Take a slow ride and take it easy...