Modern Buddy

T minus 1 and a half days until my trip from Jacksonville, Florida home to Philadelphia via Augusta, Georgia and the blue Ridge Parkway, about 1500 miles. I’m taking my son to college and putting the Stella on the truck.
Today I did a little test toast to fit my stuff on the bike. Trying to travel light. Staying mainly at motels, light camping on the Parkway. Ukulele in case I hit an open mic or jam.
Already had my first adventure. Tuesday dropped it off at <a href =http://www.philadelphiascooters.com>Philly Scooters</a> to get a new stator and have them give it the once over to make sure she was seaworthy. Picked it up on Wednesday, she’s running tops. Thursday morning on the way to work, not so much., no power, jerking, stalling. I’m freaking out. At lunch I poke around and after work, running fine again. I figure I was just a gremlin or something, maybe stuck choke.
Now it’s Saturday, I’m running around shopping, getting things together for my son’s going away BBQ Block Party. Suddenly the same thing, sputtering, no power, stalling. Can’t get it started.
Luckily at final stall I’m only about 4 blocks from the scooter shop. It’s a real city shop, no garage; they put the bikes right on the sidewalk. It’s a beautiful day on the hippest street in town so they’re busy as hell. I’m pacing like a madman when Richie comes out looking concerned. I describe what’s going on and what my day is like.
He says, “Don’t worry, give me the key and I’ll figure it out”.
I live 2 blocks from the shop so I go home to get the block party going, trying not to think about the crappy running bike and the fact I’m leaving in three days, and the shop is closed Sunday and Monday, so if they can’t fix it today, I have to take it to Florida with me and hope a shop can figure it out there.
So not only does Rich spend all afternoon tracing an electrical short to the key switch and replacing the sparkplug hood, who’s quality LML rubber has disintegrated long ago, but he actually brings the bike to me on my street. <a href =http://www.philadelphiascooters.com>Philly Scooters</a> rocks.
Anyway, tomorrow packing the truck.

Rich rocks. He had my scooter up and running in no time and just by working on it in the street.

Have a great trip. Post a blog!

This is going to be the blog...

Got the bike on the truck and the truck loaded. Ready to head south. Of course then I remembered I forgot to drain the gas out of the bike, So I unpacked the truck and took care of business. Now sleep and hitting the road 5AM.

Been on the road, halfway to Florida!

And we have lift off. Left Central Florida in the truck about 8:30. The ramp I had attempted to make broke of course, so I went to HD and bought an 8x2 plank. Got the bike on and secured and headed for Jacksonville. I returned the truck at a HD in Jax, and got my money back for the plank! A bit questionable ethically, but there you are.
So finally got on the road on the Stella. With all that weight on the back, the Stella was way jancky. On my first gas up I repacked it, putting my heavy bag in front and moving the Jerry can to the floorboard. Is "Jerry Can" a racist term?
Today I mainly stayed on 17N up the Ga. Coast. With the new rubber, doing 55-60 most of the day was no prob. I think there are still fuel delivery problems. When I stopped in Darien, Ga. for gas and opened the tank, the fuel was bubbling around the filter. I don't think enough air is getting in. Probably going to poke a hole in the cap I put on the emmissions port of the sender.
Had lunch under a bridge with a bunch of crabs.
Was hoping to get further along toward Augusta where I'm going to stay with a friend, but around Savannah it started pouring rain. So here I am.
It's only 140m or so to Augusta so tomorrow should be a breeze.
Here's a few pix of the day.

Damn, forgot to mention the best part of the day, crossing the Lanier Bridge from Jekyll Island to Brunswick. I've been high before, but not like that!

Very nice!

Day two out of Savannah. Been trying to solve my fuel/air delivery problems. Today I poked a small hole in the cap of the emissions tube on the sender unit. This worked, as the bike ran better, but it created a massive gas smell which I can still smell two days later. I covered the hole again with tape but that made bike run like crap. As soon as I get to my friend's house in Augusta, Georgia I plan on reaming out the vent hole in the gas cap. Hopefully that will work.
I got kind of got lost finding my way out of town but that was a good thing as when I stopped to check my map I realized that my messenger bag had fallen off the bike. I quickly retraced my route and luckily found it less than a mile back. Trying to stick to minor highways I ended up somehow crossing a bridge into South Carolina. That was fine with me as it was an awesome little bridge and I love bridges. Riding north was fairly uneventful but for the bike continuously running like crap. It seems like I had to take off the gas cap every 20 miles or so, or every time I stopped. I continued to make good time through the South Carolina swamps until I arrived, the Stella gasping and coughing, at my buddy Pablo's house in North Augusta.
It was great to see him and his lovely wife Jill. We all went out for sushi and to hang at a cool underground bar. Check out more pictures of my adventure on my Facebook page. Link is at the bottom.

Day three the real journey begins. Woke up early and pulled the coyote breakfast on Pablo and Jill. I was too antsy to wake them up and go out to eat so I packed up the bike and hit the road.
The reaming worked like a charm. The Scooterbug is running smooth and strong. Did the first leg through Sumter National Forest. The heat wave of the past few days broke and the weather was pleasantly cool enough to wear a sweater. Made a slight detour so I could get a picture at my happiest place on earth, Abbeville.
Stopped in Westminster, South Carolina to use the Wi-Fi from the library. I saw a guy with a Chinese scooter. We struck up a conversation. His name was Lee and he had a 50cc with a 110 kit on it as well as multiple other mods. We had a friendly race out of town. He beat me off the line but the Stella quickly took the lead.
Soon I started getting into the real mountains. Up this way there is not much alternative so I had to take a few large four-lane highways. It must just be my experience and familiarity with the bike as well as the SIP tubeless rims and Vee Rubber Snow tires, but I felt totally comfortable on these roads. Bombing a mountain on the Appalachian Highway, I managed to bury the speedometer. That's 70 mph plus.
Luckily, I didn't end up like the car I saw flipped over in the ditch with the fire trucks swarming around.
The scenery of course was spectacular. Arrived in Cherokee, North Carolina around 5 PM. Got a nice room right on the river and proceeded to peruse the local tourist traps looking for postcards and relaxing with the uke by the river.
Tomorrow I enter the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Im glad that your adventure is going great.
Can you tell us exactly how you reamed out the gas cap and maybe privide pictutes and a drill bit size?
It will help out many with this problem.
Early models, some had swapped to a 2T gas cap to also fix this problem.
But a drill would be alot cheaper and quicker than waiting around for a 2T cap.
Thanks.

Just used a 1/6th bit and drilled through the center. I think I'm going to get a hi-flow petcock when I get home.

Another way to solve the problem: There's a tube that goes from the top back of the fuel sender unit cover to a little plastic barrel. Pull that tube off and angle it upwards. You will solve your stalling issues.

I got rid of all that stuff long ago when I ditched the airbox.

BigDaddy SnakeOiler wrote:Damn, forgot to mention the best part of the day, crossing the Lanier Bridge from Jekyll Island to Brunswick. I've been high before, but not like that!

How was the wind on that thing?

Not too bad actually.

BigDaddy SnakeOiler wrote:Just used a 1/6th bit and drilled through the center. I think I'm going to get a hi-flow petcock when I get home.

1/6's???

jimmbomb wrote: 1/6's???

Sorry...1/16th.

Trying to write about the rest of the trip.