Stella 4T Newbie -- questions and thanks.

[vantage]

To start, I would like to thank participants for the knowledge Ihave already accessed on this forum. I have already sucessfully adjusted my clutch cable, and I open my fuel cap before starting until I get a new cap. Next is fixing the horn wire that must be damaged already. This is SO like having a vintage VDUB-BUG.

I recently purchased a new STella 4t. Picked it up on a Monday evening. Road it home from my parents after returning their truck and that went ok. Rode it up and down my country road the next two days a bit at a time then took it out on back country roads thurs. evening and wrecked it a bit on the way home.

I have experence as a avid cyclist (used to do 300+ weekly) and was not exceeding my bicycle/moped speeds, also have experience on a puch motor cycle (moped -no pedals). However this is my first shifting bike, (drive manual cars) and more importanly first experience with the rear brake pedal. I was trying to respect my lack of ability and ride at lower speed etc. I spend a great amount of time starting and stopping and practicing shifting.

I had just stopped at a stop sign then took of again, I realized some nasty curves, with gravel on the road were ahead and slowed and down shifted prior to entering the first (not gravely) curve as I am aware that I need a slight acceleration to make a curve etc on a bike. At some point in the lean, my bike started to right itself. I was so concious of this and went through a mental check list of adjusts, and it still uprighted and was heading off the edge. I told myself to break gradually and not to panic when I went off the pavement. The bike left the pavement and stopped instantly sending me into a bit of slide.

After I got my bloody self home, greatful for my helmet, and wishing I had worn some leather, I cleaned up and tried to figure what went wrong. Later that night it hit me. I had totally forgotten the rear brake. I had left my right foot on the back brake at the stop sign. When I leaned, I pushed against it like a bicycle pedal, and when the stella went off the edge of the pavement, my weight slammed the pedal locking rhe rear wheel.

Question: I am recovered from that experience and practicing stopping alot these days and monitoring my foot placement to be sure I remove it from the brake. Where do most folks who ride a vespa put their right foot. I realize that after the brake becomes 2nd nature to me, I will have times when I let my foot hover there in anticipation, but I will not do that until I am very used to this machine.

I had no trouble the first few days with shifting, then all of the sudden, It was difficult. I wondered If I had a mental block due to dropping the bike. It got worse and worse. It occured to me tha no matter how hard I squeezed the clutch (de-clutch?) lever, It was not enough, and the creeping while doing so was a clue. I adjusted it a bit and it seems better. I can now shift again, and keep from stalling and my confidence is returning.

Question: will a stella always make noise if shifting into 1st from nuetral or declutch. I try to down shift, but was practicing some quicker stopsand stops from higher speed without down shifting to get the hang of the braking, adn at these times I need to put it in first from a stop.

Question: When do you put your foot down during a stop? I am trying to wait as long as possible. I notice a few times, on the first rides, that I had put my foot out at a speed that was too fast for me to do that and I don't want to start a bad habit.

Question: I plan to take a motorcycling saftey school. It is my impression that they use small motor cycles. Are the dynamics of the two machines close enough for what I learn to translate to the stella.
I am not worried too much about the shifting., e.g., foot versus twist grip. Are the brakes similar, that is are the techniques for emergency stopping, obstacles etc pretty much the same?

Perhaps I should have bought an automatic with both brakes on the grips, but I have always wanted a vintage vespa with a side car. My DH does not like used stuff and we met in the middle with the Stella. If I get over the gitters, and learn the bike well, maybe next year I will get a side car and learn all over again.

[Robbie]

I think I will address your rear brake question for now.

Just like your car, you lift your right foot off the gas and place it on the brake pedal, using your heel as the fulcrum to modulate the brake pedal pressure.

On your Stella, keep your right foot on the floorboard just like your left.
To apply the rear brake, lift your foot and place it on the tunnel cover with the front of your foot on the brake pedal.
Modulate the pedal pressure using the main section of your foot on the tunnel to 'lever' the brake pedal.
This will feel weird at first but will become second nature.

For future reference, the front brake should only be applied once you have 'straightened up' and the MSC will teach you this as well.

Part of what occured is a result of your extensive bicycling experience.....the rear bicycle brake is on the right, so your brain called for rear brake.......you know the rest.

Good luck,
Rob


PS......OK, one other response.....Yes, your Stella will always 'CLERCHUNK' when going from nuetral to first......you are hearing the gears solidly engage.

[JohnKiniston]

I put my foot down when I have come to a complete stop, Usually the left one.

For Braking I keep my right foot near the brake and when I'm ready to use it I move my foot up onto the tunnel and brake with it resting on the tunnel.

If you use your rear brake in a curve the bike is going to want to straiten up.

Also Stella's normally lean slightly to the right, The engine is off-center so your normally correcting with a slight lean to the left as you ride without thinking about it. ( I say normally because my first Stella leaned left due to a bent front fork)

If your bike is new have your dealer fix the Horn and Emissions system under warranty.

Sounds like your clutch cable stretched, This is normal, It will require occasional adjustment and replacement as you ride.

Stick with your Stella, It's worth it!

Ride a Stella with a sidecar if you can before buying on. It totally changes everything.

[vantage]

My Stella is new and under warranty, however, the dealer is a two hour drive and I have to borrow a truck.

I am not up to driving that distance and using highways yet. I am pretty good with mechanical things, once rebuilt my own transmission, so I think I can handle most of what the stella sends my way.

It is not worth it for the horn and little annoyances like that. I can make these repairs in a very profession manner and they wont be detected.