Year Two - not BAU!

2 years into Ruckus ownership and it has pretty much transformed my view of transportation. I can now function at 3.5L of fuel per week instead of 150L per month, while accumulating 3500km on the scooter.

(click on image for larger view)

This fact alone beckons a review of our concept of transportation.

Questions: Why do we regard speed limits as minimum required operating speeds? For a posted limit of 100km/hr, why do we tend to set the cruise control to 110km/hr? What is the point of establishing a speed limit if we will never abide by it?

We are at a crossroad in transportation - speed vs efficiency.

Our society views power and speed as necessary "options" for vehicle ownership yet we keep missing the point... So what if your car's speedometer can go to 200km/hr and the vehicle is "safety" governed to about 175km/hr? Remember, the speed limit is only 100km/hr!

We have been so brainwashed into thinking that a vehicle must be at least 3 tonnes of 300HP with AWD and heated leather seats. Vehicle marketing has done their job quite well indeed brainwashing the consumer into requiring far too many "options".

Did you know that the world record for a human powered ground vehicle is 132.5km/hr?

[Google Image search: "Varna Diablo 3" or "Sam Whittingham"]

Did you know that the world record for a 50cc powered ground vehicle is 144mph or 233km/hr?

http://www.geocities.com/buddfab/buddfab3

The more that I learn about transportation, the more that I realize most of our misconceptions are merely the result of really good marketing strategies on the part of automobile manufacturers. Size vs safety and comfort vs efficiency seem to be merely marketing ploys that are effectively steered in the desired directions by the people that pay for the ads.

I'll leave you with this thought: the Aerorider velomobile is a one passenger hybrid human/electric powered vehicle that looks alot like the two above speed record vehicles, but it comes with windshield defrost and wiper and some place for cargo storage.



I am a scooter driver, but I could really see myselft riding one of these someday!


...so my title said "not BAU"...

I think the time for Business As Usual is over... let's get on with creating the future.

You can partially thank my 49cc Honda for that line of thought!

Spring is Coming!

Yes, yes... Spring is coming - I can feel it!

Actually, in the past 3 days the temperature went from -35C to +1C, so I just had to take the Ruckus out for a spin! (and see if it started)

AAHH, T-shirt weather! (and the sun is even shining!)

                         A quick spin...                                   

                        Skidoo Racing?!? 

And a bit of fooling around in the back alley :), 

I just can't wait for spring! (Here it comes now!)

I really need some studded winter tires... THEN things would be interesting!

Scooter Withdrawl

Shit shit shit shit... SNOW! 

What am I going to do for 4 months of snow and ice? 

I KNOW!  I'm going to save up for some ICEMAN SPIKES from Schwalbe... hehehe

YOU  HAVE  TO  CHECK  THIS  OUT:

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=xD4cgDV8Q8o

AND  one final post about studded winter tires for scooters:

http://scgt.wordpress.com/2008/02/08/those-are-some-serious-snow-tires/#more-80

Join the insanity... buy some snowtires for your scooter today!!!

Parking Brake

I needed a guarantee that my Ruckus would stay put when I told it to stay, especially at work.

(I didn't want it to ROLL AWAY with my co-workers' help.)





A good quality bike lock did the trick - simple to use and easy to store.

Octopus Drink Holder

I mounted a drink holder to the floor of my Ruckus:



The roads that I drive are far too rough for a handlebar-style drink holder; I needed something more rugged that could hold anything from a thermal mug to a large slurpee (yeah, I'm a kid at heart)





There's really nothing that a good pop-rivet won't hold!

Drinks are more stable on the floor of the Ruckus, but with enough potholes even a tough-looking drink cup will get the s...stuff kicked out of it.

It sure turned some heads at the coffee shop... and in the drive-thrus.

OK, OK... I really am missing a few cards from my deck! (I just try not to advertise it too much)

Welcome to gravel roads of Northern Manitoba... off to work I go.

Fuel Efficiency

Current data for fuel usage and distance covered:



That's really not too shabby considering most of my riding is on gravel roads.

I'm quite impressed... very please indeed!


I think I'll keep this list current just out of curiosity :)

Underseat Storage Lock

I put together a simple seat lock mechanism to hold the seat down and keep curious hands out of my underseat storage area...

It's almost too simple... voilà!









One nice thing about the location is that it doesn't interfere with the seat latch that comes OEM with the Ruckus.




A simple loop of steel cable fastened by two terminal crimps provide a quick and easy way of securing the seat to the built-in helmet lock.




It took me some time to determine the best location for such a beast.

The length of the cable is critical for the mechanism to work properly, so I recomend making a few different lengths and try each one for fit.

Fasten the assembly via the inside of the user manual compartment using a good size pop-rivet WITH a backing washer for support; fastening from the inside will seat the rivet flush to the wall, that way your scooter manual will fit back into place.

Works like a charm!

49cc's of Pure Unadulterated Power!

Liter liter on the pump,
what's your highest price, you chump!


No, transport will never be as cheap as it once was, but that's ok. People simply have to change their ways of doing things a little...

...and for example:



Need I say more?