absent.canadian

It was bound to happen.  After 2000 hard commuting miles on my trusty Honda Spree, it gave up the ghost.

I was riding home the other day, and the engine just stopped.  Kaput.  Nada.  Do not pass GO, do not collect $200.

After finishing a complete flush of my Ducati’s front brake system (after adding DOT 5 brake fluid to a system most decidedly NOT designed for DOT 5 brake fluid), I thought it would be a good idea to tear into the scooter to see what was going on.

Clogged carburetor?  Dead coil?  No luck … the piston was heavily scored and one of the piston rings had completely disintegrated.  The corresponding lack of compression would almost certainly stop me in my tracks.

And even in its nearly-fatal state, this scooter reminds me of its elegant simplicity.  A new piston and rings will cost about $70 from Honda.  A few more dollars in bits and pieces (total price: <$100) will have this scooter up and running once more.  Yes, you read correctly: a complete top-end rebuild for less than a hundred dollars, and requiring little more than the most basic hand tools.

Wish me luck!

I drove my car into work this morning because I have a lot of “car” errands that need running.  I try to limit my car use to once per week now, and I’ve been very good this week … so I figured I earned it.

I “turned” 1500 miles on the scooter yesterday (That’s miles that I’ve put on it; the total odometer reading is almost at 5000).  My mileage is almost the equivalent of a round-trip from Raleigh to Toronto and back, and it represents exactly $61.59 worth of fuel.  It struck me when I realized that a single fill-up in my car (good for about 350 miles) would have cost about that much just a short month ago.  The savings I’ve enjoyed from this scooter easily represent a month’s worth of groceries, and then some.

But the car got me thinking about a lot more than that.  I glanced down at the temperature gauge in my car and noticed it was about eight degrees out (yes, that Celsius … about 46 Fahrenheit), and thought about how luxurious it was to be in a heated cabin.  Yes, folks, that’s what riding a scooter does – it makes you appreciate heat!  When I turned on the stereo I revelled in the fancy feeling of driving and listening to music.

The funny thing is: I miss having my little scooter today.  The car seems enormous – absolutely Goliath in proportions, and grotesquely wasteful.  I’m at work no differently than I would be if I had ridden the scooter, and I’d probably feel a lot more guilt right now if I didn’t have a lot of errands that need running.