Skip to main content

The Living Dead Scooter

Something didn’t feel quite right – after the top end rebuild in Whitehorse and a careful break-in on the Alaska Highway, I expected Red to be ready to tear up the roads through Canada and the US. Instead I found myself still sticking to around 40MPH due to a slight vibration and a perceived lack of smoothness in the engine. I wanted a professional to take a look before sliding around the deserts and mountains of the US and stopped by Fritz Scooter & Motorcycle Repair in Seattle for a health check.

IMG_3437IMG_3403
The result wasn’t good. Within a few minutes Jake realized Red was a dead scooter riding: the crankshaft is shot. The piston is burned to shreds, bearings are loose, seals are leaking, and the crankshaft is bent. This is definitely the reason for the original failure and it’s unfortunate that it wasn’t spotted in Whitehorse, though it’s understandable since they don’t work on these every day.

IMG_3496IMG_3502
So, nearly 12,000 miles into this journey, I’m stuck again waiting for parts from Chicago (which will hopefully get here much faster than they did to Whitehorse!) to do an engine rebuild. Jake and Nick at Fritz have been totally awesome, opening up on a Monday to help me out and sharing beers and their entire day with me yesterday and today (and most likely tomorrow).  Equally, Genuine and Scooterworks have been fantastic with the tech support on the road.

I’m pretty happy either way – for those not familiar with two-strokes, let’s just say these engines aren’t at all designed for the type of duty cycle I’ve been running this through. I’m stoked that this Rattler 110 has held up as long and as well as it has, it’s really a testament to the quality of the machine that it didn’t tear itself apart much earlier. When I planned this trip originally I expected an engine rebuild during a one month/5k mile ride and didn’t expect this to turn into an epic 15k+ mile over three months journey – if I had, maybe I would’ve picked up a four-stroke.

IMG_3495IMG_3446
Nonetheless, I’m stoked, looking forward to getting the parts in and the engine rebuilt, then breaking Red back in again carefully along the Pacific Coast Highway. This is what life is all about!

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Days 94-98: The Struggle for Beauty

In which Pete nearly loses Red and gives up once again, before crossing an ice field to spend the night with the Bolivian army at Laguna Colorada and returning to Uyuni for supplies.
Post a Comment
Read more

Jury Duty: Not Like TV (or: Longest Post EVER)

Prepare yourself for by far the longest blog post ever – if you’re at all curious about real life jury duty or enjoy all those cop & lawyer shows then give it a go - this recount of the trial and details given for evidence will blow your mind, make you think twice about the effectiveness of our police officers and the impartiality of our juries… Shortly before leaving on my trip in January, I was summoned for DC Grand Jury Duty .  I was able to have it rescheduled to begin on June 7 and made it back to the US only a few days before it was due to start.  After thinking about it I really felt that I would not be comfortable spending 27 days of 8:30AM to 5PM in an “office” for $30 a day, especially with the changes to the economy going on right now – I’d rather enjoy that time. Upon arriving at the courtroom for Grand Jury Duty, I quickly noted that there were over 40 people in the room, considerably more than the number required for the Grand Jury.  Once we were checked in, the c
1 comment
Read more

Goodbye, India

I felt it fitting to arrive at IGI in Delhi in the familiar comfort of an auto-rickshaw as I prepare to leave India behind me.  I am ready to leave – in fact, I feel somewhat as if I overstayed myself here, even with two days in Delhi doing nearly nothing. I have mixed feelings about India.  The dust, dirt, and heat of the dry season do not bother me (aside from my allergies).  The frequent squalor, open sewers, trash strewn streets, and clear signs of overpopulation and overcrowding do not phase me at all – if anything, they remind me of my youth in the Philippines and bring a certain nostalgia.  I love the food and breads, and while I’m not a fan of the excess of deep fried street food, it’s enjoyable in moderation.  The fact that I’ve had only one small piece of chicken and no other meat for nearly a month bothers me not at all, since the alternatives are quite a pleasure (mmm, paneer!). In fact, aside from a few things, I have quite enjoyed India.  The people who are clearly i
Post a Comment
Read more