Well, I’m happy to say I just did a search for Bonny Oaks School and at least Google has the post indexed on the first page for now so maybe some of the kids will find me if they think to do a search. So now I think I’ll just chit chat for awhile before I nod off for the night. I remember them as kids, but of course they would be mature adults, but my mind didn’t grasp that yet.

It was so muggy today, but it’s a little cooler now with a breeze blowing and we’re suppose to get some showers. I can hear my bamboo chimes hitting together. I had them on the front porch and Bill said when he would hear them that it reminded him of Vietnam so I got a different one for the front porch and brought my bamboo upstairs, so he doesn’t hear them as much.

My brother came over tonight and I cut his hair while Bill worked on the Bike. He seldom ever lets me buy him anything, but I knew he wanted the back off light module for his bike so I finally got to buy him something. It flashes 3 times pauses and flashes 3 more times as long as you have the brakes on. People have a way of over looking motorcycles so anything that can get their attention is good. I love that air horn we put on last year, that really comes in handy.

I thought people were bad about overlooking a big Harley, but it seems they don’t see a small scooter at all. I was riding it in the fairgrounds so I can get use to it and I was puttin along and some stupid truck didn’t even see me and he was suppose to stop because I had the right away, but he just came straight on out and I could have easily have panicked and ran right into him.

It really shook me up and made me realize how inconsiderate drivers really are especially if they don’t ride a bike themselves. People that ride tend to be more alert for others that share the road. I need a lot more practise before I want to take a road trip with Bill. I followed him around the fairgrounds to get the feel of where my position would be and how I would feel following behind.

He tends to stop where he doesn’t need to, maybe he thought he was giving me more practise at stopping, but I wasn’t expecting it because we were on the main strip an didn’t need to stop so I got confused at what the devil he was doing. He’s lucky I didn’t back end him, of course I’m chuckling now, but this was after I had almost collided with that truck and my nerves were a little frayed.

When I get more comfortable with this I want to trade it in on a 150 cc because I can already tell I want more power. I took the practise test online for the motorcycle permit and got 23 out of 25 so I did really well on the practise. It was mostly common sense questions, but they word them weird. The guy we bought the scooter from said everyone fails the test the first time so I guess we’ll see how good I do when I take the real one.

After I get the permit and a bigger scooter I can then go anywhere and wont be limited to just around town. I can ride the highways and freeways then. I really trust Bill and he’s a very safe and cautious biker, but it feels pretty good being able to go on your own power. Of course he would no doubt worry more especially if he wasn’t around. Okay that’s enough chit chat…Goodnight

If you came here from your inbox then you might have noticed that I changed my Entrecard. Saturday we got my new scooter so I decided to use that for awhile. I didn’t get to play with my scooter Saturday because the weather was so ugly after Bill rode it home and Sunday was rainy until the afternoon and when the sun came out we took it up to the high school.
I blocked out my license tag for security reasons although I don’t know why because if you lived around me you could see it, but I have no clue what someone online might be able to do with it. The minute we pulled up on the Harley I spotted this one and gravitated to it. They had a pink one like it, but I didn’t want anything really girly looking and the thing that is so great is this dealer keeps parts in stock and services them there.

It had a retro look that I really liked. This is a Lance Charming 50cc well actually it’s 49.7 otherwise I would have to have a motorcycle license. When we were at the school Bill wanted me to practice starting and stopping and I did some of course, but I wanted to concentrate on putting both feet up and balancing and riding which I did and I was whipping around the parking lot and having a ball.

I have to get alot more practice before I take it on the street and remember to turn the throttle away from me when I want to slow and brake slowly and remember to put my feet down. That’s alot for this old mind to remember all at one time, but Bill said I did good and I was very proud of me. When I get used to it and feel more sure then I’ll putt along behind Bill to Gettysburg.

When I get it broke in I’ll be able to go up to 45 miles, right now it goes 35. The dealer told me that it will get 110 miles per gallon when it’s rode more, but from what it said online it’s between 80 and 100, but I’ll find out for myself eventually. The tank is 1.5 so I can get alot of miles for very little money now that makes me ecstatic. When I get used to this one I’ll trade it in for a 150cc and take the safety course and I can do that on a scooter.

I’ll be able to get a motorcycle license then and get out on the highway and freeway. I can’t wait.

I have always wanted to ride a motorcycle and Bill says he can teach me, but when it comes to gears I really don’t think I can grasp it so guess what I’m concentrating on now?A scooter and I wouldn’t have to take the motorcycle course unless I want to ride without a helmet nor would I have to have a motorcycle license so long as it’s 50 cc’s or under.

I can ride with my license, but if I wanted something higher I could get a motorcycle permit, but I think 50 cc’s would be plenty for me. We sold the Pontiac to my brother so if I want to go any where during the day I either have to walk or keep the Jeep and with the scooter it would be no problem and the gas mileage for a scooter is between 80-100 miles per gallon.

The following information is from PA Motorcycle Safety Program and I was reading all about the  Basic Rider Course  the part that was of interest to me concerning scooters:
 

Can I take the BRC on a scooter?
Yes, provided that the scooter is legally inspected and registered. You must also bring proof of insurance along with your registration card. Please let us know in advance that you will be taking the course on a scooter.

The Motorcycle Safety Program does not provide scooters for the course. Scooters and small motorcycles are both single-track vehicles and have comparable weights. With a few adjustments, scooter riders can be easily incorporated into a regular BRC class.

For more information on scooters, please click on the link: http://www.dot3.state.pa.us/registration/scooters.shtml.

It would probably benefit me to take the course then I could get a higher CC and ride on the freeway. Oh, well I have time to think about all that, but we have been looking for a used scooter. I haven’t got it all figured out yet, but I’m getting excited and it will definitely be easier for me to handle and I wont have to worry about gears just give it gas and go.

The weekend is almost over and I did very little online, everyone needs a break and my eyes feel better from not looking at this screen for long periods of time. I did a lot of thinking about all the time I devote to this convenience of communication. I’m sure I will still spend time on here, but I think I need to prioritize my usage of time for other things.

Bill and I were able to get 2 days in of riding and we stopped to look at a trike. When we get older I’m sure we will consider that option. I think we are going to test drive one soon to get the feel of course Bill wants to keep the Ultra Classic, but I don’t know if that will be economical for us considering the trike is close to 30,000 dollars, but we’ll see.

I’m sure it will be a lot different because he wont have to worry about holding the weight of the bike and he wont have to put his feet down when we stop. We wont have to worry about windy days blowing us out of whack and I really think there will be less chances of accidents although they can happen at any time under any circumstances.

They aren’t just for the elderly and disabled even though many disabled people switch over to trikes because they just can’t get riding out of their blood, even after losing a limb. I think Bill thinks he wont seem so cool (which he always will be) because he’s been riding all his life and riding a trike maybe makes him feel like he’s putting training wheels back on.

I see many young guys riding trikes and a lot of women. I personally would love to have one because I think they are cool and they run just as fast and the way they are made now the suspension is much better than it use to be so it will corner well. To tell you the truth I would feel safer because the way Bill takes corners sometimes makes me think the bike is going to go one way and we are going to fly off in the opposite direction.

My personal choice is not to wear a helmet even though Bill does. I’m sure many people think I’m nuts, but I could care less what other people think any more. Of course if they bring back the helmet law in PA I will be forced to wear one again. They make my head sweat and itch and I don’t like it. I have also seen and heard of people dying with or without wearing one in accidents.

We rode up to the open flea market today and of course my hair was a wind blown mess. I thought we were simply going for a ride and I wasn’t expecting the stop and having to walk around and have people look at me like I was a bum and wouldn’t you know we ran into one of the biggest gossips I know. I always try to look presentable, but couldn’t this time.

After  chatting for a few minutes and telling us all the gossip she kept looking at my hair and Bill said something about the bike and she said, “Oh are you riding today?” All I could do is look at her and flip my fingers through my hair and say, “Couldn’t you tell?” Irritating old Bitty now she’ll go around telling people that I looked like a wild woman that doesn’t comb her hair.

Oh, well my choice for not wearing a helmet. I hope we will be able to ride for many many years, it’s such an exhilarating experience with or without the helmet, with 2 wheels or 3!