POWERLET Heated Mens Vest

No, I don't normally go for men's clothing, but....

When we attended the Chicago International Motorcycle show, (a slightly smaller show, but still a great) we saw some Powerlet Heated Motorcycle gear.

After dressing like the Michelin Man for the last two years, I knew this was something to consider.

I would have so many layers on it was hard to turn my head or move my arms and that cannot be safe. But there was an accident, I couldn't be hurt, I was my own air bag. Created by layers of Tickle Me Elmo t-shirts and Winnie the Pooh sweats. But face it, peeling those layers on and off was a lot of prep. So I was up for looking into this stuff.

They did not have a ladies jacket line in my size... BUMMER! So I had to go for the Mens vest in small.

But let me say, the Ladies heated Jacket liner, tho very thin and light, is very SHORT IN THE WAIST!!

So even if they had a Lady's jacket that fit, I fail to see how warm I would be with the lower half of my torso hanging out. It was almost a bolero jacket.

My one request: Please make a longer version. It is for riding in the cold right? So I really doubt that the ladies are wearing shrinky dink short and tight jackets in winter or fall, so LONGER PLEASE!

Mens Heated Vest - also very thin and light and easy to store. Fits under any jacket. Has a cord that comes out of the left pocket and that plugs into a control cord and THAT plugs into the wire cord you attach to your vehicles battery.

Very easy to install. With my BV500, the wire just hangs out from under the seat. You have to plug in and out when you get on and off the bike. The button control handset goes up to five.

If you get the actual Jacket, the company recommends using the control at only at 2 or 3 because scooter batteries are smaller than motorcycles and the Jackets (with arms, 100 watts), will draw too much power.

The vest functions at 60 watts and you can set the control higher.

My boyfriend hooked it up and plugged me in and I started up the scooter. Within about 10 seconds I started feeling the heat from the vest. It really performed very well in about 37 degrees.

The rest of me was a solid block of ice, but my torso was as warm as a baked potato. I can only imagine how nice it would be to have the jacket, gloves and pants. But then, I would be riding in WINTER!

So far, this seems to be a good investment. With the show price of only $90.00 as opposed to the price via the internet, it was a good buy.

I am thinking of getting a larger vest or jacket for my boyfriend. We will be riding in the rockies this spring and I know it will colder at those higher altitudes. He never dresses right and I can easily carry the jacket and everything in a small bag in my top case.

But the riding season has yet to begin here, we have quite a few months to go before anyone can seriously be out on the roads. But with my new Powerlet heated vest, I will, at least, be riding toasty.

Beautiful

You are never too old to act on your dreams.

Patriot Riders or "You don't get it"

You are going to cry...

I was having a very bad day today. This is the one year anniversary of my mother's passing and someone had this on their Facebook. Of course I watched it and started crying.

I have written previously about riding with the Patriot Guard and the WelcomeYouHome.org group events. These are very moving events and I challenge anyone not to cry when you attend.

Being a total wuss, I have never attended a "funeral ride". That would just be too much for me. I could not remain as stoic as these men in the video. I am still amazed at the idiot Ice-Holes that show up to "protest" at these funerals with their stupid agenda. It's like, "really?"...."really?"

When the families in the video called the Patriot Guard Riders, "The Calvary" and how they rode in to the rescue, I felt like, "Yeah!" They can ride in and take a stand against those morons as well as show support and respect to the families. Thinking about that, plus the thought of all the Welcome Home Rides got me jazzed. The other stuff made me cry, but at the end I was deciding the best thing I could take out of the video was the "Calvary" remark. It was that or stay a sobbing wreck for the day.

I was like "Yeah! There is something I can do. Suit up and RIDE against ICE HOLES! I can show my support to the young men and women in this country. Whether I am against the war, military guns etc... I can do this! Because the necessity of dealing with of ignorant supercilious misguided Dum asses Unites us ALL!

So after watching this, I wrote into my friends FB:

"Yeah Patriot Riders. Get ready to ride!"

Meaning "Yeah, take a stand! Do something. Show respect and support."

Then I wrote in:

"Do not forget the WelcomeYouHome.org group rides for those of us that are too emotional to attend the other rides."

I didn't think too much about it until another person on my friends FB commented:

"It's not about the RIDE!"

Well, okay...maybe I am not being clear.

So I decided to clarify by saying:

"By RIDE I mean, take a stand and show your support and respect"

To which the guy responds:

"You don't get it"

......

..... uh, what don't I get?

.....

What the heck does that mean? I mean, did I not reference the fact that when you ride with the PGR, you are visually taking a stand against ICE-HOLEs intruding on a families very very personal and private moment? I mean the situation is beyond political. It is just offensive.

Did I not say that there are also rides for those unable to handle the intensity of the funeral of a young person who gave their life for their country?

Did the families themselves refer to the Patriot Guard Riders as "The Calvary"? And the calvary rides in.... right?

So exactly what am I not getting.

Then I went MENTAL! as only a menopausal woman can. (for those who are male and have not experienced menopause and for those who, "sailed" through it... you are blessed and I wish I was you... but I am NOT!)

I started angrily concocting all sorts of responses. Is this not AMERICA! I don't have to think like someone else. That is what it is all about...Freedom of speech, Freedom of religion, Freedom to gather... even those Rat Bastages protesting at those funerals know that part! I just want to show support for the PGR even if I can't do those rides.

On and on I ranted.... Oh, I am sure that this guy was also responding that way because of my purple haired, scooter rider FB profile photo. Yep, not your typical Patriot Guard Rider. Macho jerk! Rant, rant, rant.

Well, I was so mad I couldn't post anything. I refused to look back at the page. I swore off computers forever! NO MORE SOCIAL NETWORK!

But I had to go back, because I wanted to send the video to my BF.

And there, down beneath my comment and the "You Don't Get It" remark was another comment from a woman I don't even know.

"It's not about the Ride? Then why did I buy this bike, get tested and get a license?".

ahhhh....

I love that woman who ever you are. God bless. Like dousing out a wild fire.

Now I can go back to missing my mom. Love you mom. Your girl is still shooting off her mouth without thinking first. Some things never change.

TVS Wego - do yo scooter dance!

Don't sprain your wego doing this!

I have never heard of this particular scooter or brand, TVS Wego. But I have to say, the name is pretty cute and I like saying it... Weeeeeegoooooo.

Anyway, it's just a typical friday night here, where me and my BF are in a contest to see who can eat the most junk until they throw up... so I take some time between the 4 month-old peanut butter ice cream and ding dongs, to search on the internet for all things scooter.

I found this ad for the new Wego scooter and what is interesting is that I am reading more articles about the actual AD and it's content than about the scooter.

There is very little attention being paid to the scooter, I can't even discern what it actually looks like, but I pretty much know what each lady is wearing. ( Love the light brown suede boots) and they both have great hair.

The reviews range from a great fun ad, to why are they encouraging people to ride unsafely. What I get from this is, riding a scooter is really nothing new in India. Anyone who has seen the videos on YouTube, you know those people ride...alot.

The reviews are actually wondering about the success of such an ad in an already, "crowded" market.

"The commercial is great fun to watch. The concern is that automobile advertising is getting edgier by the day and TVS Wego has pushed the recklessness envelope really hard, brazenly promoting unsafe riding "

TVS , the 2-wheeler auto maker zapped the marketing world in 2011 with a sweet and seductive ad of their new scooty. The ad highlights a pair of couples dancing to the contrasting tunes of North and South Indian music respectively.

Although it might look as if the advertisement is for promoting a condom or contraceptive pill, the ad takes a U-turn when it highlights the new Body Balance technology in the 2-wheeler. Get whacky and sit or stand at ease on new TVS Wego.

TVS has once again thought ahead of it s time and launched a scooter that s truly unisex. The Wego has unique features that suit both him and her, and is a perfect fit for the urban rider.

The ad may be silly and sexist, and I still don't really know what "Body Balance" actually is...I still found the perspective refreshing as well as the perspective from the multiple reviews. Even if I never really saw the actual scooter.

The Internet... not just for Porn

Because I am bored I am going to give you a selection today:

Check that seat for crabs

Those pointy pink things can scratch

Spray-on Tan = Hose-off Scooter

ack!

She looks crabby, and I don't mean moody.

Anyone who has ever purchased a product in at least the last 5 years, has gone to the internet to do a little, "recon".

There is so much available out there if you need information on a product and half of the fun of purchase is doing the research.

With scooters we have a variety of forums, reviews and press releases available. With Ebay and Craigslist, it is wonder that dealers are still making money.

The Internet can be a blessing and a curse, because every time I think I have narrowed down a "great deal" on a cool scooter, a little research on the product shoots it down!

Ding Dabbit! Why are all of you out there so eager to destroy my wee dreams with your sensible talk and detailed information!

Last year my BF & I wanted to purchase a cheap scooter for his 16 year old son. I also put $$$ towards the purchase, thinking he would find a good used Vespa, Piaggio or Kymco or Aprilla.

He found a Roketa Bali 250cc for only $900.00 with about 600 miles on it. He found it on Craigslist and it was close to my house. He did not do the research and bought it anyway. To him, it was a "deal" that could not be passed up. So when I found out what he had done I was a bit peeved.

I mean a ROKETA!!!! Holy Moley, one of the most unholy of unholyiest of plastic scooters out there!

Even I had heard about this scooter via forums and reviews. Sure it's a scooter and it works, if you have the time, skill and $$$ to keep up with all the plastic engine parts melting, cracking and vibrating apart.

And don't tell me I am wrong — because we let his son ride with us, and after only 39 miles, it started SMOKING! and the acceleration fell off. We limped back home.

Turns out during the ride, some plastic bit in the engine melted and some plastic hoses popped off and so on and so forth. The engine looked like it was made from chewing gum, crazy glue and old nail polish.

What were we to do? Who could help us in our time of need!!!

TO THE INTERNETs! Swooooooosh!

After gleaning the Roketa forums, we identified the melted bit and the loose hoses. We then bought new plastic pieces on Ebay and after a week or two the scooter was fixed and working again. We even had extra plastic bits in reserve.

His son used it for about 6 months and then went to live with his mother. My BF sold the scooter for $600.00.

We did not lie about the scooter to the purchaser. He knew full well how much tinkering he would have to do to keep it running in good condition. He had done his research.

Still, he was pretty happy and I felt pretty good about the entire experience.

Because even tho we got a less than ideal scooter, it helped me learn so many things.

So THANKS INTERNETS! U ROK!

"The Internet will never amount to much.

It is nothing more than the CB Radio of the 90's"

— The dude I met while walking my dog, back in 1998

BMW Concept C or where can u go after a BV 500?

If you have to ask, you cannot afford.

When I went from my Kymco People 150 to my BV500, I thought I had reached the apex of the what the scooter market in the US could offer.

Now BMW has come up with their own version of a scooter for a commuter. Known as the "Concept C" (C = Commuter), this little baby, with it's hommage to "TRON" wheels and front faring, is being marketed as the future of 2-wheel vehicles.

BMW Concept C is the future of scooters as defined by BMW Motorrad (Motorcycle in German). BMW believes the future mobility in mega-cities has very special demands and as always they working on a solution.

It's a mixture between a scooter and a motorcycle; a vehicle that appears similar to the Honda New Mid Concept also unveiled at the EICMA 2010 motorcycle show.

It has the conceptional comfort of a scooter and the agility of a motorcycle.

The BMW Concept C Scooter uses a powerful two cylinder engine combined with a continuously variable transmission, and some of its highlights include the black chromium suspension, the short and sporty muffler or the front-wheel control that looks like an upside down fork.

The BMW Concept C Scooter is also fitted with a dual twin brake disc at the front, with two radial callipers, and a single brake disc at the rear, ABS, and LED headlamp plus three LCD displays in the cockpit.

Only thing you know for sure is that it's a BMW so that = $$$$$. I don't know the cc, or anything else. Can you tell I am posting this while undergoing another stupid migraine? It's hard to find crap on the internet when your skull is sucker punching your brain and your brain is being a total wuss about it.

Why is it so hard for these people to just come out and tell us how much this thing will cost? You really want people to buy it, make sure it is reasonably priced.

BMW = Break My Wallet!

Modern vs Vintage or No One Wins in a Stupid Argument

YOU call me Pu$$Y like that is a bad thing

A week or so ago, I was directed to this thread via the Modern Vespa Forum:

"why Modern Scooters Suck Thread".

I won't repeat the link to the other forum, or name it, but it isn't MV. It is a different forum. because you can find it yourself by googling "Why Modern Scooters Suck" My Blog is not going to be the porthole to that spewing maw of Fear and Loathing they call a Forum over there.

Very interesting Evidently populated by many people who can't seem to tolerate anyone thinking or acting differently from themselves.

Which I really don't mind. God must love imperious a$$wholes because he made so many of them. So I love them too. Hugs!

But what was interesting within this thread, were some of the goods arguments people made for and against modern scooters. I love a good debate/argument as long as it doesn't get personal or offensive. I am repeating one of my favorites gleaned from the thread. With respects to "Scooterguy" enjoy the tasty goodness.

Scooterguy:

I love my vintage scooter... and all vintage scooters. But, the whole debate about modern scooters is nuts. There are times that it's just a better choice for me to jump on one of my modern scooters. I'm a fan of top-ten lists, so here's my ten reasons why modern scooters don't"suck."

1) They keep scootering alive. Were it not for all the Kymcos and SYMs out there who would bother opening scooter shops? Would there be as many folks out there selling parts? The few scooter related magazines out there would be reduced to maybe one or two based on the limited market. How many scooterists do you know that started on a modern scooter and eventually worked their way into the vintage hobby? Do you really think it would be more fun to do a Sunday ride with two fellow vintage enthusiasts versus two guys on vintage bikes and five more on modern stuff? It's hard enough to find people interested in joining my own club when it's open to everyone. I can't imagine how boring it would be to limit it to the scooterists who just dig vintage stuff (in my part of the country, that would add up to.... nobody).

2) Less maintenance and no bother with 2T oil. Not everyone is really capable of performing basic work on a vehicle. Wouldn't you rather have them buying Metropolitans, versus bodging some vintage scooter that you might want to buy in years to come?

3) They keep the miles off your vintage scooters.

4) They perform better. It's nice to have an option somewhere between a 50 mph vintage scooter and a mini van. The new 16" wheels make them handle better, and they're capable of trips that might involve interstate travel or longer distances.

5) Don't be a hater. Do you really want to be like those ass-hats in the motorcycle world who look down their noses at fuel injection and disk brakes for no other reason than because it's advanced technology? "My bike requires an hour of work for every hour I ride... so I'm better than you" is really silly. My sixth grader uses better logic than that.

6) Who cares what is made out of plastic? Metal rusts. Plastic cleans easily and looks fantastic with a thick coat of wax. Metal dents. Plastic is somewhat resilient to damage. Metal is heavy. Plastic is light. Paint comes off of metal. Plastic can be molded in color.

7) More storage space. I can carry a bunch of boxes to the post office, groceries, kids with soccer balls, beer, luggage for a rally, or all sorts of other things on the modern scooters. They nearly match the utility of a car, and i often use mine that way.

8) Parts availability. Sure, there are places out there on the web selling some parts for vintage scooters; but a Burgman rider can find everything he needs by riding five miles over to the local Suzuki dealership.

9) If you could transport a Genuine Buddy back in time, do you really think a British Scooter Boy from the early 1980s would have looked at it and said "no mate, I'll stick to me P200." Would a Rocker from the 1960s look at a GSX-R750 and refuse to trade his BSA for it? Some would, but you'd be wrong to assume that scooters and bikers from the early days didn't want the newest and fastest. They were doing the best they could in their era, not worshiping some long ago technology. Many might even think we're absolutely crazy to prefer a forty year old scooter over a new one.

10) They're disposable. I don't mean this in a bad way. But if some old drunk granny turns left in front of me on my GTS 300 Super and I plow into her, I can go buy another one exactly like it.... after the insurance company settles with me and I get out of the full body cast. On a vintage scooter you might have to stalk eBay for two years, re-kit the engine, and try to contact that guy in Kalamazoo who does the cool Who Tribute paint job to replace what you lost.

Thank's Scooterguy, awesome job.

BTW all you Plastic Scooter Haters–

I WOULD ride a UNICORN if I could. Because I am THAT AWESOME!

But for now, I will take my BV500.

What's in a Name?

Why did you name your scooter?

Oh, I don't know... why does the military name it's ships? Why does NASA name their missions. Why do we name planets and stars?

So I would like to go on board as saying naming a vehicle is in no way LAME or STOOPID or RIDICULOUS. People have been naming things from the get go, so quick yer complaining because this is what we do. Do you get it, Enola Gay?

It's called anthropomorphism, the practice of suggesting human characteristics for animals or other inanimate objects - like a car, boat, plane or rocket or spaceship for that matter. So, yeah, people will name their scooters. Why this should offend anyone is beyond me. Nuf said.