The day after the TMISC meltdown. By ccprof (Read 862 times)

[ccprof]

OK folks - I went to the TMISC Meltdown. Nothing went as planned. I went down to U-Haul to pick-up a motorcycle trailer on Friday. It would have been too heavy for my vehicle so I had to go with a smaller utility trailer.

I rolled out of here at 6:30 Saturday morning so I could be there for the group ride. Stopped a couple times to check the load - all ok. Got down there at about 9:30, grabbed a couple guys and unloaded. Unhooked the trailer.The ride was supposed to leave at 11. A little after 10, my former co-worker and good friend, Debbie calls my cell and says her Vespa keeps dying on her. She just got it back from the shop after starting problems and has only put about 100 miles on it. She asked if anybody could come get her. I hook the trailer back up, follow her directions and drive right by her. As I was leaving, the group ride took off. Anyhow I get her back to the rally and we sit around until about 3 when the riders get back.

They then had people walking around looking at scoots and voting for their favorites. There is good old Exie, the Korean Komet sitting in a herd of Vespas, Burgies and Silver Wings. Debbie says "Lots of people are walking around and looking at your bike".

We walked over to the "events". A gymkana which was fun to watch except for the guy on the moped who wiped out on a ramp and dislocated his shoulder along with various cuts and bruises.
Next was a slow race - boring. Finally they had the "family ride" where you start with 3 on a scoot and go about 100 feet. As each round progresses, you add a rider. They finally shut it down when there were 2 teams with 10 on the scoots - A Helix (Cheated - used little kids) and a Silver Wing. The S'wing team won on a coin toss.

After dinner, they announced awards and the partying started. A guy named Tom from Scootertronics worked on Deb's Vespa, had it running then it died and we couldn't restart it. I drove her home in the SUV. Her B&M dealer was at the rally and taking it back to the shop this morning.

Got to my motel at about 10:30 and checked in. Went to the room they gave me and the key card wouldn't work. Tried a couple times then the door flies open and a guy starts yelling about me having the wrong room. Finally got that straight.

Went back to the rally this morning and loaded up. Drove home through heavy rain and the scoot is now soaked. Somehow when we were loading, the ignition switch got stuck and now the fork is locked and we can't get it off the trailer. Have to deal with that tomorrow.

Overall, it was a very frustrating trip but I should say the people were really great.

Oh - I won the Best of Show trophy with the most votes.

Here's some pix

Lining up for voting



10 people on a Helix - he was actually plowing with his center stand.


Putting 10 on a S'wing


Deb and her Vespa and me and Exie


And the winner is -

[kczukiman]

What a weekend for you. Congrats on best show,thats awsome.

[ccprof]

Thanks KC! I didn't mention or have pix of the naked guy on the slip and slide last night or the China scoot sitting on an island in the river this morning. Evidently some folks had a lot of the free beer last night.

[scooterran]

Congrats CC. Best of Show? Wow. With all the trouble you had, it still looks like you had a good time. Now was this held on the east side or the west side of the river? Above or below TMI ? About how many scoots were entered ? As your pictures show that there were several different makes and models. Sorry I couldn't make it, but that's how things go. Any dates for next year?

[wolfhound]

Way to go, CC. You endured all the hardships but came home with a BIS!!!!! That should
make it all worth it.

[ccprof]

Scooterran - The event was on the west side - in the suburbs of Camp Hill, just off Rtes 11&15. It's held the next to last weekend in August. When I was talking about the scoot on the river island, I was being lazy. It's not the river, it's actually Conodoquinet Creek. There were somewhere between 120 and 150 scoots registered, I'm not sure of the final count because some registered at the door. Every thing from old & new mopeds, classic shifting scoots like Cushmans and newer scoots from 50's up through 650's. Quite a collection.

Folks came from as far away as Conn.

My wife asked why the trophy was so oddly shaped - those are supposed to be the cooling towers at TMI.

Does anybody know how to unlock a stuck fork lock??

[mthomas]

Nice job professor!
Why can't I have a riding friend that looks like that?

[ccprof]

mthomas - she's just that - a very good friend and a wonderful person. We have never ridden together. We worked together for almost 7 years. I was responsible for the counties west of the Susquehanna, she had the eastern counties. She's a nurse and did first aid on the guy who got hurt.

Update - I got all the front plastic off yesterday. Had to work between rainstorms. Hopefully I can get the fork unlocked today and get the scoot of the trailer. I'll probably need a new ignition switch.

[ccprof]

Update - I got the plastic off and the ignition switch out. Fork is unlocked and the scoot's off the trailer and in the garage. I need to order a new switch. I also found that some of the plastic where the front leg shield and the "floor" connect on the left side are shattered. Don't know how that happened, wasn't like that the last I looked (last year). Don't know if I can fix or need to order new. Oh well - looks like I'm out of action for a few weeks .