First Ride in the Rain! Scary!!!!! By tyscoots (Read 1,298 times)

[tyscoots]

Hello Everyone!

I finally had my first riding experience in the rain. It really started to come down once I got about a half mile from my house.

I am not sure if I was just scared to death but my scooter seemed to slide a bit a few times. Maybe it was just me being afraid. I have the original tires on my 2007 JCL 250A. Not sure if I will be keeping this scooter, kinda want something else. If I do keep it do you guys suggest upgrading my tires? My bike only has about 1000 miles on it. Will that help while driving in the rain?

I am riding my scooter almost everywhere now, but I am still very slow at turns. I also get a bit nervous when cars follow to close. This may be my imagination but it seems like women do this more than men. So far, it has not been a major problem, most drivers are very considerate here in Milwaukee.

Also what size socket is used to remove the oil drain bolt??!! I was told 17mm but that it was too small, I tried all the ones I have. Any suggestions??

Oh, and no offense intended ladies!

Thanks in advance

Tonya

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[mcalli]

Tonya, I had my first experience riding in a downpour at the beginning of this summer. It is scary. Just remember not to ride in the center of the lane. That is where all the slippery oil accumlates. Ride where the cars tire tracks would be. It is less slippery. Stay away from the center. After only 1000 miles, your tires should still be good if they were new when you got your bike.(unless you've been hard on them, like spinning out , doing wheelies etc. lol rof. Best way to know is to look at the tread.

[tyscoots]

hi mcalli,

Thanks for the advice. I love my scoot. You have a 250 too right?

Last week I fell of my scooter. A few scratches but not really bad. After that it fell over because I parked it with the center-stand in some tar that got soft. It was a super hot day when this happened. Today, was the first time it got wet. We had a terrible thunderstorm. All in all I'd say my poor scoot has really been through some stuff recently!! Still running strong though.

I do need to do a valve adjustment but I am very happy with it. Just got the urge to get something else!!

Well you all have a great day!

Tonya

[jct842]

pirelli tires. riding with out a face shield hurts your face big time at highway speeds too. you can some what control where you ride as far as road surface, but when you get caught out in a hard rain the only thing you can do is to be prepared with some sticky tires that have good deep rain grooves. if I don't get as many miles on my pirelli's I just don't care, I can't afford to go down. john

[mcalli]

yes I have a 250. We all experience minor spills. Well , at least I did. Hopefully we will never have any serious ones. But riding is serious business. One stupid mistake on a bike can have serious or even fatal consequences as many have found out.

[bobf]

Sometimes I think I should have taken one of those 200cc shorter frame scoots with the 16" wheels. I sat on one of those in a Phoenix dealers shop and felt a bit short on seat and leg room so I changed to the longer wheel base machines, especially the ones with extended side foot rests. It seemed like good for on the longer rides as I can change my legs and feet positions.

The shorter scoots run on 55" wheel centers and the longer run on 66" wheel centers. My problem so far with my MC 54 250B ride is that it has 13" wheels and at times it seems to want to wander a bit. Those 16" wheels are claimed to be much more stable due to the larger wheels gyroscopic ways.

For the problem of running in the rain I hope to be near a gas station or store or a bridge where I can stop and wait. I have crashed twice, not with this scoot, it is quick and hurts plenty. And I was not going fast at the time, but the ground rushed up and hit me real hard.
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[tyscoots]

Hi Guys,

Yeah, the minor spills are much more embarrassing than anything else. I fell right in front of my Mom's house. It was the first time she saw me riding and it made me a bit nervous so I fell right in front of her. Geesssshhh!!

I too think it is best to wait out the rain but this day I had a short break in the rain and thought that I'd make it home before it started to rain hard again, well I almost made it!

If I decide to keep my 250, I think I may just get new tires. I love the size of the bike and the speed of the bike. Feels really good to pull away from a tailgaters.

I am thinking of getting a 150cc. Maybe the new 2011 BMS Legend, just not sure. I do love my bike though. I think I'd miss my MP3 Player/FM radio. For some reason, when I am kinda nervous, it calms me to hear the radio. Kinda silly I know, LOL

Tonya

[tyscoots]

sorry, here is a picture of the BMS Legend.

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[Cruiser]

Hi Tonya. Riding in the rain can be intimidating especially with 2 wheels on the rode. This is true of all 2 wheeled vehicles. The right tires will make a difference. Original equipment tires on these Chinese scoots are like the original equipment batteries - marginal.

The only reason to go to a 150cc is the lighter weight and that would be important for smaller riders. I own a 50cc and the 250cc Honda clone which is the same as your JCL. The 50cc I find to be much lighter, but it feels twitchy and not as stable as the 250cc especially once you get out on the road and going around corners and curves.

The seat height of the BMS is 30" while the JCL is 29.5". The BMS has 10" wheels while the JCL has 13". Larger wheels are generally more stable at higher speeds. The JCL has twice the power of the BMS. The JCL weighs over 100 pounds more than the the BMS. They are both great looking scoots. So the weight and the looks are the main factors that I can see for choosing the BMS. (I like the looks of the JCL more.) Most people would consider going from a 150cc to a 250cc as an upgrade. Try riding the BMS before making your decision. Good luck.

[harleyann1]

I have ridden Harleys, Honda's and now have an IceBear. I have ridden in some pretty bad thunder storms as I ride on road trips, I live in Georgia so Cherokee NC and Biloxi Miss are short trips for me. Just remember to hold your speed if possible. Avoid ALL puddles, stay away from the painted stripes, ride to the right in the tire lane if possible cause passing cars and trucks and blind you with their spray, not to mention the oil slicks inbetween. TURN ON THOSE BRIGHT LIGHTS ~~~~It's hard enough on the heavier bikes, at least they hold the road better, but these little light weight bikes are really hard to keep on the road in rain. "Best rides on bikes are the DRY rides". I hope this helps a tad.
Harleyann1

[tyscoots]

thanks again guys and gals for your input. i am thinking more and more about keeping my 250 for awhile. I think I have a love, hate relationship with it sometimes. No fault of the scooter though, it has been great for me. The weight sometimes is a pain but that is only when I fall off and got to pick it up!! LOL!

If anyone can tell me which socket size I need to remove the oil drain plug, it would be appreciated, otherwise, I'll try to find out which one it is.

I will be so glad of the day that I can really enjoy the ride instead of worrying ever minute I am on the bike. I know I should never feel that comfortable, but hopefully more comfortable that now. It has gotten a lot better though.

Thanks everyone!
Tonya

[bobf]

I have the Honda clone engine and it takes the 17mm wrench. I just went to the garage and checked it out. If 17 mm is too small then see if you can get a larger size or two, or maybe a adjustable wrench. I tried 17 mm on both the side position where the screen is found and also on the underneath position. Both are 17 mm.
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[tyscoots]

That was nice of your to check thanks! I wonder why my 17mm did not fit. I will try again tomorrow. Maybe I need a better tool kit. I got a very basic mechanic kit from walmart about a year ago. Duh me!!! I did not think to use a wrench, LOL

Again, thanks so much for checking.

Tonya

[bobf]

Adjustable, closed or open end wrenches, or sockets could do the job. I prefer the closed end or the sockets as I think they would be less likely to damage the nut or bolt head.
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[mcalli]

Tonya, go buy a socket wrench and make sure you have a 17. It will fit. I have a 54 b Linhai clone and it fits. The socket wrench makes things so much easier!