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Steering lock is no deterrent. My scooter was stolen last April with the steering locked and the scooter secured to a stanchion with a 3/8" cable with a stout lock. Thief just forced the steering, u can see where the steering head is scarred. Steering lock still works but is very sloppy, i don't depend on it. I recommend a disk brake lock with alarm. I bought 2 Abus disk brake locks in which the alarm started malfunctioning in a short time, a new battery did not cure the problem. I then went with the Xena XX-6, both have worked now fine for a couple months. All these disk brake locks use the CR2 battery.

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Ordered tires & tubes from partsforscooters last month. Fast shipping and the order was correct. I'm happy with them & will continue to do business there. One place to avoid is scooterpartsplace.com, where i ordered previously. After waiting 2 weeks without any word on the order, i emailed them asking about the order, & the next day i received an email that my order was cancelled (with no reason, the owner took offense).

Anytime i had a strange electrical problem, i would start the vehicle up in the dark. Any arcing becomes visible. I had a slight miss in my '65 Ford truck once after working on it, using this procedure i discovered the spark plug back by the firewall had a hairline crack in the ceramic, not very visible but the dim arc light helped me to find the problem. Now i stand on something for a more comfortable position to install that back plug so i won't crack another one.

This message has been moved to Clubs, Meets, and Riders by Bashan.

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Clubs, Internet sources, miscellaneous

Ok with me Bashan, by all means share it with others. I wish the site had a Search feature so u could just peruse stolen scooters in your local area.

My scooter was stolen today and recovered about a half hour later. I went up to the Big Lots shopping center in Weaverville, NC(ironically to buy some cheap tools to carry on the scooter instead of my Craftsman's in case it was stolen), i learned that lesson when my car window was busted at Sams Club and my toolbox of Craftsman tools ($300) stolen. Sams had surveillance cameras but they didn't work.
When i came out about 15 minutes later, the scooter was gone. I had secured it to a parking lot stanchion in a high traffic area right in front of the Big Lots many windows with a 3/8 cable (Master Lock 86D Looped Cable, 8-Foot x 3/8-Inch) ($8) and a stout Masterlock (Master Lock 8118DPF Vinyl-Covered Mini U-Lock, Steel, 3-11/16 Inch) ($33), both purchased thru Amazon. No one in Big Lots saw anything, they called the police for me. Took awhile for the law to arrive (i later learned they were busy with a report from the bank about my scooter). I had the VIN in my wallet but the policeman already had it from the abandoned scooter. Down below Big Lots at the corner of the shopping center lot was the P&S Bank, the thief (girl) coasted the scooter down to its lot to load it up in a White Ford Pickup with an older man and woman. BUT, right across the road from the bank is a Weaverville City Police squad car sitting. They fled the area, leaving the scooter. The policeman was suspicious because the girl didn't have a helmet (required by law) and took down the tag number. The bank witnessed the thieves fleeing the scene, were suspicious, took down the tag number (it had one digit wrong) and called the police. Then there was the bank video surveillance camera !
The bank is to email the video to the police this evening, then the law intends to arrest them. The police will notify me when the thieves are picked up. I want to know what happens to them.

I'm thankful that policeman was sitting near that bank or my scooter would have been gone. All i lost was about $41 for the cable and lock instead of a $900 scooter with 160 miles on it.
My thanks to the 2 Weaverville officers.

Lessons learned:

Don't leave your backpack under the seat to avoid leaving it at a security counter while wandering around a store - with your cellphone and checkbook (what were you thinking, Divens !)

Bolt cutters will cut a 3/8 cable.

Don't assume a high traffic area is safe for parking. Big Lots doesn't have surveillance video cameras.

Locking the steering, doesn't. I always lock the steering when parking, apparently a quick jerk on the steering will override the lock, or the female thief couldn't have maneuvered it. The locking still works.

I will treat the police with more respect and friendliness from now on. Almost every situation i have been involved in with the law they have been professional, courteous and kind-hearted. They have a tough job. Two small children exiting the bank with some adults yelled greetings to the 2 policemen and wished them a good day, i think that made those 2 men's day. I will wave to ALL police on the road now as a gesture of support and appreciation.