Thursday, May 5, 2016

Scooter Cannonball Run: Two months until the start.

I guess that says it all.  The big ride is looming.  And I can't wait.

The scooter of choice continues to be Razzo, but Vanessa has been very sweet lately.  She starts, idles and runs perfectly now.  Her brakes and suspension are better than the others too.
But she has a coolant leak that I haven't sourced yet and the bendix is not working every time.  Wouldn't want to be in the middle of a Cannonball day and have her not start.  Her fuel gauge is also broken, but the light comes on when it is 25 miles from running dry.

But Razzo is a 2005, so the handicap is one point better.  It is the fastest of the three, but does not idle well and there is a disturbing knock, that I am hoping is rollers.  It also races when starting, both cold and warm.  Something is up with the choke.  The idle and choke issues probably will have me replacing both the choke and carburetor before the start.

I have tires, belts and exhaust gaskets ready to go.

10 comments:

  1. You could always do a quick parts swap between the three to get Razzo up to snuff, Borrow the carb or autochoke off Rocket?

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    1. I thought about that but like all three to be the best they can be. ScooterPartsCo has carburetors for less than $200 and the choke is around $20. I can swing that.

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    2. Just ordered the carburetor and choke, along with other Cannonball parts, belts, exhaust gaskets, nuts and other stuff. Not cheap but I am not riding in this thing to save money.

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  2. Love your blog, thanks for the post!

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  3. Given my knowledge of the history of each of the three scoots, Razzo would be my choice if I were doing the cannonball. Rocket is in his twilight years and is no doubt looking forward to an easy retirement. Vanessa has a checkered service past that could come back to haunt you somewhere in Kansas. Razzo has been the most reliable of the three. With a new carb and choke and one last run through the transmission, I'm betting its got the stamina to make it all the way. My two cents worth.

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    1. Russ, you are right. But Vanessa has been very sweet recently. 3000 miles so far in 2016 with only the coolant leak. New hoses and she could be good. Maybe save her for 2018.

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    2. Vanessa could be your Memphis bike if you decide you can squeeze in Amerivespa.

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  4. No, Bill you can take a complete backup scooter.

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    Replies
    1. I wish I could, but if Razzo fails, I understand I have a backup that will be riding along.

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