Has he lost his mind?

[Diana]

So, Tom comes home and says, “I bought you a present!” Oh, how sweet! He bought me a present! “I think it’s something you want!” Ohhhh, now I’m suspicious. After the assembly (without instructions being read), I’m off riding on this funny little battery-powered scooter thingy he bought “for me”. We couldn’t find the kill switch, but no problem. Experimenting with full throttle was interesting, as it got stuck at full throttle and I’m yelling, “Where is the kill switch!” and Tom is yelling, “Head for the TALL grass!!!!!!”

So, I send him to town to take it back. He comes back even more pleased with himself than the first time. Now we have a miniature Harley-type two-cycle thingy with flames painted on the gas tank. Tom says, “This will be even better for you to check the runways!” as he goes zooming off on my new present. What happened to walking the runways to check them out?

Oh well, the man is happy, so I’m happy with my new present.

 

[Shipoke]

Sounds to me like Tom got the NEW Present Diana, but he might let you use it too (lol)
Dave G.

 

[fgcason]

Uh oh. Diana turning into a biker girl again.

Hammerheads are verbotten unless it's in the Citabria.

 

[Diana]

Hammerheads are verbotten unless it's in the Citabria.

LOL! I wonder if it will do a "wheelie"?

Pictures, eh? I'll post some tomorrow if you promise not to laugh!

 

[fgcason]

LOL! I wonder if it will do a "wheelie"?

LOL! I wonder if Diana has crash gear?

Pictures, eh? I'll post some tomorrow if you promise not to laugh!

I'll try to not laugh. No one will know if I do. Close enough?

 

[Lawreston]

LOL! I wonder if it will do a "wheelie"?

Pictures, eh? I'll post some tomorrow if you promise not to laugh!

Will it fit in the baggage compartment? If so, HR has to have one.

HR

 

[etsisk]

LOL! I wonder if it will do a "wheelie"?

Pictures, eh? I'll post some tomorrow if you promise not to laugh!

Oh, yeah - we won't laugh. Honest. No way. Really. Promise!


[where's the saint icon when ya need one???]

 

[markb5900]

We won't laugh, we PROMISE!

 

[Dean]

Uh oh. Diana turning into a biker girl again.

Next thing you know she will be wearing black leather.

 

[Diana]

Oh, yeah - we won't laugh. Honest. No way. Really. Promise!

OK, here's a few shots without people. Don't laugh!

And btw, here are a few of my favorite quotes from the instruction manual. The instruction manual is interesting…obviously translated from some other language, or at least a different version of English. I left the typos intact.

Notice:

Do not operate this scooter while there is electronic magnetic induction or you have ever taken sone medicine or wine.

Tire pressure:

If the pressure is excessive, it shall cause some jounces.

Troubleshooting:

4. The engine be idle.

4.1 The wind flow hole in the gas cap is blocked by dunghills.
4.2 There are dregs or leakages in the fuel way, or the oil filter in the in-oil tube is blocked by dunghills.

Last disclaimer:

If there are some djfferences or unconformities with this manual due to the improvements, please show understanding and do not mind.


Anybody know what "electronic magnetic induction" means or what a "dunghill" is?

We decided to leave the rear view mirrors off, since we can't ride it on roads, so why look back? Unless it's to check our "six" for landing aircraft while on the runways.

So, far, I see no usual purpose for this little bike (it's too heavy to take in the airplane), but Tom seems to like it, so that's good enough.

 

[markb5900]

We want to see you in all your "leathers" riding that around Gastons this year.
Have someone bring it for you in a pickup.

Mark B.

 

[Diana]

We want to see you in all your "leathers" riding that around Gastons this year.
Have someone bring it for you in a pickup.

Hey, you just found a good use for it! Great idea (except for the leather part!). Maybe we can attach a "Follow Me" sign on the back of it.

 

[etsisk]

Gitcher motor runnin' . . .
Head out to the runway -
Lookin' for obstructions,
Or whatever's in the way!

Oh lord, I've gotta lead this traffic-
Ya gotta go where I tell ya, Bub!
Got none of those fancy hangars -
tie 'em down on a shrub!

Born to be wi-i-ild!

 

[fgcason]

Diana's Hecks Angels superbike!

Diana, head bikerchika of Hecks Angels!

Interesting toy. I particularly like the engine behind an engine concept. Lose one, yank the cord, keep going.
Of course if I'm following the cable properly in the pictures, I'd dump myself the first time I grabbed a handful of clutch on that since it appears to be run to the rear brake.

I just have one question: Why does a toy have more instrument gauges than my real motorcycle? Speedometer, tach and ???

Anybody know what "electronic magnetic induction" means or what a "dunghill" is?

"electronic magnetic induction" : nearby nuclear blast
"dunghill" : dung collected and put in a pile by dung beetles. (just don't drive it though icky cow patties and you'll be ok)

So, far, I see no usual purpose for this little bike (it's too heavy to take in the airplane), but Tom seems to like it, so that's good enough.

This likely falls into the phrase equivalency category: “I bought you a present!” = "I though this was really cool and wanted it but if I say I bought it for myself, she'll kill me so it's hers and I get to ride it."

Put your leathers on, tell Tom to get the cameras out and take it for a cruise down the runway.

P.S. Get your riding in while you can. When the kids visit, they're going to be all over that thing the instant they find it. They'll ride the wheels off it.

 

[Diana]

Gitcher motor runnin' . . .
Head out to the runway -
Lookin' for obstructions,
Or whatever's in the way!

Oh lord, I've gotta lead this traffic-
Ya gotta go where I tell ya, Bub!
Got none of those fancy hangars -
tie 'em down on a shrub!

Born to be wi-i-ild!

LOL! That's great Tom! But, now that song is stuck in my head!

 

[Diana]

Re: Diana's Hecks Angels superbike!

I just have one question: Why does a toy have more instrument gauges than my real motorcycle? Speedometer, tach and ???

Turn signal indicator. I'm thinking that hazard lights would be more appropriate.

"electronic magnetic induction" : nearby nuclear blast

"dunghill" : dung collected and put in a pile by dung beetles. (just don't drive it though icky cow patties and you'll be ok)

This likely falls into the phrase equivalency category: “I bought you a present!” = "I though this was really cool and wanted it but if I say I bought it for myself, she'll kill me so it's hers and I get to ride it."

That's kinda what I figured.

P.S. Get your riding in while you can. When the kids visit, they're going to be all over that thing the instant they find it. They'll ride the wheels off it.

I think the grown kids will want to go zipping around on it. Surely it will be safer than parasailing behind the truck on the runways, like we did one year. What were we thinking?

 

[fgcason]

Re: Diana's Hecks Angels superbike!

I think the grown kids will want to go zipping around on it. Surely it will be safer than parasailing behind the truck on the runways, like we did one year. What were we thinking?

Parasailing down the runway behind the truck??!! Dang! There's just way too much fun going on at your place. I'm going to have to make a detour through your playground one of these days.

 

[SkyHog]

LOL - I am actually saving up for a few of those for a friend and I to have something dorky fun to do. But not that one - this one:

 

[Diana]

Re: Diana's Hecks Angels superbike!

Parasailing down the runway behind the truck??!! Dang! There's just way too much fun going on at your place.

Well, I certainly wouldn't recommend it and won't be doing it again. What were we thinking? The guy that brought the rig said it would be safe, but we found out later that he had only done it behind his boat and never on land.

Well, Tom is still having fun with my present. He zipped by the deck Sunday honking the little horn so I could come out and watch him. I got out there just in time to see him wreck it. He's never ridden a motorized bike before. We've spent more time in the hot tub since he got it.

I'm going to have to make a detour through your playground one of these days.

I hope you do! I'm counting on it.

 

[p8cleared2land]

Too fun, Diana!

Out here in Idaho we don't have fancy toys like parasails. We wait until winter time to tie a rope to the back of a pickup and attach it to an inner-tube. The idea is to load the kids on it and head for the nearest highway. The ones who make it home get dinner. This has saved countless dollars on the food budget for many families, thereby boosting our local economy. I'm thinking that those of us who made it through our parents' "fun" had good genes. Sorta a natural selection thing.

Another possibility on the gift thing:

"I bought you a present" = "The guys would die if they saw me on this, so I'll say it's Diana's."

 

[Bill]

Out here in Idaho we don't have fancy toys like parasails. We wait until winter time to tie a rope to the back of a pickup and attach it to an inner-tube. The idea is to load the kids on it and head for the nearest highway. The ones who make it home get dinner. This has saved countless dollars on the food budget for many families, thereby boosting our local economy. I'm thinking that those of us who made it through our parents' "fun" had good genes. Sorta a natural selection thing.

I buddy from Wisconsin taught us about what he called skeeching (or something like that, and who knows how it is spelled). Basically, croutch in a kneeling position on your boots behind a car, and grab hold of the bumper. Car driver takes off, you hold on, and try to "skeech" as long as you can. Winters must be long in Wisconsin...

 

[mikea]

I buddy from Wisconsin taught us about what he called skeeching (or something like that, and who knows how it is spelled). Basically, croutch in a kneeling position on your boots behind a car, and grab hold of the bumper. Car driver takes off, you hold on, and try to "skeech" as long as you can. Winters must be long in Wisconsin...

Kids have been doing that anywhere it snows since cars were invented.

 

[Bill]

Kids have been doing that anywhere it snows since cars were invented.

OK, I'll file that under "sheltered life".

 

[fgcason]

Out here in Idaho we don't have fancy toys like parasails. We wait until winter time to tie a rope to the back of a pickup and attach it to an inner-tube. The idea is to load the kids on it and head for the nearest highway. The ones who make it home get dinner. This has saved countless dollars on the food budget for many families, thereby boosting our local economy.

I haven't done that in forever! We used a kind of home made toboggan instead of innertube. It was great fun. "If you're going under the truck, jump and if you screw that up just keep your head down."

I'm thinking that those of us who made it through our parents' "fun" had good genes. Sorta a natural selection thing.

The horror stories I could tell about what dad encouraged us to do. We did it willingly but that stuff just couldn't be considered safe even by the wildest stretch of the imagination. Boat heads to the beach at just under the speed of light and turns 90 deg then you let go of the rope and ski up onto the shore at speed. - Wet beach sand is harder than concrete. That has to be way up in the the most violent impacts you can possibly survive category especially for the just before beaching crashes. I sometimes think innocent kids in perfect health were walking down the street and just fell over dead for no observable reason just so the law of averages could be happy with our survival rate.

 

[DeeG]

That has got to be the cutest danged thing I've seen in a while. Only problem is, your cylinders are pointing in the wrong direction. Bad design, inefficient cooling that way. maybe you can twist 'em a bit........

 

[gkainz]

We started out pulling kids on innertubes behind a horse. When that got too slow, we moved up to jeeps pulling kids on car hoods, migrated to snowmobiles pulling kids on anything that you could sit on. 60 mph across a frozen lake, no helmets ... what WERE we thinking?

 

[Bill]

maybe you can twist 'em a bit........

And then pull'em down so they stick straight in and out...

 

[etsisk]

I've put a few thousand miles on BMWs and have friends with Guzzis - one was telling me a story about riding with a Beemer rider and stopping at a gas station. Some relatively unknowledgeable person was asking "how come his motor sticks straight out (pointing at the BMW) and your's is pointing up (pointing at the Guzzi)?" My Guzzi riding friend told him that he had overheated his bike and the cylinders rode up - he expected he'd have to heat it back up and pull em back down where they belonged...

 

[gkainz]

I've put a few thousand miles on BMWs and have friends with Guzzis - one was telling me a story about riding with a Beemer rider and stopping at a gas station. Some relatively unknowledgeable person was asking "how come his motor sticks straight out (pointing at the BMW) and your's is pointing up (pointing at the Guzzi)?" My Guzzi riding friend told him that he had overheated his bike and the cylinders rode up - he expected he'd have to heat it back up and pull em back down where they belonged...

"That last tank of gas must have been laced with Viagra!"

 

[fgcason]

And then pull'em down so they stick straight in and out...

Or stand them up in the airflow.

 

[p8cleared2land]

"If you're going under the truck, jump and if you screw that up just keep your head down."

Oh yeah...

Boat heads to the beach at just under the speed of light and turns 90 deg then you let go of the rope and ski up onto the shore at speed. - Wet beach sand is harder than concrete.

Debatable...I've done both. Concrete feels almost hard when you are being pulled by a pickup on a homemade "checkboard" down an irrigation canal and you make the classic mistake of "forgetting to let go."

I don't know. Mom and Dad seemed so nurturing. What were they thinking when they said things like, "Here kids, take the pickup [454cc engine, no seatbelts] and go swimming [chemical-laden, parasite-infested canal]. You deserve it after the hard work you've done spraying the back forty [with DDT]."

AND, how many things have we forgotten? Things buried in the deepest recesses of our psyches because they just didn't jive with our parents' proclaimed concern for our health? And, what exactly, were they doing while we were off skiing/swimming/racing the pickup?

 

[fgcason]

Debatable...I've done both. Concrete feels almost hard when you are being pulled by a pickup on a homemade "checkboard" down an irrigation canal and you make the classic mistake of "forgetting to let go."

Me too. When you have to start working out which one is worse, it's just going to be a brutal ride either way.

You don't forget to let go. You're too terrified to let go because letting go is going to hurt when you go down...then again, if you don't let go it's going to hurt when you go down.

"Quit running around the house with the scissors, that's dangerous. Here's the chainsaw, go make some more firewood."

 

[etsisk]

Oh yeah...
I don't know. Mom and Dad seemed so nurturing. What were they thinking ...

Petra, only one explanation: they just didn't like ya.

Mom: what are we going to do? She's still hanging around??

Dad: Hey, I know! Petra, sweetie, here's the keys to the pickup! Go play in the canal!!

(sometime later...)

Mom: What are we going to do? She's still hanging around...


just kidding!

 

[Lawreston]

Dunghill: Is that what your Citabria is excreting into the bottle beneath its tail?

HR

 

[DeeG]

And then pull'em down so they stick straight in and out...

Saggy vs perky. hehehe

This is our next bike. I didn't care for the bright blue one, I liked the black one better, but the cream colored one, wow...... BMW dealer told us there about 8 or 9 NEW bikes, still in the crates, scattered throughout the US. I hope to have mine by springtime.

 

[DeeG]

Or stand them up in the airflow.

Nice, classic Honda, Frank. Is it yours? Too bad they don't sell anything like that anymore. You get 250cc then you have to jump up to 750cc. I'd love to add a pair of Rebel 450's to our 'stable'.

 

[Diana]

Dunghill: Is that what your Citabria is excreting into the bottle beneath its tail?

HR

LOL! That's what it looks like!

Actually, that's my new extended breather tube. Did you notice the water bottle matches the color of the airplane?

 

[fgcason]

Nice, classic Honda, Frank. Is it yours?

Thank you! That's my 1982 CB650. It's about as honest as they come and has character. (I think the older style looks better than the newer ones)

Give me a few years. I'm going to do a Tom Downey annual on it. It's going to be really nice.

 

[Bill]

but the cream colored one, wow...... I hope to have mine by springtime.

Happy Hunting!

 

[Lawreston]

LOL! That's what it looks like!

Actually, that's my new extended breather tube. Did you notice the water bottle matches the color of the airplane?

Why, yeah! And I'll bet y'all have shoes to match.

HR