Scootin' In The Sun

I had a dentist appointment 45 minute ride away. The worse part, it was at 2 p.m. and ended at 3:45 p.m. and the heat got to 109 degrees outside. Now for Phoenix, that's about average, but I try to never ride that much at that time of the day. I rode there in my leather jacket and gloves (to be safe) and cooled off in the air conditioned foyer. After my appointment I wasn't looking forward to the ride home. Slowly I walked to the scooter and got ready to ride. I started it up, put the jacket, helmet, and gloves on and got ready to rock it off the stand...but just then I realized, it's leaning to the side. This baffled me, "My stand doesn't tilt the scooter sideways!" I thought. My mind went to thinking that someone hit or slammed their door into my blue scoot and left it in it's misery. But it was still standing and running so I tried to rock it. It was stuck. After a few tries, it rocked loose and started to roll a bit. As I backed away I realized the reason for it's crookedness-- it sank into the asphalt! I couldn't believe it. I guess that's what happens in the heat however. Now my scooter's left a permanent mark in the dentist's lot, and I like it!

Oh and by the way, my Chineese battery is working fantastically.

8000

Each thousand miles on a scooter is a big step for me. Sure a scooter can easily go many more miles, but it's the adventures and fun that are had that sets it apart. In the past thousand miles, my scoot has taken me to be a photographer at several weddings. We've layed out together in the middle of the street. I've both sweat and bled all on my scooter. And even better, my wife and I have had countless rides. Somehow, every mile seems like much more than ever in my car. I have the joy of knowing it's more economical, eco-friendly, and flat out more fun. I've now had my third rear tire placed, third battery, and it continues to purr like a...a scooter.

This time, the thousand mile mark was made returning from a birthday celebration with my wife's family. We rode into the clear Arizona sunset. It was perfect!

Batteries...

'Will this burn a hole in my hand if I spill it?' The question I'm glad I don't have to think about on any regular basis wouldn't leave my mind as I carefully squeezed my bottle of sulphuric acid. The box, bottle, and everything else with the whole package reminded me of my chemistry classes in college--only, this was my garage, the temperature warmer than stated I should be playing with the acid, and my money if I ruin anything. Sure I may have been a little paranoid, but I never filled a battery before and this task kept my scoot in the garage, lifeless. All I needed to do was give this Chinese-import battery a blood transfusion. Weird thing is that I was more nervous about doing the battery acid transfusion than a real-life blood transfusion in the hospital--I know how to do those.

Well, after 25 minutes of stressed out cautions to myself, the battery was full. I did it! After following the further instructions, my battery and scooter are now alive again! However, I really don't know if I want to go the cheap battery route again. Sure gives me a little more appreciation for the more expensive closed cell counterparts.

Cheap Battery?! Environmentally UN-Friendly

So once again, my battery has died. Being now 3 years or persistent driving, my first battery lived 1 year, the second 2, and now here comes the third. With the increasingly connectedness of the world through the Internet I've balked at the $80-$90 price tag for a new one and looked at cheaper options. This is what I found: batteries online! Well, it seems great and all that the batteries are more than 1/2 the price at the dealers, but the one I bought was dry--no battery acid. Don't get me wrong, I knew it from the description, called up my local Checker Auto Parts store, and the guy told me, "Sure we carry that. $6.00 should get you what you need." The battery has now been delivered, and today I went to get the sulfuric acid. I went to Checker and they said and they hauled a car battery sized box, "$18.97." "What?!" I asked them for a smaller box and they said they had none.

I went home and looked at my useless battery which now seemed to laugh at me. "This fight is not yet over!" I thought to myself. The next thing I did was call 5 or so local motorcycle shops as per the guaranteed solution I received from some online question and answer page. None carried it! Finally, good 'ole Napa Auto Parts had 1 in stock for $13.00. So here I am, spent $31.00 on a

battery, $13.00 on acid, and still have the exciting work to fill the battery's tiny holes without spilling and burning my hands or a hole in the cement.

One of the shops told me that battery acid is becoming very hard to find nowadays as batteries are now "closed." "Makes it more enviornmentally friendly" another motorcycle shop lady said with much irritation to my environmental ignorance.