How cold IS it?

[alantf]

Gaaaaaawd!
Didn't realise how prices vary round the world - Just checked what my 5000 km service cost. Including oil & filter it was 39.17 euros (less than $50 ?) Plus, over here they're sooooo obliging. Any little problems - just pop into the workshop & the mechanic'll drop everything, & then fix it for free. Perhaps this is one of the advantages of living in a small village - dunno.

[alanmcorcoran]

Originally Posted by Water Warrior

Alan, did that include checking the valves ?

Not sure. I have the receipt with all the stuff on it at home. I'll give it a look later on. They looked up what had to be done in their service manual.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by alanmcorcoran

Haven't ridden it since then, still enamored with the Strat. But we'll see...

Yea.....you haven't tipped the 'Liner over yet either! :poke2: :biggrin:

[patrick_777]

Hell, he's probably still got the training wheels on it....


...I would.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by patrick_777

Hell, he's probably still got the training wheels on it....

My wife has one like that; it's called a Corolla !! :crackup :haha2:

[alanmcorcoran]

Originally Posted by Easy Rider

Yea.....you haven't tipped the 'Liner over yet either!

I'm not saying that this is not a possibility, but, seriously, for an average 50 year old man, I'd say the odds of me dumping the Strat is really only slightly higher than dumping the GZ. The thing actually handles much better on the highway: it's super smooth, unfazed by wind, has very little reaction to the crappy road surface, and can pass/get out of the way of traffic much better. You do have to make some adjustments for stopping and starting, and, as Easy has pointed out, you don't want to park it in a dead end pointing down. Tha being said, with a little over 300 miles on it, I have already established I can duck walk it up a slight incline, I can push it uphill when off of it (not easy, but doable), I can walk it backward, etc. And I am what you might kindly put as "slightly built."

I know shit (and whoop-shit) can happen, but I really don't think it's an order of magnitude more likely on the Strat.

I had my wife on the back of it for a 52 miler this AM. My only prior experience riding two up was on a tandem. This is a LOT easier than the tandem (the tandem only weighs about 40-45 pounds - do the math on the COG. Plus, it's your muscle that get's it going, and... you can't get it going by taking both your feet off the ground... first.)

Even though she:

1) Had a boyfriend in high school that nearly dumped her off the back.
2) Said boyfriend was killed in a motorcycle accident
3) Had fallen off her only attempt to ride one (thirty odd years ago)

...she said it felt pretty stable and, even suggested I go faster (we were doing 55-60 in the twisties) if I wanted to. Unfortunately, the backseat suffers from GZ seat disease - said her ass was numb 30 mins in. Not sure how people manage multi-hundred milers on the back.

[dan_]

...she said it felt pretty stable and, even suggested I go faster (we were doing 55-60 in the twisties) if I wanted to. Unfortunately, the backseat suffers from GZ seat disease - said her ass was numb 30 mins in. Not sure how people manage multi-hundred milers on the back.

Dude.. Side car. I want one..

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by alanmcorcoran

I'm not saying that this is not a possibility, but, seriously, for an average 50 year old man, I'd say the odds of me dumping the Strat is really only slightly higher than dumping the GZ.

Ah yes, ignorance IS bliss!

I failed to make my point clear. The problem is NOT with the actual drop, meaning 0 mph or near to that, but in trying to pick it back UP again.

If it ever flounders over completely on it's side and you try to pick it up by yourself......it is possible that you will end up with more injuries than an actual crash. If and when it falls over, just swallow your pride and get help.

[dan_]

Yeah 800 pounds is like a baby elephant.

[alanmcorcoran]

Now that is an interesting question. Here's how i was figuring it:

The thing is 800 pounds or so wet.
My experience with "picking things up" is, you have to lift about half the weight, so, if this is true, I'd need to dead lift about 400 pounds.
At my peak, in the gym, (STOP laughing!!) I could only bench 215, (twice!)... but I can lift the whole stack (410 pounds), with my calves, on the shoulder pad machine, like 15 times. (My quads and calves got kind of big when I rode the bicycles, and, although they ain't what they used to be, they don't ever seem to go away completely.)

I'm not sure if I can wedge my ass up against the seat, but if I can somehow get some leg leverage, it's possible that even skinny old me might be able to right the thing. Probably push it right over onto the other side.

Let's hope I never find out.