[lesmore49]

Same here. I'm down only an eighth of a tank (4 gallons) since filling 3 weeks ago. My truck gets about 12 or so per gallon of diesel. Now that Spring is nearly here I'll be using my Honda scooter almost exclusively around town. At 110-120 mpg I don't worry too much about gas prices.

Good idea for around town transportation, a scooter.

One small bike I really like is the new Honda 125cc Trail, looks like a retro of the old Honda Trail from the '60's and '70's. Kind of a on/off road job...or enduro as some might call it.

With a 125cc single cylinder it has enough power to get out of it's way...think it does 60-65 mph at the top end. To me good for town use, and with the Trail suspension, tires, frame, etc...good for some off road work.

Unfortunately only sold in the States, not Canada, although I understand people are pushing Honda Canada to bring it here.

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8...3_afEz0Lu98IK7

[lesmore49]

I recently broke down and asked my doctor to sign a form so I could get a handicap placard for parking, he didn't hesitate.
Haven't used it much yet, but with the arthritis being so bad in my right knee, and a right hip pain getting worse daily it sure has been nice to have at times. I'm walking with a cane now, can't afford another fall.
The day of my PM replacement I couldn't make the walk down a long hall. Mrs Bob wheeled me there.
I truly don't know what I'd do without her by my side.

So far my legs/knees ok, but my shoulder is a plastic replacement and the surgeon told me it's good for 14 years. This October it will 12 years left. I don't want to wear it out prematurely, as if I need another replacement I could be well into my 80's.

This winter I did very little shoveling, to avoid overloading the shoulder, and we made a deal with a neighbour and he does an excellent job clearing our snow. He's a young guy, 62.

I'm not using a cane yet, but when I do go out in our long winter, lately I'm always using a trek pole with a metal spike on it. Don't want to fall and screw something else up.

Geez, the joys of aging...eh.

My wife has a issue with her sciatica, and has been using a cane for over a year now.

But like you #1 with your wife, I also don't know what I would do without my wife.

[lesmore49]

I watched that build for five years, admiring the resourcefulness and tenacity of the kid. What was lacking in knowledge was made up for through determination and perseverance, and apparent natural skill.

I joked the car should be named Patches.

Not once did I ever have reason to think it was a young lady saving this car from the crusher. I am quite impressed with the results.

I've never done much body work, but when I watch TV show where guys...and gals...are fixing the bodies on vehicles....I'm impressed. Lot of skills involved, skills I don't have.

[lesmore49]

I had one while recovering from the last foot surgery. The first thing I did was try and do wheelies and burnouts, and see how fast it would go.

They suck at wheelies, the only way to do a burnout is to lean sideways slightly allowing one of the drive tires to spin, and as for raw speed and acceleration, well, a Chevrolet Chevette accelerates better.

And they don’t do burnouts or wheelies either.

I had a '76 Chevette, 1.6 liter gas four, 4 speed, 4 door. Slow.

A colleague had a Chevette with the Isuzu diesel . He put on somewhere around 380,000 miles and the engine was still going strong, body was pretty well rusted out though. It had a manual 5 speed.

He sold the engine to a commercial fisherman who installed the little Isuzu diesel into his commercial boat, used to fish pickerel (walleye) and whitefish in Lake Winnipeg.

Wikipedia says :

"In 1981, a diesel engine option was new with a late 1981 availability — this is a 1.8-liter Isuzu unit only available coupled to an Isuzu five-speed. "

I don't know much else about this little diesel engine, but my buddy's sure seemed to go on forever.

[Parallax]

One small bike I really like is the new Honda 125cc Trail, looks like a retro of the old Honda Trail from the '60's and '70's. Kind of a on/off road job...or enduro as some might call it.

Mine and Mrs. P's are Metropolitans. 49cc engine. No motorcycle liscense required, no license plates, no registration. Governed (by law) to 40mph. We had to get her a new one last year. Her's, the first one I bought when they were introduced in 2002, finally gave out. We went to the local dealer and he said he had two new ones coming in in a few weeks. This was in October and he'd had them on order since March. About a week later he called and said they were in. She hemmed and hawed about whether to buy it as Winter was almost here. The dealer and I both told here that if she didn't buy it now she wouldn't get another chance. We bought it and it was a good thing. The other one sold the next day and the one we bought likely would have sold within the week if we hadn't taken it.

[Racer X 69]

I recently broke down and asked my doctor to sign a form so I could get a handicap placard for parking, he didn't hesitate.
Haven't used it much yet, but with the arthritis being so bad in my right knee, and a right hip pain getting worse daily it sure has been nice to have at times. I'm walking with a cane now, can't afford another fall.
The day of my PM replacement I couldn't make the walk down a long hall. Mrs Bob wheeled me there.
I truly don't know what I'd do without her by my side.

Behind every great man is an even better woman.

I can relate Bob, as I have an awesome woman too. She never accepts praise for her help, but always offers is selflessly.

Without her I am nothing.


Regarding the disabled parking pass, I’ve had many temporary passes since my first foot surgery in ‘97 (my relationship with Mrs. Racer began with that surgery, she was my ride home). After the last foot surgery I asked for a permanent pass, primarily to reduce the amount of walking at The Big Shed, as parking outside the gate can be a mile or more from the various manufacturing positions in the five different assembly lines. Inside parking is reserved for managers, business related vehicles and equipment, and of course those with disabilities.

Cuts the daily hike down about 75%, even more in some areas.

I wasn’t using it anywhere else, until I took mom to a doctor visit, now I use it when I take her to any function, healthcare, shopping, court visits.

[Racer X 69]

My truck gets about 12 or so per gallon of diesel.

Really?

My '01 gets 15 to 18 running the 30 60 mile round trip to The Big Shed, and I've gotten 19 to 20 on trips, even towing the race trailer.*



*Full disclosure, to get good fuel economy numbers, keep speed under 60 miles an hour. Rolling along at 65 ish, I still get 17 to 18.

[Racer X 69]

Smokey point Shell station today.

[Racer X 69]

Smokey point Shell station today.

That’s twelve bucks a gallon for Tim.

[tim60]

That’s twelve bucks a gallon for Tim.

I see you guys are arriving in the real world. You still get it at bargain basement prices compared with most other places.

I do know diesel and petrol are completely distinct and you cannot use one in place of the other. Would never think of doing that.

[Racer X 69]

I drove a couple miles to the next freeway interchange and paid a bit less.

Worth the drive.

Should have taken my fuel jugs for tractor fuel.

[lesmore49]

Mine and Mrs. P's are Metropolitans. 49cc engine. No motorcycle liscense required, no license plates, no registration. Governed (by law) to 40mph. We had to get her a new one last year. Her's, the first one I bought when they were introduced in 2002, finally gave out. We went to the local dealer and he said he had two new ones coming in in a few weeks. This was in October and he'd had them on order since March. About a week later he called and said they were in. She hemmed and hawed about whether to buy it as Winter was almost here. The dealer and I both told here that if she didn't buy it now she wouldn't get another chance. We bought it and it was a good thing. The other one sold the next day and the one we bought likely would have sold within the week if we hadn't taken it.

Back in the '60's my sister had a Honda 50, actually 49cc Cub. The one where you meet the nicest people on a Honda as the advert went back then.

I had a Czechoslovakian made '65 Jawa 50cc. It had a 3 speed transmission, was a 2 stroke single, got tremendous MPG and would do 41 mph, flat out. I took it for a 'land speed record attempt, took the muffler baffle out...for less exhaust restriction, bent down flat to create less wind resistance and held the throttle open, as long as I dared. Got it up to 44 mph, but the road may had a bit of downward slope. Can't recall. No battery, just a magneto, so at night jad to keep the engine revved up for adequate light.

I do think having a small runabout, for city or town use is a great idea. On my Jawa I had a luggage rack with a spring loaded metal hold down and also used bungee cords to tie down groceries, etc.

Bet your wife will love it. Very handy vehicles. Our neighbours have a couple of Yamaha 50cc similar scooters. They've had them for 15 years or so.

[Parallax]

Really?

My '01 gets 15 to 18 running the 30 60 mile round trip to The Big Shed, and I've gotten 19 to 20 on trips, even towing the race trailer.*

Yep 20 years difference in "technology". Without the camper I get about 17-18.
Only a bunch of ignorant bureaucrats could figure that adding "pollution control" measures like EGR, and dumping (and burning) raw fuel to burn off unburned fuel components, that ultimately result in 30% more fuel consumption reduce pollution. Thank heaven the EPA is looking out for us!

[lesmore49]

I drove a couple miles to the next freeway interchange and paid a bit less.

Worth the drive.

Should have taken my fuel jugs for tractor fuel.

A FIL was a farmer. He had two large fuel tanks mounted on a platforms in his farm yard. One full of diesel, of full of gas. Both fuels had a special dye in them. They were classified as fuel for farm use only.

But he would get them filled up, trying to buy when fuel seemed cheapest...a futile guess most of the time.

But it was handy for him, as the fuel would remain fairly fresh as he would go through a lot of both fuels for his farm vehicles.

They were always locked, due to possibility of theft of fuel.

[savoche]

Welllll, it did expire a couple years ago.

OTH, how does rotten fish expire?

That's right. There is no such thing as an expiration date for surströmming. It just gets, umm, "better" over time. If you happen to find a bulging can you're really in for a treat. No, seriously. In the alternative reality of surströmming afficionados the stuff simply can't be too fermented

Good thing we don't eat that stuff in Norway. We stick to nice things like rakfisk instead

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