Last month we exposed Sacramento scooterist to the jewel of Yolo County. No, I’m not talking about Cache Creek Casino (though we haven’t ruled that out for a group ride one of these days). I’m talking about the quaint little river town of Knights Landing.

Not much to stop and look at in Knights Landing, so…we didn’t.  Instead, we buzzed right through, choosing instead to enjoy the other portions of this scenic route. May’s shop ride led scooterists north out of West Sac along River Road which winded it’s way up the Sacramento River as cool water breezes and warm Spring air made for a delightful cruise. Our group just brushed the outskirts of Woodland as we turned north and headed along Road 102 toward Knights Landing. We then scooted back over to the river’s edge and hopped up on the narrow, but peaceful levee road.  After winding our way into Knights Landing, we headed back to base at The Scoot Shop.

There were zero breakdowns or mechanical issues on this ride and were it not for a vintage running out of fuel (in town so not a huge issue), this was a near perfect ride. The pace was good and the ride leader carefully briefed all the aspects of the route to be aware of before we departed. When the riders returned to the shop, they were rewarded with a special deal just for them - - a little thank you for participating in the ride. Several riders took advantage of a deep discount on our popular Mad Maps, which detail dozens of scooter and motorcycle routes across Northern California and the Sierras. We like the idea of a "Rider-only" "Ride-day" special and plan on continuing the new tradition for our future months’ rides.

We hope to have all our riders back for next month’s ride and are always eager to see new faces, as well. Between now and then, stay safe and get scootin’!

Tires may very well be the most overlooked part of a scooter. But ask any professional and they’ll tell you that along with suspension and brakes, your tires are the most important component on your scoot. Unlike a car that has four wheels (Really!? Since when?), scooters rely on just two (narrow) wheels touching the road to not only maintain traction, but to transfer power to the ground and keep you upright. Your scooter tire has to be soft enough to maintain traction in all conditions, yet hard enough to last more than a few hundred miles. That’s why today’s motorcycle and scooter tires are quite a bit more sophisticated than some people might think.

Most owners are largely concerned (and rightly so) with getting the most mileage out of their tires. Tires and tire changes aren’t free. We’ve seen quality, name brand tires wear out in as little as 3000 miles. But keep in mind that, generally speaking, the longer a tire lasts, the harder the rubber. And hard rubber doesn’t tend to "grab" the road as well as softer rubber. Additionally, how you ride can impact your tire’s lifespan, as well. A 30 mile daily commute, straight shot down Highway 50 is going to wear your rubber faster than short trips in town to the store or even a weekend ride in the "twisties".  

So, as with many aspects of scootering, the "right" tire comes down to a matter of what kind of riding you are going to be doing. Again, generally speaking, your scooter’s manufacturer matched your scoot up with the best type of tire for the particular application. It’s best to consult the experts when considering switching tires. Now, how do you tell when your tire has reached its limit?

There are a number of factors and indicators to look for. The first is the tread-wear indicator that’s built into your tire. Typically, there is a small arrow (a triangle shape, usually) that is raised on the sidewall that points across the tread face to "bars" of rubber between the tread. When this bar is even with the surface of the tread, you’ve reached the recommended minimum tread depth. Most often, tire manufacturers recommend a minimum tread depthof 1.5mm. You can check this depth with a depth gauge or the old trick of taking a penny and turning Abe upside down and sticking him between the tread. If the top of the tread doesn’t come to the top of Abe’s head, it’s time to replace your tire.

Another thing to look for on your tires, especially on an older bike, or when considering purchasing a used bike, is cracking. Tires begin "off-gassing" the second they come off the assembly line and the rubber continues to degrade and breakdown forever. Eventually, as the rubber becomes dry and brittle, small cracks will form, usually on the sidewalls and along the tread valleys. This is bad and is a sure indicator that it’s time to replace your tire.

For this reason, the lifespan of a tire, regardless of mileage, is generally no more than seven years. You can actually check the date your tire was manufactured by looking for a 4-digit code on the sidewall. This code is stamped on the tire and is usually found near the D.O.T. stamp. The first two digits represent the week of the year the tire was manufactured (52 weeks in a year), while the second represents the year. So, "3808" would be the 38th week of 2008 (or the week of September 15th, 2008).

So, we know age and mileage wear out tires. What else do you need to know? Tire inflation, either over-inflation or under-inflation can cause uneven wear to your tires and reduce their service life. Under-inflation, in addition to making for poor fuel economy, will cause the face of your tires to "cup". The outer portions of the tread face will wear faster than the center strip. These outer strips are often softer rubber than the center strip (remember that it’s the outer strip that’s maintaining contact with the road in a corner). Under-inflation is often the cause of premature tire failure.

We see it all too often. Customers will bring their scoot in for service, only to find that they were 10-20 psi low or more. Often times, the air gauge actually reads zero! Yikes! It’s so important to check your tire pressure often. But many of us don’t think about it or don’t want to fuss with it. Not to worry. There is an easier way. Special valve stem caps (available at your favorite scooter shop) are designed to instantly show you, at a glance, if your tire pressure has dropped 2-3 psi from the recommended pressure. Trust me, they’re worth every penny.

A safe scooter starts with a good set of tires. Stop in today for a free tire inspection. We’re more than happy to do whatever it takes to keep you on the road and as safe as possible. Now, get out there and get scootin’!

You may not believe it, but trust us…neither did their owners. We’ve already seen more than one scooter come in this season for service after their owner reported, "I was riding and all of a sudden it just died and I couldn’t start it again." After closer inspection we find that the engine is seized up. The culprit…no oil!

While not bone dry, several more scooters this year have come in with dangerously low oil levels. In these cases, catastrophic damage may have been only a few miles away. No oil? How could this be? Oil is the lifeblood of any combustion engine. Everyone checks their oil, right? Wrong. 

We understand that, as with cars, not every scooter owner is interested or inclined to check their own fluid levels. And for the most part, that might be fine as long as you are bringing in your scoot for service on a regular basis. We’d love to service your scooter for you, but there are some basic checks that should be performed periodically at the user level. Checking your engine oil level is one of those basic checks. "I didn’t even know where my dipstick was," is not an ok response to dangerously low engine oil.

Motor oil performs five basic functions: lubricates, cleans, seals, cools and protects. Typical scooter engines utilize a wet sump oiling system where engine oil collects at the bottom of the crankcase. When the engine is running, an oil pump circulates the oil throughout the engine by way of a series of ports where oil squirts out onto the moving parts. Most oil pumps are "constant displacement" which means that in order for oil to be pushed out of the pump, oil has to be sucked into the pump (thus "displacing" the oil in the pump).

If your engine oil level is too low, you may not be getting oil to the key places in your engine where it is needed. The oil will not be able to do its job. It won’t be able to reduce friction (lubricate), thus causing excess wear to critical components like your piston, rings and cylinder walls. It won’t be able to keep the engine cool, which not only risks seizing your engine, but affects the ratio/mixture of air and fuel in your engine.  It won’t be able to protect the metal from corrosion. It won’t be able to seal the cylinder as the piston moves up and down, thereby creating a loss of power. And it won’t be able to keep your engine clean by removing harmful particles to be suspended and filtered out by the oil filter.

OK, so I’ve convinced you that its vitally important to check your engine oil. So now the question is, "how" and "how often"? To find the answers to these types of questions, the first place to look is always your owner’s manual. As a general rule, I would say you should check your oil at least once a month.  The easiest way to get into the practice of checking your oil is to make it a habit. Find a set time each month, say… every Friday before you ride home from work or every pay day, that you will always check your oil. You could keep an oil rag in a ziplock baggie under the seat. Plus, stash away a couple of Grease Monkey wipes for quick and easy clean-up. Lastly, how you check your oil is also important.

Again, always consult your owner’s manual first. The customary way to check your oil is to let your engine warm up to operating temperature by letting it idle for about 15 minutes. Then, cut the engine and with your scoot on level ground, you can remove the dipstick. Wipe the dipstick with a clean, no-fiber cloth (you don’t need lint getting in your engine). Now, this is where you really should consult your owner’s manual, because most dipsticks are designed to be inserted back into the hole, but not screwed down when checking the level. In that case, simply push the dipstick back down the hole and pull it back out. There should be markings on the end of your dipstick indicating the low and high oil level marks. For safe operation of your scooter, the oil level (as indicated by how high on the stick the oil is) should be between those two marks. If you are low, add the recommended oil for your scooter. If you are high, call us so we can assist you with that.

Congratulations! You just preserved the life of your two-wheeled little buddy. Now get out there and get scootin’!

I realized that many of you have not yet met Destiny, our intern here at The Scoot Shop.  Destiny started a few months ago and has been working on a project to help us get our parts and other miscellaneous items organized back in the shop.  I asked Destiny, a student at The Met Sacramento, to write an entry for us and this is her first contribution to The Scoot Shop’s blog.  If you stop by on a Tuesday or Thursday, make sure to say hi to Destiny and tell her a neat fact about you and your scoot! 

“Before I came to intern at The Scoot Shop, I thought nothing more of scooters then them being “cute”.  I didn’t see them very often mostly because I didn’t know what I was looking for.  Having never been exposed to the Scooter world before, I didn’t know there was much else out there other than the traditional Vespas.

Thank goodness that all changed about 4 months ago, when I took my first steps into The Scoot Shop.  I am now fully aware that scooters come in all different colors, shapes, sizes, makes and models.  Plus, there are tons of accessories from gloves and jackets to cup holders and bungee nets! 

I love being here!  The people we meet are amazing, and the stories we hear are incredible.  I think the most important piece of info to pass on is always, always, ALWAYS wear a helmet!!!

I look forward to riding a scooter of my very own so I, too, can know what it’s like to scoot.  I can’t wait to be part of the scooter movment.

I wanna Ride!”

Destiny Marrison

On Wednesday we were excited to have the opportunity to visit the San Francisco headquarters of Ultra Motor, makers of the hottest electric bikes on the market. We get lots of requests at The Scoot Shop for alternative transportation options. Therefore, we did a bit of research and discovered Ultra Motor’s awesome lineup featuring the A2B Metro and Velociti models. These electric bicycles are designed and engineered in Berlin, Germany and manufactured in Taiwan. The bikes offer plenty of power and best of all, require no special registration or license! You can significantly reduce your carbon footprint by going with a zero-emission vehicle without sacrificing power and fun.

While in SF, we met with several members of the Ultra Motor team.
We are confident from our experiences with Ultra Motor that they offer the highest level of customer service as well as excellent dealer support. We got hands on technical demonstrations and, of course, tested out the different models. The Scoot Shop will start with 3 electric bikes, the Portia, A2B Velociti and A2B Metro. We have several colors in stock and can easily get anything we don’t have so you can get on the road fast. Once you try one of these A2B bikes, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without one.

Offering another option for scooting around Sac, the A2B electric bikes also have optional accessories, making them the perfect commuter vehicle. You can load it up and go. With the ability to peddle or use the throttle it’s up to you how hard you want to work to get there. Heavy on the torque, the A2B can pull you up a hill if you get tired or just help you get where you’re going faster. We are very impressed with the build quality and fantastic modern design of the A2B products. We’re told by the folks at Ultra Motor that electric bikes are popular with couples looking for a fun activity to do together. With the holidays quickly approaching, consider a pair of A2B electric bikes. Come by The Scoot Shop and see them for yourself, they’re even better in person!

The seasons are changing, and The Scoot Shop is gearing up for our second winter in Midtown! As scooter riders in the Sacramento Valley, this time of year leaves us all with just two options for our scoots: winterize and store them so we can hunker down and wait for spring; or wrap up in layers and enjoy those brisk morning rides. Luckily, The Scoot Shop has you and your scooter covered whichever option you choose.

• Option #1: Pack it up and wait for warm weather!
  If you get ANYTHING out of what I’m writing to you today, please let it be this: DON’T just pull your scooter into the garage and park it for the winter! When scoots sit for more than a month or two without being ridden, things can start to go wrong. If you leave your scooter “as is” over winter, you may wake up in spring to find it unable to start, and in need of some repairs. These can be anything from a minor annoyance, such as needing a new battery, to a pretty major service, such as needing carburetor work, or even a new fuel tank! These issues happen because batteries self discharge, and require a “trickle charge” when not in use, and because components in oil and fuel break down and leave a goopy sludge that can seriously clog, or corrode parts in your bike. This news may worry you, and frankly, it should! Being proactive now will save you lots of headaches later. Winterization and proper storage of a scooter can be a real pain though, which is why The Scoot Shop has a plan to take all of the stress out of the process, to allow you to sip your cocoa by the fire in peace. We call it our Scooter Hibernation Package!
  This is the perfect option for those of you getting ready to call it a season. This awesome package offers it all:
  * Pick up of your scooter from your home or office within 5 miles of The Scoot Shop*
  * Full wash with Motul scooter cleaner and protectant. (Road grime and bugs lefts on the paint will deteriorate
  your finish before you can blink an eye)
  * Oil and filter change (4 stroke) or top off (2 stroke)
  * Transmission fluid change
  * Coolant flush and refill with anti-freeze (liquid cooled bikes)
  * Fuel stabilizer added to gas and run through engine / carb
  * Indoor storage in our secure building on an insulated storage pad
  * Safety check of major components in the spring.
  * Spring shower with Motul protective scooter wash
  * Delivery of your scooter back to you ready to hit the road in spring! *

        You get all of this, a $700 value, for the price of just $450. The Scoot Shop is proud to be the only shop in the region to offer such a package, and with limited spaces available, we’re sure to book up fast. If you’re not quite ready to leave summer behind, you can reserve your space now with a deposit, or pay in full if you want to start your package soon. As I said, these spaces WILL fill up, and with other area facilities charging up to $100 per MONTH for storage, you won’t want to be left out in the cold.

       Now then, for those of us planning to brave the elements and charge on through winter, let’s move on to option #2.

       Option #2: Gearing up for Winter Fun!
For some of us, it’s a calling- for others, just an intense disdain for riding public transit! We each have our own reasons for scooting all winter long, but there is one thing we have in common: a need to stay warm, dry and safe! I personally fall into this category of intrepid people who enjoy their scooters all year long, so I’ve compiled a list of things I plan to do to get ready for winter. The list is not all inclusive; there are certainly other things you can do, and more gear you can buy, but this will at least get you off to a good start. Here we go.
       1st things first: take care of the machine! Go and get your oil changed, and use 5W40 instead of 10W40 to make it easier on your scooter in the cold months. While you’re doing that, go ahead and be sure to get antifreeze into your coolant as well- you can’t be too safe around here. Also, PLEASE check that your tires have good tread, and that your brakes are in good shape to keep you safe on the wet roads. Now that the chores are done, let the fun begin! (Oh come on, you know you love to get new scooter gear!)
The number one thing you will be grateful for when it’s chilly: a full face helmet! Get yourself a nice comfortable full face or modular helmet which will keep you warmer and dry, and safer than a ½ or ¾ helmet will. Next, I strongly recommend a winter armored jacket. If you wear a mesh jacket (or no jacket at all) in summer, then you need a nice quality jacket to serve as a three season comfort. You know you’re going to need a jacket anyways to keep warm, so you might as well buy one that will make you more visible to drivers who stop looking for two-wheel vehicles during winter. Also, with wet roads and gusty winds, the armor can add a nice sense of security to your ride. I ride in a Corazzo 5.0 jacket, and I find it to be very comfortable in almost all weather conditions. Along with the jacket, I add in an underhoody by Corazzo. Which adds an extra layer of warmth, along with a hood that is designed to fit under a helmet to keep your neck and face warm without bunching up or blocking your vision.
       Now that our heads and torsos are covered, let’s move onto the legs! I’m going to be investing in a couple of pairs of Kevlar padded jeans for extra protection, as well as a Corazzo lap apron, Which keeps your legs warm AND dry, while also allowing you to put your foot down when you come to a stop; very essential, and surprisingly at a very reasonable price. Now, the last item on the menu is gloves. They serve the obvious purpose of keeping your hands warm, as well as protecting them in a crash and reducing fatigue and cramps on longer rides. I have not decided 100% on which ones to wear for winter, but I’ve narrowed it down to a pair either from Corazzo, or Racer, both of which are top of the line products at a very reasonable price. Along with the gloves, you can even go for heated grips, or a few hand/ toe warmers to keep under your seat in case you find yourself out on an especially brisk day.
       If you get yourself into these few essential items, you’re sure to be ready for almost anything Mother Nature can throw your way! So remember, whichever route you choose, be it pack and store, or suite up and ride, The Scoot Shop has everything to keep you and your scooter happy and road ready! Come on down and visit us at the shop, and get out there and Get Scootn’!

*Scooters will be driven to and from the shop to ensure proper functioning of all components prior to and after storage. If you prefer your bike to be trailered, or if you are outside of the 5 miles radius, extra charges will apply.