Took my Chetak down to NoHo scooters today. NoHo scooters is in North Hollywood, California. NoHo is short for North Hollywood these days in Southern California. Sort of rhymes with SoHo I guess.

My Chetak has about 600 miles on it now so I figured it was time for another servicing and I figured this time I would let NoHo service the scooter since the valves might need adjusting.

After Mike Frankovich wrote up the paperwork, we went outside to wheel the Chetak inside. We were both looking at the Chetak and he goes "have you seen those seats we have on the wall inside?" They have like fifteen or twenty different styled scooter seats on the wall in there - nice collection.

Went back inside and Mike pulled down one of the Vespa PX98 seats. To me it pretty much looks like the seat on a Vespa ET2 or 4. Have always liked the shape of those seats.

I asked mike if I could take the Vespa PX98 seat outside to see how it would look on the Chetak. We went back outside, raised up the stock Bajaj seat, and put the PX98 seat in. By then Mike's mechanic (I forget his name) came out to see what was going on. Mike and the mechanic (no pun intended) started suggesting ideas to me.

What I decided on:

1) remove the stock Chetak seat
2) remove the spare tire and mounting hardware
3) re-mount the tail light up a little higher on the fender.

Mike and his mechanic had a point - the stock Chetak seat hides the nice curve of the fender.

Back inside the shop, they took me in "the back room" to show me an example of a scooter with a Vespa PX98 seat. One of the scooters in the back room had a nice little fly screen that looks something like the "GS/Sportique" on this web page

http://www.velocity-scooters.com/fly_screen.htm

I like the way these look on vintage scooters. Don't like those super TALL windshields, but I think these short ones are cool, so one of those is going on my Chetak this week too.

Will post some pics on www.Bajajrider.org when it's all done.

Last weekend I took another longer ride. I rode out state highway 126 to the city of Piru, then headed south on "country roads" and rode thru the orange and lemon groves most of the way to Santa Paula. Didn't make it all the way to Sanata Paula though - too cold! Put on about fifty miles on that trip.

Hit the three-hundred mile mark this week too. Changed the oil down in the garage. First time was a bit difficult getting the bolts off. Next time should be easier as I didn't tighten them with King Kong force.

Switched my scooter insurance to

http://www.progressive.com

this morning. Saving a bundle with them - if you own a two-wheeler, you should check out their rates...

I have about 250 miles on the clock by now. Last weekend I rode down to Hollywood. Over Laurel Canyon Blvd. Had lunch at Pink's at the corner of Melrose and La Brea. Rode down the Sunset Strip, then up over Benedict Canyon and out the San Fernando Valley back to my home in Stevenson Ranch. The seat on the Bajaj is really comfortable. About the only thing I'm starting to notice is that the handlebars are a bit too low for my 6'8" frame. Not a big deal though, because I basically use this scooter for commuting back and forth to work - lots of short trips is basically my riding style, and the Bajaj really excels at that! I'm averaging about 78 miles per gallon so far.

I've got my first hundred miles on my Bajaj by now. Everything is great about the scooter!

Today I went down to the Scooter Shop in the city of Orange in Southern California this afternoon to have a look at a vintage Vespa P200. As I walked in the door Michael (the owner? I’m not sure) was on the phone.

As I walked in the door I noticed they had a new silver 2003 Bajaj Chetak. “hmm, nice bike” I thought.

I walked over to the Vespa P200 and started looking it over. Everything was pretty much perfect. There were a few nicks in the paint here and there but nothing really serious. I took a look at the price tag - $$$... I kept looking around the shop while Michael was on the phone. One phone call would finish and the phone would ring again. Luckily I was the only customer in the shop at the time.

Finally we had time to talk, and I asked him “be honest with me – I’m not THAT MUCH into Vintage Vespa stuff and reliability is important to me. Which do you think is better for me? The Vespa? Or the Bajaj?” and his answer was “Get the Bajaj, you’ll save $2400, you’ll be a happy customer and bring me lots of business.” So, that was about all it took to convince me the Vespa would be a bad choice.

Then I asked him if I could take a test drive and he goes “sure, no problem!” Which is a first for me in Southern California. This is the first two-wheeler dealership I have ever been to that offered to let me take a test drive on any machine. Michael went and found a helmet for me, wheeled the scooter out into the parking lot and told me the startup procedure and I took off for a loop around their shop, a distance of about 100 yards. Actually two loops! I was having so much fun!

When I dismounted from the scooter, I was sold. The scooter fits my long legs (34” inseam) pretty well, the seat is comfortable, I feel like I have enough room for my (size 13) feet on the floorboards. We spent the next hour or so going over the paperwork, signing here and there, etc.

I arranged with Micheal to have the scooter delivered Tuesday to my house in Stevenson Ranch. I THOUGHT about riding the bike home, but it’s about eighty-five miles from the city of Orange to Stevenson Ranch by freeway. I figured that’s way way too far to ride a new scooter that I’m not used to. It’ll take me a few weeks, maybe months to really get the feel of the new Bajaj – re: how well the brakes can stop me, what the acceleration is like, etc.

More to follow!

I bought a new 2003 Bajaj Chetak today at The Scooter Shop in the city of Orange in Southern California. I will take delivery next Tuesday. More to follow!