Toshi's thread
- Thread starter Toshi
- Start date
So far Moto only. It would bother me a little on the Moto when I first got it, not so much anymore.
On Thursday I did a bunch of work in the basement that required a lot of my hands with only minor discomfort. Dare I say that I may actually try a real ride tomorrow?
I git the Moto in part to replace the hole left by my injury, but also thought it might be a good means of P.T. Let's hope I feel the need to sell the damned thing by the end of the summer.
Any locals know anyone with a Tundra or Land Cruiser and bad taste?
https://denver.craigslist.org/wto/d/denver-rockstar-wheels-mm-for-tundra-or/6909073311.html
@Full Trucker these up your alley?
https://denver.craigslist.org/wto/d/denver-rockstar-wheels-mm-for-tundra-or/6909073311.html
@Full Trucker these up your alley?
No.Any locals know anyone with a Tundra or Land Cruiser and bad taste?
https://denver.craigslist.org/wto/d/denver-rockstar-wheels-mm-for-tundra-or/6909073311.html
@Full Trucker these up your alley?
Good lord are those hideous.
The astute reader will note that I ordered an Unagi electric scooter on April 3. It finally made its way from China to my doorstep today, June 11.
Nice unboxing experience:
Charging at the moment, to be put into employ on the way back from the detailing shop this afternoon:
I haven’t ridden it yet but first impressions of its build quality are positive. Nice finish, good heft, and sleek design especially of the handlebar area. The proof will be in the pudding, of how it rides. Recall that I bought this particular one because it has a 30 day (theoretically) hassle free return policy, even if used.
Nice unboxing experience:
Charging at the moment, to be put into employ on the way back from the detailing shop this afternoon:
I haven’t ridden it yet but first impressions of its build quality are positive. Nice finish, good heft, and sleek design especially of the handlebar area. The proof will be in the pudding, of how it rides. Recall that I bought this particular one because it has a 30 day (theoretically) hassle free return policy, even if used.
CO Monkeys, from my vantage point I will attempt to alert you if I see smoke coming from the Stapleton area of Denver.
En route, waiting for the A-Line after riding the R-Line north. Yes, I wore a helmet while on it.
Dashboard once I got home. Note 5 miles on the odo and 0/5 bars of charge. The 3 at the bottom is for “mode 3”, the fastest mode.
Short verdict: It’s going back into its box and back to its importer ASAP.
Why?
First and foremost, the battery life is woefully insufficient. For this model they claim a 250 lb load rating, 15.5 mph top speed, and 15.5 miles of range. Apparently these things are mutually exclusive.
My route from the detailing shop to the train station was about 2.5 miles, “mostly flat” per Google Maps’ bike route planner. Then it was two trains—that part went fine. From the other train station to home was about 3 miles, similarly “mostly flat”, so 5.5 miles in total.
Those first 2.5 miles used 3/5 bars of charge, starting from full. The 4th bar flipped about 1 mile into the second leg, and from that point onwards then power was severely curtailed, first maintaining 10 mph and then 7, 5, and ultimately nothing at all.
I hit 0 bars indicated before the odo rolled over to 5 miles. Most of the last stretch home I was just kicking a heavy scooter along, a heavy scooter that perhaps decelerated a bit less than an unpowered one would have.
There are other issues, too, though. One is that the admittedly beautiful construction does not seem particularly robust. What concerns me is the (Toray carbon fiber, nicely shaped) head tube and its folding interface near the platform. While riding I could flex the head tube forward and backward perceptibly via the bars. There’s a lifetime frame warranty but dental work isn’t cheap.
Another is that the ergonomics of a small wheeled scooter are exactly as one would expect looking at it. I didn’t crash and could ride it around just fine, but it’s not a comfortable long distance platform by any stretch of the imagination. One becomes acutely aware of all the small imperfections in the pavement, and there’s the added bonus of looking a bit like a circus clown while at it.
The final qualm, one which I could have lived with had it been the only one, is that it’s very relaxed in its tuning: it positively creeps up to its speed limiter. 15 mph indicated was achievable, but only after half an eternity spent at 13 and then 14.
So what have I learned from this?
I do know myself, for better or worse. I picked this model because I suspected I’d be unsatisfied with it, and it had the best return policy of any I’ve seen, bar none (30 days, they pay shipping, no questions).
I also now know I don’t want this form factor. Could I find another scooter with much more motor and battery? Yes, these definitely exist. But I don’t want to scoot about at 20 mph on something with 5” wheels, an 85 degree head angle, and negligible if any suspension.
My ideal last-mile transportation solution would be like the Wheels seated scooters that Matt Farah favored in his recent writeup on the Venice Beach e-scooter environment recently:
Larger wheels for more gyroscopic stability and ability to roll over things, a seat for comfort and to stabilize handling a bit (standup scooters are twitchy things!), and just footpegs. The question is whether it’d fit in the trunk of the Tesla with the headtube folded back as it does… with the further question of why bother with this at all when so many are willing to ferry one around for Uber at highly reasonable rates.
Hmph.
But I am a Millennial. From what I’ve read that covers birth years 1981-1996. I was born in 1981.You wouldn't make a very good Millenial, @Toshi.
I has teh dumI know.
That's what makes it extra-funny.
What is the joke? That I return too much shit?
Toshi
Consumer of Doom
Consumer of Doom
TIL when the “chin” lock bit on the Tesla charging port gets stuck one can pull a little cable inside the trunk liner to let it slide down out of the way.
Google showed some other instances of this happening but all in the cold, as far as I could gather. My garage was probably 75 degrees.
Oh well, service visit averted.
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Doesn’t fit in a trunk. Wrong form factor entirely. Sheesh
@dan-o ‘s wish is coming true:
Golden Bike Shop called up today to report that my rear (27.5” 40 mm inner diameter) rim was trashed at the same place where I grenaded the tire.
So left with the choice of rebuilding it with another rim and being stuck with the same suboptimal tire choices I pulled the trigger.
Both wheels will be rebuilt with 29” DT Swiss EX 511 rims (30 mm inner diameter), and will be shod with a 2.5” DHF EXO+ up front and a 2.4” DHR II in full on downhill casing in the rear. With Cushcore to boot.
Won’t be cheap but it’s the best long term solution.
Golden Bike Shop called up today to report that my rear (27.5” 40 mm inner diameter) rim was trashed at the same place where I grenaded the tire.
So left with the choice of rebuilding it with another rim and being stuck with the same suboptimal tire choices I pulled the trigger.
Both wheels will be rebuilt with 29” DT Swiss EX 511 rims (30 mm inner diameter), and will be shod with a 2.5” DHF EXO+ up front and a 2.4” DHR II in full on downhill casing in the rear. With Cushcore to boot.
Won’t be cheap but it’s the best long term solution.
I drove a Model 3 Performance today and was not blown away. Of course, it had a 50% charge so likely was on par with mine at 90% or at least close, so the butt-dyno is probably accurate.
The owner had a LR AWD 3 before, just like mine, so was able to speak as to differences. His earlier production 3 had trim and wind noise issues that mine (and his new Performance) don’t have.
So I guess I’m now cleared to stick with my 3 for the long term. And by that I mean at least a year since buying it. Maybe.
(I’m still eagerly awaiting when I’ll get the FSD computer and software upgrades/updates…)
The owner had a LR AWD 3 before, just like mine, so was able to speak as to differences. His earlier production 3 had trim and wind noise issues that mine (and his new Performance) don’t have.
So I guess I’m now cleared to stick with my 3 for the long term. And by that I mean at least a year since buying it. Maybe.
(I’m still eagerly awaiting when I’ll get the FSD computer and software upgrades/updates…)
I unboxed the Unagi for one last trip. I both had to get somewhere a mile away and pick up a parked vehicle, and Unagi support told me that shipping fully charged batteries wasn’t allowed.
1 mile nearly on the nose. Very slight grades. 1/5 charge bars used. The LCD refresh artifact makes it so that the first two aren’t visible.
Pathetic. It’s too bad because the form factor is very appealing in isolation.
I unboxed the Unagi for one last trip. I both had to get somewhere a mile away and pick up a parked vehicle, and Unagi support told me that shipping fully charged batteries wasn’t allowed.
1 mile nearly on the nose. Very slight grades. 1/5 charge bars used. The LCD refresh artifact makes it so that the first two aren’t visible.
Pathetic. It’s too bad because the form factor is very appealing in isolation.
Are the published range figures payload dependant?
They should be.
It's true, they should be. But they aren't. Quoted as a straight up 15.5 miles. Perhaps at 8 mph with a 120 lb rider, that.
Anyone have experience with how warranty claims take for bike frames? Pivot in particular?
I wonder if I should buck up and demo a few bikes in the meantime. $225 for four demos at GBS. I’m thinking:
- Switchblade
- SB150
- Megatower
- another Shuttle but maybe the large to see how funny 465 mm reach feels?!
I wonder if I should buck up and demo a few bikes in the meantime. $225 for four demos at GBS. I’m thinking:
- Switchblade
- SB150
- Megatower
- another Shuttle but maybe the large to see how funny 465 mm reach feels?!
2 weeks.
Ok I have no idea. BUT, for the cash you drop in their shop you should push for some 1-day free demos. They must know you aren't a window shopper by now.
I was wondering if that would be too much to ask from them.
"You don't make 100% of the shots you don't take. "
- John F. Kennedy, 2007
- John F. Kennedy, 2007
Been home all today with the baby thus far. Super bored. Watching movies: halfway through Jason Bourne (the 5th one where Matt Damon reappears after the intervening Jeremy Regner one).
I am sufficiently bored to have scheduled an appointment to get the Land Cruiser’s noisy blower motor (as in HVAC not supercharger) looked at. Jeff at Comprehensive Car Care mentioned as I scheduled it that often it’s just debris in the motor, so I carted the baby out to sit in her chair in the shade at the edge of the garage as I wrenched on the beast.
I’d done this before, also looking for debris as a cause of the longstanding high fan setting noise, so knew the devil I was facing, namely contorting oneself to see and get access to the screws holding the blower motor in place. These screws face up in the passenger footwell, behind and below the glovebox. There’s not a ton of room there—had to bust out the stubby screwdrivers, even.
There was no debris, still. There is a few mm of play longitudinally along the shaft of the motor itself so I think 163,000 miles worth of spinning up has simply worn out its bearings.
Upon relaying this to Jeff he said he’d get the part in (I offered to pay for it up front but he said we can just settle up after) before I drop it off. The Comprehensive guys are nothing if not honest.
I am sufficiently bored to have scheduled an appointment to get the Land Cruiser’s noisy blower motor (as in HVAC not supercharger) looked at. Jeff at Comprehensive Car Care mentioned as I scheduled it that often it’s just debris in the motor, so I carted the baby out to sit in her chair in the shade at the edge of the garage as I wrenched on the beast.
I’d done this before, also looking for debris as a cause of the longstanding high fan setting noise, so knew the devil I was facing, namely contorting oneself to see and get access to the screws holding the blower motor in place. These screws face up in the passenger footwell, behind and below the glovebox. There’s not a ton of room there—had to bust out the stubby screwdrivers, even.
There was no debris, still. There is a few mm of play longitudinally along the shaft of the motor itself so I think 163,000 miles worth of spinning up has simply worn out its bearings.
Upon relaying this to Jeff he said he’d get the part in (I offered to pay for it up front but he said we can just settle up after) before I drop it off. The Comprehensive guys are nothing if not honest.
After dealing with (not completing a deal with) multiple flaky Craiglisters I tossed the wheels up on eBay:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rockstar-II-XD811-18-x-9-5-x-150-mm-wheels-for-Tundra-or-Land-Cruiser/113783715403
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rockstar-II-XD811-18-x-9-5-x-150-mm-wheels-for-Tundra-or-Land-Cruiser/113783715403
Just had my offer accepted on eBay for this vintage machine. Deore DX with thumbshifters! Specialized S-Works, frame from the made in USA years. S-Works branded cranks.
Main downside is that the OG Manitou is broken. It sticks in the down position per the ad. I wonder if its elastomers are even available these days.
I’ll still probably demo some bikes but taking this blast from the era of when I started mountain biking out on the easy local trails might keep me sane, too, and I can probably flip it for close to what I paid ($348 shipped!) locally once my Shuttle’s back in action.
When I was shopping for my first bike back in 1992, the choice was mainly between the Proflex 550 I ended up with, with trigger shifted Shimano LX, or a Trek 8000 that was fully rigid with this same thumb-shifted DX gruppo.
Fucking Specialized... 
This is from 1992 or so, well below they sued any restaurant owners.Fucking Specialized...
This kit might be in my future depending on what happens when I open that Manitou up.
https://www.suspensionforkparts.net/eshop/answer-manitou/manitou-1-elastomer-refresh-kit.html
https://www.suspensionforkparts.net/eshop/answer-manitou/manitou-1-elastomer-refresh-kit.html
Assuming my blast from the past sucks as much as its geometry and cantilever brakes would suggest, what’s my best play for bike coverage?
REI has weekly rentals for $450.
GBS will demo 4 times for $225 but I don’t think I can repeat this indefinitely.
Do I want to have a legit pedal-only bike back in the stable? So should I look for something I want vs hunting for a deal on backcountry? @Nick didn’t you win a Pedalhead? How does that ride? Building one up in 29” guise is somewhat intriguing to me, in theory.
REI has weekly rentals for $450.
GBS will demo 4 times for $225 but I don’t think I can repeat this indefinitely.
Do I want to have a legit pedal-only bike back in the stable? So should I look for something I want vs hunting for a deal on backcountry? @Nick didn’t you win a Pedalhead? How does that ride? Building one up in 29” guise is somewhat intriguing to me, in theory.
Alongside DH bike for resorts and trail bike for area parks I also spend a lot of time on some of the easier singletrack near me and dirt roads on my 29er, currently rigid. Very different heading down Apex on it versus 150mm travel bike.
For a while out in Boston I was riding a Tange Prestige fully rigid bike with 1996 XTR to make trails interesting.