My scoot ride reports

[brockster]

Originally Posted by V Saarela

btcn thank you!
Yes, Swedish restriction for scoots are 52 kms/h.
But you are allowed to ride only 45.)

Wow. that's only 32.3 mph & just a hair under 29mph respectively.

[approachbears]

Originally Posted by V Saarela

Thank´s techguy for your input and info.

Really nice looking camper. I suppose they are cheap to buy before converting. When did they stop manufacture them....or are they srill produce them?

Yes, they are cheap to buy. My brother has purchased several (both full size, 46 or 54 passenger versions and the short bus/head start bus in your photo) and partly converted them to campers. You can get a school bus with about 75,000 miles for around $1500-$2500 depending on the time of year and location of the auction.

They still produce them as we Americans are still producing school children

Also...

Originally Posted by techguy

Nice American school bus converted to a camper. When you see them here they paint them as you cannot leave the School Bus signs...

The classy thing to do is leave them school bus yellow and just repaint the wording from "School Bus" to "Cool Bus".

[V Saarela]

Thanks guys for input, the threadh is still been lurked......good, I keep on then :o)

Nice to see that the busses keeps rumbling on streets. I suppose tehy are a bit of american culture.....



Day 9
Karlstad to Härjarö
http://maps.google.se/maps/ms?hl=sv&...0054533c4e0fd0




Lovely weather this morning. First morning on the whole trip I´m not freezing this morning,
t-shirt weather and it´s early morning. I got in bed after modnight, still I´m taking a walk
at the camping very early.....it´s waaaaarm.
My nosetip is red and very sore now, I´m hoping it´s because of wind and sun, not all
beer I´ve drinking past days.


Z needs oilchange etc, Stockholm next for service. I know first bit ride to Örebro, there
will bee a ride with heavy traffic and not much tarmac for me to balance on.
It´s sunday, despite my early start the heavy traffic is on quickly.


Make a stop at Kristinehamn. We bought a dog(ridgeback named Vicke) here last
year and I want to visit Vickes mum and dad. They aren´t at home.




Keeping on to Örebro. Not fun when lorrys passing and I´m hoping to keep Z on road.
After Örebro I turned on small roads and enjoying the ride again. Lake Hjalmaren in
background





Get to camping Härjarö. Expensive campingplace, but in some strange way it feels calming
down on this place










Ahaaa, water, vind and a bench. Here I will spent a time








Is there a better way to end a day? Don´t think so....





Next day....Z gets oil changed


......to be continued

[V Saarela]

Day 10

Härjarö to Stockholm
http://maps.google.se/maps/ms?hl=sv&...976aa1459ce31a



Short ride today. Summer, lot to do for the garages. It´s hard to get time fo an ovehaul
for bikes. I call a Hondadealer north of Stockholm. I tell them I´m riding a Zoomer, where
I come from and where I´m heading to. They just laugh, tell they have no times left, but
get to theme and they will of course fix it.



Start the day where it ended day before





Motorway to Stockholm. Mopeds are not allowed to ride there, so I found a wodland path
to follow.



Almost 10 kilometers after the path and......a gate.
Can´t get around the gate and my only way is to drag Z under the gate. Like my Z so I
turn back the whole way.
Turnes on the motorway and followed it......No police in sight


I don´t use the kickstarter, but it had troubleing from day two. Hars sometimes and gives
a scraped sound. This morning it gets stuck, so I have to kick it down almost in bottom.
At the garage I tell them, if they can take off the kickstarter.
Hondadealar change oils and the kickstarter only needed a little lubricate. Thumb up!




To Stockholm is only about 25 kms. Mean while I have called and booked a boat to Finland.
The boat will left at afternoon, so there are lot of time to kill.

Small roads to Stockholm, then spend and circle with moped around the city.
I have never liked Stockholm as a city, but now when riding a moped and getting everywhere
with shortcuts, I have to say......it´s a beatiful city with lot of water around.




Bridge opening




My boat, Gabriella is there already




Chapman




Find a landing stage and sit on. Little windy, water and nice weather. Like it!









Down there, check in to the boat.



Motorcycles have to wait to last






Leaving Stockholm and.....I get to the bar



Sisterboat Amorella. This boat to Turku I have been omboard many times



Nice to sit outside in the wind and with a beer





Take many hours before we get out on the sea. Small ferrys here and there



Long corridor. I haved my cabine on the wrong side and....have to walk whole way here
many times





This day have been a nice restday. Get to bed at midnight. I spend a time with few
swedish motocyclists. They party hard and I told theme to take it aesy with the
alcohol. The police stays in Finland at harbour everytime in the mornings....



.........to be continued

[thefieldworker]

[Zagando]

+1, bump for great report; nice that you took so many good pictures---almost like being there.

I just got my Ruckus going again after two weeks with the carburetor out for a thorough cleaning---had to wait for a new gasket. Now it's all back together and running well like it should.

Always enjoying seeing your part of the world and look forward to further reports.

[V Saarela]

Thank you guys for commenting!
and
...good to hear Ruckus is well and ready to rumble again :o)



Not many days left now....


Day 11
Stockholm to Mikkeli
http://maps.google.se/maps/ms?hl=sv&...dbd94d26fe7b09




Early wake and spending many hours outside.


Siljaboat was behind us on slipstream whole nigth. At morning get it out from the stream
and pass us :o(







Meet at morning couple of my new friends from evening before. They where looking for an
alcoholmetre. I told them that they don´t need any one. Smelling alcohol so I have to remind
theme that police is there at harbour. Tip theme to push down the bike and take a few hours
walk in the city.
What did they do?

Well....two of them ride in the arms of this. Strange motorcyclists?!?




Spent to much time at the harbour for checking out how it went out. Few turns in
city of Helsinki before heading east




I really don´t like to ride in Finland on roads(yes, very good roads).
Finland is called, "country of the thousand lakes". The lakes can I see only on map and
GPS. It´s only forest, forest and forest.
But...I really like to visit the old towns in the citys. They are often also occupied.

Porvo, one of the old towns










I did my laundy evening before. All was still wet. Have to let dry everything on bike. 45
minutes, change, 45 minutes in wind, change, 45....

Tumbledrier, petrol operated





At border to Russia. Now I have to turn, far as this from home I cant get in Finland.

Vaalimaa, russian border



Spent to much time at the harbour in Helsinki. Heading to Mikkeli and do
not many stops on my way there.

Camping Mikkeli




Next day....keeping north


....to be continued

[V Saarela]

Day 12

Mikkeli to Oulu.
http://maps.google.se/maps/ms?hl=sv&...5ca4e8ef73a216



Going north, small roads but getting bored of all wood. Nothing happens, half an hour,
a liiiittle turn, half an hour, a liiittle....

So, turning on bigger roads, cars and trucks on roads but....something is happening.

Streching out Z today, btw me to. 3 hours rides without stopping almost to Oulu and it feels.


Coffebrake somewhere







Well, a lake




Z enjoying









This guy was my company long time. Took a walk around the bike, but when he decide to
take a walk up on may arm.....:o)




Passing city of Oulu and get to the camping. Nice road for bicycles



I like it!




Camping Oulu. Very tired so went only for a short walk in the area before bed.



Last night......tomorrow home


....to be continued

[V Saarela]

Day 13
Oulu to Boden
http://maps.google.se/maps/ms?hl=sv&...637205b0b4e6ce


Last morning. Only 300 kms home. Strange, suddenly 300 kms on moped is nothing!?! :o)


Take back a little bit where I came from befor turning home. Have to take a little ride in
the Oulu city first




Other thing i visit in towns of finland, the market. To early today




Finland does great bicycleroads. Often beside big roads and sometimes they are almost to
next city.

I don´t like to ride after theme, have to be observant and slow down to often at every
entrance(cars etc comming)

But....sometimes





Not hurry today







Between Simo and Kemi. Highway road for bicycles...WOW!




Old europeroad between Kemi an Torneå





Swedish border at Haparanda. Now, near home




Home! My Z rides ends always with an....






AMAZING Zoomer at home at last!

[monkeywaythere]

brilliant and thanks for taking us alon on the ride!
i will let you know of my plans and may be we could meet up for a little riding and drinking?
stuart

[BluegrassPicker]

Great RR! Thanks

[RLK]

This is a fantastic report. Some of those roads are remarkable feats of engineering. Its a shame there was so much fog. Thanks for this story.

[DirtDriven]

Great Ride report!!!
I would love to do something like this on my Ruckus. How did the Zoomer do on the hills? Also, just a curiosity question, Do you have a idea of how much total weight you had on the zoomer?

[V Saarela]

Thank you guys!! :o)

monkeywaythere: Please, tell us your plans then, always fun to here. Of course I meet up you half way and....drink a beer or two, or...


DirtDriven: Honda Sweden says that Zoomer does same speed uphill as downhill, that´s not thrue :o) I think I had with full thottle record of 50,1 kph downhill and 16,8 kph uphill.

I really don´t know the total weight of it. I´m 1,74 cm tall, little beerstomach wich I have done hard work for, so I´m not so heavy meself.
Luggage: What I do need for 13 days travelling....+ big tent and all including with that, "kitchen" including all needs for that, also food, few kameras, filmkamera, notebook pc, always at least 6 beer, etc etc etc.
Now when I think.....it´s heavy, very heavy :o)

Rear shock sucks, tires are dangeous, I had in wet condition at least two nearly highsiders. But the chassis....it´s stable as rock and for me it´s that what counts.

I´ve also done some longer travelling with Honda 125 Innova with luggage, comparison with the Innova, the chassi on the Innova is very unstable.

[AngryScot]

still chewing my way through the report, good stuff!
Is your GPS wired to the battery, no issues with charging etc

Was going to power my 60cx through the zuma system but I am not sure the wee thing has enough to do that and the battery without having it on a charger at night