Well . . . not quite. Mike does run the business out his house on Flamingo in Toledo now. He's kept his promise to keep servicing his customers. He'll even sell ya a scoot right from Vespa.
I've taken advantage of his servicing a couple of times this year: once for an oil change in April and one emergency call over a 'no-run' scoot. That latter was significant.
The LX, about almost two months ago, on fine early July morning - just stopped running after I went over some rather tough railroad tracks on Monroe near Douglas. I'm mean it sputtered and stalled and then all lights when dark. I got it off the road into a nearby parking lot and - nothing happened when I turned the key over and over - no power. Had to walk it half a mile (or more) to work.
Well, I had ol' Mike's Cell number. I called him mid-morning only to catch him somewhere's east of here (he's a retired Ford engineer). He sounded a little irriated that I'd call him, but he came to my work place to check it out. I checked it before he got here - including a peek at the fuses (which what I suspected was the prob. but they looked fine). Mike got here in mid-afternoon and did the same and saw what I didn't - a burned out fuse. He ran and got some; installed one and the LX fired up fine. I paid for the fuses and he left.
This happened again about the first Sunday in August: I hit a hard rut on a side street and darn didn't the same thing happen. Well, I had fuses this time. I installed one (these are the ones under the battery cover) and the LX fired up. I now take it easy when I approach RR tracks and do my best to swerve around ruts.
But now I have another problem: my rear tire, only installed in September of last year with just about 2500 miles on it picked up and was puncutered by a nail on 08/10. I know what that means: new tire.
However, I contacted Mike and he offered order one, but suggested I try to get one myself at 'Scootworks. com'. Had to go to Competition Accessories (Compacc.com) to get one as Scootworks was out of stock. Ordered on 8/14 - 2 day delivery promised. Got it in on 8/20 - 2 days late. Paid $77.00.
Well I contacted Mike when I ordered and asked if Saturday, 8/22 would be okay. He advised 'fine' I contacted him on 8/20 to advise I had the tire and wanted to firm up the time I'd show up at his house. He wrote back that the weekend was booked up and advised trying it next Saturday. We have an appointment for 8/29.
Now this disconerts me some as it'll be more than 2 weeks since the incident before I can get this fixed. I won't garage the LX until then - my intent is to get away from the car culture as far as I can - so I gotta do what I gotta do an put up with what I have to put up with. I know I'm bucking a strong tide too.
So, I'm patchin' and pumpin it (bought a manual foot pump - acutally had to buy a second - the first I worked to death - it was a off brand knock-off Walmart cheapie for $10 - got a Schwinn pump for the same price at Meijers - I'll see if it lasts) to get along.
But I do have to admit - I'm looking at getting tire irons and bead breaking tools and am watching YouTube videos on tire changes for motorcyles. I already have a motorcycle jack to take the wheel/tire assembly off - which I did last year.
Well, no one around here has such tools - I'd have to get 'em off the Net and that'd be another 2 weeks or so. So, I'll let Mike remove the old and mount the new as I don't want to go a month like this.
But I think I may have relagate him to oil changes. Ya see I didn't think this 'servicing my customers out of my house' was gonna go on for long - at least for me. I believe he may want out of servicing Vespas or (more likely) maybe away from me as I've been a real burr on his butt from the first day I got on the LX in July of 2007. And besides with Vespa dealerships spread 50 - 70 miles apart (deliberately by Piaggio I understand) it's better if I learn to 'do' my own scoot.
Do I want out of owning and riding a scooter? NO! I am intent on getting away from the 'car culture' and will go through or suffer what I must to do so, but I may have to get out and off the Vespa as necessity is forcing me to do so. I REALLY HATE going back to those arrogant bastards at Honda East in Maumee who admit they are more into the recreational vehicle business (i.e. Skidoos, ATV's, dirt bikes, Crotch Rockets and Hogs) than selling motor scooters for basic transportation - they show that they have no desire to help the Nation to get away from 'happy motoring'. So, unless I find somebody else I may have to get a scooter from them as they are the only ones who can provide some decent local (though expensive) service (and that will not happen until after I have wrung every last drop out of the Vespa - Honda East nor anyone else is likely to give me anymore than $500 trade-in value for the LX - so I want to make sure that that's what it'll be worth at the time).
However the LX has given me the impetus to do what I can for myself. It's the best way.
As for those around me - deeply steeped in the car culture - I get offers for rides in a car now or offers for fix-a-flat. I either viritually ball them out for tempting me to dump the scoot and start using a car full time again or bite my tongue so as not to say something nasty or wicked to these petit bourgeois middle class who just don't seem to want to get what's happening with our Nation. And it is they whom I hold primarily responsible for its condition - indeed I see them, the architects of suburbia, as the chief perpetrators of all our troubles. Living in a will-ful self-delusional state seems to do for them - until this all falls apart without much warning (so they'll think - as we've got warnings all around us all the time).
'Nuff for now.
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