It was a glorious day and finally the mountains of dirty snow and ice had melted away under the 50 degree something sun. The birds were singing, the scooter was calling...
Time to ride!
I got her (she has no name yet!) out of the storage unit where she has lingered cold and alone since coming over to my side of the world:
I strapped my Cortech tail bag on the rear of her seat just to see how it fits and to have a place to carry stuff if I decided to swing by the grocery store. It fit nicely and will do until I decide whether or not to add a rear rack:
Then I tried to take a pic of myself with the scoot, but that didn't turn out well because I don't have 20 foot long arms! Oh well, here we are as best as possible:
I headed out on a nice semi-rural 20 mile loop and I gotta say that even though the sun was out the colors were washed out brown and gray over the countryside. Not very many colorful photo ops, that's for sure. So I didn't stop as much as I usually do.
Here along a small tributary to the East Fork of the Little Miami River I stopped to try to capture the scoot next to the shimmering, bubbling stream:
While hanging out here, a fellow stopped his truck alongside to ask if I was ok. I replied that I was, thank you, and that I was just enjoying the scenery. He nodded and grinned in understanding then drove off as I read his, "Live to Ride" sticker on the truck bumper. Yeah, I'm sure he "got it"!
There were lots of motorcycles out alongside this back road route and I both received and gave "the wave" to quite a few fellow riders along the way. Always a good feeling, that sense of comradeship with others on two wheels!
Eventually I wandered up into this huge housing/condo development and enjoyed riding alongside their lake. They have this nice gazebo and I saw some Canadian geese, but they were camera shy and flew off before I could photograph them:
I have to say that this scooter is a vast improvement over my beloved Met! Getting up to speed and keeping up with 45 mph traffic was a piece of cake. It flew up the steepest hills on this loop with no effort and I know that I was holding this baby back most of the time due to my not being used to such speed potential.
It wants to GO like a fine Kentucky thoroughbred chomping at the bit!
With the low profile seat on it I can comfortably reach the ground at a stop and the scooter feels very easy and relaxed to manage due to it's low center of gravity. This seat is also very comfortable. My tooshie did not ache one time on this ride!
The reach to the handlebars is perfect for my personal ergonomic needs. My arms and shoulders feel very relaxed and in a natural position. The grips are also easy on the hands due to their contoured shape and rubbery feel. My "cramp buster" adds much to the relief of my carpel tunnel syndrome too and it fits nicely on the grip.
The suspension front and rear was awesome. I traversed some rough ground and felt nary a bump. A smooth, solid ride. The rear shock is set half way and it seems to be the perfect compromise. On the Met I "bottomed out" going over the lightest imperfection in the pavement. The Psycho can handle some rough back roads easily.
This scooter has turned out to be the "right" choice for me at this point in my riding history. It is comfortable, manageable, quick off the mark and a blast to ride!
I loved riding on the fatter tires which feel solid. Also, the disk brakes (front and rear) are really, really effective compared to the mushy drums on the Met and Ruck. Stopping was not a long drawn out process and I had to get a feel for these brakes as they were very responsive to the slightest pull. Fantastic!
Most importantly, it fits me "like a glove" and yet it has the power and comfort for my longer rides out onto the rural back roads and for my forays into some of the nearby outer villages that border the urban area.
I am in love with this scooter!
I have plans to accessorize and personalize it a bit more. I want to order a seat cover from Cheeky Seats and may eventually install a rear rack. I've got a few stickers coming to carry out my "peace, love, dogs" theme.
A Genuine cup holder is also in the plan too for my water bottle of cold iced tea to be available right up front for easy access.
And eventually her name will emerge from deep within her scooter soul!
Her first owner called her "Piglet" and I am guessing this was due to her deep, Harley-like growl coupled with her diminutive stature compared to one of those road hogs. Kinda fitting, but I don't know yet!
Anyway, my first ride of the 2014 season, my first ride on the Psycho.
What a glorious day!
