Scooterotica

As the title says starting with Weston at the end of the month but apart from the obvious cables, spark plugs spare tubes etc what realistically do you folks take in the way of spares? Ok I could take a spare stator just in case plus the tools to do it or a spare piston just in case but we're do you stop?

A few tools plus A mobile and a break down card

Changed clutch in a field at Mersea Island, changed piston in a field at Cleethorpes, changed a stator on the A1.......most breakdowns are "do-able" but it's whether you can be bothered, much easier to get the mobile out and be chauffeured home. Heading back to York on the A1 one lad holed a piston, luckily he was slowing down on the slip road to the services. This was about 100 miles from York. We had a coffee with him then set off back to York (2-3 hrs). He waited for the recovery truck and arrived home before us !!

For the Euro Lambretta, between 3 of us, we had spare stators, spare piston, spare clutch plates and springs, spare CDI, spare rear hub, plus the usual nuts and bolts, cables, etc. Plus all the tools needed.....flywheel extractor/holder, clutch compressor/holder, multi meter, soldering iron, and all the usual sockets, spanners, and hand tools..........didn't need one tool and the only "breakdown" was my toolbox lock falling apart (fixed with a cable tie).

For short trips or only an "overnight" I only take the basics but for longer hauls or a few nights away I take as much as I can. There's also a big difference between breaking down on the way there to breaking down on the way back. More incentive to fix it on the way there but on the way back you just want to get home..........

Thanks for the reply Mick, one thing that bothers me is this: ok I'm a hundred and odd miles from home and hole a piston, not a problem as I'm carrying a spare and know I can change it relatively quickly but what about all the molten aluminium that's just sprayed all over my crank? As I'm not really able to do much about it at the road side of in a field, do you just leave it and hope for the best then if you make it home strip and rebuild?

Scooterdude wrote:Thanks for the reply Mick, one thing that bothers me is this: ok I'm a hundred and odd miles from home and hole a piston, not a problem as I'm carrying a spare and know I can change it relatively quickly but what about all the molten aluminium that's just sprayed all over my crank? As I'm not really able to do much about it at the road side of in a field, do you just leave it and hope for the best then if you make it home strip and rebuild?

There isn't rely a definitive answer as the circumstances will always be different. If you're on your way home from a rally it's probably not worth the hassle to do a roadside repair. On the other hand if you're on the continent heading to a rally it may be worth considering doing the repair.......some would and some wouldn't.

When the piston "pops" most of the bits go out via the exhaust. The bits that are left can washed out with petrol. That's what did at Cleethorpes and it ran fine.

Sounds obvious but there's no point carrying what you can't fix yourself, or could be bothered to fix. If you're going with a group its worth knowing between you what you're carrying and who can fix what, but its easy to fall into the trap of carrying everything but the kitchen sink. Like you say apart from the obvious plugs, cables (which i have in a sealed bag, ready greased), bulbs etc i always carry:
Gorilla/ duct tape
Zip ties
A pair of spare levers - if you're going to off chances are one of them will snap
Spare cable nipples/ top hats
Cdi unit

All of these are easy to carry and fit, or will get you home

Don't forget to carry spare woodruff keys cost pence but lost in the grass on a repair can be costly

ducksta wrote:Don't forget to carry spare woodruff keys cost pence but lost in the ENGINE on a repair can be costly

What's the longest you've ridden it recently?

Take it for a 50 - 75 mile trip and if it's fine it'll do 150 miles to a rally. Invest in the power of positive thinking and an RAC card. Don't bother with the AA, they'll take longer than crawling in shorts. Cable inners, lever, inner tube and a spare CDI. There's not much else to go wrong with it….

In all honesty I've not done great milages furthest was Hunstanton last summer on my oun (about 250 round trip) fortnight ago did 95 with a friend on a super moto apart from that 30-50 milers twice or three times a week I guess.
I've got break down cover on my insurance but the one time it did break down last year they sent a 7.5 ton Lorry that wasn't very suitable for a scooter I wasn't very happy at all about it and insisted on strapping it down myself as the driver didn't inspire much confidence in me to be fair.