razman10
Nov 10th, 2008, 2:12 pm
Before I bought my LT back in August, for the past 3+years I was riding an Aprilia Atlantic 200 - a highway legal scooter. Very fun to ride. Anyway, riding home doing about 50 mph on a state road one afternoon in mid July, I hear a loud BANG! The rear wheel locked for a second, and the RPMs went sky high. I could smell the distinct scent of burning rubber so I backed off the throttle. Being that I was now coasting uphill, I twisted the throttle again to get to the top, but nothing - I was slowing down, fast, with no drive.
Not knowing what to expect (clutch? transmission?) I feared that the repair bill would be higher than she was worth. Regardless, I wanted to send her to the shop anyway for a diagnosis. I finally got an appointment to drop her off 3 weeks later, with no expectation as to when, or if, she'd be ready to go again. After a few weeks without my 2 wheel ride, I was getting antsy so I bought the LT.
Eventually got word that it was only the drive belt that had snapped (wow, a belt put 2 holes in the aluminum variator cover!) and for a total bill of $299, I finally picked her up and rode home a few days ago. All I can say is WHAT A DIFFERENCE!
Having gotten used to riding the LT for the last 3 & 1/2 months (the big girl that she is), when I got on the Aprilia and twisted the throttle I felt like I was riding a moped http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/transport005.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org)!!! :histerica
I kept squeezing the left brake - thinking it was the clutch (there is no clutch) and trying to find the brake with my right foot (there is none there)! I was about 10 miles into my 30 mile ride home before I finally got the hang of her again!
She is obviously MUCH lighter than the LT. So much so that I almost flipped her over putting her on the centerstand in my garage. (That would have been nice :rolleyes:) I guess I don't need to pull that hard with the Aprilia!
To conclude, I must say that I'm looking forward to next spring. I have two girls in my garage, which is a first for me. They're both fun to ride so I'm sure I'll have a tough decision daily.
Not knowing what to expect (clutch? transmission?) I feared that the repair bill would be higher than she was worth. Regardless, I wanted to send her to the shop anyway for a diagnosis. I finally got an appointment to drop her off 3 weeks later, with no expectation as to when, or if, she'd be ready to go again. After a few weeks without my 2 wheel ride, I was getting antsy so I bought the LT.
Eventually got word that it was only the drive belt that had snapped (wow, a belt put 2 holes in the aluminum variator cover!) and for a total bill of $299, I finally picked her up and rode home a few days ago. All I can say is WHAT A DIFFERENCE!
Having gotten used to riding the LT for the last 3 & 1/2 months (the big girl that she is), when I got on the Aprilia and twisted the throttle I felt like I was riding a moped http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/transport005.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org)!!! :histerica
I kept squeezing the left brake - thinking it was the clutch (there is no clutch) and trying to find the brake with my right foot (there is none there)! I was about 10 miles into my 30 mile ride home before I finally got the hang of her again!
She is obviously MUCH lighter than the LT. So much so that I almost flipped her over putting her on the centerstand in my garage. (That would have been nice :rolleyes:) I guess I don't need to pull that hard with the Aprilia!
To conclude, I must say that I'm looking forward to next spring. I have two girls in my garage, which is a first for me. They're both fun to ride so I'm sure I'll have a tough decision daily.