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General => Eye Candy | Videos and Pics => Topic started by: klaviator on June 11, 2018, 03:26:50 PM

Title: Wandering around Northern Ohio on my Super 8
Post by: klaviator on June 11, 2018, 03:26:50 PM
Last week I headed up to Ohio to visit my parents and help them with some stuff that needed to be done around their house.  They are in their 80s and can't do all the stuff they used to be able to do.  Last time I visited them I got a bad case of PMS from not riding for a week.  This time I took along my Super 8 so that I could do a little riding.  I brought my smallest bike because the speed limits are really low in the North east and enforcement really high.

On Sunday I got out for an hour or two in the morning and rode out to Gates Mills.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-gRMVMBZ/0/493f4672/L/P6030003-L.jpg)

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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-h3HcShw/0/75130268/L/P6030008-L.jpg)

That afternoon a storm passed through with a cold front behind it.  It would be cooler that week than the week before which had some 90 degree days.

The weather cleared up and temperatures were in the 60s so I headed out for another ride that evening.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-XLDgK4D/0/21fbc89e/L/P6030010-L.jpg)

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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-fntFZx9/0/4c738677/L/P6030012-L.jpg)

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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-G98VgDB/0/909c09e4/L/P6030014-L.jpg)

Eventually all these rusty old bridges will be replaced but I think they are cool and will be sad to see them go.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-NX3CbfF/0/55b97922/L/P6030018-L.jpg)
Title: Re: Wandering around Northern Ohio on my Super 8
Post by: CROSSBOLT on June 11, 2018, 04:09:52 PM
 :)
Title: Re: Wandering around Northern Ohio on my Super 8
Post by: Stig / Major Tom on June 11, 2018, 04:44:34 PM
Regarding your pix....something I've noticed before.
Heavy intensity....causing halos in sky around objects.
Gives the look of 1950's postcards.
Perhaps that is the look you prefer?
I try for editing where I'd enjoy breathing the air in the depicted scene.
Monet. rather than old masters. That kinda thing.

Please -- not a criticism....just an observation
ALL pix are welcomed here!
Your thoughts ?

Stig....sitting on a bench in the rain.


.
Title: Re: Wandering around Northern Ohio on my Super 8
Post by: Gnzbrg on June 11, 2018, 04:55:21 PM
Rural Ohio sure is a pretty place when it ain't frozen solid...
Title: Re: Wandering around Northern Ohio on my Super 8
Post by: klaviator on June 11, 2018, 05:20:22 PM
Regarding your pix....something I've noticed before.
Heavy intensity....causing halos in sky around objects.
Gives the look of 1950's postcards.
Perhaps that is the look you prefer?
I try for editing where I'd enjoy breathing the air in the depicted scene.
Monet. rather than old masters. That kinda thing.

Please -- not a criticism....just an observation
ALL pix are welcomed here!
Your thoughts ?

Stig....sitting on a bench in the rain.


.

That's just the "dramatic" setting on my camera.  I often take the same pic on 2 different settings and then post the one I like the best.  If it's a nice scene I may take 3 or 4 pics and use the one I like the best. 

Title: Re: Wandering around Northern Ohio on my Super 8
Post by: klaviator on June 11, 2018, 05:21:37 PM
I rode around town some Monday evening at the tail end of rush hour. I did not really consider how chilly it was and only wore a sweatshirt, textile jacket and jeans. I froze my ass off. I think it was in the 50s. On a busy road a deer just casually wandered across the road oblivious to all the traffic. It was going slow enough that I was able to grab my camera, turn it on and take this pic while riding.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-sFkpvcF/0/c1c4068a/L/P6050019-L.jpg)
Title: Re: Wandering around Northern Ohio on my Super 8
Post by: klaviator on June 11, 2018, 05:23:15 PM
Normally my idea of a ride is to head out into the country where there are curvy roads, scenery and a minimum of traffic. On Thursday I did something completely different. I wanted to go visit Cleveland Moto which is on the west side of Cleveland. My parents live on the east side of town. Normally it would be pretty simple to just get on the interstate and head over there. I didn't want to do that on my Super 8 and I didn't know if it would even be legal. So I came up with a route right through the center of Cleveland.

I was still in the eastern suburbs when I saw something I hadn't seen in many years and had actually forgotten about.

So I snapped a pic.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-VttSWVP/0/9d9a65f6/L/P6070020-L.jpg)

What I was trying to get a pic of is barely visible in the pic (bottom middle).  What's just as important is what you don't see in the pic.  I took another pic.  See anything unusual?

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-XsgLC46/0/28ed6470/L/P6070021-L.jpg)

Title: Re: Wandering around Northern Ohio on my Super 8
Post by: Stig / Major Tom on June 11, 2018, 09:13:57 PM
Guys in a beat up white van burglarizing a house, ala Home Alone?

I give up.
Stig
Title: Re: Wandering around Northern Ohio on my Super 8
Post by: klaviator on June 11, 2018, 09:28:15 PM
Guys in a beat up white van burglarizing a house, ala Home Alone?

I give up.
Stig

I posted this on another forum and the first reply I got was about the "creepy white van".  But that's not it.  Like I posted it's not so much what you see but what you don't.  Depending on where you live you may not even notice anything unusual.
Title: Re: Wandering around Northern Ohio on my Super 8
Post by: Gnzbrg on June 11, 2018, 10:11:28 PM
A bike lane?  Mailboxes?  Waldo?   Wait... no telephone poles?   
Title: Re: Wandering around Northern Ohio on my Super 8
Post by: klaviator on June 12, 2018, 01:11:46 AM
A bike lane?  Mailboxes?  Waldo?   Wait... no telephone poles?   

I was riding along and saw something I hadn't seen in many years.  That was a Mailman walking from house to house with a mail bag delivering the mail.  The mailman is in the first picture but you can barely see him.  I took the second picture to help show the lack of mailboxes.  It was like that when I was growing up in Cleveland but I don't think I have seen that since. 

Since you mentioned it, there are also no utility poles/lines.  So they installed underground utilities in an older neighborhood.  I didn't notice that while riding.

Title: Re: Wandering around Northern Ohio on my Super 8
Post by: klaviator on June 12, 2018, 01:15:40 AM

Continuing on, this was straight line riding with very low speed limits and one traffic light after the other.  It wasn't exciting riding but the scenery was very interesting.  Cleveland is mostly very old.  What would be considered the historic district in  most Southern towns is pretty much the norm here.  It's been a long time since I really went into these old parts of Cleveland so I found it very interesting and I managed to take some pics on the go.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-qj9CRvT/0/58e901d0/L/P6070022-L.jpg)

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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-6GQHqSV/0/d73af754/L/P6070027-L.jpg)

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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-3WZcK2m/0/5cfc4320/L/P6070029-L.jpg)

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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-SMQCKHP/0/be1f9995/L/P6070033-L.jpg)

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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-M6scm2w/0/a51cb947/L/P6070035-L.jpg)

This next pic reminds me of a scene from Lord of the Rings when they are going down the river and see the two giant statues.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-kHqZMh9/0/8e84d05b/L/P6070037-L.jpg)


Title: Re: Wandering around Northern Ohio on my Super 8
Post by: klaviator on June 13, 2018, 05:50:43 PM
Now I was on the west side of Cleveland.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-KbDmmTV/0/ece1a8de/L/P6070039-L.jpg)

my destination.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-cHXP7hj/0/723e7db4/L/P6070041-L.jpg)

So why did I want to come here?

Because we have nothing like this in or near Huntsville.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-wRThtN8/0/b05c9f2d/L/P6070043-L.jpg)

An actual scooter shop.  Not a motorcycle shop with one or two scooters somewhere on the floor.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-BMGmqpk/0/2d2c41eb/L/P6070044-L.jpg)
Title: Re: Wandering around Northern Ohio on my Super 8
Post by: PaulF on June 13, 2018, 09:49:04 PM
 :)  Enjoying the photos.  Thank you.
Title: Re: Wandering around Northern Ohio on my Super 8
Post by: klaviator on June 14, 2018, 06:51:27 PM
One of the scooters I really wanted to check out was the Kymco Like 150i.  I had seen one at the Barber Vintage Festival last year but I wanted to see it again.  Luckily they had three of them on the floor.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-Qzb7tNM/0/a15746c5/L/P6070045-L.jpg)

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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-rrwfVW5/0/627f1388/L/P6070046-L.jpg)

When I sat one the one at barber it seemed really cramped.  This time it felt a lot better.  Maybe I have shrunk since last year???

I talked to the owner of the shop for a while.  He told me had had been riding one of these scooters and was really impressed.  He checked the Speedometer against GPS and found it to be dead accurate.  He said he had seen a top speed of 71 MPH.  That's nearly as fast as the Smax and probably better than any other 150cc scooter.  If I didn't already have 2 small scooters I'd be real tempted to buy one of these.
Title: Re: Wandering around Northern Ohio on my Super 8
Post by: Stig / Major Tom on June 14, 2018, 10:16:09 PM
Thanks for the remarks about the new LIKE150i.
So, the dealer has a demo of this new LIKE?
71 accurate mph is a stretch of his credibility.
But maybe. (little guy is he?)
Many dealers told us the LIKE200I was freeway capable. Who knows how many survivors can testify to that dealer claim?😊

I hope justgottascoot.com does a full review soon. I trust those folks to give a no BS review.

The new Honda PCX/ABS is $1400 more than this two wheel ABS'ed Kymco.

My dealer knows nothing of these new Kymcos. Plenty of older models on his floor.
Stig
Title: Re: Wandering around Northern Ohio on my Super 8
Post by: klaviator on June 15, 2018, 12:48:15 AM
Thanks for the remarks about the new LIKE150i.
So, the dealer has a demo of this new LIKE?
71 accurate mph is a stretch of his credibility.
But maybe. (little guy is he?)
Many dealers told us the LIKE200I was freeway capable. Who knows how many survivors can testify to that dealer claim?😊

I hope justgottascoot.com does a full review soon. I trust those folks to give a no BS review.

The new Honda PCX/ABS is $1400 more than this two wheel ABS'ed Kymco.

My dealer knows nothing of these new Kymcos. Plenty of older models on his floor.
Stig

The 155cc Vespa's will hit high 60s with a claimed 12.8 HP.  The Like150i has a 4 valve head and a claimed 13.5 HP.  71 MPH sounds plausible.  The guy who told me he got up to 71 is about average size it I remember correctly.  My Smax with a claimed 14.8 HP has hit an indicated 78MPH but those with GPS normally get top speeds around 73.  Anyway, the guy who told me this was the Owner of Cleveland Moto and seemed like a real knowledgeable guy.    I talked to him for around 20 minutes while he was assembling a new Vespa.  That's him in the picture below.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-jPzTchf/0/0e1a25fe/L/P6070058-L.jpg)

Title: Re: Wandering around Northern Ohio on my Super 8
Post by: klaviator on June 15, 2018, 12:53:03 AM
This place had a lot of interesting stuff.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-PGJ34H7/0/13543d49/L/P6070049-L.jpg)

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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-SvRHLw7/0/57fafb6d/L/P6070052-L.jpg)

Anyone looking for a nice BV500?

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-nzZPjZx/0/933e00c4/L/P6070053-L.jpg)

I forget the mileage on this scooter but I think it was under 5,000.

400 2 smoke.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-pbGjwZr/0/f9c7aab9/L/P6070054-L.jpg)

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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-rCwFtZN/0/1977d85e/L/P6070056-L.jpg)

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-bDSwcfb/0/4c204e47/L/P6070059-L.jpg)

They had some riding gear aimed at scooter riders. 

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-qkgF7hc/0/0cd04d8f/L/P6070062-L.jpg)
Title: Re: Wandering around Northern Ohio on my Super 8
Post by: Stig / Major Tom on June 15, 2018, 01:02:54 AM
Cool shop!- trade that one for my mega bike store with a couple of scoots (but to be fair 》 HONDA, YAMAHA, BURGMAN and Kymco....maybe they'll pick up my defunct Piaggio dealer.
Stig
Title: Re: Wandering around Northern Ohio on my Super 8
Post by: klaviator on June 15, 2018, 05:02:05 PM
Time to head back.  I took  a slightly different route back and got some more pics.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-5VbSKb6/0/b9659054/L/P6070067-L.jpg)

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(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-FP5hChn/0/e9ad4491/L/P6070069-L.jpg)

That's the B. F. Goodrich Blimp near the top of the next pic.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-H3nzFGG/0/c25beb5d/L/P6070073-L.jpg)

Tour bus on the left.  While that is one way to see the sights I was glad to be seeing them on my scooter.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-6Dftz7G/0/5bcd5b37/L/P6070074-L.jpg)

interesting bike.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-ZkjrPJB/0/689ffec2/L/P6070075-L.jpg)

Before I went on this ride I was a little worried about going through some pretty bad parts of town.  It turned out to be a really interesting ride even though the riding itself was pretty boring.  A small scooter is perfect for this kind of ride.  The speed limit was almost always 25-35 MPH.  I did find out from the Cleveland moto owner that technically my Kymco is legal on the interstate highways in Ohio but I would have missed seeing all the interesting historical stuff.  I also would have had to run full throttle for 20 minutes or more and still be going slower than traffic. 
Title: Re: Wandering around Northern Ohio on my Super 8
Post by: klaviator on June 15, 2018, 08:49:37 PM
Friday was our the day in Ohio before we would have to head back home.  I went for one last ride.  I headed out to the town of Chagrin Falls.  It's a nice ride but the roads in Ohio tend to be in really bad condition.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-ZPtwRWV/0/8be32ef7/L/P6080001-L.jpg)

This road is a bit rough but looks really cool.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-p3cJsCG/0/a9c488be/L/P6080005-L.jpg)

I used to drive out to Chagrin Falls regularly because I worked in a paper mill on the edge of town.  This is all that's left of the paper mill.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-2g4tLmD/0/78e78edb/L/P6080008-L.jpg)

Then I rode back into town and found a place to park.  This place is just a small town but it's real busy even on midday Friday.  There are a lot of people with money here as I saw number of porches and even one guy in an old Rolls Royce.

This town does have one main tourist attraction.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-DZJLHLw/0/1048ca56/L/P6080012-L.jpg)

Another shot from a different angle.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-SFn8WBt/0/83e0bf95/L/P6080016-L.jpg)
Title: Re: Wandering around Northern Ohio on my Super 8
Post by: Stig / Major Tom on June 15, 2018, 09:06:22 PM
Where's home?

Stig
Title: Re: Wandering around Northern Ohio on my Super 8
Post by: klaviator on June 16, 2018, 02:37:44 AM
Where's home?

Stig

I grew up in Cleveland.  My parents live in Willoughby hills but home for me now is Huntsville, Alabama.
Title: Re: Wandering around Northern Ohio on my Super 8
Post by: PaulF on June 16, 2018, 03:11:11 AM
Great photos, really enjoyed them.  Thanks  ;D
Title: Re: Wandering around Northern Ohio on my Super 8
Post by: klaviator on June 16, 2018, 01:08:28 PM
I wandered around town a bit.  It looked like they were setting up for some kind of event over the weekend.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-5w35vDB/0/ce8fecf6/L/P6080021-L.jpg)

Probably my favorite tourist attraction in town is the ice cream shop.  I didn't get any ice cream this time but did get a pic.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-sD4PFs7/0/16cbd8f1/L/P6080023-L.jpg)

Then I headed back.  This was along the way so I stopped for a pic.  It made me wonder what it would be like to play scooter Polo

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-mDjMgwx/0/125f1ba7/L/P6080027-L.jpg)

Did I mention the roads here were in really crappy condition?

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-4zFT57t/0/3ae28fce/L/P6080028-L.jpg)

At least the scenery was nice.

(https://photos.smugmug.com/2018-pics/i-wvcvJ73/0/acd52b5d/L/P6080031-L.jpg)

That's it for this trip.  I enjoyed the cooler weather in Ohio.  I only wore my mesh jacket a couple of times later in the week.  It was too cold for mesh my first few rides.  I was really glad I brought my Super 8.  With the low speed limits it would have been way to hard to obey them on my other bikes.

Thanks for reading.
Title: Re: Wandering around Northern Ohio on my Super 8
Post by: Stig / Major Tom on June 16, 2018, 01:38:38 PM
Pavement conditions are one reason I  miss owning a motorcycle. I have long since sorted which county roads to avoid when out on my scooter.
No scooter is comfortable over lousy roads. After we take a seat on a scooter at least half of that 3.4" of suspension travel is gone.
Stig
Title: Re: Wandering around Northern Ohio on my Super 8
Post by: klaviator on June 16, 2018, 04:56:14 PM
Pavement conditions are one reason I  miss owning a motorcycle. I have long since sorted which county roads to avoid when out on my scooter.
No scooter is comfortable over lousy roads. After we take a seat on a scooter at least half of that 3.4" of suspension travel is gone.
Stig

My super 8 was fine on those rough roads.  It has 14" wheels and is agile enough to avoid the bigger potholes.  I have ridden my Super 8 on dirt and gravel roads it it handled them just fine as well.   My KLR650 would have easily soaked up those Ohio roads but it would have been real hard to keep it near the ridiculously low speed limits in the area.   

One thing about riding around in Ohio is that now that I'm back in Alabama I can appreciate the much better roads we have here.  Of course I have to deal with the 90+ degree heat for the next few months.  But I can also ride year round :) 

Everything considered all areas have their advantages and disadvantages.  It's nice to be able to ride in different areas.   The scenery and riding in Ohio is a lot different than down here.