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General Discussion / Group W Bench WiKi
« Last post by Stig / Major Tom on Today at 07:39:45 PM »


The moderator has received many questions (OK, maybe a half doz) about this Group W Bench ....thing, in Yellow Springs, Oh, which has been the Stig's sunrise destination for many years. You fix that sentence.

So, In 1967 the Group W Bench was a bench in the Whitehall St. military induction center, NYC. A young Mr. Guthrie shared this Group W bench with various criminal offenders. Those sitting the "W" bench were in line to receive a "waiver" of military service due to various violent crimes, or in some way not meeting the moral standards of the military.

Mr. Guthrie was seated on the Group W bench after disclosing a prior arrest for littering in Stockbridge, Mass.
Guthrie was rejected from the Vietnam War draft because the army deemed him not moral enough to participate.

In short - the Group W is a place for misfits, Dangerous. Or different, as in our case - scooter riders who ride year round in the dark and the rains and mix comfortably with 'interesting' street people.

The bench is covered from the rain.


There is also a hippie shop just down the street from YALE, named the Group W. He's been there since 1968, I understand.

Stig

keep ridin'








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Eye Candy | Videos and Pics / 34°F - heated glove liners!
« Last post by Stig / Major Tom on Today at 05:42:54 PM »
34°F at ride out this morning at 6:15 - sunrise not until 7:49.
Broke out the Japanese heat shirt and the Froggtogg rain overpants.
Charged the 7V Gerbing heated glove liners last night.
Monsooned Malabar coffee bean at Dino's this morning. He makes every brew very strong - every morning - so I don't notice much difference between the 7 or 8 different beans he uses. But I ain't telling him that!

Not too bad on the Group W bench today. Little wind - and brick wall at my back.



Some shops keep the decorative lights on all night....gives you a warm feeling :)


Odd man out. Been there!


up all night with a colored pencil....


anyone else run into one of these things?! At Krogers, grocery. Came beeping politely up behind me....waiting.
Told me it was checking the inventory.

Stig
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20 yr old Chevy truck hasn't made much heat in a couple of years.
See the temp gauge after a lengthy drive!
Today - decided to send it to the shop for poss. new thermostat, coolant change...and a general "look me over."

Small , family run, shop has a stellar reputation - if a little pricey.
Not much luck with the, also pricey~!, actual Chevrolet dealer in town. So nothing to lose.
My late FIL gave me his truck....when I sold my VW and had taken to the city bus and my KYMCO for work commutes.
Wife said I'd hurt his feelings if I kept refusing it.

New Michelins & plugs, total brakes and lines, and reg. oil changes is all this thing has received for the past 2 decades.
The "engine light" ? Apparently to let me know that engine is still present. Handy!





Seriously - Pops said that the sensor that causes the eng. light had been repaired several times - then he just quit fooling with it since the truck runs fine! It has for me, too.

It'll be nice to have heat this year!
Awaiting call from the boys.....

Stig
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Downtown 300 / Re: Leaking Oil from Transmission? Loose nut
« Last post by Ruffus on October 16, 2026, 03:42:09 PM »
Your friend is wrong and not a friend for $500,- for such a minor thing!

It can be done without removing the gearcase from the scooter. Of course needs some wits.

Doing:
- plug out
- drain oil
- put/push a long cut of fabric into gearcase (2cm wide and 200cm long)
- go with a thin wire from the drainhole to catch the fabric, pull it out a few cm
- make sure you can fish it out with a hook afterwards (drainhole is possible too)
- drill required hole (grease on the drill)
- use strong vacuum cleaner now
- tap the thread (grease on the tap)
- use strong vacuum cleaner again
- set the helicoil or similar insert
- pull the long fabric out with a thin wire hook (99% of shavings are out now)
- take a liter of diesel, rinse the gear two times
- fill oil
The few small alu shavings remaining there will not harm anything, my word for it.
- put a new or cleaned plug in.
Labor = half an hour
Material = €3,-

Even removing the gearcase would not take more than one hour.
-muffler, wheelcarrier, wheel off, open gearbox, cut thread, fine festa!

This method with teflon or silicon is done only by ignorants and backyard tinkerers.
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Eye Candy | Videos and Pics / Re: first chilly ride of this fall - 44°F
« Last post by Neil955i on October 16, 2026, 01:48:31 PM »
Wet n cool here today, so car it is!
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People s200 / Re: Parts Availability
« Last post by Tromper on October 16, 2026, 08:00:41 AM »
If you're still looking I have a massive screen specifically for the S200.  A bit less sure on the hardware since it's been a few years, but definitely have the screen.
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People s200 / Re: just over 3 years ago since I sold my S200
« Last post by Tromper on October 16, 2026, 07:59:21 AM »
Loved my S200, but in the final analysis my SYM, though a PITA in some respects due to 4 valve an liquid cooled just performed better & even gets better MPG.
I miss the simplicity, but have no regrets for my use case.
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General Discussion / NSR, but touch up paint related, so it applies to scooters!
« Last post by Iahawk on October 16, 2026, 01:27:23 AM »
I recently purchased an old rav4 for my youngest daughter. In very good shape for a 26 year old car but it did have a lot of paint chips on the hood and on various places around the car. That drives me nuts.

I wanted to touch them up so I purchased a kit from Dr Color Chip. For $62 USD you get 1 oz color matched paint, a few oz of a solvent, cloths, silicon squeegee and 3 touch up paint brushes (small, smaller and tiny).

The idea is that you put a little blob of paint next to the chip and then squeegee it over the chip, filling it in and leaving extra paint smeared around the chip (kind of like buttering a piece of toast). You let the paint dry for a few minutes and then rub the solvent soaked cloth gently over the chip and the excess paint will slowly dissolve, leaving only the paint inside the chip. It works very well. Sometimes you do remove the paint in the chip so you just do it again.

I hit most of the spots twice, with a few of them a 3rd time with the tiny paint brush. It is a much better way to fill multiple chips compared to the old way with the bottle and little paint brush. Is it perfect? Far from it, but it looks so much better.

touched up leading edge of hood plus metal (yes, metal) trim piece that goes around grille and under headlights. (very surprised that is metal, although this is a 2001...)

The same type of paint chip repair could be done on a scoot or motorcycle. Attached a before and after pic.

While $62 seems like a lot for touch up paint the end result seems worth a few hundred dollars!
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Downtown 300 / Re: Leaking Oil from Transmission? Loose nut
« Last post by spikebites on October 15, 2026, 09:29:17 PM »
I spoke to a friend who is an automobile mechanic.  He said doing a heli-coil requires removing the whole transmission case, so that way the shavings don't get stuck inside.

Is that true or should I find a shop that can do it without removing the entire thing?  Also, there was no washer under the bolt.  Is this missing? or did this never have one?

Also he recommend using teflon or silicon for the time being so it doesn't leak.  Those are temporary fixes because I am debating whether I should keep my 2014 Downtown 300i, or upgrade to the 2026 Downtown 350i .  I will call a few shops in the area to ask for quotes.  My friend quoted me around $500 for the service, roughly 4 hours of work.  I imagine shops will be more expensive here in the US.

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General Discussion / Re: Shoot - looking at another Burgman - UPDATE
« Last post by monkeybongos on October 15, 2026, 07:58:03 PM »
Ooops, sorry Hawk.

Figured it involved a situation requiring car transport. It’s the case for you and a couple hundred million others in this country.  Think that’s going to cause financial trouble for a lot of people in the coming years. Wouldn’t be surprised if vehicles become used more for shelter and less for transportation. 
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