Texas Riding Blog
- Thread starter biknut
- Start date
Yesterday was nice and today will be beautiful. Tomorrow is whole different story. Supposed to get suuuuper ugly. I'm trying to convince the wife to let me keep my bike in the kitchen but she aint going for it loooool. All good tho, cuz imma cover it up with shopping bags over carb and seat and tarp over whole bike. Hope that keeps her nice and dry \m/
I did ride to Strokers this afternoon for lunch, taking advantage of the first good weather day since Christmas. There was about 25 bikers in the parking lot with the same idea, and the whole time I was there more were streaming in.
It probably took me less than 5 minutes to order a brewsky and chicken sandwich (trying to watch the ole waist line don't you know). Anyway when I walked back outside there were about 10 people surrounding my bike, and intently eyeing it like a live porno. Refreshingly, unlike almost anywhere else I ride, not a sole was so crass as to lay one finger on my bike. That's the difference between a true biker, and a poser mofo.
I tried to mind my own business, and eat my lunch, but my bicycle helmet gave me away. Next thing I know I'm getting all the same questions we all get. I don't mind though, it's better than being completely ignored and besides, bikers have greater appreciation for motor bicycles than most people.
But the real fun started shortly after I started for home. It's a little over 6 miles, as the crow flies from Strokers to my house. I got about 1/4 mile away, when I was suddenly alerted that my muffler broke off the header and dropped to the ground by loud exhaust noise. I guess Stunner is luckier than The Atomic BB, because whenever that happened to it, I always ran over the muffler, and broke spokes. This time was a clean miss.
I didn't want to motor home with no muffler, and take a chance on damaging my motor, so to back up power went I. Holding a hot muffler in one hand, I started pedaling. Luckily there's not many hills between Strokers and my house. One problem I had was crossing I635. It's under heavy construction. When I got to it after pedaling 4 miles, the street looked intimidating so I rode the sidewalk under the overpass. About halfway through, because of all the construction the sidewalk was buried under about 3 inches deep of gooey mud with no way around it, but straight through. It was good that my tires are so wide. After that I only had a relatively easy 2 more miles to home.
After getting home I washed my bike, and now everything's back to normal, except I need a new exhaust. Since Stunner is almost broken in now I'm thinking xchamber. It's almost impossible to stop a motor bicycle, ain't it great? The best thing is this really kicked my diet plan into high gear lol.
This wasn't today, but it looked about the same with a few less bikes.
It probably took me less than 5 minutes to order a brewsky and chicken sandwich (trying to watch the ole waist line don't you know). Anyway when I walked back outside there were about 10 people surrounding my bike, and intently eyeing it like a live porno. Refreshingly, unlike almost anywhere else I ride, not a sole was so crass as to lay one finger on my bike. That's the difference between a true biker, and a poser mofo.
I tried to mind my own business, and eat my lunch, but my bicycle helmet gave me away. Next thing I know I'm getting all the same questions we all get. I don't mind though, it's better than being completely ignored and besides, bikers have greater appreciation for motor bicycles than most people.
But the real fun started shortly after I started for home. It's a little over 6 miles, as the crow flies from Strokers to my house. I got about 1/4 mile away, when I was suddenly alerted that my muffler broke off the header and dropped to the ground by loud exhaust noise. I guess Stunner is luckier than The Atomic BB, because whenever that happened to it, I always ran over the muffler, and broke spokes. This time was a clean miss.
I didn't want to motor home with no muffler, and take a chance on damaging my motor, so to back up power went I. Holding a hot muffler in one hand, I started pedaling. Luckily there's not many hills between Strokers and my house. One problem I had was crossing I635. It's under heavy construction. When I got to it after pedaling 4 miles, the street looked intimidating so I rode the sidewalk under the overpass. About halfway through, because of all the construction the sidewalk was buried under about 3 inches deep of gooey mud with no way around it, but straight through. It was good that my tires are so wide. After that I only had a relatively easy 2 more miles to home.
After getting home I washed my bike, and now everything's back to normal, except I need a new exhaust. Since Stunner is almost broken in now I'm thinking xchamber. It's almost impossible to stop a motor bicycle, ain't it great? The best thing is this really kicked my diet plan into high gear lol.
This wasn't today, but it looked about the same with a few less bikes.
So today, a week after my last ride we had another good riding day. It got up to 69 degrees this afternoon. Since I've been too lazy to fix Stunner's broken exhaust pipe which happened on the last ride, it was time for the Atomic BB to step up to the plate. The Atomic BB refuses to take a back seat to Stunner in spite of Stunners snooty pedigree.
I guess everyone had cabin fever because the trail was more crowded than I've ever seen. I'm riding down the bike trail thinking how cool it is to be me when all of a sudden this big bruiser comes along and steals all my thunder.
He was riding this big board down a hill next to the trail, and when he gets to the bottom he turns around and rides back up the hill, and turns around and then rides back down again. What a frickin show off. Sheeze.
I guess everyone had cabin fever because the trail was more crowded than I've ever seen. I'm riding down the bike trail thinking how cool it is to be me when all of a sudden this big bruiser comes along and steals all my thunder.
He was riding this big board down a hill next to the trail, and when he gets to the bottom he turns around and rides back up the hill, and turns around and then rides back down again. What a frickin show off. Sheeze.
This is my first post. I came across this thread while searching for Texas laws regarding mopeds.
Best I can tell, Texas is a bit stricter on actual mopeds to the point that they are basically viewed as motorcycles if not on the states' certified moped list.
And, since the 1976 Garelli I acquired is not on the list and the manufacturer is no longer in business, there appears to be no real way around the motorcycle classification.
Good news is, I have now become more interested in a motorized bicycle build, especially when the alternative was being required to get a title, insurance, inspection, etc. to go 25 mph on a moped.
Being new to all this, I have a few questions, though, and would like to pick some of your brains before I get too far ahead of myself on this idea.
Thanks
Best I can tell, Texas is a bit stricter on actual mopeds to the point that they are basically viewed as motorcycles if not on the states' certified moped list.
And, since the 1976 Garelli I acquired is not on the list and the manufacturer is no longer in business, there appears to be no real way around the motorcycle classification.
Good news is, I have now become more interested in a motorized bicycle build, especially when the alternative was being required to get a title, insurance, inspection, etc. to go 25 mph on a moped.
Being new to all this, I have a few questions, though, and would like to pick some of your brains before I get too far ahead of myself on this idea.
Thanks
Sounds like you understand the situation. You are correct, any moped in Texas is considered same as a motorcycle, and has to be registered. Any moped not on the state's recognized list, I'm not sure you could even get registered. Even if you can it probably wouldn't be worth the time, and expense they would make you go through.
Of course I recommend a motor bicycle anyway, and welcome to the forum from Dallas.
OldHarley, I've never seen a moped nicer than my motor bicycle anyway. They love it down at Strokers.
I saw your post. Nice setup. I would prefer a stealth setup like that over the 'tank-on-the-top-bar' route.
I also prefer your idler sprocket over the ones I've seen recently as I have been looking for some days now at the kits.
In checking out your videos, I see we ride some of the same areas. I'm just south of Royal at Marsh Lane, but I don't recall ever seeing your bike around.
I do have a couple of reliability questions about the 'out-of-the-box' setups I have seen as my son may also want to ride it to the Brookhaven campus ....(that is, if I will ever let him
)!
I also prefer your idler sprocket over the ones I've seen recently as I have been looking for some days now at the kits.
In checking out your videos, I see we ride some of the same areas. I'm just south of Royal at Marsh Lane, but I don't recall ever seeing your bike around.
I do have a couple of reliability questions about the 'out-of-the-box' setups I have seen as my son may also want to ride it to the Brookhaven campus ....(that is, if I will ever let him
)!That's great, we're very close. I live in Farmers Branch up near Webs Chapel, and Valwood now. Where you live has been my triditional stomping grounds most of my life. My wife, and I went to Cary JH, and Thomas Jefferson HS.
I like to ride in Bluff View. Usually I go on my long rides on the weekends. I like to cut through Bluff View, Inwood Village, and UP/HP on my way down to the Katy Trail. Then I might go downtown, or over to lower Greenville, or both. White Rock lake to fun too. Occasionally I even ride to Oak Cliff.
I also ride over to Strokers for fun whenever I start feeling jiggy. They love my bikes there.
I highly recommend you look at the Flying Horse motor kits. I bought mine from BikeBerry. Pm me if you'd like to talk to me directly, and I'll give you my cell number.
I'm totally game mac daddy. Keep talking about it so more people will become interested, and make suggestions.
Think about meeting at some central location, that we can start the ride from.
I suggest everyone make some practice rides to get a feel for your bikes dependability, and range.
I took a piece of fence wire with my Leatherman off the farmers fence, left a note promising I would fix it, wired my pipe on and went back to fix it. I got about 200' just sitting here. I fixed it, and took the note off the pole. It's Texas! 
Yep this is Texas alright. Why didn't you just shoot the wire off the fence with your gun LOL?I took a piece of fence wire with my Leatherman off the farmers fence, left a note promising I would fix it, wired my pipe on and went back to fix it. I got about 200' just sitting here. I fixed it, and took the note off the pole. It's Texas!
Met biknut on Wed. Beautiful day with temp in the mid-'70's. He rode over to my house on the Atomic BB. Really nice bike, but as I expected, he has replaced most stock parts with upgrades to make it a more dependable ride.
We talked motorized bikes for a couple of hours and finished up with a short ride. I clocked him at 41 mph on my Honda. Not bad for a bicycle!!
The guy is a wealth of knowledge, so now it is up to me to decide where to start. He is promising to keep me out of trouble!
I think I may be able to convince him to build a new, better bike and park one of his older ones at my house ;-)
We talked motorized bikes for a couple of hours and finished up with a short ride. I clocked him at 41 mph on my Honda. Not bad for a bicycle!!
The guy is a wealth of knowledge, so now it is up to me to decide where to start. He is promising to keep me out of trouble!
I think I may be able to convince him to build a new, better bike and park one of his older ones at my house ;-)
Yea buddy new parts will arive sometime today \m/ that's the upside lol. They will probably get here too late to ride. And its my last day of vacation. I have almost totally redone my bike. Upgraded a few things while bike has been down this week. Got my rear wheel swapped out and cleaned up ( looks sweeeeet btw with all the black paint off it. Got generator installed so when headlight gets here I can mount that up. Got new head on aswell after finding washers so I could get the propper torque on head nuts. Only thing left to get it back on the pavement is the tank that's comming some time today....
Who knows, maybe fedex will show up early and I might get to go a block or two at least. Won't have time to ride out for the next 4 days - lame loooool
Posted an ad on craigslist to see if anyone that had a bike would wanna ride and seems like they misinterpreted "riding buddy" bwahahahahaha oh well hope to see someone out soon as a lot of people have stopped me and asked the usual questions about where to get one. I'm happy to pass out any info I can and show my bike to anyone who wants to LOOK at it. Amazed at how many people I have to tell quit touching lol. I wish I could make the run to dallas for a group ride. Maybe if yall get some thing organized I might be able to work it out. Till then -
Here's a pic of where I'm at currently
Who knows, maybe fedex will show up early and I might get to go a block or two at least. Won't have time to ride out for the next 4 days - lame loooool
Posted an ad on craigslist to see if anyone that had a bike would wanna ride and seems like they misinterpreted "riding buddy" bwahahahahaha oh well hope to see someone out soon as a lot of people have stopped me and asked the usual questions about where to get one. I'm happy to pass out any info I can and show my bike to anyone who wants to LOOK at it. Amazed at how many people I have to tell quit touching lol. I wish I could make the run to dallas for a group ride. Maybe if yall get some thing organized I might be able to work it out. Till then -
Here's a pic of where I'm at currently
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Did get a short ride in. Poor fedex guy got almost got tackled after getting out of his truck. He wanted to chit chat but I just wanted my box lol. Got tank mounted and went for short ride. Had to retighten the head studs a little. Not sure they all the way down still. Deff harder to start my bike but once I started it it ran smooth as a babys bottom. Seeming to take forever to get it to wind out tho. And it won't idle for shhhh. Can cruise at lower speeds without any jerkyness. Not sure if that's because of the adapter or the new head. Had small issue with magneto at first, seemed like the one I was useing was fried? Ran fine before I took off tank and rag joint... All good tho, I had a spare I threw on ond it ran great. Can't get generator to work yet either and running new headlight off white wire is a total bust. Engine refuses to start with light hooked up. Ill work that out next time I'm off work in about 4 days. Not a horrible end to my vacation.
And thanks for the compliments biknut, I'm digging it more every day. \m/
And thanks for the compliments biknut, I'm digging it more every day. \m/