Is that the theme music from Sanford & Son???

 

I took the Vespa to a shop just east of Rapid City - it was recommended to me by a dealer in Rapid City because: "We don't work on scooters."

It's a tire.  I checked: all motorcycles and scooters have tires.  Repair the puncture, put a tube in it, or replace the tire.  Any one of those is a workable option.  Getting a tire shipped here would waste a bunch of time, so I was looking at repair or tube it.  When I talked to the "scooter dude" (that's what the service writer from the motorcycle shop called him), he said he could repair it and/or put a tube in it.  "No flat rate, because every bike is different - it will be an hourly charge."

When we got to his "shop," there was no worry about paying for a fancy location...

It was at this point I heard that theme music.  This was fancy compared to the inside.  I helped Tony move an older semi-ratty Suzuki from the lift and put my Vespa on there.  I was assured that he knew what he was doing, but every task took multiple trips to his toolbox... or, hunting through various piles looking for the right tool or bit.  When he was working, he seemed plenty competent - it was just the incredible time wasting.  I can understand why he had trouble finding anything, because he didn't put anything away when he was done with it.  I could go into more detail, but I'll just say that, while it took a long time, I was glad I stayed with the bike... no telling how long it may have taken if I wasn't there.

He patched the tire from the inside, found and dressed a second puncture, and put a tube in it.  "That should be good for the life of the tire," he said.  I just need it to hang in there until I can get another tire put on it, preferably at the Vespa shop in Austin.

He talked the whole time; asked me a couple questions, but mostly talked about himself.  When he did ask anything about my experience with the bike, I was apparently doing everything wrong.  I mostly held my tongue... until he declared the project done.  One thing that he did improve: there was a wobble on the handlebars if you took your hands off at speed... he scraped the wheel weights off and said, "You don't need those this size wheel."  I gave the bike a test run before putting the scoot back in the trailer, and - sure as heck - the wobble was gone.  I thanked him, closed up the trailer, and we were off.  A couple hours after we got there.

When we got back to our site, we put the trailer into position and ran into town for a burger (really late lunch).  Then, I took the Vespa for a good, hard run.  The tire seems to be fine (I'll know better after it has sat for a day or two - more rainy weather predicted for tonight and tomorrow), an adjustment to the suspension seems to give me better cornering performance, and the scoot feels solid.

I put the Vespa away for now...