NBD... New Bike Day!

 

More specifically: New Vespa Day! 

We had a 1:00 appointment to do the deal; AF1 is going sales by appointment only and that works for us.  Before making that 16 mile drive, we looked on the Maps app to see if we could find a way to get there besides I-35...

Yes, Rufus likes to help.  When Joan got to the 15th turn we'd need to make, I said, "Let's take our chances with the Interstate."  Yes, traffic will get slow around the downtown area, and we have to go through that area to get to AF1 (like the park where we are staying, also on a service road right alongside I-35).

We geared up and hit the road.  It is a hot day here in Austin, with the high around 90º and about 80% humidity.  We both wore our mesh armored jackets.  We got slowed down to about 20mph a time or two, but it was uneventful... we pulled up in front of AF1 25 minutes early.  We took our time getting our gear off and I gave Sean a call.  "I'll be right out to bring you in," he said.  He was, and took the old bike to service so they could get the windshield off that and onto the new one.  I had called him earlier and had them put on a rear rack they have in stock - "They have your new rack on."  Nice.

We had a moment to look around (without touching anything) - some of AF1's stock...

Yes, they have other bikes, but I enjoy checking out the Vespas.  We sat down at Sean's desk and did the paperwork.  He went to check on the windshield situation... they were having an issue getting some of the hardware off the old bike, so it took a bit longer than anticipated.  Joan said it would take an hour and a half for the whole transacion, I said an hour.  It was closer to her guess.

Sean went to the service department to check again, and we saw him ride that pretty new Vespa around to their parking lot.  We met him half way and went out to look at that lovely new scoot, complete with a familiar windshield.  He gave me "the walk around," but it is pretty similar to what I just traded in.  An "air handshake" and we were done.

We did the ride back to the coach on I-35.  Traffic was even heavier.  I was able to really feel the difference between the two Vespas, riding them one after the other - this new one is definitely stronger pulling, and it isn't "broken in," yet.  I like it!  A lot!  I have no photos of riding it through traffic, because I needed to get back to the coach and get all my stuff (like a phone mount and camera mount) mounted... and the fact that this is "Texas traffic" and I was a bit rusty on my NASCAR moves.  We bailed to the service road when we could see that traffic ahead was at a standstill due to an accident.

Back at the coach...

No, the Vespa isn't that much smaller than the Xmax (above), it was just parked further back.

I went to work on it.  Got the phone and camera mounts attached; heavier bar-end weights; I pulled the cover off to see about attaching the knee pad that has the USB plugs built in.  In the old bike, the wiring was exposed once you took the cover off; with this new bike, there is a plastic housing covering that area - I will need to cut that open, but not today.  There is already a USB plug in the glovebox.

The last task: get the mounting plate on the rear rack so I can have the top case on there...

That took a while... mostly because I dropped a nut and had to spend a stupid amount of time looking for it.  It is amazing how far a nut can hop when dropped on gravel.  By this point, I was ready for an adult beverage and the test ride with all the stuff mounted will have to wait until tomorrow.  I carefully put the scoots back into the trailer for the night...

Yeah, now they size up pretty good together.  I'll be looking forward to seeing how this new Vespa does vs the Xmax.

:-)