A scooter trip to get "Hank the Pug" his special "Canidae, Chicken and Rice Formula" kibble at Petco.
Beautiful day in West Central Florida. Down US 41 and then West along Highway 54 to the plaza..
Just turned onto 41 heading South when a pair of Harley cruisers (extremely loud ones) blew by me, also heading South.
Ended up next to them at the next light. Lots of chrome to be sure (a Fatboy and a Dyna Wide Glide).
Two rather rough looking gentlemen aboard the Hogs.
I smiled (waiting for the light to change).and was favored with more of a smirk in return. That's OK, I am "Almost Old" and I am riding a scooter
The light changed and the two HD's took off fast; I am at 740 miles or so, still breaking in, so I won't just roll the throttle wide open (not going to impress anyone anyway). That said I accelerate steady up to about 65 (the limit there is 50).
Two more lights and I am still right behind the duo.
We turn onto Hwy. 54 (which has construction going on) and both of them open up their bikes. I already know the construction begins right around the bend so I am doing 45, with no one behind me (middle of the day), happy as a clam.
Caught up to them at the construction, nasty, dust everywhere, machinery throwing up clouds of it. I am wearing my Yellow "Minion Head" Shoei with full face shield, so it's note bad for me. The boys however have no helmets on and are wearing their sliver size sunglasses; they are not happy as we go through the cloud of road construction dust...
Two more lights it opens up for a stretch (no equipment working) and the Harleys reed up and must have been doing 70 or 75 (in a 55). I caught them again at the Suncoast Parkway and was to their left (waiting to turn into Petco's Plaza). The left turn signal lights up green and I gently twist the grip and roll past the two big cruisers into the shopping plaza. I was going to wave good bye, but thought better of it. No need to be a smart ass. As I am listing to them revving up and then screaming forward and I am pulling in to to poetics' parking area I realized; today's traffic flow will not permit anyone to "run away from a scooter". Well, not one over 250cc's... I don't care where you are. What kind of road. what kind of traffic. If your scooter is capable of reaching 75 or 80 mph nothing is going to leave you in the dust. They may be able to pull away momentarily, but given the realities of traffic flow 250, 300 cc's and you can stay with anyone. Most that ride scooters know this. Many that don't ride and have never ridden a medium size scoot have no idea of the facts. At $5,000 in change it wasn't cheap; but given the mpg's and the lower maintenance & insurance costs. It just makes me smile even more.
