Well, that was embarrassing...

[Stig / Major Tom]

While the scooters wait patiently in the garage.....

I decided to top up the gas in my Liberty..... except I could not remember how to open the seat!



I'm turning the key, pushing it in , etc., etc.....nothing is working. I finally remembered how to get the front glove box open to use the emergency seat lever in there.

I gassed up (SHELL Rocket 93)...closed the seat. Then I spotted the problem...and remembered the goofy handlebar mounted electric seat opener! (Turn the key on - hit that button with the open 'lock' emblem - bingo)



"Why?"....it has been many months since I've closed and latched the seat. I just never do....so never needed to unlatch it*.

This would have been really fun at a gas station!
Stig

*I figure that the ambulance guys will be able to spot where I've left the pavement & flown into the shrubbery - by the pile of empty Moon Pie wrappers along the road. It's a safety thing I'm practicing.

FYI: that ($12 eBay) billet "VESPA" gas cap is in response to the horrible plastic cap these scooters come with. That sucker would cross-thread every time - then after you did get it properly threaded - would tick and require two hands to remove it. I won an award for telling other Liberty owners how to solve this problem.
AND, if you want another of those lousy plastic gas caps - Vespa USA will sell you one for @$29 !!

[Neil955i]

   Think we all have embarrassing stories like that to tell.  Did you get a ride in for the month of February to keep your record going?

[rjs987]

Stig
I think I'll avoid that photo hosting site YOU have.
All I see is a 503 service unavailable message where pics should be! 

[Stig / Major Tom]

  Think we all have embarrassing stories like that to tell.  Did you get a ride in for the month of February to keep your record going?

Yeah, think it was Feb 2nd. I was on the Liberty. Rained.
Had to wash it afterwards.
Stig

[rjs987]

...

This would have been really fun at a gas station!
Stig

...

That would have been about as embarrassing as it WAS when I took my wife's Honda Metropolitan to the gas station to fill up the one gallon tank. Then again maybe not quite.
Filling the tank wasn't the problem though. When I got there who would I see already there filling the tank of his Vulcan Nomad but a former Air National Guard member from my shop. I quickly told him this was my WIFE'S scooter (I was riding a ST1100 at the time). And after we talked a bit I went to start the scooter and... nothing...
Lights came on as normal and everything electrical was working to show the battery was good but push the starter... nothing...
This scooter has a kick start lever so I though no big deal and gave it a few quick kicks but... nothing... tried again with the same result. The kick start lever would turn the crank but no spark, no anything.
My military buddy offered to give me ride someplace where I could get some help but I declined since I was only a mile from home and it was mostly downhill.
So we parted ways and I pushed the Metropolitan home. I then proceeded to break out the service manual and started tearing the plastic off to get at the engine and try to figure out why it wouldn't start. As I stood up after it was laid bare I held onto the right grip to help me up and felt the kill switch turn back to "ON" and a bright light bulb went off in my head... the color of blush!
That was the problem. At some point when I had stopped at the pump I mistakenly hit the kill switch.

[Stig / Major Tom]

Stig
I think I'll avoid that photo hosting site YOU have.
All I see is a 503 service unavailable message where pics should be! 

Well
..best not 👀 at them then..
I wouldn't!

The Major

[Neil955i]

That would have been about as embarrassing as it WAS when I took my wife's Honda Metropolitan to the gas station to fill up the one gallon tank. Then again maybe not quite.
Filling the tank wasn't the problem though. When I got there who would I see already there filling the tank of his Vulcan Nomad but a former Air National Guard member from my shop. I quickly told him this was my WIFE'S scooter (I was riding a ST1100 at the time). And after we talked a bit I went to start the scooter and... nothing...
Lights came on as normal and everything electrical was working to show the battery was good but push the starter... nothing...
This scooter has a kick start lever so I though no big deal and gave it a few quick kicks but... nothing... tried again with the same result. The kick start lever would turn the crank but no spark, no anything.
My military buddy offered to give me ride someplace where I could get some help but I declined since I was only a mile from home and it was mostly downhill.
So we parted ways and I pushed the Metropolitan home. I then proceeded to break out the service manual and started tearing the plastic off to get at the engine and try to figure out why it wouldn't start. As I stood up after it was laid bare I held onto the right grip to help me up and felt the kill switch turn back to "ON" and a bright light bulb went off in my head... the color of blush!
That was the problem. At some point when I had stopped at the pump I mistakenly hit the kill switch.

I can match that (almost) from this morning.  On my way home from the Docs, I stopped at the village shop for eggs and popped the X-Town on the centre stand.  Kit off, shop, kit back on and just before putting my gloves on thought "I'll just put the heated grips on for the ride home" as it had started snowing.  Tried to start the scooter up and... nothing.  Took way longer than it should have for me to realise although the bike was on the centre stand, the kick stand was also down activating its cut off switch!  Dummy!

[randyo]

my embarrassing moment was not putting my sidestand down