Florida: Mixed road types, first 100-mile ride

knappster · 09-07-2024, 08:54 PM

I took my new 150 Navi clone out the other day and rode from Gainesville to Ocala and back via Williston and Archer. It's not a freeway bike, so I hit everything from Wacahoota Road (1/3 potholes, 1/3 raised pavement from pothole repairs, 1/3 loose gravel because REASONS) to two different fairly straight US highways to city streets to a couple of very slightly twisty county roads. Total mileage, just over 100.

The bike's top speed is supposedly 55mph. I got it to 57 on a long flat straight stretch, but mostly took it easy in the 45-47mph range. Fun ride, but since I'm new at this I woke up the next morning with soreness in muscles I didn't even know I had.

ProDigit · 09-07-2024, 10:10 PM

Reminds me of my first scooter, a Taotao ATM 50,which was actually a 63cc bbk from the factory. It also topped out around 55-57 mph, and I did a ~200 mile wot run on that thing through the Everglades.
I wasn't prepared for rain, froze my ass off, shoulders, butt, and neck were killing me to the point of me just feeling like laying down on the side of the road, giving up and never appearing in the living world again.

Thankfully the last 50 miles had some rest stations. I warmed myself up on a hand blow dryer (you can make the air blow upwards in your shirt), and with the setting sun in the background, and a small tail wind, I was doing 57mph on the i75 (where other drivers did 100+ mph).

Had a bunch of people honk at me, lol. But I made it.
After that, I did the same tour with a Chinese 125, a 150cc scooter, a 200cc motorcycle, a rebel 250, a 250 burgman clone, a GS500F, a shadow vt750, and some other bikes, all much more comfortable than the first.

knappster · 09-08-2024, 06:02 AM

Sounds like quite the adventure! I took my old 50cc on a long round trip (total 90 miles or so) during the north Florida "winter" (40s when I left, 50s when I returned), and used the hand dryer trick myself.

09-07-2024, 08:54 PM	#1
knappster Join Date: Aug 2024 Location: Gainesville, Florida, USA Posts: 12	Florida: Mixed road types, first 100-mile ride I took my new 150 Navi clone out the other day and rode from Gainesville to Ocala and back via Williston and Archer. It's not a freeway bike, so I hit everything from Wacahoota Road (1/3 potholes, 1/3 raised pavement from pothole repairs, 1/3 loose gravel because REASONS) to two different fairly straight US highways to city streets to a couple of very slightly twisty county roads. Total mileage, just over 100. The bike's top speed is supposedly 55mph. I got it to 57 on a long flat straight stretch, but mostly took it easy in the 45-47mph range. Fun ride, but since I'm new at this I woke up the next morning with soreness in muscles I didn't even know I had.
	1

09-07-2024, 10:10 PM	#2
ProDigit Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: FL Posts: 366	Reminds me of my first scooter, a Taotao ATM 50,which was actually a 63cc bbk from the factory. It also topped out around 55-57 mph, and I did a ~200 mile wot run on that thing through the Everglades. I wasn't prepared for rain, froze my ass off, shoulders, butt, and neck were killing me to the point of me just feeling like laying down on the side of the road, giving up and never appearing in the living world again. Thankfully the last 50 miles had some rest stations. I warmed myself up on a hand blow dryer (you can make the air blow upwards in your shirt), and with the setting sun in the background, and a small tail wind, I was doing 57mph on the i75 (where other drivers did 100+ mph). Had a bunch of people honk at me, lol. But I made it. After that, I did the same tour with a Chinese 125, a 150cc scooter, a 200cc motorcycle, a rebel 250, a 250 burgman clone, a GS500F, a shadow vt750, and some other bikes, all much more comfortable than the first. __________________
	1

09-08-2024, 06:02 AM	#3
knappster Join Date: Aug 2024 Location: Gainesville, Florida, USA Posts: 12	Sounds like quite the adventure! I took my old 50cc on a long round trip (total 90 miles or so) during the north Florida "winter" (40s when I left, 50s when I returned), and used the hand dryer trick myself.
	0