Honda introduced two new scooters in 2010—the Elite and the SH150i. The Elite comes with 108cc fuel-injected four-stroke liquid-cooled engine which delivers a quick response at the throttle and surprisingly good acceleration.

Honda's linked combined braking system (CBS) provides impressive stopping power as applying the rear brake activates the front disc.

In general the riding position is comfortable and the controls are positioned well ergonomically. The leg room is cramped for a tall person, but most scooters have the same problem.

Gilera Fuoco 500

Being able to "read" a spark plug can be a valuable tuning aid. By examining the insulator firing nose color, an experienced engine tuner can determine a great deal about the engine's overall operating condition.

In general, a light tan/gray color tells you that the spark plug is operating at optimum temperature and that the engine is in good condition. Dark coloring, such as heavy black wet or dry deposits can indicate an overly-rich condition, too cold a heat range spark plug, a possible vacuum leak, low compression, overly retarded timing or too large a plug gap.

If the deposits are wet, it can be an indication of a breached head gasket, poor oil control from ring or valvetrain problems or an extremely rich condition - depending on the nature of the liquid present at the firing tip.

Signs of fouling or excessive heat must be traced quickly to prevent further deterioration of performance and possible engine damage.

The Facts

Studies conducted by the NHTSA show that traumatic brain injury is the most common cause of death among motorcyclists, a number of which could have been prevented with a motorcycle helmet. The NHTSA also states that the average motorcyclist is 37 times more likely than a passenger vehicle occupant to be involved in an accident.

By MotorcycleFoundation

Helmet in Action

A motorcycle helmet functions primarily in two steps. First, the kinetic force of an impact is spread across the helmet's rigid outer shell. If the impact is severe enough, the outer shell will crack to absorb as much force as possible. Secondly, any remaining energy is transferred to the inner liner, which is normally constructed from polystyrene foam. The liner acts as a shock-absorbing cushion, soaking up kinetic energy before it reaches the rider's brain. A properly fitted and certified helmet can be up 69 percent effective in preventing serious brain trauma.

........Scooter Helmets ............................................ ...................... Motorcycle Helmets

As cute and innocent as these scooters appear, they are still just as dangerous as a motorcycle in many ways and deserve the proper respect and execution of safety practices.

• Wear your helmet- Yeah, nothing new here, we've already mentioned this in a previous post, but when you consider most all of the fatalities mentioned above were due to a head injury, we'd say that was reason enough to bear repeating again, and again, and again!

See ya Jose and Judy I'm out a here

By mattYoung17754