Subsim Forum regulars' bios, pics, 'how you found Subsim'

[Sailor Steve]

:rotfl:

My stepmother once paced me on mine - a whopping 30 mph cranked to the max. It had a four-speed gearbox with an automatic clutch. I found out that if I put it in first gear and held my foot down it wouldn't engage. I would rev it up all the way and then let my foot go, and it would wheelie all the way over. I got so I could show off by doing a wheelie and landing standing on my feet holding the bike vertically on its rear wheel. I once did it with a friend on the back and he landed on his butt. He was laughing, though, so no harm done.

I finally broke the gearbox pulling that stunt, and my dad made me take it apart and fix it. I've hated mechanical things ever since.

I liked riding so much that when my learner's permit expired after six months, rather than go for my license I just renewed the permit.

It was so light that if the entrance to a parking lot was around the corner I would just pick it up and carry it five feet to the lot.

It was also so weak that with my friend on the back it wouldn't climb a hill, so we would both get off and walk, and with the bike idling I would just hold it upright and it did its own pushing.

Mine had a problem with the mirrors coming loose. I ignored it and just pushed them back into place. One day a car stopped in front of me and I wasn't paying attention. With inches to spare I dodged between the car and the curb. The mirror slapped the car, and to my chagrin I found that my dad had gotten tired of it and cinched them down real good. The handlebars snapped sideways and dumped me on the grass.

Even though it was so tiny I used to argue that it was in no way a scooter: "See those wheels? That is a real motorcycle!"

Thanks for reminding me of all that.