Oppositelock Meetup: 2 Wheeled Vehicles of the Lehigh Valley Edition

"Chuckles" (chucklesw37) 02/23/2020 at 19:22 • Filed to: two wheels good, Yamaha, Riva125Z

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In my time on Oppo, I’ve had the chance to meet a number of people. But until today, I had never managed to meet the Oppo who lives the closest to me. Atsfgeoff lives less than 2 miles from my house, and today we decided to meet up for a ride on our very different Yamahas. I was on my 1987 Yamaha Riva 125Z, an 80s scooter with a CVT and a top speed of about 55mph. Atsfgeoff was on his WR250R, a proper dirt bike that’s also suitable for road use. It has a top speed of about 90.

Our plan was to meet up at a nearby gas station and head across the city, out into the country, and up to Bake Oven Knob. The Knob is an overlook along the Appalachian Trail. It’s a popular spot because you can drive up most of the mountain on a gravel road, and then it’s only a short hike to the top. We planned a route that kept us mostly on roads with speed limits of 45mph or less. The scooter might do 55, but it isn’t too happy about it.

The weather was surprisingly good considering that it’s February in Pennsylvania. Sunny skies and temperatures in the 50s all day. As we headed across the city, one thing became painfully obvious: the acceleration of the scooter is nowhere near as good as the dual-sport. At every traffic light, I’d be giving it full throttle and I couldn’t come close to matching the speed of the WR250R. This wasn’t too surprising, considering that I was working with 1/2 the displacement and a CVT. But we managed to stay together despite my general slowness.

Once we got out of the city, traffic lights became less of an issue. The scooter was quick enough to get to 45, and then it would just gradually gain speed before leveling out around 52 or so. Atsfgeoff was kind enough to not abandon me on our ride, and I tried my best to keep up. Some of the country roads had some really nice sweeping corners, and leaning into them on the scooter was quite an adventure.

When we reached the gravel road, I wasn’t sure if the Riva could handle it, but she performed admirably and managed to carry me all the way to the parking lot. A short hike later and we were greeted with a nice view of the valley, although it was a bit hazy.

After hiking back down, we hopped on the Yamahas and headed south. The ride home took us up and down a few big hills, some of which the Riva struggled with. But we made it back home without any major issues about 3 hours after we left.

I wish that I would have taken a few more pictures, but I was honestly having too much fun to think about it. Atsfgeoff took more than I did, and I'm sure he'll drop some in the comments here. I had a blast today, and it was nice to kick off riding season with a good adventure. 

atfsgeoff > Chuckles 02/23/2020 at 19:37

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My WR250R actually tops out around 70, because I have a larger rear sprocket than stock. But yeah it was great fun! Here are a few full res pics

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Chuckles 02/23/2020 at 19:37

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Looks like a fun time! :D

Nibby > Chuckles 02/23/2020 at 20:16

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geoff is a good dude

i’ve met jbh and aaron brown IRL a few years ago... i think 2014 or 2015?

Chuckles > Nibby 02/23/2020 at 20:21

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Geoff is indeed a good dude. After we got back, he let me take his Burgman 650 for a test drive. It’s like riding on a 650cc La-Z-Boy recliner.

Nibby > Chuckles 02/23/2020 at 20:32

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dat F250 doe

interstate366, now In The Industry > Chuckles 02/23/2020 at 20:36

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Sounds fun.

I’ve met a few Oppos. I’ve gone to car shows with aperson twice, and met Ike and jvirgs (neither of whom come here much anymore) once apiece. I’ve also seen MR2-FTW’s car at Cars & Coffee a couple times, but never met him. My brother’s roommate, who also has an MR2, did meet him though.

Chuckles > interstate366, now In The Industry 02/23/2020 at 20:45

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Nice. I mostly met other Oppos at the two Oppo Rallies put on by Dusty Ventures. I also met BeaterGT and Ben Rolland in NJ. We met for wings and drove around the Pine Barrens. 

Chuckles > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 02/23/2020 at 21:26

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It was a great day. I highly recommend that you get yourself a scooter soon!

shop-teacher > Chuckles 02/23/2020 at 22:40

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That is a fantastic ride! I wish I could have joined you. My Zuma tops out at 52 as well :)

Chuckles > shop-teacher 02/23/2020 at 22:51

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I think I hit 55 at the bottom of a hill, and that was sketchy on my 10" tires. I definitely had to do a full tuck with my head down near the speedo to get up some of the hills without losing too much speed.

The Riva did well, but it’s definitely happier at 35-40 than it is at 45-50. After we got back, Geoff let me try his Burgman 650. That thing is a beast of a scooter.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Chuckles 02/24/2020 at 15:46

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I am leaning more and more towards it!

Chuckles > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 02/24/2020 at 16:44

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If you're interested in something a bit larger, Atsfgeoff is selling a Suzuki Burgman 650. You could fly down here and ride that thing all the way back to Canada. It would make for a great road trip.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Chuckles 02/24/2020 at 17:13

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They’re cool, but smaller scoots (150cc) are what tickle my fancy :)

Chuckles > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 02/24/2020 at 17:21

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Totally understandable. They are very different beasts. As the owner of a 125cc scooter, I will say that having something with a little more acceleration would be good for safety reasons. I can get up to 50mph , but it takes a long time to get there.

Mercedes Streeter > atfsgeoff 02/24/2020 at 23:14

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Soooooooooo, word on the street is you're selling that gorgeous Burgman. :D

atfsgeoff > Mercedes Streeter 02/25/2020 at 03:39

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Yep. Give me a call or send a text if you’re interested!