Dear old dad bought us (my sister and I) a little scooter (low-hi automatic 50 cc, top speed of maybe 25) when I was 8. No brakes, wore out a couple pair of shoes stopping. The bike lasted us 6 years until a throttle cable broke. Not knowing how to fix it, (my dad is no mechanical genius, and much of what I have learned I learned since I bought my first bike years later) the bike was sold.
Have only owned a few bikes since then, and the average age of these bikes is about 15 years. Driving is half of the enjoyment, knowing that you can do and have learned how to repair the machine you are driving: priceless. My scooters have only broke down a few times, and every time I could perform the job to repair the scooter. Sometimes logistics became a problem, but I learned.
I get off the soapbox now.
|