Saturday, July 28, 2012

Swear to Bacchus...

Driving to pick up breakfast from Cafe Pretenchou, I saw a uniformed, armed IMPD officer riding home from graveyard shift on a 49cc Honda Ruckus.

While I'm sure it was just because the 114mpg Ruckus makes a swell little fair-weather urban commuter and not for the usual reasons grownups around here ride unplated 49cc scooters, I laughed out loud anyway...

16 comments:

Weer'd Beard said...

I dunno, we've had officers here in Mass get their gun permits revoked for doing bad things...but the PD still lets them carry when in uniform.

I don't see why IMPD might not allow their officers to walk a foot beat, drive a desk, or push a cruiser despite losing a license to a DWI.

Ruth said...

I have to admit that I've looked pretty closely at those scooters laterly, just not sure how it would work with my commute....but the gas milage....the damn thing would pay for itself pretty quickly....

Critter said...

we had a officer drive something like it on a fifty mile commute a couple of years ago. she said it was because of the great milage. i can't help to note that the thrill of the road conditions and those tiny wheels palled pretty quickly and she was back in her car before the cold weather set in.

Firehand said...

Once upon a time, when money was- 'tight' is understatement but I'll go with it- I rode the wife's scooter(left from college) to work. Little 50cc Honda something, lime green. Yeah, it got 90mpg, and ran, but it's max rated load was, well, me before clothes and shoes and lunch/dinner/whatever you call it at that time of night. Five miles each way, and on the route I sometimes had to take there was a hill that I had to paddle some to get to the top of.

Anonymous said...

Divorce with child support?

Shootin' Buddy

Jim said...

The definitive answer is on the Honda site:

"...we gave the Ruckus a minimalist design for that urban-warrior look."

Kristophr said...

Shootin' Buddy:

Nope ... he probably got his drivers license revoked for drunk driving while not on patrol.

Kristophr said...

Critter: Bicycle commuting is fine in nice weather. Smart bicyclists get in the car when wet shit falls from the sky.

On a Wing and a Whim said...

Kristopher: amen to that. I commuted for years by bicycle because I was saving all my money for the expensive addiction of learning to fly. Once I had to get a car, I realized the joy of arriving at work without being soaked in sweat or 38 degree rainwater.

These days I have a car for commuting, a truck for hauling, and a plane for fun. No bicycle, no urge to get one.

(Calmer Half, though, keeps quietly working on persuading me to sample more of the joys of motorcycles. We'll see.)

staghounds said...

Sorry about your license!

Come on, I dare you...

Joe in PNG said...

I've though a Ruckus would make a great trunk vehicle. Just leave in in your trunk until you have a breakdown, and now you have a ride home.

Phssthpok said...

There be some crazy folks over in Hawaii that are doing GY6 (the most common 150cc scooter engine) conversions on the Ruckus (http://www.monstergy6.com/ruckus_conversion_kits.htm)and bumping the engine size up to 232cc's (http://www.mbemotorsports.com/all-parts-by-type/crank-casing/gy6-232cc-67mm-big-bore-engine-kit.html).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&NR=1&v=0soPSAAhmU0

Ian Argent said...

A number of people on a Smart forum I frequent have noted that buying a Smart when you own an F-150 means, essentially, free car. That is to say, their gas bill went down by more than their car payment. Given the difference between my Taurus and my Smart, I'd believe it.

GuardDuck said...

Wait a minute. I thought IMPD had a laws for thee and not for me administrative exemption to DWI. You know, because they're cops and are specially trained to talk on the cell phone and type on the computer and uhhm drink while driving, unlike us mere proles.....



And, WTF is with commuting in uniform? Around here you got a locker room for a reason. Unless you have a take home vehicle.

KM said...

And, WTF is with commuting in uniform?

Maybe he WANTS to be found dead in a roadside ditch.
Commuting in uniform is really stoopid.

mariner said...

He should just get rid of cable.