Scooter Story

(Ed.Note: This story took place Spring, 2010. The story was retold at a Saturday morning breakfast recently. Although a year old Gary still had an audience as he was telling it. I convinced him to put it into words for the newsletter for the rest of you to enjoy.)

I was working my Saturday, when Dale Nordlie calls and wants to go for a ride. I said, “Sure, where to?” Dale suggested New Ulm (code for the Schell's Brewery). I then told Dale I had ridden my scooter thinking I wouldn't being going any farther than Sioux Falls. He said that should work, so at 10:00 A.M. we left for New Ulm.
My ride is a Kymco Grand Vista 250 and I'm about to go "where no man has gone before" on a 250 cc scooter. (Not really, but it sounds good.) Naturally, this being spring and we are on 2 wheels, the wind is blowing strongly. (It wasn’t as bad as this past Memorial Day, but close.) We were cruising right along with the southerly tail winds. I hit the highest speed I've ever reached on a scooter going down a long hill. (I'll tell you how fast, off the record, of course).
We got to the brewery around noon and signed up for the next tour. The tour was fine and the samples where even better. We decide to head back and we gassed up our rides in New Ulm. My tank holds 2.4 gallons and we had head winds to deal with on the return trip. It was mostly a "wide-open throttle" trip back home for me. It had been a long time since I had seen a gas station and my fuel pump symbol had been flashing rapidly at me for several miles. By this time Dale and I were on MN Hwy 23. I knew we were getting close to Ruthton and we could fill up there.
Dale left me behind as I was having trouble keeping my speed up. As Dale moved out of sight, my scoot died. Yup, out of gas, and pushing my ride! A few minutes had passed and a Harley rider came by and stopped to see what was wrong. I had to confess that I had run out of gas. He said he just lived up the road at Ruthton and would get some gas to me.
In the meanwhile Dale called my cell and wondered what had happened. I told him and he came back with a cold Coke for me. Then my "good samaritan" came back with a gas can. I put enough in to get to the gas station, thanked him, tried to pay him (he wouldn't take any money for the gas) and Dale and I went on our way.
My best guess is that I only got about 39 mpg that tankful and I was only about 3 miles from the gas station. I guess that I learned optimism isn't as good as having enough gas, and Harley guys will even stop to help a "scooter rider". Actually, most people on 2 wheels will stop to help a fellow rider, and that's a good thing! I sure did miss that 7 gallon tank the RT has. P.S. Any ride that gets you home safe is a good ride.

Submitted by Gary Johnson