Passed on a Dragster!

[sc00ter]

Not sure how many of you are into scooters but I just passed on a chance to buy a Italjet Dragster 50cc. This has always been a dream scooter since it came out in the mid-90's. This one was a 1998 model with only 580 miles. It was in great condition, no crash damage and runs as it should. Let me say it truly made my heart flutter! So, why did I pass on this rare scooter?

I got burned out from 2-strokes a few years ago. I built some fast Zuma bug-eye 2-strokes and loved going out for a blast. But times change and I just said heck with it. All my riding buddies moved on to Suzuki TU250's and the Honda Grom. Not bad choices I might add! I do hope the Dragster ends up in loving hands and gets the respect it deserves.

My wife recently said she "Misses going on bike rides.", as in a large scooter or a motorcycle. I'm not interested in motorcycles anymore but the new Triumph 400 caught my eye. Lusted after the KTM Duke 390 until the words 'electrical gremlins' and 'head gasket leaks' constantly come up in conversations with Duke 390 owners. I have a tight parking spot but might be able to manhandle a Honda Silverwing scooter. Might also be tempted by a clean Yamaha Majesty but my friend had one and any service was overly complicated. Yamaha Xmax 300 is another possibility if I went new. But passing on a clean Italjet Dragster 50cc will give me nightmares for many nights!

So what dream toy did you pass on when the opportunity to "finally" own one has arrived, and why did you pass?

 

[gromike]

I don't know, but I passed up a '56 Cadillac convertible for $300. Bought a 250 Suzuki scrambler with a blown cylinder instead. That was in the early seventies. Rode that bike everywhere.
I do like to ride double up with a lady, but I got a Honda Grom and that sure limits.

 

[Taylor57]

Not sure how many of you are into scooters but I just passed on a chance to buy a Italjet Dragster 50cc. This has always been a dream scooter since it came out in the mid-90's. This one was a 1998 model with only 580 miles. It was in great condition, no crash damage and runs as it should. Let me say it truly made my heart flutter! So, why did I pass on this rare scooter?

I got burned out from 2-strokes a few years ago. I built some fast Zuma bug-eye 2-strokes and loved going out for a blast. But times change and I just said heck with it. All my riding buddies moved on to Suzuki TU250's and the Honda Grom. Not bad choices I might add! I do hope the Dragster ends up in loving hands and gets the respect it deserves.

My wife recently said she "Misses going on bike rides.", as in a large scooter or a motorcycle. I'm not interested in motorcycles anymore but the new Triumph 400 caught my eye. Lusted after the KTM Duke 390 until the words 'electrical gremlins' and 'head gasket leaks' constantly come up in conversations with Duke 390 owners. I have a tight parking spot but might be able to manhandle a Honda Silverwing scooter. Might also be tempted by a clean Yamaha Majesty but my friend had one and any service was overly complicated. Yamaha Xmax 300 is another possibility if I went new. But passing on a clean Italjet Dragster 50cc will give me nightmares for many nights!

So what dream toy did you pass on when the opportunity to "finally" own one has arrived, and why did you pass?

Air cooled Porsche 911 for peanuts back in 2012. I had 2 kids in college and did the PPI and didn't pull the trigger. Kinda still haunts me...

 

[indianajo]

Lost a drag race crossing I65 Sunday. I stopped at light, bike was only loaded with my 20 lb bike tools spares water + car screw jack, 18" breaker bar, car tire pump, two 2"x8"x12", dewalt impact wrench. Pulled up next to me a MTB with a big DD motor in the back. I use max electricity from throttle at green, if I don't the the 2nd light goes red in front of me. DD motor bike kept up with me from start to about 10 mph, when he ran off & left me. I really don't like this new controller, it ramps up the power over 4 seconds when I want instant 1000 watts crossing multilane highways.
In terms of missed opportunities, I had a '64 ford fairlane 2 door beigh & brown, in '78. No panels rusted. The model that was drag raced as the Thunderbolt in the late 60's. The wife had it towed away for junk. 80 junkyards in Houston, no way to find it. In 76 I rebuilt the motor on a '70 IH 1200 pickup, 6 passenger with long bed, 345 V8, 4 speed BorgWarner trans. Got 13 mpg after I was done with it, used no oil or antifreeze. Wife made me sell it for $1000. I divorced the wife in 1980. I still don't have a running pickup, and my '62 Fairlane is a 4 door with rusty quarterpanels, rusty rear fenders, and loose steering box. My Dad gave me a 74 Ford supercab longbed, I had the motor rebuilt by an idiot. After 500 miles it started dumping a gallon of antifreeze in the oil. Shop owner told me he bought a new block for the old cracked one. Bet some ******* welded it, which never works. Got 11 mpg anyway, not worth fixing a 360 V8 in the days of $3.50 gas.

 

[PCeBiker]

Got 11 mph anyway, not worth fixing a 360 V8 in the days of $3.50 gas.

We had a family car in the late 70's.
An Oldsmobile Delta88 with a 454 V8 four barrel carb.
It got 8 mpg city and 12 mpg highway.
That was measured in Imperial gallons before we switched to metric.

 

[indianajo]

An Oldsmobile Delta88 with a 454 V8 four barrel carb.
It got 8 mpg city and 12 mpg highway.

I worked as a mover/truck driver 74-75 since post VietNam nobody was hiring physicists with a bachelor's degree.
I worked for a North American Van Lines agent. As the oil crises was deepening, owner bought a new truck tractor. A Chevrolet with a 454 gas V8. With a moving van It got 1 mpg. The old worn out IH 345 V8 tractors got 3.5. A Dodge 318 V8 tractor got 5.

 

[PCeBiker]

A Chevrolet with a 454 gas V8. With a moving van It got 1 mpg.

The only thing that I've heard of that was was worse, was an old friends brothers fishing boat that got 0.8 mpg.
He "sailed" it from here in the Great Lakes to Florida.

 

[PCeBiker]

That was measured in Imperial gallons before we switched to metric.

Just before we switched to metric (around 1976), gas went up to over 99.9 cents per gallon, so the gas stations started to sell gas by the half gallon so they wouldn't have to buy new pumps with another digit for dollars.