Jhosef and I started off taking apart the tiny carb for the go-ped little mini scooter, that had a former life serving Erok as his playa ride. We got the thing apart into lots of tiny little pieces and pulled all the mystery bits of red rubber out, and re-assembled it back on to the motor. Jhosef went back to working bigger motors, and Hackett stepped up to get this go-ped running. Hackett tried to convince me to keep the go-ped on the improv workbench, but it just seemed so much easier to do it on the ground. Besides we could test the clutch. The thing now started and ran for a bit, albeit with lots of starter fluid. So Hackett pegged the throttle and we tried again. This time it really worked when I started, the motor raced, the clutch kicked in, and the go-ped went flying into a pile of metal. The motor didn’t quit there, the thing jumped around like a wounded alligator, while Lindsay and Jhosef came running out to see what made that big crash, only to see Hackett and me wrestling with a very live go-ped that would not do anything but full throttle. After trying all the stop switched, Hackett finally calmed the thing by slowing turning the throttle set screw until the thing started idling, and eventually died. Lindsay now has a motor for her chariot!
A bunch of work later, next up came Jhosef out to prove that “You are not going to win with brakes”. He got his brakeless Vespa-powered chariot running in the shop, so we hoisted it out the doors sideways, since that’s the only way it would fit. He then started it up and took off down the sideway, chasing a few pedestrians for a bit, then turning around in the intersection and almost taking a spill sideways. He then zoomed by the shop and started dragging his foot in a desparate attempt to slow the thing down. If he can armor it up a bit, looks like he’ll be the fastest chariot on the loop for Maker!
