3,600 Mile Trip On 150cc Scooter

[Fabini]

Friends,

I just finished a 3,650 mile trip on my 150cc scooter dubed Moto Fabini. Here is the web site: Road Wise. I am writing a book about the trip.

Moto Fabini has 16" wheels. I ran on Pirelli MT 75 tires. They were great. I rigged a duffle & bicycle panniers and carried all my gear. I camped mostly. Sometimes I stayed with friends and a few times in motels. I had one crash on a steep dusty gravely road in Pennsylvania. Lesson learned: never travel on steep dusty gravely roads, find another route.

The weather was blazing hot and in the Blue Ridge Mountains there were many thunderstorms. However, sunshine prevailed.

It was a great trip. Check out the web site. Ciao - Fabini

[palace15]

Yet another example of 'small bike' travel, once again proving you do not need big cc's !

[Jtw000]

It's crazy really when you think that the first bike that crossed Europe was less than 2bhp so a scooter like this is more than capable. I think it's cool to see something a little different. I bet it was practical too, what was the fuel capacity like and how was the economy? I bet you were getting figures most of us can only dream of. What did you do for luggage?

[Fabini]

Fuel Capacity = 1.8 U.S. Gallons
Miles Per Gallon Over Entire Trip = 84.1 mpg (35.75 kilometers per liter)
10 Horse Power
Luggage = One duffle bag with camping equipment & two Arkel bicycle panniers attached to the duffle & secured to the bike.

I traveled about 150 miles or 241 kilometers between fill-ups. I usually filled up twice a day. My gasoline gauge does not work, so I mentally calculated the maximum distance to next fill-up. I ran out of gas twice. I thought about carrying a 20 ounce metal fuel bottle as backup, but could never decide where to carry it safely.

It's true, you do not need big cc's for a paved ride in the eastern United States. However, I was running at the maximum carrying capacity for the bike and my average speed was about 45 miles per hour. The bike can do 65 mph, but it is, for me, no fun to ride at that speed. There were times on Skyline Drive when I only went 20 mph, with my camera at the ready for an unexpected photo. That's how I captured a bear crossing the road. I purposely chose a small cc vehicle to do my touring knowing I wanted to drive slowly.

- Ciao Fabini