My first 'concern'

I took it to the local water dispensary last night and filled four gallons.
I laid them 2x2 under the seat. I've loaded groceries in there before, but I
doubt they came anywhere close to 33lbs.

As I pulled off, I heard some moaning from the driveline (from my left rear).
It was just a second or two until I was under good load. I went two miles from there to pick-up a to-go order of food. The young lady saw me pull-up and came outside. So, I barely shut off the bike long enough to put the sack in the top-box. Same sound upon take-off.

Mind you, when I left the house with emply bottles, no such sound.
I weight 325 w/clothes and helmet. Plus, virtually a full tank of gas
in the bike. Does that sound like it was perhaps too much for the girl?

We are well over a hundred now during the day, but I left near dusk, well after high-temps. Were also talking 35-40mph local speed areas , also

Could be the sound of a slipping belt. Try using a lot of throttle starting out a few times and see if the sound goes away.

Even at your weight, plus the water, plus the luggage you are still under the weight limits for the bike 366lb (166Kg) so you're not going to be over stressing the drive train and motor.
But you are exceeding the recommended maximum load under the seat of 25lb (11.5Kg). The luggage bay is just a big plastic box hanging from the sub-frame so could have been coming from that.

If you're lugging 4 x US gallons of water around under your seat, that's 33.76lbs of liquid plus the weight of the containers. As steve h80 has already mentioned, the maximum under seat load is 25lbs, so that noise you heard might have been the sagging under seat tray making contact with the rear tyre.

On a personal note, I've always found it rather strange that in countries with perfectly safe to drink tap/faucet water they buy containers or bottles of drinking water. Now I like the odd bottle of sparkling water as much as anyone, but when I go over to Germany I see customers loading whole crates and packs of bottled water into their supermarket carts.

I later found out that although German tap water is subjected to very strict purity and hygiene standards, they don't like to drink what they call leitungswasser, which translates as plumbing water. That's the same household water that you shower in, flush the toilet with, wash the car and your muddy dog, so why would you drink it. T

That's also why your friendly German server won't ever bring you a glass of complimentary tap water in a restaurant.

In fact a good way to offend your German guest is to offer them a refreshing glass of cold tap water.

That's Germany, what's the score in the US?

I later found out that although German tap water is subjected to very strict purity and hygiene standards, they don't like to drink what they call leitungswasser, which translates as plumbing water. That's the same household water that you shower in, flush the toilet with, wash the car and your muddy dog, so why would you drink it.

Why would I drink it, here it's the same water we use for everything, ours comes from our own well and it's tested and never a problem, if leitungwasser is tested pure then they are a lot like folks here that buy bottled water and complain about the price of gasoline Water can vary in mineral content as well as the taste depends on the source and how it's treated. Funny how folks think about water and say I'd never drink water from a hole drilled in the ground not knowing where their water is sourced at home or from the bottle. Oh and the water in the bottle? it may have well come from a tap.

It's a German thing, similar to that American thing, eatIn cheese squirted out of aerosol cans. 

Hello V.L.

Just as exavid pointed out. The simple cure, which we all have experienced ... with the rear brake lever held firmly, give it to the throttle for a short time ... maybe 5 - 8 seconds and no longer than when you can smell something burning, for sure. Then forget about it until the next time you hear the squeal. It is a factor of taking off slowly and carefully. This gives time to burnish the drive "hub". Holding the bike stationery with throttle applied burns this glaze off ..... any you are good to go. No more slippage.

Just my guess.

Mike

Meldrew wrote:

It's a German thing, similar to that American thing, eatIn cheese squirted out of aerosol cans. 

Never ever and no plans to in the future, don't even like " American " cheese which is the rolling pined version of the above.

Hmmmm, now that one of you guys has mentioned it, it definitely sounded similar to fan-belt 'moan' in a car. I wondered why it didn't do it until I had the load in there?

What was posted about the seat bucket makes sense, too. But, I would think if there was tire contact, it wouldn't go away under load, and I should hear it again proceeding forth from each stop in the journey. Mental note not to exceed that again.

I will definitely try that HOLD brake and give throttle thing next time. My new drive belt and filters are in-the-mail enroute to me

While your in there replacing the belt pull the rear clutch pulley and clean that up too. 1 nut and it's off.
Clean drum and clutch shoes sand it 320-400 grit paper. Lube the pulley bearing also just a little grease is enough.

Shoes-drum are usually the ones making noise on take off.

Even with the best of maintenance this noise comes and goes on SW..

Centrifugal clutches last a lot longer if they are engaged solidly and not slowly. A rapid engagement keeps the friction pads it good shape and not glazed.

I don't know the deal with bottled water either. All public water systems in the country are held to pretty tight standards. When the virus hit there bottled water was sold out in our stores including Costco. Just about as ridiculous as the big toilet paper sell out.

Our stores here are having a hard time getting meat on their shelves. I have a couple of rifles and have plenty of ammo on hand along with a couple of sharp Buck knives and know where I can get a deer pretty easily. Several of our neighborhoods here in town have wild turkeys wandering in their yards. I have on a couple of occasions enjoyed one of those birds for Thanksgiving. So far there hasn't been a run on deer or turkeys.

You mean, while my mechanic is 'in there', LOL.

LOL, let me answer that water question. Some of you live in areas where your tap-water is soft(er) water. Here, our tap water has so much chalky particulate matter in it, it appears cloudy when poured into a clear glass. Many home and restaurant patios have misting systems for evaporative cooling. The little jets, much like in an old carburetor, will clog-up quite readily in one season of use. Knowing all of that,  you decide how much of it you want in your innards. I'm not completely anal about it, as I fill my ice-trays from the tap, LOL.

I remember those misting systems outside shopping malls and on some sidewalks from a holiday in Arizona a few years ago. I also found the dry heat of Arizona very acceptable, much nicer that that awful humidity that plagues states like Florida.

As for water, here in Yorkshire it's a hard water area, the water is clear enough but it does leave lime scale residues on some things. A very popular brand of tea here is Taylor's of Harrogate Yorkshire Tea which is blended they say to suit Yorkshire water.

All I know is I drink much less tea here than when I lived over in West Cumbria where the water was soft.

"I also found the dry heat of Arizona very acceptable, much nicer that that awful humidity that plagues states like Florida."

We actually have bigger plagues than humidity to worry about.

Arizona humidity depends on time of year. I regularly visited my mom and sister in Scottsdale for years, always in Spring and Fall. During the summer months there are triple-digit temps well over 100 days in a row. It's in the high 90's at midnight (36 C). Which is basically like being inside a hot sauna anytime you are outside. Personally, that's not remotely acceptable. I don't like fighting for air.

Florida has reasonable humidity in the winter months, under 50%. In the summer it's humid and hot, with "hot" defined as 90 degrees every day (32 C). Subtropical temps are remarkably consistent, never over 100, rarely in the mid-90's, almost always 88 to 91. I like the consistency. You can plan for it.

On the positive side of the ledger, ocean water temperatures rarely dip below 75 degrees (24 C) in winter and remain a heavenly 82 degrees in summer (28 C). Almost every pool is heated, which I found rare in the 'Zona.

Best of all, in the Sunshine State, you can ride a motorcycle 365 days a year, although I personally prefer nights and early mornings in the summer. Cruising on A1A in a soothing breeze with the ocean sparkling under moonlight ... that's normal here.

Who wants to ride a motorcycle/maxi scooter 365 days a year, I certainly don't. I came to the conclusion many years ago that aimlessly riding around without a purpose or destination in mind is a complete and utter waste of time.

"Who wants to ride a motorcycle/maxi scooter 365 days a year, I certainly don't."

Seven billion souls on earth and seven billion ways to experience life.

Riding literally makes my day, so 365 days works for me. But I imagine if I lived in a dismal climate, with endless days and weeks and months of cloudy skies and rain and raw temperatures, I might have a different point of view.

Err.... you do live in a dismal climate mate, you may have lots of sunshine but you have that awful humidity to contend with. Plus an annual hurricane season where it's a lottery of who'll be boarding up their windows with plywood from Home Depot.

Here our weather is pretty much irrelevant when you have riding gear for all seasons. I have everything from a mesh vented textile suiit and a dry cooling vest for hot weather. All sorts of easy care clothing for every thing in between and touring right down to a heated jacket and inner gloves I can plug in if necessary under the textile riding suit I wear in winter

Snow hasn't been a problem for years, it tends to disappear within a day. It's the limited daylight in the winter months that hardly makes it worthwhile  getting dressed up for. As I usually spent weekday mornings cycling to and from a class at my local gym, that doesn't leave a lot of the remaining daylight for a session of pointless scooter riding

I can of course play your game in hot weather by dressing up in the large selection of Tommy Bahama shirts and shorts I have, but I'd rather look like a dressed for purpose rider than a brainless squid, or a fugitive from a Florida theme park.

Now on the days I do have the urge to get the gear on, I feel very lucky that I've got a whole variety of different terrain to ride in living here in North Yorkshire.

For me, riding in Florida is boring---the place is flat and hot, some goofy drivers in cars. I like to ride out to Key West though. As daily rider since 1955, my scooter/motorcycle is transportation.

Stay safe John, the dodgy food and dirty bathrooms of Tennessee didn’t get you, don't let Covid-19. There'll be a worldwide curmudgeon shortage when all this is over.

Meldrew wrote:

Who wants to ride a motorcycle/maxi scooter 365 days a year, I certainly don't.

Back in the 1970's I did, as motorbike was my only transport out of a tiny village bud, more recently, I haven't been out for a ride since September last year, not because of the weather or Covid-19 but because psoriatic arthritis was stopping me from using the brake/clutch levers.
Silverwing went to a new home, Virago is idle in the garage, as is the Innova.
Virago will probably go soon as it's too heavy to push in & out the garage since the artritis set into my shoulders.
Innova is looking like it will stay but will 'suffer' a few modifications, IF I can convert the rear wheel to disc brake, I can then couple the front & rear onto the foot brake, move the throttle from right hand side to left (should be easy), auxillary fuel tank (to increase range) & a much, more comfortable saddle.
Then it's just a matter of 'adjusting' my expectations of time & distance to suit new circumstances
Riding isn't the 'be all & end all' of life but I'm loath to give it up until there is no other option/ it stops being enjoyable

Dismal is dictionary-defined as "dreary" or "depressing." A quick check of North Yorkshire UK weather shows another day of ... 46 degrees (7 C) and cloudy. Yummy. Click on annual weather and you see most months with highs and lows in the 30's, 40's and 50's, including double-digit days of rain. No, thank you.

At 6:00 a.m. here, it's 76 degrees (24 C). The high today will be 82 (27 C). Humidity is still reasonable this time of year, around 50% today. I'm looking out the window of my home office at clear skies, colorful flowers and palm trees waving in a soft breeze. While there are unpleasant aspects of life in South Florida, including summer humidity, dismal climate is not among them. Half the year it's exactly like the most gorgeous days in your little corner of the world.

I moved to Florida from my hometown of Rochester, New York. It's on a Great Lake next to the rolling hills of the Finger Lakes (wine country) and a lovely motorcycle ride from the Adirondack Mountains. It's also the 6th cloudiest city in the United States. My last full time employment was in adjacent Buffalo, the 3rd cloudiest city in America. I am well-versed in gray and dismal, and gravitated happily to a place where summer never ends.

Personally, I think our nation's best weather is in California. But my family has been east-coast based since emigrating from the Alsace region of Germany four generations ago. Florida is an easy, common move for a New Yorker. But, as noted earlier, to each his/her own.

"I like to ride out to Key West though"

Gorgeous ride with the turquoise waters of the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Gulf of Mexico to the west. I've enjoyed the journey to Key West many times. Fun city. Cop cars carry the slogan: "Protecting Paradise."

Every time I visit I rent a 50cc scooter for $19.99 a day. I love buzzing around the island. During one trip, I looked at a new G310R in a BMW showroom. I was stopped in my tracks by a C 650 GT. BMW makes a gigantic scooter/motorcycle? Who knew?

I bought my first Silver Wing on Christmas Eve, 2016 and have owned eight more big scooters since then. It's become a hobby. I buy a clean, low mileage bike (easy to find in Florida), update all the maintenance, ride it for awhile and sell for a break-even price or modest profit. 500cc+ scooters are the greatest invention in the history of two wheels.

The Bern said.

Then it's just a matter of 'adjusting' my expectations of time & distance to suit new circumstances
Riding isn't the 'be all & end all' of life but I'm loath to give it up until there is no other option/ it stops being enjoyable

Me - I wholeheartedly agree, from corner to corner in our country and beyond to now just glad to be able to get out for a couple hours and knock out some miles and enjoy two wheels.

I ride a lot in the Pan Handle of Florida. Weather is great and love riding at night. I scooter to work about 3 days a week and love it. (nice cool sunny mornings are the best)

The Bern wrote:

Meldrew wrote:

Who wants to ride a motorcycle/maxi scooter 365 days a year, I certainly don't.

Back in the 1970's I did, as motorbike was my only transport out of a tiny village bud, more recently, I haven't been out for a ride since September last year, not because of the weather or Covid-19 but because psoriatic arthritis was stopping me from using the brake/clutch levers.
Silverwing went to a new home, Virago is idle in the garage, as is the Innova.
Virago will probably go soon as it's too heavy to push in & out the garage since the artritis set into my shoulders.
Innova is looking like it will stay but will 'suffer' a few modifications, IF I can convert the rear wheel to disc brake, I can then couple the front & rear onto the foot brake, move the throttle from right hand side to left (should be easy), auxillary fuel tank (to increase range) & a much, more comfortable saddle.
Then it's just a matter of 'adjusting' my expectations of time & distance to suit new circumstances
Riding isn't the 'be all & end all' of life but I'm loath to give it up until there is no other option/ it stops being enjoyable

Hi bud, sorry to hear you're not 100%, then again neither am I but we're still here. There's a sticker on a storage box in my garage reminding me it's coming up to five years since we were at that meet at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford. 

It seems that most of the Muppets we met that day have gradually faded away since then. I caught sight of two 650 Burgman riders on the way into York last week when I was out cycling with Mrs M. They didn't have foreign plates and I wondered for a fleeting second if they were that father and son we met from West Yorkshire.

Then I concentrated on the job in hand, keeping up with Mrs M on her lightweight gravel bike on my heavy duty Dutch plodder. The incentive was tea and cake from a tea room in a former Victorian school in a picturesque village a few miles from York. It's also quite near to where the Battle of Marston Moor was fought in 1644 during the English Civil War.

Some of those unplanned rides were quite nice as a young lad on any one of 10+ different bikes (@ different times). They always helped me to remember I wasn't on my way to or from work. Visiting relatives in states 500 to 700mi. away was always worth the time to plan for and the twistiest windiest ways there was always a treat. These days a few hours here or there are fine and the SW is comfy.