Opening the online version of the local newspaper this morning revealed 10° F. Hardly the riding weather of choice. I decided to take the dog for a walk instead. Didn’t take long to confirm the paper’s temperature indication especially since they neglected to mention the wind. During the walk a young dog appeared and followed us along hoping to get Essa to play. Noticing his lack of identification or license reminded me that my own dog was illegal.
By the time we got home the sun was bright in a clear blue sky and my dog needed a license. The temperature has risen to 15° F. After a moment of mental wrestling and q quick examination of the road I decided the Vespa was ready for a trip to the hardware store for a license.
Rolling through the unshovelled driveway (the has to melt that snow soon) I thumbed the starter and the GTS came to life unaware of the near zero temperature it has slept through last night. The air temperature readout on the instrument cluster flashed 18° F. I moved out onto the road with feet down to test the surface. Some icy patches but generally clear. I would have to monitor the road surface carefully and adjust carefully. A few miles from home I realized my usual dog license supplier had gone out of business and I would have to ride farther to get one. The well-traveled roads were generally clear with only scattered snow or ice mostly where wind would continue to deposit new coatings. As long as I was upright and traveling in a straight line I was fine but curves, especially blind curves, had to be handled more slowly than normal and in several instances taking them so slowly that the scooter didn’t lean.
A long loop south of town took me through open farmland where the wind blew steadily. The scooter handled the wind and road surface challenges well and my comfort level is growing with each ride. I stopped at a local pet supply store for the dog license only to be told they were sold out. From there to another place that didn’t carry them but offered directions to a place ten miles away that surely would have a dog license. Rather than ride the back roads I thought it would be a good time to try the new Vespa on Interstate 99. I stopped at the ramp to view the road surface and it was clear and dry, at least what I could see. Still in the break-in period I had no trouble maintaining an indicated 70 MPH, well under the Piaggio admonishment to keep the scooter under 80 percent capacity for extended periods. I did twist the throttle once to bring the GTS to an indicated 80 MPH for a few moments with throttle left. The Vespa is surprisingly smooth and stable at that speed even with a crosswind. I was extremely pleased in the performance of my First Gear Kilimanjaro IV Jacket and Black Diamond Mittens. Running along at 70 MPH in 18° F air I was warm and toasty until I returned home after almost two hours on the road. And I was reminded once again how much I enjoy riding in cold weather.
I’m sure I made the right decision to move up to the bigger Vespa. The increased power and weight will expand the things I can do on the road. I never did find a dog license though. The last stop at Tractor Supply Company was a bust. So I suppose I will have to ride farther to make my dog an upstanding member of the community.
As always, I enjoy every post that you write. I am only a little sad that you aren’t riding your LX150 anymore (for obvious reasons) as I have an LX50.
Anyway, you’ve inspired me to start a blog of my own. Looking forward to reading more about your experiences.
My blog (fledgling that it is) is at:
Big Guy, Small Scooter
Wow, I would think that buzzing along at 80mph in those temps, that the cold would bite through any riding gear. But it had to have been nice to get out and stretch her legs a bit no matter how cold it was. Invigorating!
Have fun,
Bill
Steve,
Glad you are up and riding again! That’s a good excuse to go for a ride, I will keep that in reserve, as I have three illegal cats at home. Ace Hardware is way too close, and still in business, though…
John
dave: Congratulations on starting your blog! Glad you found this one to have some use. While the LX line and GTS have some differences I think there are still many things in common in the riding experience.
Looking forward to seeing more posts on Big Guy, Small Scooter.
bill: Without the windproof jacket under the riding jacket it would cut through. I could feel a knife of cold on part of my neck where the air could attack the ski mask material. Still, it was invigorating.
John: All our ACE Hardware stores, Tru Value, and local hardware stores have surrendered to Lowe’s. It’s a sad state…
Steve, I’m pleased to read your comments about the smoothness and stability of your GTS. If a job comes through, I plan to get one of my own to commute with.
Cheers,
Orin O’Neill
http://www.scootinoldskool.com
It’s nice to see that you are getting along better with the GTS now. “Accentuate the positive”, right?
Ride well,
=gc=
Freezing rain storm this weekend kept me from riding, not the cold. Last weekend I rode for about 45 minutes. The worst part was getting out of my neighborhood. Down hill in the shade was very icy. Most of the other roads were dry enough that I could pick my safe route.
~Susan
Yamaha Vino 125, lusting after some ET4’s or a GT.
Hey!
I’ve been reading your blog for quite some time and am a huge fan. Do you miss your LX 150? Are you happier on the bigger bike?
Since you’re a Vespa Guru, I was curious, what’s your take on our review?
The direct link to the review is: http://blog.spungle.com/2007/02/vespa-lx-150.html
Keep up the great blogging– it’s awesome!
Sincerely,
Brian A Levine
Founder, Editor in Chief
Spungle
Web: http://www.spungle.com
RSS: http://spungle.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Hi Steve,
I have joined the”club”. I now own a Vespa GTS 250. I got it today and was able to go on a scoot in 50 degree temp here in RI. Love it!!! I had a Honda reflex 250 before and found it diffucult to handle.
Mary,
spungle: Your review was great. Others should read it here: Vespa LX150 Review on Spungle
megrn: Congratulations! The Vespa is a great machine. Have fun riding in Rhode Island. Lots of great scooter destinations. If I were there I would be heading for the Cape…..