Comments on: The Empty Road

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 00:23:00 +0000

irondad: Don't worry about taking over my blog with long posts. I and over readers value your thoughts and insights.

I like your idea of needing to think outside our mental boundaries. That's where I find the truth about my own skill and limits.

Robert: Good luck on the move back this way. Perhaps we will cross paths on the road.

alnvima: The transition for LX150 to GTS was easy. I was worried about the added weight and power and was careful my skills slowly. I have a thousand miles under my belt now and find it as comfortable to ride and handle as the smaller scooter---only faster and more powerful on the hills.

It is a great machine.

By: alnvilma

alnvilma — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 19:38:00 +0000

Steve,
Are any of the duldrums related to the familiarity with the new GTS?
Is it that intuitive and easy to transition from the LX already?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 15:53:00 +0000

Excellent writing and self awareness. Gives me more ideas for the piece I plan to finish someday, “WHY RIDE.” It’s so nice to read about familiar roads & places. I’ll soon be moving from DC, back up to your area, my home of 40 years ago. I ride all year round, so maybe our paths will cross. Robert

By: irondad

irondad — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 15:05:00 +0000

I think you touched on the real issue here when you mentioned preoccupied drivers. Then you made mention of your own mind being emptied. I mean that in a nice way! A rider needs to keep their minds open.

Firstly, only by being open to them can new and wonderful experiences happen. Preoccupation is the enemy of adventure.

Secondly, it's critical for survival. Much of what we see is filtered by our own preconceived prejudices. It can block us from seeing what's really happening. Riders need accurate truth, not our mind's own propaganda. We also need to be open to realizing that weird stuff happens. As in, "A cager really wouldn't do that would they?" Managing risk means thinking outside our self-imposed mental boundaries.

Man, this could be a post all by itself! I know I'm not entirely getting across my point but I don't want to take over your blog!

Nice post!

Dan
P.S. That Asiago is good. Had it on a bagel the other day.

By: American Scooterist Blog

American Scooterist Blog — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 05:59:00 +0000

Ok, it was a pretzel and not a cookie. You could have told me the pretzel name was one of the Galapagos islands and I would have believed you 8)

Rb

By: American Scooterist Blog

American Scooterist Blog — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 05:55:00 +0000

I can't pronounce the name of the cookie you ate but I can relate to this post without any trouble.

Roadbum

By: Combatscoot

Combatscoot — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 01:26:00 +0000

With the amount of riding I do just for commuting, and lack of funds for pleasure riding, sometimes it can be hard to inspire myself to ride, but once I do, I feel better.
John

By: pitchertaker

pitchertaker — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 00:38:00 +0000

Maybe, just maybe that big smile you had on your face upon arrival at home had something to do with a cup of tea, a cookie, an asiago cheese pretzel, and a long bun stuff with pulled pork (not forgetting the home-made potato chips)…….IOW’s a full tummy. Again, MAYBE the joy of the open road on a Vespa has met its match. I can’t imagine the soaring euphoria scootin’ along on Vespa and full stomach. WOW!

Pitchertaker

By: Steve Williams

Steve Williams — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 23:27:00 +0000

dave: It still amazes me how much pure fun I derive from riding. And like you it doesn't seem to matter if my teeth are chattering or not!

michael: Maybe no direction is a direction after all. I have yet to return home regretting the decision to ride...

bill: The scooter cure. Even factoring in risk it has to be better than the Jack Daniels cure. More people need to ride. It would improve a lot of things.

orin: I enjoy riding buses but they aren't the only way to travel. You need to get that blogger onto a nice modern scooter for an afternoon.

By: Orin

Orin — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 20:54:00 +0000

I second Dave’s emotion, thinking back to the Vespa ET brochure I picked up almost four years ago that said, “every trip is an adventure.” How very true. I can’t think of a ride I’ve taken on the ET or the PX where I didn’t discover something new… a place, a feeling, a taste (food and/or drink is often a component of a ride). I spar regularly with a blogger for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer who hates the idea of personal vehicles and thinks everybody should ride the bus. She’s far too closeed-minded to appreciate what you wrote about…