Twitchy. I’ve heard both the LX and GTS scooters described as twitchy. I’ve always thought of it as nimble. Far more nimble than the bigger wheeled machines. I’ve also found that feeling of “Twitchy” was in part related to the tires I was running. The Pirellis were by far the most stable and traction filled I ever used. They also wore out the fastest. Kenda, Sava and other harder rubbers lasted a long longer but exaggerated the twitchy feel.

I was just looking at the new Honda ADV150 scooter which will come to the United States in June. It has a 14 inch front tire and much more robust suspension than the LX150 and a top speed of 74mph. Pretty good for a 150. As my GTS rolls on toward 50K miles I figure some serious engine problems or work are in my future and unless I do the work myself it won’t make a lot of sense to have a dealer do the work. So then what? Find a used Vespa? A new Vespa? Or something from Honda or Yamaha from a local dealer. The nearest Vespa dealer to me is in Cleveland I think.

Back to twitchy. It never bothered me and I didn’t ever confuse that nimble character with instability. But I understand the feeling. My GTS at 70mph tracks solidly but it feels “twitchy” compared to my BMW K75 with more weight and bigger tires. But the BMW is a pain to maneuver at slow speeds while the Vespa can run circles around it. I like them both though.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

You’ll like the new helmet with the visor and such! I don’t know about evaporation but I think I lost my, “to stupid to care or notice” youthful attitude and gained an ability to worry about anything. I’m riding the 2009 LX 150 and it feels really twitchy at anything above 45- 50. I’m thinking about a big wheeled Piaggio Liberty or Honda PCX. I’d like to keep it small enough to push around the garage. I enjoy the blog, keep up the good work. Summer and new adventures await!

I suppose only Mr. McGinty would know for sure what was intended but here’s my read on the video:

The rider and his wife/girlfriend were out on an early morning ride and hit a deer. Since we only see one motorcycle and one dead deer I figured it was implied that the motorcycle collided with the deer. And seeing the other person at the end with the flashing cellphone suggests she was riding pillon. It would be unusual for deer to take out two riders. Possible but not likely. More likely she was his passenger.

Deer are scary. In Pennsylvania we have a lot of them. South of here the valley is known as Vension Valley because of all the deer-vehicle impacts. It’s a place to not ride in the high deer traffic times and if you do to slow down considerably. Deer are my biggest concern while riding.

I’m looking forward to a retractable sun visor inside the helmet. That will minimize the need to wear sunglasses.

Be safe back on the road. I was surprised how much of my early life riding skills evaporated after a 30-year hiatus.

Yes to helmets! I also think they might be good tornado protection. I’ve ridden your way quite a few time when I lived in the Warren, Ohio area, a lot of nice riding in PA. I’ve just gotten back into riding, after being otherwise occupied for 20 years. I couldn’t believe how nice the helmets were! I’m sure you’ll love yours. Vents, retractable sun visor, and the liftable chin piece seems crazy/good, and I got a cheapo!

I’ve considered more than once writing something in the vein of Jack Riepe. Difficult to suddenly transition from where I am now to that kind of stuff. We’ll see.

It’s been a month since I’ve talked to Jack. He had been improving at that point and I think he’s ok now. Traded some messages with him last week but we’ve not connected on the phone. Not sure the status of Fireball. He was trying to buy it back. I wanted to talk to him about crash bars for my K75.

Helmets. They’re lifesavers. I can’t imagine my head bouncing along the pavement without one. I just ordered a new helmet from Revzilla. From what I’ve read they decay and decline over time. My current helmet is 7 years old. Older than recommended. So a new one will arrive next week. Getting ready for the return to riding.

I had a 2006 LX150. I loved that scooter. It was the siren that drew me into riding.

I think of that motorcycle safety expert, Lawrence Grodsky, every time I’m in an area thick with deer. It is the only act of God type situation I worry about consistently. The only ways to mitigate are riding more slowly in those areas and not ride in deer areas at the high traffic times of day.

I absolutely agree with what you’ve said about riding at posted speed limits. I’m not perfect in that regard but continue to improve. Speed kills on a motorcycle. If someone wants to go fast they might want to consider a track day.

It’s not grown old for me yet!