I’ve struggled to read and absorb poetry. Not sure if I’m impatient or just don’t have enough experience reading to appreciate it. I certainly don’t write poetry but have wondered what I’m missing.

I live just outside of State College. I’m only about 9 miles from the Mid-Atlantic BDR route. Maybe someday we’ll pass on that route!

We’re about the same age and seem to have similar thoughts about the future. I endeavor to remain focus on today and let tomorrow take care of itself. It’s a challenge at times though.

Moving from the BMW K75C to the Himalayan was a downsizing and a desire to ride more dirt and gravel roads. So far it has been an excellent choice. I’m not sure if another downsizing will be required but for now I’m content.

I have followed your blog for many years. I am impressed!

In my youth, and until I graduated as an architect, I rode a yellow 50cc scooter. I have only good memories of it. Then adulthood began with a car, house, wife, career and dogs – the whole package. I gave the scooter away.

I now live on the west coast of Norway, in a place called Jæren. The landscape here is scenic, full of contrasts and a popular destination for anyone who rides on two wheels.

To my amusement, twice every summer, a group of Vespa enthusiasts drive by my house. They form a long line and ride very slow. I often feel the urge to wave at them. My wife was probably not surprised, having just seen them drive by our house when I told her how much I missed driving a scooter. Much to my delight, she immediately said I should buy one!

But, my joy was short-lived. Eventually, it dawned on me that it’s a big difference between riding a scooter as a 16-year-old weighing 60 kg, and me as an adult weighing closer to 90 kg. A more powerful engine was a practical necessity. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a motorcycle license and buying a Vespa was put on ice.

But the dream was kept alive by you, Steve. I continued to read your weekly posts. I studied the pictures carefully. And, to make a long story short, I finally decided to go for it. The following morning I booked driving lessons and ordered a Vespa GTS.

I am now $13,000 poorer, thanks to your enthusiasm and writing skills 🙂 But this is one of the things I am most proud of having achieved this year. I now have a license and a lovely yellow Vespa GTS 300 Super waiting outside, always ready for use.

Steve, your blog inspires me. Thank you for conveying a biker culture that I can relate to. Thank you for being creative and exploring different media in your blog. It makes it rich and varied. I know from experience that it can be tiresome to create something just from your mind. I hope you never let the tyranny of the blank page stop you. Again, thank you very much!

PS! I hope you get well soon.

Einar Wahlstrøm

Instant lectures. I’m not sure about the instant part but I used to give talks on scooter riding to various groups. I’m not sure anymore how they came to be. The ideas you list are good ones. I’ll need to borrow some of them!

Berlin… I’ve always wanted to visit. The closest I’ve come is Wurzburg. Or in a Wim Wenders film…

Thanks for your honest answer, Steve. I hear you; it’s every creatives struggle to stay creative over time. Do you have a good system to keep track of your writing ideas while on the go? I personally tend to send myself emails or quickly take a voice note on my phone.

Maybe it helps, here are a few things my intuition tells me you could hold instant-lectures about:

– How did it all start
– When were things hardest
– When did I really fall in love with 2 wheelers
– My hairiest situations on two wheels
– Retiring without going stale
– The road trip, I’ve always wanted to do on two wheels
– If I was 21 again
– When I meet another scooter rider on the road…
– The economics of riding a scooter
– If I had to sell it all, I would keep..

Greetings from me and my racing sixties (green) GTS from the outskirts of Berlin/ GER.

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts Ben. I appreciate them. I’m sure I’ll continue to write but it’s been difficult of late. Stories and ideas that used to come easily have been more elusive of late. More riding should cure that!

Thanks for sharing your comments Tom. I’ve been a bit distracted in terms of writing since my dog’s passing.

I looked hard at the DR650. A friend has one that he loved. And they show up in many stories and videos I’ve watched. But the visual appearance of the Himalayan tipped the scales for me.

Getting older is a path we’re all treading. I don’t read a lot about riders and aging save for glory stories of look how old I am and I’m still riding. Nothing wrong with that. But there’s a lot more to the story. I suspect my writings and videos will start to reflect some of that.

Old dogs… If you have the requisite dog temperament, then an old dog is a great thing. And you’re right about dogs making us better humans. Sometimes because they’re good at illuminating our character defects!