Exploring life on a Vespa, Royal Enfield Himalayan, Honda Trail 125, and a Kawasaki W650
Drivable Trail signs make me a little nervous when I’m riding my Himalayan. Unless I’m certain of what’s ahead, and especially if I’m alone, I generally don’t ride on past those signs. That’s not the case with the Honda. I almost can’t conceive of a road or path that I won’t happily ride on. It’s a real confidence inspiring motorcycle. Great to have when your 72nd birthday is just around the corner.
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A few things were different on this ride. It was the first foggy morning in a long time. I love riding in fog. Mostly because photographs appear more dramatic and ethereal. I wasn’t sure how Dave felt about it but since he was waiting on his motorcycle when I arrived at his house I figured everything was ok.
Thinking about fog I was reminded of a ride on a Kawasaki KLR in the fog and took a look at an old post that highlights some of the ethereal moments in that kind of light. If you don’t ride in fog you may want to have a look at what you’re missing.
And for once I didn’t need to stop for fuel. My plan was a relaxed sixty mile ride to breakfast but outdated information from Google Maps upended it and we ended up having to ride almost twice as far before sitting down to eat and having to choose between bacon and eggs or a bacon cheeseburger.
Bacon and eggs is aways the clear winner.
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A few things are in play when I prepare for a ride and they are sometimes in conflict. Like deciding I want to ride the Kawasaki W650 but the destination takes me through miles and miles of dirt and gravel. I try to juggle riding the machines I have to keep them “exercised” and in good working order. A friend recently pointed out that I seem to be trying to balance them on the blog as well. Writing to meet the expectations of readers rather than just share the rides I make.
“I thought you wrote here as part of a personal documentation of your life on the road?”
It was pointed out that as soon as I work to satisfy some imagined expectations of readers the whole thing becomes more forced, less authentic, and ultimately will begin to feel like work. The exact reasons why I’ve put new content on my YouTube channel on hiatus.
So I’ll put the crystal ball away and quit being concerned about what readers want. Hopefully that won’t offend or drive anyone away.
I knew I wanted to take the Honda Trail 125 for a ride. Somewhere. And I had a fixed window of time to ride. In these situations I generally sit down at the computer and open Google Maps and start looking for a destination or route. In this case, for a place to eat breakfast. And the place I decided on was 35 miles away. The ride would mostly be on pavement with some time on roads where people were traveling far faster than the Honda could handle. The adventure would take me to the Kitchen Witch in Howard, Pennsylvania.
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YouTube is currently full of content declaring the virtues of moving to smaller machines. The reasons vary but the changes are happening. Mostly because so many riders are older and perhaps feeling how much heavier machines are feeling. I’m familiar with those feelings.
The median age of an American motorcycle owner is around 50. In 1990 the median rider age was 32. And in 1985 it was 27. Not great news for manufacturers wondering where new customers are going to come from but no surprise the Boomers and GenXers, used to ever bigger and better SUVs and trucks, seem to end up with mammoth machines that are now getting a little uncomfortable.
Downsizing can be the result of wanting a motorcycle that’s just easier to handle. Or less expensive to own and operate. Or more fun. All that stands in the way of downsizing in an clear understanding of needs and an honest assessment of ego. Ego is a bitch to get past though. Just this morning I was talking with a fellow rider about Helite Turtle 2 airbags. Expensive. Probably useful. But when I saw the Hi-Viz yellow my first reaction was in how it would interrupt the elegant look of my Merlin Hixon II leather jacket.
Style before safety right? Turns out they do offer them in black.
Back to my 2022 Royal Enfield Himalayan. I downsized to it from my BMW K75 because that motorcycle was feeling heavy for the kind of riding I was doing. And it had more power than I needed. Ultimately I wanted a motorcycle to ride in the dirt and gravel. The Himalayan was a much better choice.
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It would be nice if every ride could be a grand adventure. Days or weeks exploring, unfettered by the weight of duty and the responsibility of maintaining a life. But ask yourself, how many of your rides fit into that specific category of two-wheeled activity?
A lucid look in the mirror draws a confession — only a small fraction of my rides are grand adventures. Most of them are tiny rides, rides that are part utility and part therapy. They don’t appear special in any way. Experience reveals they in fact have a powerful influence on the quality of my life. Those low miles, short time in the saddle rides are the medicine that keeps me smiling, pulls me out of bed in the morning, and have me muttering, “What a wonderful life.”
The utility aspects of tiny rides are easy to comprehend — errands, transportation, an alternative to the cage. But what exactly comprises the therapeutic aspect of a tiny ride?
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