Scooter in the Sticks

Exploring life on a Vespa Scooter and Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycle.

Relativity

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Vespa GTS scooter along snow covered fieldAfter weeks of frigid weather it’s amazing how 35 degrees Fahrenheit can feel positively warm — a nod to relativity.  The scooter spent considerable time in the garage this week but this morning I dragged it to the road.  Nice ride into town to drink tea and talk photography.

Ilford Multigrade Fiber package on back of Vespa scooterI had more prints to show today.  The 11×14 prints don’t really fit well on the Vespa.  They ride in a grocery bag hung from the purse hook.  Looking at that sentence I realize why I’ll probably never be a Harley rider.

Self portrait of Steve WilliamsWandering towards Saint’s Cafe I find an opportunity for a self portrait in the window of a local optometrist.  Still not making selfies but maybe this is a step in that direction.

Paul Ruby looking at 35mm contact sheetsPaul Ruby, fresh off a cruise to the Bahamas, inspects the 35mm contact sheets from the past couple weeks.  I notice that the older you get the closer the contacts get to your face.  I’ll have to start shooting larger formats to compensate for old eyes.

Science fiction writer Daryl Gregory makes an appearance at the left of this picture.  I’ve known him a long time now having met him when he and my wife worked together on a writing gig.  He gave her the name, “Fireball”.

Belgian Sheepdog in snowOne of the 3 Prints Project prints from this week — my Belgian Sheepdog Junior on a snowy path at the Pennsylvania Military Museum.  Not sure when this was taken — an image on the last three rolls of film left to be processed this week.  Now I have to shoot some new rolls of film.

Aleta with ducks at Tallyrand Park in Bellefonte, PAThis is youngest daughter and Yamaha Vino scooter rider Aleta inspecting the ducks at Talleyrand Park in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.  I think this photo was made either right before or right after breakfast at Cafe on the Park.

Tree at Black Moshannon State ParkA tree that caught my attention at Black Moshannon State Park.  I have many tree photos that caught my eye.

vespa scooter at stone quarryOn the way home, a last stop before a mountain of chores and some editing on a manuscript for work.  For a few moments I considered riding on past the house, down the road, keep going into the afternoon.  But the grown-up side of me took control.

Until next week…

Breathe Deep and Ride

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Vespa GTS scooter at sunriseCold and windy at sunrise with brain announcing there’ll be no riding today.  At once a coward and slacker the gray matter will convincingly guide ass into car, or couch, or other safe and slothful action.  I have to guard against my brain for it does not have my best interest in mind but rather hopes to drift in a comfortable malaise fueled by sugar and fat and electrons pushed out by Netflix. With as much muddled resistance as I could muster I tried to breathe deep and ride.

And so I found myself walking out of Subway with breakfast in a bag at sunrise.

Vespa GTS scooter parked at Penn StateWarm sunlight bathed the scooter when I arrived at work.  No caffeine necessary to wake up when 19F air is hammering at you.  Dismounting the Vespa after a cold ride leaves you quivering like a dog exiting a freezing dip in a creek.  While I’ve done no research, I’m certain the workdays kickstarted by a ride are better.

Twilight and a Vespa GTS scooterDeparting for home at twilight in the cold can be, well, discouraging after a long day.  Without a doubt driving home in a warm car is easier than bracing for a ride into the freezing night.  The damn brain.  It says it’s just playing things safe but I swear it’s robbing me of life energy.

Or something.

Twilight and farm fieldsYou would think an evening ride in the cold would be direct and deliberately intended to travel fast to the warm safety of home.  But like one of the kids in Bil Keane’s Family Circus comics, I wander off course a bit.  As the sun sank further below the horizon the challenge to monitor the road surface increased as I made the logical choice to detour.

Vespa GTS scooter on frozen farm laneThere are plenty of dry, paved roads to ride on but I seem to be drawn to the little dirt, grass and gravel paths found here in central Pennsylvania.  I wonder at times why I’m not riding a dirt bike instead of a scooter.

It was almost dark when I arrived home and as in the morning I felt refreshed and alive.  All things seem possible after a scooter ride.

I think that’s called denial.

Winter Vespa

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Vespa GTS 250 scooter on snowy farm laneThis morning under a dazzling sky and frigid 12F atmosphere the Vespa scooter returned to the road — mostly, just a few side jaunts to re-familiarize myself with the newly mounted winter tires.  The winter Vespa has slightly different handling characteristics that take a few moments to program into muscle memory.

There’s still a bit of snow and ice to contend with but the main roads are mostly clear and dry though the stray patch of ice or packed snow still lurk in the shadows demanding winter grade attention to detail.  I can sense the autonomic responses at work and seem to have a level of hyperawareness that’s not present in warm weather.  All the usual suspects remain — other drivers and such, but now the road surface has far more pitfalls.  Crossing through a residential neighborhood I found myself riding at 15mph on packed snow where I would normally be navigating at 35mph.

Winter riding means slow riding.

Paul Ruby and in his big blue truckPaul Ruby provided transportation from my home to Kissell Motorsports where the scooter with it’s new fuel pump and winter tires waited.  In exchange I took him to breakfast at the State College Diner.  The temperature rose sharply from 0F when I was walking Junior to almost 10F at breakfast.  Add a little sunshine and your brain can convince you it isn’t all that cold.

Ice water in Pepsi-Cola glass at State College DinorNo matter how cold it is there’s always ice water being served in restaurants.  Seems to make sense that the ice would be dropped in the winter.  Lukewarm tap water being served…

Vespa GTS 250 scooter at Kissell MotorsportsThe scooter had been sitting in unheated storage for a few days and nights of really cold weather and took a bit longer to start than normal.  Once it fired up it ran like a champ.  I let it run a bit while I paid the repair bill and took a look at the motorcycles and scooters.

The technician let me know that come spring when I remove the snow tires I should change the rear wheel bearing.  Not surprising that some water and salt grime have gotten into the bearing.  He cleaned it out and regreased the bearing but it’s time for a shiny new version.

Self-portrait at Kissell MotorsportsKissell Motorsports has a lot of motorcycles and scooters to look at.  The new Vespa Sprint 150s are really cool looking.

Update on the FirstGear Kilimanjaro jacket in the cold — fantastic.  Riding at 13F I was able to do so with a long-sleeved undershirt, a sweater, and the jacket.  It appears impervious to cold.  No leaks, not cold penetration.  The zippers are big and easy to operate and the velcro closures seem perfectly placed and easy to use.  Really happy with this jacket.

Departing Kissell Motorsports on the Vespa GTS 250 scooter(Photo by Paul Ruby)

Off on a few errands and then onward towards home.  First order of business was to not dump the scooter in the parking lot.  Slow is the order of the day.  Heated grips worked really well and warmed my hands nicely through a thick pair of Tourmaster winter gloves that I’ve had for years.  The Tucano Urbano muffs also do a great job keeping the wind and cold at bay.  The combination of heated grips and muffs is the best winter Vespa hand protection that I’ve found.  A far cry better than heated gloves alone.  At some point I’ll test the heated gloves with the muffs in place of the heated grips.

Steaming cup of Earl Grey tea at the Pump Station in Boalsburg, PAThe only weak link left in terms of me getting cold are my feet.  After about 45 minutes my feet started to get cold.  No spare power on the scooter for electric socks or insoles.  Thinking it might be time to just get some heavy boots — perhaps a Sorel winter boot though the rubber bottoms worry me a bit in terms of wear.

The tried and true method of managing freezing body parts is to stop riding and seek shelter.  The Pump Station in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania provided shelter today along with some steaming hot Earl Grey tea.  Sitting inside with the sun pouring in the windows kept the place warm and I was ready for a nap.

snow on the road with a Vespa scooterWhile not perfect winter riding weather because of the lingering snow and ice it is possible to still ride if you’ve winterized yourself and your scooter or motorcycle.  Riding on neighborhood roads and streets is a mixed bag of snow, ice, and dry pavement.  Don’t get over confident on the dry stuff only to suddenly find yourself having to navigate the slippery stuff while going much too fast.  It’s a perfect way to try out your protective riding gear.

I still find a puzzling level of satisfaction riding the winter Vespa.  There’s a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction knowing I endured the cold.  And of course the fun of riding which has not diminished much regardless of the weather.

Wonder what’s next this winter?

Vespa GTS 250 Fuel Pump

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Fuel pump from Vespa GTS

Received a call today that Kissell Motorsports put a new fuel pump in my scooter.  While the pressure test was ok it was making unusual noises.  And on the road it would intermittently fail and no longer make any noise.  The technician showed me the old one and it looked pretty grimy.  A new fuel pump seems like the best course of action.

Old Vespa GTS fuel pump

The Vespa GTS 250 fuel pump is a known issue and was subject to a recall for a great many scooters.  Unfortunately mine was not among them.

I had the scooter die three times on the road due to this problem.  They all had the following in common that seemed consistent with fuel pump failure:

  • Fuel pump motor did not spin — the usual pressurization when the ignition is switched on was absent.
  • The fuel level was low each time the pump failed — from what I’ve read the pumps overheat and the impeller binds causing the motor to quit spinning.  After the engine cools the pump began working again but it would only be a matter of time before it would not come back to life.

Vespa GTS 250 in for repair at Kissell Motorsports

So the scooter is close to being back on the road.  I dropped off my Heidenau K66 LT Snow Tex tires to be mounted which should have me all ready for the rest of the winter riding season.  For anyone considering year round riding I can’t stress how nice these tires are for rain, snow, gravel, slush, and plain dry frozen roads.  Noticeably better traction in all cases.  The only negative is that you lose a bit of responsiveness — the flickable nature of the Vespa is impaired a bit.  You get used to it quickly though.

With the fuel pump replaced I’m good for another 25,000 miles or so…

Cold Scooter Ride

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shadow of a scooter rider in winter gearRiding a scooter or motorcycle in cold weather is, for me, an acquired taste, one that evaporates quickly when too much time passes between frigid experiences.  Bright sunshine goes a long way towards easing the transition from a warm home to a cold garage but habit is far more powerful in making a cold scooter ride an easy choice.

Examining my shadow I felt more astronaut than rider clad in heavy gear and bulky mittens just to ride the Yamaha Vino scooter.  It doesn’t take long though for resistance to give way to the familiar satisfaction of surmounting the cold and drift in the wash of accomplishment.  For lack of a more poetic description a cold ride leaves me feeling alive.

ice chunk from First Night sculpture in State College, PA

The roads were bare and dry though the risk of ice is ever present when the world is frozen.  Thankfully, the only chunks of ice I saw were in town, remnants of the First Night State College celebrations.

Even though I saw no other ice it’s essential that anyone riding below the freezing mark adjust their attention to the road surface to account for unexpected ice — usually from careless motorists tossing liquids from their vehicles, meltwater that has frozen, or a dozen other situations that could trip up an inattentive rider.

Just saying…

Yamaha Vino 125 in State College, PA

The Yamaha Vino 125 scooter is indifferent to the temperature or the ice.  It starts easily and runs flawlessly.  While I miss the heated options on the Vespa GTS 250 I’m pleased to know that I can still function without heated gear.  At least at 28F.

I’m reminded of a talk by a guide from one of the big motorcycle touring companies in Alaska where he insisted no heated gear is permitted — they don’t want people freezing when the technology fails.  On the Vino I am geared up to passively resist the cold.  And right now as I think about it I have a hard time remembering how I braved sub-zero rides without heated gloves.

ice sculptures from First Night

Ice sculptures on Allen Street in State College, Pennsylvania is a traditional part of First Night.  The cold weather kept things sparkling as opposed to previous years where it rained with the temperatures in the 40s.

Yamaha Vino scooter along rural road.

A cold scooter ride requires a machine that functions — the Yamaha Vino handles the task well, gear that protects the body from the cold — my new First Gear Kilimanjaro jacket is a big improvement over the old one, boots, mittens, full face helmet, and Tourmaster Overpants complete the arctic ensemble. For summer only riders I’m sure it seems oppressive, but for those venturing out in the winter it’s part of the drill.

A nice, cold, New Year’s Day ride in the sticks.