Scooter in the Sticks

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

Riding into Serenity

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2001 Kawasaki W650 parked along a street.
Parked, relaxed, on my way to breakfast on my sublime 2001 Kawasaki W650.

A Therapeutic Contraption

Early this morning, sitting in the garden, I found myself increasingly agitated. Angry. Anxious. Resentful. A neighborhood dog barking incessantly. A concrete saw screaming as it created expansion joints. A gas powered leaf blower filling in any audible gaps that might reveal just a glimmer of serenity.

It was a beautiful day with sunshine and blue skies. My view included a 25 foot top from a spruce tree that came down in a recent storm. Leaning on the roof of the shed. Later my friend Paul would arrive with a chainsaw and we would embark on yet another noisy adventure. Thankfully, by that time I was serene. Calm. All made possible through wind therapy and the motorcycle’s uncanny ability to ride into serenity with me on it.

I sent a text to my wife that began, “It’s noisy as fuck…”

Twenty miles later I was home again feeling fine. And wondering (again) why I allow myself to become agitated over things I have absolutely no control over. Amazing how clear things become for me when I am drifting down the road.

I’m grateful to own scooters and motorcycles.

Riding at the End of Summer

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Kawasaki W650 motorcycle parked in front of a municipal building.
Signs of the end of summer — paying property taxes.

Motorcycle Utility

On this day it was the Kawasaki W650‘s turn for a ride. With five machines in the garage I have had to set up a rotation to keep them all working, the fuel fresh, and the moisture driven out of the oil. Fifteen to twenty miles is usually enough to do the trick. And it helps me keep my head on straight.

Paying property taxes is an annual August event. Pay the total by the end of the month and you save a few dollars. So that’s what I do. Any excuse to go for a ride at the end of summer.

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The Honda Trail 125 — A Small Joy in a Riding Life

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Paul Ruby performs the Crane pose on an old stump
And with the Crane comes danger…

Discoveries

The most dangerous part of this ride was Paul on a old stump teetering on one leg to strike his favorite pose from the Karate Kid. Problem is he’s no kid and a fall from that stump would test the SOS feature on my iPhone.

I purchased the Honda Trail 125 (CT125) because I had grown uncomfortable riding the Royal Enfield Himalayan off road. Alone. In places with no cell coverage and little traffic. While those fears have been sorted I’ve come to discover a special joy in riding the Honda.

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The Relaxing Nature of Riding a Motorcycle

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2022 Royal Enfield Himalayan on a forest road on a foggy morning.
Riding through the fog.

The Merlin App

At 5:30AM a strange bird woke me. A triplet call, loud yet smooth and calm. Launching the Merlin Bird ID app to life on the iPhone it immediately identified the stranger as a Black-billed Cuckoo. I laid in bed listening. The cool air of a wet morning hinted at fog.

Clouds that touch the ground draw me from bed. The world outside the bedroom window is narrowed by the fog. And a desire is sparked to venture into the unknown.

Sometimes I just need to go for a ride. To clear my head. To rearrange my brain. To remind myself that life is good. But on this morning there were no concerns or hauntings. Just a desire to be riding a motorcycle.

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2023 Honda CT125 Trail: All Things Change

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2023 Honda CT125 Trail strapped down in the bed of a pickup truck.
Preparing to haul my new Honda CT125 Trail home.

I Done Done It

The deed is done. I bought a brand new 2023 Honda CT125 Trail. It’s home in the garage sipping power through a Battery Tender waiting for a little warmer weather. It was sunny and 17F this morning but the clarion call of cold weather riding no longer shouts louder than my desire to curl up in the house with a cup of hot chocolate or tea.

But this week the thermometer will point toward the 40F mark so the Honda CT125 Trail should see its first experience of the beautiful Central Pennsylvania landscapes.

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