Scooter in the Sticks

Exploring life on a Vespa, Royal Enfield Himalayan, Honda Trail 125, and a Kawasaki W650

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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Christmas Greeting and Wishes

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Christmas greeting from Scooter in the Sticks
Best wishes to all for a Merry Christmas.

Season’s Greetings

It’s that time of year again. Time to reflect on the blessing in life and extend good will and love to those in your life. Family, friends, and strangers on the road. To each of you reading this whether you’ve arrived searching for information on Vespa scooters or riding motorcycles, I pray you have a fine holiday.

My memories of childhood Christmas celebrations float through my head this time of year, and in my case I see a parallel between myself and Ralphie in “A Christmas Story.” It was a magical time of year. Now it’s something different.

I made a short video greeting for the holidays which is posted on my YouTube channel. Hopefully it reflects my feelings of good will to all those Vespa scooter riders out there.

Have yourself a Merry little Christmas.

Be well and ride safe!

Falling in Love All Over Again

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Vespa GTS scooter along a country road.
All things feel new again on a fragrant spring morning.

Reminded of the Good Things in Life

I fell in love with a Vespa scooter the first time I rode one. And now, after some neglect and a wandering eye, I’m falling in love all over again.

It continues to amaze me how my mind and body are transported into a different state of being by this silver scooter. Standing along the road, breathing the moist fragrant spring air, and feeling startingly present in the moment, I know what a gift it is to be able to ride.

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