Scooter in the Sticks

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

A Search in the Cold

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Opening the online version of the local newspaper this morning revealed 10° F. Hardly the riding weather of choice. I decided to take the dog for a walk instead. Didn’t take long to confirm the paper’s temperature indication especially since they neglected to mention the wind. During the walk a young dog appeared and followed us along hoping to get Essa to play. Noticing his lack of identification or license reminded me that my own dog was illegal.

By the time we got home the sun was bright in a clear blue sky and my dog needed a license. The temperature has risen to 15° F. After a moment of mental wrestling and q quick examination of the road I decided the Vespa was ready for a trip to the hardware store for a license.

Rolling through the unshovelled driveway (the has to melt that snow soon) I thumbed the starter and the GTS came to life unaware of the near zero temperature it has slept through last night. The air temperature readout on the instrument cluster flashed 18° F. I moved out onto the road with feet down to test the surface. Some icy patches but generally clear. I would have to monitor the road surface carefully and adjust carefully. A few miles from home I realized my usual dog license supplier had gone out of business and I would have to ride farther to get one. The well-traveled roads were generally clear with only scattered snow or ice mostly where wind would continue to deposit new coatings. As long as I was upright and traveling in a straight line I was fine but curves, especially blind curves, had to be handled more slowly than normal and in several instances taking them so slowly that the scooter didn’t lean.

A long loop south of town took me through open farmland where the wind blew steadily. The scooter handled the wind and road surface challenges well and my comfort level is growing with each ride. I stopped at a local pet supply store for the dog license only to be told they were sold out. From there to another place that didn’t carry them but offered directions to a place ten miles away that surely would have a dog license. Rather than ride the back roads I thought it would be a good time to try the new Vespa on Interstate 99. I stopped at the ramp to view the road surface and it was clear and dry, at least what I could see. Still in the break-in period I had no trouble maintaining an indicated 70 MPH, well under the Piaggio admonishment to keep the scooter under 80 percent capacity for extended periods. I did twist the throttle once to bring the GTS to an indicated 80 MPH for a few moments with throttle left. The Vespa is surprisingly smooth and stable at that speed even with a crosswind. I was extremely pleased in the performance of my First Gear Kilimanjaro IV Jacket and Black Diamond Mittens. Running along at 70 MPH in 18° F air I was warm and toasty until I returned home after almost two hours on the road. And I was reminded once again how much I enjoy riding in cold weather.

I’m sure I made the right decision to move up to the bigger Vespa. The increased power and weight will expand the things I can do on the road. I never did find a dog license though. The last stop at Tractor Supply Company was a bust. So I suppose I will have to ride farther to make my dog an upstanding member of the community.

Buying a New Vespa GTS Scooter

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2006 Vespa GTS 250 on a gravel road
My brand new Vespa GTS scooter.


The roads are the same but the ride is different. My wife Kim says the asphalt carpet been rolled out for me. Someone at work asked why I’m smiling. I think it’s the new Vespa GTS250ie in the garage.

After signing my name to the pink slip at Kissell Motorsports I was entitled to sound the brass gong to signify another scooter about to take to the road. I’m buying a new Vespa GTS scooter.

Steve Williams at Kissell Motorsports
Ready to strike the gong signaling another new purchase at Kissell Motorsports.


Cody Kissell handed me a sturdy mallet and I applied a firm strike to produce an unexpected GONG that resonated through the entire building. My friend Paul Ruby who made this picture said it sounded like something from a Hollywood movie. A nice touch to signify a new adventure despite shining the grin of a five-year-old on Christmas morning.

Kissell’s has known for a couple days that I would be picking up the scooter so everything was ready to go.

Vespa GTS scooter in service bay.
Paul Ruby checking out a Ducati motorcycle while waiting for my Vespa GTS.

Sparkling clean, everything as it should be, full tank of petrol, and Service Manager Casey Flynn giving me a quick overview of the scooter before I rode off. I can’t say enough good things about the Kissell Motorsports dealership!

Completing this transaction during my lunch break meant not having much time to try out the GTS but I did take a quick spin out of town to get a feel for the throttle, brakes and handling characteristics. It only takes a moment to sense the difference between the LX150 and the GTS. Astride the GTS you’re aware of the increase in mass and size that makes the scooter feel more “present” on the road. I’m sure I’ll have more to say about this in coming weeks. The most obvious difference is at the throttle. The response and power are immediate and I found myself at 60 MPH in the time the LX150 would be at 35 MPH. The speed is deceptive and I understand now why people get speeding tickets with these Vespas.

Photographically I think the GTS will have some presence. I haven’t found the sweet spot angles yet but it is a handsome machine.

Vespa GTS scooter parked along a rural road.
On my first ride home.


It looks just as good in the rural landscape as the smaller scooter did. Work beckoned so I had to wait until the end of the day for anymore riding. I didn’t bring my heavy mittens either so the 32° F air bit into my fingers until they were painfully numb.

The temperature gauge on the GTS showed 29° F when I mounted up for the ride home. It rose two degrees when I got out of the shade and into what remained of the sunlit day. Don’t ask me why but what I really wanted to test on the way home was the handling characteristics of the scooter on gravel. Short review: Pretty good. Definitely more stable that the LX150. Maybe the bigger tires or extra weight.

Arrived home as the sun was setting and I looked at the GTS in the driveway before putting it in the garage.

Vespa GTS scooter in a driveway.
Arriving home for the first time on my Vespa GTS scooter.


To the casual observer it looks the same as the LX150. It’s a fine machine and I am looking forward to riding again. The weather looks promising for the weekend with temperatures rising into the 30’s even though my morning departure will find things at 15. I can handle that. Worst case is I’ll have to stop at more eating establishments to keep my hands warm.