Scooter in the Sticks

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

The Perfect Ride

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2022 Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycle parked near an old barn.
Arriving on a rainy morning for breakfast at Cafe Lemont.

What is the Perfect Ride?

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that there are no bad rides. Doesn’t matter if it is too hot or too cold, too far or too short, or if the scenery or roads are just boring. When I learned that all rides are good rides and that the idea of the perfect ride just doesn’t exist my riding world opened and I put more time in the saddle.

Cafe Lemont was my second choice for breakfast after Barnes and Noble had to toss all their food because of a storm-caused power outage trashed their refrigeration. Like this ride and so many others, the circumstances don’t matter. Just being able to ride is enough.

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Falling in Love with the Royal Enfield Himalayan (AGAIN)

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2022 Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycle parked along a farm field in winter.
A quiet, subdued, lovely motorcycle.

I Remember Now

Cold mornings. Reasons to stay home. Safe. Warm. Unencumbered by the need to do the heavy lifting to ride in the central Pennsylvania winter. Suddenly the body vibrates from the thrum of the engine, the spin of the tires on the asphalt, the wind pushing against the body. And then I am falling in love with the Royal Enfield Himalayan. Again.

I’m an unreliable lover of the machines in my garage. One day I’m in love with my Vespa scooter. And the next with something else. I commune with the machine I’m riding. Each for their own personality and grace.

It was a fine morning to ride no where in particular. Just enough to drive the moisture from the oil. To energize the battery. And restore my soul.

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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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Riding to Understand My Himalayan

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Dash of the Royal Enfield Himalayan
A ride always clears the mind.

Chasing the Truth

It’s no secret that I’ve been looking for a way to understand my Himalayan motorcycle. Or more precisely whether my sometimes discomfort riding off-road is real or imagined. A slight misfiring of the brain or a cold, harsh view of reality. I’ve poured through hundreds of comments and suggestions about what I should or shouldn’t do in regard to my Royal Enfield Himalayan. In those comments I witness new perspectives. And I also see the fear and anxiety others have regarding the relentless march of time and how it may or may not rear its ugly side today.

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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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