Scooter in the Sticks

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

Ending the Day on a Vespa Scooter

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Vespa GTS scooter along rural road in evening.
A scene that never fails to mesmerize me.

The Nature of Vespa Scooter Riding

I have nothing to say.

Nothing to write.

My mind is so dazzlingly clear and calm that there seems little need to ride. I’m a morning person. At least that’s what I tell myself.  Energy and initiative are in good supply at the beginning of the day.  Everything seems calm and well ordered.  And despite all this seemingly good news, I still feel drawn towards the road.

Standing alongside a familiar rural road at the end of the day I could feel the flutter of excitement that comes with riding. Thoughts of riding into the night, on towards an unknown destination coursed through me. The Vespa scooter stood there waiting.

It was a fine way to reframe the day, unwind a life.

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Video: Restoring Balance with an Evening Vespa Ride

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I continue to be surprised at the breadth and weight of things that occur on a daily basis that throw me off balance. A story I read in the newspaper, a comment read on a website, or the irrational machinations of my imagination that gnaws on a wide range of dystopian possibilities.

There are tools that help in restoring balance. Meditation. Journaling. Walking. Reading. Sitting with my wife. Talking with a friend.

And of course, riding. Restoring balance with an evening Vespa ride is almost like magic.

I share this video in hopes it will remind you of the power that machine may have in your life.

An interpretation of my experience on a short evening Vespa ride.

Mid-Winter Moto Maintenance

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Vespa GTS scooter in the snow
Vespa GTS scooter in winter.

Moto Maintenance Laws

Minimalism is the term I most often associate with my approach to moto maintenance. I conduct my riding life with two-wheeled machines in the belief that there are four laws of maintenance. They are:

  1. Proscribed maintenance schedule items by the manufacturer (fluids, belt, sparkplugs, etc)
  2. Maintenance of use (don’t let it sit around unused – keep driving the moisture out of the system, fixing and adjusting things that wear out)
  3. Cosmetic maintenance (rubbing, scrubbing, and keeping it shiny)
  4. Vanity maintenance (chrome, accessories, and other items I convince myself are vital to riding life)

I suspect all riders fall into some mix of all of these with varying levels of personal satisfaction from the processes involved with each area of moto maintenance. Or maybe you have your own set of laws.

Added to the mix are my own special personality quirks and defects which command my engagement or adherence to any of them. Plainly stated, I do as little maintenance as possible to keep the machine running and safe. With that in mind, I recently did some mid-winter moto maintenance.

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A Winter Ride

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The following words and pictures were written and created by my friend and fellow Vespa rider, Andy Heckathorne. His winter ride experiences offer vicarious adventure as I sit at home with a hot cup of tea.

Steve Williams
Vespa GTS scooter on snowy road
Vespa GTS300 on a winter ride near Madisonburg, Pennsylvania.

In Trying Times, I Need to Ride.

I need the thrill of exploration and the shock of freezing temperatures. I need the healing sounds of a mountain stream. I need to face the winter sun and see the hot pink behind closed eyes. And I need to feel the sun on my face. I need a winter ride.

Passing unknown friends during a winter ride with a wave of unity, embracing my tribe of “Fellow Travelers,” I feel at home. My senses sharpen as I scan the monochromatic landscape craving color and gratitude, and finally finding both. I need the hours of solitude a ride can provide where I can reflect on the gifts I’ve been given in life and ponder the who I want to be in this world.

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Entering the State of Strange

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Vespa GTS scooter in autumn forest
Riding into autumn and the state of strange.

Amish Hunters

Few things are as strange as passing an Amish man in camouflage hunting gear, wielding a compound bow, and riding a pink scooter brought me into the state of strange. One of the odd views during a late autumn ride.

I should have realized I had crossed into the state of strange. Instead I continued to believe I was taking part in an idyllic meandering through the forests of central Pennsylvania.  As a defense against the worsening pandemic I compartmentalize concerns, facts, fears, and experience to allow me to move through the world as if everything was fine.

I can’t help thinking now about missing the warning signs of my heart attack of nearly six years ago. Or that the state of strange in which I now live is the new normal.

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