Scooter in the Sticks

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

Motorcycle Enlightenment

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BMW K75 along a rural road.
Riding a motorcycle is, for me, a fundamentally different experience from riding a Vespa scooter.

Riding is a practice.

And with enough practice, I’ll run across motorcycle enlightenment. The motorcycle doesn’t see much use during the cold months. With little protection from the elements and the relative ease of using the Vespa, I have to re-acclimate myself to the heavier, bulkier, less maneuverable machine.

I confess riding the BMW K75 brings its own, unique excitement. Different than the scooter, but rewarding in a way that the Vespa can’t match. Power, speed, and the physical mechanics of operating it creates a physical experience that’s more visceral.

I left the house to exercise the motorcycle, churn the oil and further ease myself into the comfort zone with this larger machine. Everything operated as expected but I have concerns regarding this 29 year old K75. Regardless of how flawlessly it operates there’s a part of my brain unwilling to accept it’s fine.

I had experienced the beginnings of motorcycle enlightenment.

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Vespa Scooter Freedom

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Vespa GTS scooter along rural road.
This looks like freedom to me. Of the mind, the spirit, and the body.

Freedom is the oxygen of the soul.

MOSHE DAYAN

An escape from the noise of everyday life into a state of Vespa scooter freedom is a gift of hope and joy. The same now as it was when I began riding a scooter so many years ago. In minutes the noise and stress that can accumulate in my head burn off like fog on a sunny morning. The air embraces my body and I’m flying. All I can think is it’s great to be alive.

It doesn’t take long until I’m far from home. The scooter has quietly transported me to a different reality. The long road, the spring light, the promise of life emerging again from winter reduces my world to something simple I can grasp. Like the throttle of the Vespa.

Riding provides a taste of freedom, and it quickens the soul.

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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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