Exploring life on a Vespa, Royal Enfield Himalayan, Honda Trail 125, and a Kawasaki W650
A scene from three weeks ago as my friend Paul and I made the most of one of the last warm days of autumn. Riding a Vespa scooter on a sunny day remains one of the fine, simple pleasures of my life. Looking at the picture I’m reminded of how grateful I am to have a fast friend who pushed me into riding. Life would be dimmer had I never climbed aboard a Vespa.
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The lyrical autumn scenery has faded into the stark reality that winter is coming. The leaves have fallen and soon they’ll be raked, burned or forgotten as snow falls along with the temperature.
I have this motorcycle now and am wondering what I’ll do with it this winter. Will I keep it in service or put it to sleep until spring. Those questions have been on my mind. All depends on the cold weather riding limits of the BMW K75.
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The dazzling power of autumn sunshine quickens the spirit. The helmet visor is often up to absorb the energy that temporarily dissolves care and concern to nothingness. Autumn scooter riding is magical. I’ve been riding and witnessing the world but giving voice to the experiences has eluded me.
I’ve been riding, consistently these past few months, but I’ve not given voice to experience nor story. Why? Because autumn is the season in which I notice the march of time, of the world, and of myself. Another turned page of my life. The world is crisp, golden and I’’m hypnotized by the leaves fluttering to earth. But something is different now. Friedrich Neitzsche wrote, ” Notice that autumn is more the season of the soul than of nature.”
My soul is restless. It happens this time of year.
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The scooter and motorcycle stand in the garage. Quiet. Unused. The battery may be dead in my camera and I’m hoping the chipmunks haven’t gnawed on my helmet lining. I feel a long way from riding right now. I’m frozen in place, lost in thought, disconnected from the things I love. It’s often this way as autumn approaches. Perhaps the sun’s energy patterns change and affect the ways neurons fire in my brain. Or sensing the approach of cold weather I just begin to shut down.
Or so it seems. Doing nothing, accomplishing nothing, frozen in place.
The truth is somewhat different. I’ve been riding the Vespa and the K75. A lot. And I’ve made many photographs. Have my darkroom running as well in support of another project. Five rolls of film are hanging downstairs awaiting contact proofing.
And I’ve been reading. And watching Netflix. Watched Inside Bill’s Brain, the documentary series on Bill Gates. Thinking about global warming and the role of nuclear power. Specifically the Traveling Wave Reactor. And each morning the dogs drag me into the world.
But I feel frozen in place despite evidence to the contrary. A storm front is moving in. I hear thunder. Otherwise I would tell myself, “You need to go for a ride.”
Sometimes things are just strange.
Full flounder ahead.
For those who don’t know, the Moto Hang is a gathering of riders of all sorts of two and three-wheeled vehicles. It occurs on the first and third Wednesday’s of the month in warm weather and moves to a different location each time.
I’ve been lax in my posting of things related to the Moto Hang events this year. As it transitioned away from the Boalsburg Moto Hang to one hosted at a continuing array of locations the charm of the old barn where it used to happen — in my head at least. Or that’s my excuse. So I’ll try and catch up now.
It continues to be a gathering of riders. Like-minded men and women with an ongoing fascination for motorcycles, scooters and riding.
This past week I rode the next of the last regular Moto Hang gathering on my Vespa scooter. My friend Paul borrowed the K75. Just a short, eight mile ride to the home of Jason and Lori Lettiere — hosts for this occurence of the Moto Hang.
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