Scooter in the Sticks

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

“Sometimes it’s a little better to travel than to arrive”

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Sign warning of winding road.Robert Pirsig, author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, wrote the line I’ve borrowed as the title for this essay, “Sometimes it’s a little better to travel than to arrive”.

Sometimes, the saddest moment in a ride is when it’s over.  That’s not a complaint about home or family, just a recognition of the sublime joy of spinning around the act itself — moving through the landscape on two wheels.  It does matter why or where you’re riding, just being on the road, soaring and flying in body, mind and spirit can be pure, cosmic satisfaction.

I found myself in that place as I wandered along the winding roads of central Pennsylvania.

dry stone wall along a Pennsylvania roadThere’s much to see while riding, some of it subtle and easy to miss.  I’ve ridden past this dry stone wall many times but never paused to look closely or consider what it actually meant — someone, by hand, built this large, long dry stone wall.  I’ve built a few dry stone walls but nothing of the scope of this one.  It approaches 8 feet in height and runs along a rural stretch of road about half a mile.  It’s obviously not maintained and the property seems abandoned.  I suppose the state could have built it for some reason — it’s not far from the Rockview State Penitentiary where they would have had lots of free labor to use at some point in the past, but it doesn’t seem to connect clearly with that facility.  A small historical mystery found during a ride to no where.

Mailpuch tobacco sign on an old barnOther decaying roadside artifacts, this one man-made, are everywhere though more and more they are just disappearing.  When I was a kid Mail Pouch signs on barns where everywhere.  Now I can’t recall another one than this one near Axemann, Pennsylvania.

Vespa GTS on winding roadsWinding roads are in abundance around here and provide a fine diverse riding experience.  Lot’s of gravel sprinkled around so it does demand caution lest a rider entertain disaster from attempting to carve lines around tight curves.

For me, these stretches of winding, wandering roadways through the hills and dales where I live never cease to thrill.

Vespa GTS along rural roadThe roads on a Sunday morning are remarkably quiet.  I probably passed more squirrels and groundhogs than I did cars.

Fuzzygalore.com recently published a story about riding just a ways north of here and how empty the roads were — Road Tripping in Pennsylvania — Wandering to Breakfast in Wellsboro.  Some nice photos made along a beautiful part of the state.  And her SEO is better with much better post titles than I use!

Vespa GTS scooter on rural roadLast year my Vespa GTS died right here, at least for about 30 minutes.  The engine would crank, start and immediately die.  After the engine cooled it would start right up, a problem I later determined was a failing fuel pump.  I missed the idyllic scene of winding road and cattle on the hillside then.  Enjoyed it this time.

panorama of sharp curve and Vespa scooterThere are a lot of switchback curves in the mountains here — 180 degree turns that challenge a rider to whatever degree they wish to be challenged.  I made this image with the panorama feature of my iPhone.  If you’re interested in seeing the larger version lick on the image.  The gravel just off the berm was incredibly soft — had I hit it at anymore than a crawl I would have gone down.

Despite that, it was good to wander, and it was definitely better to travel than to arrive!

Scooter on the Freeway?

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Can I ride a scooter on the freeway? The answer to that question depends on your scooter, your level of riding expertise, and the freeways to plan to ride on.

Vespa GTS scooter parked along Interstate 99.Scooter on Interstate 99

There’s little traffic on Interstate 99 at 7am on Saturday morning.  Riding on a rural freeway with little traffic is markedly different than trying to ride on a main transportation artery jammed with cars and trucks around the clock.

To start, many people, motorcycle riders and scooter riders both,  think a scooter is only suitable for riding around town.  A lot of motorcycle marketing suggests that the choice for riding big miles on big roads involves 500 pound plus machines with engines capable of propelling you at speeds north of 100mph.  Over the years manufacturers have successfully pushed the notion of a “real” cruising motorcycle to something with an engine that has 1000cc or more.  Bigger is better in the mantra and it applies not only to motorcycles and scooters but to automobiles, pick-up trucks, houses and practically everything other than waist size.

If you can disconnect your head from the marketing absolutes and industry propaganda you can see a glimmer of what’s actually possible with smaller machines — scooters or motorcycles.

Vespa GTS scooter along expressway in ridge and valley region

The Highway Scooter

The reality is you can ride a scooter practically anywhere save for some hardcore off-road tracks involving deep mud and water. My Vespa GTS 250 can run all day at 65mph without a problem and faster if I need to.  On this recent 55 mile run down I99 I was passing cars, what few there were.

There are just a few things you need to consider in regarding to a scooter on the freeway.  First, is it legal?  Some freeways have engine size or horsepower minimums.  Make sure you meet those.  In most states, if not all, you can’t ride a 49cc scooter on an Interstate highway. I’ve ridden 150cc and larger scooters on freeways without a problem.

For me, one of the bigger issues about being on a smaller scooter is stability.  There is no doubt that a 500 pound plus motorcycle with big wheels will feel more stable, respond less to the air blasts of passing trucks, and deliver a more sedate ride.  But that does not mean a smaller machine is not stable.  It sticks to the road and follows a line just fine.  But be prepared for some beating by the air, especially if you’re riding along at 70mph and there’s a crosswind.

LEVEL OF RIDING EXPERTISE

Mentally, the most frightening riding thought for a lot of scooter riders is the freeway even though it may be a safer place to be that on a lot of crazy action on surface streets.  Recently, a local rider told me she now commutes on the expressway because of the higher danger of being clipped on local streets at rush hour.  Still, riding on an expressway has its own unique demands of a rider — traveling at higher speeds and being comfortable maneuvering and stopping in an emergency being two important skills that should be in your toolbox.

Riding at expressway speeds, 55 to 75mph means things happen pretty fast and you really need to have sufficient skill to make quick decisions and translate them into action on your scooter.  It could be a need to evade a piece of truck tire, or dodge a pothole.  While the low speed skills theoretically apply to higher speed riding you really need to do some practice.  I would suggest anyone considering riding on an expressway try and do some gradual practice to get comfortable with the speed and how the scooter responds at higher speeds.  That could mean some early morning weekends on the pavement to experiment.

Riding defensively is important too.  You’ll need to be aware of lane placement to keep yourself visible and learn to anticipate when you’re more vulnerable to someone nudging you into oblivion.

THE FREEWAY

Not all freeways are the same and they’re differentiated by speed, amount of traffic, and the quality of the road surface.  Heavy traffic moving at 70mph on a badly crumbled surface is a nightmare compared to an relatively empty highway with a new surface where you can ride at any speed and it won’t matter.  Make sure you know what you’re getting into.

Make sure you have sufficient power to travel along at a reasonable speed considering other traffic If you’re considering commuting at rush hour where traffic crawls along it won’t matter much.  But if you’re considering a ride on a main artery where there is a lot of traffic and it’s moving fast you want to make sure you can move with it, or at least near that speed.  I’ve parked myself behind a slower moving RV, truck or car more than once to move along a high speed expressway so I would be more “visible” as a slower moving vehicle.

The idea of “sufficient” speed is where scooters get dismissed.  If you can’t rocket away from trouble or travel faster than everyone else then you can’t ride on the freeway.  Similar thinking applies to automobiles.  But being able to pull yourself out of trouble is probably the wrong way to think about riding.  It may be better to consider how not to get in trouble in the first place.

Vespa GTS along Interstate 99Do I Belong on the Freeway With a Scooter or Small Motorcycle?

Deciding to ride a scooter on the freeway is a personal choice dependent on a variety of issues.  There is no right or wrong answer.  There are plenty of scooter riders who travel freeways and Interstate highways every day.  A lot of riders avoid big highways simply because they aren’t much fun.  After all, they’re designed to get you from point A to point B fast and little more.  It’s hard to enjoy the scenery when you’re flying fast and paying attention to a crowd of vehicles.

I ride on the expressway sometimes when I commute to work, or need to get somewhere quickly and the Vespa is fully capable of undertaking that task.  Is it as comfortable as some of the big BMWs I’ve ridden?  No.  But it has advantages over those motorcycles in other situations that I ride in more often.

So, can you ride a scooter on the freeway?  The answer is a qualified yes.

Perhaps readers can share their thoughts and experiences regarding a scooter on the freeway…

 

Hospital or Graveyard?

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From the opening crow caws to the closing funk music driven motorcycle montage, listening to Peter Fonda describe possible outcomes of not adequately learning how to ride a motorcycle as ending up in the hospital or graveyard was just part of a fun and interesting film filled with motorcycle safety tips.

I came across this vintage 70s instructional film on Gail Hatch’s She Rides a Beemer blog.  The film is narrated by Fonda, famous for his motorcycle escapades in the film Easy Rider, and includes commentary by famous motorcycle aerialist and daredevil, Evel Knievel.  I feel you can never know or learn too much about riding and safety, so pull up your computer, grab a snack, and enjoy a trip into thoughts on safety from the past.

Sheltering from Rain

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BMW R nineT in rain
For the first time ever I parked beneath an overpass to wait out a passing rainstorm.  I’ve seen other riders huddled under bridges or at gas stations to avoid the rain but I’ve always ridden on.  To be fair, part of the motivation for waiting was I did not want to get the new BMW R nineT wet so it would remain reasonably pristine for photos.  But the bigger issue driving the need to be sheltering from rain was lack of preparation.

Normally when I ride I have rain gear with me.  On this machine there was no place for gear, tools, or anything else that would not fit in my pockets.  There’s another reason though why I’ve never sought shelter from the rain — I’ve never really been caught in a dangerous downpour.

The next day I was in the van when a dangerous downpour presented itself.  Like sheltering from rain the previous day I was close to pulling off the road for the first time because I could not see the road ahead and pools of water were forming on the road surface that made hydroplaning a real possibility.  Again, like with previous rides, driving and riding through rain wasn’t a reflection of fortitude or courage on my part, I just had not faced a serious weather event that required a decision to be sheltering from rain.

Steve Williams motorcycle selfieI have to say there was an unexpected payoff to pulling off the road to wait aside from the selfie I made while sitting in the dirt.  The sudden, forced isolation coupled with no knowledge of how long it would last was sobering — a lesson in loss of control.  When I ride I kid myself that I am in control when the reality is that I am at the mercy of other drivers, weather and fate.  I merely have limited control over myself and my machine.

Sitting along the road in riding purgatory offers an opportunity to experience some rather intense isolation.  Or perhaps separation from the world is more precise.  Either way you’re left with your thoughts as you sit on the earth.  With a smart phone in your pocket it would be easy to medicate any uncomfortable feelings of being alone with the myriad tools for escape it provides and I did indulge with radar maps from Weather.com and a few pictures posted to Instagram.  But I did recognize the opportunity to experiment with my reaction to sudden isolation.

Boredom, anxiety, and a desire to have control were all mixed together leaving me feeling oddly unsettled.  I like to think riding is a meditative process but while I sat watching the rain and wondering when I would get my life back I wondered if riding wasn’t more escape than meditation.

By the time the BMW roared back to life I had found a calm place, one that was accepting of whatever would come along.  But even that was probably an illusion since I had to only wait an hour, the air was warm, there was no pressing need to be anywhere and I wasn’t hungry.  A few changes in circumstance would challenge the calm.

I have to think having a ride interrupted by weather is uncommon since so many riders are fair weather adventurers.  But some of you that ride into the abyss surely have found yourselves sitting and waiting.

What did you find waiting for you?

The Brief But Magnificent Opportunity

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Vespa GTS scooter on forested road

Central Pennsylvania riders are blessed with a seemingly endless supply of winding roads — the one in Bald Eagle State Forest.

I thought of my father this morning while riding through the dense green of Bald Eagle State Forest. He would have been 87 today had years of hard work in mines, steel mills and cigarettes not claimed his lungs and life eleven years ago.  As a boy he and my mother would take me to places like this on picnics or to just walk — a reflection of my mother growing up in the Alps in a “walking” family.

Riding a Vespa scooter through the empty places in central Pennsylvania affords space to let the mind wander, entertain dreams and fantasies, and face the pressing questions of the moment.  And there’s the quiet thrill of flying along on two-wheels, the sense that my spirit is expanding beyond the body and I feel connected to the world.  At those moments I’m painfully aware of the brief but magnificent opportunity life really is.

Vespa GTS scooter in rural Pennsylvania

Vespa GTS 250ie along road in Brush Valley, Pennsylvania.

I remain enthralled with the Vespa — form and function.  On two lane roads, my route of choice, it performs as well as any motorcycle at legal speeds and can exceed them by 20mph — fast enough for any responsible rider.

My father would never have approved of my riding.  All pleadings and schemes to acquire go-karts and mini-bikes, motorcycles and BB guns were repeatedly rejected.  Perhaps being an only child played into my parents strategy.  His feelings about motorcycles were clear — they were dangerous and unnecessary toys and nothing more.  Only fools and people with issues had them.

I do have issues.

Vespa GTS scooter in Sugar Valley

Vespa GTS 250ie scooter in Sugar Valley

The road seems long.  A camera lens can exaggerate perspective to trick the viewer.  The mind can do the same thing as a lens, distort reality.  Where I once believed the road is long, now I’m not so sure.  I’ve always known that distance isn’t a requirement of a rich ride on the scooter.  Same holds true of life.  How many miles traveled is less important that the quality of those miles.

I saw many Amish buggies on the road this morning but resisted the urge to make a clever image of that archaic method of transportation with the Vespa.  The Amish endure enough peeping from the English.

Lost in on the road, winding through the forest.

Lost in on the road, winding through the forest.

A Harley-Davidson motorcycle rumbled past me while I made this picture and I watched them carve through these turns.  For the next 12 miles the road twisted and turned through hairpin turns and provided plenty of gravel strewn bends to keep things interesting.

My dad drove like I ride — slow and with few concerns for others on the road save for common courtesy.  If he were a rider I like to think he would be on a Vespa and wave to other riders regardless of their riding choice.

Fuel and water stop.

Fuel and water stop.

With 70 miles of winding road behind me the scooter needed a drink and so did I.  My new diet has kept me out of many of the greasy haunts I would have patronized.  Now is fuel, a few glugs of water from a bottle, and a banana or apple.  No more hearty bacon breakfast choices.

Vespa GTS 250ie scooter on gravel road.

Vespa GTS 250ie scooter on gravel road.

Who knows where the road will lead.  Circumstance and choice guide routes and outcomes.  I often don’t really know why I end up at the places I do.

Vespa GTS 250ie scooter on gravel road.

Vespa at the end of the road.

Often little gravel byways and path dry up or are gated closed.  The Vespa isn’t something I want to tear through the brush to continue on with an exploration.

My father was neither an explorer or traveler.  When he taught me to hunt we were always on familiar territory.  I didn’t inherit that trait from him and instead have my mother’s travel instincts — to move on from place to place and not worry about the outcome.  It explains many of our travels in Europe without destination or hotel arrangements.

We did just fine.

Vespa scooter along rural road.

A stop for water and to munch on a few baked potato chips — the meal of salt lovers…

Some roads feel like tunnels slowly drawing me into something but I’m not sure what.  The Vespa was fine but I felt tentative.  And that’s ok sometimes.

Vespa GTS 250 scooter near Loganton, PA

Sometimes you just need to keep riding until you find what you’re looking for.

Not sure where things will lead.  It’s good to have a vantage point to see ahead, if only for a a short distance.  So I’ll keep going and see where I end up and take advantage of the brief but magnificent opportunity afforded by life.