Scooter in the Sticks

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

Change and Choice

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Riding Panacea

2022 Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycle on a mountain road in the forest.
Finding that peaceful, easy feeling.

Looking over the blog posts of the past year reveals a steady decline in the production of stories, essays, and messages along with the attendant photographs that have been a stable of Scooter in the Sticks for 15 years.

Any deep investigation of this trend has been avoided, passed off to the realm of riding where an imagined revelation would occur and provide a solid, succinct roadmap for the future of Scooter in the Sticks.

I’ve been generously rewarded by riding my scooters and motorcycles. Insight, understanding, and clarity revealed during a ride have not been uncommon. But to think riding is a panacea that can replace thinking and hard work is simply not true. At least for me.

So I’ve been struggling with what to do with this blog.

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Christmas Oversights…

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I neglected to include my two most recent Christmas-related YouTube videos in my last post. So here they are..

A look at my traditional Christmas Eve ride…
Seeking the Christmas Spirit…

Merry Christmas to all and best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year!

Prescription: Royal Enfield Himalayan and Autumn

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2022 Royal Enfield Himalayan in a rural autumn landscape
Unwinding with an autumn motorcycle ride.

A Change of Scenery

A riding rhythm has eluded me for the past two months. Maybe more. The usual drive to get on the motorcycle or scooter just hasn’t been animating my decisions. Instead, i’ve lost myself in too much television. Too much sugar. Too much sleep. Staring out the window at the changing autumn landscape, wondering what was wrong, it occurred to me the prescription was simple — get on the Royal Enfield Himalayan and go for a ride.

Anywhere. Just a change of scenery would alter how I feel.

And it worked.

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Emerging From the Summer Doldrums

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Vespa ET4 scooter in Boalsburg, PA.
A stop with my Vespa ET4 in historic Boalsburg on my way to an early breakfast.

Summer Sloth

I resist writing “I hate summer” but it certainly feels that way as I surface from the summer doldrums of inaction and sloth. When the temperature goes up, I don’t feel like doing anything. Instead, I’ve been making some short morning rides to breakfast and hanging out with my family, friends, and my dogs.

And for many years now, riding in summer was not something I looked forward to. My temperature envelop has narrowed with age. Now my comfort range is 35F to 75F. No wonder much of summer is excluded from riding.

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My Secret to More Relaxed Riding

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Vespa GTS scooter on a quiet road
A quiet moment with the Vespa GTS scooter.

Quiet, Relaxed, Serene

Almost from the beginning I have enjoyed riding my scooters for two reasons. First, they’re fun. And second, it’s relaxing. Fun was no problem. It just came naturally. But it took some time to learn how to find relaxed riding.

And perhaps the biggest step toward that goal, toward relaxed riding, was learning to pull over on the road and let faster traffic move ahead leaving me free to then meander and take in the sights.

I made this video to highlight some of the things I’ve learned in my pursuit of more relaxed riding.

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