Scooter in the Sticks

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

A Deer and Riding Story

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Since my Vespa is still in my garage as I narrow down the potential problems I wanted to share this video with you. The landscape reminds me a a forested area near here that I ride through and has many deer. While I slow to almost a crawl I have seen groups of riders fly through the area seemingly indifferent to any danger the deer pose. This film is a reminder for the need to make good decisions while riding.

The film, Morning Fall, was written and directed by Edward McGinty and submitted to the Moving Pictures Short Film Contest.

Motorcycle Maintenance: To Zen or Not Zen

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New drive belt, roller weights, spark plug.

After planning this work at 7500 miles I finally forced myself to do it at 8200. A friend commented that I did this for fun right? Fun? I can’t remember the last time I had fun with a wrench in my hand but I bet it was in the 1960’s. The only other reason would be to save money. It certainly saves on out-of-pocket expenses but once I factor in the time it takes any savings seems dubious. I’m not good but I am slow.

So why maintain the Vespa myself?

I’ve asked this question more than once lying on the cold concrete floor of our unheated garage trying to position my bifocals so I could see or each time I didn’t have the right tool or part. Why do this work when it would be easy to schedule our local Vespa technicians?

I had to revisit Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig to find a more eloquent way to express the reasons I’ve engaged maintenance of the scooter. Chapter 2 is a great chapter wrestling with the idea of doing your own work. Pirsig writes:

“Here is the machine, isolated in time and in space from everything else in the universe. It has no relationship to you, you have no relationship to it…”

Pirsig rejects this notion and outlines the contemporary relationship most have towards their vehicles. A motorcycle or scooter is personal in a way a car can’t be. Perhaps it is the inherent risk in riding, the physical exposure or vulnerability or the heightened awareness of the world that makes the machine more connected to me. I entrust my life to my scooter in a real sense and having a basic understanding of the basic mechanical functioning and maintenance seems a reasonable step to ensure a successful relationship. For me, I believe performing routine checks and maintenance of the Vespa keeps me honest, it keeps me paying attention, and it keeps me safe. And it makes riding richer. It makes sense to me in my head. Time will tell if it works in practice.

I’m no mechanic either but I don’t want to feel helpless on the road should something happen. And I want to be able to repair failures myself on long trips that otherwise would spell the end of an adventure. Tires, drivebelt, ignition, cables, brakes, things that wear out or break. With the right parts and cooperation of a service station I could keep the Vespa on the road. The mechanical adventure. Not for everyone but I merely suggest you consider it. When I started this work I figured the worse that could happen is I would have to haul a half torn apart Vespa to the dealer to save me. A lesson in humility.

I’d like to say I enjoy this work but right now it is a challenge. Many years of greasy work under rusty old cars that I could not afford to have professionally repaired has soured my sense of mechanical adventure. But I won’t let this stand in the way. The Vespa is a simple machine and almost any repair is within my ability with a bit of support or research. I purchased the Haynes manual for my Vespa and I also downloaded the Piaggio service manual and parts manual and had them printed and bound at Kinkos complete with waterproof covers that I can clean after using them.

The Modern Vespa forum is an extremely helpful place. More than once I’ve gotten stuck somewhere in the process, posted my question, waited ten minutes, got the answer, and went on my way. It’s like having a mechanic on call! Check out this POST on changing roller weights. Towards the end you can see my frustrated self appear begging for help. And you can download all the service manuals HERE. I can’t say enough about everyone who is part of that forum. Gary, the Technical Moderator (aka addicted), not only has extensive experience but he also provides therapy for the fearful as he lately did with me! It’s worth joining if only to make it easier to follow the posting or do research on your Vespa or Piaggio dreams.

I did take the scooter out for a short test run and all is well. Stopped by this big willow tree to make a picture.


Now it’s time to test the Vespa some more!

Merry Christmas!

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Some part of me expects to find the landscape covered in snow on December 24rd. It’s hard to listen to Dean Martin on the radio singing “Let it Snow” or Johnny Mathis doing “Sleigh Ride” when it was 50 degrees and sunny yesterday. I didn’t grow up on “Christmas in Dixie”. The little kid in me wakes up and won’t go to sleep during the holidays. I rent all the classics at the video store. My daughter and her boyfriend invited me to go with them to see “A Christmas Story” on the big screen at a new theater in town. It’s still a thrill to bring home and trim a Christmas tree. Family and friends will gather this evening to spend time together in the best spirit of the holiday. It’s from this place I want to extend my best wishes to all of you for a Merry Christmas!

Over the past year I’ve watched the number of visitors to Scooter in the Sticks grow and I am grateful for the network of riders who share their experience where and on their own sites. It’s been a positive experience, a gift from all of you who read and post here. Thank you!

It’s Christmas Eve and the Vespa is sitting quietly in the garage after carrying me yesterday on last minute errands before Santa arrives. Other than a brisk wind the riding conditions were perfect. I stopped along the Linden Hall road to make a photograph of the rural area I enjoy riding through.


Again, I wish all of you the best for you and your families.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Spirit vs. Riding Safety

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Two days until Christmas. Everywhere I see bright faces and smiles, people shopping, families with children looking at decorations. Consumed by the magic of the season. Maybe the commercial part but I’m sure there are some more spiritual experiences too. Either way people are rushing, working, laughing, planning, buying, wrapping, talking, singing, and driving. Yes driving. After riding into town today I have to believe the heightened Christmas spirit and driving don’t mix too well with riding safety. Or maybe I am merely experiencing what is normal everyday life for those of you in more urban settings.

I left the house around 9AM this morning. The temperature was about 40° F and it was raining. Not hard but enough to keep the roads wet, generate a small bit of fog and mist to paint the world from a grey template. A fine day for a ride and an excellent chance to test the waterproof characteristics of the rain cover for the MotoFIZZ bag I now have on the rear rack. Riding down the road from my house I see a car coming down a side street to my left that ends at a stop sign. I have the right-of-way, I see the driver looking at me but the car is not slowing down. I ease off the throttle and cover the brakes as he rolls through the stop sign at 15 MPH and onto the road in front of me. I follow him down to the traffic light where he pulls up behind a truck waiting to turn left. I glide by him on the right and make a right turn onto the highway going towards town. I see in my rear view mirrors that the car turns right instead of left. I’m riding on a four-lane road with many connecting roads, lanes, and driveways and I always pay careful attention to everything on this stretch. Two miles down the road the car catches up to me as traffic slows for a series of lights. He is in the left lane and I in the right. Another half mile up the road he decides he wants to be in the right lane so he can make a right turn. I am presented with my first spiritual decision of the day. I can continue on the course I am on and effectively block his attempt to turn right. None of the cars are inclined to let him in. Or I can slow almost to a stop to let him in. I can tell you that in the past, in the pre-scooter days, I would not have let him in. Especially after the stunt he pulled earlier. I slow and let him in, he turns right and I follow him along up the hill. We continue on for about two more miles until he signals that he is going to make a right turn into an office complex. I have to go to the same place. I’m thinking he is worried now that some big mean scooter rider is going to pummel him in the parking lot. I smile to myself and go about my business without any further interaction or notice of the offending car.


Later as I am riding in town I feel as if I am dodging people and vehicles constantly. Everyone is talking and laughing and not paying a whole lot of attention to the road. I see a young driver in a white Ford Explorer chattering away on a cell phone as they pull across my path from an alley. They really looked happy, eyes all aglow, full of the Christmas spirit. Near disaster later as I am leaving town and a Jeep Grand Cherokee runs a stop sign at 35 MPH on a really busy street and me only 20 yards from the intersection. It was a surprise seeing that Jeep rush past in front of me, driver’s left hand holding the phone to their ear talking I’m sure about whether to buy the heating pad for Uncle Owen or just get him a pound of fudge. I’d take the fudge.

The real news here is not that drivers, pedestrians, and dare I suggest riders don’t always pay attention to the road. The more important news is that I don’t get angry anymore about these things. And not so long ago I could really generate some grudge and rage fuel from these sorts of things. While riding I have become more accepting of the inconsistencies on the road, and that generally it’s not personal. I have some expectations of drivers and riders but if they aren’t met, well, that’s OK. And I accept what those shortcomings could mean to my own wellbeing. I don’t really know if all those people are full of the Christmas spirit or not. But I know that I’m feeling it and it makes it pretty easy to be generous on the road.

The waterproof rain cover kept everything dry. I had a bit of difficulty at first figuring out the best way to cinch it over the pack. I left it sloppy in the back but by the end of the day I figured out how to have it nice and snug. I did worry a bit about leaving the scooter parked in the parking garage wondering if some enterprising thief would grab it for a present for some rider thief. After a few moment of consideration I decided that it’s only a bag and if it is going to be useful I will have to leave it on the scooter. When I returned it was still there. It was a good day.