Scooter in the Sticks

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

Alone on the Road

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Vespa GTS on a rural roadRiding alone has curative powers for my irritated mind.  Destination or route don’t seem to matter as much as being alone with my thoughts.  Being alone isn’t as much a desire as it is a need.  Without recurring doses of time alone I get:

  • irritable
  • grumpy
  • disagreeable
  • out of sorts
  • quick-tempered
  • cranky

Basically a pain in the ass.

At some level I probably recognized this personal quality and adjusted my interests and time to satisfy the need to be alone.  Walking, hiking, wandering with a camera and now riding.  A few miles on the scooter and the world begins to make sense.  Or at least my restless thinking begins to calm down.

This morning it was cold when I left the house with the temperature at 41F.  Destinations rolled through my head as I pushed the Vespa out of the garage but none fired enough neurons to form a plan.  A plan isn’t really necessary when being alone is the goal.

Vespa GTS 250 along Spring CreekMost of the leaves are down now and we could see snow at any time.  The days continue to shorten and already I’ve gone to work and returned home in the dark.  This morning I took a short ride just to soak up some sunshine and embrace the day.  I’ve been by this place many times but I’ve still not really seen it.  When asked if I bore of riding the same paths I always think of the photographer, Josef Sudek, who during the Nazi occupation of Prague spent years photographing in his little studio and window and made a remarkably complex and rich collection of photographs.

There’s much more to see on the roads I travel.

large pumpkin statue made of round hay balesI never saw this hay bale pilgrim all ready for Thanksgiving.  Someone spent some time and effort putting it together including the use of hydraulics considering the weight of a round bale of hay.

Lots to see on the road.

Vespa GTS 250 scooter in a field under a blue sky with cloudsA perfect morning.  Looking at the scooter in such an idyllic setting it’s hard for me to understand why anyone would oppose someone learning to ride.  Even when considering more traffic intensive places the question persists.

I’ve heard a resistant spouse or lover raise the danger question fearing the almost certain death that accompanies riding.  It may present as “we have children” or “I had a friend who rode…”.  I understand the concern and I’ll be the first to admit that riding is more dangerous than driving a car.  But there are other points to consider.

Who is taking the greater risk?  A distracted driver, frustrated and in a hurry to beat traffic or a rider focused on the road, relaxed and happy?

And who is a better partner, parent or lover?  The angry driver who comes home wound tight or the rider who arrives home with a measure of serenity mixed with pleasure?

Vespa along rural roadI like to think riding has made me a better person.  I certainly feel lighter and happier after a ride, even a short one through ordinary places, alone on the road, alone with my thoughts.

bagel and tea at the Pump Station CafeAt the end of the ride I stopped at the Pump Station Cafe to make a few notes and read a few more pages from Thomas Merton’s Thoughts In Solitude.

Like Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values, it takes some work to understand and for some the Christian perspective can be a problem.  Even though Merton was a Trappist monk, his writing kept his religion personal and never felt as if he were preaching.  The first book I read by Merton was The Seven Storey Mountain, a fascinating story of Merton’s withdrawal from the world and into a monastic order of silence.

It’s safe to read — I wouldn’t fear abandoning your worldly possessions to become a monk.  And besides, if you have a scooter or motorcycle, you don’t really need a monastery.

Unexpected Riding Risk

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Vespa GTS in Oak HallMost rides start with a thrill and a smile regardless of destination, length of ride, weather or time of day.  Riding is pure pleasure.  And I know there are risks associated with the experience that I work to keep in mind.  Some are obvious like other vehicles, roadway obstacles, deficiency of skill, deer, weather and a host of others.  But on this day I was reminded of an unexpected riding risk that’s just plain creepy.

Vespa GTS scooter along a creekAt one point during the weekend ride I parked in a thick green carpet of plants along a creek and proceeded to wander around to make some pictures and just enjoy the outdoors.  I didn’t realize the danger I was in until later in the ride when I was sitting in a soft armchair in Cafe Lemont.

I was holding a cup of steaming hot chocolate in both hands, enjoying the warmth of the cup and thinking about the unfolding day.  I was looking at my hands, my thumb actually, when I saw a small brown spot moving across it.  It only took a second for my brain to recoil with “tick”.  Some people are afraid of bears or snakes.  For me it’s ticks.  There are few things creepier save for perhaps bedbugs.

After dispatching the monster my entire body was tingling from little tick feet walking on my now hypersensitive skin.  A few minutes later I plucked on from my cheek.  And before leaving another from my wrist.  That stop along the creek was the only place I could have picked them up and now that I think about it a perfect place for deer.  Deer and ticks — they go together like milk and little chocolate donuts.

The entire way home I imagined dozens of ticks climbing up my legs searching for places to hide.  Those creepy little bastards.  I work with a woman who used to raise mosquitoes and bedbugs for research at Penn State.  She told me she never told people what she did for a living lest they shun her.  Her husband begged her to not bring home bedbugs.  She described the smell from so many insects drinking so much blood.  Real blood.  You don’t want to know.

Speaking of work — I’m in trouble.  Forgot to attend the 25 year service award ceremony today where my boss and another colleague were honored.  I was in a meeting, no one told me, there was wind, my dog ate my calendar, it wasn’t my fault.  But I was told later that my boss is keeping a list.  I’ll need to keep a low profile for a few months.  I’m not alone in my crime — another colleague failed to attend as well.  And sadly for him, his office is just a few feet away from her while I’m at a distance on another floor.  If this is the last post to Scooter in the Sticks you’ll know why.

So riders beware — ticks are everywhere in the verdant, lush green landscape.  And they are relentless.  At home I found two more wandering on my but so far none have embedded into my tender flesh.

I almost don’t want to ride anymore.  So on my list of riding dangers that bother me:

  1. Ticks
  2. Alligators
  3. Deer

I’m safe from number two…

Dangerous and Beautiful Road

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In the scooter’s dream, this is the road it rides…

How much does danger factor into the thrill of riding?  When my spirit soars is it because I feel I’m flying or perhaps because subconsciously I believe I’ve left danger in the dust?

While I don’t intentionally ride in a dangerous manner I do accept that being on two-wheels inherently has more risk, more danger.  It doesn’t mean bad things will happen, but they could, and chances are whatever does happen will probably be more intense that if I were strapped in the cage and surrounded by airbags.

Danger, or perhaps more specifically, risk is seductive and at the heart of a living game of chance.  At least that’s what passed through my head as I watched the video of the Atlantic Road in Norway — Atlanterhavsveien in Norwegian.  In the dark gloom with a pounding ocean I could sense the risk, the danger, and imagined traversing the windswept expanse and the quickened heart rate.  It’s the same feeling I have when snow is falling on the road, or the temperature drops below zero — me against the elements.

Seems a screwy draw to riding a scooter or motorcycle.  But it could be worse.  I could be scrambling up the north face of the Eiger, or diving off a precipice in a wing suit.

I suppose each is just another dangerous and beautiful road…

Riding in the Rain

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Are you comfortable riding in the rain?

Vespa GTS scooter in the rainI don’t worry (much) about getting caught in a sudden shower when the air is warm and home isn’t too far off.  I knew there would be a slight chance that a storm front would pass through when I left home but I was willing to take the chance I would get wet.  Riding in the rain and staying dry can be a critical issue when it’s not warm outside.  For me, anything under 80F can turn chilly when you’re soaked and moving along over 40mph.  I have a Rev’It rainsuit in my topcase that I’ve still never used but it’s there for those times when being wet and cold can become a problem.

The bigger issue for me today was the road surface.  It was slippery as the rain just seemed to spread the oil and road film around making handling dicey in places.  It never really rained hard enough or long enough to clean off the road.  This is where an ABS braking system would be a nice tool to have.

The ride home was uneventful in terms of safety and handling.  Aesthetically, it was fantastic to be out in the rain — really makes you feel alive sometimes.

Vespa GTS and Honda Nighthawk on streetIn town an hour before the rain started everything was quiet — unusually so for a Sunday afternoon in State College, Pennsylvania.  Made this picture as I left the scooter in one of the five motorcycle parking areas available in town.  Normally I park a few blocks away but the Last Cruise, an annual car show and through town cruising ritual closed off the roads in that part of town.

I was reminded once again of how the years are passing by.  I remember when the Last Cruise started.  Seems like a couple years ago.  Turns out this year was the 30th anniversary.

What the hell happened?

Pretending You’ll Never Crash

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MSF info graphic on riding gearWhile I don’t believe it’s inevitable that every motorcycle or scooter rider will have a crash, I also don’t believe any rider can say they’ll never go down either.  I’m not sure what others believe in this regard.  What I do know for sure though is there is a range of belief and action in regard to utilizing protective riding gear.

Do you find yourself pretending you’ll never crash?

I saw this infographic yesterday via FirstGear’s Facebook feed and it reminded me again of the risk involved in riding on two wheels and the things that can be done to mitigate some of that risk.

You can download a high resolution PDF file of the MSF poster if you want to make a big print.

In the spirit of open disclosure I have to admit that I don’t always adhere to the goals outlined in the poster.  I’ll ride with jeans sometimes in warm weather and neglect pulling on the abrasion resistant armored pants hanging next to my riding jacket.  I lie to myself that they offer protection but the truth is they don’t offer squat — I’m just lazy.  A slide down the road will shred them in a hurry to get to my tender flesh.

And that would be a sad event.  It makes me think of Brittany Morrow — founder of the Rock the Gear website and all the gear all the time (ATGATT) evangelist.

Have a look at her video and then ask yourself what you’re doing:

How to Avoid Skinning Yourself Alive – Brittany Morrow from Brittany Morrow on Vimeo.

Rock the Gear Inc. is a national, not-for-profit organization that focuses on safety apparel education and provides a community of support for those who want to learn more and/or become involved. Brittany Morrow is the President and Founder of Rock the Gear. This is her story.

Visit www.RocktheGear.org to learn more.

This video is intended for informational purposes only. Visit the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s website to get trained and licensed and learn more about what it means to be a good, responsible rider. www.MSF-USA.org

Music: “Who Says” by Selena Gomez & The Scene. Music copyrights belong solely to the original artists and producers.

Works Cited:

Haynsworth, Leslie. “My Volvo, My Self. The (Largely Unintentional) Existential Implications of Bumper Stickers.” Fourth Genre, 2008.

Hurt Report. Traffic Safety Center, University of Southern California, 1981.