Scooter in the Sticks

Exploring life on a Vespa Scooter and Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycle.

Fear of the Dark

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Vespa GTS scooter on a rainy nightThis evening a friend asked me about leather jackets — the kind you might find in a department store.  His son recently got a small motorcycle and he wanted to know if the jacket made him safe. After our discussion of protective riding gear and the difference between a true motorcycle leather jacket and a leather jacket intended for casual dress I could sense fear in his voice — fear for the safety of his son.

Every rider has probably had some conversation about riding, safety and risk with someone who will never be convinced that the activity at best is a fool’s errand but in reality more akin to a death wish. Their fear of the dark is too strong to dissuade.

This evening I took a short ride into town on the Vespa in a light mist, another slow step in my cardiac recovery.  Learning to pace myself, respecting my current physical limitations, and not surrendering to any fear of the dark is where I find myself today.  Riding provides a wonderful barometer to evaluate progress and location.

Vespa GTS scooter in State College, PennsylvaniaWet roads and dying light are circumstances that must be assessed and managed.  They have their own unique challenges and do not bend to my needs or agenda.  I bend to them.  Looking at the warm pools of light on the pavement, the reflections in the puddles, the soft glow of the evening light, it’s important I don’t lose track of the important matters at hand — that the road surface has far less traction, drivers can’t see me as well, and I can’t see as well either.

Thinking about how well my physical recovery is proceeding it’s important I don’t lose track of what’s important — take my medication without fail, eat healthily, and pay attention to my physical and emotional condition.  I can’t get lost in the soft glow of an easy recovery.

Infant Emma SofiaPaid a short visit to my granddaughter this afternoon.  I’m surprised at the motivation this little person provides to live a different life.  I want to see her grow up, walk with her, talk about the world.  It’s as if there is a genetic program at work stretching back tens of thousands of years to make sure the young and the old connect.

Somehow, riding my Vespa is intertwined with whatever conversations we’ll have.

Misty farm field and old wire fence under a heavy gray skyThe warm weather has given way to a heavy gray sky and a plunge in temperature — a favored riding environment for me.  Things look different when the sun is gone.  Standing along the road looking across the expanse of green meeting the heavy sky I see only opportunity.  Any fear of the dark is supplanted by an expectant dream of adventure ahead.

Portrait of Anita K WilliamsA portrait of my mother hangs outside of my granddaughter’s bedroom, a charcoal sketch made by one of her friends when she was 18 years old.  Her face reminds me of the appreciation of adventure she bestowed on me, the desire to see what’s over the next hill, what lies around the next turn.

I’ve always considered adventure in terms of movement and travel for which the Vespa is a capable partner.  Perhaps it was just preparation for another kind of adventure.

Vespa GTS scooter and Mount NittanyAlmost home, Vespa along the road, Mount Nittany in the distance shrouded in mist.  For me, at its best, riding is a solitary experience.  The choices on the road are mine to make as is progress toward a destination.  I can’t help but think about how tangled life is amidst a sea of circumstance, desire and dreams.

Oh, the ride is breathtaking…

Motorcycle and Scooter Riding Safety

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Morning Fall from Boss Boyd on Vimeo.
Morning Fall
by Edward McGinty

With winter clearly fading away another riding season has begun.  Some return to the road sooner than others and everyone goes through their own ritual of rekindling the connection with machine and road.  Motorcycle and scooter riding safety are, unfortunately, subjects not given the attention they might deserve, especially if a rider seriously values their longevity on the road.    Morning Fall by Edward McGinty offers a gripping reminder of what’s at stake when you ride.

For myself, the riding season preparations include removing winter tires, repainting a salt ravaged muffler, and going through some practice rides to evaluate how sloppy a rider I’ve become over the past year.  Practice includes panic stops, evasive maneuvers, slow speed drills, and visual evaluations of the road ahead.  Each year I’m surprised at how much I need the practice.  Acquaintances with big bikes shudder at this kind of thing for fear of dropping their machines.  I understand the dollar and cents cost of practice mishaps, but how do you ever become comfortable that you can handle the bike in a crisis?

I suspect they won’t and hope crisis never comes their way

Is it Fun to Ride in the Winter?

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American flag flying at night at the Pennsylvania Military MuseumSometimes a ride takes shape long before the tires roll out onto the road.  Last night Kim, Junior and I were wandering through the evening, air thick with moisture with a distant whisper of cold.  Junior raced across a water soaked field wondering why the tennis ball wouldn’t bounce while Kim photographed reflections in the swollen waters of Spring Creek.  As I considered the swaying flag I was already making plans to ride the next morning.  Calculations turning and mental evaluations of temperature, persistent snow and ice, precipitation, and most importantly, mental status, occupied the scene before me.

While the meat-based computer chewed on the problem at hand something new was added to the equation — “Is there fun in winter riding?”.  A question raised in comments some posts back it’s come up more than once.  Riding in cold and gloom — how can this be fun?

Vespa GTS scooter and icy road in Rothrock State ForestIf you ride enough in weather that provides less than ideal conditions you’ll probably find yourself questioning your riding decision.  And if you never ride in unfavorable conditions you’ll likely be wondering what’s wrong with those who place themselves and their machines at risk.  Riding into Rothrock State Forest I knew there was a possibility that the roads would not yet be clear having once stranded a pickup truck with chains on the tires in the mountains at this time of year.  Since then I’m grown wiser and less foolhardy.  Standing above the Vespa I could imagine the road ahead growing worse and the narrow tracks between the ice would soon vanish.  Time to retreat to the relative safety of the valley.

Vespa GTS scooter navigating an icy roadWhat’s fun about this?  There’s no freedom of movement or sense of flying when your path is 12 inches of mostly clear pavement between solid curbs of ice.  Movement is slow and tortured at best.  The air temperature floated at 35F which compared to recent months feels almost balmy but still requires considerable attention lest a rider fall into agony.  There is nothing fun about being cold and it’s easy to understand why so many riders dismiss their motorcycles when their summer gear ceases to keep them feeling fine with the wind in their hair.

I wonder if scaling a cliff face or braving a blizzard on the side of a mountain in the Himalayas is fun.  Or camping rough along the trail during the Iditarod-the last great race on earth —  is that fun?  Thinking for the past couple weeks about the fun question keeps bring me to the same answer: “Yes, it’s fun, but not in the way you may define fun.”.

Vespa GTS scooter on wet dirt roadFor me, riding in “bad” weather is only fun in a narrow definition of the word.  If fun equals satisfaction than I have a lot of fun riding in the winter.  The feeling of accomplishment can be strong.  Persevering against the elements requires commitment, focus and strategy to succeed and each positive outcome yields it’s own unique rewards.

For me.  But what works for me may be disastrously wrong for another rider.

Vespa GTS scooter along cornfield in late winterThe difference in the landscape from the blue skies and sunshine of summer to the hard steel cold and grit of winter is dramatic.  It’s as if you’re a player on a cinematic stage.  I feel different and my mind responds differently.  Fun?  It’s not like riding on a water slide on a warm sunny day or wrestling with a puppy, but it is addictively satisfying for mind, body and spirit for the right rider.

Vespa GTS scooter in muddy farm field

Unfortunate things can happen when you ride in the winter.  Some slow, hardly noticeable, like salt slowly eating away and key mechanical components or rapidly aging the finish of your machine far ahead of its time.  Other events are instantaneous, like a sudden slide out of the front when on snow and your immediate destination becomes the ground.  Gravity has more power in the frictionless cold or the water sodden earth of thaw.

The Vespa looks safe and content in this picture, awaiting my return after a quick portrait. Ten feet from the scooter I saw it start to fall over as the center stand sank into the soft mud.  I was able to catch it before it hit the ground but I could not help but think of all the times I was fooled by the winter landscape.  It’s part of the challenge to be assumed, managed and embraced.  Nine years ago was my first and only drop on two-wheels — early in my winter riding adventures and with little skill to help navigate the variables.  I didn’t stop then and have never looked back.

So, is it fun to ride in the winter?  For me, absolutely.  For anyone else?  Only they can answer that.

Lane-Splitting with Mr. Fish

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Mr. Fish is a British scooter rider (Piaggio BV250), and YouTube video blogger.  He recently added the capability to narrate while riding and his droll sense of humor is engaging.  This recent addition to his collection is a bit unnerving for me as he scoots his way through traffic.  It’s easy to see the commuting advantages of lane splitting.  I know the wide angle makes things appear to move faster but even so, it’s not something I’d be comfortable doing so I’ll choose to lane split vicariously through Mr. Fish.

For those unfamiliar with the term — lane-splitting is the act of riding your scooter or motorcycle in the space between lanes of cars and trucks.  They may be stopped, they may be moving.  It gives a rider the chance to keep moving when everyone else is at a standstill.

Have a look and see what you think.

Courage or Insanity

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icy road surface with tire tracksThe morning brought central Pennsylvania’s dreaded “wintry mix” — a combination of rain, sleet, snow and freezing rain in a constantly changing mix.  During my walk with Junior the road surface changed from dry to wet to the amalgam in the above photo.  Definitely not the kind of weather I venture out into on the Vespa and certainly not on Aleta’s relatively pristine Yamaha Vino.

Running errands had the tires continually spinning on the Honda Fit with the traction control and ABS lights flashing repeatedly.  Traffic was light to non-existent as those not wishing to succumb to any Darwinian adjustments stayed home by the fire.

My last errand brought me to Rite-Aid Pharmacy and to my surprise there was a dripping, Bintelli Sprint 49cc scooter parked on the sidewalk.  “Cool” was my first thought while wondering who inside would claim ownership.  A closer look revealed a handicapped license plate which led second thoughts of courage or insanity.

Inside the owner was approaching, bright red 3/4 helmet on and one of those frightening, demonic skull masks covering the lower part of the face.  An eclectic combination of a big, hooded parka, blaze orange vest, camouflage gloves, jeans, and black boots hinted that the rider used their scooter for utilitarian transport with little thought about the style and convention of the riding fashionista companies that consume a lot of us.  The jury was still out on courage or insanity.

After an initial comment, “Quite a day to be on a scooter,” a conversation ensued that was both intriguing and frightening.  Allow me to begin…

It was a dark and icy day.  All the riders were home snug in their caves.  But one rider was on the road, using his scooter to retrieve required medications,  and take care of a friend’s dog.  He had already ridden twelve miles in the icy mess and had displayed the soaking wet pants from knees down due to the constant out-rigging of his boots to stay upright.  I know the technique and it’s tedious and tiring.  At this point I was leaning towards the courageous side of courage or insanity.

But there was the matter of the handicapped plate.  The rider shared his conversion from four-wheels to two which hinted at financial need.  The scooter was his daily transportation.  He also related the incredulity he faces when people try and balance a handicap with a two-wheeled scooter.  Listening I was saying to myself “emotional or mental handicap of some sort,” though the conversation did not reveal any hints of this.  Then the facts emerged.

Nerve damage affecting both arms to the point they could not reliably be used unless a surgical intervention took place.  Current status has several vertebrate fused and a titanium plate and rod keeping the neck together.  “Nerves are like bare wires,” made me cringe as he discussed how sudden jerks and movements could impair movement or cause permanent damage.  I’m now moving towards the insanity side of the courage or insanity balance.

And then he becomes quiet for a moment and says, “I want to live my life.”

The statement hangs in the air like a slowly fading smoke ring until I reply, “I understand.”

And then he went outside and was gone.  When I left a few minutes later I could see his single track across the parking lot with his boot marks dragging along side.

And I’m still wondering now if it’s courage or insanity.