Scooter in the Sticks

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

28,000 Miles on a Vespa GTS Scooter

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Odometer of Vespa GTS scooter showing 28,000 milesDuring a ride this morning I noticed the odometer on my 2006 Vespa GTS 250ie scooter rolled over to 28000 miles.  Considering I seldom take long rides I was pleased with the miles I’ve gathered on the scooter.  It also reminded me of the relative durability of the machine and I’ve seen reports on the ModernVespa.com forum of riders far ahead of me with 50K, 75K miles and higher.

Considering the abuse I’ve dished out through years of salty winter riding and many miles of dirt and gravel the Vespa has performed like a champ.  I’ve gone through a lot of tires and oil changes, a fuel pump, a couple batteries, drive belts, brake pads, and that’s about it.  Mostly wear items.

Since I bought the scooter I’ve ridden a lot of different machines from BMWs to Ducatis to URALs to Truimphs.  And after all these miles on a lot of different machines and I still love the Vespa.  For me, it’s the perfect ride.

Here’s hoping there’s another 28ooo miles in the scooter and in my old body!

The Humble Rider

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Honda Ruckus in Calder Alley, State College, Pennsylvania

Honda Ruckus in the City

I found myself creeping along the alley which runs through the center of State College to avoid the more aggressive traffic on College Avenue.

There’s nothing like a 50cc scooter to amplify your understanding of the road. Wondering whether the speedometer will 35mph or if a few less potato chips would make help top speeds, a ride on a little scooter seems to unfold in slow motion. On the Honda Ruckus I could feel the desire to move, to rush, to get somewhere faster, quicker, get through traffic, leave things behind me, get away, get out in front, do anything other than wait for the scooter to get me to my destination.

It’s humbling to be at the bottom of the motorized kingdom. Only pedestrians and non-competitive bicycle riders go slower. Even my Vespa GTS has an engine five times bigger. I’ve found new respect for the small scooter and moped riders I see around town. And for guys like Walter Muma from Michigan who rode his moped nearly 12 thousand miles to Alaska and back, I can barely image the patience he must possess.

Every rider should periodically ride one of these little machines. They demand an entirely different focus and behavior than almost every other two-wheeled machine. Slow speeds force a focus on traffic flow, drivers, routes, and personal behavior. Like pulling over to let everyone pass. Or waiting for really big openings in traffic to pull onto a highway.
Honda Ruckus at sunset

The Road Less Traveled

For the first couple days I took the roads less traveled. Aside from a super slippery seat on the Ruckus I found myself liking it more and more. As one of the machines in the Kissell Motorsports pre-owned category I found myself thinking about writing a check for $1200 and taking it home.

Honda Ruckus in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania

Ruckus in the Alley

For rides around Boalsburg, through the streets and alleys to the post office or the Boalsburg Chocolate Company, what could be better.

Honda Ruckus at the park near sunset

Ruckus Year Round?

As the temperatures descended in the 20s I began missing my heated gloves. I didn’t do any research on the capacity of the Ruckus to support electrics. Watching the kids play ice hockey in the cold I was remembered a time when I was impervious to the cold.

Honda ruckus scooter with military tankA Little Tank

The Honda Ruckus is a little tank. I was surprise how solid it felt after first thinking of it as a glorified minibike, one of those WRENs from my youth. That would be the 1960s for me when I used to lay on my bed in my room with a copy of Boy’s Life dreaming of selling stationary from the Cheerful Card Company to earn enough money for a minibike, air rifle, and X-ray glasses.

Honda Ruckus in a farm fieldThe Ruckus has big, almost knobby tires, and they didn’t slip once as I began “riding through the woods.”

Honda Ruckus scooter in a fieldI rode through a lot of familiar territory with a 10-mile radius of home and found the little scooter up for anything as long as I was willing to accept such slow speeds. I’m certain the experience with the Ruckus has sharpened by riding wits. I’ve never thought mastering the machine was nearly as important as mastering my mind on the road and the scooter forces the issue. I know my place in the roadway kingdom. Easy to forget on a motorcycle that can propel a rider far ahead of the four-wheeled world.

Honda Ruckus scooter and view of Mt. NittanyCutting through a field used mainly by dog walkers and kids taking a shortcut home from school I stopped to look at Mount Nittany, the iconic hill that Penn Staters pay allegiance and provides the namesake for the Nittany Lions. As a platform for exploring the Ruckus is great. And it is so unassuming that no one paid it any attention.

Honda Ruckus Scooter at sunsetIf you need people to look at you while riding cross this one off your list.

Here I am, 56 years old, and finally I have my minibike. At least for a few days. And it was as fun as I always thought it would be. Why didn’t my parents let me get one?

Honda Ruckus scooter at duskI like the looks of the Ruckus. It has the same rugged ugliness of a Jeep. And I bet it will go more places. If you have the time.

Honda Ruckus scooter and muralOn the way back to Kissell’s to pick up my Vespa I stopped to photograph the little beast in front of the big mural along Calder Alley. It reflects the spirit that is ignited by this machine. Or any other small scooter I suspect.

Honda Ruckus scooter at Kissell MotorsportsI believe spending a riding life on big motorcycles leaves a rider incomplete. That little kid inside us doesn’t really connect with horsepower. It wants something else. Standing outside the window with the BMW S1000 RR looking out the window I was glad I had the chance to tool around on a Ruckus.

A Used BMW Motorcycle — Happy New Year

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Time slips by quickly and I have to pile on best wishes for the New Year on top of this story about a used BMW motorcycle.

Happy New Year! My resolutions (yes, I make resolutions) are under construction.

So, the used motorcycle, where to begin…

On Thursday afternoon I strapped a pair of Heidenau K66 LT Snowtex tires to the back of the Vespa and headed off to Kissell Motorsports to have them mounted. For non-winter riders these are snow tires with aggressive, slush clearing pattern, silica in the rubber for added traction, and special rubber designed to stay soft and sticky in the cold.

The plan was to drop the scooter off and have my wife pick me up for a ride home. What happened was I rode one of the used (pre-owned for the politically correct) motorcycles home.

The view out the breezeway door was pretty nice. Let me say I love the BMW R1200 GS. Love it. Smiled when I got on it. Was completely comfortable from the moment I pressed the starter. Loved the heated grips on the ride home. Nice bike. Really nice bike. A bike to lust after. And this was a used one with 19000 miles on it.

Nice.

A lot of dreams start with the selection of used motorcycles at a dealership. Not everyone is ready to plunk down the cash for a bike. I took the BMW as an example of the kind of used bikes one might find at Kissell’s.

Standing in the kitchen the next day with a bowl of soup in my hands Kim calls out, “Craig Kissell is on the phone.” After I finished the soup I was going to go for a ride. Turns out that was true because Craig told me he just sold the bike and wondered if I could bring it back.

Sometimes life kicks you in the shins.

Pushing it out of the garage I gave it one last loving look. Kim walks over and says, “You really like that motorcycle don’t you?” I nod as I admire the machine standing in my driveway.

“Do you want to buy it?”

A felt a tear forming.

I met the new owner and expressed my feelings about what a fine machine he had purchased. I tried to console myself with the thought that there will be other motorcycles.

The BMW R1200 GS was just so nice though.

And life has a way of reminding you of the serendipity of things.

I’m going to ride a 50cc Honda Ruckus home. I made the choice. An act of flagellation to atone for coveting the BMW? I will say I have a new respect for those riders who make their way in the world on a 50cc machine. Anyone can ride a BMW. It takes a special rider to deal with the Ruckus.

Throttle wide open, I manage 35 mph on the flat. Twenty mph going up a hill. And compared to my Vespa GTS 250 the 50cc Ruckus is tiny. I smile when I think about what I must look like. I take a bit of pleasure leading a large, jacked up, big wheeled, overly loud, Dodge RAM truck down a stretch of road before pulling over and waving him on. The Harley decal in the back window meant he knew how to be patient with a fellow rider.

About halfway home I came to appreciate how quiet the scooter is. The sheep owned by Penn State barely moved when I rode up.

While a 50cc scooter isn’t fast its speed is a bit deceptive. More than once I found myself going a bit too fast for a maneuver. Luckily I am experienced enough to deal with these little over estimations. But I can see why new riders run these things into curbs, walls, or off the road. There’s no profit in underestimating anything with two wheels. And protective gear is a must in my opinion lest you come to woe.

I’ve always liked the looks of the Ruckus. They seem like the jeeps of the scooter world. If only Honda would drop a slightly larger motor into one. And call it a Big Ruckus.

Oh. Right. I forgot.

So I go from a BMW R1200 GS to a 50cc Honda Ruckus. That’s the kind of riding diversity I have come to appreciate.

Gray Skies, Cheap Fuel, and Mud

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An odd mixture adds up to fun on the Vespa. Wasn’t sure what the weather would be like when I crawled out of bed but a quick look out the window had me reaching for my Tourmaster riding pants. A quick shower, a walk with the dog to inspect the garden, a few dog biscuits and a fast wrestle in the livingroom was all I had to do before rolling the Vespa out and heading down the road. First stop was the ATM for some cash. Second stop was my favorite Sunoco station to fill up the tank with high octane fuel. The Vespa never fails to impress me at the pump. Paying for $5.24 of gas is so much nicer than the typical $56.00 for the Ford Ranger.

With little traffic on a Sunday morning I was heading down the valley with a long, looping ride in mind. Even though the temperature was a reasonably warm 42° Fahrenheit I still wore the Gerbing Electric Gloves. My hands have hardly uttered a complaint all winter. Stopping to make the above picture I gazed at the mountain side and the snow still draped along the ridge wondering if the mountain roads would be freeze of ice. They can get pretty bad and I remembered driving a Jeep down one shaded road once with the driver side door open so I could jump out before the thing went over the edge and into a ravine. Unexpected ice covered roads on a steep incline were too much for a Jeep without chains or studs. No reason to tempt fate with the Vespa.
With the snow mostly gone, lots of rain, and slowly warming temperatures the fields look as if they are ready to spring to life. Before leaving this morning I saw lots of green pushing up out of the ground. In a few more weeks the world will be a different place.
Riding across the valley I had the road to myself. I still pay close attention for traffic though especially when I stop to make a picture. With the helmet still on and earplugs in I really need to rely on my vision because I’m not going to hear tire noise creeping up on me. Snow was still piled along the roads in wooded areas that don’t get the wind to help with evaporation.
Ever the master of good choices I choose a dirt road to explore. Make that mud. It wound through one of the larger State Gamelands but it wasn’t much fun pushing the scooter so much. And the Pirelli tires are just worthless in mud. I managed less than a mile before my mind (and stomach) suggested I head towards an eating establishment for breakfast.
I stopped at the Pump Station for a Jump Start — eggs, bacon, and cheese on a bagel, and some orange juice. It’s nice and just sit alone and watch the world go by. At times like that I don’t have a care in the world. I couldn’t pass up a picture of the buffalo clock. There was one with a horse too I think but the buffalo caught my fancy. It’s been a few years since any of those roamed naturally here.

It was a short Sunday morning ride. Maybe 35 miles. Warm weather and months of things falling from our trees meant I needed to start raking and getting ready for the rush of new growth. It’s good honest work. As I type now just about all body parts are crying. I’m either getting old or out of shape in ways I cannot imagine. Riding just isn’t much in the way of physical exercise. Maybe if I had kept on that mud road things would be different…

Just Another Ride to Work

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In warm weather riding the Vespa to work is automatic. The only time I don’t is when I need to haul gear or people. In winter I make a quick assessment of road surface and mental state before making a decision. This past Thursday morning everything was aligned for scooter departure.

I chose a longer route to work to allow the battery to get a good charge. I don’t use a battery tender because so far my riding frequency seems to be sufficient. The recent addition of electric gloves has me wondering but so far so good. I suppose if the battery is going to die it will be 50 miles from home at 10º F.

Riding continues to create a hyper-awareness of my surroundings that is difficult to find while driving a car. I probably would not have seen the deer along the road while driving. I’m just cut off from the world by steel and glass. Looking at the deer I realized I don’t consciously watch for deer while riding. I watch for everything. Everything in front and back, left and right. Things come into focus in a continual processing of sensory information.

The ride to work was routine. The weather forecast called for snow showers late in the day but I assumed I would be home before they arrived. At 2:30 PM I saw the first snowflakes falling outside my office window. When I walked to the Vespa at 4:30 PM I found it covered in snow. The roads were still mostly wet with a bit of intermittent greasy slush.

Plans to travel across farm lanes when I realized that snow was accumulating too quickly to comfortably handle the steep grades in a few places. I wandered home on back roads and kept a careful eye on speed and road surface.

The local limestone quarry always looks good in the snow and I couldn’t resist stopping for a picture. The wet snow is surprisingly slick and I had to work a bit to get the scooter back onto the road even with all the gravel under the tires.

Various amounts of snow accumulated as can be seen in the curve in the above photograph. Easily negotiated but a potential disaster for a careless rider traveling too fast for conditions and assuming the road is merely wet.

I arrived home safely, brushed the snow and slush from the Vespa before parking it in the garage, and joined Kim for a cup of hot tea. Watching the snow out the front window warm and snug after just another ride home from work.