Uncategorized Archives - Scooter in the Sticks Exploring life on a Vespa, Royal Enfield Himalayan, Honda Trail 125, and a Kawasaki W650 Sun, 12 Jun 2016 02:56:48 +0000 en-US hourly 1 71084491 Encountering Harley Davidson Motorcycles https://scooterinthesticks.com/2016/06/encountering-harley-davidson-motorcycles/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2016/06/encountering-harley-davidson-motorcycles/#comments Sun, 12 Jun 2016 04:05:59 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=6470 Baby Boomers I read a story recently about the problems facing Harley Davidson — an aging customer base with dim prospects for replacements.  Same for all the big manufacturers.  While we aging riders with money (or credit worthiness) continue to support our brands, there are fewer young people interested in riding or have the disposable […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2016/06/encountering-harley-davidson-motorcycles/feed/ 24 6470 Vespa in a Small Town https://scooterinthesticks.com/2015/10/vespa-in-a-small-town/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2015/10/vespa-in-a-small-town/#comments Wed, 07 Oct 2015 04:05:53 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=5341 As my Vespa closes in on 30,000 miles I’m reminded that the scooter is good for long and short rides.  This evening after retrieving dinner (which hangs nicely from the purse hook) I stopped to make a picture in my quaint home town of Boalsburg, Pennsylvania. The town was established over 200 years ago along […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2015/10/vespa-in-a-small-town/feed/ 12 5341 Into the Evening Twilight https://scooterinthesticks.com/2015/08/into-the-evening-twilight/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2015/08/into-the-evening-twilight/#comments Fri, 14 Aug 2015 03:13:20 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=5061 I feel the days getting shorter and already sense the coming of winter.  The days are on the downhill slide toward darkness and cold, thoughts that seem premature in August.  The drone of summer insects are betrayed by the cooling air of twilight.  The hot, sweating nights are gone.  More and more I’m riding into […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2015/08/into-the-evening-twilight/feed/ 20 5061 Winter is in the Rear View Mirror https://scooterinthesticks.com/2015/03/winter-is-in-the-rear-view-mirror/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2015/03/winter-is-in-the-rear-view-mirror/#comments Mon, 23 Mar 2015 00:49:05 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=4638 Winter is in the rear view mirror despite the 29F thermometer reading this morning.  Winter is behind us, the snow is melting and the salt, shovels and scrapers can be put away.  Plows can be removed from trucks and winter tires can be removed.  Winter is definitely, absolutely, positively in the damn rear view mirror. […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2015/03/winter-is-in-the-rear-view-mirror/feed/ 12 4638 A Return to OZ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2015/01/return-oz/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2015/01/return-oz/#comments Sat, 10 Jan 2015 04:24:03 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=4451 Nine years ago, the first winter on the Vespa LX150, seems like another life, another world. The protection scheme was different from top to bottom.  No winter riding jacket yet, just my summer vented one along with a Mountain Hardware windbreaker underneath. And the black gloves were good to about 4oF but hardly useful below […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2015/01/return-oz/feed/ 12 4451 Vespa Video https://scooterinthesticks.com/2014/11/vespa-video/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2014/11/vespa-video/#comments Mon, 17 Nov 2014 12:30:21 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=4293 Vespa Verve from Peter Carroll on Vimeo. Vespa Verve shot entirely on a GoPro Hero 3+ at 1080 30P Protune I saw this Vespa video referenced on the Modern Vespa forum and it did a great job capturing some of the fun of riding a Vespa.  Watching the two men put this piece together is […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2014/11/vespa-video/feed/ 10 4293 Wrong Rain Gear https://scooterinthesticks.com/2014/11/wrong-rain-gear/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2014/11/wrong-rain-gear/#comments Sat, 08 Nov 2014 02:15:38 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=4226 Riding home from work at the weather’s edge — on one side light and mist and approaching from behind darkness and rain.  Gut calculation indicated a fair chance of staying ahead of the water and without the need to face the fact that I have the wrong rain gear.  The First Gear Kilimanjaro jacket I’ve […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2014/11/wrong-rain-gear/feed/ 12 4226 A Story on Motorcycle.com https://scooterinthesticks.com/2014/08/story-motorcycle-com/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2014/08/story-motorcycle-com/#comments Fri, 08 Aug 2014 22:41:51 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=3919 A few weeks ago I received an inquiry from an editor at Motorcycle.com indicating interest in publishing the text and photographs of one of my blog posts.  While not quite like Ed McMahon showing up at the door with a giant check, it was one of the highlights of my blogging career — a glimpse […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2014/08/story-motorcycle-com/feed/ 20 3919 Educating Drivers and Riders https://scooterinthesticks.com/2014/06/educating-drivers-and-riders/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2014/06/educating-drivers-and-riders/#comments Tue, 03 Jun 2014 01:27:00 +0000 http://69.195.124.229/~scootet3/?p=17 Reading the local news this morning I learned not all scooter riding is an exercise in quiet, gentle travel through the world.  Scooter horn angers driver in State College did give me a chuckle at first but it shortly turned into a sad commentary on the growing trend of anger on the pavement. Most of […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2014/06/educating-drivers-and-riders/feed/ 8 17 Errands and Chores by Vespa https://scooterinthesticks.com/2014/05/errands-and-chores-by-vespa/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2014/05/errands-and-chores-by-vespa/#comments Thu, 29 May 2014 02:53:00 +0000 http://69.195.124.229/~scootet3/?p=18 Not every ride’s focused on fun.  Sometime there’s work to be done, things to accomplish.  All of it goes better when I can use the Vespa.  On the road this evening I realized for the first time how long the days had become.  In less than a month the days will start getting shorter as […]

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