After two weeks vacation it was back to work again. After several days of rain and grey skies the world opened up. The fog, light, and glistening dew on the grasses were a welcome sight as I made a few detours on my way into campus.

I have absolutely nothing of note to report about the Vespa or riding. I will say that I am preparing to take the plunge and do some (perhaps most) of my own maintenance. I have a service manual for the scooter and it seems like the right thing to do as part of my effort to keep things simple. Simple transportation, simple repairs, simple understanding.

More to come as this adventure unfolds…..

I left this morning with only a direction in mind. No plan or destination just a quiet connection between myself, the Vespa, and the landscape. I headed East on Route 192 which I found had recently been repaved and was clean and smooth. The road was virtually empty and I cruised along at 50MPH enjoying the varied fragrances off fresh cut hay, Dames Rocket blooms, and the occasional drift of cow manure, a smell I always associate with my grandfather’s home in Bavaria.

At Madisonburg I turned north to cross Nittany Mountain. Streams of cool air mixed with warmer areas as the Vespa and I climbed through the oak and hemlock forest. The range of temperature changes are just lost to you in a car.

At the top of the mountain you can look out across the ridges. Down the other side the road winds along Roaring Run Creek and through a narrow gap until I arrive in Lamar. I stop at the Flying J Truckstop for $2 worth of gas. The only other motorcycle in the lot if a shining burgundy Honda Goldwing. It is loaded with gear for a trip but I never see the rider.

I head north to Mill Hall and ride along some small township roads that head into the Allegheny Plateau region. Traffic doesn’t exist and the day is calm. I’ve been thinking about the Vespa and what I give up riding it instead of a larger motorcycle. The idea of “giving something up” has been bouncing around my head for a few weeks now. Reading Thoreau’s “Walden” I came across this passage:

“The nation itself, with all its so-called internal improvements, which, by the way are all external and superficial, is just an unwieldy and overgrown establishment, cluttered with furniture and tripped up by its own traps, ruined by luxury and heedless expense, by want of calculation and a worthy aim, as the million households in the land; and the only cure for it as for them is a rigid economy, a stern and more than Spartan simplicity of life and elevation of purpose.”

As I rode I thought not that I was giving something up as much as I was turning the consumption drive upside down. Things were simple this morning while riding. The scooter is simple. The demands it makes of me are clear and with purpose.

I found this little church far from the main highway. It was built in 1894 and still serves a congregation though I was left wondering where they came from. I rode along the hilltops and took in a variety of fine views.

I had traveled about 60 miles or so by this time and decided to ride to Bald Eagle State Park to eat my lunch. The last leg of my trip was a run down Interstate 99. I wasn’t sure if I should but traffic was so light that I thought what the hell…. The Vespa managed well and only a few cars passed me. At one point I passed a State Trooper with a radar gun and I was at the head of the line. Luckily I was only going about 60 MPH but the posted speed was 55. Pulled into the driveway and the odometer said I went 85 miles. A nice Sunday morning ride.

My Ford Ranger spends most of its time parked in our driveway collecting pollen from the trees. It used to be my vehicle of choice to get me to work, to run errands, and tool around the countryside looking for pictures. On a good day the big V6 engine would get 17 mpg. That’s on a good day. Since last July the mileage has trickled to nearly nothing and I go for months between fillups. Nice.

Everyone knows that motorcycles and scooters are fine ways to save on fuel so there’s no reason to flog that horse. But I think it is worth pointing out that they have some utility to them as well beyond pure transportation. You can haul things on them with a little patience and planning.

I had a lot of errands to run today and I wanted to stop at the grocery store for the weekly haul. I decided that I would use the Vespa instead of the truck for the grocery run figuring how hard could it be to carry a few bags of groceries. Besides, I had already hauled a few on short trips. As I moved through the store with my cart I tried to visualize the volume of stuff I was buying and how and where I would stow it on the scooter. And as usual I ended up getting more stuff than I planned.

I arrive at the Vespa with six bags of groceries. And I still have to stop for a gallon of milk and some heavy cream. And my bag of Hartley’s Potato Chips. With a little effort I manage to get two bags and a six-pack of black cherry soda under the seat. I used two long bungee cords to string and secure three bags at the rear of the seat and on the rear rack. The last bag hangs from the hook at the front of the seat. I could have hung two more bags. The gallon of milk in the glass bottle sneaks under the bungee cord on the seat and pushes me a bit farther forward on the seat. I could have probably gotten it under the bag on the rack but that would be work…. Heavy cream and potato chips were stuffed in the hanging bag and I was off.

I traveled about 10 miles with the groceries and everything was fine save for a bungee cord through the middle of my loaf of Italian bread. I can live with that.

My point is that the scooter has real, usable, capabilities and I was left wondering if I could live my life without that truck. It’s paid for and doesn’t cost much now save insurance and some routine maintenance. And it is good for things like hauling big rocks and junk. And it does function as a second vehicle should the Jetta go south for some reason. But man, the Vespa really delivers. It’s not just for fun, it is the real deal! You just need to alter your expectations a bit so you don’t get pissed off because it takes a bit longer…

A brief follow-up to some of the safety discussions of earlier posts. Each of us come to a fork in the road where we are faced with a choice. In regard to safety I have absolutely no control over the road or the other drivers and riders I encounter. I know that I am left with a simple choice—to take personal action to protect myself and manage risk myself or to scream into the wind that others should look out for me and manage themselves appropriately.

The choice for me has been easy and its price low. The only requirement is that I keep making the choice for the entire journey.

Switching gears now to off-road riding on the Vespa LX150. A couple weeks ago I was riding on a country road that switched from smooth asphalt to dirt. I proceeded about one quarter mile before turning around not wanting to ride the 15 miles in dirt before hitting pavement again. I decided to experiment on gravel a bit and find the Vespa floats uncomfortably on loose gravel. I have Pirelli SL38 tires design for the street and that accounts for most of the issues. A more aggressive tread design would probably improve performance. I could manage 15 to 25 MPH on the Vespa without it feeling as if it would lay itself down—a far cry from the speeds I could manage as a kid on a dirt bike.

So I can’t recommend the Vespa as a dual-sport tourer….

Conventional wisdom in part of the two-wheeled community says that drivers of cars, trucks, and SUVs are irresponsible in their driving skills, habits, and temperament when it comes to concern for motorcycles and scooters. Rider risk has risen dramatically in the past few years and stories of near misses and irresponsible drivers abound. I’ve had my own close encounters and I confess they trigger primal mental responses and leave me wondering about the enemy. But therein lies the fallacy, that the four-wheeled vehicle and operator are the problem. Perhaps they are merely a symptom of something larger and more insidious.

Whether you drive or ride it takes only a few moments on the road to understand how much aggressive energy exists. An even closer look reveals a deep level of selfishness and self-centeredness in many riders and drivers alike that transcends the mode of transportation. It’s every woman or man for themselves. While riding I see people weaving through traffic at dangerous speeds to move up several spots in line at the next light and arrive at the parking lot a few minutes before those left behind. Drivers punching at their Blackberrys to read the morning email or talk on the cell phone just to catch up with a friend. Others are like zombies, tied tightly to the wheel of life bearing upon them. And riders are not immune to the selfishness. They race from light to light, hurl their sportbikes around curves and cars at startling speeds, raise noise levels to deafening places in anguished howls. All along the highway is bad energy and it plays out as heightened danger for everyone and riders in particular.

Our culture has us mesmerized with promises of happiness with the next purchase, promises of freedom with the next larger engine, of serenity around the next corner. And the more we chase the farther away we are and the more we spend and chase in a viscious cycle. We risk enslavement by those things that promised us more time, freedom and choice. Computers, cellphones, email, iPods, digital cameras—all packaged with a promise of a fuller life yet the result often seems to be a frenetic, isolated, unsatisfied state. On the road it translates into something ugly and dangerous.

It’s easy for me to point a finger at careless drivers while I’m riding and make no mistake there are some that are dangers to themselves, their families, and everyone else who crosses their paths. Cellphone users are the drunk drivers of the next decade. Who knows what must-have tools and features will appear in the next generation of vehicles for an “improved” driving experience only to deliver an even more disconnected and angry group of people.

I worry about all of this because the risk is palpable and ever present. Sad stories are everywhere. Lest you think that blame falls on drivers it’s obvious riders bear a burden themselves for being selfish and stupid. A quick look at www.ride2die.com is a stark reminder of riding danger. A more extended look reveals plenty of rider responsibility. It has many lessons to give for riders and drivers alike. Before visiting the site, be warned it is disturbing and graphic.

I’m always left asking what I can do myself. I toy with ideas of advocating public pillories for drivers who use cellphones while driving or riders who ride at excessive speeds or create excessive noise. Instead I’ll work to manage risks on the road. I registered for the MSF Experienced Rider course today, and I’ll turn off the cellphone while in the car. And it’s not about riders against drivers, it’s about all of us making more considerate choices. It won’t make a perfect world or perfect road, but I guess it’s a start.