Scooter in the Sticks

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

Riding the Vespa GTS Scooter into Spring

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Vespa GTS scooter parked in a wet farm field.
Scooter passing through one of the many planting ready fields.

Time to De-Winterize the Vespa GTS Scooter

The temperature soared to the low 70s yesterday causing me to almost remove all the winter armor from the scooter. Nothing like the mid-30s when the picture was taken during one of those winter exercise rides. Predictions for more sub-freezing temperatures for the end of the week dampened my enthusiasm for removal just yet.

Riding the Vespa GTS scooter in relative comfort is still a priority. The best cold weather vehicle with two wheels in the garage.

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Thinking and Riding

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Vespa GTS scooter parked at a quarry.
Overhaul the scooter or just ride it?

Pondering Maintenance

The GTS is running great. But I’m doing a lot of thinking and riding. Thinking I should do some serious service on the scooter yet riding it gives no clue that it needs much of anything. And with 45 thousand miles on the clock and on the road since January of 2007 I wonder if it’s worth doing much of anything to it.

What have I been pondering? Well, a valve check for one. It’s never had one. Ever. It starts fine. Runs fine. Why bother even though it is suggested to check them every 6000 miles or so.

New front shock maybe. New steering bearings. New rear brake caliper. The list goes on and on as my logical mind runs down an engineering checklist.

My free spirit brain says ride it until it explodes and then buy another.

Thinking and riding is what I do. I would like to do less thinking about service and maintenance.

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Scooters, Dogs and Motorcycles

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Vespa ET4 scooter along a wet rural road.
Riding in the lush wetness of summer.

Riding in the Rain

There has been ample opportunity to ride my scooters and motorcycles in the rain this summer. In past years everything would be dry and brown in August from hot weather and too little rain. But rain this summer has kept everything lush and green.

I have to confess that my normal summer doldrums in regard to riding has eased because of the rain. Lower temperatures, less sunshine, and some mild rain has gotten me outside.

Both my Vespa scooters are well suited for jaunts in gentle rain. And the lightly traveled roads add to the gentle and relaxed riding I’ve come to expect from my Vespa scooters.

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Bringing Home a Vespa ET4 Scooter

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2004 Vespa ET4 strapped onto the bed of a pickup truck.
From one home to the next, bringing another Vespa into the fold.

Paperwork and Patience

The amount of paperwork necessary to commence a transfer of a motor vehicle in Pennsylvania is daunting enough to make you think the State would really rather it wasn’t done. And that doesn’t even begin to include processing the paperwork through the byzantine system of the Department of Transportation. I have to remind myself that if this represents the sort of problems I have in life, then I’m one lucky man.

Paul and I traveled to Altoona, Pennsylvania to gather up a 2004 Vespa ET4. Simply put — it’s a beauty.

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Vespa GTS Long Term Review

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2006 Vespa GTS scooter
My trusty 2006 Vespa GTS scooter during a recent ride.

Jeep, Pick-up Truck, Luxury Ride

During the past 15 years and 43 thousand miles of riding, I thought it might be time to share a Vespa GTS long term review. In the video below I’ve shared some of my thoughts regarding performance, modifications, reliability, and more.

I’ve already been reminded that I left a couple items out of the review regarding service and reliability. I had forgotten I had to have the voltage regulator replaced. And that I had the underside repainted to keep ahead of the rust that was beginning to form on the bottom side of the scooter. So far nothing has rusted through on the body and it remains in remarkably good shape considering the beating I have given the Vespa.

So if you’re curious about the scooter have a look at the video.

And I’ve also embedded another video made on a recent snowy day that I didn’t ride but shared some of the snow riding images from previous rides.

QUESTION: I’m make more videos now. Would you prefer I just leave them to those subscribed on YouTube or would you like me to post them here? I’m sort of at a loss. And they are not all about the Vespa. Some are about the Royal Enfield Himalayan.

Vespa GTS Long Term Review.