Before I get to things plumbing I should explain the dearth of substance this past week. I have simply been enthralled with new responsibilities at work that are as enjoyable as riding. For that I feel quite fortunate.

On to the Plumber’s Ride.

I don’t think toilet fill valves are made as well as they once were. At least the ones I buy around here. They seem more like cheap plastic toys than anything designed for service in something as important as a toilet. I’m worried they might fail during installation and surprised if they last a year.

Like every home repair project I undertake I never have the right tools or parts. What was once a source of annoyance is now another opportunity to ride. And I am hard pressed to come up with any ride for any reason that I don’t jump to take. On this evening I’m the plumber heading out to buy a new fill valve.

The road is an endless opportunity of choices. I choose to ride directly to the store to by a valve but can’t resist a quick look at a stone quarry. The sun is heading towards the horizon and the Vespa looks pretty nice against all the limestone.

It only takes a moment to get another valve and I really did intend to ride directly home but some of the choices on the road are seductive. A choice appears as a narrow, rocky trail disappearing up a hill through the trees.

I tell myself the scooter can go up the trail. There might be something interesting up there. This trail is a remnant of an old farm lane. Over rock, root and rut I make my way through the woods and into a hidden hay field, freshly cut, that looks out over a view of the valley I have not seen before. A little gift of a riding choice.

I would never make the choice in my car or truck. Little explorations like this just aren’t generally in character for most drivers myself included. The terrain and near absence of a clear path would exclude most motorcycles as well. I don’t think many Harley, Goldwing, or other big bike riders are going to find promise here. These little adventures are made for a Vespa.

I already know the Vespa GTS250ie will embrace any highway in Pennsylvania if necessary. I’m slowly learning that it will also allow me to traverse other avenues as well. Nice fringe benefit to plumbing work.

Rear Tire Update

At 3245 miles I had the rear tire changed. It was worn smooth through the middle. I had the local Vespa dealer mount a new Pirelli GTS24 on the rear. It has a wide, sport bike look to it and the ride home was noticeably smoother than I had with the worn Sava it replaced. I am not an aggressive rider so I can’t really gauge or appreciate the full capabilities of tires. I just like having plenty of quality rubber underneath me.

Three thousand miles from now I will order two Kenda K761 tires following the advice of Gary Charpentier of Rush Hour Rambling. The more aggressive tread of the Kenda tires should serve well into the winter and for any off-road adventures.

I pulled out of the driveway at 5:56AM with any hopes of seeing the sunrise in the sticks dashed by sunlight already licking the tops of the trees in the valley. Long summer days means I have to get up even earlier, probably around 4:30 AM judging by the time I need to actually get out the door. On the bright side I wouldn’t have to endure the 48° F temperature as long. After many weeks of warm and hot rides the cold was a shock to my delicate nature. I was on my way to meet up with my father-in-law Bob for a ride but had to stop after 50 miles to warm up. Hot chocolate was nice but better was being able to press my hands against matte black steel on the outside of the convenience store. It was hot from the morning sun even though the air temperature was only 51° F by that time. My hands warmed nicely as I stood facing the wall looking as if I was about to be arrested. None of this sounds a lot like a summer dream though.

I have been thinking a lot about motorcycles, scooters, and riding. How did I end up standing with cold numb hands early on a Saturday morning?

The Vespa in my garage isn’t a dream. It’s real. Summers as a kid were spent dreaming about girls, cars, and motorcycles. Not necessarily in that order. As I probe my mental history I have to believe the summer of 1963 planted the seeds of interest in motorcycles after seeing Steve McQueen racing around Germany in The Great Escape.

I watched that movie every chance I got when it would appear on television and still rent it occasionally now. The Cooler King’s motorcycle heroics and quiet, go-it-alone temperament appealed to me even then I suspect. Motorcycle as escape was never clearer than in that movie. We’ll ignore the fact that walking and rowing were more successful escape strategies.

In 1969 I received another potent dose of near mythic rides from the television series Then Came Bronson. Jim Bronson, played by Michael Parks, abandons his connection with the work world to find the meaning of his life by way of what I thought then was the coolest motorcycle ever—a Harley Sportster. The video linked below was the only one I couuld find on the net but it gives you an idea of what one facet of the show was like.

I was not overly enthralled with machine specifics even then but really affected by the idea of riding and adventure. For me it has always been about riding.

So here I am with a Vespa GTS 250ie. On the surface it doesn’t appear to match those old summer dreams. There is a motorcycle that does and is on my secret acquisition list for some day out in the future — the Triumph Scrambler. As a machine it fits the image of those programs.

But is the Vespa really out of line? I don’t think so. It affords me the freedom and opportunity to ride. To see the world and to explore what I am doing in it. And frankly speaking riding the Vespa is more challenging on many levels than any motorcycle I have had the opportunity to ride. In the end though it’s riding that’s the key for me.

Several times, almost like a scene from Then Came Bronson, I have been asked where I was headed on the Vespa. My response — “Oh, I don’t know…wherever I end up, I guess.”

And that’s the truth.