Scooter in the Sticks

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

Shiny Scooters and Snow Don’t Mix

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The weather broke, or perhaps my resolve to keep the new Vespa GTS clean, safe and off the road until it was completely dry. Either way I was on the road again yesterday. The temperature was 31° F when I left and had risen 10 degrees by the time I returned home. The roads were clear and damp without ice or slush. I had hoped to see what the GTS was like in snow so I turned off into a shaded parking lot that was still snow covered. It was a gravel lot so traction is much better to begin with but there were a few areas packed smoothly that would simulate snow on the road.

The Vespa GTS feels more stable in the slippery stuff than the LX150 did. The advantage of the smaller scooter is that it’s lighter weight makes it easier to physically wrestle if the wheels should slip out from under you. A foot down on the ground and holding the handlebar can keep the scooter from falling to the ground. I didn’t push the experiment with the new GTS though—I’m not ready to see it fall down yet. Maybe after it gets dirtier. For this experiment I was content riding in circles, stopping, trying to slide, and generally increasing my comfort level with the new handling characteristics.

Still being in the break in period of operation I didn’t push the scooter too hard on the highway and kept my top speed below 65MPH. Acceleration is smooth and positive and the increased weight makes for a more stable ride. Handling on turns and curves is smooth and the GTS feels almost as nimble as the LX150.


More snow is called for today so I’m not sure yet if I will ride or not. Part of my concern is doubt in my familiarity with the new scooter but a big part does not want to get it dirty and covered with salt spray. As I ride more the scooter will become less precious and allow me to use it as I want.

A Riding Photo Project

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Committing to a photography project is difficult. Mental gymnastics intended to clarify and focus a direction generally leave me thinking that every photograph has been made and adding to the sum total of human expression is a pointless exercise. Every mundane chore or diversion looms larger and the camera sits quietly in the dark. My brain really makes it difficult to start.

The images I make of the Vespa while riding are easy. The rides are fun and I like the way the scooter looks. I can pull the digital camera out of my pocket and in a few seconds I’m done. What I’m talking about now is a body of work related to the scooter only because the scooter may be transporting me to the location in which I would photograph. The Vespa is not a subject. Perhaps the ride is the subject. The photograph above was made during the last ride of my LX150 shortly before permanent mechanical failure. It is the sort of image I might make as part of this project. Whatever the subject is what is clear is that I have not been able to sustain action or production. I do a lot of thinking. Thinking is good, just not for photography, at least not for me.

During a phone conversation last weekend my friend Gordon, also a photographer, suggested we get together periodically to help each other along through doubt and motivation, to prod through support or shame the production of new work. Friend Paul was added to the group and Kim took part in our first meeting on Monday night.

I’ll share my part in this. I agreed to shoot two rolls of film, process, contact and make two work prints to show when we meet every two weeks.


A quick calculation in my head shows one hour to process the film and two hours to make the contact sheets and prints. I can’t estimate the photography time. The above contact sheet shows images made during the last ride of the LX150.

I need a carrot but more often I need a stick directed at me to get me moving. Thinking about photography doesn’t get me any farther than thinking about riding does. In each case I need to just get in motion. Things only happen when I am engaged in the process. I’m hoping that combining the camera with the Vespa will make something happen. I have faith in things happening when I am in motion. I’ve decided to share this journey in Scooter in the Sticks. I’ll allow you to see the process and the rough results as I haul my camera around. If I am really lucky I’ll feel guilty not keeping up with my photo production goals. So look for some black and white photos to appear at least every two weeks. Give me hell if I drop the ball.

Wind and the Vespa GTS250ie

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Just a quick update.

Wind was coming out of the west at a steady 20 to 30 miles per hour yesterday with gusts to 40. With temperatures hovering around 29° F for most of the day and calls for snow showers I finally left the house around 2PM for a long loop around town and then to Barnes and Noble for hot chocolate. Simple plan, simple ride. Stopped near a local quarry to see if there was anywhere to ride the Vespa that I hadn’t found previously. Enough No Trespassing signs dissuaded me from any of those routes.

The Vespa GTS responds more slowly to the wind. Where the LX150 is jerked around on the road the GTS feels like it has been slowly pushed making it feel more stable in the wind especially crosswinds. Because I can ride faster I end up feeling just as beat up as on the smaller scooter with the wind hitting me squarely in the chest. I suppose the smart person would consider a windshield. I’m not ready for that yet.

The road surface was dry but there seemed to be a lot of salt dust considering we have had no snow. The road crews must be bored enough that they salt each time a snowflake is threatened. My route wound back and forth from one side of town to the other trying a variety of streets and roads. The GTS does everything the LX150 does and more. If I find fault with anything it is the smoothness (or lack of) of the ride. While smoother than the LX150 the front end seems to vibrate as if the tire balance is off. I can’t tell if I am expecting too much, the road surface is rough, or the scooter is actually generating the vibration. I’ll figure this out over time.

Rode past Beaver Stadium, home of the Penn State Nittany Lion football team. The sun was shining down on Happy Valley so I had to take a look.


Eventually arrived at Barnes and Noble along with every other person unwilling to go outside so I scrapped any plans to hang out in that crowded venue. Made my way home and there the scooter has remained. This morning the temperature was 15° F with wind and the threat of snow. I had enough to do today that I never got out to ride before the snow came down. The weather forecast calls for snow and freezing drizzle overnight so I don’t expect to be on the road. I’m getting antsy to go. A long trip. A long winter trip to parts unknown….

Looking for Risk

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As I do every morning I look out the front door to see what the day has in store for me in terms of riding. I may walk outside to test the road surface and I’ll always look at the weather forecast. I’m looking for risk. I don’t mean I am seeking out ways to put myself at risk. I just want to know what risk I’ll be facing. Physical and performance differences between my new Vespa GTS and the LX150 I used to ride force me to make different choices. Because I am still unfamiliar with the handling characteristics of the GTS I’ll conservative in my decision-making.

Dry snow on the road, temperature hovering at 15° F, an occasional snow shower predicted, windy with 40 MPH gusts, I would take the LX150 to run errands. I’m comfortable handling it in these conditions and readily accept the risks presented by the road surface and weather not to mention the other drivers. I won’t accept the risk with the GTS though because there are too many unknowns right now simply because I don’t have enough experience on this scooter.

Dan Bateman over at Musings of an Intrepid Commuter is a master at assessing risk and offers us an opportunity to learn how to manage safely while riding. I thought it would be a good idea to point out one of his posts titled “Why am I Here?” This thoughtful piece provides riders and commuters with something that makes you think about where you are on the road and how the decisions made set you up for success or disaster. It is definitely worth reading and thinking about. If I have learned one thing from Dan over the past year it’s that the longer I ride the more I realize I don’t know. His writing makes it easy to put my pride aside and make myself a better rider.

The wind is blowing hard now and my dog is antsy for a walk. The GTS is going to have to chill in the garage a bit longer today. The extended weather forecast is calling for similar weather for the next five days so I am going to have to be patient…

Buying a New Vespa GTS Scooter

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2006 Vespa GTS 250 on a gravel road
My brand new Vespa GTS scooter.


The roads are the same but the ride is different. My wife Kim says the asphalt carpet been rolled out for me. Someone at work asked why I’m smiling. I think it’s the new Vespa GTS250ie in the garage.

After signing my name to the pink slip at Kissell Motorsports I was entitled to sound the brass gong to signify another scooter about to take to the road. I’m buying a new Vespa GTS scooter.

Steve Williams at Kissell Motorsports
Ready to strike the gong signaling another new purchase at Kissell Motorsports.


Cody Kissell handed me a sturdy mallet and I applied a firm strike to produce an unexpected GONG that resonated through the entire building. My friend Paul Ruby who made this picture said it sounded like something from a Hollywood movie. A nice touch to signify a new adventure despite shining the grin of a five-year-old on Christmas morning.

Kissell’s has known for a couple days that I would be picking up the scooter so everything was ready to go.

Vespa GTS scooter in service bay.
Paul Ruby checking out a Ducati motorcycle while waiting for my Vespa GTS.

Sparkling clean, everything as it should be, full tank of petrol, and Service Manager Casey Flynn giving me a quick overview of the scooter before I rode off. I can’t say enough good things about the Kissell Motorsports dealership!

Completing this transaction during my lunch break meant not having much time to try out the GTS but I did take a quick spin out of town to get a feel for the throttle, brakes and handling characteristics. It only takes a moment to sense the difference between the LX150 and the GTS. Astride the GTS you’re aware of the increase in mass and size that makes the scooter feel more “present” on the road. I’m sure I’ll have more to say about this in coming weeks. The most obvious difference is at the throttle. The response and power are immediate and I found myself at 60 MPH in the time the LX150 would be at 35 MPH. The speed is deceptive and I understand now why people get speeding tickets with these Vespas.

Photographically I think the GTS will have some presence. I haven’t found the sweet spot angles yet but it is a handsome machine.

Vespa GTS scooter parked along a rural road.
On my first ride home.


It looks just as good in the rural landscape as the smaller scooter did. Work beckoned so I had to wait until the end of the day for anymore riding. I didn’t bring my heavy mittens either so the 32° F air bit into my fingers until they were painfully numb.

The temperature gauge on the GTS showed 29° F when I mounted up for the ride home. It rose two degrees when I got out of the shade and into what remained of the sunlit day. Don’t ask me why but what I really wanted to test on the way home was the handling characteristics of the scooter on gravel. Short review: Pretty good. Definitely more stable that the LX150. Maybe the bigger tires or extra weight.

Arrived home as the sun was setting and I looked at the GTS in the driveway before putting it in the garage.

Vespa GTS scooter in a driveway.
Arriving home for the first time on my Vespa GTS scooter.


To the casual observer it looks the same as the LX150. It’s a fine machine and I am looking forward to riding again. The weather looks promising for the weekend with temperatures rising into the 30’s even though my morning departure will find things at 15. I can handle that. Worst case is I’ll have to stop at more eating establishments to keep my hands warm.