Scooter in the Sticks

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

Dangerous and Beautiful Road

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In the scooter’s dream, this is the road it rides…

How much does danger factor into the thrill of riding?  When my spirit soars is it because I feel I’m flying or perhaps because subconsciously I believe I’ve left danger in the dust?

While I don’t intentionally ride in a dangerous manner I do accept that being on two-wheels inherently has more risk, more danger.  It doesn’t mean bad things will happen, but they could, and chances are whatever does happen will probably be more intense that if I were strapped in the cage and surrounded by airbags.

Danger, or perhaps more specifically, risk is seductive and at the heart of a living game of chance.  At least that’s what passed through my head as I watched the video of the Atlantic Road in Norway — Atlanterhavsveien in Norwegian.  In the dark gloom with a pounding ocean I could sense the risk, the danger, and imagined traversing the windswept expanse and the quickened heart rate.  It’s the same feeling I have when snow is falling on the road, or the temperature drops below zero — me against the elements.

Seems a screwy draw to riding a scooter or motorcycle.  But it could be worse.  I could be scrambling up the north face of the Eiger, or diving off a precipice in a wing suit.

I suppose each is just another dangerous and beautiful road…

Motorcycle Safety Tips

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Do you see yourself in this video? There are some important motorcycle safety tips in it that are fun to watch and important to remember.

While watching vintage training films can be fun, there are some important approaches discussed that have value for the thoughtful rider.  Motorcycle safety is not about getting out of trouble, it’s learning how to not get into trouble in the first place.  That’s an entire different state of mind.

This film was made for the United States Air Force in response to a growing number of servicemen and civilian contractors getting hurt or killed on motorcycles.  While it’s over-acted at times and the dialogue a little too perfect in places, it’s enjoyable to watch and provides some excellent instruction on how to be a defensive rider.

At one point in the film a doctor who is struggling with how so many highly trained professionals are getting killed learns a key fact — no matter how successful you are in one career with extensive training, it doesn’t mean squat in terms of your skill as a motorcycle rider.

It’s not just like riding a bike.

And if nothing else, you’ll learn the important art of kick starting a motorcycle.

I wonder how many riders today know how to do that?  I kick started a scooter just a few weeks ago but it’s nothing like kick starting a Harley!

The Vespa Experience

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Dom Chang of Redleg’s Rides sent me a link to this tribute to the Vespa scooter in cinema.  As I watched I realized how far I am personally from the common perception of the Vespa experience — one that’s decidedly urban, young, romantic, eclectic and a bit frenetic. It’s easy to see why motorcycle riders may dismiss the scooter culture as something foreign to what seems at times something about speed, power, machinery and technology.  Apples and oranges.

I watched the video three times hoping to see myself in there somewhere and save for one scene where a young man is swerving back and forth on the road enjoying the feeling of moving through the world, I felt like I was watching a cultural phenomenon that passed me by.

Maybe if I had a Vespa when I was seventeen I might feel differently. Maybe it’s just the same as learning about my ancestors — there’s a connection biologically but the lives and experiences are from another time…

 

A Scooter Video on a Cold Morning Ride

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Writing about riding a scooter or motorcycle in the winter is one thing. Showing it in video gives a more visceral experience. On this particular morning I planned to ride despite sub-zero temperatures. On a sunny day, despite the cold, it’s not so bad.  Have a look at this scooter video and imagine what a decision to ride the Vespa in the winter might look like…

Riding in cold weather isn’t for everyone and should be approached cautiously. When asked I always tell people don’t do it, especially if you’re impatient or if you don’t think you can radically change your riding style.

Often it’s best to just stay at home.

Vespa GTS scooter on a snowy winter ride

Generally speaking — I advise against riding in the snow.  It requires so many changes in behavior, technique and mindset that most riders I’ve met just aren’t willing to make.

Video Blogging Ideas

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A recent post on Fuzzygalore.com about the voices of bloggers caught my attention, in part because I wonder who’s behind the blogs and what they sound like, but more importantly it reminded me of thoughts and ideas about video and how I might incorporate that media here.  When I was in graduate school I made a lot of video with little miniDV and point and shoot cameras.  I tried to upload one that gave a bit of insight into what makes me tick but YouTube had pulled it because I was bad and used some music by Brian Eno.

The scooter video above is old, poor quality, and was made not long after I got my Vespa LX 150 in 2006 when I had big ideas about video.  But that medium is a lot more work that shooting still pictures and I wasn’t sure I had anything to say.

I tried the GoPro camera and while the capability was astounding I didn’t see anyone having much interest in watching the road ahead, at least not if I wasn’t running into something or some similar misfortune.

Perhaps the winter doldrums are pushing my thoughts towards other things.  If I could draw I might be considering a comic strip.  Video seems to be on my mind now and maybe there’s a role for video and blogging on Scooter in the Sticks.

Maybe something different might surface.