Scooter in the Sticks

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

Cold Versus Cool Motorcycle Rides

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2001 Kawasaki W650 motorcycle parked at a Sheetz store.
Dave arrives on his Triumph and our journey to breakfast begins.

Less Than Ideal Weather

It’s nice to be invited along on a ride. While I’m not always able to go, I always appreciate the offer. On this morning I was free to join Dave on a 39 mile ride to McVeytown, Pennsylvania to have breakfast with some of his riding buddies. The fact that the thermometer was stuck in the mid-30s was less than ideal. And the ride provided a number of opportunities to discern the difference between cold versus cool motorcycle rides.

It was cold. Not the best time to be riding a naked bike with no heated grips. And Dave is not a cold weather rider so I’m sure he was doing some second guessing as well. But when friends and breakfast are dangled before you logic and good sense take a back seat.

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Riding in a Little Rain

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A 2001 Kawasaki W650 motorcycle parked in the rain.
All alone in the rain.

Choices

In addition to the certainties of death and taxes something else can be added to the list — we always have choices. They may not be good choices. Or pleasant. But they’re always there when needed. Like riding in a little rain.

Since retiring and not facing the changing personality of daily fluctuations in weather I tend not to choose to ride in the rain, snow, or bitter cold. But sometimes opportunity and circumstance collude to tempt me out into the world on a scooter or motorcycle. And on this day, a heavy overcast with barely a sprinkle convinced me that the risk of riding in a little rain on my 2001 Kawasaki W650 was a good choice.

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2023 Honda CT125 Trail: All Things Change

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2023 Honda CT125 Trail strapped down in the bed of a pickup truck.
Preparing to haul my new Honda CT125 Trail home.

I Done Done It

The deed is done. I bought a brand new 2023 Honda CT125 Trail. It’s home in the garage sipping power through a Battery Tender waiting for a little warmer weather. It was sunny and 17F this morning but the clarion call of cold weather riding no longer shouts louder than my desire to curl up in the house with a cup of hot chocolate or tea.

But this week the thermometer will point toward the 40F mark so the Honda CT125 Trail should see its first experience of the beautiful Central Pennsylvania landscapes.

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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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