W650 Archives - Scooter in the Sticks Exploring life on a Vespa, Royal Enfield Himalayan, Honda Trail 125, and a Kawasaki W650 Sat, 10 Oct 2026 16:53:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 71084491 Hurtling Toward the Boneyard https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/10/hurtling-toward-the-boneyard/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/10/hurtling-toward-the-boneyard/#comments Mon, 12 Oct 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=12166 Reminders of My Physical Reality For the past couple months I’ve been physically feeling a little worse than normal. Whatever normal is now as I ride the downward slope towards the boneyard. Psoriatic arthritis visits more frequently with painfully stiff joints and fiery reminders that all is not well in this body. And a request […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/10/hurtling-toward-the-boneyard/feed/ 20 12166 How Far is Too Far for Breakfast? https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/09/how-far-is-too-far-for-breakfast/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/09/how-far-is-too-far-for-breakfast/#comments Mon, 28 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=12097 Group Photo I look at this photograph with gratitude for having friends to share the journey. On motorcycles and scooters and in life. And for me at least the expression on my face says a lot. I didn’t realize my face was adorned with a big, dumb, grin. The four of us left home this […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/09/how-far-is-too-far-for-breakfast/feed/ 10 12097 In Sickness and in Health https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/09/in-sickness-and-in-health-2/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/09/in-sickness-and-in-health-2/#comments Mon, 07 Sep 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=12025 A post-surgical view My wife and I have been married for over thirty years. The youth and energy that drove our lives when we began changes and fades over time. And a recent spine surgery that my wife underwent reminds me of the marriage vows I swore so many years ago. …in sickness and in […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/09/in-sickness-and-in-health-2/feed/ 14 12025 Friendship Follows Interests: Riding and Photography https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/08/friendship-follows-interests-riding-and-photography/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/08/friendship-follows-interests-riding-and-photography/#comments Fri, 28 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=12000 Making Friends A young man I know complains how hard it is to meet people. To make friends. For me, friendships have all developed from common interests. Years ago it was hiking and backpacking. Then photography, and now riding. I’d like to tell that young man he is unlikely to find friends at bars, playing […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/08/friendship-follows-interests-riding-and-photography/feed/ 7 12000 Learning Via Boneheaded Moves https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/07/learning-via-boneheaded-moves/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/07/learning-via-boneheaded-moves/#comments Fri, 31 Jul 2026 16:00:00 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=11892 A Chain of Unfortunate Coincidence My poor Kawasaki W650, tied down to the ambulance on its way to Bestline Powersports for surgery. Many thanks to my friend Dave for driving the bus. How awful it is to be saddled with an aging man as a riding partner. A guy who can strike a blow to […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/07/learning-via-boneheaded-moves/feed/ 15 11892 An Ordinary, Mundane Ride https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/07/an-ordinary-mundane-ride/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/07/an-ordinary-mundane-ride/#comments Mon, 27 Jul 2026 16:00:00 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=11882 I’ve Been Here Many Times Before Expectations can trip me up if I cling to them too strongly. Thinking a ride has to be some sort of exceptional adventure is the sort of thinking that can rob me of opportunities that are anything but an adventure. Those days when I only have an hour to […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/07/an-ordinary-mundane-ride/feed/ 10 11882 Call Me Mr. Bonehead https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/07/call-me-mr-bonehead/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/07/call-me-mr-bonehead/#comments Fri, 24 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=11873 An Unfortunate Incident The 2001 Kawasaki W650 still looks pretty despite an unfortunate fall in the driveway. Clearly a result of a misstep on my part though I am still a little perplexed at the chain of events. The bike was idling on the side stand, choke out for the initial start, and I was […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/07/call-me-mr-bonehead/feed/ 16 11873 Riding and the Meaning of Life https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/07/riding-and-the-meaning-of-life/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/07/riding-and-the-meaning-of-life/#comments Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=11843 Why We Ride A fine marketing slogan that swept through the Moto-world a few years ago with the predictable declarations of freedom and escape. I don’t deny those things for they are certainly present, but there is something larger at work as I ride. On the surface, I rolled the Kawasaki W650 motorcycle out the […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/07/riding-and-the-meaning-of-life/feed/ 12 11843 Riding in the Shimmering Heat https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/07/riding-in-the-shimmering-heat/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/07/riding-in-the-shimmering-heat/#comments Mon, 06 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=11796 Don’t Tell Me I Can’t Ride It was already pushing 90 degrees when I rolled the W650 out of the garage this morning. The National Weather Service has been in full panic mode, warning everyone to stay inside like the world is ending. I almost took the car. I had every excuse ready: It’s too […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/07/riding-in-the-shimmering-heat/feed/ 15 11796 Falling in Love With an Empty Road https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/06/falling-in-love-with-an-empty-road/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/06/falling-in-love-with-an-empty-road/#comments Mon, 15 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=11676 A Benign Beginning There’s nothing special or unusual about riding to my friend Paul’s house to join him for a ride to breakfast. They’re generally destination oriented by some route chosen for it’s scenic views of the landscape and as lightly traveled as possible. And with the Kawasaki W650 and Harley 48 gravel roads are […]

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