Scooter in the Sticks

Exploring life on a Vespa, Royal Enfield Himalayan, Honda Trail 125, and a Kawasaki W650

Winter Creeping into My Heart

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After watching the Dream Rangers video yesterday I could not keep myself from going for a ride this morning. Winter is slowly creeping into my heart and painting everything with a gray heaviness. A ride would chase away the cold.

The roads were mostly dry with salt and an occasional path of snow or ice. Staying on lightly traveled secondary roads allow for methodical management of these hazards.

Looking at the Vespa sitting in the ice covered scene above reflected exactly how I feel — I’m living in a world of cold. Maybe this is what Finland is like this time of year.

Returning home I realized I could ride a lot more than I do. I’m letting the cold weigh me down and whisper in my ear the many reasons to leave the scooter in the garage.

My dog Junior doesn’t let a little cold weather stand in his way of having fun. I need to take a lesson from him.

No more winter whining. Let’s ride.

Only Idiots Ride in the Snow

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Only idiots ride in the snow. Or so I’ve been told.

It was running through my head this morning when Junior and I headed out the door for a morning romp with the temperature hovering just below the zero mark. We found enough ice and snow here and there on the road to convince me to take the truck into town for a late morning meeting. I could have ridden but couldn’t summon the adventurer. I had to be content hurling a tennis ball for 45 minutes while I got cold and Junior got warmed up.

Made the portrait of Junior with cold hands and the iPhone.

Not to say I haven’t been on the road trying out the new Heidenau K66 LT Snowtex tires. They are everything I hoped for and more. For loose, unpacked snow they are pretty amazing. Almost no feeling of the front tire about to slip out. Just a solid, confident movement.

Keep in mind movement at a slow pace. If you think snow tires will let you race through snow on a road with traffic, well, think again. Or think, “Only idiots ride in the snow.”

I got the tires to reduce the risk of sliding during the winter when the roads are mostly clear but cold, at temperatures where conventional tires loose traction. In that regard they’re great. No idiocy here.

I also wanted to have the tires for those times when I unexpectedly am faced with snow on the road. The beginnings of a snowfall where I still need to get home. Times when the road is wet, slushy, or just beginning to be covered with snow. A temporary ride to get to shelter. Again, these tires make a big difference.

While they help in this sort of snow I have no illusions of their performance on ice, or even hard packed snow. The scooter isn’t heavy enough to dig in and there is no magic in the tires. Any riding in those situations (and I’ve done it) is a fool’s errand. You need to assume a lot of risk.

Unless you have one of those motorcycles with a sidecar.

But I like being out in the winter and for long periods of time the roads are largely clear. So why store the Vespa away to wait for spring. Careful planning, riding, technique, and the right equipment can make this time of year pretty nice.

Now I just need to work on getting my butt off the couch and ride. Maybe tomorrow morning. It should only be a few degrees below zero…

Cold to the Bone

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The Vespa parked outside Beaver Stadium, home of the Penn State Nittany Lion football team. While they get ready for the Outback Bowl in Tampa I’m standing in the parking lot chilled to the bone. Unusual for me with the temperature hovering at 20F. Bone chills arrive near 0F. Something’s wrong.

Walking Junior an hour earlier he seemed oblivious while I suffered as wind cut through everything I had on. This winter has been a bigger adjustment. I almost left the scooter in the garage.

The chill picked up where it left off as I approached the Vespa at the end of the day. It wasn’t a gear problem either. I think my winter attitude hasn’t arrived.

At the video store I watched the last beams of sunlight warm the side of a building across the parking lot. None for me though as I took one last picture before heading home.

It’s just one of those rides where my head isn’t in the game. Every vehicle seems ready to cut me off or turn in front of me. The road surface is more confusing with patches of ice and myriad stripes of moisture. The ride required exceptional attention. Maybe it wasn’t any different than other rides, maybe it was the cold.

Writing now, hours after returning home, I believe I could walk out to the garage and go for a ride. The chill has departed. Maybe my winter attitude is here…

Embracing the Winter Night Ride

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We’ve had a lot of snow this month and most of it is still piled around. The hemlock trees in the front yard aren’t as full as they were when I made this picture last week but snow still hangs in the branches. Work, the dog, and the weather have taken a huge bite out of my riding opportunities and I feel the lack of road time. A nervous energy, an anticipation, a pacing grows in my spirit. This past Friday evening Kissell Motorsports was celebrating the addition of BMW motorcycles to their line of European machines and were unveiling the new BMW S 1000RR. What better opportunity to ride than to an event like this.

Photography was not much on my mind so forgive the incidental images. Attention was directed on the road, the night, and the challenges presented when snow, ice and subfreezing temperatures demand a different sort of rider attention. On the way home from work in the truck I paid close attention to the road surface in a manner that the average cager doesn’t need to. Sporatic spots of ice, snow and salt ladden water don’t mean the same thing when you are using four wheels.

I stopped on the way to Kissell’s to take one more look at the road surface, guage the traffic, and give myself one last opportunity to turn around and go home. Standing under the streetlight I realized what I was doing, I could feel my senses sharpening, eyes scanning for riding dangers, thoughts working out handling plans and contingencies, I was moving into winter rider mode.

I understand the incredulous reactions of other riders to this activity. For those who are nervous about riding at night in good weather they are doubly opposed to it when there is a certainty of slippery stuff. Judged from a perspective of recreational riding this activity is simply nuts. And I have considered it so more than once or twice.

Riding in the winter is special and for me the payoff is in the complete focus it delivers. I suspect it is similar to what accomplished athletes find in their individual sports. Everything not important to the task at hand is stripped away and I find a purity of purpose and spirit. Is it worth the risk (and it does exist)? Each rider has to make their own decision. There is not right or wrong answer here. It’s personal.

The Vespa GTS 250ie was the only two wheeled vehicle outside the doors of Kissell Motorsports. Their parking lot still had some big patches of smooth ice. Not the sort of surface you want to come flying into. Definitely the kind of obstacle that a rider must plan for when riding at night in the winter.

Even when all the snow is gone and the roads are dry there are many reasons why you might encounter ice. There always seems to be someone washing their car in the winter who drives off leaving nice icey tire tracks on the road. And now, with so much snow still around I encountered several instances of show piles on the road courtesy of drivers who don’t clear their vehicles of snow before leaving home.

At night I have to make a lot of adjustments. Apologies to everyone else on the road. I leave my high beam on. I just need to see the road ahead. Curiously no one ever flashes me. Maybe it is not as bright as I think it is. And the scanning process that takes place during the day is more furious at night. And I anticipate potential problems and make use of lane adjustments, speed and stopping more often. The ride is not about moving from point A to point B as smoothly and quickly as possible. It is about being as careful, prudent and safe as possible. A very different ride.

Events were already underway when I arrived. After grabbing a hot dog I made my way around to a vantage point where I could see the BMW S1000 RR when it would be revealed. A lot of people turned out to see the new line of motorcycles. With the Canon G9 in one hand and a hot dog in the other I waited.

Moments after the box was removed and before people queued up to take a closer look and sit on the bike. I’m amazed at the sophistication of the motorcycles today. The two-stroke dirt bike I road in the 1960s seems like a toy in comparision. A junky toy.

There were new BMWs everywhere in a maze of machinery. I made mental notes of the ones I would fantasize about.

The BMW R1200 GS bikes were very nice. I can see myself with one of those. I’ve sent away for plans for a new garage.

Dan Leri owns, I think, a BMW RT1200. He’s sitting here trying to decide which bike to buy his wife for Valentine’s Day. I think that’s what he was doing.

My friend Paul Ruby was standing in the corner playing with his iPhone. He’s addicted and in search of a 12-step group. The place where people say “I’m powerless over my iPhone and my life has become unmanageable”. Paul has a BMW X Moto 800(?). All I know is it seems to be the tallest motorcycle I have ever ridden.

I plan to return to look the new motorcycles over more carefully. When my mind isn’t preoccupied with the ride home. The obstacles, the risks. The smart man would return by the same safe route found earlier in the evening right?

It’s good to know I’m smart some of the time.

Snow, Dog, and My Lazy Ass

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I can blame snow for lack of riding. Sort of. But not for not writing anything. Can I? I still have an essay on the Triumph Thunderbird I had a couple weeks ago. It’s almost ready but I can’t cross the goal line.

My hands are cold and I can’t type well. How’s that sound? Lame. I have been riding in the cold. One morning commute saw the temperature at 33 degrees Fahrenheit. I had to drag myself to the garage and put on the gear. My First Gear Kilimanjaro jacket lost it’s zipper so the sealing from the wind is not so good. The electric gloves are working fine. I’m just tired. Not so tired that I didn’t venture out in the recent snow to try and adjust my seasonal clock. I’m stuck in summer mode.

The dog. That’s why I haven’t been writing (or riding) more. I think. He sure does take a lot of energy. Both shoulders are sore from lofting tennis balls for this tireless beast. The Chuckit has helped propel the ball farther but so far my arms feel wrecked. Junior loves chasing those yellow balls.

The other morning I decided to end a ride short and just pulled into the Pump Station to relax and stare out the window. And have a breakfast sandwich. And tea. My body has been drained by too much exercise. I can barely type now. My lazy ass just wants to climb into bed. I suppose that’s a good thing. I can’t survive anymore on 3 or 4 hours sleep.

Gordon and I still get together once a week for the 3 Prints Project. Right now it should be the No Prints Project. I’ve shot some film but have not processed a thing in a month. Progress — I did by new chemicals yesterday. It is nice to sit at Saints and make excuses.

Lots of tree branches came down in the unexpectedly early snowfall. Kim eyed some Curly Willow branches that she wanted. I loaded them on the roof of my truck and crawled home. I should have tied them to the back of the Vespa. Would have made a better picture.

Every morning at 5am Junior stirs and tries to get me moving. He doesn’t flash me this sweet look because it’s still dark but he has other tricks. I made this photo at the park on Friday. He sure loves, I mean loves, chasing tennis balls. It shows in his face.

PHOTO BY PAUL RUBY

My friend Paul made this picture at Barnes and Noble last night. I looked at it on the camera after he shot it and asked him to send it to me. It’s a reminder that I don’t look as burned out as I feel. Maybe my expectations are skewed. Maybe it’s ok to feel drained taking care of a big puppy.

Despite my whining all is well. It’s good to get more exercise and the routine works for me. On Wednesday we begin dog college. Obedience Training. Owner Training. Opportunities to fail and look stupid. Junior is smarter than I am. I am here typing. He is lying at my feet sleeping.

Case closed.