Riding a scooter or motorcycle in cold weather is, for me, an acquired taste, one that evaporates quickly when too much time passes between frigid experiences.  Bright sunshine goes a long way towards easing the transition from a warm home to a cold garage but habit is far more powerful in making a cold scooter ride an easy choice.

Examining my shadow I felt more astronaut than rider clad in heavy gear and bulky mittens just to ride the Yamaha Vino scooter.  It doesn’t take long though for resistance to give way to the familiar satisfaction of surmounting the cold and drift in the wash of accomplishment.  For lack of a more poetic description a cold ride leaves me feeling alive.

The roads were bare and dry though the risk of ice is ever present when the world is frozen.  Thankfully, the only chunks of ice I saw were in town, remnants of the First Night State College celebrations.

Even though I saw no other ice it’s essential that anyone riding below the freezing mark adjust their attention to the road surface to account for unexpected ice — usually from careless motorists tossing liquids from their vehicles, meltwater that has frozen, or a dozen other situations that could trip up an inattentive rider.

Just saying…

The Yamaha Vino 125 scooter is indifferent to the temperature or the ice.  It starts easily and runs flawlessly.  While I miss the heated options on the Vespa GTS 250 I’m pleased to know that I can still function without heated gear.  At least at 28F.

I’m reminded of a talk by a guide from one of the big motorcycle touring companies in Alaska where he insisted no heated gear is permitted — they don’t want people freezing when the technology fails.  On the Vino I am geared up to passively resist the cold.  And right now as I think about it I have a hard time remembering how I braved sub-zero rides without heated gloves.

Ice sculptures on Allen Street in State College, Pennsylvania is a traditional part of First Night.  The cold weather kept things sparkling as opposed to previous years where it rained with the temperatures in the 40s.

A cold scooter ride requires a machine that functions — the Yamaha Vino handles the task well, gear that protects the body from the cold — my new First Gear Kilimanjaro jacket is a big improvement over the old one, boots, mittens, full face helmet, and Tourmaster Overpants complete the arctic ensemble. For summer only riders I’m sure it seems oppressive, but for those venturing out in the winter it’s part of the drill.

A nice, cold, New Year’s Day ride in the sticks.