Scooter in the Sticks https://scooterinthesticks.com/ Exploring life on a Vespa, Royal Enfield Himalayan, Honda Trail 125, and a Kawasaki W650 Wed, 26 Aug 2026 22:50:50 +0000 en-US hourly 1 71084491 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 The Trail 125: Keeping the Spark Alive as the Years Roll On https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/08/the-trail-125-keeping-the-spark-alive-as-the-years-roll-on/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/08/the-trail-125-keeping-the-spark-alive-as-the-years-roll-on/#comments Mon, 24 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=11985 In the Mirror A few years ago, just before turning 70, I looked in the mirror and acknowledged I’m getting old. Not an admission of failure or surrender, but rather an acceptance of reality and the need to make some adjustments. Especially as it pertains to riding. While still able to ride bigger motorcycles I […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/08/the-trail-125-keeping-the-spark-alive-as-the-years-roll-on/feed/ 11 11985 Discovering New Places https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/08/discovering-new-places/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/08/discovering-new-places/#comments Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=11978 Overlooked Places Just a mile or so to the right in this photograph is a road I’ve ridden or driven a hundred times or more. Somehow I never realized another world existed just over the hill. Sitting in my living room the previous evening with my good friend Google Maps I discovered some roads I […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/08/discovering-new-places/feed/ 10 11978 A 150cc Vespa Scooter: Grateful for the Little Things https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/08/a-150cc-vespa-scooter-grateful-for-the-little-things/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/08/a-150cc-vespa-scooter-grateful-for-the-little-things/#comments Mon, 17 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=11973 Mistaken Thinking In my brief and seldom views into the social and marketing realms of the Moto-world I’m always shocked at how overwhelming the size, weight, power, and tech can be. It feels a lot like going into a hotel and turning on the TV and feeling it’s all commercials and pitches with very little […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/08/a-150cc-vespa-scooter-grateful-for-the-little-things/feed/ 10 11973 Do I Really Need a Garmin InReach Mini 2? https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/08/do-i-really-need-a-garmin-inreach-mini-2/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/08/do-i-really-need-a-garmin-inreach-mini-2/#comments Fri, 14 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=11970 Puzzling over Risk, Safety, and Economics After several years of thinking about the wisdom of having a reliable way to reach out in case of emergency I made a purchase. The question turned over in my head for a couple years is do I really need a Garmin InReach Mini 2? While I don’t normally […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/08/do-i-really-need-a-garmin-inreach-mini-2/feed/ 10 11970 New Tires for the Royal Enfield Himalayan https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/08/new-tires-for-the-royal-enfield-himalayan/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/08/new-tires-for-the-royal-enfield-himalayan/#comments Mon, 10 Aug 2026 12:00:00 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=11965 Indecision and Extended Searching for Tires At the last Pennsylvania Safety Inspection for my 2022 Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycle the mechanic pointed out cracks in the rubber and let me know that next year they wouldn’t pass. Two trains of thought immediately ignited. The first, driven by a sometimes irrational frugality, urged me to keep […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/08/new-tires-for-the-royal-enfield-himalayan/feed/ 5 11965 Frustration and Gratitude https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/08/frustration-and-gratitude/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/08/frustration-and-gratitude/#comments Fri, 07 Aug 2026 16:00:00 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=11913 The Mental Merry-Go-Round Over and over I’m reminded that there’s little profit in holding too tightly to my plans. It was demonstrated again as I prepared for a long ride with my friend Paul and proceeded to rip the tire valve from a rear tire of my W650 before even leaving the driveway. Hugely frustrating […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/08/frustration-and-gratitude/feed/ 6 11913 How is a Scooter Different from a Motorcycle? https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/08/how-is-a-scooter-different-from-a-motorcycle/ https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/08/how-is-a-scooter-different-from-a-motorcycle/#comments Mon, 03 Aug 2026 16:00:00 +0000 https://scooterinthesticks.com/?p=11931 Boots for Every Ride Whether on a scooter or motorcycle my rides begin the same way by putting on boots and other riding gear. Then checking out the machine to make sure everything is working as it should. I’ve met more than a few scooter riders who believe a scooter is inherently safer than a […]

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]]> https://scooterinthesticks.com/2026/08/how-is-a-scooter-different-from-a-motorcycle/feed/ 4 11931 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/ 14 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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