Scooter in the Sticks

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

Motorcycle Safety Tips

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Do you see yourself in this video? There are some important motorcycle safety tips in it that are fun to watch and important to remember.

While watching vintage training films can be fun, there are some important approaches discussed that have value for the thoughtful rider.  Motorcycle safety is not about getting out of trouble, it’s learning how to not get into trouble in the first place.  That’s an entire different state of mind.

This film was made for the United States Air Force in response to a growing number of servicemen and civilian contractors getting hurt or killed on motorcycles.  While it’s over-acted at times and the dialogue a little too perfect in places, it’s enjoyable to watch and provides some excellent instruction on how to be a defensive rider.

At one point in the film a doctor who is struggling with how so many highly trained professionals are getting killed learns a key fact — no matter how successful you are in one career with extensive training, it doesn’t mean squat in terms of your skill as a motorcycle rider.

It’s not just like riding a bike.

And if nothing else, you’ll learn the important art of kick starting a motorcycle.

I wonder how many riders today know how to do that?  I kick started a scooter just a few weeks ago but it’s nothing like kick starting a Harley!

Into the Mist: Riding a Motorcycle in Fog (or a scooter)

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Vespa GTS scooter on foggy roadInto the mist, a morning fog, nothing but a promise of an epic ride. Or so I think as my body and mind slowly come to life as they vanquish sleep.  It had been raining hard for two days and now all that’s left is the dregs of dissipated clouds, moisture, and the sense that the world had changed.

It’s amazing what rain can do.

Riding in fog is a luscious visual experience.  But it’s also demanding for the simple reason that it’s harder to see and be seen by other drivers, drivers who often seem undeterred by the lack of visibility.  Climbing over the mountains at 45mph I had to watch carefully ahead for deer on their way to breakfast, and for vehicles approaching from behind.  And these tasks are made more difficult by the mist that relentlessly paints my helmet visor with thousands of water droplets.

Still, I move on, riding into the mist.

Vespa GTS scooter in a mist shrouded forestA turn, another turn, and then onto the gravel and I seem deep in a forest primeval, thick with the scent of earth and water.  It’s still, not a breadth of wind, the only sounds come from my Vespa, morning birdsong, and the chatter in my head.

This is the first ride of the season on gravel, wet gravel that offers a challenge to the street tires now on the scooter.

Vespa GTS scooter on forest roadA wandering life, at least for a little while, the spirit soars beneath the tree cover, beneath the gray heavens. Being alone on the road offers space to think about life and the myriad problems and challenges — personal, professional, and those part of being a citizen of the world.  No problem is too large or too insignificant to pass through my head, at least until sufficient miles have passed beneath me to render everything unimportant save for what I’m seeing, what I’m feeling in the hand grips, what my brain is asking me to evaluate to keep the Vespa upright.

And on I ride through the forest.

Vespa GTS scooter and rhododendron flowersRiding under the watchful eye of the Rhododendron flowers I’m reminded of how little I actually see save for those things that stand out brightly.  Spending a few moments walking in the woods I see Indian Pipes, and mushrooms, moss and ferns, and trees and leaves beyond my ability to recognize.  I’ve been walking and riding in these forests over forty years and I’m just beginning to see what’s here.

The Rhododendron is easy.

Vespa GTS along a small forest streamFerns grow lush amidst the threads of water running everywhere after the rainstorms of the past few days.  The ground is like a sodden sponge and my boots sink deep as I walk through the low areas for a picture.  In places the road has been washed clean of gravel exposing hard rock outcrops or gullies in the sandy soils of the mountain.

Once acclimated to the gravel roads I become more comfortable on the scooter.  With eyes up and ahead and a light touch on the handlebar I can ride much faster as body and Vespa become one.

But I don’t need to ride faster; I’ve become a tourist again admiring the sights.

Vespa GTS scooter on foggy roadPart of the thrill of riding in mist and fog is that your imagination can, if you let it, sweep you away and deliver you into a magical place mostly inhabited by children.  I’m glad I can still, even if only for a short time, let my imagination take control.  There are watchers in the mist, voices and ghosts, and I’m no longer in central Pennsylvania but have arrived somewhere larger, more exotic, more dangerous.

I’m an explorer and adventurer pushing onward into the unknown.

After a few days of heavy rain there’s a lot of debris shed from trees that a rider has to negotiate.  Most is readily visible, some is still falling, and some are hidden in dips and around turns, waiting to trip up the inattentive rider.  Riding a scooter, or riding a motorcycle in fog is a challenge that demands constant attention lest you find an unwelcome outcome.

Vespa GTS scooter along at Whipple DamInto the open, a glimpse of the sky, a sudden brightness and the imagination melts away and I realize my hands, arms and back are sore from the extra work and attention of 25 miles on gravel.  When you’re moving and working it’s easy to get lost in a trance.

One of the first things I noticed is that my glasses were covered in fine drops of moisture which contributed to the additional fog shrouding my vision.  With a little work I could find a dry t-shirt to clean them off before continuing the ride.

Vespa GTS scooter on gravel roadBack into the mist, from one dream to the next, ever moving, ever changing, ever wondering what’s ahead. For a moment I thought I saw a black bear loping in the woods, and sometime later I was doing mental mathematics again concerning lifespan and years left on the road.

The Bureau of Forestry had dumped a lot of new gravel on this stretch of road which was about to descend down the mountain making riding and braking a challenge for a scooter with an automatic transmission.  Little engine braking power available making it important to manage both brakes carefully so I wouldn’t end up on the ground in the loose gravel.

Vespa GTS scooter on forest roadI’ve been here many times before but this is the first time.  I can’t fathom how that works, how each time I pass through here everything is different and new.  The road winds through a tunnel of trees and I recognize nothing.

Something new, post-heart attack awareness, I wonder where I am should I need to call for help.  I wonder if I have cell coverage or remember the name of this road.  Could I offer GPS coordinates from my phone or provide a 911 operator enough information to find me in time should my heart fail.  And as fast as these thoughts pass through my head they vanish.  And all that matters is I’m riding.

Vespa GTS in the fog and mistEmerging from the forest I ride upwards, the road rising toward the ridge top, submerging me into the fog and mist, rain and growing brightness as the world begins to change as the sun works to burn away the magic of the morning.  It doesn’t matter though, the mist has worked on me and I’m changed, if only for a short time.

Riding a Vespa scooter in the mist and fog, riding a motorcycle in fog, it can change you.

What about you — does riding in the fog change you?

 

Scooter on the Freeway?

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Can I ride a scooter on the freeway? The answer to that question depends on your scooter, your level of riding expertise, and the freeways to plan to ride on.

Vespa GTS scooter parked along Interstate 99.Scooter on Interstate 99

There’s little traffic on Interstate 99 at 7am on Saturday morning.  Riding on a rural freeway with little traffic is markedly different than trying to ride on a main transportation artery jammed with cars and trucks around the clock.

To start, many people, motorcycle riders and scooter riders both,  think a scooter is only suitable for riding around town.  A lot of motorcycle marketing suggests that the choice for riding big miles on big roads involves 500 pound plus machines with engines capable of propelling you at speeds north of 100mph.  Over the years manufacturers have successfully pushed the notion of a “real” cruising motorcycle to something with an engine that has 1000cc or more.  Bigger is better in the mantra and it applies not only to motorcycles and scooters but to automobiles, pick-up trucks, houses and practically everything other than waist size.

If you can disconnect your head from the marketing absolutes and industry propaganda you can see a glimmer of what’s actually possible with smaller machines — scooters or motorcycles.

Vespa GTS scooter along expressway in ridge and valley region

The Highway Scooter

The reality is you can ride a scooter practically anywhere save for some hardcore off-road tracks involving deep mud and water. My Vespa GTS 250 can run all day at 65mph without a problem and faster if I need to.  On this recent 55 mile run down I99 I was passing cars, what few there were.

There are just a few things you need to consider in regarding to a scooter on the freeway.  First, is it legal?  Some freeways have engine size or horsepower minimums.  Make sure you meet those.  In most states, if not all, you can’t ride a 49cc scooter on an Interstate highway. I’ve ridden 150cc and larger scooters on freeways without a problem.

For me, one of the bigger issues about being on a smaller scooter is stability.  There is no doubt that a 500 pound plus motorcycle with big wheels will feel more stable, respond less to the air blasts of passing trucks, and deliver a more sedate ride.  But that does not mean a smaller machine is not stable.  It sticks to the road and follows a line just fine.  But be prepared for some beating by the air, especially if you’re riding along at 70mph and there’s a crosswind.

LEVEL OF RIDING EXPERTISE

Mentally, the most frightening riding thought for a lot of scooter riders is the freeway even though it may be a safer place to be that on a lot of crazy action on surface streets.  Recently, a local rider told me she now commutes on the expressway because of the higher danger of being clipped on local streets at rush hour.  Still, riding on an expressway has its own unique demands of a rider — traveling at higher speeds and being comfortable maneuvering and stopping in an emergency being two important skills that should be in your toolbox.

Riding at expressway speeds, 55 to 75mph means things happen pretty fast and you really need to have sufficient skill to make quick decisions and translate them into action on your scooter.  It could be a need to evade a piece of truck tire, or dodge a pothole.  While the low speed skills theoretically apply to higher speed riding you really need to do some practice.  I would suggest anyone considering riding on an expressway try and do some gradual practice to get comfortable with the speed and how the scooter responds at higher speeds.  That could mean some early morning weekends on the pavement to experiment.

Riding defensively is important too.  You’ll need to be aware of lane placement to keep yourself visible and learn to anticipate when you’re more vulnerable to someone nudging you into oblivion.

THE FREEWAY

Not all freeways are the same and they’re differentiated by speed, amount of traffic, and the quality of the road surface.  Heavy traffic moving at 70mph on a badly crumbled surface is a nightmare compared to an relatively empty highway with a new surface where you can ride at any speed and it won’t matter.  Make sure you know what you’re getting into.

Make sure you have sufficient power to travel along at a reasonable speed considering other traffic If you’re considering commuting at rush hour where traffic crawls along it won’t matter much.  But if you’re considering a ride on a main artery where there is a lot of traffic and it’s moving fast you want to make sure you can move with it, or at least near that speed.  I’ve parked myself behind a slower moving RV, truck or car more than once to move along a high speed expressway so I would be more “visible” as a slower moving vehicle.

The idea of “sufficient” speed is where scooters get dismissed.  If you can’t rocket away from trouble or travel faster than everyone else then you can’t ride on the freeway.  Similar thinking applies to automobiles.  But being able to pull yourself out of trouble is probably the wrong way to think about riding.  It may be better to consider how not to get in trouble in the first place.

Vespa GTS along Interstate 99Do I Belong on the Freeway With a Scooter or Small Motorcycle?

Deciding to ride a scooter on the freeway is a personal choice dependent on a variety of issues.  There is no right or wrong answer.  There are plenty of scooter riders who travel freeways and Interstate highways every day.  A lot of riders avoid big highways simply because they aren’t much fun.  After all, they’re designed to get you from point A to point B fast and little more.  It’s hard to enjoy the scenery when you’re flying fast and paying attention to a crowd of vehicles.

I ride on the expressway sometimes when I commute to work, or need to get somewhere quickly and the Vespa is fully capable of undertaking that task.  Is it as comfortable as some of the big BMWs I’ve ridden?  No.  But it has advantages over those motorcycles in other situations that I ride in more often.

So, can you ride a scooter on the freeway?  The answer is a qualified yes.

Perhaps readers can share their thoughts and experiences regarding a scooter on the freeway…

 

Hospital or Graveyard?

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From the opening crow caws to the closing funk music driven motorcycle montage, listening to Peter Fonda describe possible outcomes of not adequately learning how to ride a motorcycle as ending up in the hospital or graveyard was just part of a fun and interesting film filled with motorcycle safety tips.

I came across this vintage 70s instructional film on Gail Hatch’s She Rides a Beemer blog.  The film is narrated by Fonda, famous for his motorcycle escapades in the film Easy Rider, and includes commentary by famous motorcycle aerialist and daredevil, Evel Knievel.  I feel you can never know or learn too much about riding and safety, so pull up your computer, grab a snack, and enjoy a trip into thoughts on safety from the past.

Post-Heart Attack Riding

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Vespa GTS 250ie scooter on rural farm lane It’s been five weeks since an emergency room doctor said to me, “You’re having a heart attack.”

Hearing those words didn’t have a lot of power at that moment because of the pain and agony and I was more interested in actions to make it all go away.  There was no thinking of death or damage, just a singular focus on feeling better.  But since that night a lot of different thoughts have percolated into consciousness and changed the discussions in my head toward the expected recognition of a brush with death, a new appreciation of mortality, and a heightened sense of time as if I can see my own sand rushing through an hourglass.

Riding to work last week I noticed myself monitoring my body — measuring the ease of breathing, noting any unexplained twinge or riffle in function, reaching to determine any sense of heart rate or rhythm.  It lasted moments and was gone as the sky seemed to brighten for an instant or a breath of wind moved over me.

I know people who have been overwhelmed by these assessments and evaluations to the point that their lives are reduced to a quiet waiting for the next cardiac event.  It’s certain to come, there’s just no way to know when.  So far these trains of thought have been more curiosity than anxiety and haven’t intruded in any real way on the decisions I make.

Or so I tell myself.

I rode in a hurry today on Interstate 99 — 70 mph on a hundred mile there and back again ride to deliver Father’s Day greetings.  I did it because I wanted to know if I could.  Moving over the road I imagined hours and hours on the superslab crossing county lines and state lines in an imaginary trip to nowhere.  And the Vespa kept hitting the rev limiter reminding me we had limits.

In cardiac rehab, so far I’m not hit a rev limiter as they push my heart and body on machines to help me know my limits.  It’s part of my post-heart attack riding.

And just like a ride on the Vespa, I’m learning that lessons of the body, mind and spirit are important for the ride — on the road, and through life…

Scooter in the Sticks

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

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