Scooter in the Sticks

Sheltering from Rain

June 17, 2015 by Scooter in the Sticks 15 Comments

For the first time ever I parked beneath an overpass to wait out a passing rainstorm. I’ve seen other riders huddled under bridges or at gas stations to avoid the rain but I’ve always ridden on. To be fair, part of the motivation for waiting was I did not want to get the new BMW R nineT wet so it would remain reasonably pristine for photos. But the bigger issue driving the need to be sheltering from rain was lack of preparation.

Normally when I ride I have rain gear with me. On this machine there was no place for gear, tools, or anything else that would not fit in my pockets. There’s another reason though why I’ve never sought shelter from the rain — I’ve never really been caught in a dangerous downpour.

The next day I was in the van when a dangerous downpour presented itself. Like sheltering from rain the previous day I was close to pulling off the road for the first time because I could not see the road ahead and pools of water were forming on the road surface that made hydroplaning a real possibility. Again, like with previous rides, driving and riding through rain wasn’t a reflection of fortitude or courage on my part, I just had not faced a serious weather event that required a decision to be sheltering from rain.

I have to say there was an unexpected payoff to pulling off the road to wait aside from the selfie I made while sitting in the dirt. The sudden, forced isolation coupled with no knowledge of how long it would last was sobering — a lesson in loss of control. When I ride I kid myself that I am in control when the reality is that I am at the mercy of other drivers, weather and fate. I merely have limited control over myself and my machine.

Sitting along the road in riding purgatory offers an opportunity to experience some rather intense isolation. Or perhaps separation from the world is more precise. Either way you’re left with your thoughts as you sit on the earth. With a smart phone in your pocket it would be easy to medicate any uncomfortable feelings of being alone with the myriad tools for escape it provides and I did indulge with radar maps from Weather.com and a few pictures posted to Instagram. But I did recognize the opportunity to experiment with my reaction to sudden isolation.

Boredom, anxiety, and a desire to have control were all mixed together leaving me feeling oddly unsettled. I like to think riding is a meditative process but while I sat watching the rain and wondering when I would get my life back I wondered if riding wasn’t more escape than meditation.

By the time the BMW roared back to life I had found a calm place, one that was accepting of whatever would come along. But even that was probably an illusion since I had to only wait an hour, the air was warm, there was no pressing need to be anywhere and I wasn’t hungry. A few changes in circumstance would challenge the calm.

I have to think having a ride interrupted by weather is uncommon since so many riders are fair weather adventurers. But some of you that ride into the abyss surely have found yourselves sitting and waiting.

What did you find waiting for you?

Riding a BMW R nineT Motorcycle

June 15, 2015 by Scooter in the Sticks 27 Comments

I swear, I love my Vespa scooter. Regardless of what I write from this point on remember that.

The details aren’t important other than Kissell Motorsports put me in a position to be riding a BMW RnineT motorcycle. I don’t follow the motorcycling world closely so I missed the unveiling of this bike as a new direction for the BMW Motorrad line. There are a wealth of reviews on the web of this motorcycle with technical evaluations replete with discussions of forks, dissertations on exhaust design, or musings on quarter-mile sprint speeds. And of course the endless arguments on what the best customization paths are.

Ugh.

Double ugh.

I decidedly do not fit into the aftermarket customization customer model. Whatever personal defects are at work I generally make do with whatever the scooter or bike has and it takes a long, long time for me to think about changing anything. And then for purely utilitarian reasons — like wanting to haul more groceries or needing better traction in snow.

So what I’ll try and do is share what it’s like to move from a relatively small scooter to a big motorcycle. It’s a path many riders take from small to large so perhaps I can shine a light on what to expect.

While a lot of riders talk about how fast a motorcycle will go I’m more concerned with how slow it will go. Or more specifically, how well it will go slow. I’m a tourist when I ride. I like to take in the scenery, creep along back roads and feel the air change from warm to cool as I pass a creek. This kind of slow riding is not something every motorcycle does well with engines demanding higher RPMs lest they lurch and chug or worse stall at slow speeds. The BMW R nineT is marvelous at slow speeds and purrs like a kitten at 10mph, 25mph, or 85mph (the fastest I actually witnessed on the speedometer).

The motorcycle is easy to handle and has little of the big motorcycle feel that other machines have.

The BMW R nineT is fun to ride but it does lack some of the thrill I derive from the Vespa — that feeling of flying that comes from relative silence and absence of mechanical reminders. The BMW makes noise, heightened by the addition of a titanium Akrapovic exhaust. You just can’t escape the fact that you’re riding astride a big, powerful machine. It’s the difference between being a bird and being a pilot.

I like being a bird.

Unlike all the other modern BMW motorcycles I’ve ridden the nineT is simple. No heated grips, no GPS, music systems, heated seats, it doesn’t even have a fuel gauge. The simplicity is in line with the elegance of the motorcycle. It is beautiful, and it attracts attention from others. Stopped for fuel two other riders paid a visit. At a Cafe for a snack another rider did an inspection. A neighbor saw me on the road and paid a visit to talk about it. And on the road, at traffic lights, people looked my way. That has not happened on any other motorcycle I’ve ridden save, perhaps, for a URAL.

I tried to picture the BMW R nineT in my garage; what role would it play in my riding life? It seems great for a ride that requires nothing more than the clothes on my back. Without any capacity to carry extra gear for changes in temperature or precipitation you really need to pick your riding times carefully. Adding luggage or storage would seem like a sin to muck up such a pretty machine. So the utilitarian needs of a daily commuter or long distance traveler are out in my book. The nineT seems like something akin to a sports car that only goes out on sunny days for fun.

Maybe I’m wrong.

Riding on a foggy morning with patches of wet roads and impaired view I was grateful that the motorcycle had ABS brakes. With it’s big tires and big brakes it stops fast — something handy with deer and other critters bouncing across the road.

Making this picture I was again struck by how really cool this motorcycle looks. The BMW R nineT is one of the few motorcycles that I find visually stunning.

I really like the BMW R nineT despite what I know are functional limitations to the kind of riding I do. I would never take this out in the winter or go on long trips with it. But still, it is so much fun to ride that if I had it in the garage I would figure out reasons to ride it.

And I did feel unique on this machine. I admit by ego was at work but the whole idea of individuality that are part of motorcycle marketing are so much noise. But with this motorcycle, it seems true. Riding it through the central Pennsylvania countryside I felt as if I were alone in the world, me and everyone else. It’s not flying but it is a heady feeling.

I had to try it on gravel, just a little bit. Nothing fast, just to see how it performed on what are common choices around here. The big smooth road tires aren’t what the doctor ordered for gravel but it was fine.

Because of the riding nature of the nineT I would probably seldom choose to pick my way along dirt or gravel roads.

Final thoughts…

1. I really loved riding the BMW R nineT motorcycle. I was fun, a very easy riding position, comfortable weight and handling, and great road feel.

2. Powerful. For someone used to a much smaller and lower powered scooter you could immediately sense how little throttle it would take to light the front wheel off the ground. Something any new or transitioning rider needs to pay attention to.

3. Beautiful, elegant, stunning look. Nothing like it as a factory bike. If you want to stand apart from the crowd, this is a bike you should seriously consider.

4. It’s not practical for commuting, errands and other utilitarian purposes.

5. If you can afford a second motorcycle to be the sports car in your life, this is a great candidate. I didn’t want to give it back to Kissell Motorsports.

I love my Vespa scooter and tell people that of everything with two wheels I’ve ridden it remains the best choice for me and what I do. But I’ve always thought it would be nice to have a motorcycle in the garage for those days when I want a different experience. I wouldn’t feel bad to see a BMW R nineT sitting there waiting for me.

Shreve Stockton and Lessons on Life

June 15, 2015 by Scooter in the Sticks 4 Comments

Most people probably know Shreve Stockton as the creative energy behind The Daily Coyote, a blog about Stockton’s life with an orphaned coyote pup replete with engaging pictures of “Charlie” on a daily basis. She’s also authored two books, and made a cross country trip on her Vespa ET4 scooter which she chronicled on her Vespa Vagabond blog.

Stockton recently gave the commencement address to the College of Natural Sciences at Colorado State University. The video stream shows the entire commencement ceremony but you can scan ahead to 22:11 where her presentation of a life lesson begins. It’s personal and a powerful reminder of how we may make decisions that don’t always work to our benefit. It’s worth hearing by all of us and not just those newly minted graduates.

She talks about pain, the lessons she’s learned in dealing with it, and suggestions on how a person might move forward. Her address is, as she notes, short and sweet.

The address reminded me a bit about another that was equally personal, and powerful — JK Rowling’s 2011 commencement address to Harvard University.

Both are worth a listen, especially if you’ve ever faced personal struggles that caused you to question your path.

The Brief But Magnificent Opportunity

June 7, 2015 by Scooter in the Sticks 31 Comments

Central Pennsylvania riders are blessed with a seemingly endless supply of winding roads — the one in Bald Eagle State Forest.

I thought of my father this morning while riding through the dense green of Bald Eagle State Forest. He would have been 87 today had years of hard work in mines, steel mills and cigarettes not claimed his lungs and life eleven years ago. As a boy he and my mother would take me to places like this on picnics or to just walk — a reflection of my mother growing up in the Alps in a “walking” family.

Riding a Vespa scooter through the empty places in central Pennsylvania affords space to let the mind wander, entertain dreams and fantasies, and face the pressing questions of the moment. And there’s the quiet thrill of flying along on two-wheels, the sense that my spirit is expanding beyond the body and I feel connected to the world. At those moments I’m painfully aware of the brief but magnificent opportunity life really is.

Vespa GTS 250ie along road in Brush Valley, Pennsylvania.

I remain enthralled with the Vespa — form and function. On two lane roads, my route of choice, it performs as well as any motorcycle at legal speeds and can exceed them by 20mph — fast enough for any responsible rider.

My father would never have approved of my riding. All pleadings and schemes to acquire go-karts and mini-bikes, motorcycles and BB guns were repeatedly rejected. Perhaps being an only child played into my parents strategy. His feelings about motorcycles were clear — they were dangerous and unnecessary toys and nothing more. Only fools and people with issues had them.

I do have issues.

Vespa GTS 250ie scooter in Sugar Valley

The road seems long. A camera lens can exaggerate perspective to trick the viewer. The mind can do the same thing as a lens, distort reality. Where I once believed the road is long, now I’m not so sure. I’ve always known that distance isn’t a requirement of a rich ride on the scooter. Same holds true of life. How many miles traveled is less important that the quality of those miles.

I saw many Amish buggies on the road this morning but resisted the urge to make a clever image of that archaic method of transportation with the Vespa. The Amish endure enough peeping from the English.

Lost in on the road, winding through the forest.

A Harley-Davidson motorcycle rumbled past me while I made this picture and I watched them carve through these turns. For the next 12 miles the road twisted and turned through hairpin turns and provided plenty of gravel strewn bends to keep things interesting.

My dad drove like I ride — slow and with few concerns for others on the road save for common courtesy. If he were a rider I like to think he would be on a Vespa and wave to other riders regardless of their riding choice.

Fuel and water stop.

With 70 miles of winding road behind me the scooter needed a drink and so did I. My new diet has kept me out of many of the greasy haunts I would have patronized. Now is fuel, a few glugs of water from a bottle, and a banana or apple. No more hearty bacon breakfast choices.

Vespa GTS 250ie scooter on gravel road.

Who knows where the road will lead. Circumstance and choice guide routes and outcomes. I often don’t really know why I end up at the places I do.

Vespa at the end of the road.

Often little gravel byways and path dry up or are gated closed. The Vespa isn’t something I want to tear through the brush to continue on with an exploration.

My father was neither an explorer or traveler. When he taught me to hunt we were always on familiar territory. I didn’t inherit that trait from him and instead have my mother’s travel instincts — to move on from place to place and not worry about the outcome. It explains many of our travels in Europe without destination or hotel arrangements.

We did just fine.

A stop for water and to munch on a few baked potato chips — the meal of salt lovers…

Some roads feel like tunnels slowly drawing me into something but I’m not sure what. The Vespa was fine but I felt tentative. And that’s ok sometimes.

Sometimes you just need to keep riding until you find what you’re looking for.

Not sure where things will lead. It’s good to have a vantage point to see ahead, if only for a a short distance. So I’ll keep going and see where I end up and take advantage of the brief but magnificent opportunity afforded by life.

Night at the Opera (I mean Moto Hang)

June 4, 2015 by Scooter in the Sticks 22 Comments

Each of us have our own priorities at event. Doesn’t matter if it’s a wedding, family picnic, or a motorcycle gathering, something will catch our attention. This evening at the Boalsburg Moto Hang I was obsessed by what I cannot have — a magical, delightful, soul soaring all grass fed beef. Figures Ken Hull would raise the hot dog bar just when a heart attack rules out any such sweet obsession. This one was destined for home and my wife Kim.

Seems like yesterday when I was a kid with few cares and space to enjoy a soda and a dog. This young man arrived at the Moto Hang on the back of a Vespa ET4 and quickly found the refreshments which included homemade chocolate chip cookies. He passed on the beer.

For the rest of those in attendance I think other things drew their attention. Like motorcycles.

Paul Ruby seems to always show up with something unique. This time with a 1940s style Triumph built from a 2009 machine. Solid rear end now along with a lot of other “vintage” modifications. It’s going up for sale on eBay.

Lots of other machines on display like this vintage Honda.

I have no idea what this is. A guess would be Yamaha. Looks tall. Looks complicated.

Lots of shiny chrome around too. Good for photos but not sure what else.

I’m not sure when a motorcycle falls into the “vintage” category. I tend to use whenever something is older than my kids. Not sure where this Honda Goldwing falls. If it’s a pre-1980 version then it’s vintage in my book.

This Triumph Bonneville appears from time to time. I told the owner if I was going to steal a motorcycle at the Moto Hang, this would be the one.

When I arrived there were only 15 or 16 motorcycles and two scooters. The night was young though.

Ken Hull was showing Mark (left) a picture I posted of him on his Vespa smoking a cigar. A lot of motorcycle gatherings offer the fragrance of petrochemical fuels and lubricants. The Moto Hang has the sweet incense of a cigar.

Nice to talk about a wide range of subjects and motorcycles without anyone ringing the “we don’t talk to you” bell. The Moto Hang has something for everyone.

This is the front fender of Robert’s dual sport Suzuki that he recently rode around the world — 20,902 miles. Impressive ride.

By 6:15pm there was no room for motorcycles in the alley and they started lining up along the street.

By 6:30pm they were lined up almost to Main Street. I even saw a trike this evening.

Three Vespa scooters made the trip this evening — evidence that all are welcome. So if there are any shy scooterists in the area there’s no need to shrink before the motorcycles.

It was a good night even without a hot dog…

« Previous Page

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Scooter in the Sticks