I didn’t become the Vespa mechanic I had hoped to be. Instead I hung out with Kim during my last weekend of vacation before going back to work. When I did get on the scooter it was to buy a big chocolate chunk cookie to enjoy with my afternoon cup of Earl Grey tea and a magazine. The Vespa shop manual was nearby, but only physically. My mind was elsewhere.

But it’s not my fault, there was rain, it was cold, I didn’t have the right tools, my dog ate my torque wrench! I have to confess, all those hours lying under vehicles as a teenager still has left a bad taste in my mouth for all things mechanical. And the Vespa has not yet allowed me to embrace the joy of mechanical maintenance.

I did have all the parts to do the drive belt and variator weights change. And a new Michelin Pilot City front tire and sparkplug. I ordered everything from Motorsport Scooters in San Diego. There are several great scooter parts and accessory places but I have warmed up to them. If you need parts or want to dream about all the myriad of things you can buy for your scooter check them out and tell them Scooter in the Sticks sent you. Maybe they’ll give me a Vespa key chain or something!

I did get the front tire changed and had found the torque wrench so I could tighten things correctly.

I thought of actually changing the tire myself but even that was too much to consider so I took it to the fine folks at Kissell Motorsports for mounting and balancing. All I had to do was take it off and put it back on the scooter. And of course I had to do the really critical testing of the tire and make sure the slippery factory coating was worn off the tire. Entirely for safety reasons you understand. And get that cookie.

So far the Michelin tire seems pretty nice. Certainly a lot smoother ride than I was getting with my Pirelli front tire with 7500 miles on it. I will do a more thorough evaluation of the tire once the roads get wet and cold.

And I will change that belt this week. I told my dog not to be fiddling with the torque wrench.

Woke this morning with thoughts of riding north through Pine Creek Gorge. By the time I left the driveway I was on my way south with no particular destination in mind. The weather forecast promised sun and 50° Fahrenheit temperatures but all I saw was dark skies and my hands were cold before I went five miles. Those cold hands gave direction to the ride as I visualized a route that would take me past four motorcycle stores and the hopes of finding something warmer.

The Vespa ran smoothly all day. I have grown more comfortable with its ability to run flat out and perform regardless of conditions. Secondary roads with little traffic and travel speeds between 25 and 55 miles per hour are my first choice but I don’t hesitate to join more congested or faster environments if necessary.

The first couple hours I wandered through the township roads that crisscross the mountains and farmland common in central Pennsylvania. I stop often to look around and take pictures that I can’t imagine anyone wanting to ride with me unless they had a similar obsession with stopping. I joined the 65 MPH traffic on US Route 22 traveling west towards Hollidaysburg and Altoona. At the top of Short Mountain I stopped to take a picture for Kim of Louie’s Coral Lounge.

This place has been around since I first came to this area in 1972 and was once a fine dining establishment. Over the years it has declined into a hybrid roadhouse until I guess it could not make ends meet anymore. Riding down the mountain I stopped to take a photo of the leaves that are now past their flaming prime.

My first destination was Cernic’s Suzuki dealership in hopes of finding some good winter gloves or waterproof covers for mine. Before I got there I just had to stop at Donnelly’s Antiques in Duncansville to pose the Vespa in an environment more suited to its quiet sophistication.

No gloves at the Suzuki Dealer but on the way home I stopped at Steve Selzer’s new Honda Dealership. Nice place and they hand the Tourmaster Winter Elite gloves in stock though not in my size. One of the techs told me he has a pair and rides to work with them and found them warm at 70 MPH at 35 degrees. I’m sold. On payday I will order a pair from someone.

After a stop for gas I made the final run home by the fastest and most direct route. At least that was my plan until the sun came out and the world got brighter. I detoured a bit through some farmlands that I knew would have some of those lone trees I am so drawn too.

By the time I got home I had put another 120 miles on the Vespa and the odometer is turning close to the 7500 mile mark. A new front tire and variator weights are due for delivery tomorrow so I will begin my maintenance work of changing the drivebelt, weights, sparkplug, airfilter, and change the front tire. I will transform from rider to mechanic.

This past Monday morning my friend Paul and I decided to take a long ride north. His only requirement was that it not be raining when we left. At dawn the sky was heavily overcast and gray, the roads wet, the wind moving at a sustained 20 MPH and the temperature hovering around 34° Fahrenheit. And it wasn’t raining. A perfect morning to ride.

I had gone over the Vespa carefully the night before and made sure everything was mechanically sound so I could roll it out of the garage and go. Paul arrived on his bright yellow Suzuki DRZ400 SuperMoto and off we went. We were only 10 miles out when we stopped to add some more gear. I put on a windproof Mountain Hardware jacket on under my First Gear jacket and Paul pulled on some waterproof and windproof covers over his gloves because his fingertips were getting numb. My hands were still fine but by midday I was looking at every motorcycle store for a pair myself.

We rode over two ridges and down into the Susquehanna river basin and the town of Jersey Shore and stopped for a hearty breakfast at the Penna Waffle House and Deli.

Afterwards Paul decided he wanted to check out a guitar store and Harley dealer in Williamsport, a definite variation from my desire to continue north into the wilderness. The Vespa had been in the lead until now but Paul took responsibility for finding our next stops and I followed behind on US220 at 55 – 60 MPH. Even with the crosswind the LX150 was fine.

We found the Harley dealer was closed on Mondays. And we never found the guitar store. So much for that detour which took up an hour. My turn to lead again so I jumped on US15, a limited access four lane highway that I knew would quickly get us out of town and headed north. We stopped at Bob Logue Motorsports so that I could look for a pair of those waterproof covers for my gloves. This unassuming motorcycle shop was home to the Honda Museum. Check out their Web site. No glove covers but a ton of vintage bikes to look at. And a change to warm up a bit too.

Eventually we rode north into the Tiadaghton State Forest to see the flaming foliage that Pennsylvania is so famous for. We rode through places like Trout Run, Steam Valley, Beech Grove and White Pine before stopping in English Center for lunch.

These little places make nice riding stops but my guess is they do their big business during buck season.

As mid afternoon approached we rode west along Pine Creek through narrow valleys.

This is the kind of place I love to ride and the Vespa performed flawlessly and seemed up to the task of running along with the SuperMoto. Paul kept asking if I wanted to switch bikes and I finally did toward the end of the ride when we were making the run home. Here are my observations from riding the Suzuki:

The LX150 ride is luxurious ride compared to the SuperMoto. The Vespa seat is soft and forgiving compared to the hard, narrow seat on the Suzuki. The Vespa riding position is flat out more comfortable. I felt strangely exposed with my feet on pegs rather than hidden behind the cowl of the scooter. The bars on the Suzuki are extremely wide and I found my shoulders aching after a few miles. And shifting – I just found it annoying. I’m sure I would fall into the groove again but why bother….Finally, the big tires on the Suzuki don’t allow for the quick and nimble movements of the scooter. I guess there is a lot of centrifugal force to overcome.

On the positive side the Suzuki shocks were a dream. Every road bump and bang just disappears. The sound and feel of the 400cc thumper engine was nice compared to the silence of the scooter. Not sure that I still wouldn’t want silence tough. And power—geez. At 60MPH you twist the throttle and torque and acceleration is yours. I came upon a situation on the road where a car in the other lane was stopped to turn left across my lane while another car was waiting to turn onto the road I was on. With the scooter I slow and become ready to stop. With the SuperMoto I slow but when I got close enough I could haul on the throttle and “squirt” through the gap. With the LX150 there is no squirting.

When we switched back my first impression of the Vespa again was that it was tiny. Sitting lower, narrower bars it seemed weird for a moment but that passed. And I definitely noticed the loss of acceleration and torque.

I asked Paul at the end of the day if my limitations of speed and power prevented him from riding differently. He said that there were only two places where he would have ridden faster, both on 4 lane limited access highways. One I could only manage 45 going up a long grade and the other I was doing 60 to get from one exit to another and he said he would have rocketed along that stretch. For the entire ride through the woods though he said I was going faster than he would normally have gone.

I think I’ll stick with the scooter.

I arrived home eight hours after I left. I was warm, dry, and smiling. I only rode 180 miles which surprised me for the amount of time I was gone. I would have stopped a lot more to make photos if I had been by myself. I think Paul would have strangled me if I did my every 300-yard stopping pattern. I guess I will have to ride back north for some pictures. I’m afraid the leaves will all be gone before I get there….

On October 2, 2005 I posted for the first time on Scooter in the Sticks. Today sees the 100th entry here and I thought I would use this as an opportunity to ask why I’ve done this. Before I do I want to thank my wife Kim for her patience and understanding of the work I do with Scooter in the Sticks, but also with my riding.

And of course she receives complete credit as author of the name Scooter in the Sticks. She always has the best ideas.

As I look back over the past twelve months and think about how writing, riding and photography have come together I see several themes or changes that recur from day to day.

SEE MORE
As a photographer you’d think this would be a simple thing but I’ve found it a challenge to pursue and sustain. When I purchased the Vespa LX150 it was in large measure a step to introduce some fun into life. And it has exceeded my expectations on that front. What I did not realize is that it has opened my eyes wide to everything around me. The nature and demands of riding do not easily suffer the kind of automaton manner that I can embrace in a four-wheeled vehicle. Riding the scooter has heightened my awareness of the road and my fellows on it, but also everything thing that I pass by. The photo above was taken this past Saturday afternoon as I road home from the local library. Riding along I saw a dense growth of bittersweet vine, something Kim and I have been seeking for a long time. We never saw this growth while driving but ride by it one time on a scooter… I definitely see more.

REFLECT AND RELEASE
The process of riding unwinds me. I can feel the tension, noise, and chaos of a day dissipate as the scooter gains momentum. The scooter asks me to be patient and accept the world around me. It allows me to actually do what has often been suggested. I made the video below before I bought the scooter. I had identified a connection between the photographic work I was doing and the daily work that I was engaged in. Looking at it now I can see the Vespa is a mirror of photography. Both processes do the same thing for me.

CONSCIOUS OF DECISIONS
Managing a safe ride requires focused attention. I’m aware of the direct connection between the choices I make while riding and the results of those decisions. Riding allows me to stay awake and not be asleep in my life. I appreciate the days and being awake allows me to take action rather than just think about things to come.

So there it is, reflections drawn at 7AM on a Monday morning. In another hour I will be departing on a long ride with my friend Paul. It’s 37° F right now with a 20 MPH wind. The forecast calls for a high of 44° by midday. We’re heading north in the remote and forested countryside of Pennsylvania, me on the Vespa and Paul on his bright yellow Suzuki DRZ400 SuperMoto.

A fine pair we’ll make on the road.

This will be a short post. A notification for myself as much as something for you to read. As I rode home this evening it was with a fine anticipation of nine days of vacation. I’m not going anywhere or doing anything. Just nine days to hang out at home with Kim and relax. And take the opportunity to ride. I’m pretty excited about it.

I stopped twice just to look at the sky. Fall is upon us and the leaves are changing and falling fast. The late day sun and broken sky just cry out “Autumn!” to me. For any of you who live in places that don’t experience a dramatic seasonal change like this you must add it to your “See before I die” list. And to ride through it is magic.

As I approached home I saw a rainbow. By the time I stopped and got the camera out it was nearly gone.

You can see a bit of it above the Vespa. The rainbow is obviously a signal of gold to come.

Nine days of vacation!