I washed the scooter yesterday in part because it was dirty, but mostly because I was taking it into the shop for its annual Pennsylvania Safety Inspection and to have a new rear tire put on. I felt embarrassed at how dirty the thing had gotten from the past month of riding in rain, mud and dirt. The Excalibur Gray Vespa paint really does a good job hiding the dirt but when you get up close or look underneath at the engine……

Here is a shot of the underneath of engine that I posted on the Modern Vespa forum to indicate where the oil drain plug is. That dirty thing to the right is a week old oil filter.

So I hosed it down and washed it up and cleaned most of the underside, at least as much as I could stand before getting bored. All of this is leading to a question of those of you who read and ride. Am I nuts not washing and shining this scooter more often? I definitely have a long history of slim attendance to cleaning. Don’t get me wrong, I do attend to maintenance and mechanical issues, but keeping something shining bright and new just bores the hell out of me. I would rather be riding.

All of this applies equally to my cameras, home, garage, garden, computer hard drive, basement, toolbox and dog. With the Vespa I’ve really tried to be different but if I wash it once a month that’s a lot. I wash my truck maybe three times a year. The last time a friend who borrowed it washed it because it was too dirty for him. It is a truck. It was made to haul wet concrete right?

Anyways, back to the Vespa. I know lots of riders of motorcycles treat their machines with extreme care and patience. My eyes glaze over as they describe some new cleaning product that does a fantastic job but be careful you don’t let it linger too long on this or that. I’ve never seen them with their bike when it didn’t look like it came right off the showroom floor. Not a single scratch from riding down a too narrow path in the woods. No mud spray from the last rain. Just shiny. It’s like those people I see in the neighborhood who are always dressed up. Never once do they appear dirty or unkempt. They have lawn services….

So, advise me readers. What am I missing here? Am I sending my scooter to an early death by not keeping it sparkling? Isn’t it enough to spray the salt off in the winter? Or am I just a lazy man and don’t realize it….

Yesterday morning’s commute to work took place in a damp, cool fog. Awareness heightens when the riding environment presses more strongly – rain, cold, darkness, fog, wind, or even traffic. That awareness is as if a light has been turned on in a dark room. It’s quietly exciting and it’s something I have always been drawn towards. When I stop to make photographs I am often searching for evidence of that change in awareness and try to capture the elements responsible for the change. The shift in awareness is consistent while riding. I’ve also encountered in sailing in the ocean in foul weather or backpacking in the winter. It occurs on walks with my wife on cool nights in our neighborhood while looking at the stars. But with riding it always happens and since I ride almost everyday I get to see the world a little differently with great frequency.

I stumbled across a passage in a book I am reading, “Angle of Repose” by Wallace Stegner, that clearly describes the physical, spiritual and emotional response that I experience and I thought I should share it with you.

“…walks along the shore amid tempests of wind and rain, with a fire and a cup of tea and the sure affections of a sheltered house afterward. Exposure followed by sanctuary was somehow part of Grandmother’s emotional need, and it turned out to be the pattern of her life.”

Reading that passage things came together for me in one of those moments of clarity. A pattern has existed in my life. I push myself through exposure to the elements, through physical challenges but there is always a promise of sanctuary at the end of the road. A cup of tea at a cafe, a warm house, a cozy sleeping bag, a dry cabin on a boat. I ride for the shift in awareness, I knew that, but now I know that there is an additional element that is essential to me – the sanctuary of shelter, friends and family.

This is my favorite time of year. The landscape transforms almost overnight into a paradise of color, fragrance and light. The other morning I was out early with my dog walking near Bear Meadows, a lovely bog area. Mist and rain softened the emerging reds, yellows and oranges.

This morning I found myself traveling along a gravel road through long stretches of drying corn. Autumn is everywhere and I hope to see it on foot and by scooter as much as possible. I’ll share pictures as I get them but get out there yourself and see things first hand. For those of you who live in places that don’t have such dramatic seasonal changes stay tuned.

The real economics of riding aren’t at the pump; they are gathered when you make a decision to replace your four-wheeled vehicle as the main choice of transportation. Without that decision the scooter remains a toy, object of recreation or occasional transportation item.

There is no doubt I save at the fuel pump. My Ford Ranger gets about 20 miles per gallon. The Vespa gets around 68. On the highway the difference is even greater— 24 vs. 90. Some quick math. Last year I rode the scooter about 7000 miles. My truck 1200 (at least 600 of that put on by friends or family needing a truck). The truck uses regular fuel so let’s use 2.30 per gallon for calculation. Total fuel cost last year (using city mileage figure)— $138.00. Pretty cheap. The scooter on the other hand using premium fuel at 2.50 per gallon cost $237.00. Still pretty cheap.

Now had I put all 8200 miles on the truck the fuel cost would have been $943. More but not a terribly troubling number. The focus on fuel is really not where the real economics lie. The real economy of scooters is when they become a replacement vehicle that either does not require the purchase of a four-wheeled vehicle or it extends the useful life of that vehicle. I spent $4500 on the Vespa out the door, tax, and license. The truck was over four times that cost. My wife and I have three vehicles— VW Jetta, Ford Ranger truck, and Vespa. If we can eliminate the need for the Ford the economic benefits are huge in terms of purchase price saved, maintenance, insurance, fuel. There is also a big benefit if I can extend the useful life of the four-wheeled vehicles.

All of this starts to touch on personal preferences and comfort levels with style, age of vehicles, etc. I could go out an buy a 500-dollar junker and drive it and perhaps be cheaper than the scooter.

And a good economist would probably factor in health risk and medical expenses in the event of an accident. I don’t want to even try to estimate that other than the scooter is probably a lot more expensive.

After all the thinking about this stuff I end up with a couple of observations. First, I hate thinking about money. Second, my decision to ride was not based on economics. Third, for me the economic benefit of riding is a welcome one and real based on our family’s driving, riding, and ownership parameters. Because we keep vehicles until the wheels fall off we are able to amortize costs over a long period of time.

I hate thinking about money. What about you? Does a scooter or motorcycle save you anything?

Time to ride.

I took a slightly longer route home this evening from work, one that would take me away from the frantic traffic longing to get home. Car upon car, truck upon truck, SUV upon SUV all queued to get to the freeway entrance to hurtle north, east and west. The Vespa took me another path—one that is slow and deliberate, no hurrying. In one small village I was happy to see new asphalt finally smoothing the road surface and placing the manholes at road level rather than four inches above. I cruised along slowly until approaching the line painting truck applying double yellow to the black road surface. I hung back a considerable distance not wanting any yellow over spray coating my Vespa. I was content to just enjoy the air and scenery until such time the truck stopped painting and pulled over. I’d get home when I would get there. I was throwing slow back at a day that often wants fast. Our whole culture prompts us to rush and be impatient. The scooter is definitely a step off that roller coaster if you want to revolt.

The light glowed yellow as it lowered in the west sky. The foliage is beginning to change and I just love the smell of fall in the air. I had to stop and take some pictures. Again, the scooter seems to keep showing up. I promise that I will start posting some non-scooter pictures for those of you who may be more interested in photography.