Scooter in the Sticks

Exploring life on a Vespa Scooter and Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycle.

Being Lost

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1992 BMW K75C
Morning, the best time to ride during the summer.

Flame of Excitement

I’ve been feeling angry a lot lately. Drama, the pandemic, heat, and the everyday noise of living seem to be backing up in my head. Being lost helped clear all that up.

I told Kim I needed a ride. So I got early, took care of the dogs, and walked out to the motorcycle not long after sunrise. The air was cool and I felt the familiar flame of excitement kindle in my gut.

I was going for a ride.

I wonder if, or when, that kind of excitement will end.

I didn’t plan on being lost.

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Thoughts on Riding My BMW K75 Motorcycle

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A scenic view of a central Pennsylvania landscape
A postcard day that suggested a riding my BMW K75 motorcycle.

Post Card Scene


A postcard scene; replete with a bright blue sky painted with billowing white clouds and a sweeping view across a rural landscape whispers to me that I should be riding my BMW K75 motorcycle. For many riders, this is an ideal day for riding. For me, the environment which finds my interest and time for riding a scooter or motorcycle plummeting. My interest in riding is inversely proportional to the temperature. Once the thermometer hits 80F my mind seems to erase the knowledge that there are two-wheeled machines in the garage. Add to that my belief (mistaken) that there is nothing more boring than the light of a sunny day and is it any wonder that from June to September I don’t ride much?

I remember a miserable ride home from the 2011 BMW International Rally in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania when the temperature was well over 100F. The link will give you an idea of the heat encountered that day.

You know, it’s much easier to stay warm while riding than it is to cool off.

Even so, the mental and emotional buildup of life eventually whispers in some deep recess in my mind, “You need to go for a ride.”

So I thought I would share a few thoughts on riding my BMW K75 motorcycle.

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Dirty Motorcycle Riding in Pennsylvania

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Rural roads in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has endless backroads to explore. In winter they come with the added bonus of grit, grime and salt.

Winter Riding is About Choices

Motorcycle riding in Pennsylvania is great. Lots of roads. Lots of places to eat. And doesn’t take long to find the traffic has fallen off yielding a relatively relaxed environment in which to lose yourself. Unless you live near Pittsburgh or Philadelphia. Then it make take more time to find those lonely paths.

When I rolled the BMW K75 out of the garage I felt it appropriate to take advantage of the dry roads and reasonably warm air. With temperatures in the mid-30s I didn’t have a care in the world. Once I was on the road it didn’t take long to realize my choice to ride, especially the BMW, may have been a bit shy in assessment.

The roads splitting off in the above picture are in the heart of Amish country at the far end of Penns Valley between Aaronsburg and Woodward. I knew they would be dry. I knew they wound through pretty countryside. But I forgot they would still be chock full of gravel, sand, grit and salt. Why since we’ve had next to no snow? I have no idea. And any guesses I might voice would be stupid, petty or both.

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Cold Weather Riding Limits of the BMW K75

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Autumn leaves
Most of the leaves are on the ground now. What’s left is the coming of winter.

Cold Weather is Coming

The lyrical autumn scenery has faded into the stark reality that winter is coming. The leaves have fallen and soon they’ll be raked, burned or forgotten as snow falls along with the temperature.

I have this motorcycle now and am wondering what I’ll do with it this winter. Will I keep it in service or put it to sleep until spring. Those questions have been on my mind. All depends on the cold weather riding limits of the BMW K75.

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Riding a Heavy Motorcycle

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BMW K75 motorcycle on a foggy, rural road.
The BMW K75 is a heavy motorcycle.

A Heavy Motorcycle is Not a Scooter

Writer’s block. Riders’ block. If you can extend your patience just a bit perhaps I can shed some light on the problem. Or opportunity. Whatever is happening, I always hope a ride on the Vespa scooter or BMW K75 motorcycle will raise the curtain on a swirling mind.

Standing along the road, gazing on my motorcycle poised in the fog, I’m keenly aware of how exceptionally different the K75 riding experience is from the scooter. Size. Weight. Demands on body and mind. It’s all different and I know it though I possess a remarkable ability to delude myself into thinking it’s just a big scooter of some kind. For a few minutes, I stand amidst a fantasy landscape where skill and experience are meaningless. I can do anything.

There’s a thrill riding this 550-pound machine. New. Unexpected. The motorcycle demands my full attention. It reminds this 65-year-old body that it’s not as strong as it seems when riding the Vespa. I feel the challenge in my mind and in my gut.

It’s a wonderful way to start the day.

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