Scooter in the Sticks

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

Is 24-Horsepower Enough for a Motorcycle?

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2022 Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycle parked along a farm field.
Simple, reliable, but too weak for serious riding?

Enter the Era of Downsizing Motorcycles

YouTube is currently full of content declaring the virtues of moving to smaller machines. The reasons vary but the changes are happening. Mostly because so many riders are older and perhaps feeling how much heavier machines are feeling. I’m familiar with those feelings.

The median age of an American motorcycle owner is around 50. In 1990 the median rider age was 32. And in 1985 it was 27. Not great news for manufacturers wondering where new customers are going to come from but no surprise the Boomers and GenXers, used to ever bigger and better SUVs and trucks, seem to end up with mammoth machines that are now getting a little uncomfortable.

Downsizing can be the result of wanting a motorcycle that’s just easier to handle. Or less expensive to own and operate. Or more fun. All that stands in the way of downsizing in an clear understanding of needs and an honest assessment of ego. Ego is a bitch to get past though. Just this morning I was talking with a fellow rider about Helite Turtle 2 airbags. Expensive. Probably useful. But when I saw the Hi-Viz yellow my first reaction was in how it would interrupt the elegant look of my Merlin Hixon II leather jacket.

Style before safety right? Turns out they do offer them in black.

Back to my 2022 Royal Enfield Himalayan. I downsized to it from my BMW K75 because that motorcycle was feeling heavy for the kind of riding I was doing. And it had more power than I needed. Ultimately I wanted a motorcycle to ride in the dirt and gravel. The Himalayan was a much better choice.

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Summer Intuition and Vespa Riding

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Vespa GTS scooter parked in a driveway
Morning view of the magnificent Vespa GTS scooter.

Vespa Riding


Mornings are the quiet landscape on which my mind wanders the concerns of the day. Looking into the tops of our 70-foot tall fir trees I can see more dying from a blight that slowly kills off the needles leaving stands of naked trees that must be removed. In the past two years, I’ve spent enough removing trees to buy two brand new Vespa GTS scooter. The next two years promise the same.

Sitting in the garden while the dogs play, before departing for a ride on the Vespa, I’m feeling the grip of the heat on body and spirit. That grip is more restrictive than the pandemic which is quite simple to manage in comparison through social distancing, wearing a mask, avoiding crowds, and washing my hands. But heat is different. It drains me physically which in turn drains my psychological energy which leads to doing nothing.

I’ve relied on Vespa riding to infuse me with energy. But I confess a growing reluctance to venture out when the forecast promises temperatures approaching 90F and beyond.

Still, the Vespa in the morning light is enough to get me moving. I’ve made this same picture dozens of times, a visual notation of the beginning of another adventure.

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On Riding: Gravel, Fog and Heat

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Vespa scooter on gravel road in fogEscape from Heat, Escape from Everything

It’s obvious now why I post so little during the summer. I’ve grown intolerant of the heat.

Riding into town the other day with the temperature just above 90F, grumbling at the hot air pouring through my mesh riding jacket, visor up to let the wind blast away the hot air from heat-stressed lungs with little success, I was just miserable.

And as much as I love riding, there’s something sinister about midday heat that leaves me cold.

So imagine my thrill in the morning when I see the sun hidden by fog and a chance to escape the relentless heat with a little ride.

Standing at the end of the driveway it was apparent that any respite would require a gain in altitude if I wanted to get lost in a mysterious world.  And that would mean riding up into Rothrock State Forest and gravel roads. Vespa riding on gravel brings it’s own special challenges.Continue Reading