Scooter in the Sticks

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

Vespa on the Road to Memory

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For anyone who rides a scooter or motorcycle there’s probably nothing here you don’t already know.  So turn off the computer, get up, and go for a ride.  But if you’re new to the riding life, or in that luscious world of dreams and fantasy filled with two-wheeled lies and adventure, then maybe you might want to read on.

Vespa GTS scooter along freeway with Allegheny Plateau in the distanceOh, baby, baby, it’s a wild world

Tucked and harnessed safely in an automobile, or warm and cozy at home on the couch with the television on, the world is absolutely under control, predictable and at my back and call.  I am master of my universe.

And it’s all a lie.  Slowly the rules creep in, those quiet expectations of shiny floors, freshly painted walls, lush green lawns and polite behavior. And one morning, quiet without a care in the world, you’ll realize you’re enslaved to things you never agreed to.

There are no absolutes in life save death.  And this scene may blessedly never visit upon you.  For me, as I learned to wake up and pay attention, things didn’t always make sense. The pressure to stay asleep is strong and I need help.  A spouse light years ahead of me on this path is a gift.  The camera helps me pay attention.  A pen and journal demands thought.  Writing on Scooter in the Sticks allows me to abandon silence and to give testimony that there are other paths.

Options.  Choices.

What does this have to do with riding a Vespa?  

Last weekend I was on the road to nowhere, standing along Interstate 99 wondering where I was going and feeling a bit anxious at the uncertainty.  And then, alone for a moment with no rules or expectations I realized what a servant I am to the machinations of the world.  What does this have to do with riding a Vespa?  It provides a platform to escape, if only for a moment, and question everything you believe to be true.

At least for me.  It’s the gift that matters when I think about riding — scooter or motorcycle.  Fun, recreation, relaxation, friendship, adventure — they’re just minor side effects of a bigger experience.

I won’t forget this day.

Vespa GTS scooter along the freewayHow fast does that Vespa scooter go?

Seventy-five miles per hour.  All day long if necessary.  Fast enough for anywhere in America.

South on Interstate 99.  I knew that much.  My brain was scrambling for order.  Go home.  Ride to Virginia.  Visit the in-laws in Altoona.  The cacophony of ideas in my head was breathtaking.  I stopped so I wouldn’t hurt myself from inattention to the road and not any desire to photograph the scooter along the freeway.  It took five minutes of cerebral discord before I felt comfortable riding on.

This never happens in the car.  I’m certain the military-industrial complex under direction of the Trilateral Commission has probably impregnated the cabins with chemicals to suppress thought and ensure a compliant world.

There is no such effect riding a scooter or motorcycle.

Memorial Day in Tyrone, PennsylvaniaMemorial Day in Tyrone, Pennsylvania

Hunger brought me to Tyrone as I left home without breakfast.  The local fire company was raising the red, white and blue in preparation of a parade.  After a momentary pause I left town and the gathering crowd for something more quiet.

Unless you’re a daily commuter or use your scooter or motorcycle for chores, when you get on you will only take with you the demands you place on yourself.  Riding offers choices.Spo

Vespa GTS scooter under a railroad bridgeSpot of Shade

By 10am it was already hot and found me searching for shade more than destination.  Any earlier anxiety regarding the ride was gone now as I fell in step with the rhythm of exploration, choosing the roads and paths that remain invisible from the task oriented automobile.

“I wonder where that goes?” my motto for the day, I believe I could ride forever.

Railroad bridge over LIttle Juniata RiverLittle Juniata River

I’ve always wanted to walk across this bridge and think about it every time I ride by.  That thought never happened once in the car.  All I think about passing through here is getting home.  Point A to point B.

Maybe if I had a Ferrari it would be different.  My friend Paul has a Ferrari.  He seldom takes it out on the road so my guess is it would make no difference.

Vespa scooter along railroad tracksMain Line

Parked at a private crossing of the main railroad line between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and points west.  It’s down to two tracks now, a sad testament to short-sighted vision of leaders in this country.  I waited for awhile in hopes that a train would pass, thought of putting a penny on the track one last time, but after fifteen minutes the heat pushed me on my way.

Riding a Vespa has revealed an endless opportunity for experience — ones more in line with magical discoveries from childhood than those available to “adults”.

Have you ever put a penny on a railroad track?

Vespa GTS scooter on a winding country roadCountry roads take me home

There’s a spider network of country roads in central Pennsylvania that meander under the trees and along creeks that makes riding almost a guilty pleasure.  It surprises me though how few motorcycles I ever see on these secondary to secondary roads.  Could it be that riders prefer traveling at 55mph and above over the arcadian pleasures on these little roads?

While writing this post (at the Pump Station) a large cadre of motorcycles roared by.  They had either been on PA 45 or US322, both a bore in my opinion for riding a motorcycle.  But you can go fast.  I suppose that counts for something.

Vespa along a highwayThe road goes on forever

I know it doesn’t go forever but what a fantasy.  I have my fingers crossed for a lot more time wandering the world on two-wheels.  The accumulated memories will fuel the days when the scooter no longer leaves the garage.  Riding a Vespa scooter has taught me a lot about myself and life.  But perhaps the most important lesson it it’s ability to generate meaningful memories.  And with no need to engage a transcontinental trip to do it.

I’ll admit to a level of advantage due to location…

Vespa on gravel roadWhat’s a ride without a little gravel

Seems I’m never far from the unpaved road.  I remember the first time I rode my Vespa LX150 in gravel — not the most comforting feeling, especially in the loose stuff.  Over time, with experience, both comfort level and velocity increased.  With so many unpaved roads in Pennsylvania it just seems a shame not to take advantage of their secrets.

Vespa parked in the woods along a streamBrunch with a Vespa scooter

Hunger finally got the best of me and I stopped to eat the sandwich I’d picked up earlier in the day.  Nothing like eating in the shade of hemlocks to the rippling sounds of a creek.  As I write this I continue to wonder at the hundreds of thousands of miles I’ve clocked in an automobile and have no memory of ever doing this.

Have I wasted my life in the cage?

Experienced riders know the answer.  If you’re new or dreaming, you’ll have to work out the answer yourself.  No one can answer for you.

It’s all part of the ride — questioning, experience, memories and more.

Don’t wait.

Riding Kaleidoscope

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Are your weekends on your scooter or motorcycle a riding kaleidoscope?

Winding road ahead sign with Vespa scooter in the backgroundWinding Roads

Some days, I swear I see better than others.  Objects seem to leap out toward my eyes and landscapes become small cinematic experiences.  It’s like a riding kaleidoscope where there’s a constant change of pattern, texture and form.

Or maybe it’s just my imagination.

Out early on Saturday morning in hopes of beating the heat seemed like a good plan but by 9am the temperature was already above eighty-degrees — hell for someone like me who thrives in the fifty to sixty-degree range.

Some riders would feel a thrill at the sight of a sign warning of winding roads ahead with the attendant leans and lines as they hurtle along.  My Vespa and I are lollygaggers with little interest is speed.  I just thought the sign looked neat.  And to offer some hope to those in the midwest who live in grids.

Vespa GTS scooter along a country roadLate Spring Lushness

The rain and sunshine have created a lush landscape of plants.  The fragrance of flowers fill the air and the heat has driven me to my vented summer riding jacket.  You can often tell from the photos when I stop to smell the roses — the helmet comes off meaning I want to look around.

The scenery changes mile by mile, around every bend almost.  What a fine day to ride the scooter.

intersection of country roadsWhich Way?  Who Cares.

When I left home I didn’t have a destination.  Wasn’t really sure if I wanted to ride or stay home and work in the garden or visit my granddaughter who I see far too infrequently.  I find it a bit unsettling riding  when I don’t know where I’m going, especially at intersections where I make a choice of left or right based on a feeling without a focus.

Where am I going?

What’s nice about riding the Vespa, or pretty much any two-wheeled machine, is the relative ease in making changes in course and direction.  At this intersection I eventually turned around and decided to go the other way.

water plants and algae in a creekGazing in the Water

There was a time when I would take my boots off and wade in the water.  Now I just look, maybe make a photograph, and keep my distance from anything so juvenile as getting my feet wet.  Still, it’s a lovely pastime to wander along a stream with a camera.

Wished I had seen a muskrat.  Or an otter.  What a wonderful view in my riding kaleidoscope.

Vespa GTS scooter on rural roadLoving Those Rural Roads

The quiet loneliness of a rural road transited on a Vespa scooter rises to the level of near perfection for me.  Ride at my own pace, stop when I want, go when I want, go where I want.  These empty places are the stuff of dreams and memory that I’ll one day be replaying.

I do love these rural roads.

Riding jacket and Vespa scooterA Stop for Lunch

Pausing for a few bites of a sandwich and to rehydrate before moving on to a discovered destination just outside of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania — Nature’s Cover where I would order two truckloads of stone for our garden.

I’ve become adept at sitting and emptying my mind of thoughts (without falling asleep) and just absorbing the worlf around me.  I scribbled no notes.  Just stared off in the distance until a conversation behind me broke the spell.

Three mallard ducks in the grassChattering Chorus

Three mallard ducks began to talk to me, no doubt interested in an arrangement which would include me sharing part of my lunch with them.  Don’t feed the ducks.  I learned that a long time ago.

A no nothing ride.  Nothing special or unique.  But an eclectic riding kaleidoscope of scenes that are now firmly stored in my gourd.

Ah, the Vespa…

My Seven Types of Riding Weather

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Steve Williams with his Vespa GTS scooterConsidering the Weather

Weather is a constant consideration when riding though the precise nature of the weather affects how much attention I give it.  Even during the warm months the local weather can change dramatically during the day.  More than once I’ve been caught without adequate protection when a hot day turned remarkably cool after the sun went down.  Or tree lined roads winding along cold water creeks were far cooler than the open road under full sun.  Move into the cooler months and on into winter and at times I feel like a meteorologist.

To think about all this I divide riding weather into seven categories to help physically and mentally prepare for a ride.  It’s almost instinctual now but the mental checklists help avoid being caught in circumstances that are uncomfortable or dangerous.

Motorcycle rider cooling off on a 100F dayHeat

Made this photograph on my way home from a BMW rally in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania.  A bright summer day with brutal temperatures at and above 100F.  I soaked myself thoroughly from heat to foot with water before leaving the rally for the 90 mile ride home.  Less than 10 miles out I was bone dry, parched and sweating profusely.  The wind blast at 55 mph was hot and miserable and had me stopping every ten miles to down another bottle of water.

When I see the forecast indicating temperatures above 80F I make sure I have lots of water and wear fully vented riding gear including gloves.  I also make sure to stop often regardless of my desire to tough it out.  Dehydration comes on fast in high heat.

And remember, all of these weather accounts are unique to me.  Every rider will have a different level of physical and mental tolerance.  What’s important, I think, is for you to find yours.

Vespa GTS scooter in the rainRain

Riding weather that calls for rain has me thinking of gear, temperature and the estimate of rainfall (intensity).  Staying dry is more critical in the rain at 35F than it is at 80F but both can fell an unprepared rider when fingers and joints get cold and cease to function as expected.  And if my core gets cold that spells danger because I’ll be focused on trying to fight the cold rather than pay attention to the road.

Riding in the rain can be pleasant if there’s not a lot of traffic to content with.  Estimating what will be encountered on the road is an important consideration for me.  And like most bad weather or situations that impair visibility — I have to slow down.  Easy for me but seemingly difficult for other riders and most drivers.  That mismatch in speed on the road is something to think about.

Vespa GTS scooter in the fogFog

I love riding in fog because of the visual mystery and magic in presents.  I also realize the risk is greater that other drivers won’t see me.  Or me them.  As with rain, I consider where I’ll be riding, the amount and speed of traffic, and the density of the fog.  There have been a few rides where I should have stayed home because I couldn’t see 50 feet in front of me.  That’s not a common fog here in central Pennsylvania.

Vespa LX 150 in winter at Seven Stars, PennsylvaniaCold

I consider cold weather to be anything below 40F down to -15F. That’s the cold weather riding range for central Pennsylvania. Physically it’s easily managed with the right gear. Mentally it’s more difficult and fraught with myth, fear and demands on expertise and behavior.

Cold affects a body.  If you can’t keep the cold air out and your body warm best stay at home.  It also affects traction.  Tires that are nice and sticky in warm weather can be surprisingly slippery on cold bare pavement.  It requires an adjustment in riding approach, even with a scooter.

All of this holds down below zero.  The only thing I’ll add is that I worry about the battery in real cold weather, especially if the scooter is sitting while I stop to eat.  To be sure I always have enough starting power I always carry an AntiGravity battery in the topcase.

Vespa GTS scooter on snowy roadSnow

Snow is generally, for me at least, the unfortunate occurrence when you ride in the cold.  I don’t often venture out when it’s snowing unless I’m absolutely convinced the nature of the snow and the amount is manageable.  Wet snow around the freezing mark is more treacherous than dry snow at 20F.  Having snow tires on the scooter makes a big difference as well.

My advice on riding in the snow?

Don’t.

sheet ice on the road during a Vespa scooter rideIce

This is just plain unpleasant but like snow something that can occur when riding in the cold. Personally, I prefer snow over ice but that’s just me. This scene appeared the morning after a warm thaw on the previous day with lots of water running across the road in lots of places.  During the night that water froze solid creating awful challenges to navigate walking over let alone riding.

I had to flat foot a step at a time with the engine off to get the Vespa across these hazards.  Can’t imagine doing it with a tall or heavy motorcycle.

If you’re riding, especially on a long trip in the winter, you’ll likely encounter things like this.  If you whip around a curve and encounter this, well, you’ll probably meet the pavement.

Vespa GTS scooter on a rural road in summerPleasant Riding Weather

This is my physical sweet spot for riding – 40F through 80F.  I can deal with any typical weather presented short of a tornado or lightning storm with two sets of gear — warm weather and cold.  The expertise has been honed from slow and deliberate experimentation and with it the requisite mindset to keep myself safe.

If you’re a Memorial to Labor Day rider you’ll likely only have to deal with heat and rain.  Push far before or after those dates and you’ll need to think about a lot more potential situations.

I have my own taxonomy and definition of riding weather conditions.

Do you do something like this too?

Introduction to Vespa Riding: Coffee Shops

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Vespa scooter along a rural roadSolitary Experience

Riding a scooter or motorcycle, by nature, leans toward a solitary experience.  A passenger can be included or machines can congregate in groups and technology can be added to provide communication but rider and machine make up the critical whole.  People, and riders, like many forms of animal life, tend to congregate in flocks, herds, swarms and packs.  My riding tilts toward the loner. Any introduction to Vespa riding should point out those two schools of travel.

There is ample information available in print and online regarding the technical skills and requirements for safe operation of scooters and motorcycles so I won’t attempt to add anything here.  But their are unique, though certainly not universal, riding experiences that perhaps warrant attention.

Like the coffee shop experience.

Street scene in State College, PennsylvaniaCoffee Shops in Cities and Towns Across America

I can only speak for Pennsylvania and parts of Maryland and West Virginia.  Others might weigh in on the rest of the country as I illuminate the non-moving part of a ride, the coffee shop experience.  What I refer to is that moment during a ride when you say to yourself, “I’m taking a rest”, and you find yourself sitting in a small establishment dedicated to serving hot, brown liquid along with a small array of food.

Whether one of the nearly 13 thousand Starbucks establishments in the United States or the countless other local shops I’ve found these stops holding more than just a place to eat and drink.  These places can be an adventure in themselves for the observant rider.

Making coffee at Saint's Cafe in State College, PennsylvaniaMaking Coffee

Confession — I don’t drink coffee. Ever.  But they aroma is intoxicating and the myriad processes of refinement and concoction are fascinating and at times border on magical.  I’ve watched mesmerized as a barista creates art amidst a steaming cup of coffee with a flourish of hand and liquid.  It’s a far cry from a waitress showing up with a glass pot of black coffee from a BUNN coffee system.  It’s not better, just different.

And worth noticing as all sorts of traditions and rituals are swept aside as modernized processes take their place.  Maybe coffee shops, the small ones, are a last bastion of human endeavor.

I’m probably exaggerating the point.

Man sitting in coffee shop looking out windowWatching the World

I’ve found coffee shops good places to relax and think.  Unlike the hustling energy in a restaurant a coffee shop allows a person to fade into the background.  Watching this person at Saint’s Cafe I’m reminded of my own need to collect my thoughts.

Frequently.

Riding a Vespa scooter, or a motorcycle demands a heightened level of attention to the road in order to stay safe.  Bringing those skills indoors, especially if you’re making photographs, helps you see what’s going on around you.  I’m always amazed at how much I neglect to notice.

People in a coffee shopConsuming Information

It’s increasingly rare to see someone reading a newspaper in the places I haunt. Information consumption by mobile devices has already and will continue to change the face of the information world.  There’s a price though and as I watched these people I could not help but think the newspaper reader seemed more relaxed.

Probably a bias on my part. If I’m not already addicted to my iPhone I can see it from here.

Who am I kidding.  I feel naked without it.

Carl Ector in Saint's Cafe

Friends and Acquaintances

Like the bar family in the TV show Cheers, the same thing can happen in a coffee shop.  Carl is one of the regulars I’ve come to know from my frequent visits to Saint’s Cafe and appears periodically in photographs I make.

Riding a Vespa scooter or a motorcycle transports a rider through the world.  I often hear it’s all about the ride or the journey but I’ve come to realize the destination can also play an exceptional part of the ride.  For me, a coffee shop is one of those exceptional places.

What places are you and your ride drawn to?

Riding a BMW R nineT Motorcycle

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BMW R nineT motorcycle and Mt. Nittany in fog

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.

BMW R nineT on foggy roadWhile 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.

BMW R nineT on the roadThe 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.

BMW R nineT instrument clusterUnlike 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.

BMW R nineT motorcycleI 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.

BMW R nineT on foggy roadRiding 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.

BMW R nineT motorcycle on rural roadI 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.

BMW R nineT on farm roadI 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.

Steve Williams with BMW R nineT motorcycleFinal 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.