Scooter in the Sticks

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

Take a Ride

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Paul Ruby with his Piaggio Fly 150 scooterThe Secret Garage

I can’t be sure if my friend Paul refers to this place as his garage, or his secret garage.  Either way, there’s always a bit of mystery here each time I visit.  We were going to take a ride a couple weeks ago to breakfast somewhere, the usual dubious plan that’s driven by hunger and an associated desire to ride.

Past visits to the secret garage have seen the place flooded from hard rains, full of cars and motorcycles, or piled high with pallets of old electronic equipment destined for eBay. His Ferrari, a 1975 308 GT4, lives under a blue car cover. I’m never quite sure what goes on here. With his Fuji X100F camera in tow, he dusted off the Piaggio Fly 150 scooter and we got on the road.Continue Reading

Riding Toward Simplicity

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Vespa GTS scooter along a rural road lined with cornfieldsSimple Vespa Riding

The hot weather has vanished and I’ve been on the scooter more. Riding nowhere in particular. Just enjoying the passing landscapes. A stop along a rural road to admire the field corn, tall and lush from an abundance of sunshine and moisture.

I ride a Vespa scooter because it’s easy. And it can do practically anything. Anywhere. With few exceptions (water crossings and deep mud), most of the scooter’s limitations exist between my ears.

A recent email I received from a rider in Nova Scotia has been rattling in my head. Specifically, a short passage regarding a cross continent trip from Washington state to Nova Scotia:

“Most of that 14-day adventure (almost exclusively across America) is a blur to me. Like so much of my riding up to that point, my focus was 150 feet off of the front wheel and hitting every apex with surgical precision. In the process, I missed a great deal of beauty.”

I read about people making grand adventures; on two-wheels, on cruise ships, in cars. And I marvel at the distances traveled and the experiences consumed. But it all seems rushed.Continue Reading

Restorative Powers of Scooter Riding – or Motorcycles

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Portrait of Vespa scooter rider Steve Williams reflected in mirror

Canon G15 6.1mm 1/1000 @ f2.8 ISO 100

Riding Reflections

This will be a short post.  It’s premise and conclusions obvious to many who already ride a scooter or motorcycle.  To others, and perhaps most of those men and women who are thinking about riding, the idea that riding has any sort of powers or rewards beyond transportation or recreation may not even register in their thinking.

I don’t want to preach.  I’ve long ago understood that what I believe, the actions and approaches that work for me, may be utterly useless for others.  We each walk (or ride) our own path and come to understand and embrace what we will regardless of what others accept or reject.Continue Reading

Am I Too Old to Ride a Motorcycle (or Scooter)?

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Too Old to Ride?

Self-portrait at night in store window reflectionPersonal Reflections

I’ve been asking myself a lot lately whether I’ve reached a point where I can’t reliably ride anymore.  Whether some future motorcycle to be named later or the Vespa GTS scooter that I’ve been riding for the past decade.

It’s a crappy conversation to have with yourself if you really enjoy riding.  My father-in-law was talking about the same conversation he’s been having about bicycles.  But he’s almost twenty years further down the road than I am.

It’s been three months waiting for my lower back to heal.  This isn’t the first time I’ve felt this way.  Only the first where things haven’t gotten better.  The lingering, gnawing pain and sudden, startling bursts of electric weakness provide ample pause when deciding to ride.  Putting on gear and boots is an adventure in itself that can leave me cringing and panting from the task.

I suppose I should be surprised at the mental conversations.

Vespa GTS on a winding road in autumn forestLong and winding road

In my dreams I’m riding well into my eighties.  My granddaughter has her own motorcycle and lectures me on some aspect of life as she comes into her own.  Two weeks ago I was riding through the local forests to enjoy the sights and fragrances of a changing autumn world.  Each stop to push the scooter onto the center stand was a breath-holding event as I was never sure if the movement involved would impinge an already irritated nerve.

There are a few things I consider when thinking about the big riding stop sign:

  1.  Am I strong enough to manage the weight involved?
  2. Is my mind clear?
  3. Are my reactions reliable?
  4. Am I afraid to be on the road?
  5. Can I see?

Five simple questions.  And so far, with only momentary and somewhat predictable situations, only the first question is relevant.  All the rest receive a positive response.

Vespa GTS scooter on gravel forest roadRough roads

I love riding through the near endless forest roads here in central Pennsylvania.  While the Vespa scooter may not be the first choice for this terrain it’s capable enough for any rider not bent on break-neck speeds and tricks.  My own recent wandering in Rothrock State Forest to absorb the flaming foliage has been satisfying if not at times jarring along rough stretches of road.

Autumn skyAutumn sky

The light is different this time of year.  The sun remains lower in the sky and I swear it paints far better cloud drawings than any other time of the year.  I know I look up more this time of year to look, and to think.  Like whether I’m too old to ride.

Perhaps the past week was just a bad stretch of body encounters on top of some bouncing riding that caused me to grit my teeth.  Another chiropractor appointment that doesn’t seem to help.  A rheumatologist who doesn’t think my auto-immune arthritis has worsened but perhaps a physical therapist could help.  Add a colonoscopy to the mix and perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised I’m asking whether I’m too old to ride.

And it’s cold.  That early, cold-season riding desire crushing cold.  It was 27F this morning.

Vespa GTS scooter at sunsetVespa riding sunset

Am I too old to ride?  No.  Can I ride as I wish? No.  Are things going to change?  Don’t know.  Just a sample of the questions I have been experiencing lately as my riding has changed to accommodate my aching back.

A few days ago I hopped on the scooter to ride to a local eatery to pick up dinner and stopped along the way to drink in the sunset.  These small journeys are the norm these days.  The occasional 150 mile weekend jaunts are growing more rare as I make decisions to not stress the healing I imagine taking place in my lower back.  And those decisions work into the personal conversations I have with myself about growing older and myriad decisions including whether I’m too old to ride.

When I talk with other riders I seldom hear anything personal aside from bragging about riding accomplishments or the mechanical nuances of their motorcycle or scooter.  Conversations about personal challenges, misgivings or concerns seem off limits.  Personal story telling seems a difficult challenge.

It’s why I write.  Putting words on a page is easier than talking.  For me at least.

I’m not too old to ride.  I am currently struggling with some physical hurdles to riding but am still confident that work and focus will allow me to get over them.

It will be just above the freezing mark in the morning.  And I want to go for a ride.  The desire is still there…

Scooter Country

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Vespa GTS in scooter countryThe World is My Oyster

There are times on the road, alone and on the way home, that everything feels completely familiar.  It’s my own world.  Scooter country.  As good as that feels, it can lead to a comfortable disregard of everything and end not seeing anything.

Pulling off the road, turning off the Vespa and walking around for a few minutes brings things back into focus.  Such is an end of the week ride home.

Vespa GTS scooterSunny Day Ride

The weather has been exceptional this week.  Even with the rain.  Combining that with the already perfect machine I’m lucky enough to own and I’m just whistling through life.  I’ve been riding the GTS since 2007 and have ridden almost 32 thousand miles.  Spend that much time with something and still love it, that’s special.

I wonder if every rider feels the same way about their machine?

motorcycle parkingVespa in Normal Life

Everything feels normal, plain, unexceptional.  That’s comfort.  A quick phone call for take out and a short ride into town and I’m picking up dinner.  The scooter makes it all easy.  And fun.  Chores and errands seem like little adventures on two wheels.  No moto-manufacturer will ever advertise the power their vehicles have over the mundane tasks of living but that’s one of the best parts for me.

Things I must do rendered enjoyable. Life is good on a Vespa.