Scooter in the Sticks

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

Two Vespa Scooters

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gray day and rural landscapeGrayness and the Landscape

It was one of those days when the light and atmosphere changed minute by minute. And to make things even more unpredictable I was riding for the first time with fellow Vespa rider, Andy Heckathorne.

Two Vespa scooters on the road.

Riding with another person, especially for the first time, is a bit unsettling. You’re letting someone into your personal space. And you have a choice of being yourself or to put on a facade.

For me, the biggest concerns I have when riding with someone else are my slow speeds due to rubbernecking and my desire to stop and take pictures.

Andy experienced a little of both.Continue Reading

Boalsburg Moto Hang

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Harley Rider at Boalsburg Moto HangMoto Hang Wants You

Everyone is welcome at the Boalsburg Moto Hang.  The next one is in a few hours.  5:30pm to be exact.  So plan to stop by either today or the next event.  The Moto Hang takes place on the first and third Wednesday evenings of the month.  Ken Hull sent out this note which I’ll share:

This Wednesday we will be meeting at the Moto Shack from 5:30 to 7:30. Three things to note: 1. 2017 posters will be available for purchase ($5). 2. We have a porta-john on site. It’s on the other side of the little wooden shed. 3. Please try and arrive closer to the start time of 5:30 and not too much earlier. I need time to get things set up and ready for everyone before bikes start rolling in. Thanks for understanding.

The images below will help illuminate the experience.Continue Reading

Just Keep Riding

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So what if you’re getting older.  Just keep riding…

Is Aging a Physical Condition or a State of Mind?

After the previous post with the Morning Fall video I thought I would post something a bit more upbeat.

I like to think aging is, in part, something I can manage mentally.  This video always helps support that notion. And it may have some benefit down the road to help me just keep riding.

Memories of this video often spring to mind when I ride my Vespa scooter, or any other two-wheeled machine.  While I realize some aspects of aging and health may make continued riding impossible, I believe there are a wide range of circumstances that can be overcome through determination and willpower.  Those are the situations where my own thinking and beliefs trip me up.

It’s important that I determine the difference between those things I have power over and those I do not.  I want to be careful to not judge myself harshly or consider some lack of action my fault, or a lack of willpower, when in fact they are truly insurmountable. Too often people judge themselves and others as “not trying hard enough” when in fact there is absolutely nothing that can be done.

This video provides me with a jolt of hope and strength when I feel bad. It helps me to just keep riding.

What does it do for you?

 

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Vespa Scooter in Rain

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Vespa GTS in front of Mount NittanyMist Along Mount Nittany

The best way to be riding a Vespa scooter in rain is between the raindrops.  Or during those moments when the sky softens and the rain won’t be described as a downpour.  No worries about visibility or hydroplaning on water-logged pavement.  Just a gentle recognition that the world is getting wet.

This post isn’t about the technical aspects of riding in rain — traction, visibility, weather protection — that sort of thing.  It’s merely a passing account of a short trip on a morning of gentle rain bordering on mist.  A commute to work with a detour to visit a new cardiologist.

The ride was a reminder of how great the world can look on those decidedly non-postcard days.Continue Reading