Scooter in the Sticks

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

Winter Vespa

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Vespa GTS 250 scooter on snowy farm laneThis morning under a dazzling sky and frigid 12F atmosphere the Vespa scooter returned to the road — mostly, just a few side jaunts to re-familiarize myself with the newly mounted winter tires.  The winter Vespa has slightly different handling characteristics that take a few moments to program into muscle memory.

There’s still a bit of snow and ice to contend with but the main roads are mostly clear and dry though the stray patch of ice or packed snow still lurk in the shadows demanding winter grade attention to detail.  I can sense the autonomic responses at work and seem to have a level of hyperawareness that’s not present in warm weather.  All the usual suspects remain — other drivers and such, but now the road surface has far more pitfalls.  Crossing through a residential neighborhood I found myself riding at 15mph on packed snow where I would normally be navigating at 35mph.

Winter riding means slow riding.

Paul Ruby and in his big blue truckPaul Ruby provided transportation from my home to Kissell Motorsports where the scooter with it’s new fuel pump and winter tires waited.  In exchange I took him to breakfast at the State College Diner.  The temperature rose sharply from 0F when I was walking Junior to almost 10F at breakfast.  Add a little sunshine and your brain can convince you it isn’t all that cold.

Ice water in Pepsi-Cola glass at State College DinorNo matter how cold it is there’s always ice water being served in restaurants.  Seems to make sense that the ice would be dropped in the winter.  Lukewarm tap water being served…

Vespa GTS 250 scooter at Kissell MotorsportsThe scooter had been sitting in unheated storage for a few days and nights of really cold weather and took a bit longer to start than normal.  Once it fired up it ran like a champ.  I let it run a bit while I paid the repair bill and took a look at the motorcycles and scooters.

The technician let me know that come spring when I remove the snow tires I should change the rear wheel bearing.  Not surprising that some water and salt grime have gotten into the bearing.  He cleaned it out and regreased the bearing but it’s time for a shiny new version.

Self-portrait at Kissell MotorsportsKissell Motorsports has a lot of motorcycles and scooters to look at.  The new Vespa Sprint 150s are really cool looking.

Update on the FirstGear Kilimanjaro jacket in the cold — fantastic.  Riding at 13F I was able to do so with a long-sleeved undershirt, a sweater, and the jacket.  It appears impervious to cold.  No leaks, not cold penetration.  The zippers are big and easy to operate and the velcro closures seem perfectly placed and easy to use.  Really happy with this jacket.

Departing Kissell Motorsports on the Vespa GTS 250 scooter(Photo by Paul Ruby)

Off on a few errands and then onward towards home.  First order of business was to not dump the scooter in the parking lot.  Slow is the order of the day.  Heated grips worked really well and warmed my hands nicely through a thick pair of Tourmaster winter gloves that I’ve had for years.  The Tucano Urbano muffs also do a great job keeping the wind and cold at bay.  The combination of heated grips and muffs is the best winter Vespa hand protection that I’ve found.  A far cry better than heated gloves alone.  At some point I’ll test the heated gloves with the muffs in place of the heated grips.

Steaming cup of Earl Grey tea at the Pump Station in Boalsburg, PAThe only weak link left in terms of me getting cold are my feet.  After about 45 minutes my feet started to get cold.  No spare power on the scooter for electric socks or insoles.  Thinking it might be time to just get some heavy boots — perhaps a Sorel winter boot though the rubber bottoms worry me a bit in terms of wear.

The tried and true method of managing freezing body parts is to stop riding and seek shelter.  The Pump Station in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania provided shelter today along with some steaming hot Earl Grey tea.  Sitting inside with the sun pouring in the windows kept the place warm and I was ready for a nap.

snow on the road with a Vespa scooterWhile not perfect winter riding weather because of the lingering snow and ice it is possible to still ride if you’ve winterized yourself and your scooter or motorcycle.  Riding on neighborhood roads and streets is a mixed bag of snow, ice, and dry pavement.  Don’t get over confident on the dry stuff only to suddenly find yourself having to navigate the slippery stuff while going much too fast.  It’s a perfect way to try out your protective riding gear.

I still find a puzzling level of satisfaction riding the winter Vespa.  There’s a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction knowing I endured the cold.  And of course the fun of riding which has not diminished much regardless of the weather.

Wonder what’s next this winter?

Merry Christmas!

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Vespa GTS scooter on snowy forest roadMerry Christmas from the sticks to you!  I hope peace, goodwill and plenty come into your life.

After several days of near summer-like weather an arctic front moved through bringing snow squalls and pushing the landscape towards those old, Currier and Ives holiday images.  Just before lunch on Christmas Eve and I saw the snow begin to fall and decided to take a quick ride up the mountain to find a suitable image to share.  The roads were bare until reaching the point where the pavement is no longer salted and snow gathers quickly.

Vespa GTS scooter in snowy Rothrock State Forest

Fresh falling snow always seems peaceful and calm.  An appropriate sense of things for the holidays.
Christmas cardsAll the presents are gathered and family will arrive soon.  It’s a wonderful time of year.
Belgian Sheepdog Junior in the snow
And the kids wait for the arrival of Santa Claus, or in our case, Junior waits for a trove of treats.

Merry Christmas to all and ride safe!

My Winter Riding Checklist

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Vespa GTS scooter between snow covered carsVespa Scooter in Snow

Winter riding, especially in the snow, generates the most interest and traffic on Scooter in the Sticks.  I’m uncertain if that’s true because it’s like watching an accident, or people are searching for reasons to try it themselves, or something more or less profound.  Regardless, this activity that I find so satisfying resonates.  With that resonation in mind I thought I would share the mental checklist I go through before venturing out into the snow.  I made all these pictures this morning and started gathering my checklist thoughts on the road.

There was snow on the ground when I got up this morning with more on the way until changing to sleet and freezing rain.  That transition was many hours away.  When I made the above photo I had already made the decision to ride.  Shoveling snow and cleaning the cars could wait until later.  A rider has to have their priorities straight.Continue Reading

5 Reasons Not to Ride a Motorcycle or Scooter in the Winter

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Vespa GTS scooter parked on snowy streetVespa Scooter and Snow

While this winter has been unseasonably mild it’s still cold when riding. A few weeks ago a ride into town was a bit dicey because of periodic remnants of snow and ice. It’s frustrating to show up at the motorcycle parking space and find it full of salty snow and slush.

It left me wondering about riding in winter and the questions I field about being out in the cold. I claim no wisdom, just a few observations on why you should store your machine for the winter.

1. You’ll reek havoc on your brain.

Riding in winter means you have to deploy your intellect to manage a range of complex assessments of self, skill, road, traffic, weather, destination, route and more. If you believe riding is about freedom and nothing else then it might be best to stay behind (or beneath) the wheel. That way you can sustain your fantasy and keep your brain relaxed.

2. You’ll damage your ego.

In cold weather you ride alone. Tribes of riders to face the elements don’t exist. No one will care, admire or recognize your presence on the road. Those that do will think you’re nuts or an idiot, or that you have no friends. Any thoughts of heroic deeds in facing the cold will have to be yours alone. If you need recognition it might be wise to keep your ego intact, stay at home, and clean and polish the bike.

3. Weaknesses will surface.

Winter riding will expose the limits of your physical and psychological tolerance for cold. We all have them but not everyone knows what they are. Discovering that you can’t hack riding at 55F may be too much to bear if you’ve dreamed of trips at the freezing mark. Regardless, whether at 50, 30 or -10 degrees, you’ll find your limits. Make sure you are ready for the knowledge.

4. Grit, grime, and road filth will make you cry.

You may try to convince people that you can’t ride because the stuff on the road creates too big a hazard to ride, reducing traction and making turns especially dangerous. In your heart you know it’s bullshit and you really just don’t want to get your machine dirty. Riding in winter, at least in areas that use salt and grit, will turn your motorcycle or scooter into a nasty thing.

5. You’ll question your sanity.

If you get onto the road in the cold, allow your machine to get dirty, feel your fingers and toes grow numb, and fight to keep your visor clear, at some point in the process you’ll stop and ask, “Why am I doing this?”.

Standing at a mental crossroad — one direction leads on to the secret nirvana of winter riding. The other to self doubt, disappointment, excuses and internal arguments that seek to soften the thoughts of failure. Stay at home and protect your sanity.

18º F and Gerbing Electric Gloves

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winter landscape seen during a Vespa rideEnduring Cold Weather

That’s what 18º F looks like to me on a cold ride to work. My wife Kim enhanced the image to help better reflect how cold I felt.

My friend Paul bought me a pair of Gerbing Mens Classic Electric Gloves for Christmas. Nice surprise. He probably was tired of my whining about cold hands and second guessing electrical assistance – so he figured he would just shut me up. Yesterday morning was the first day cold enough to give them a fair test with the thermometer hovering at 18° F.

I’ve heard electric gloves are cumbersome to use. Depending on your tolerance for detail and process there may be some truth in that statement. If you like slip-on shoes and pullover jackets you probably won’t like dealing with electric gloves. I’m used to getting on and off the Vespa quickly and the departure ritual is second nature. Acquiring electric gloves means I have to develop another ritual.
Gerbing heated glovesBurned Hands

Before going into the nuts and bolts I should comment on the most important issue – warmth – and a few lessons I have learned. I read a post on the Modern Vespa site where it was suggested that a thermostatic control was necessary lest you burn your hands. I like to rest my hands on our hot water radiators or park them in front of the heating vents in the car, nice and hot, so I was quite excited at the prospect of burning heat at my fingertips.

UPDATE: MARCH 6, 2016 — Lesson One ONLY applies if you are riding in cold weather (below 35F, and you have no wind protection for the gloves.  I found out recently that with hand grip mitts the gloves aren’t subject to the rapid cooling from the wind and I ended up with a small burn on my right hand.  The gloves are hot.  So I had to purchase a Gerbing Controller.  With that in mind read on.

LESSON ONE: The gloves aren’t going to burn you. I don’t know where someone would get the idea that you could burn yourself with these gloves. At 32° F the elements are supposed to heat to 130° F. And the elements are insulated from directed contact with skin so no burning is going to take place. Using them at 18 ° at 50 MPH you can barely tell they are heating. At sub-freezing temperatures I don’t want a thermostat, I want full power.

LESSON TWO: They do keep your hands warm. Or at least not cold. Like I said I like feeling heat. My hands remained comfortable but not warm and performed much better than the expedition mittens I used last winter where my hands would go numb after 15 to 20 minutes of riding. I stop a lot to take pictures and have to take off the gloves. Holding a frozen camera my hands freeze fast. One of the nice features of the electric gloves is that they will slowly restore numb hands to relative comfort.

LESSON THREE: They are cumbersome to use. Running cables through the jacket every time I gear up, plugging in gloves and connectors, making sure the engine is running before plugging in or disconnecting before turning off in kindness towards the battery, it’s a lot of fussing around. And you need to do things in order. If you put the gloves on before you make those connections you have to start all over again. Since I stop and start a lot it means a lot of extra steps. I can deal with it in return for warm hands but I bet some would find it bothersome if not flat out irritating. I liken the process to putting an infant into a car seat. Once you are practiced it is a piece of cake. To the unwashed outsider it looks like hell.

LESSON FOUR: The gloves are nice. Well made, soft, luxurious on the hands, warm on their own, I really do like them. I fought the cold hand battle a long time, convincing myself it was a badge of riding honor to function in the cold by warming my hands on the headlight. I remained stubborn in the face of many suggestions to get electric gloves. Now I have them and I am ruined. What’s next? A windshield? Electric gloves? A motorcycle? I fear the bigger is better trap or which technology is a part.

At least my hands will be warm as I think about this stuff.