Scooter in the Sticks

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

Riding at the End of Summer

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Kawasaki W650 motorcycle parked in front of a municipal building.
Signs of the end of summer — paying property taxes.

Motorcycle Utility

On this day it was the Kawasaki W650‘s turn for a ride. With five machines in the garage I have had to set up a rotation to keep them all working, the fuel fresh, and the moisture driven out of the oil. Fifteen to twenty miles is usually enough to do the trick. And it helps me keep my head on straight.

Paying property taxes is an annual August event. Pay the total by the end of the month and you save a few dollars. So that’s what I do. Any excuse to go for a ride at the end of summer.

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The Honda Trail 125 — A Small Joy in a Riding Life

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Paul Ruby performs the Crane pose on an old stump
And with the Crane comes danger…

Discoveries

The most dangerous part of this ride was Paul on a old stump teetering on one leg to strike his favorite pose from the Karate Kid. Problem is he’s no kid and a fall from that stump would test the SOS feature on my iPhone.

I purchased the Honda Trail 125 (CT125) because I had grown uncomfortable riding the Royal Enfield Himalayan off road. Alone. In places with no cell coverage and little traffic. While those fears have been sorted I’ve come to discover a special joy in riding the Honda.

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Vespa GTS Scooter — A Chore Runner

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Vespa GTS scooter parked in the shade in a bank parking lot.
Successful chore running means finding the shady parking spot.

The Right Choice for Errands

Of the scooters and motorcycles in my garage, the Vespa GTS scooter is my first choice for running errands. Why? Because it is utterly simple to use and it has more than enough power for any situation I will encounter. And among all the things it is good at, it is the perfect chore running machine. And on this day I had four chores to accomplish.

By the time I arrived at the bank to deposit a check I was already appreciating why the Vespa GTS scooter was the right choice.

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The Unlooked-For Gift

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Vespa GTS scooter parked outside the Pump Station Cafe.
Special scooter parking at the Pump Station Cafe.

Sudden Changes

I had a plan. An early morning departure for Altoona to pick up my mother-in-law for a visit. Breakfast at Tom and Joe’s Diner followed by a leisurely drive back to Boalsburg where we could all spend the day together. It’s nice to have plans. Then the call she’s not feeling well and those plans evaporate.

Suddenly the day lays open. It’s relatively cool at 68F. A heavy overcast softens the light and whatever scorching the sun may want to inflict. As I write these words I’m mildly shocked it didn’t feel much desire to go for a ride. Perhaps the approach of my 70th birthday has mellowed my riding obsession.

The half mile journey on the Vespa to the Pump Station for breakfast revealed a desire to relax, read, and just soak in the world. Perhaps the unlooked-for gift.

If I time things right I can get to the Pump Station between the early morning commuters and the daily groups that gather. Seeing just a few cars I know my timing is perfect.

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I Want Another Motorcycle

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2024 Triumph 900 Scrambler in Cosmic Yellow
The object of my desire. Green would be ok too.

Desire for a Triumph

Desire sweeps in unexpectedly. Contentment gives way to desire and as rational as my thought process seems I wonder if it is all a delusion in service of a selfish and irrational desire. I want another motorcycle.

Such is the state of things for the past few weeks as I scour the internet for a Triumph 900 Scrambler.

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