The Humble Rider

I found myself creeping along the alley which runs through the center of State College to avoid the more aggressive traffic on College Avenue.

There’s nothing like a 50cc scooter to amplify your understanding of the road. Wondering whether the speedometer will 35mph or if a few less potato chips would make help top speeds, a ride on a little scooter seems to unfold in slow motion. On the Honda Ruckus I could feel the desire to move, to rush, to get somewhere faster, quicker, get through traffic, leave things behind me, get away, get out in front, do anything other than wait for the scooter to get me to my destination.

It’s humbling to be at the bottom of the motorized kingdom. Only pedestrians and non-competitive bicycle riders go slower. Even my Vespa GTS has an engine five times bigger. I’ve found new respect for the small scooter and moped riders I see around town. And for guys like Walter Muma from Michigan who rode his moped nearly 12 thousand miles to Alaska and back, I can barely image the patience he must possess.

Every rider should periodically ride one of these little machines. They demand an entirely different focus and behavior than almost every other two-wheeled machine. Slow speeds force a focus on traffic flow, drivers, routes, and personal behavior. Like pulling over to let everyone pass. Or waiting for really big openings in traffic to pull onto a highway.

For the first couple days I took the roads less traveled. Aside from a super slippery seat on the Ruckus I found myself liking it more and more. As one of the machines in the Kissell Motorsports pre-owned category I found myself thinking about writing a check for $1200 and taking it home.

For rides around Boalsburg, through the streets and alleys to the post office or the Boalsburg Chocolate Company, what could be better.

As the temperatures descended in the 20s I began missing my heated gloves. I didn’t do any research on the capacity of the Ruckus to support electrics. Watching the kids play ice hockey in the cold I was remembered a time when I was impervious to the cold.

The Honda Ruckus is a little tank. I was surprise how solid it felt after first thinking of it as a glorified minibike, one of those WRENs from my youth. That would be the 1960s for me when I used to lay on my bed in my room with a copy of Boy’s Life dreaming of selling stationary from the Cheerful Card Company to earn enough money for a minibike, air rifle, and X-ray glasses.

The Ruckus has big, almost knobby tires, and they didn’t slip once as I began “riding through the woods.”

I rode through a lot of familiar territory with a 10-mile radius of home and found the little scooter up for anything as long as I was willing to accept such slow speeds. I’m certain the experience with the Ruckus has sharpened by riding wits. I’ve never thought mastering the machine was nearly as important as mastering my mind on the road and the scooter forces the issue. I know my place in the roadway kingdom. Easy to forget on a motorcycle that can propel a rider far ahead of the four-wheeled world.

Cutting through a field used mainly by dog walkers and kids taking a shortcut home from school I stopped to look at Mount Nittany, the iconic hill that Penn Staters pay allegiance and provides the namesake for the Nittany Lions. As a platform for exploring the Ruckus is great. And it is so unassuming that no one paid it any attention.

If you need people to look at you while riding cross this one off your list.

Here I am, 56 years old, and finally I have my minibike. At least for a few days. And it was as fun as I always thought it would be. Why didn’t my parents let me get one?

I like the looks of the Ruckus. It has the same rugged ugliness of a Jeep. And I bet it will go more places. If you have the time.

On the way back to Kissell’s to pick up my Vespa I stopped to photograph the little beast in front of the big mural along Calder Alley. It reflects the spirit that is ignited by this machine. Or any other small scooter I suspect.

I believe spending a riding life on big motorcycles leaves a rider incomplete. That little kid inside us doesn’t really connect with horsepower. It wants something else. Standing outside the window with the BMW S1000 RR looking out the window I was glad I had the chance to tool around on a Ruckus.

A Used BMW Motorcycle -- Happy New Year

Time slips by quickly and I have to pile on best wishes for the New Year on top of this story about a used BMW motorcycle.

Happy New Year! My resolutions (yes, I make resolutions) are under construction.

So, the used motorcycle, where to begin…

On Thursday afternoon I strapped a pair of Heidenau K66 LT Snowtex tires to the back of the Vespa and headed off to Kissell Motorsports to have them mounted. For non-winter riders these are snow tires with aggressive, slush clearing pattern, silica in the rubber for added traction, and special rubber designed to stay soft and sticky in the cold.

The plan was to drop the scooter off and have my wife pick me up for a ride home. What happened was I rode one of the used (pre-owned for the politically correct) motorcycles home.

The view out the breezeway door was pretty nice. Let me say I love the BMW R1200 GS. Love it. Smiled when I got on it. Was completely comfortable from the moment I pressed the starter. Loved the heated grips on the ride home. Nice bike. Really nice bike. A bike to lust after. And this was a used one with 19000 miles on it.

Nice.

A lot of dreams start with the selection of used motorcycles at a dealership. Not everyone is ready to plunk down the cash for a bike. I took the BMW as an example of the kind of used bikes one might find at Kissell's.

Standing in the kitchen the next day with a bowl of soup in my hands Kim calls out, “Craig Kissell is on the phone.” After I finished the soup I was going to go for a ride. Turns out that was true because Craig told me he just sold the bike and wondered if I could bring it back.

Sometimes life kicks you in the shins.

Pushing it out of the garage I gave it one last loving look. Kim walks over and says, “You really like that motorcycle don’t you?” I nod as I admire the machine standing in my driveway.

“Do you want to buy it?”

A felt a tear forming.

I met the new owner and expressed my feelings about what a fine machine he had purchased. I tried to console myself with the thought that there will be other motorcycles.

The BMW R1200 GS was just so nice though.

And life has a way of reminding you of the serendipity of things.

I’m going to ride a 50cc Honda Ruckus home. I made the choice. An act of flagellation to atone for coveting the BMW? I will say I have a new respect for those riders who make their way in the world on a 50cc machine. Anyone can ride a BMW. It takes a special rider to deal with the Ruckus.

Throttle wide open, I manage 35 mph on the flat. Twenty mph going up a hill. And compared to my Vespa GTS 250 the 50cc Ruckus is tiny. I smile when I think about what I must look like. I take a bit of pleasure leading a large, jacked up, big wheeled, overly loud, Dodge RAM truck down a stretch of road before pulling over and waving him on. The Harley decal in the back window meant he knew how to be patient with a fellow rider.

About halfway home I came to appreciate how quiet the scooter is. The sheep owned by Penn State barely moved when I rode up.

While a 50cc scooter isn’t fast its speed is a bit deceptive. More than once I found myself going a bit too fast for a maneuver. Luckily I am experienced enough to deal with these little over estimations. But I can see why new riders run these things into curbs, walls, or off the road. There’s no profit in underestimating anything with two wheels. And protective gear is a must in my opinion lest you come to woe.

I’ve always liked the looks of the Ruckus. They seem like the jeeps of the scooter world. If only Honda would drop a slightly larger motor into one. And call it a Big Ruckus.

Oh. Right. I forgot.

So I go from a BMW R1200 GS to a 50cc Honda Ruckus. That’s the kind of riding diversity I have come to appreciate.

Gray Skies, Cheap Fuel, and Mud

An odd mixture adds up to fun on the Vespa. Wasn’t sure what the weather would be like when I crawled out of bed but a quick look out the window had me reaching for my Tourmaster riding pants. A quick shower, a walk with the dog to inspect the garden, a few dog biscuits and a fast wrestle in the livingroom was all I had to do before rolling the Vespa out and heading down the road. First stop was the ATM for some cash. Second stop was my favorite Sunoco station to fill up the tank with high octane fuel. The Vespa never fails to impress me at the pump. Paying for $5.24 of gas is so much nicer than the typical $56.00 for the Ford Ranger.

With little traffic on a Sunday morning I was heading down the valley with a long, looping ride in mind. Even though the temperature was a reasonably warm 42° Fahrenheit I still wore the Gerbing Electric Gloves. My hands have hardly uttered a complaint all winter. Stopping to make the above picture I gazed at the mountain side and the snow still draped along the ridge wondering if the mountain roads would be freeze of ice. They can get pretty bad and I remembered driving a Jeep down one shaded road once with the driver side door open so I could jump out before the thing went over the edge and into a ravine. Unexpected ice covered roads on a steep incline were too much for a Jeep without chains or studs. No reason to tempt fate with the Vespa.

With the snow mostly gone, lots of rain, and slowly warming temperatures the fields look as if they are ready to spring to life. Before leaving this morning I saw lots of green pushing up out of the ground. In a few more weeks the world will be a different place.

Riding across the valley I had the road to myself. I still pay close attention for traffic though especially when I stop to make a picture. With the helmet still on and earplugs in I really need to rely on my vision because I’m not going to hear tire noise creeping up on me. Snow was still piled along the roads in wooded areas that don’t get the wind to help with evaporation.

Ever the master of good choices I choose a dirt road to explore. Make that mud. It wound through one of the larger State Gamelands but it wasn’t much fun pushing the scooter so much. And the Pirelli tires are just worthless in mud. I managed less than a mile before my mind (and stomach) suggested I head towards an eating establishment for breakfast.

I stopped at the Pump Station for a Jump Start --- eggs, bacon, and cheese on a bagel, and some orange juice. It’s nice and just sit alone and watch the world go by. At times like that I don’t have a care in the world. I couldn’t pass up a picture of the buffalo clock. There was one with a horse too I think but the buffalo caught my fancy. It’s been a few years since any of those roamed naturally here.

It was a short Sunday morning ride. Maybe 35 miles. Warm weather and months of things falling from our trees meant I needed to start raking and getting ready for the rush of new growth. It’s good honest work. As I type now just about all body parts are crying. I’m either getting old or out of shape in ways I cannot imagine. Riding just isn’t much in the way of physical exercise. Maybe if I had kept on that mud road things would be different…

Just Another Ride to Work

In warm weather riding the Vespa to work is automatic. The only time I don't is when I need to haul gear or people. In winter I make a quick assessment of road surface and mental state before making a decision. This past Thursday morning everything was aligned for scooter departure.

I chose a longer route to work to allow the battery to get a good charge. I don't use a battery tender because so far my riding frequency seems to be sufficient. The recent addition of electric gloves has me wondering but so far so good. I suppose if the battery is going to die it will be 50 miles from home at 10º F.

Riding continues to create a hyper-awareness of my surroundings that is difficult to find while driving a car. I probably would not have seen the deer along the road while driving. I'm just cut off from the world by steel and glass. Looking at the deer I realized I don't consciously watch for deer while riding. I watch for everything. Everything in front and back, left and right. Things come into focus in a continual processing of sensory information.

The ride to work was routine. The weather forecast called for snow showers late in the day but I assumed I would be home before they arrived. At 2:30 PM I saw the first snowflakes falling outside my office window. When I walked to the Vespa at 4:30 PM I found it covered in snow. The roads were still mostly wet with a bit of intermittent greasy slush.

Plans to travel across farm lanes when I realized that snow was accumulating too quickly to comfortably handle the steep grades in a few places. I wandered home on back roads and kept a careful eye on speed and road surface.

The local limestone quarry always looks good in the snow and I couldn't resist stopping for a picture. The wet snow is surprisingly slick and I had to work a bit to get the scooter back onto the road even with all the gravel under the tires.

Various amounts of snow accumulated as can be seen in the curve in the above photograph. Easily negotiated but a potential disaster for a careless rider traveling too fast for conditions and assuming the road is merely wet.

I arrived home safely, brushed the snow and slush from the Vespa before parking it in the garage, and joined Kim for a cup of hot tea. Watching the snow out the front window warm and snug after just another ride home from work.

Without a Map

My version of GPS is written on a plain index card. The night before I left on a ride last Monday I poured over the Pennsylvania Atlas looking at places I haven't explored and made cryptic notes on the card so I would have a general idea of where to go. Paul was riding with me on his Kawasaki Concours and the plan was to ride south to Huntington to a diner for breakfast. Unfortunately my index card didn't inform me it had been bulldozed to make way for a Rite-Aid. But who needs help finding a place to eat breakfast anyway?

The ride to the diner was through familiar territory though we did take a few new roads that weren't on the route scribbled on my card, one that had a nice view of the Little Juniata River winding through the countryside.

Even when I have no idea where I am I always know that I will emerge onto a road that is. Being lost in the East if more a figment of imagination than anything based in reality. At least in the manner that I describe lost. And there are always new things to see. Stopping for a picture gives Paul a chance to do a bit of back maintenance.

After breakfast we head south to pickup a road that will take us across the Juniata River. As we crossed the railroad tracks the signal begins to flash and I do a quick U-turn with the Vespa to take a picture of the train. I can see at least a half-mile in either direction and no train is in sight. After waiting five minutes the signal stops and the gates go up. So much for the train. As soon as I fire up the scooter the signal goes off again. Same thing, no train.

I forgot to point out that the temperature by 11AM was approaching 70 degrees. This in on January 7th. Winter in Pennsylvania. I felt like a tourist stopping to take pictures at all the scenic overlooks.

A GPS system only works if you pay attention to it. The same applies to the index card. And it doesn't help much to pull it out of your pocket when you are 25 miles past a turnoff. I had a general idea of the direction we needed to go and with the sky clear and the sun out I knew where the compass points were to we rode on making a larger than planned loop through some of the southern coal regions of Pennsylvania and over more mountains until we got back on course. I was able to ride my scooter right off the road through the grass back to this overlook. The larger and less maneuverable Concours had to wait on the pavement.

At the top of one mountain was a cell tower and our first coverage in quite awhile. I stopped to call home and let Kim know where we were and when to expect us home and Paul paused to do a little ebay business on his iPhone. He is trying to convince me that I could do Scooter in the Sticks with one. I think I might have to wait until Photoshop is available for the iPhone.

I was able to look back across the valley towards the southern end of Raystown Lake, one of the two big federal flood control projects that resulted in major bodies of water. This one has no horsepower limits so in the summer it is a nightmare of noise and speed. A friend and I canoed its length once and trying to cross from one side to the other was frightening. But that's another story.

We still had another 80 miles to go before we would be home but were in familiar territory again. A stop for lunch, another to examine a Black Locust tree (another story), and a few more side adventures before riding onto a freshly opened segment of Interstate 99. Paul was kind by keeping his speed to 65 MPH so I could keep up as the highway rose and fell along the mountain.
We got home with another 167 miles on the odometer. No map, no GPS, just a partially utilized index card. And we were fortunate to be able to take advantage of unseasonably warm weather. It didn't last long though. Temperatures are going down again and there is still plenty of time for winter to really visit.

A Few Words About Safety

It’s snowing outside again. Not hard but enough to influence a decision to stay off the road. I had my riding pants on before deciding to keep the Vespa in the garage. The roads are wet, mostly free of snow, and with temperatures in the high 20’s a ride is not out of the question.

I received a note from a fellow rider this week that described my riding and writing as revealing “the beauty that dwells in the middle”. He went on to explain this as a marked contrast to the media culture that pushes extremes. I smiled when I saw an advertisement on the online version of the New York Times announcing the coming episodes of National Geographic’s Planet Carnivore. I don’t live there.

Before moving on to safety I confess to a wonderful comfort in the middle. I am not an adventurer, warrior, or adrenaline seeker. I look at and think about the world in front of me and wherever I find myself it is enough. There are more discoveries still waiting for me in my backyard. As a photographer I find connection and direction in the work of Czech photographer Josef Sudek and his ability to find beauty right in front of him.

As a rider I am still learning. I don’t expect to stop until time or circumstance prevents me from continuing. Living in the middle as a rider means thinking about safety and carefully considering what that means to me and what risks I am willing to take. I don’t confuse living safely with managing riding risk. If I wanted to live safely I would not ride. It’s here that things can get sticky for some would be riders that want to live safely, carefully, and want to believe that accidents will never happen if they follow steps a, b, c….

The notion that accidents should not happen if everyone follows the rules may be how someone justifies a legal action for an accident. Unmet expectations on the road might lead to anger and rage when others don’t perform as they should. This angry energy gives rise to more and more unsafe drivers and highways. And it leaves me with more difficult questions related to managing risk. What can I do?

Safety breaks down into four areas for me:

1. State of mind
2. My physical condition
3. Mechanical readiness of the scooter
4. My skill and experience in making and executing decisions

Each of these can respond to work and energy that I put into them. None fall into the Act-of-God area. All benefit from practice and attention and will make my ride safer. And I know they make me a better man. When I look at this short list and ask myself if I applied it to driving before I became a rider the answer is no. Riding safely, managing risk, and riding “in the middle” works together like magic to sweep away the curtain that make it difficult to appreciate the quiet places and moments in front of me.

The snow has continued to fall while I have typed this post. The house is quiet save for Kim turning pages in a magazine and I am living in the middle. I’m grateful that riding has made it much easier to accept and appreciate the life I have.


Don't forget to let the motorcycle industry know how you feel about things in the 2007 Riders Choice Awards sponsored by Motorcycle Bloggers International. Dream bikes, dream rides, the good and the bad, and off course if you are so inclined Scooter in the Sticks is in the running for best blog! Click the image to get to the ballot.

A Search in the Cold

Opening the online version of the local newspaper this morning revealed 10° F. Hardly the riding weather of choice. I decided to take the dog for a walk instead. Didn't take long to confirm the paper's temperature indication especially since they neglected to mention the wind. During the walk a young dog appeared and followed us along hoping to get Essa to play. Noticing his lack of identification or license reminded me that my own dog was illegal.

By the time we got home the sun was bright in a clear blue sky and my dog needed a license. The temperature has risen to 15° F. After a moment of mental wrestling and q quick examination of the road I decided the Vespa was ready for a trip to the hardware store for a license.

Rolling through the unshovelled driveway (the has to melt that snow soon) I thumbed the starter and the GTS came to life unaware of the near zero temperature it has slept through last night. The air temperature readout on the instrument cluster flashed 18° F. I moved out onto the road with feet down to test the surface. Some icy patches but generally clear. I would have to monitor the road surface carefully and adjust carefully. A few miles from home I realized my usual dog license supplier had gone out of business and I would have to ride farther to get one. The well-traveled roads were generally clear with only scattered snow or ice mostly where wind would continue to deposit new coatings. As long as I was upright and traveling in a straight line I was fine but curves, especially blind curves, had to be handled more slowly than normal and in several instances taking them so slowly that the scooter didn't lean.

A long loop south of town took me through open farmland where the wind blew steadily. The scooter handled the wind and road surface challenges well and my comfort level is growing with each ride. I stopped at a local pet supply store for the dog license only to be told they were sold out. From there to another place that didn't carry them but offered directions to a place ten miles away that surely would have a dog license. Rather than ride the back roads I thought it would be a good time to try the new Vespa on Interstate 99. I stopped at the ramp to view the road surface and it was clear and dry, at least what I could see. Still in the break-in period I had no trouble maintaining an indicated 70 MPH, well under the Piaggio admonishment to keep the scooter under 80 percent capacity for extended periods. I did twist the throttle once to bring the GTS to an indicated 80 MPH for a few moments with throttle left. The Vespa is surprisingly smooth and stable at that speed even with a crosswind. I was extremely pleased in the performance of my First Gear Kilimanjaro IV Jacket and Black Diamond Mittens. Running along at 70 MPH in 18° F air I was warm and toasty until I returned home after almost two hours on the road. And I was reminded once again how much I enjoy riding in cold weather.

I'm sure I made the right decision to move up to the bigger Vespa. The increased power and weight will expand the things I can do on the road. I never did find a dog license though. The last stop at Tractor Supply Company was a bust. So I suppose I will have to ride farther to make my dog an upstanding member of the community.

No Riding, No Writing

My dog enjoys the snow. She'll happily lie outside until she's covered in snow. I'm coming up empty though. Neither motivation nor content for any new posts. Other than this picture I made last Sunday during a snow squall I have not been riding.


My Ford Ranger faithfully transports me to work. The Vespa sits in the garage because snow on the ground, snow in the air, the threat of snow, and temperatures in the teens and single digits conspire in my head. A quick check of the weather report this morning shows 16° F and snow for the next five days doesn't have me pulling on riding gear. While I might have ridden the old scooter on one of these days I don't trust myself yet with the GTS. And come to think about it I don't want to ride in snow or when there is the threat of snow. So where does that leave me?


I've never been good or overly interested in scouring the Web for interesting material to post here. If I stumble across something I will share it but I would rather ride and write about riding. My riding. It's unique to me and to you if you're interested.

The ride on Sunday followed a short nearly snowless ride on Saturday. Sunday found snow in the air and for a while snow everywhere on the road. It didn't take long for things to melt leaving just a beautiful landscape to ride through.


I tested the GTS as best I could in the snowy areas and it seemed to perform OK. I am comfortable that if I were caught in the snow I could slowly and carefully negotiate my way to safety. But I would not want to routinely venture out knowing there would be snow.



So that's where I am, waiting like many of you for the weather to improve. Right now if the roads are dry and the temperature is above 15° F I will ride to work. If the temperature rises above 20° F I will consider a trip. For the past few weeks I've been looking for clear pavement. No end in sight for snow free forecasts and even though on many days we don't get the snow I don't want to chance it. I'm beginning to think the bigger scooter has robbed me of something...

Shiny Scooters and Snow Don't Mix

The weather broke, or perhaps my resolve to keep the new Vespa GTS clean, safe and off the road until it was completely dry. Either way I was on the road again yesterday. The temperature was 31° F when I left and had risen 10 degrees by the time I returned home. The roads were clear and damp without ice or slush. I had hoped to see what the GTS was like in snow so I turned off into a shaded parking lot that was still snow covered. It was a gravel lot so traction is much better to begin with but there were a few areas packed smoothly that would simulate snow on the road.

The Vespa GTS feels more stable in the slippery stuff than the LX150 did. The advantage of the smaller scooter is that it's lighter weight makes it easier to physically wrestle if the wheels should slip out from under you. A foot down on the ground and holding the handlebar can keep the scooter from falling to the ground. I didn't push the experiment with the new GTS though---I'm not ready to see it fall down yet. Maybe after it gets dirtier. For this experiment I was content riding in circles, stopping, trying to slide, and generally increasing my comfort level with the new handling characteristics.

Still being in the break in period of operation I didn't push the scooter too hard on the highway and kept my top speed below 65MPH. Acceleration is smooth and positive and the increased weight makes for a more stable ride. Handling on turns and curves is smooth and the GTS feels almost as nimble as the LX150.


More snow is called for today so I'm not sure yet if I will ride or not. Part of my concern is doubt in my familiarity with the new scooter but a big part does not want to get it dirty and covered with salt spray. As I ride more the scooter will become less precious and allow me to use it as I want.

Road Rage, 7 degrees , and the Vespa GTS

I'm getting frustrated. We have had consistent snow and cold. The Vespa GTS is too shiny and new for me to take out in the mess not to mention I do not feel comfortable enough yet to brave the snow with only 60 miles under my belt on the new scooter.

In my non-riding frustration I came across this road rage device. Maybe one for two-wheeled vehicles will be available soon.

Click HERE to view the great road rage tool! You'll need the QuickTime movie plugin to view it.

For more Trunk Monkey enjoyment check out the other Trunk Monkey videos HERE